Happy New Year! I'm Ba--ack!

Hey my little chickadees! Did you miss me? I missed all of youl! It was really strange being away from the computer for a couple of weeks. This is the first time I've done that.....the time just flew by!

I said I would post on the First of the Year, and here I am a day early!


Did you know that you could write a wish and have it written on a piece of confetti that will be added to the ONE TON of confetti that flutters down on Times Square at the stroke of midnight tonight?

Is that cool or what?

I guess this has been done for a few years now. Who knew?

People from around the WORLD submit their wishes, both via the internet, OR if they are visiting the Times Square Visitor's Center. At the Center, they can write their own wish on an official piece of confetti and then tack it onto the Wishing Wall.

I just added my wish this morning and I was going to share the link with all of you; unfortunately the link is now closed. I guess they need time to print all the wishes! But we'll have to remember this for next year! I wonder when they start collecting the wishes for 2013?

It just makes me smile to think my little wish is mixed among the gazillion other wishes from all over the world. Maybe this year my wish just might come true!

May all YOUR wishes come true!

Happy New Year!

Closed for the Holidays

Rudolph the 2-story Reindeer?

So you all know that I live full-time in a 40-foot trailer.

Yeah.

On the plus side, there's not a lot to clean.

On the negative side, there's not a lot of room.

So for that reason alone I don't have any Christmas decorations. (They are all in storage.)

This is how I FEEL about not having any Christmas decorations.

Well, until our Block Captain asked if we wanted to participate in decorating our site like the majority of people on our block by purchasing these lights:

These are solar lights that change colors from red, blue to green. Not bad, but they don't throw off a LOT of light. Pretty minimal, actually.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have a streetlight right next door to us. It glares down upon our site and drowns out our little lights.

Then there are our neighbors across from us. They didn't want any part of these stinkin' lights.

Nope. They had their OWN decorations.

Think along the lines of the movie "Christmas Vacation".

Okay, so MAYBE I exaggerate a lee-tle bit.

But not much.

They have a big motor coach bus. It is strewn with Christmas lights, they have red hats on both side mirrors, and a stable out front.

I almost get blinded when I walk by their place at night.

Our little lights are put to shame. They are lined up in a row in front of our trailer.

I feel like taking them and just spelling out the word "DITTO" and point an arrow facing my neighbors.

But I DID find something that can OUTDO them for next year.

Heck, it can outdo the WHOLE PARK.

It's a 2-STORY REINDEER!!

YOU HEARD ME!!

Although this photo makes it look bigger with little KIDS running in front of it, it really IS 2 stories tall!

Imagine the awe!

Imagine the jealously!

Imagine us parking Big Blue between the reindeer's legs!

Oh, this could be fun!

I wonder how this sucker doesn't blow away? And isn't that the thing you blow into up there on the thigh? How the heck? (scrambling through papers, reading....a hah, a hah)

Oh. Never mind.

Comes with a fan to inflate it. Hee hee.

This costs $350, but I bet there's a GREAT markdown after Christmas! AND, how small do you think I could fold this sucker? Would it fit in a shoe box?

(Yelling to Jim) Honey, I got a GREAT idea for next Christmas!!


I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! I am off for a two week visit to colder climates to visit family for the holidays. This blog will be closed during that time. 

See ya next year! 

Thursday's Things in a Row

I took these photos of Christmas things in a row at a local Home Depot store. No matter that it was in EARLY OCTOBER! Truth! Because on the same day, same disc I have "things in a row" of pumpkin items! But I didn't spring them on YOU too early. Nope! I held them till a decent two weeks or so before Christmas!

Very cute gnomes, yes?

Honking big bells that don't ring......they're plastic!

Looks like Santa has a LOT of exes! And they all look alike!

Rows of glass ornaments! (If you look carefully, you can see a reflection of both Jim and me in that top gold ornament!)

Do you say "point-SETTA" or "point-SET-TI-A"? These are the safest to keep around the house if you have pets - they are fake!

Do you have any holiday items for this week?

ATTENTION: THIS MEME WILL BE CLOSED FOR TWO WEEKS DUE TO THE HOLIDAY. WILL RESUME ON JANUARY 5, 2012.

Signs - Supporting our Troops!

I saw this sign on the side of a semi-truck that was unloading at a store while we were stopped at a red light.

I hope they're not supporting them while in combat! ;)

I like how the cab of the truck is painted camouflage.

Visit Lesley for more signs.

Feeling Stressed?

Are you feeling a little stressed because of the upcoming holidays?

You still have gifts to buy, gifts to wrap, cookies to bake, house to clean, cards to write?

Yikes! Will you finish it all in time?

Don't stress!

Here are a few items to RELIEVE your stress! And they are FUN, too!

How about a "Poppin Peepers Penguin"?

Now THAT'S funny, I don't care what anyone says!

There are all KINDS of eye-popping animals available, from frogs, pigs, cows, elephants....you name it. You can see them all here.

Speaking of squeezing something to relieve stress...... how about this one?

Yes, that's a big boobie. Maybe you can get a two for one discount! Course, this might relieve some OTHER tension you are experiencing. BLUSH.

Or you can always squeeze Pete or Bob, whomever you choose, and watch THEIR eyes pop out!

Bug out Bob

Panic Pete

Is is my imagination, or does Bug Out Bob resemble a penis? No? Uh, okay, forget it. I was going to say, if you were mad at your husband, boyfriend, etc., instead of doing a "Loreanna Bobbit" a.k.a "chopping the dickie" why not stay out of jail and just squeeze Bug Out Bob? Much safer. Take it from me. Oops. Did I really type that? Hee hee....

Now, here's ANOTHER way to relieve stress. Suppose you are shopping, shopping, shopping, and your husband says that you are spending too much money. Say what? He wants to take away your credit card. In fact, he DOES take the card out of your wallet. Now you are MAD with a capital "M". Here's how to relieve your stress. A "smack-him" punching bag.

Did you notice that you could insert a PHOTO where the head is, to PERSONALIZE the punching bag? Yeah. How 'bout that! *grinning widely*


Who DOESN'T like to pop bubble wrap that comes in packages? Here's your chance to pop it, and guess what? It NEVER runs out! That's right! This product simulates the sound and feel of bubble wrap.

You can thank me later. Better yet, drop a good word about me to Santa next time you should see him. He just doesn't believe a gal can be naughty AND nice! *wink*

I love a parade!

Yesterday was our "Winter Wonderland Parade" here in the park. It's always fun to see what ideas the crazy people here come up with and how they decorate themselves, their golf carts, or bicycles. They didn't disappoint this year.

Every one of our parades begins with a local boy scout troop walking with both American and Canadian flags. (The park is made up of about 50% with visitors from Canada for the winter.)

This was a new addition this year:

I especially like the fake "snow" coming off the back of the boat!

The line dancers from our park. That's one of my friends, Thelma, in the center, giving us her special hand wave!

Ah-ooga!

Looks like Santa's reindeer don't know if they're coming or going!

Jim was in this group of kazoo players. What a crazy group! They actually practiced 4 or 5 times! They played Jingle Bells! That's Jim in the center, back, with his long sleeved red shirt on and black suspenders. You'd NEVER see him in red - except for this!

Here they are making their way around the corner. I pointed Jim out for you.

This one is, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer!" Funny! But by the size of that reindeer, I hardly think it would have even left a mark!

This is the Fiesta Kitchen Band - most play kitchen instruments, although it looks like a lot of them are playing kazoos! Except for the "squeeze-box" man!

Another new addition this year - the pet parade!

How cute is this? Aww.....

Crazy I tell ya! She has her little doggy in the basket behind her.

Another nicely decorated golf cart.

Not a greatly focused shot, I know, but I just loved that little dog with the snowman's head on his butt!

Now, seriously, how could you not grin when you saw this?

The true meaning of "CHRISTmas""

I'm assuming this is supposed to be Joseph and ?

Okay, I admit, this was a LIT-TLE disturbing. I think she was supposed to be the pregnant Mary, but, seriously, a SMILEY face on the fat belly? Just weird.

But this makes up for it.....A cowgirl pooper-scooper dressed up in prison garb with the Christmas spirit!

A "smartly" decorated Smart Car. Groan!

That's a LOT of wrapping paper!

Vroom! Vroom!

And of course, what's a Christmas parade without the big guy in the red suit?

I hope you enjoyed the parade. I sure did!

Thursday's Things in a Row

Last Saturday Jim and I ran an errand in downtown Mesa. There was a small arts festival going on, so we took a walk down the street to see what was for sale AND I was also on the hunt for things in a row.

I was happy to see this cute little train with its cars in a row. The "engineer" obliged me when I asked if I could take her picture.

Next we came upon these young ladies performing on stage.

I was drawn to this wonderful aroma nearby - it was kettlecorn - a combination of sweet and salty popcorn - being made and sold at a nearby booth. The guy saw me taking a photo and said, "Here, this will make you happy." And then poured some into my hand!

These odd glass balls called to me. They almost look like jelly fish with these tentacles hanging off the bottom.

Now, I've seen hair bows before, but never anything like this. Here are the bows, with a magnet in the center.

So first you choose a bow. Then you choose what kind of center you want. They are made out of bottle caps. They fit over the center magnet. Voila!

Here's a cool thing. Look at all these spiders in a row. I know, Gail, aren't you proud of me? Ha ha!

These are spider ornaments and come from this story.

The Legend of the Christmas Spider

 Long ago in Germany, a mother prepared for Christmas Eve. She cleaned and scrubbed her home, chasing the spiders from the living room with her broom. The spiders fled to the attic and listened to the excitement as the Christmas tree was brought in and decorated. When all was quiet again, the little spiders crept back downstairs to see the beautiful tree. They were filled with happiness as they crawled along every branch, admiring the glittering beauty of each ornament. But alas, by the time they had finished climbing through the tree, it was completely draped with their dusty, gray cobwebs.

 When the Christ child came, He smiled as He looked upon the happy little spiders; however, He knew the mother would be heartbroken when she saw the shrouded tree. So He reached out and touched the webs and, blessing them, turned them into silver and gold. Now the Christmas tree sparkled and shimmered and was even more beautiful than before. Thus the custom to have tinsel of silver and gold and a spider ornament amongst the other decorations on the Christmas tree was born.

Isn't that a wonderful story? Here's a close up of one of the spider ornaments. I'll say that the beads are in a row!

So even though I do NOT like spiders, and even though I do NOT have a Christmas tree, I bought one of these beautiful ornaments. Because some day I will again have room for a Christmas tree, but I will NEVER like spiders. Only jeweled ones!

Did you find anything interesting this week?