Merry Hodgepodge

1. What's left to be done on your Christmas to-do list?  

I still must wrap all the presents (Thank goodness for gift bags!), bake a few batches of cookies and Friday night I will begin cooking for our Christmas dinner (Our family will be getting together on Christmas Eve day this year).  

It's not really a good thing, but it is.....some kind of threat of violence was made toward the school district I drive for.  Today's date was mentioned.  About half of the kids in the district didn't come to school yesterday and the district made the decision to cancel classes today so I have this bonus day to get things done. It's back to work tomorrow and Friday.

2. The Hodgepodge lands on the first day of winter this year. What's your favorite thing about winter? 

When it ends.  Seriously.  I'm not a fan of winter.

3. In what area of your life are you immature? Feel free to elaborate or not. 

My sense of humor.  I still laugh at the silliest things and goof around with the kids on the bus.  I'm not afraid to do ridiculous things or look like a big goofball....hence, my collection of silly Christmas hats.

Here's a few of them:

4. What was the most (or one of the most) important lessons you learned in 2016? 

How to let go of politics and all the ugliness that went along with this year's campaign and just rest in the knowledge that God is in control.  He either caused Trump to win or allowed him to win.  Either way it is part of His plan. Loving those who have been hateful is a little harder and I'm maybe still working on that.

5. It's Fried Shrimp Day...are you a fan? What's your favorite way to eat shrimp? Will there be shrimp somewhere in your holiday feastings? 

Just call me Bubba Gump.  I LOVE me some shrimp!  It doesn't matter what kind, although fried is not my favorite.  There is always shrimp in our holiday feasting.

6. What sound lulls you to sleep? 

The fan.  We have it running every night all year round.

7. What one word best describes your 2016? 

Troublesome?  Tiresome?  Vexing?  It was not the best of years.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Our little peanut has been in the world for a whole week now!  He is coming for a visit later today.  Nanny is very excited.  I'm hoping to see him with his eyes open in person for the first time.  

Isn't it something how one tiny little person can fill your heart to bursting and give you so much hope?  That's the best Christmas gift of all.

May you all have the merriest of Christmases

and a blessed and happy New Year!

I Don't Want To, But I Do

It's the last Friday of summer.  I'm feeling...conflicted...about that.

There is a part of me that has been conditioned over a lifetime to view summer vacation as the best three months of the year and to dread it's end.  What's not to love about day after day of no work to go to, right?

Then there's another part of me that is more than ready to go back to work, because...and it makes me feel like a failure to admit this...I get bored over the summer.  I don't see a lot of people during the summer and this year has been particularly bad because of the whole thing with not having a car to use. (None of my friends live close by.)  It might not be so bad if my husband and I did a lot together, but he works long hours, has a long commute, and is just too tired to play most of the time.

We can also throw in the whole A.D.D. thing.  I'm kind of adrift during the summer.  I need the structure of regular work hours to keep myself functioning efficiently.  Without it, I become the queen of time-wasting and procrastination.

Now I'm adding guilt into the mix...as in I'm feeling guilty for how much time the dogs are going to be on their own this year. It wouldn't normally bother me, but the hound is getting older and has health issues.  I want him to be "happy" for however many more years he's got.  Then there's the Poodle.  Sigh. She is getting aggressive...attacking the hound, barking incessantly at everyone and everything, nipping at people's ankles when they walk.  Researching the issue tells me she is probably bored.  Like that will improve when I go back to work.

Bittersweet as it is, I guess the bottom line is that I'm excited about the new school year.  I'm looking forward to seeing the kids that ride my bus again, having that structured format to my days, and admittedly, the challenge of having to get organized if it's all going to work.

Happy Friday and let's enjoy this finally weekend of summer!