New Family Member

Meet Bowser.

Here Bowser is napping in the sun on Maddie's bed. I will tell you the story of how she came to live at our house.

Maddie has been wanting a cat for a long time, so we decided we were going to go out to look at the shelter cats since her birthday is this week.

When we walked into the cat room at the Coastal Humane Society, there were lots of cats of all shapes and sizes roaming around. One cat was in her cage, and when we walked by she started meowing at us to let her out. We let her out and she immediately came to us. I noticed her name tag said, "Betty--a.k.a. Bowser". We played with "Betty" until she got bored and ran outside. I called her but she didn't seem to hear. I then called her name "Bowser" and she ran right back and let me hold her.

A staff member heard me calling her Bowser and tried to correct me. "That's actually a girl cat. The people who had her before (for two years) thought she was a boy and named her that." Well, I didn't want to argue with the lady, but it was clear that "Bowser" knew who she was, and didn't seem to care that it was a "boy's" name.

Sadly for Bowser, her previous owner's declawed her. I can't figure out why they gave her up. We have had her now for five days and she is an awesome cat. She is playful and cuddly--almost too cuddly. Any time I am lying down she comes down and parks her bod on my chest. Apparently we are all her personal blankets.

Well, so far everything is going well. Ethan and I are both allergic to cats, but so far we have not had any reactions. If that holds true over the next couple weeks, Bowser is going to be a permanent member of the resq-team.

Just Wondering

1. Have you guys seen the "Pillow Pets" commercial? You know, the one where a bunch of kids are singing, "It's a pillow, it's a pet, it's a pillow-pet!" Ethan and Maddie love to make fun of it even though I bet they secretly want one.

2. Have you guys ever heard Ethan's British accent? It's quite a treat. He just tried out for the community play yesterday and had to read all his lines that way. We will find out soon if he gets a part!

3. Did you know that Ryan will be in Spain for the next two weeks? I have no idea what he will be doing there, but it's part of his master's program.

4. Have you read Elizabeth Gilbert's new book, "Committed"? It's a sequel to her "Eat, Pray, Love." It's really good and I think it will energize your feelings on marriage.

5. Did you know that if you want Hello Kitty clothes, that Macy's has the best selection I've seen? Maddie got 3 HK outfits for Christmas, as well as no less than 16 HK toys! The girl is a walking, talking monument to the cute cat.

6. Have you seen Leap Year? I now have the hots for one sexy Irish man and I have to add that if were of a different persuasion I would definitely have the hots for Amy Adams as well. She did amazing in the movie!

7. Speaking of Ireland, have you ever been? I am determined to go this fall and am trying to talk Natalie into going with me. (It's a small price to pay for sanity, I say!) If you have any advice on where to stay or what to see, let me know!

8. Does anyone else watch the Disney channel with as much forbidden enjoyment as me? Between Justin on Wizards of Waverley Place and either one of the two youngest Jonas Brothers, it's no chore to watch what my kids are watching. Oh yeah, and Sonny with A Chance? I love the love/hate relationship between Sonny and Chad.

9. If you had $60 dollars what would you spend it on? Ryan recently bought a woman quote "a bus ticket to Connecticut to get her diabetes medication". Ha! Is there a more obvious hook for suckers than that one? Ry visited three ATMs to get the money for this lady and missed his bus (the last bus of the night) home for this scam artist! Good to know our student loan money is being put to good use . . . :)

10. Would you rather have a red hot poker shoved up your nose or the back of your thighs grated with a cheese grater? Barring facial disfigurement, I'd take the poker. See, it's answers to questions like these that really make a difference in this world!

A Christmas Story

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I always enjoyed it, but it took on new meaning when Ethan was born. Suddenly, it wasn't about what gifts I was going to get, but how I was going to make it special for the kids. I can honestly say now that one of the best parts of Christmas is watching the kids open their presents. There is nothing like the smile of a child.

But there are other great parts of the Christmas season that I love. Our family has a tradition of doing a service project each month of December. When Ethan was a toddler, we went from apartment to apartment at Wymount to collect canned goods to donate to the local food bank. The following year we toted him to an old folk's home and sang Christmas carols, an-off key but well-meaning trio. This year we tried to do the same thing, but we had to cancel at the last minute because I had two coughing children and I didn't think that the retirees would appreciate the gift of the flu for Christmas. In other years we've done what my family did growing up: buy presents for children the same ages and sex of ours and donate them. I hope my kids continue the tradition of service as they grow older and get their own families.

Some people wonder how someone as secular as me can believe and celebrate Christmas. Well, to tell you the truth, Christmas hasn't always been religious. But it has always been about love, family, feasting, and laughter.

Hundreds of years before "Christmas," millions of people celebrated what was known as Yule. The highpoint of Yule eventually became December 25, but it actually lasted several weeks. During the month of December, families got together to celebrate the finishing up of their fall harvest. With hay and food put up for the winter, it was now a time to relax and feast with friends and neighbors. Families cut evergreens down from their farms and put them in their house for good luck. Many people were believed in a Yule figure: to some it was Nisse, to others Tomten, to others it was a Father Christmas-like figure. Whether it was a small gnome like creature dressed in a red cap, suit, and long white beard (nisse) or a hearty fellow that drove a sleigh from up north in Lapland, children left porridge and fruit and meats for the visitor. In return, the visitor would leave gifts for the children.

The most prominent reason for these ancient Yule festivals was the winter solstice. The winter solstice represented the darkest day of the year, but it also meant that from then on the days would grow increasingly lighter until the earth had it's rebirth in spring.

Yule did not come to be associated with Christianity until the middle ages, when missionaries who wanted to share the gospel encouraged people to add the nativity to the celebrations. Soon the festivities started to be called Christmas. Today Christmas is a call to greater religious dedication for some, and for others it remains a cultural celebration of the family.

I am grateful for the time Christmas allows me to be with my little family. Living here in Maine is a bonus because we also get to spend time with Grammie and Grampie Quinlan and celebrate the holidays with them. Cousins aunts and uncles will be here too. And it's only a short journey down to New Jersey to visit Great Grammie Quinlan, where manicures will surely take place on fingers and toes.

I recently heard this song and feel it represents my feeling about Christmas the best. It's called White Wine in the Sun. It's one of the most touching Christmas songs I've ever heard. I hope you'll take a listen: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q (my fave part starts at 3:45)

I wish all my family a happy and joyous season. My hope for all of you is that Christmas is not a month to "check the box." I hope you don't use the time to do things you feel obligated to do, but that you do things you want and enjoy. Be with friends. Be with family. Be happy.

Changes

It's time to make changes, folks!

The first change I wanted to tell you about is that I have temporarily shut down my "Uncensored Philosopher's" blog. I have decided to do this while Ryan in in school and both of us are looking for jobs. I just don't think it's a good idea to have such personal essays and ideas on the web for potential employers to see. For that reason, UP will remain closed until Ryan starts his new job in Cincinnati and I find work there as well. Look for a reopening around late summer of 2010.

Also, you may have noticed I have stopped using Facebook. I stopped because of the same reasons mentioned above. I hope to resume that around the same time next year. Nothing has happened and I don't expect it to; it's just I watch CNN everyday and there's always some story about someone getting screwed over on Facebook or their blog, etc. I don't want to take any chances!!!

Life continues to be good here. Ethan and Maddie are two plays, "The Polar Express" and "Duck at the Door." Both of them seem to enjoy being in the limelight. Ethan is the conductor and the bunny, and Maddie is the sign holder, train passenger, and kitty. Undoubtedly they will be making their next stop on Broadway.

I have recently joined a writer's group here in BB. We meet twice monthly to share excerpts from our books. I am the only one under 50, so it should be interesting when I tell the group that I'm doing a hot and dirty romance. Actually, they are a smart group and almost all are excellent writers. Already I have gotten ideas for my own book. Unfortunately, there are one or two who write prose poetry, and it makes me ill to my stomach. How do you tell someone you simply can't bear to listen to their lame streams of conciousness? Who would want to read it? Oh well.

Also a new change: I will finally be volunteering at the school! For the next two weeks, the crazy freaks at BR elementary school are finally letting me help. For those of you that don't know, I have been into the office to meet with the vice principal no less than five times to discuss a volunteer position. The snooty vp lady kept giving me excuses on why they didn't need help: "Oh the teachers have their own way of doing things;" or, my fave, "This time of year is just too busy." I replied, "It sounds like you could use some help, then." She just glared at me and replied, "The teachers don't want to take the time to train someone." As if. As if cutting out squares of paper or laminating stuff requires a degree. But wait--I do have a degree--in education! Fancy that. Oh how I h--- BR elementary school . . .

Anyhoo, if the next couple weeks go well, I may be on my way to being a true blue volunteer. Hooray for me!

What went down at the party . . .

9 years old! With friend H, who gave him a cool Legos gift!

Air hockey and golf . . .

Ethan's best friend, S . . .

Maddie the snow princess: official candle putter-onner

The Wise Fool: Num Nums' Journey

If you know what I mean when I say "Num Nums," then you, my friend, are in the know.

I'm referring to one of the furry group of electronic hamster buddies known as "Zhu Zhu" pets. A couple months ago, Madisen requested said pet for Christmas. And what's not to love? They don't bite, poop, or stink up entire rooms. They also don't leave dribbles of yellow pee in their hamster balls as they scoot across floors.

They do, however, have their faults. About a month ago, clueless me decided to purchase NN for Maddie. He's the grey one with the heart on his back. I got online and noticed that Amazon had him for sale for $28. I also noted that the fun-house was $38. I paused only momentarily, thinking that that was pretty steep for a kid's toy. But I was on a mission, so I clicked the purchase button and soon an expensive hamster and its cage were on their way.

A few days later, content me was strolling through the aisles of Tarjay when I happened upon a ZZ pets display. There were no toys, just a bunch of hooks and price tags. The price tags said 7.99. I assumed that they must have been accessories for the pets, but still, a dark feeling of foreboding came over me.

Sure enough, when I did a little investigating, the pets were indeed 8 bucks. And I had just paid 28 bucks for one! Man, was I ticked! Mostly at myself, for not paying attention. And the playhouse was 19.99, not 38.00. I felt like such a fool, and I had no one but myself to blame. I checked the return policy for the pet and house, but I had it bought it through a 3rd party seller on Amazon, which had a "no-return" policy.

I was in a bad mood over that until just yesterday morning. CNN did a special on hot but unavailable toys for Christmas. Num Nums was on the list!! That got me to thinking that maybe, stupidly, I had just gotten in on another Elmo/Cabbage Patch kid fiasco. I checked the prices of Zhu Zhus again on Amazon.

What I had paid $70 bucks for is now selling for $111.

Who knew my ignorance would pay off?

P.S. Do NOT tell Maddie about Num Nums! Shhhhh . . . .

Because Natalie said he looked like a girl . . .

If Torres is girly, well then I just might have to switch teams! Ha ha! :)