What?!  It's almost been a YEAR??

Hi all, all who are LEFT anyway. Yes, it's been a year. A LOT has happened, and some things are the same. The End. :] No, I wouldn't do that to you. But this won't be a long event documenting post. Just a 'hello' and a couple photos. 

I'm well, my family is well. The world is trying to get it's shit together. The Mayan thing didn't happen. Our weather is inSANE. We had a HORRIBLE heat wave-filled Summer that went on WAY too long. 

Camron started Pre-School and LOVES it. He turned 4 in August and is still the light of our lives and fills us to the tippy top with joy. I am endlessly grateful for his presence in our lives and his influence on our hearts. He is a 'good boy', but more than that, he is a beautiful child inside and always wants to be helpful and make you smile. He can break and empty an egg, mix stuff when we are baking, he is an expert at LEGO, big and small. He loves Sponge Bob, Angry Bird stuff, Thomas Train and Friends and Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash on My Little Pony. He has learned to go potty by himself with no step stool or potty seat, wash his hands and face, spell his name; on paper AND out loud with no help, he knows the name and first letter of all his classmates. He is a "delight" to have in the class according to his teacher and he has good friends in his class, Rayleen, Richard, Nicholas, Novia. He gave a girl a present for the first time today. A necklace and bracelet set for Rayleen, his best friend. He spotted it at the Big Lots and it looked like big brightly colored pearls. Really sweet. He gave it to her and said Merrry Christmas. She had made him a peper gingerbread person ornament before Christmas, so he wanted to get her something. Every day they run to each other and hug. He misses her on the weekends. It's so sweet to see him be such a good friend. His teacher Francisca is really awesome and he loves her. Teacher Delores always says it's a pleasure to have Camron in the class. (pause for proud Nana time) :]  

My husband Bruce is looking forward to retirement mid March this year and I'm SO excited about it! I just hope he's able to keep busy!! I'll do my best to facilitate that. 

                                                    

                                                         Christmas boy and his Air Guitar

Collecting Eggs from our hens

                                                Mr. and Mrs. Almost Retired Couple

M.E.N.S.A. and my new camera

So this week I feel like my Grandson is the smartest little guy in the entire world. But I do realize that's what all grandparents think. I'm ok with that. 


Anyway, when I suggested that it was almost time for picking up toys and brushing teeth before bed he looked me in the eye and calmly said "nana, don't tell me dat" then laughed. Then I laughed and because I laughed he laughed more. It was pretty funny. 


So I'm gonna call the Comedy Club and inform them that he's funny and to expect him in a few years, then I'm going to call some MENSA people and inform them that he's a freaking genius and they'll be lucky if he graces them with his amazing presence. 


yep. 
Oh and Yay my T3i arrived last week. (I'll wait while you Google it and find out it's the latest Canon DSLR camera). 
I love it. 
photos
are
so
much 
fun.
Thank you wonderful husband!! It's the best late Christmas present EVER! 

Good news.....I HAD a cold!

Seriously, I'm not used to being able to say that 2 weeks after I get a cold. My normal m.o. is to get the cold and then 3 MONTHS later say "I STILL have a damn cold", or "I've been coughing for 3 months". But I'm happy to report I kicked the hell outta this one! I still have an occasional coughing fit, but for the most part, I feel pretty good. Yay! Just in time for my hubbies birthday this month too.Whew

So, I guess my New Year's Resolution is to not get AS sick as I used to. I'm happy with that. I'd like to get back to crafting. I normally take a little vacation from it through Christmas, but it's February now and I'm starting to miss burning my finger tips off with hot glue and sweeping pieces of bark and leaves off my floor.

Here's one example of what I can do. None of my bird houses ever look the same, but I'm thinking I'd like to make another one of these. I gave my Mom and painted one for Christmas, but I want to make her a nature-themed one too. They are so much fun to make.

"MTC Designs" and "Mary T Clark Photography"....I'm on Facebook. :o]

Do Not Sit at my Table unless I know you!

So it's been over a month since I blogged. That makes me a shitty blogger. I can admit I've THOUGHT about blogging a few times and dammit this is supposed to be journal-ish so I feel like a dope for not writing. UGH Ok, so a LOT has happened and a LOT hasn't happened since I last wrote some words on here. 
First of all Christmas is gone. I always hate taking it down and putting it all away for another year. But this year we enjoyed it even more while it was all up because of my Grandson. Let's just say it was a very Thomas & Friends Christmas. Camron and I made sugar cookies and we all sat at the table and decorated them together. That was very fun! I cooked a turkey on Christmas Day and my Sister and her husband were here and it was delicious and we had a great afternoon and evening. I have a shitty habit of cooking the turkey too long and I can't read the freaking thermometer to save my life, so that was marginal but everything else was amazing! No one says "wow this turkey is SO good" but just so you don't cry, no one says "This is so dry I'm afraid I'll choke".  :oP
My bro in law Mike makes a rockin' gravy and my Sister made a pecan praline sweet potato dish that  made me feel horrible when it was gone 2 days later. I hate finishing a good left over. And it was GOOD. And of course my favorite Orange Cranberry Relish. It's not TG or Christmas if I don't have some of that from my Sister. YUMMM

So now I'm watching January FLY by and looking forward to Bruce's Birthday in a couple weeks. I have to find something wildly unexpected for him. He is the man who's hard to buy for and it's always a challenge. He's insisted we go to a steak and seafood place where they make the food on a hot grill  at the table (benny hana style) It's his favorite way to eat and my LEAST favorite. I don't like that people you don't know are seated at the table with you. We once had to sit with a roaring alcoholic and his wife. It was the worst time I EVER had while eating food. At least it wasn't my dry turkey. It was the most "GET ME THE HELL OUTA HERE" looks I've ever given Bruce in one sitting. Ahhh good times. 

Ho Ho Ho !!!! ....sorry

I just have to say that I LOOOOOVE Christmas SO MUCH!!! I love everything about it. I like to sing Christmas songs pretty much anytime of day and loud and sometimes I don't know the words. Hate me now?? Yeah, I know some people aren't as thrilled about Christmas. And I must say, I've had those years where work and life made it nearly impossible to give a crap about Christmas. I even had a year when....wait for it.....I DIDN'T DECORATE AT ALL!! I know!  Yeah, well this year our wonderful Grandson is here and it makes every single good thing about Christmas even better!
Last night we (my son,hubby and grandson) decorated our tree. It was a really good time and I'm SO grateful for every minute of it. If you'd asked me 2 years ago if I thought we'd be here now I would've said hell no. I was not the person I am today, nor was life the way it is now. This should give me hope for the future. When I think life is stagnant and blah, I can pause and remember that in a day, week, year, 2 years it could be SO completely different and most likely MUCH better. So I think this Christmas is a reminder to me to have HOPE. I've been worried, afraid for and sad about how my son's life was before this year and now I feel hopeful and happy for him and his sweet son.

I'm reminded of Garrison Keillor's quote on one of his shows  "Thank you God for this wonderful life and forgive us if we do not love it enough".

All the energy of a pile of old Silly Putty

That lamp was supposed to be moved out of the living room....3 WEEKS AGO. I don't even SEE it anymore.

So today I decided it would be a great day/evening to DO SHIT. And I REALLY need to get some stuff cleared out of the house so I can take down 'Fall' and put UP 'Christmas'. More give aways and more
throw- aways, recycles and things where they don't belong (assuming I have a place for them)etc, etc. And the little messes and things out of place make me CRAZY. As if I can be "made" crazy, but you know what I mean.

So I was watching Camron and he and I took a little trip to the Starbucks and drank some energy. Well he had a no-coffee vanilla blended and I had a big blended carmel mocha with 2 extra shots. Woo Hoo I'll be rocking the household chores and organizing!!!

So, later, back at the house and I haven't done a damn thing except eat my Son's left over Taco Bell food which only gave me heart burn and a food baby belly. burp. But it's ok cause I'm getting used to seeing all the little messes now. It's like a new decorating style. Maybe I can start a business. "how to make stacks of shit around your house blend in as if they are small classy end tables from Pottery Barn."

I'll be RICH!

ugh

45 Days until Christmas, since you asked

I found a Christmas Countdown site. For some totally SICK reason I really love checking it. And 2nd to that is my love of posting it to Facebook to taunt my Sister and anyone else who hasn't blocked my posts.

Anyway, so 45 days gives me lots of time to panic,bake,plan,panic,wonder,panic. I'm going to do my best to really FEEL Christmas this year. Having our Grandson here will make that SO easy. He's a Christmas age (3) and it'll be all about the Shelf Elf and Santa Claus etc etc. Thanksgiving is on the 24th of November this year so we'll have lots of time to do little Christmas things here and there. Bring it on! I hope you are equally excited. Let's shove that panic down and sing Joy to the World!!!! ok, maybe not