The Littlest Penguin

Christmas Tree Win

Thursday, January 7th, 2010 | Christmas, fun stuff | 2 Comments

These dudes have quite the holiday spirit.

Baby’s first Christmas

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 | Christmas, Liam, Playgrounders, family | 4 Comments

First off, I don’t know why folks buy babies clothes for use on specific holidays. The fact that the kid will only ever wear the outfit once makes it all seem wasteful. That said, Liam in the reindeer hat his G-G gave him is easily the cutest thing ever. I saved it in his box of one-year-old clothes just in case we can get another use out of it next year.

Christmas was a bit of an adventure, toting Liam around airports and seeing how well he handled the airplane. He actually did very well, though the unavailability of wiggle space eventually annoyed him on the flight home. (This kid is all movement.) He also had a rough first night while he adjusted to new surroundings. Thankfully we were staying in the neighbor’s house while they were gone, so we didn’t keep anyone awake and Liam didn’t have too much overwhelming him at bedtime. The rest of the time he charmed everyone and got to meet his cousins and other extended family. Gibson had a great time ripping into his presents. (And would not let the Thomas the Train toy carrier we gave him out of his sight!) We had a relatively small crowd at Christmas dinner this year, mostly mom’s family. It was warm outside, but still nice enough to sit on the patio. The Sunday after Christmas Rue’s crew and some of dad’s family came over to meet Liam and William. It was cool enough to have a little fire and make s’mores.

Zeb, Alarra, and Ceika drove down to Johnson City for New Year’s at the New Hippie Hut. We wanted to join them, but we didn’t want William to be that exhausted when he went back to work on the following Monday. Also, we weren’t sure what kind of shape Liam would be in after the trip to Florida. We opted for a shorter trip to visit Kevin and Stephanie instead. We missed hanging out with everyone in Tennessee, but we were kind of right about Liam. He would not have dealt well with a longer trip than the 3 hour ride to Durham. Not after the Florida trip, at least. We’re aiming to go to Tennessee over William’s spring break if all goes well. We didn’t do much in Durham, but we had a nice visit. Kevin and Steph have learned to make candles and showed William and I. Kevin also showed William how to make “bath bombs,” scented and molded bath salts that fizz when you toss them in the tub. Very nice, very nice indeed.

It was all fun, but it’s good to be home. Today we’re back to our regularly scheduled week, though we do have piles and piles of laundry I should be folding instead of updating my blog. Tonight we’re playing Star Wars with Mike via Skype and tomorrow Nick might come over and hang out with us before he has to fly back to Saudi. And maybe I’ll be able to catch up on some sleep, too.

And so this is Christmas . . .

Monday, December 22nd, 2008 | Christmas, birthdays, friends | 1 Comment

I’m taking a break from cleaning the apartment. Ohmygoodness. I got sick in early November and to some degree I feel like I never caught back up with myself. Having a birthday party or a trip almost every weekend since then might have something to do with that. Over the weekend I started a really good cleaning of the place (mopping, washing even the shower curtains, rearranging furniture to accommodate guests . . .), and I’m doing the final touches tonight.

I haven’t even finished Christmas shopping. I guess that’s ok for now, though, since I’m not going to Florida for Christmas this year. First time ever I’m spending the holiday away from mom and dad. My boss seems to have somehow missed the part of the email where I reminded him that my vacation time reset December 1st; when he gave me my Thanksgiving time off he told me I would have to work every day we were open over the Christmas / New Year holiday. Later he seemed surprised that I wasn’t taking time even though I had it. By then I had alternate holiday plans. If he ever realized his mistake, he sure didn’t tell me (or apologize). So I’m working, William is coming to stay until a little after New Year’s day, we’ll spend Christmas with Jared and Sheri and her family, and I’ll go to my parent’s sometime in early January. This has actually cut down a certain amount of holiday stress since I didn’t have to do whirlwind Christmas shopping, make food for all the parties, attend all the parties, clean the house, pack, and fly south. This week should be nice and peaceful. I don’t even have to sing at Christmas Eve service.

By contrast, the last couple of weeks were crammed with parties and events. I made cookies and nacho dip for our student workers and for Phi Alpha Theta’s (sparsely attended) Christmas party. I was up til midnight making those goshdarned cookies, and hardly anyone touched them. It took a room full of teenagers at Mahto’s birthday party to help me eat them all. They were good cookies, darn it! We had Mahto’s rockin’ 16th birthday party, Sheri’s Ticket to Birthday party, the annual choir party at the Lowry’s (last time this year, sadly), and Jared’s D&D themed / playing birthday. I opened Just Coffee one night, got to know my next door neighbors over a couple episodes of The IT Crowd, worked, gamed, and did a lot of laundry. Now, really all I have left to do is wrap a few gifts and make some pound cakes.

Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas, bloggy friends and family!

home again

Sunday, December 30th, 2007 | Christmas, family | 2 Comments

* A bunch of family and friends got my web address over Christmas. Just so you all know, comments are open to everyone, though your first one has to be approved by me. After that, any further comments will post immediately.

I had a busy, busy week down in Florida. Silly me, I thought I’d be bored to tears some of those days, but I wasn’t at all. Monday Mom, Dad, and I took my cousins Patrick and Sean mini-golfing. Lots of fun, and Sean (who usually doesn’t talk much around me) was really lively. That night I helped the worship team at mom and dad’s church by singing at Christmas Eve service. Their usual vocalists were all gone for Christmas and the preacher’s wife knew I’d sung for them once before… and volunteered me. Thanks, Kim. But in seriousness, it was fun. I like to sing, and Christmas hymns are both familiar and within my vocal range. And I do like to be involved in worship.

Tuesday was a nice Christmas. It’s weird sometimes, seeing your extended family only a couple times a year. My cousins David and Ivy are both talking about college already, so is Patrick. I remember these guys as babies. Grandma held up really well. Her breathing has become more of an issue within the last year or so. Grandpa Bill was in Texas, but he did call on Christmas Eve just to talk to me. Very unusual, but a kind gesture no matter how odd. Oh, here’s the Florida Christmas Loot Photo:

On Wednesday I met up with Aunt Marcie, Uncle Todd, and my cousins Bethani, Melissa, and Jessica. The girls and I wandered all over the mall and got ice cream while Todd and Marcie looked at new running shoes for their marathon this weekend. (More power to them… I need to get my butt back on the exercise bike!) It’s so fun to see how different the three of them are. Jessica and I have a lot in common, I think. She people-watches and makes guesses on her subject’s personality. Melissa also people-watches, but she’s a fashion bug, so she’s looking at clothes. Bethani doesn’t talk much to me, but I can tell she loves to shop. (Jess and Melissa are sisters, Bethani is an only child, but the three of them hang out pretty much all the time from what I understand.)

Dad had Thursday off so he took me to the Norton Art Museum and we saw the Medieval/Renaissance exhibit of items from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Some really beautiful pieces were there – ivory implements for the Mass, several crucifixes and a pieta, and some stained glass. Dad and I took several laps around an ivory bucket used to sprinkle the congregation during the Mass. It was maybe a little taller than my hand and had two levels of panels. The bottom level showed the miracles of Christ, and the top showed the Passion, the decent into Hell, the Resurrection and the Ascension. There was also one of Di Vinci’s notebooks, which I was pretty thrilled over. I didn’t get to see any of his paper works while I was in Europe because they’re only brought out every few years. The archivist in me understands, the rest of me wants to see the &^#! sketches. We also went to lunch at this place called Sweet Tomatoes, which totally needs to come to Tennessee. It’s a buffet of salads, soups, baked potatoes, breads and muffins. All really fresh and tasty.

(Holy wow this post is getting long.)

Friday morning I went to breakfast on the beach with Aunt Rue. The water was turquoise and there was a nice breeze to go with my coffee and almond-crusted french toast. Then we went to Rue’s favorite thrift store where she handed me money and told me to have fun. And I did – 3 turtleneck sweaters and a skirt. And grandma took us out for Thai at the King and I that evening. I was glad to see the new owners had really made the place look beautiful and the food was great.

And that brings me back around to today, when I flew back to Tennessee. The cats managed to not tear the house up while I was away (like they did last time), but they were very glad to see me. And it’s nice to be back after a little break. 

Sunny Christmas

Wednesday, December 26th, 2007 | Christmas | 1 Comment

This is where we enjoyed Christmas dinner.

Merry Christmas

Tuesday, December 25th, 2007 | Christmas | No Comments

Today, may we set aside the incessant call to buy

set aside the stress of travel

embrace as joy the stress of family

see through the weak secular message of the season

and find beneath the clutter a genuine joy and awe-struck wonder at the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

Have a blessed Christmas, wherever you are. Peace.

How to get a head at Christmas

Thursday, December 20th, 2007 | Christmas, church, friends, games, gaming, travel | No Comments

Well, I did my Tennessee Christmas last night with Jared and Sheri, Tony, Rucht and McKenna, so here is the first installment in what I’m sure is the much-awaited Christmas Loot List of 2007!

First off, Guillotine. Morbid topic, awesome game. Line up French nobles and collect their heads for points, but don’t get stuck with the Martyr, the Innocent Villager, or the Hero of the People’s heads or you lose points. No really, they turned the French Revolution into a card game. And it rocks.

Next up, the sourcebook for Witch Hunter: The Invisible World. This setting takes place in an alternate 17th Century. In this world, everything the Salem Witch Trials ever dreamed up is real, and then some. The only

thing standing between everyday people and damnation are the Witch Hunters, provided they’re not condemned of being witches themselves. It’s a different system of combat and character building. Simple, but with no d20s it’ll take some study to master. I’ve played in this world once before and it’s pretty neat. Cooler still? Rucht helped write it.

Lastly, but certainly not least, Lions and Tigers and Crocs, Oh My! Because

believe it or not, there are people in this world more cynical and sarcastic than I am and some of them are lucky enough to make their living drawing comics of an egotistical Rat and his naive Pig roommate.

There’s also the Birthday Loot List of the [censored] Year, which I’m just now realizing I failed to post. Jared and Sheri gave me Mario Golf for the Game Cube and much fun has been had with it. And Tony, where the heck did you find my gift, anyway? Tony gave me the sound track to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Not music inspired by the game. The music in the game. Complete with the “Found Heart Container” tune. (Now when you IM me, Epona’s Theme plays!)

Already?!

Saturday, December 8th, 2007 | Christmas | 5 Comments

Holy cow, the semester is already over. Finals are next week and then the students are gone ’til J-term (and there aren’t all that many then!). We had our snack and goody table set out for the student workers yesterday and today. (Er, Thursday and Friday. I just realized it’s technically Saturday now.) My cheese dip was devoured most verily. Tomorrow I have to brave a store or two and finish off mom and Amy’s Christmas presents before we celebrate Sheri’s birthday.

Lots going on, very little of it work related. Trying to decide whether or not to blog about the personal stuff and, if so, how much. For now, I’m very sleepy, so goodnight everyone.

A little shopping

Saturday, December 1st, 2007 | Christmas, fair trade | 1 Comment

Sue has the most wonderful connections sometimes. This year we did a catalog sale through A Greater Gift to benefit the Just Coffee ministry. I’m picking out my stuff now. Greater Gift carries only fair trade handicrafts, coffee, and chocolates. Our first order came very fast and the items were so well made and beautiful I thought I’d share their webstore. There are a couple of home decor things I’d like for myself, and some pretty little bead sets I think my cousins will like. Of course, Equal Exchange also has great fair trade coffee and chocolates, too. And I didn’t think Ten Thousand Villages had a webstore, but they do! Kickin’!

not everyone is

Thursday, December 21st, 2006 | Christmas, church, musings, sadness | 3 Comments

While I am one who eagerly looks forward to the time with family and friends that comes with the holidays, it can sometimes be hard. I’m not exactly a typical example of religious and political thought in my family, nor (as you have seen in the past) am I particularly thrilled at some people’s carelessness when it comes to talking about my personal life. And, well the holidays haven’t quite been the same since Amy and I got old enough to move out, and worse, since Granpa Pete died a couple of years ago. Still, there’s a sentimental value to the holidays that says we aren’t supposed to be sad, that we’re supposed to be surrounded by loved ones and celebrating.

I found an article on MSNBC today that talked about “Blue Christmas” services. These are worship services specially designed to acknowledge, confront, and hopefully give some relief to the grief of people who have divorced, experianced the death of a loved one, come from unhappy situations, are lonely, etc. The pastors who perform these services say that they are especially needed at this time of year when people feel like they are missing out on “everyone else” being happy. This is a very apealing idea to me because it meets so many needs. It offers comfort and healing, and its creative and bold. Someone was not afraid to say, “Hey, church isn’t always a happy place. We’re not always happy people. Let’s sit and mourn together and carry one another’s burden for a time.”

I wonder if something like this could fly at WAPC…