Happy Birthday Ol' Betsy

When Mister Bean was about two, we started watching Davy Crockett. He quickly became a huge fan. Every girl in his life was Becky, and every stick his gun Betsy, every guy Davy's sidekick Georgie, and, for about two years, we had to call him Davy.

At the time of his birth he had six grandmas. In order to tell us apart, we took different names. He has a Oma, a GiGi, a Granny Wandy, Grandma Betty and me, Gramerly (His great, great grandma has sinced passed away). Well, one time he got a little confused an referred to his Pap's mom as Ol' Betsy. As his grandparents, of course, we thought it adorable, but I wasn't sure how Grandma Betty would feel. Handy Man couldn't help himself and just had to tell on Bean. Well, she graciously accepted the moniker gifted by her first great grand boy. Today is her birthday.

So, Happy Birthday to you Ol' Betsy!! We hope it is a happy one.

Since she loves Lemon Pie, I made her one. She also feels some serious affection for bourbon balls, as does her son. The plan was to have them for Christmas. Ummm, why do I make plans?

Handy Man thought he'd help, then thought maybe he wouldn't-yucck.

"Okay, I smiled nicely for the first picture, now quit already." " No one needs to know that I licked the bourbon ball bowl clean."

A Big Week of Christmas

Christmas busyness begins in earnest for me about when I put up the last of the Thanksgiving dishes. When you work in a Catholic School, it's Christmas every day. Then, with my own kids last Sunday.

A friend had given me a Christmas movie her children had outgrown with characters having both Antebellie and O'Henry's name. I made a date to watch it with them on Tuesday past. Of course, I had a little gift for them and had made pot of black beans, and they like black bean omelets. I called Aunt SueZQ and asked her join us, and she brought her grandboy, Big Al. A good time was had by all.

At a craft fair in the fall, an elderly woman was selling these little drawstring purses that open and fold down to reveal a tinest baby with a tinier crocheted dress. I was likely her best client. I wish I had a video of Miss Linee cuddling and smooching that littlest doll, so sweet.

The chickie girls provided the eggs and each wee one in turn chose an egg, shook it up and made their omelet and we enjoyed a yummy dinner together. Then we all gathered in the kitchen, as we are easily entertained, and enjoyed watching a flat silver pan expand into a blimp, as we popped up some Jiffy Pop. It was very Christmasy.

Yesterday, I headed to Kaye's around one to help Pete and Ol' Mother Hubbard aka Tiff and David, make their Christmas dinner. She was feeling good and helped peel potatoes and stir up green bean casserole. Then O M Hubbard left to get the cherubs while we set the table. I was able to get a picture upon their return.

Then I headed to my Mama's to have Christmas with her. Mom seems to be about the best she's been in several weeks and was enjoying the company of all her people. Bean and Bugg were there so we visited for awhile and when it was time to leave, they wanted to come home with us, so we brought them out for a couple of hours, tracked Santa on radar, and when it appeared he might be close, they headed home. As we were driving here, Bugg was very interested in that baby Jesus and what happened to Him, so I told the whole story to the end, that marks our beginning.

Today SueZQ invited us to bring chickie girl eggs and have brunch and go to a movie. This day was truly spent like no other Christmas for me. Brunch was delicious, the movie was fun and I survived.

Hope everyone enjoyed a peaceful day.

Merry Christmas to All, and to All a Goodnight

Looks like they've had too much eggnog?

No,you can't make us tell anything!

You have to guess where we hid your presents.

Santa's elves are busy in their self-made Santa hats.

Ho, Ho, Ho

This year I celebrated Christmas with our children and grandchildren on Sunday. My mom and siblings always had Christmas on the eve of the big day, so around here we were Christmas morning folk. After the boys married, of course, this became more complicated. Rae Rae was still home, so I told the boys that I understood if they couldn't make Christmas morning, but Christmas morning would go on as usual until Miss Rae became a Mrs. Well, two days after Christmas last year, she did. The man she married has family a bit south of here and a sister in Vermont. I knew, if that sister and her three babies could get this far, Rae and Michael needed to be available to mold to their plans to her availability, so we officially changed tradition last year, and moved our celebration to the Sunday before.

It was a necessary change, but it will take me awhile to get used to it. I have just always been a person who likes to celebrate on the chosen day, be it birthday, whatever. Last Christmas, I spent the entire day cooking for the wedding reception. By about 6 o'clock, I was seriously spent and feeling quite lonely. I asked Handy Man if he would just come sit in kitchen and talk to me awhile and he did. We'll see what this year feels like. Maybe, sometime, Handy Man and I will find a place to volunteer on Christmas. Christmas and no children feels sort of prickly to me.

That being said, they are some high points to the Sunday before. No one has anywhere else to be, which seems to ease the tension in everyone. We chose post nap as the time for celebrating, so all the poopies are in good form. It's the first presents of the season, so not as much over stimulation. They can actually look and play with their toys. If not for the pre-party car wreck, it would have been practically perfect in every way. Lastly, gramerlings that wish to, can spend the night. Bugg and Bean always wish to.
Miss Bugg was thrilled with her mixer, that actually mixed. Party folk however grew quite weary of the whirring of the beaters after twenty minutes or so-grinches all.

1st Lt. read a book about whaling that contained parts of an actual diary used as the basis for Moby Dick. 1st Lt. gave it to Handy Man, who kept telling me bits and pieces, that roused my curiosity, so I read it. All of us talked about it so much, that Bean developed quite an interest in the whole whaling business, and endlessly asks for whaling stories, where he, naturally, is the hero. Lo and behold, I found a whale rescue toy set with the helicopter, big boat, little boat and little people whale rescuers, and let's not forget, a big whale. Bean declared the delightful to Gramerly's ear words, "This is exactly what I wanted," and hardly looked up the rest of the evening.

Miss Buttercup did what 15 month old babies do and simply scuttled about happily playing with whatever was handy.

We had a yummy dinner, but all the wee ones ordered an egg! So, we cooked eggs! Dee-wish-us!

Happy 75th Anniversary Aunt Lois and Uncle Berry

I read this prayer from Sue's prayer book at the anniversary brunch yesterday.

Then we said, "You can kiss the bride."

Dewey, Debbie, Randy, Toni, Kimberly

Susie, Aunt Bett, Scott, Aunt Lois and Uncle Berry

The woman who drove her car out of a parking lot into the path of our car on the way home-good times!

Thanks Girls

This ol' house has been a whirring dervish of wrapping, cleaning, and cooking as I finished Christmas with my students and have to be ready by tomorrow at 4:30 to celebrate with my gramerlings. The bean dip, cheese appetizer, Texas potatoes, and lettuce wrap filling is done and I'm tired.

First, however I'll travel to Florence, KY in the morning, to celebrate my aunt's and uncle's 75th wedding anniversary. Aunt Lois was excited for me to get chickens and fresh eggs, and I'm excited to take some to her in the morning. She loves eggs and the girls have laid some giant ones this week. Aren't they pretty.

The ones in the front are the size of regular eggs. It doesn't seem like I can really get a picture to show them off properly.

This is the first time we've had a pale brown one be so huge. I think it was just a special anniversary gift.

Kaye was supposed to go with us, but she isn't feeling up to it.

Frosty the Sn, Jingle Bel, Santa Claus is, We wish

The title is bits of what you will hear if you walk into our happy home on poopie night.

When Mr. Bean was one, I purchased a snowman, about two feet tall, that swung his snowflake and tipped his hat while singing Frosty the Snowman. This turned out to be one my very favorite Christmas memories, because our little toddling Bean loved nothing better than to push the button and dance while Frosty sang. Then, anytime the boy would see a snowman, even the one on my Christmas shirt, he'd press on it and look at you expectantly until you broke out into a rendition of Frosty, and he'd dance. When Handy Man, who typically refuses to sing, would give it a whirl in the middle of Kroger where Bean located a pack of napkins with a snowman on it, I knew he was really a papaw.

Since then we've accumlated quite an assortment of singing critters and Missy Bugg loves to hear them all at the same time, it's quite loud at Gramerly's at Christmas. I added two to the collection recently.

Tonight, when I picked them up, I told them I had a surprise when we got home. Bugg said, "For both of us." I replied, "I have a surprise for each of you." "Okay," came the sweet little voice from the back, followed by, "You can give my brother his first." She can be the sweetest bit of cuteness on the planet. I won't ruin the moment by bring up anyway else she can be-ha.

Well, it was a big craft night as Bean has wanted to make pins and use the "real" glue gun for sometime. The moment had arrived. Bean has done a lot of things I wouldn't let most little ones I know do. He has always been the best listener, and does just what you ask him.

Tah dah, Bean glued pins!

They are beautiful.

It was fun to listen to him think about

which pin he wanted to give to which person.

. Alas, crafting was not yet done as his new puppy (he barks a song-I'm a glutton for punishment) needed a Christmas present, so he made him a bracelet, wrapped it and put it under the tree. He said though that he was going to write "dog" on the package, cause he could spell that and he can't yet spell "puppy."

Miss Bugg made a santa hat, which I will show off when it's dry. She has an abnormal amount of patience for art projects for a three year old.

She was also busy stickering a little princess mirror that is supposed to make a magical sound. She was sitting way upstairs in the crib, stickering away, when the press of a button failed to produce the expected sound of magic. Immediately she begins yelling, "Pap!" "Hey, Pappy!" "A battery, this isn't working!" She thinks her Pap makes magic too and can hear her and supply her needs eventhough he is outside.

I called Kaye this evening and she said she wasn't feeling too good, but maybe she would be tomorrow. Bless her heart.