Just 40 Days

For the past couple of days, I have been going up and down the stairs, bringing up the boxes of winter and Christmas decorations. I think I'm finally finished!  Now I just have to clean off the part of the kitchen counter that has been doubling as my desk for the past two years. It's weird decorating, knowing that Haylee will not be there.  I will miss her at my ornament party this Friday.  I will miss here turning around things and I won't notice for days.  I will miss the absolutely hideous clothespin and pink tissue paper angel with her named spelled wrong on it that her 'school family' made for her when she was in first grade at St. Thomas Aquinas school. ...just breathe.

I just wanted to thank my family for putting up Christmas lights for me.  I'm really struggling this year... just going through the motions... hoping for normalcy.  I know that they are missing Haylee just as much as I am.  So thank you Derrick, Justine, Steve and Carly.  I love you!

My natural hair color these days is gray, so I head to Classica Hair Studio every six weeks for a cut and color.  My hair stylist, Michelle, is a classmate and friend of Haylee and has been doing my hair for over 10 years. Haylee bought me a gift certificate for Michelle's services for my birthday one year and I have been going back since.  I trust her completely...letting her decide what to do with my hair.  After all, she is the professional. After my new doo, I met up with classmates for fun, food, and fellowship.  It was so nice to see everyone and even nicer to get out when my hair looks it's best...after Michelle does it!

Today we celebrated the 2nd Annual As Seen On TV Thanksgiving.  Haylee came up with the idea last year and we are going to continue the tradition. There were 10 of us for dinner, including nine month old Skylar, and nine wrapped gifts. Derrick did most of the cooking and added two new items to the traditional meal, spicy scalloped sweet potatoes and a cooked kale dish.  It was delicious. After dinner, and before the pumpkin pie, the nine of us drew numbers to see the order of choice.  I had number 5 and elected to steal the 'Veggetti' Spiral Vegetable Cutter that turns veggies into healthy spaghetti!  Fun was had by all as we exchanged night vision glasses, light bulbs and snackerees.  The kitchen is clean, the house is quiet as everyone went to my sister's for card games and dessert.  I stayed home with Skylar and have decided to curl up with a blanket and watch 'It's A Wonderful Life".   Happy Thanksgiving!

I couldn't remember the last time I baked something so last night I did.  I switched out zucchini with pumpkin and used pecans instead of walnuts to made a pumpkin bread.  I learned that I didn't have two loaf pans anymore so I made one and a dozen cupcakes or were they muffins? What is the difference between cupcakes and muffins anyhow?  I think that I made muffins because they were made from a bread mix and not frosted.  I did use my cupcake pan with liners though as I'm too lazy to grease the inside of the cupcake pan, which doesn't always work out well for me. So this morning, I'm enjoying a pumpkin muffin with my coffee.  I'd better head to the YMCA soon to burn off that bread!  Happy baking!

Teachers and students are doing the turkey happy dance today! And oh, it feels so good! Enjoy and give thanks for all the good in your life!

What is justice? My favorite dictionary, Merriam Webster, defines it as 'the maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments'.  Or 'the guality of being just, impartial, or fair.' The key word in that definition is impartial.  This is very important as those close to the matter, sometimes cannot see the whole situation.  Therefore, those people may end up feeling that justice was not served or they were treating unjustly.