While Visions of Sugar Plums Dance in My Head

Help! I can't quit eating!

The Mr. and I started out the month by doing a cleanse. After the cleanse I figured it would be easier to just keep eating well, and avoid sugar all together, instead of trying to pace myself with all the Christmas treats. Things were going really well, and I wasn't even missing the sugar.

I had told myself right from the beginning of the month that I would allow myself to have a piece of dessert on Christmas Eve, and then again on Christmas Day. But after that I'd go back to proper eating. Hah!!!

Once I tasted that first "forbidden fruit" I was hooked. It's as if I felt like since I'd been naughty once, I might as well keep it up. (I'm sure there's an analogy there somewhere!) One thing led to another:

Chocolates

Peanut Brittle

Shortbread

Caramel Popcorn

Fudge

It's like I've turned into my own Fat Booth picture.

Dixie

Ready for Christmas

"Are you ready for Christmas?" In the past couple of weeks I've been asked that question more times than I can count.

"Are you ready for Christmas?" What does that really mean? I assume it's supposed to mean, "Have you finished your Christmas shopping and baking?" If that's what is meant, then sadly I have to answer "no".

The past two evenings, however, have provided a different meaning:

• On Saturday night we attended our church Christmas party, where the cultural hall was perfectly decorated to resemble the ancient city of Bethlehem. Everyone came in biblical attire and participated in an open-air market, using pouches of gold to make our purchases. Later Mary and Joseph arrived to pay their taxes with the rest of us. Although they were not able to obtain lodging, they were told they could stay in the stable with the animals. There we witnessed Mary bring forth her first-born child, the Lord Jesus Christ. Music and narration was presented to retell the birth of our Saviour. Daughter #3 played the role of Mary, so it made it all the more special for me.
• On Sunday evening we attended our Stake Christmas concert. Although the choir selections were far from perfect, there was a sweet spirit that attended the performances and spoken word. It set the perfect tone for my Christmas celebrations.

Am I ready for Christmas? I am now.

Dixie

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Yesterday The Mr. and I attended a funeral for an elderly gentleman named Stan. Although we had seen him on a few occasions, we didn't really know him. Our attendance was meant to show support for his daughter, who we know through church.

Until the funeral, we had only known Stan to be a fragile senior with Alzheimer's. What a treat it was to learn more about him as the letters from his children were read aloud. We learned that Stan was a fun-loving man with a strong work ethic, positive parenting skills, and a love of nature, music and family. It felt right to be there.

There were a few things, however, that didn't feel right. Like the fact that so many people showed up in extremely casual clothing. Like the man seated in front of us who kept laughing obnoxiously loud at his own jokes. It seemed to me it would have been nicer to show more respect to Stan by dressing and acting a little more dignified. But I guess I shouldn't judge. Maybe Stan would have wanted it that way. In fact, I'm sure Stan is far more tolerant than I am.

But did that one person really have to clip their fingernails so loudly throughout the entire funeral service? I bet even Stan found that a little disgusting.

Dixie

Family

This past while my thoughts have been focused on my family. How much I love and appreciate them. How much I worry about them. How much I enjoy being with them, and miss them when they're not around. What a wonderful blessing to belong to a family!

Last week I was informed that my mom was taken to the hospital and not doing well. Of course I wanted to be there. Because she's my mom, and I love her.

So I hopped a plane, and Kim picked me up at the airport and chauffeured me the extra 45 minutes to the hospital. Because she's my sister-in-law and she's cool like that.

I was impressed to see the love and concern my brother and sister, and my grown daughters showed for my mom, although it wasn't really a surprise. Because that's what families do.

The Mr. and Daughter #3 arrived a few days later to check up on Mom. Later they took me with them to visit Daughter #2 and her family, as promised. What a fun time we had enjoying nature, playing games, visiting, and eating. Because those things are more fun when you have a family to do them with.

I loved practicing a song with my grandchildren on Saturday night, and then watching them sing in church (with the other children) the next day. It was especially fun to see them take their seats on the pew again, and then flash me a big "thumbs up". It warmed my heart. Because they're my grandchildren, and I love them.

I'm looking forward to Daughter #1 visiting with her children in four days. I can't wait to give them hugs and kisses and do fun things with them. Because that's what grandmas are good for.

Tonight Sons 1A and 1B called -- just to chat. Gotta love that! Because I miss them terribly since they moved out.

I love my family! What would I do without them? Because they're pretty much the only ones who read my blog :)

Dixie

Thirty-nine Years Ago...

Today I shed a tear of disappointment as I read the newspaper. David Cassidy was charged with a DUI in Florida.

What's become of David?

When did he go down hill?

How could he have changed his ways so quickly?

He was always such a nice wholesome young man.

Wait a minute. The newspaper just said that this "young man" was now 60 years old. Has it really been 39 years since he was making headlines as a teen idol? Has it really been 39 years since I called my first meeting as president of the fifth grade "David Cassidy Fan Club"?

I remember listening to one of his records over and over and over again in my bedroom. I'm sure my mom wished she would never have gotten it for me as a birthday gift. And how could anyone resist watching "The Partridge Family"? He was about the cutest thing I'd ever seen. While other girls were swooning over Donny Osmond and Michael Jackson (mere babies), I was interested in a more mature 21-year-old.

Okay, David, I'll forgive you this once, but don't let it ever happen again.

Dixie

Happy Halloween

Having decided years ago that she would never dress up as a princess, Daughter #3 broke her promise to herself this year and wore a Princess Leia costume to school on Friday. Okay, so not exactly your typical princess, but still a princess.

Later that night for the dance:

She apparently enjoyed dressing as a princess so much, that on the next night she dressed as Gwynnvere from Camelot. (Sorry, no picture.)

I, myself, have decided to opt out of Halloween this year. So, as a repellant to trick-or-treaters, I will be practicing my "Tap Dance Class" choreography in front of the open window.

Dixie

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Last week for my birthday, Daughter #3 presented me with a very unusual gift:

The 1974 Eaton's Fall and Winter catalog.

Wow -- did that ever bring back a lot of memories! I've had such fun perusing its pages this past week.

In the fall of 1974 I turned 13 years old. (Okay, I'll make it easy for you. I just turned 49.) I must have still been wearing children's sizes, because all the girls' outfits looked familiar to me, unlike the women's outfits. Even the young girl models seemed like old friends. My favorite girl was this one in the yellow shirt:

Doesn't she look like a fun girl? I use to imagine that she loved having fun in a natural and wholesome way, and that she and I would have been good friends if we knew each other. I always thought that the clothes she wore were the cutest, probably just because I liked her the most.

I never really cared for the girl with the blonde hair. She always seemed a little too "Cindy Brady"ish to me. I imagined she was terribly spoiled.

I don't remember ordering any of those particular outfits, but I do remember owning these exact same shoes. I have to admit, I still think they're kind of cute.

In the fall of 1974 I definitely remember thinking: "How cool are these guys?"

I may have still been wearing children's size clothing, but my tastes in mature men were clearly a little more developed!

Dixie

Really?

Yesterday while browsing the Halloween aisle at Walmart, I had only one thought: "What is this world coming to?"

Every costume for adult women was.....how do I say politely.....naughty. There was a naughty nurse, a naughty policewoman, a naughty Victorian woman, a naughty pirate, a naughty prisoner, several naughty fairy tale characters.... And the list goes on. Every single costume included fishnet stockings, stilettos, and a whole lot of cleavage. Really?

I wondered how the fishnet stockings would help a nurse perform her duties more effectively. Or how the high heels would help a policewoman to pursue a criminal more easily. And have they forgotten that a witch is supposed to have green skin, scraggly hair, and a wart on the end of her crooked nose?

And don't even get me started about Little Red Riding Hood. Something tells me her grandmother would roll over in her grave if she knew how Little Red was dressing these days.

Dixie

Tons O' Fun

So yesterday was Tuesday, and as I've said before, I love Tuesdays! That's the day I run my children's musical theatre class. I have another fun bunch of kids again this year:

• There's the girl who sings every song with so much facial expression I think she's going to burst.

• There's the girl who arrives early each week and follows me around giggling at everything I say.

• There's the boy who asks every week if I have a treat for the class, not really expecting it, but he knows that everyone expects him to ask, so he does.

• There's the girl who uses the bathroom twice each class... just to make sure she's getting her money's worth, I suppose.

• There's the other girl who once spent a total of 30 minutes in the bathroom, all the while assuring us she was fine. (I discovered later that she was just decorating her disposable drinking cup so it wouldn't get mixed up with the others.)

How could you not love these kids? Or this job?

Dixie

Spicing Things Up

I've decided my life is too boring. Too predictable.

Recently I've been talking to four different women who have told me the most fascinating details of their very recent lives. In some cases these stories have left me giggling uncontrollably, in others with my jaw hanging open in disbelief. I found myself almost resenting their riveting lives, wishing I had one of my own to tell about. I'll have to see what I can do to spice up my life.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm running late for my Nude Tap Dance class.

Dixie

The (Almost) Finished Product

So for those who care (mostly Daughters #1 and #2), here are a couple of pictures of our new backyard. Take particular note of the beautiful fence. The beautiful fence that The Mr. and I have slaved away on. For the past. three. months.

Okay, to be fair, we also recruited our kids to help out now and then. And, to be even more fair, the biggest change to our back yard is probably the work done by the landscaping crew. But that doesn't mean that I'm any less proud of the work I did on the fence.

It seems like it took FOREVER. With all the rain and the newly-acquired church responsibilities for The Mr., it's been a long, drawn-out process. But we are SO close to being finished that I can almost taste it!

I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most, is the opportunity to spend a date night with The Mr. that doesn't involve power tools.

Dixie

The Perfect Party Guest

The Mr. and I threw a little party the other day. It was a real casual affair -- potluck supper, games, and visiting. I was expecting 12 guests, so was a little surprised when one couple each brought a friend of their own. Normally I don't appreciate that kind of thing, but these particular guests weren't a bit of trouble. In fact they added quite a bit of fun to the party.

During supper they were very quiet -- we hardly knew they were there. Later as we were debating over the rules to a particular party game, one of these guests came to the rescue by providing a very detailed description of the exact way to play it. When the fun of the games died down, and we started visiting, both these guests had us laughing for the rest of the night. They shared their knowledge with us about all the current movies. All we had to do was mention a movie title, and they not only informed us when was the best time to leave, but EXACTLY how much time we had and what we would miss. Later they kept us in stitches as they showed us what all our friends would look like if they gained A LOT of weight.

"Who were these guests?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you. Or rather, show you.

The Mr. had a similar friend arrive by Fed Ex today. He's a happy boy.

Dixie

Too Funny

I love this. It's definitely worth watching. Maybe even twice.

Dixie

On A Mission

Lately I've been on a mission to purchase a dress. Nothing fancy. Nothing trendy. Just an all-purpose dress, with a bit of class, that I could wear to church. For the past few years I've been going the skirt route. In fact I have a black skirt that gets worn far more than any skirt deserves to be worn. I figured since dresses have made a comeback recently, it wouldn't be too hard to find something. What a laugh!

Too short, too tight, too revealing, too glitzy, too everything. But mostly too short. The dress designers all seem to be in cahoots rights now: "Let's make all our dresses the same length. You know that length that makes beautiful legs look even more beautiful, and ugly legs look even more ugly." Sadly my legs fall very definitively into the second group.

I, however, will not give up. I am on a mission and will not stop until I succeed!!

Dixie

Movin' Out

After several months of advance warning, I'm still having a hard time coming to grips with something: Sons 1A and 1B moved out! They found a cute little apartment in the city, packed their bags, and headed out. The nerve!

Well, the truth is, we've always told our kids that they shouldn't be hanging around the house for too long once they get to be young adults. (Somehow I've always felt that would stunt their social lives, not to mention our financial reserves!) But when the time actually came for them to go, it was a little harder than I anticipated.

Here's wishing them the best as they embark on this new phase in their lives!

(And boys, if you're reading this, please get a phone. I'm only prepared to cut the apron stings, not throw them away entirely!)

Dixie

Fencing, Family and Fun

Fencing

For the past several weeks, I have been learning the art of fencing. Not the kind involving swords and protective gear. I'm talking about the other kind. You know - lumber, screws, post hole augers. What fun we've been having (read that with a slight tone of sarcasm) as we are racing the clock to get this done, all the while fighting rain and mosquitoes.

Six times in a row - SIX - we would just barely get all the supplies and tools hauled out of the garage and start working, when it would start to rain and we would have to haul it all back inside again. Now, I'm not talking a little drizzle. This was all out torrential downpours, and even once we were pelted with hail as we struggled to get everything put back in the garage. It has become the family joke that maybe during drought years we could offer to build someone's fence to help bring on the rain.

We have had a couple of productive days, however, and our fence is starting to looking pretty good, if I do say so myself. In our 30-year old neighborhood, it certainly looks better than all the other delapitated fences.

I'm trying not to get a swelled head over it.

Family

At the beginning of the month The Mr. and I hosted a mini family reunion at our house. Not many of us - just our own little family. We started out with five children, and now we've added two sons-in-law and four grandchildren. Still not a huge number, but it's so fun to welcome each new addition to the family, and I'm looking forward to what the future holds in that department. My thoughts have been centered on my family this summer. Thoughts of how they have grown. Thoughts of the kind of people they have turned out to be. Thoughts of how much I love them.

(You have lots of time to think while you're building a fence!)

The Early Years

One Year Ago

Fun

One of my favorite things to do is watch live theatre, especially musical theatre. I've taken two trips to Cardston this summer to attend the Carriage House Theatre's summer productions. The first trip was with The Mr. (after our previously mentioned camping trip) to see "Thoroughly Modern Millie". The second trip was with Daughter #3. We saw "Curtain Call", "Little Women", and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" again. Fun, fun, fun.

Each time I come home dreaming about being younger and having a little more talent.

Dixie

Camping With The Mr.

Daughter #3 was attending a week-long musical theatre camp.

Sons 1A and 1B were busy with their summer jobs.

So, The Mr. and I decided to take a little vacation without them. Nothing very exciting, but you'd think that The Mr. had died and gone to heaven. We went camping at Waterton.

As noted earlier, I'm not much of a camper. Okay, that's an understatement. But The Mr. absolutely loves being in the mountains. Unlike me, the thought of seeing wildlife doesn't frighten him a bit.

He could hardly wait to revisit the place where he spent so many of his family vacations as a child. He even convinced his parents to come camping with us to help relive the memories. Normally I would have preferred to stay back at the trailer reading a book while he went off to do "nature things". But I decided to be a good sport and tag along. (Didn't want the in-laws thinking too poorly of me!)

Things weren't going too badly -- By day three I had only seen a few deer and chipmunks. Nothing too intimidating. And then......

After that I was a nervous wreck! Thankfully Daughter #2 and her children came for an afternoon visit. I knew if we played hard enough with them, they would make sufficient noise to keep the wildlife away.

On day four we packed up the trailer and headed to Cardston to set up camp at the Lee Creek Campground. Now this was my kind of campground: Free Showers, Flush Toilets, Laundromat, Free Wifi, and best of all.....it was right in the middle of town -- no chance of wildlife!!

Dixie

Skills

I survived Young Women's Camp! As noted in my previous post, I was not looking forward to it. Not that I don't love the girls, 'cause I do. I guess I just don't love all the inconveniences of trying to live in nature. I did, however, learn a few new skills I had not previously known:

• I learned how to light - and cook on - a propane-fueled camp stove. I somehow became the camp cook (although not previously assigned) so that was a good skill to acquire.
• I learned that a container of wet wipes makes it possible to take a quick "bath" in the privacy of an outhouse.
• I learned the importance of closing the toilet lid and layering it with well-placed, clean toilet paper strips so you have somewhere clean to place your belongings while taking said "bath".
• I learned the art of balancing on one foot while putting on clean underwear and clothes in the outhouse.

I'm thinking Napolean Dynamite would be happy for me knowing that I have skills.

Dixie

11 Days

So, once again I've been asked to go to Young Women's camp. For those of you who know me well, you know that I would rather undergo a root canal. I AM NOT A CAMPER. Never have been. Never will be. But for some reason, I keep getting asked to go. Actually, I just found out that several other women were asked before me, but they had the good sense to decline. I never realized that was option. I'll keep that juicy piece of information tucked under my belt for next year!

We leave one week from today. The only good thing about that, is the fact that 11 days from now it will all be over, and then I can enjoy my summer.

Dixie

And the Winner is.....

Last week The Mr. and I decided to purchase new interior doors for our home. A certain unnamed lumber store was having their 10th ANNIVERSARY SALE, and, as luck would have it, the doors we wanted were 25% off. We placed our order with a nice man by the name of Lorne only 5 minutes before the doors closed (and the sale ended) on Saturday.

On Monday morning I received a phone call from Lorne informing me that our order had qualified us to have our names entered into a draw for an anniversary door prize and we were the winners!!

"How exciting! I wonder what the prize is? A trip for two to Hawaii? A $1000 in-store credit?"

Not wanting to appear too eager, I waited a day before returning to the store to collect my prize. When I arrived I saw Lorne and a couple of other men at the counter. With great anticipation I approached the counter and stated my business, anxious to get the actual gift in my hands. I guess I was a little disappointed when I discovered the said gift was a portable CD player.

"Okay, well, that's still a nice gift. I guess I shouldn't have been so greedy! Yes, of course. A CD player is a very nice gift."

I thanked Lorne and the other men, and left with my door prize. As I was putting the box in my trunk, I noticed these words:

Portable CD player with cassette

"With cassette! Nobody makes cassettes anymore. How old is this thing? Has this "gift" been around since the first anniversary sale?"

I could just picture it: every year for the past nine anniversary sales, Lorne and his gang tried to pawn off this little beauty on unsuspecting customers, only to be told, "Oh, no thanks. Go ahead and give it to someone else." I imagine it's been sitting around taking up valuable space in the office, just waiting for someone like me to give it a home. I'm sure they were thrilled to finally be rid of the thing.

I felt a little silly as I closed my trunk and drove away. I can't be certain but as I looked back through the window, I think I saw Lorne and his buddies giving high fives!

Dixie