Category Archives: Family & Friends

Life was simpler, once upon a time. So many modern annoyances didn’t even exist! On the other hand, our forefathers were missing out on a lot of conveniences that we enjoy without a second thought. All in all, I think I’d still choose the “shortcuts”. Although, back then it wouldn’t have mattered that I don’t know how to turn Tina’s blogpost into a clickable link….

It’s 17½” x 25″.

Dearest and I went through his photos and chose the best of them for a photo album to give to his folks for Christmas. He got the car back (new alternator) and just left to see whoever is still hanging around the old homestead.

It’s just me and poos, so a good time for me to catch up on a few things … one of which is to make a new album at Chrissy’s Site Bites for my favorite Hyphenated photos.

Here are the first two that Dearest took when he was walking to get dog food, which we ran out of while the car was in the shop. He’s taken a lot of pics of this fountain, which is our village’s pride and joy. I think these two are among his best.

This is one of my unfinished Christmas presents … a quilted wall-hanging for the Corporals. Once I get Star’s face right, I’ll cut away the white backing and quilt her on to the sky background, then add a sleeve at the top so they can hang it off a rod.

Mama Buzz tracked down and photographed the elusive pirate (Mr. Potatohead’s pirate set) sock monkey (Buzz’s stuffy)!

She found him lounging around with his latest ship (Noah’s Ark) full of (chocolate) gold coins, the world’s biggest diamond (Bunny’s chew toy) and jewels (dress up box).

Beware his sword (toy kitchen) and his crafty trained capuchin (just like Captain Barbossa has in Pirates of the Carribean).

Her photo is way better than ours. Dearest and I are so bummed … we had SUCH PLANS for those 500 goobers … maybe a second honeymoon in some tropical paradise. ::sigh::

This intriguing flyer was top most in the Christmas box from the Corporals K & Y.

K (3rd born) called while her ham was in the oven. She assured us we’d get the flyer after we opened our gifts, which she wanted to listen to us do.

::riptearshred:: YAHOO! Mommy got a camera!!! … I dropped mine a while back but I need used stuff, so sent out an email hoping someone was about to upgrade anyhoo and would let me have their old one.

Mama Buzz was going to give me hers, but pow-wowed with the Corporals about how it didn’t really work all that well and they said they wanted to give me their “bang around” camera … K is a professional photographer and has a big, fancy camera. This is a small, pocket model for casual shots.

But it is way nicer than the one I dropped! Yay!

And I got it! Yay!!

::carefullyopentopreservepaperwhichisawastesinceChrissythrowsitalloutanyway:: Big grins from Dearest … the Corporals found the gourmet wool socks he loves and couldn’t find more of now that his have big holes in them.

And here is the result of the pirate sock monkey challenge!

I don’t know if my entry will qualify, since the elusive pirate sock monkey still has not been captured on FILM (just pixels). And I hear from a reliable source that Mama Buzz is planning to enter the challenge by dressing up Buzz’s sock monkey with their Mr. Potato Head Pirate Pieces. Stiff competition there!

For the record, “goobers” were the family play money we used to teach our girls how money works in the real world. I made a bunch of denominations, printed them on cardstock, cut them up and made a bank box. The girls were able to earn goobers doing tasks that benefitted the community, like vacuuming the living room or cleaning the toilet. They used them to buy things they wanted from us that we didn’t have any obligation to provide, like rides to the mall or delivery of forgotten items to school.

Oh … almost forgot. The Corporals also sent presies to the poos … pig ears (their fave), training treats (for me LOL), and a red penguin to go with their green penguin, which for reasons that escape me (not being a poodle) is their all-time favorite stuffie.

I dunno what it is about penguins! I bought them a really nice, all organic owl that they didn’t give the time of day to … poor thing. It’s probably got a complex and needs therapy.

But the instant I unwrapped the new penguin, they both leapt for it and gave it a thorough going over … thankfully not the puppy ripping open and disembowelling they used to do to their stuffies, but a gentle all-over slobberfication just to make it understand who it belongs to!

And, in case you’re wondering, they are poodles. We have the groomer do what’s called the “sport cut” because we like them to look like little lambies, not dorkie fashion accessories … hoping noone who just lurves the traditional frou frou poodle thing is offended. I don’t even fuss over my own hair. Sure not gonna fuss over theirs!

Buzz and Bunny’s tree!

Dearest’s Christmas angel is still watching out for him. He had to get himself to the mechanic’s today. Naturally, his bike tires were flat, so he set out to walk the five-ish miles.

A fellow who was out delivering Christmas packages picked him up, drove him to the mechanic, WAITED for him to finish and then brought him home!

I admitted to him that I’m not too busted up that he’s staying home this year and he said, “I’m happy to spend Christmas with you!”

“It’s nice of you to say so, but I know you have to be disappointed. So thank you for not whining about it.”

He’s a good man … possibly why his angel is working over-time making the car thing as easy as possible.

BTW, I painted the abstract on the right. I think it was the last piece of art I created before meeting my Dearest for the first time. The batik was a wedding present.

Mama Buzz always loved these two and our walls are jam packed with art that we Hyphens have created, so we let her have them.

There’s actually a third piece in the set, something Corporal K made in high school Advanced Painting and Sculpture. Not sure where that’s hanging, no doubt nearby.

Hey, it’s only the 20th and they only have to cross eleventy-seven states between now and Saturday. Hmm hmmm. And, no I did NOT finish their parents’ present. But it’ll be SO cool when I do finish it that they won’t mind at ALL. Or else they’ll be really polite and pretend they didn’t care, like they did when it took me three years to finish their wedding quilt. Ahem.

The snuggle quilts are small, about 2 feet, and made with very thin batting and a flannel backing. They’re good for tiny babies who aren’t moving around yet … interesting to look at, easy to launder. Also great for car seats and huggy comfort and dolly blankies.

Bunny’s is Noah’s Ark themed; she also got two soft fabric blocks to match her quilt. Buzz’s is Mother Goose themed; he also got a big boy apron in a manly pattern for his art projects and helping Mama and Daddy with stuff.

When Dearest’s paternal grandmother passed away, we were allowed to choose sentimental reminders. I grabbed the button box and have been using its little treasures to “special up” gifts for the kids ever since.