walk to work

Okay, okay. . .what a storm!  Today John left for work at the ususal 6:30am ish, and I stayed behind tossing about the idea;  to dig or not to dig, that is the question.  Well, the answer is. . .no digging.  I walked to work.  In this crazy mess.  I just wish I had the time and the gumption to ask people, "Where are you going, and why are you on your cell phone driving in these conditions?"  But instead I just walked on the main road, ye old Bridge Avenue, and got to work in 15 minutes.  It takes me 8 minutes to drive and I leave a carbon footprint behind.  Hmmmm.....

But I was rewarded at the end of the day with a beautiful sunset.  God is good, and so I just

let it be.

after Christmas sigh

I am home alone, except for Ginny the wonder dog.  She is such a good companion.  I have yet to begin the big dig from the storm. . .

This is her going out area.  Ugh.  But the silver lining to this snow fall is the shoveling should help remove some of the cookie weight from the last few days!

Or, maybe I'll just let it be.

the almost finished products.

Megan drove down from Lake Hopatcong to help me get motivated, and to spend some quality time with Auntie M. . .and this is what we did.

 remember I said I was doing some different things this year, and that includes my cookie baking.  Usually Dawn does the Viennese crescent cookies.  Well I had pecans in the freezer.  They are delicious.  Kind of like a shortbread only better.

And there you see our three kinds of cookies.  Traditional Toll House chocolate chip cookies, only because Meg needed a little schooling with those, the pecan crescents, and peanut butter cookies.  hmmmmm, not very different you say?  Well, wait until you see what we did with the peanut butter cookies.

we stuffed them

and then we dipped them in chocolate.

don't eat 'em.  They're awful.  Ok, I might just be saying that because we don't want to share. 

and we finally dusted the crescents with some snow.  I packed the young sous chef/baker up and sent her home with some samples.  We'll see how they are received next week when the family comes for celebration.  Until then, I've GOT to let 'em be.

guess what I'm doing today.

more hints to follow. 

let me help you

We're living in a different, post 9/11, world and we've had to adapt to different things like security measures that we've never had to endure before.  So let me give you a few tips to getting through the court house security that will help speed the process.

1.  We cannot allow lighters or matches or any other fire-starting equipment in the courtroom, including firecrackers.
2.  We cannot allow you to bring your illegal drugs into the courtroom, including the "prescription" you don't have in your prescription bottle, or the joint in your cigarette pack.
 3.  We also cannot allow you to bring in your shot glass, or your flask, or your Vodka bottle into the courtroom.
4.  In addition to #2, we cannot allow you to bring in your razor blades or hypodermic needles.
5.  All forms of weapons . . . not allowed, that includes box cutters folks.
6.  As to #3, it's best not to come under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicant.  You tend to make errors in judgment such as shouting out "Shakespeare" or "all rise" or other nonsense things that get you escorted back out of the courtroom.  Also, falling asleep in the courtroom as a result of your intoxication can lead to falling off your seat and smacking your head. 
7.  Yes, the baby stroller has to be searched.  So does the diaper bag.
8.  That overnight bag you call a purse will be searched also.
9.  If you wear your pants in  current hip-hop fashion with your blingy metal-studded belt we may have to ask you to remove it because you are lighting up the metal detector like a fireworks display.  Please remember to hold on to your pants when we ask you to do that.  Your pants falling to the floor is not our responsibility.
 10.  Yes we have to ask you to remove your hat before going into the courtroom.  We realize this may lead to the exposure to a bad hair day, but it's for the safety of all; it also is the polite thing to do.

These may seem common sense to some of you, but as you can imagine, these are all real life scenarios I have shared with you today.  I love my job.  Wait until next season's parking wars start. . . then you're really going to hear some stories.

There are times when we just can't . . .let it be.

I have an bit of an obsession

well, I have more than one, but this one is so specific and pronounced and few will be surprised.  But, I finally figured out what it's about.  You see, I have a snowman obsession. . .these are a few on the tree.

These are some around the house.  I kept some in storage this year!  whoa!  Again, I realized why I favor the snowman so much.  It's because my best memories with my children growing up have to do with snow.  When we moved from southern Florida back to New Jersey the children were ages 5, 3, and 1.  That Thanksgiving it snowed enough to build a snowman.  I bundled my babies up in snowsuits and boots, hats and mittens and took them to the front door, opened it to the blast of cold air and they all froze in their tracks!  At first I thought they really froze.  Then I realized they were just terrified.  They have never felt anything so cold and wet.  They just didn't know what to do.  So trying to be a good mom and show them there was nothing to fear I left them inside the front door and I went outside.  I started to make the snowman by myself to show them it was fun.  Then I threw a snowball at the door and when it hit the glass and make a racket the girls started to cry, but I started to laugh.  I finally woke up to the fact that they had NO idea what was happening.  So one at a time I brought them outside and taught them about snow.  Soon we were making snow angels and snow balls and were having a really great adventure. 

Years later we started skiing and skating and snowboarding.  Our treks to the White Mountains of New Hampshire remain legendary.  We relive them when we want, but I still remember skiing (well, I bunny sloped as Diana went double black diamond skiing)  and then sledding down steep hills and hot cocoa and warm fires.  Falling dead asleep by 9:00 pm and waking again before 7:00 am to do it all over again.  Those were special times and made even more special memories.

So I recognize my obsession, and isn't that the first step to recovery?

You know what?  I think I'm just gonna let it be.

getting in the spirit

I know we all say time flies, and we all know it really doesn't.  It's scientifically the same the day I was born as it is today.  But, I look at my grown women offspring, my baby girls, and I think the time did fly.  For sure it did fly by and now we have Christmas coming again.  My 52nd Christmas celebration on this planet.  Yikes!  I shall not get caught up in the nostalgia.  I shall plan and plan, and schedule and list and relist and Christmas Eve will get here and I will be stressing about something I believe I forgot.  Then John will remind me that whatever it is, it's too late, and Christmas will come and go and we will all be just fine.  That said I am happy that while I was out on Wednesday night, he got all the decorations out of the attic, and they await the festooning that I hope to complete this weekend.

With Camille Steiner and her beau Nic coming from France, and Alexis flying in from Boston on Christmas Eve, and planning the Sargent family annual gathering on the 19th, cards to send, cookies to bake, gifts to buy and wrap I know I have a great deal to do, but I truly want to enjoy this season.  So I'm going to take it as it comes, plan the best I can, and believe we will all be happy and have fun, and appreciate each other and the Savior that brings us together for this yearly tribute to his birth. Is that too much to ask?  Oh and one more thing. . .I need to breathe.  Just breathe.  And let it be.