Monday Monday.....

Good Monday to all!

Bunco 2008

Well, we had so much fun playing bunco in December, I decided to try it again! Friday night was cold but everyone came out for lots of fun and cosmos and bloody marys and chocolate fondue! We were short three people....last min. difficulties....we need subs I hear.....so we had bunco babies...I brought down 3 dolls who held seats, one at each table. It was fun, I hope everyone had as good a time as I did and I think I may do it again!!! Hooray for Bunco! and good friends.

Another Appointment

Good Thursday one and all....
I would have a nice photo of my "Boo-do" but left my digital camera at Mary D's home (site of the DAR tea) and have to pick it up sometime today! Also took a couple of nice shots of the lovely tea table Mary and her friend Connie worked on so very hard! Just beautiful!
Today I have another appointment...with my attorney! He is a very serious fellow. I like that. I am not serious. He coined the phrase "tough-talk" which I have to remember sometimes when I am dealing with some folks who tend to ride rough-shod over me..... I tend to keep my true thoughts to myself in favor of getting along and really carry alot of resentment....so, at least in my business dealings, I am learning to be much more outspoken in my dealings with folks. It is not rude or unpleasant to state very plainly the parameters of your world...! If you charge a certain amount for speaking, you should say so without apologies, if you charge for travel or expenses, you should not feel you are being trivial. A service is very difficult to put monetary value to, but an item, well, that is fairly easy! Since I now make money by either public speaking or consulting, I must be very precise when negotiating with a future client. I love public speaking and consulting is always actually fun...some folks pay me, listen to me, then ignore everything I say and do it their own way! So be it, they have paid me and it is a free country! I need to write a book of some sort which will validate me, I believe.....hmmmmmmmmmm. Easier said than done. After several visits with my friend Elizabeth, who is a famous author and speaker....I know that book -writing is at best a very difficult task and those who are successful are truly gifted and talented folks. She is among those!
On a lighter note, I will be heading out to my daughter's home before seeing the attorney. I have some sugar cookie dough, icing, and tons of heart cookie cutters and lots of colored sugars and sprinkels to make some outta sight Valentine cookies...a bit early, but hey, they will taste great and we can always use a little love, right?
Will pick up my camera and hopefully have a few photos to share next post. Hope your Thursday is filled with a little love too!
ttfn
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Cathy

Are you out there????

Hello everyone,
Having said that, I sound rather optimistic, don't I? Is anyone out there????
Into the second week of the new year already! Time flies??? We, in NC, are back to 70 degree weather once again, lovely and scarry at the same time. Took my pal Fiona to the park for a wonderful walk...tons of tots and moms out enjoying the warmth. Tomorrow promises to be a repeat, only a bit warmer!
I am speaking to some lovely DAR ladies tomorrow night on Tea in American History. Should be very enjoyable, will let you know! I love to talk, as you are well aware by now, and so having the "stage" will be fun for me at least. My goal is to make it educational and enjoyable for those in front of me. We will be having a lovely dessert tea after my talk, so looking forward to the evening. Getting a "Boo-do" tomorrow morning. My hairdresser for the past 10 years has been Ms Beverly Booe and she is the best! Makes me look all of just maybe 55 (kidding here)...but she does do a mean haircut and I am in dire need, so off I go.
If you do check in with me occasionally, please leave a comment so I know you are there, thanks
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Cathy

Back to normal and Oh, it snowed yesterday

Good morning friends,
What is normal??? I mean, I have gone from Christmas to Valentines in the blink of an eye thanks to uber-cool stuff at Target once again....Just little fluff stuff to add charm, but way cute. I put back the stuffed aligator with a heart in his mouth (over the top, right?), but did keep the hand towel with said gator embroidery! Bought the shabby chic pillow that says "sweet dreams" and a big fluffy pink heart pillow (for our bed.....) Not a lot of stuff, but just a bit here and there...also thought I had better check out Michael's just to see what Martha had new for Valentine Day....nada. But, lots of really neat "cottage-looking" decor that I did not buy (are you proud?)
Paul is keeping the VW today, I am staying home and away from all temptation....
When we decided to put the house on the market I hauled out 12 boxes full of "stuff". Now remember, this was after we had a fire and had drastically....I mean very drastically.....reduced the amout of "stuff" we owned by 4 yard sales, three dumpster loads full of trash and free for all give aways......but still, we had a ton of stuff, so lots of good things, I wanted to keep but were seasonal or holiday or sentimental went to the storage...now, did I mention that my entire tea shop is also in that storage??? We are full to the max over there and I know I have a box full of Valentine decor, but cannot for the life of me put my hands on it. My goal for 2008 is to downsize that storage unit by one tea room! Please buy my stuff.....email me, hurry....thanks.
Taking Tea Seriously
Cathy

Last day of 2007

Hello friends,
Another year has come and gone. I will not take a walk down memory lane, bet you're relieved! We have taken down all the Christmas decor, a very big job, and the house is almost back to it's pre-holiday status. Dh and I will be staying in tonight watching Season 3 of LOST....non-stop! I have a couple of lovely little tenderloin filets, 2 great baking potatoes, salad fixings and a bottle of merlot.....what more could you ask for???
As it is the last day of the year, I need to do a bit of "house" cleaning. I was "tagged" a week or so ago and have not responded due to the busy time of year, but really do want to respond as this is my very first time ever to be tagged!!! Way cool, thank you for thinking of me Chaya from kosherwhine and here are my 7 "memes"

1. My aunt Elaine saved my life while still in the hospital nursery she noticed I was turning blue and quickly got a nurse. A close call, thanks always to her quick action.
2. I am a talker. It is my "gift". I can talk anywhere, anytime, about most anything. In the past couple of years I finally figured out I could get paid to talk. THRILLING.
3. My father actually was going to pay me NOT to talk back when I was 13 or so....I went 3 of the 7 days he bet me I wouldn't talk...but broke my silence quite accidentally.
4. I am not jealous of folks with big cars, home, or diamonds....but if you are traveling somewhere, I envy you big time. I love to travel.
5. I married an Air Force man and we spent almost 25 years traveling....what a life!
6. I love people, they are so interesting and complicated and vulnerable. I was fortunate to own a tea room for a while and during that time I was able to really love all kinds of folks and found that God would bring in the most amazing people into my shop for me to be friendly with or serve or just listen to them.
7. I love God.
I worked with a very nice woman for several years and all that while she assumed I was something I was not....when she found that her assumptions were incorrect she was totally astounded! I am a stealth conservative -Republican -Baptist! I don't mind she was confused on those counts, guess I am not the "typical" prototype protrayed by the media.....one thing I did think about tho was....I don't want to be a stealth Christian....I want you to know, not the "in-your-face" way, just the soft loving gentle way....
Happy New year
God bless
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Cathy

Our Christmas morning

Hello Friends,
Well, Dec. 25 has come and gone, very quickly, I might add! We had our tradition-packed Christmas morning family celebration. The menu is set in cement....sausage and egg casserole, monkey bread, strawberries and bananas....lately we added mimosas for the grown-ups, oj and cider for the tots...and then there's lots of cookies, candies, breads, and assorted tasties of all varieties to nibble on.....that is a given. Then, a must, are the grocery bag stockings everyone enjoys filled and going through....I make the large pictures of each person with the year on it. We decided not to do gift exchange among adults, altho Paul and I enjoy giving the Snow Village piece to each family....this started with Woody years ago, probably at least 12 years now. He enjoyed my village and I told him when I went to be with Jesus, he would get all my snow village! But, then, I decided why should he wait? So each Christmas he gets another piece! Then I started giving them to our son, then we decided, just to get each family a new piece each year that would add to their collection and they would remember us every Christmas that way! This year...I bought "THE HAT" It is a cone-shaped hat with ermine edging and red ribbon ties and it has a bottle brush Christmas tree on top and wrapped packages all over it...and it says: "The Best Gift Under the Tree is ME!" I just had to have that hat...and I told everyone they could not eat any monkey bread until I took their photo wearing it, so if you click here you can see a new slideshow of our Christmas....some of the photos are from the day before as we were wrapping gifts, one of Paul all pooped, and of course, the families and the "stockings" and the hat. Hope you enjoy and that you had a tradition-filled celebration.
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Cathy

Two Days and Counting...

Hello Friends,
Today is the 22nd of December...just two more shopping days to go! I love it when we have agreed...my husband and I....that we are officially finished shopping! We put an end to the trips to the mall, to the book store, to Target...I am even done with groceries for a couple of days! We do need to pick up some champagne and our turkey. THAT'S IT. There is a point you must hit whereby all shopping must end, we have arrived. There is nothing more we can do...it is up to Santa. With 8 grandchildren, 5 adult children and spouses, well our immediate family is a challange. I mean, what do you do??? I can't afford to buy silly things that go unused or unwanted....I hate the thought of adding to someone else's clutter (altho my son and daughter-in-law have a very nice big home so hope they won't mind we got our youngest grands a bit of childish clutter.....) Anywhooooo, won't let the cat out of the bag here, but suffice to say, we tried to gift responsibly and bank on good memories that will last a lifetime...long after the walkman is gone or say the Wii (is that how you spell it?). I love Christmas time, but gifts are low on my list...I enjoyed the Bunco party, our Tot night, the Messiah, Home tours and crafts with our family and dressing the house up was such fun! I love driving around and oooing and ahhing over everyone's lights (is it me, or is everyone decorating their homes outside this year???? it is wonderful !) I love that Merry Christmas is back in style and everyone is making a point of saying it!
I baked more pumpkin bread today along with a batch of fudge and made up a batch of Martha Stewart's Sugar cookies and the best icing to decorate them tomorrow....
No snow here, it is getting cold outside, but dry. My family in Kansas City is getting some bad weather...a white Christmas for them, looks like. Good to be inside and warm, listening to some lovely music and enjoying the Christmatized home!
ttfn
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Cathy