So This is Christmas

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this Florida weather. The water, not so much...it hates my hair do. It hasn't looked right one single day. I'm going to Great clips tomorrow (now today) to get it chopped shorter hoping it will look a little better.

It was eighty six here today...my three dogs weren't big fans.

I was.

I sat out back in the sunshine, did my nails and read my book for two hours with sweat running down my already wrinkled face.

It felt ironic to put on long slacks and a long sleeved shirt to go to work tonight but did anyway.

I simply can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit with flip flops and bootie shorts on every day.

Christmas is less than a week away.

I have a husband, three kids, two grand kids and my entire family (sans Zach) coming down for Christmas and have yet to buy the first present. I attempted to the other day but traffic was so horrific just decided to go back home and sweat some more in our back yard.

We've had a long dry spell here but water my flowers and plants every single day in the front yard. I planted these flowers around the middle of October and never thought they would bloom in a million years. The bed was nothing but weeds, black sand and clover. I pulled the weeds, tilled up the sand and added about five large bags of top soil. I planted the ten packs of wildflower seeds from my nephew's wedding...gifts other guests left behind back in the spring. I told Massey when planting them "Jamie's mom paid for all these seeds, let's put them to good use." (Jamie is my nephew's new bride)

The next day or so, her mom lost her battle against cancer.

The day after that I went and bought three bags of potting soil and piled them on top the seeds.

It's now almost the end of December and my (her) flowers are over two feet high, getting bigger and more beautiful every day.

The picture below was taken the day the first flower bloomed, back in early November.

You can barely see my duck anymore...another reminder brought from our Georgia home. It belonged to my next door husband and his bedroom wife. When they sold their home, Massey snagged it from their front porch after they moved (with permission).

It's like I packed up everything from my life and moved it here for a new one.

No, wait... that's exactly what I did!

It's like I'm living a surreal life (Surreal...the word of the year, duh)


I was talking at work tonight with work peeps and mentioned I hadn't bought one present yet. I have one day off before Christmas and chose that day to have a few work friends over, mostly female and ones I feel close to, for some lasagna (I make a killer) wine and laughs. I'm not a real big "work place" buddy but several people at my new job have truly reached out to me and made me feel like part of the 'core'.

The bartender (another favorite of mine with her fluffy dreads) laughed when I said "Looks like it will be another Christmas of what kinda crap from the gas station do you want for Christmas this year?"

Who cares?

The Grinch said it best.

It means good food, wine and laughter with new friends, which I certainly need. It means I brought my old life with me. It means I have the best of both worlds.

  I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. If you're not having one, jump on the Mega Bus and give the driver our address. 849 Oak Manor Circle.

Sometimes you gotta swing like Casey at the bat. Sometimes you gotta love Casey loving your old home.

Choose to be happy.

It's a choice if you're lucky.

I am.