This and That from the beginning of January

I'm writing this from my desk in Shreveport, or as my router name says "MCR West."   I am here for another week or so, then it's back to Georgia for about 10 days, then back to Shreveport until the end of April.  Oh, there is this big chunk of March when I am heading to Brazil aboard my beloved Crystal Serenity, but that is for later.

Only two people have looked at my Georgia home since August, so it looks like it will take some time in selling the old place.  We shall see, we shall see. It's waaayyy down on my list of things to accomplish in 2013.

Before she left to head back to Georgia Tech, I got this cute photo of Alix.



Come on--shouldn't EVERYONE have  her Chemistry lab coat monogrammed?

Alix and I switched cars for a while, as I needed to make a "big" haul to Louisiana.  All my clothes, my desktop computer, my jewelry cases, my painting and sewing supplies...well, basically most of my life.



Try as I might, I couldn't seem to get more than a few hours' sleep.  So I quit tossing and turning, and just got up and went.



You know, it's not bad driving on the interstate at 4am!!!

First thing I did on Monday morning was join a gym!



The Captain and I have a gym workout buddy arrangement.  We report to each other daily on whether we went (actually, why we DIDN'T go if we did not), and what we did.  Keeps us accountable and on track to make 2013 the BEST YEAR EVER.

I've really enjoyed the past two weeks, getting back to walking, discovering water aerobics and kick-starting myself a little at a time.  Being back in a pool is GREAT- and a good way to meet some new people.

Alix had her 19th birthday--the first one away from me away from home....



But her peeps made sure she was celebrated!!!!!!

We have a lot of family birthdays in January.  First up was Ed.



Remember that Ed is notoriously camera shy......(insert evil big sister laugh here).

Niece Ella, however, is not.



Cousins Buzz and Ashley and their girls joined us, and I got lots of pics of Buzz and Julie across the table from me.



Julie still has a protective brace on her elbow from the New York debacle, but at least her cast is off!

My mother knows that Ed really doesn't like attention drawn to himself.  Which is why she made sure he had a cupcake complete with candle and a round of singing.



 We are evil that way.

He was a good sport about it all.  I do believe he's getting better with age!

Mary Cecile, Emerson and Julia loved their cupcakes.



And Ella....well, Ella has that "you're coming home with ME, baby!" that she always has where chocolate is concerned!



My mother's birthday followed on the 20th, and we had a lovely brunch with Kris and her son Jack, but, alas, no photos.  It's just one of those things!

New Year's Eve 2012

If you have read earlier posts, you will know that 2012 was an annus horribilis of gigantic proportion The Year of Change.  Let's just say I was ready for New Year's Eve to arrive.

I consider New Year's Eve to be "Amateur Night". A lot of revelers decide to get bat-shit drunk, blow a party horn at midnight and then get behind the wheel of a 4,000 pound automobile to drive home.

I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid.  I stay home.

Wesley's mom and sister, Sharee and Sarah, came over to ring in the New Year.  We had an exciting time--watching TIVO'd Jeopardy.



Hey, knock it off!!!  You may think this is dull, but it's a vicious game in our family.  You can't answer the question until Alex finishes reading it, and you MUST answer in the form of a question.  We are very cut-throat. We love it.

Well, that got us up to 11pm, and then we switched over to watch New Year's Rockin' Eve --for the first time in decades without the legendary Dick Clark.

Sarah was all toasty, wrapped  in my Snuggy.



Red, White, or Bubbles?



We tuned to CNN to watch the Times Square Ball drop.



Waiting to ring in the New Year!!!



My first text of the year was from a Certain Someone who woke up EARLY in Norway to wish me Happy New Year!!!



(MON is our shorthand for "Middle-Of-Nowhere")

Oh, there was a lot of laughter.



(a version of Chardonnay Giggles).





Goodbye 2012......

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!!!!!!!

Christmas 2012

It's Christmas Eve.  The house is quiet, and it's midnight.  While my back is turned, Santa visits.



But we have to wait until morning.



We made it until 8:30am!!!

The Little Pair were up and at their stockings first.



And they gave me the loveliest, most delicate bracelet.  Very me!



(I understand that someone on the other side of the pond did some advising on this gift....you did well!)

Then the Big Pair came over in their jammies after having breakfast with her grandparents, and we had Round 2!



They gave me the coolest lens for my iPhone...



See?



Sweet present of the day award went to Anna-Grace....



Santa left stockings for Molly and Bear.



(Please note how well-behaved Bear is.......)

Great engagement pic.



Molly was caught helping AJ play his new video game, Black Ops 2.



Oh, yes, there was some of this....



(That's Anna-Grace's photo.... I love her "eye")

Bear and Molly played LOTS of tug.



And we spent the rest of the afternoon chilling.



We didn't have a traditional feast on Christmas--the various in-laws did that, and we waited to have ours on Boxing Day.  It shows you how slack I've become...I didn't take any photos!!!

Meanwhile...back in December

So Thanksgiving is over, and we have things to remember about December....

John got his Christmas present early...a propane griddle for the Hog Shack.



It is so cool.  He now has just about everything he needs to open up a restaurant--Susanne says he needs to go spend some mornings at Waffle House to see how the short-order cooks operate.

The leaves finally turned.



Even though the beavers have dammed up the stream, and the lake is now a pond and slowly filling in, the view at Susanne and John's house is serene...





For those of you interested, this is the Hog Shack.



Yes, I got up early enough to drive out for breakfast...



And old Mister Turtle seems to want a pancake, too.



Once the "Little Pair" finished the semester, we went to Augusta.  They actually accompanied me to get the results of my latest breast biopsy. (Oh, we're not going into full-detail reporting--it wasn't as bad as the last biopsy, and everything was fine.)  Is there anything more fun than doodling on the table at Macaroni Grill?



And we finally put up the tree.



(yes, Jan-Olav, we made a video of decorating, and I will assemble that sometime soon....)

The "Big Pair" brought company for Molly.  They were dog sitting for their friends, and Bear, the sweetest golden retriever you will ever meet, joined us for Christmas.



They do make quite a lapful on the sofa however.  And other places.



Yes, I've been thinking that some company here might be nice...but this is not what I meant.

The 2012 Holiday Season Begins

Well, things here in Hooterville on Red  Shreveport have calmed down a bit and I have a splitsecond to play catchup and post memories of the last month of that ass-kicking year  2012.

(If you haven't noticed, Blogger has upgraded and allowed overstriking...which makes me happier than a clam in clean water.)

So, for a moment of pure cuteness, let me introduce you to John and Susanne's latest addition to their canine family----ZOE.



She's a TINY Yorkie-Poo...and just about a cute a moppet as you could find.



She was just 100% fluff and adorableness on Thanksgiving out at the Hog Shack.



It was warm enough for the turtles in the beaver pond to be sunning themselves.



I find it hilarious that the first thing the kids did on returning to Maison Cou Rouge for Thanksgiving...



... was to rearrange my den furniture--to make it more conducive to gameplaying on the Xbox.

Reason #2,435,879 why I've never hired an interior decorator.

We had our Thanksgiving feast on Friday--it's just too difficult to merge various in-and-out laws, so I simply defer until the day after.....so much less stress.  AJ did most of the prep work.



And Caro came over and promptly fell asleep....well, that's the official story line.  One of the unspoken house rules is never be the first to pass out   fall asleep....This is why.



Evil Wesley.  And you all thought he was so sweet and kind.......



Susanne and John brought little Miss Zoe over to meet Miss Molly.



For once, Molly was the "big dog"--and she didn't really know what to do with someone smaller.  It was hilarious how they barked and chased each other--Zoe ducking for cover and clambering for rescue.

Meanwhile, Alix worked on Chemistry.


And I picked up "the big camera" for the first time in a while.



Just a lovely, relaxing weekend.

Perfect.