I resolve ...

to continue to live.

You know? I HATE New Year's. 

H.A.T.E

H-A-T-E

HATE it.

I hate declaring what I need to change/improve in my life publicly. I don't know if it's because I don't want to be held accountable (a STRONG possibility) or because I am undisciplined (I know - a shocker!) or because I am a rebel/stubborn (duh) ... but really. I don't want ANYONE reminding me of what I've said I'm going to work on.

However - if I change/grow/improve it is FINE for someone to notice and compliment me. Even if it does make me feel all squiqky inside.

I figure if I want to change something I will change it. No sense in waiting for a specific time of year to start/stop. I also think having too long of a "to do" list almost guarantees failure. One improvement a year (maybe a month?) is probably more attainable than a list of 10 at the first of the year.

So this year - like every other year I'm not going to proclaim ANYTHING ... However, my friend Mamie makes a pretty persuasive argument for small manageable steps.

What about you? What's your success rate for change? 

Sprung

So - I was telling my brother that "we" have a tradition here in the south of "flowering the cross" for Easter.

I TOTALLY was going to go by the church and take a picture ... but my Leek and Gruyere Bread Pudding for Easter Lunch was running behind schedule ... and so - I just took these pictures of my yard.

Actually, I kind of lied to 2Tall - 'cause I told him I didn't take any flowers to church ... 'cause I don't water my yard (this part is true) and everything is dead (this is the lie) ...

Because seriously, FORTY-TWO inches of rain a year WHEN THEY HAVE A DROUGHT!!! How the hell could things die??

Okay - well - so I didn't take any pictures of the grass, because apparently THAT needs rain at specific times, and the weather hasn't cooperated ... SO IT'S NOT MY FAULT. Because once again ... IN A DROUGHT YEAR ... they get forty-two inches of rain.

Now MAYBE if you're from this part of the country you're not quite understanding the significance ... but where *I* came from ... in the Arizona desert ... EIGHT INCHES OF RAIN ... a year.

And you get 3 of it all in one day when a big monsoon comes in.

And in the California Sacramento Valley - you are INUNDATED with a whopping twelve to sixteen inches of rain a year.

So when I moved out here - and found out THIS could happen without water?

Yep - pretty much never, ever, worrying about watering again.

ps: My niece and I share a birthday today ... so I'm sending out a b'day greeting to HippoGurl! :)

I have no idea where she gets her amazing good looks from ... but I think her sense of humor can be traced back this way.

Merry Mitmas

Hoping no one steps in the proverbial holiday poop!

Disjointed Decorating (and other randon) Thoughts by the Insane

Getting ready to go into the attic. I feel like a big WAAAAAAmbulance.

Good news ...

No signs of rodents up there, my sleeping bags and tents are still in-tact. I brought my down-filled bag downstairs - and I'll air it out.

The not so good news ... HOLY &^%*$ ... I have WAY TOO MUCH STUFF. And why the hell do I get ATTACHED TO IT? It just makes me grumpy, annoyed, and feel out of control. I have TWO BOXES of caps. Like baseball caps. WTF? ... I never wear them. I wear like TWO - at the most THREE caps. EVER. They're from all the gins/farming operations/chemical companies, etc I've worked with.

AND OLD BILLS. They go back to 1987 that I can see by the writing on the outside of the box. There are about 7 or 8 paper-ream boxes of old bills. Ugg. I really need to bring the shredder home from work.

AND THEN ... what the hell? How many Christmas decorations does one person, who doesn't EVEN LIKE TO DECORATE, need?

I guess now that they’re down here in the living room, it doesn't look so bad. Four 23x16x9 boxes - and two bags. BUT STILL ... it feels like SO MUCH to put up ... especially knowing I'll just have to take it down off the tree and back up the ladder again in less than thirty days. (unless of course this turns into a Valentines/St. Patrick’s/East tree) WAAA-AAAH-WAAA-AAAH-WAAA-AAAH

Math is MUCH LIKE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS.

I have NO IDEA why I thought I wanted to do this. One string is brighter than the other - out of the four strings one is dead, one blinks, two don't. The blinky kind are my favorite ... and there's mold on floor behind the couch.

(Then I received some unasked for advice about how Christmas tree lights work. Something about the mystery “lead blinking bulb” and all lights in the string needing to be present and/or lit for the whole string to work)

One string is lit up, even though it is missing lights. Therefore your theory FAILS.

Decorating my tree - and cussing.

It's a BLUE Christmas at the Mitter house!!

See? I do have the holiday spirit!

Finally, the light lights are on the tree - and I just found some favorite ornaments. Maybe this isn't so bad after all.

I don't care anymore. I just want to be done with this project, or starting at three o'clock this afternoon so I could get pissed off as I drive from drugstore to overcrowded store looking for lights, instead of at six o’clock. I wish someone were here to help me .. yet I know I'd be telling them, "YOU'RE DOING IT ALL WRONG".

I have the lights on ... and the garland. (red, gold, and pearl beads) ... and angel on top ..

Three ornaments so far.

I think it looks fine.

Can stop here?

Except ... I just uncovered my "southern cotton angle" ... it's an angel made from a cotton boll.

.... and my ornament from Alaska - and my Fly-fishing Christmas bear ... and a hand blown glass ornament from a friend in Az.

Then I began talking harshly to the Wooden Christmas Moose. (everyone has a redwood Christmas Moose, right??)

“STAY THERE Moosey..."

"Mr. Moose!DO NOT TWIST on the wire or the consequences will be severe!".

"Please??”

And why, I ask you .. does a single girl ... who one year used COOKING MITS as stockings ... now have 3 stocking to hang on her fireplace??? A hand cross-stitched one, a grinch and the typical red/white fur combo.

I also think frustrated anal people shouldn’t be allowed to decorate trees. I have moved one ornament 7 times. I’m now puting a moratorium on the purple glass ball. And the antique hand-painted deer globes.

Good LORD … HOW MANY TIMES MUST I MOVE AN ORNAMENT … ONLY TO REALIZE I AM CONTINUING TO CLUMP THEM IN THE SAME PLACE??

Ten o’clock. I am QUITTING. It is good enough.

Except for this one …

Stop Poking Me

As I came off the mountain Sunday, I stopped at one of those “U-cut-em” Christmas tree places. My hosts were getting a tree, and I felt compelled to do the same.

WHY? I DON’T KNOW

I haven’t had a tree up for three years. Previous to moving to NC, I would buy trees then invite people over for a “decorating party”. Really it was a, “decorate Mit’s tree, because she is lazy and can’t be bothered”, party.

Because I had roommates, I also pulled rank and never had to take down the tree. (A task worse than decorating)

The greenery garland which graces my mantle, when I choose to decorate, lays draped on the guest bed headboard … in the same place I put it three years ago.

As we picked out the “perfect” four-foot tree my friends asked me when I would decorate it.

“Oh, Monday night, I guess.”

Then I thought about my attic; and the stairs that I have to pull down from the ceiling to access it. And the creepy, crawly, web-creating, skritch-skritch-skritch noise-making inhabitants who live up there. Even though there are lights up there … I am not convinced the BRAZEN HUSSY INHABITANTS would know they should hide themselves when I ascend to retrieve tree-stands, ornaments, and lights.

Luckily, I had a pot-luck dinner to attend Tuesday night – so I had to COOK on Monday night. The only tree decorating project occurred early Monday morning. With haste (eighteen-hours later) I untied the tree from my car-roof and placed it in a pot of water on the front porch. (I hope the pine pitch will not forever flavor my pasta pot!)

Tuesday morning as I left for work, a tree branch poked me as I left the house. I ignored it.

Tuesday night when I returned from the pot-luck the tree cast a shadow on the door as I inserted my key into the lock. I ignored it. Yet still a branch tried to poke me.

Wednesday morning, in an attempt to appeal to my non-existent soft-side, the tree leaned over AND POKED ME AGAIN! Briskly I straightened it and added water to the pasta pot. I might have tossed the possibility of a decorating session to it after work.

Wednesday night, I was late returning home from work – and dying to cook. The pork-chops with cinnamon apple slices, poppy-seed noodles and squash blue cheese casserole were really good. At nine o’clock, after cooking, consuming, and cleaning I reneged on my decorating promise.

There were NAWING noises last night!!! I’m sure they were emanating from that persistent pine.

This morning as I left for work – I did not even GLANCE in the direction of that evil tree. It still poked me as I whirled around after locking my front door. Tonight when Hot Sauce dropped me off, I recalled book club was meeting. DARN! Even though I have not read the book … “I must go,” I told the tree.

I practically had to kick my way past those passive aggressive boughs.

Just now when I returned, I took the stairs to my kitchen deck and entered through the kitchen door.

Saturday, if it’s LUCKY … I MIGHT … maybe … possibly … perhaps … I am making NO PROMISES you understand … bringing stuff down from the attic, while the sun is shining and the creepy, crawly, web-creating, skritch-skritch-skritch noise-making inhabitants are sleeping.

Maybe SUNDAY.

If it doesn’t poke me anymore, I'll strangle it with lights and overload it with dangley pieces of glass, and Styrofoam, and felt, and tinsel.

I feel like an eight-year old … STOP POKING ME!!!

July 4th

Hope everyone has a great holiday.

Maybe some of you will even see this when you kiss that special person. I will just look for these sky rockets tonight after sunset.

Today I am joining friends later this afternoon for a steak cookout. They're supplying the steaks, I'm bringing vinegar marinated cucumbers and red onions spiked with fresh dill and red pepper flakes as a snack.

I’m also responsible for the salad. I’m going to use watercress, Red Oak Leaf lettuce, red grapes, white Queso Fresca, and blue-berries, ... (get it? Red/White/Blue Salad!).

Not much that NEEDS to be done this three day weekend. I’m going to try and stay off the interntz and do some writing. Might EVEN add some soil to the pots of my most hardy (read “still alive”) houseplants.

Safe Travels everyone!

Just a Small Gathering, Just a Little Food, ...

Just a Whole Lot of Love

I had a few friends over tonight. It’s a close knit group. Just the seven of us.

Everyone brought something to eat. Lobster Dip, Shaved Country Ham Biscuits, Spinach/Artichoke Dip, Hawaiian Meatballs, Baked Ham Rolls, Orange Cranberry Chex Mix, Fire and Spice Nuts and Port Wine Pound Cake. Not to mention beer and wine.

This year this group has been through death and chemo. Job changes, house changes, children graduating from college, getting married, moving out and moving back in. One has a son home from Iraq. Throughout the evening the talking was in code. You know how it is with old friends – one starts the story, the other finishes it. A single raised eyebrow indicates the punch line.

And – well, chemo and getting older seem to change a lot of things. Which is why everyone’s home, just before midnight – and I’m here wishing the world …

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Images of Christmas Past

Leaving home means leaving familiarity. Leaving home meant re-examining holidays. Choosing what was meaningful – and incorporating it within the celebration of the place I traveled too. Each place has welcomed me in its own way and left a little mark behind. Some are visual, some are edible, and some remain firmly planted it the soil of my memory.

Childhood Christmas memories center around images of automobiles. Packing suitcases and presents into the car for the 4 hour drive south. Listening to the NORAD man list Santa’s coordinates on the radar as he crossed North America while we drove from a Christmas Eve celebration towards our next destination. Laying in Grandpa & Grandma W’s bed trying to go to sleep. The on-off, off-on blinking red and green outside lights keeping me awake; terrified Santa would never arrive if I didn’t go to sleep. Picking raisins out of Grandma W’s Persimmon cookies. Awaking to Tulle fog, so thick on Christmas Day, that we couldn’t see the road from Grandma Mitter’s front porch. And later on, once my brother was old enough to drive, I remember sharing four hours of travel time while to Cheech and Chong told us about Santa Claus and his Old Lady.

My Arizona Christmas memories center on large, noisy groups friends, who became family. Making tamales and posole for Our Lady of Saint Guadalupe’s feast night. Joining the Casa Grande hay ride/Christmas carol bash as we moseyed from the Silver Bullet to The XXX to the Wonder Bar. Driving to the foot of Squaw Peak to view the luminaries. Playing volleyball and drinking beer at the Monastery on Christmas night after everyone was full of family.

North Carolina holidays are rarely stagnate. I’ve travelled from the Outer Banks, to Ferdinand Indiana, and the Florida Panhandle. The Sister’s of St. Benedict’s midnight mass in Ferdinand taught me about the tradition of the red apple hanging on the Christmas Tree. Feasting on fresh fried fish purveyed from Joe Patti Seafood is the Perdio Key tradition, while the Outer Banks bring to mind Elizabethan celebrations.

This year, I am repeating the past. Christmas spent here in town with friends. An early candle light service, French Onion Soup, accompanied by talk, talk, talk. In the morning there’ll be Bloody Mary’s and strong coffee. A group assembled breakfast – then the present exchange. Mid-day we’ll start concocting our evening feast – shared around the candle lit table. A day of friends, food, cooking and drinking. What more could be added to this already perfect tradition?

THANKFUL

T-otally interesting people around my table

H-oping your Thanksgiving was as great as ours

A-ppetizing Empanadas – sweet potato pastry – stuffed with goat cheese, curry dipping sauce. I’m keeping her as a friend.

N-o clue why I worry about running out of food

K-ettle cooking a brined turkey is the only way to go

F-unny stories about our worst Thanksgiving ever

U-nbelievable – house was clean, I was dressed in nice clothes, and everything (except green beans and gravy) was ready when company showed up!

L-ast of the dishes washed and dried. I’m going to bed.

Bursting

I hope everyone has clear skys, shade during the day, cold beer, potato salad, scrumptious burgers (groumet of course!) and beautiful star-bust, sky-splitting, breath-sucking, gasp-inducing fireworks to view tonight!

I am trying to be *shudder* disciplined and get the following list knocked out today:

• Kitchen Dishes washed - done
• Refrigerator cleaned out - done
• Kitchen floor swept - done
• Sweep bathroom floor - done
• Dining room table cleared of debris (mail, magazines, etc) - done
• Couch cleared of MORE debris (writing folders, newspapers, books) - done
• Shoes and purses absconded from living room floor - done
• Guest closet cleared of stuff that's been stashed in there because I was too lazy to haul it back to the attic - done
• Dust both bedrooms, living room, dining room shelves - done
• Spray/wash shower curtain - done
• Scrub tub - done
• Wipe down counter tops etc. - done
• Mop bathroom floor/kitchen floor - done
• Dust-mop all hardwood floors - done
• Scrub deck railing to remove unsightly mold - done
• Hose down deck and porch - done
• Windex porch tables
• Finish reading business plan

And of course - have a libation or two while doing all of this! :)