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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

My Christmas Card to you and other thoughts

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my fellow bloggers! Here's a little something to bring you some holiday cheer!

Click here.

It's funny if you type in a song they don't know, like "Grandma got run over by a reindeer."

I had a good laugh this morning while singing some Christmas carols. No, I was not laughing because of my voice. I was singing, "Winter Wonderland" and laughed when I remembered that for years my daughter sang, "Walking in my winter UNDERWEAR" because her GRANDPA, (my Dad) told her those were the words to the song. So next time you hear that song, sing, "Walking in my winter underwear!" It will be fun!

I miss when my kids were little and they would come down on Christmas morning to see what Santa had brought them. It was fun to watch them exclaim over their presents, their hair all mussed up from sleep, while my husband and I could barely keep our eyes opened.

I bought one of these pickle ornaments from the Christkindlemarket in downtown Chicago.



The German story that goes along with the pickle is to hide the pickle in the tree, and the first one to find the pickle gets an extra gift on Christmas morning. I'd just hand out $5. My kids were in middle school by the time I had bought the ornament. My daughter was always quicker than my son to find the pickle.

Here are pictures of the Christkindle Market in Chicago, all courtesy of their website. Jim and I would always go downtown, and it seemed it was the coldest day of the year, of course, with blowing winds, (they don't call it the Windy City for nothing folks!), snow, etc. But it was fun to see all the treasures from Germany. We'd buy a mug of mulled wine, a warm sandwich of bratwurst and we were good to go for another hour or so.







We have been on the road for 4 1/2 years now - since April 2005. That means I have not put up ANY Christmas decorations in five years. It is very strange. We always go home for the holidays, and this year is no different. It will be a very busy two weeks, as we will spend some time with my family in the suburbs of Chicago, drive down to central Illinois to see my daughter, son-in-law, and grand daughter Lily, and drive up to Minnesota to visit my father-in-law, who will turn 99 in February, God-willing-and-the-creek-don't-rise. I also have some doctor's appointment scheduled and some standard tests. So we will be busy, busy, busy!

I will be happy to be around Christmas decorations, to be with my sisters, see my kids, and to see snow, actually. I'll probably be cold the whole time I am home, but that's okay, because my heart will be warm.

RE: THE FRITO-SMELLING DOG PAWS

At last count, it seems overwhelmingly true that dogs paws smell like Fritos. So now you know. It's amazing the things you learn here, isn't it?

Last night my husband and I were in bed reading. I was reading a fiction novel and I came to this sentence, "Dan was allergic to pet dander and they'd never had so much as a parakeet, but Helen grew up with dogs and missed them, their glad eyes, the way their paws smelled like corn chips."

I yelped and jumped up in bed! Jim thought I was crazy! I said, "You've GOT to read this one sentence!" I shoved the book under his nose and pointed to the sentence. He laughed sooo hard!

Can you believe it? I am going to write to the author, Elizabeth Berg, who is my favorite author, by the way, and let her know that she just made my day!

18 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

SAFE travels ahd Merry Christmas. Enjoy. Thanks for the Holiday laughs. Did I already tell you that I love your blogs new look? A perfect picture on the edge!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

PS that first comment there is scary.

Sunny said...

Merry Christmas to you and your husband. Thank you for the joy of laughter you have given with your wonderful posts.
I have a pickle on my tree, just for good luck!
Now I'm going to have my husband smell the dog's feet...LOL!
Sunny :)

Lindy said...

Wishing you a safe journey back to the Midwest. Hope our weather behaves while you are here.

The Christkindlmarket looks really neat. Their Christmas tree is HUGE! Makes me think of the Christmas tree inside Marshall Fields that went up through the middle of the store.

I clicked on the Christmas carol link. I was disappointed they didn't know "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." =(

Gail said...

Merry Christmas to you!!!!

I can say I have never sniffed my dog's paws but will, you have my curiosity stirred. I shall have to make it not just when he comes in from the horse lot.

You are a bad influence!

Now I am going to say something I can honestly say I have never said to anyone, Your pickle is beautiful!

Brian Miller said...

ok, i'll smell some dog paws over christmas...smiles.

we have one of those pickles too...very cool and fun for the kids...

hope you have a great holiday!

A New England Life said...

I see you're getting spammed too. Darned those obnoxious people!

My girls were talking about having a pickle on the tree too but I'm not sure where I'd ever find one. What a crazy tradition!

I can't imagine not decorating for such a long period of time. Wow. It must feel pretty good. Enjoy your time at home with the kids. I sure do miss those days when the girls were little too.

Yeah, I've heard of frito feet plenty but I don't usually smell my dogs feet. Maybe I should ; )

Sharon

Anonymous said...

i've heard about the pickle thing a couple of times this week now and i have no idea what the meaning of finding a pickle on the christmas tree represents...am i the only one still in the dark here?

i looooove my puppy paws. mmmmmm...almost as good as puppy breath!

Teresa said...

LOL about the book. Too funny! I love the pickle ornaments. I love, love, love the pictures of Christkindle Market. Way too cool. I love the pictures you add to your blog.

Mike said...

I never put my pickle in a tree before! LOL!

You are my blogger spotlight for the next few days! :))

SquirrelQueen said...

That is fun, even when they don't know the song it's still cool. I didn't know about the pickle but if I could find one that pretty it would be on my tree.

The Christkindle Market is amazing, that would be a fun place to shop. Love that tree.

Have a safe trip home and a great Christmas.

Meeko Fabulous said...

Ok . . . I just smelled Blanche & Ta'Killa's paws . . . They smell like Fritos!!! LoL!

Rae said...

This is the first year I heard about the pickle on the tree. I don't know how I missed that story before. Chicago is a fabulous place at Christmas. All the lights and decorations really set the mood and spirit of the holiday. I hope you enjoy your visit back here in our refrigerator.

Just Joany said...

Its so great to know that dogs' paws smell like Frito's Corn Chips. I'm sure I'll find that to be useful information, at some point in time. Great post.
~ Just Joany
Red Wagon Flights

Barb said...

This is the second time I've heard of the pickle ornament, both via blogs! And yes, I have two dogs (plus we often have a foster dog) and their feet smell like corn chips. Funny thing - my 13-yr-old's socks often smell the same way! Thanks for the laughs. We're in central IL. :)

Chatty Crone said...

I like the pickle tree ornament. Are you orginally from Chicago? We are from Arlington Heights.
Sandie

Anonymous said...

I have a pickle ornament too!!

Snowflake said...

Merry Christmas to both you and Jim. I hope you enjoy your time with family over the holidays!!
Your blogging continues to make me giggle...snort...and laugh out loud!!!! Keep up the posts!!!