Brake-n-Blog, Baby!

Hola! C’est moi, AGAIN, coming back to BlogVille(tm) after a decade away. I’m sorry it’s been so, so, so, so long since I’ve written. (Gee, I make that same apology quite a bit, don’t I? It’s getting rather lame, yes, I know.) I have been doing well, albeit incredibly busy and stressed and on the go-go-go-go-go-go. All’s good on my end of the planet. Family, work, and sorority life are going well. Since we last spoke, I’ve entertained friends and guests in our home, attended numerous holiday parties and dinners, shopped-till-I-dropped, wrapped gifts (both for our family and to raise money for The Children's Miracle Network), had the stomach flu, thought I was pregnant with SmithBabyNumeroDos, found out said little one wasn’t coming, and basically was just busy!

Since I’ve been gone, lots has happened, both in my life and in the general scheme of things. All of these things are things I would have commented on here in BlogVille(tm), so I’ve encapsulated some of them below with what I would have said had I been online to say it. Have a seat, kiddies...this one’s gonna be a long one!

Addictions As-Of-Late: Dilbert and Philosophy bath products are my newest addictions! I just bought my first Philosophy set yesterday, and need to get to the bookstore to snag a 2005 daily tear-off-calendar jobby with Dilbert on it before they run out!

Christmas: Wow - did the holidays come and go already?? Time is flying, flying, flying (which can only mean one thing...I am aging, aging, and aging!) We had an excellent Christmas. Our family was blessed with another year of health, life, and joy. Our daughter is a healthy, vibrant, expressive three-year old with a wide-eyed curiousity and passion for life like I’ve never seen. I am blessed with a marriage I never thought I’d have (but always dreamed of and wanted desperately)...and a man whose selflessness, kindness, and love surpass the greatest expectation and dream I had for “my future husband” all those years I was single. My parents and parents-in-law are healthy and are wonderfully involved in our lives (and are close to one another, too), and we are so tremendously blessed. Complimenting these precious gifts of love and life were the numerous material items we gave and received this year. My husband had always wanted to be a pilot, but was unable to do so when he was in the Air Force because he didn’t have that perfect “20/20” vision. So I bought him his first official flight lesson. A former colleague received his pilot’s license via the Midwest Executive Aircraft Company, and at his recommendation, I contacted them and booked Curtis’ first official flight lesson. I knew it was a good gift idea when literally everyone in my life (family, friends, colleagues) all beamed when I shared the idea with them. Anyway, Mom Smith captured the moment in photos as I (with tears in my eyes - yes, I know...I’m corny and sappy) handed my husband his flight log book and his gift certificate for the flight lesson. He was stunned. Happy. And damned near tears himself. My gifts weren’t half shabby either, if I do say so myself. I finally got one of those high-speed, industrial-strength KitchenAid stand mixer jobbies, which I lovelovelove. Coriandre, crochet accessories, a beautiful pink sweater, a calendar, cash, cookbooks....you name it. It was a good Christmas for me! My parents bought us a beautiful sage-green recliner, which graces our family room and is the first step in our converting our basement into a nouveau-chic sort of rec room. We also welcomed a new addition to our family...an adorable baby Boston Terrier puppy we named Maggy. She’s quite the little charmer. Full of love and life and hilarious and peppy and adorable and incredibly snuggly! It was a great Christmas and we are very happy.

Crochet: I finished the supposed Christmas gift for my mother. Unfortunately, it looked awful, so I didn’t give it to her. I can be such an unbearable perfectionist sometimes. (Why do I get this sneaky suspicion that I’ll be spending lotsandlotsandlots of time crocheting items, only to deem them “not good enough” for their intended owners and never giving them away? *sigh*) I’m absolutely dying to try the Crocheted Furry Little Bag pattern listed on the Lion Brand website. Unfortunately, I’m fearing that I’ll experience a “Yarn Trauma” with this pattern similar to that I experienced with the HOMESPUN yarn! If you’ve made (or could see yourself very easily making) this pattern (or can give me any creative or pep-me-up tips on it), PLEASE let me know! Oh, and the afghan I’ve been working on (for what FEELS like an eternity now) is almost done. “Almost” as in I’m-on-my-third-skein-of-a-six-skein-project. I’m dying to try other patterns, and I find myself checking out patterns online and desperately wanting to rush right out, buy the materials, and sit down and get going. However, I’m holding to a firm constitution NOT to do that until I finish this afghan. We’ll see how long I hold out! (“Place yer bets now, par’dnur!”)

Greek Gifts Etc: Guess who finally got her shipment from Greek Gifts Etc....WEEKS AFTER SHE ORDERED IT!!!! I think that’ll be the last time I’ll order from there (which is a shame...I love their stuff, especially the “legacy” and “future” clothes for wee ones).

Jerry Orbach: So long, Lennie Briscoe. You will be missed. (doink-doink)

Movies: I’ve not had the time to do so lately, but I’m absolutely dying to see “Closer” and “Meet The Fockers.” I mean...DYING to see these movies. If someone could give me a belated holiday gift of a day of time to myself, I’d much appreciate it (and so would our friends at AMC Theatres!)

Mr. Goodcents: Oh, Mr. Goodcents...boy oh boy do I love you! Especially your staff at the State Line Road restaurant. Nothin’ says lunchtime lovin’ like a great staff who knows you (and your favorite foods) by name and who delivers them deee-rectly to you so that you can escape a trek out in the wintery cold to find chow. Thanks Sue-n-Crew!

The Lisa Montgomery Case: I am not an advocate of cruelty or violence. In our culture, it is considered humane to euthanize non-human life forms when illness or dementia render them unable to live healthily or normally. Mrs. Montgomery’s inhumane, abhorrent actions clearly are indicative that she isn’t a human - that’s a given. So what does that make her? A selfishly sick and despicable life-form with whom our judicial system must deal. Euthanasia for the innocent is pain-free, quick, and assures an eternity of pain-free existence. I can’t see that this creature is deserving of that. Although I cannot advocate harming another individual, I can’t help but finding myself wanting Lisa Montgomery to be made an example of...in a very violent, slow, painful, degrading...and a very public manner.

The Scott Peterson Case: I so completely applaud the Peterson jury for the guilty verdict. So, so completely applaud them. What happened to that beautiful woman and her sweet little boy just...God...it just breaks my heart. I’m not certain, though, that a quick and pain-free death is the most just means of punishment, however. We could say that “a lifetime in prison...a lifetime of lonely, empty existence wherein he’d be forced to think about what he had done” might be a more just means of punishment. That’d be a true statement if that animal actually had feelings and was capable of any sort of emotional trauma. I say we let the trauma be physical. I’ll say this simply. Mr. Peterson is quite a handsome, young man. A lifetime of violent and sexual mistreatment, exploitation, shame, humiliation, and pain at the hands of vile, filthy degenerates might be just what he needs. I’ll leave it at that.

The Tsunami Disaster: I am just heartsick about what's happened. Pleasepleaseplease keep these people and their families in your thoughts and prayers. I can’t beg that of you enough.

I’ll end today’s post with an uplifting, amazing story. (Oh yeah, and now’d be a good time to go get a box of tissues!) Yesterday, I was listening to KUDL at the office, and the DJ (Roger Carson) read a letter on the air that was received (presumably by him?) by a United States Marine over in Iraq. The letter read that the Marines were overwhelmed by the kindness of the Americans who donated toys for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program, and that the particular Gunny in question had enjoyed handing out a variety of teddy bears and toys to the little ones in Iraq. A day or so later, the author and his team were heading down a dangerous road in their vehicle and there in the center of the roadway stood a little Iraqi girl. She was holding a teddy bear. When the little girl refused to move (and failed to respond to anything the Marines said in English), the author remembered having given that teddy bear to the little girl as part of the Toys for Tots program, and he jumped out of the vehicle and walked over to her. The little girl had no means of communicating with the Marine other than to merely point down the road somewhat...to a full, active minefield. Had the Marine and his colleagues continued driving, they would certainly have been killed. One simple act of kindness and love bore another. And look at the difference it made. Wow. Just wow.

Jen out!