Run, Run, Rudolph.....

Let the indulgence begin! After dinner with friends on Thursday, a party at Andiamo on Friday and then a house party with friends on Saturday, can I just tell you, I am fried! Food and drink in abundance always marks the season for me. We saw a dinner show on Friday and were lucky enough to see the Scinta's perform. This talented family provided lovely holiday songs and gut splitting humor that can get you in the spirit faster that you can say 'Rockette'!

I have a shopping/lunch date (Toy's R Us, beware!) with two little girls tomorrow followed by another dinner party. Tuesday brings another lunch and shopping party with my godchild--more Toys R Us! Wednesday we host our annual employee party, and on Thursday we hit the road to Ossineke, to spend some time with my family. We have my nephew's Christmas program on Christmas Eve followed by Christmas Mass. On Christmas Day, we head to Ann Arbor for yet another family celebration. When we finally get home later, we can relax and exchange our presents. Whew! Kinda reminds me like that movie, "Four Christmas's" where the nerves are tried to the extreme in the name of Noel. To those of you lucky enough to have family close by, I envy you. The rest of us will participate in the Christmas Road Rally. I think friends of mine headed to Hawaii on Wednesday have the right idea. Maybe some day...sigh...

So dear friends, pray for the safe return of the Skelton children that have been missing since Thanksgiving, and for safe travels for those of us on the busy highways. Enjoy your holiday and take the time to remember the reason for the season. Have a joyous, happy, holiday and Merry Christmas, good friends. xo

P.S. Me and galpal Kristen snapped a pic while taking a break from the madness to enjoy our Detroit Lions pulling off a win! Must have been our fabulous cheerleading! I think our record now is an astounding 3 and 11! Whoo Hoo!!

Let it Snow....

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

but the fire is so delightful. And since

we've no place to go, let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping,

and I've brought some corn for popping.

The lights are turned way down low.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,

how we'll hate going out in the storm.

But if you really hold me tight,

all the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying, and

my dear, we're still goodbying.

But as long as you love me so,

let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

If ya can't beat 'em, ya might as well join 'em. On the first blizzard of the winter, be safe, be well, and be warm. xoxo

P.S. quote o' the day: I used to be Snow White, but I drifted. Mae West

My Only Wish.....

Warning: This is a public service announcement--something I do not usually use my blog for. Bear with me my lovelies....

On Thursday evening I was privileged enough to attend a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser held at the Emerald Theater in downtown Mt. Clemens.

On this frosty night, I learned upon my first visit that the Emerald Theatre is very cool. Kind of like a tired and worn, but still glamorous old gal. Founded in the 20's as a theatre, it is now a more contemporary venue for concerts and such. And it still has it's opera seating, in addition to a large bar.

The food buffet was the usual array of finger food but the real impressor (for me anyway) was the 'candy bar'. Large glasses full of all my childhood favorites were there with little brown bags and scoops to secure said treats. I stocked up on Black Jacks, M &M's, Squirrels, Mary Jane's and Twizzlers. My goodie bag and a glass of Pinot Grigio had me ready to hear the past years report and mission statement of Habitat's president.

The stats are impressive. A banker at our table said that the rate of failure of repayment on Habitat loans is zero-never a default. Habitat housed children have a higher rate of finishing high school and in some cases college. Teen pregnancies are almost none. The whole program was quickly highlighted, before two bands took the stage.

I met and inquired about an all women team of builders and plan to donate some time on a house in the near future. And yep, I bought the t-shirt!

If you are so inclined, locate your nearest Habitat office and check out donating materials, time, money or whatever. In this season of giving, I think it's a totally worthy cause.

Happy December everybody. Enjoy the season..xo

Better Days....

This weekend I learned a new phrase and practiced it completely. The new line is this, "dolce far niente". It is Italian and it translates: 'the sweetness of doing nothing'. I have no trouble with that one...

After cooking the bird and hauling it's little browned-in-a-cooking-bag ass up to Port Sanilac and then driving home in the pouring rain, with heavy traffic in the dark--I can assure you that on Friday I was ready to crash. After putting in some time at the gym to atone for sins of gluttony.

But then the nothing. And the sweetness of it all...

I read the book "Eat, Pray, Love" after all of my friends and with much resistance. Many of them had reported that the book was everything from good to life changing. Hmmm...That shit just scares me. I don't know if I WANT my life changed. I like to eat, pray and love, so whatever could be my issue? I don't know, I'm just pigheaded that way.

When I finally (in secret) read the book, guess what? Yep, I loved it. So now as I indulge in being lazy, I purchase the movie, based on the book of the same name on PPV. A large bowl of popcorn and a MGD and I'm good to go. That is good to go to Bali, Italy, India and then back to Bali. Total escapism as I watched Julia Roberts as Liz, navigate these lush, and beautiful landscapes. The food made me want to lick the screen, the effects of good meditation was healing even to watch, and the love....well, the love was with Javier Bardem and well, let's just say, even more yummy than the pasta...(more screen licking...) Also the soundtrack was amazing. The two songs by Eddie Vedder can almost make me cry.


Then, on a carb-loaded tummy, I dozed off for a nice long snooze. Then made some turkey noodle soup.


A perfect way to escape from all the shopping madness on this chilly weekend. I refuse to succumb to the pressure that has already begun to hang in the air like the scent of those cinnamon pine cones. Maybe I'll get the wreath on the door sometime this week. And I'm sure Kroger will have my gift cards when I get around to getting them.

For now, just a little more of that sweetness, doing nothing..

Living in Fast Forward.....

Fall musings....

Had a wonderful time at the Lawrence Street Gallery on Friday Night hearing JR, Michelle and Mark do their readings. They were, of course, awesome. I purchased and got autographed books, from both Mark and JR--the rock stars that they are!! I am anxiously awaiting Michelle's novel to be in my hot little hands. It promises to be a stunner! After parties included drinks with the ever darling Michelle and co-hort and partner in crime, Cal. They are very tolerant of my gushing and asking a zillion questions about their lives. Michelle and I discussed the necessity of having 'palace approval' of all unauthorized photos of us. Yes, Lady Diana had the right idea. Ya just can't trust anyone to get the shot that doesn't include double chins and such. I have officially added 'palace approval' to my words that I will probably overuse!

The Lawrence Street Gallery is tucked in tight on Woodward, but is defiantly worth a drop in. The art and mediums vary and seem to be reasonably priced. I need to go back and chat with the owner a little more about some of the pieces...

I saw Martha Stewart (on the tube) with a turkey hand cutout and a glue stick. I shuddered and quickly changed the channels. It's going to be a very short week with the festivity of food looming. God save us, I'm gonna cook. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I have much to be thankful for, everyone else can be thankful that next year will NOT be my turn....

Tonight is a 'blue moon'. When I tried to read and understand the phenom, I was more boggled than when I just used the phrase 'once in a blue mood', on occasion. I would watch tonight, but the moon is really just the regular cheesy color.

I have learned that friends Gary and Duane have adopted again, this time adding a boy, Arlo to sisters Avery and Addison. Congrats on the lovely family and I can't wait to get to San Francisco to visit! xo

Birthday wishes to my Mom this week, and her twin brother, my Uncle Jim. Sometimes her day hits on Thanksgiving which is truly appropriate. Happy Birthday Mom! Also I have an ice skating party to go to for friend, Elle. She is a doll and I have to get the appropriate Sonya Henie outfit ready to go!! Us Norwegin ice queens got to represent! Maybe a fur muff? A tutu? How about a fur Elmer Fudd hat. Oh yeah, I already have one of those..

I am considering paying my son off to to score a new television on Black Friday. There is no way in hell I'm trudging around half asleep to a big box store and dealing with that nightmare. Still workin' on that one....

So everyone enjoy your holiday and eat with abandon and if there are cameras about, be sure to get 'palace approval' on all shots!!! xo

Good Bye to You....

Coming to you as a tired, old chick tonight. Me and a few (30) friends got together this weekend for a girls night out kinda thing. We met at Weber's in Ann Arbor for dinner and then proceeded to the lounge. Our waiter, Josh, was exceedingly patient in light of the melee. My roast duck was luscious as was the wine. I hope the tip amply repaid his charming effort.

The lounge was packed and the band covered 80's tunes to a tee. I mostly watched the dance scene, but was too lazy to dance altho one dude with a jack-o'lantern smile did ask me. No judgement on the lack of dental care what with insurance is these days, just not motivated to get up on an already packed floor. Some Elvis looking guy in a suit was wandering around doing tricks such a floating a dollar bill in the air in front of him. I was warned not to make eye contact as then he won't leave the table. A woman told me that I looked hot. The 6'2' girl in the corner was a boy--or at least at one time was.

Had more than a few laughs and was happy to be in my plush room bed at 2:00 with my ipad. I tell ya, if you ever want a measure of time gone by, just embark on a night like this to completely solidify the idea. It used to be so easy. And now it's just way more effort.

Back at home, I made a giant chicken pot pie and lit the fireplace. I still have to process the weekend a little more, but this I know for sure. I am so happy that that part of my life is over. I couldn't swing it anymore and wonder how I was ever as good at it as I once was. Loved seeing the girlie's and am happy that we don't have to do it again for another year. As nine o'clock nears, I think I'll haul myself off for more sleep and ipad. C'mon, Lola it's time......xoxo

P.S. I'm excited for next friday night when I get to hook up with Mark (Walking Man), Michelle (Michelle's Spell) and JR (JR's Thumbprints) to hear their talent! Way more my speed!

Heaven.....

Lately I have been on a Joyce Maynard kick. I got into her stuff years ago, but lately have re -discovered how much I love her writing. I was hooked after reading 'To Die For',and 'Where Love Goes'--both of which I highly recommend.

And lately I have gorged on 'Labor Day', 'The Good Daughters' and have just finished up this little literary feast with 'At Home in the World'. A perfect trifecta! I pre-ordered 'At Home in the World' as soon as it was available on my ipad and was lickin' my chops when it was 'delivered'.

So bowing out on a social obligation, skipping a couple of gym sessions, ordering pizza for dinner and letting the laundry go--I got comfortable, and dug in. This is the story that Joyce apparently had to wait for J.D. Salinger to die before she could publish. If you have read the hype, you know that Joyce had J.D. for a mentor and actually moved on to a relationship with him when she was 18 and he was 53 years old.

I once read an article in a magazine that hinted some of the details of this odd pairing, but this book definitely fills in the gaps. J.D. Salinger managed to strip this young girl of all self-esteem and sense of self. She adopted his personal habits--strange as they were--and even allowed him to foster her eating disorder. I think he wanted to keep her as young as possible to favor his borderline pedophilia. The story tells of his methodical stripping her of friends and family and favoring a very isolated lifestyle. He convinces her to trust no one and to question all motives by everyone from publishers to parents. He later berates and belittles her. And she still loved him. Pretty grim stuff. But Joyce was smart enough to evaluate the situation and figure some things out. Finally, in adulthood, she finds true love and has a family. The motivation of J.D. and his ways haunted her enough to make one last pilgrimage out east to confront him. The answers he gives her are flippant and nonchalant. She is able to have closure from both writing the book and seeing him one last time. A weaker woman would have crumbled under his machinations, but Joyce was able to step back, write, and learn from it all.

I wholly recommend this and all of Joyce Maynard's work. I am even going back to read some of her very early essays written before and while she lived with J.D.

That said, I have a question for you all. Do you do as I do and go crazy for an author and read everything in print all at one time? Or do you space things out and mix it up a little more? Let me know your preference. Have a good week--I am excited for our little fall warm up the weatherdudes have predicted. And Happy Fall Back to y'all. I love the extra hour of sleep! xoxo