White Christmas

I know that all of my family and friends in Vermont have been getting plenty of snow over the past week. And I know its cold and I know its wet but I say be grateful and enjoy it. You don't know much you miss it until you no longer have it. The beautiful Green Mountains covered with a fresh coat of new fallen snow, its breathtaking beauty dotted with Christmas lights twinkling in the dark. There won't be a White Christmas here in Cincinnati this year, in fact I believe there rarely, if ever is. Tonight once again we are in the midst of an ice storm. It sucks! I can't believe how much I miss the snow covered mountains.

So Merry Christmas everyone. Enjoy your time with your family and your friends. Look around and appreciate the things around you.

I will be coming home the second week of January for a few days and hope to see as many of you as I can. Take care and enjoy the holidays.

Weather

Boy the weather here is nuts! One day it is 12 degrees in the morning and by 12pm it is 50. The next day it is 24 degrees and instead of snowing it is freezing rain. Add to that the fact that nobody in Ohio can drive in any kind of precepitation and you have the makings of gray hair and heart failure. Now we know the weather in Vt can be kind of fickle but as least there is some rhyme and reason to it. And we Vermonters have learned how to drive in Rain, Snow, Sleet etc, etc. They start closing schools here if there is even a threat of 2-3 inches of snow and businesses will close if there is a prediction of 5-6 inch's. To top it all off the salt companies have supposedly increased the price of salt that the county's in Ohio have had to reduce their consumption which means they have less to put on the roads. Does any of this make sense? What's a girl to do?

Its The Holiday Season

So here is my living room all decorated for Christmas. Beautiful isn't it? I enjoy sitting here in the dark just looking at the tree. Tonight I am sitting here alone as Mike is back in VT on business. Lucky him. He got to spend the afternoon with our grandkids, somehow it doesn't seem fair to me at all.
Most of my shopping is done, just need to send boxes to California and GA now. It sucks that I won't be seeing my family this Christmas but what can you do? There is always next year!
My California girl is doing well! She is happy and is in a great relationship. I miss her though!
There are way too many stores around here! Far too much temptation for the shopaholic in me! My New Years resolution will be not to buy yarn until the tent sale at WEBS in May and not to buy any more makeup until what I have now is gone. I think that might be in a year or more except for mascara of course. I can't resolve to not buy clothes, a girl has to have a reason to go out now and then.
I am really trying not to be sucked into a deep holiday depression but I have to tell you its tough. Not only am I away from my family but today I found out that a girl that I worked with, actually was re-orienting her after she had been out on an extended leave, was found dead over the weekend. No details but we suspect an overdose of something! Its tough to get through the day when you keep wondering if you missed something that might have made a difference. Intellectually I know I didn't but emotionally is tough.
Well enough of that maudlin crap. I will finish my protein shake, ( yes that is my dinner), and enjoy my tree!

How do you mend a broken heart?

I am the very proud grandmother of Collin, Ashley and Brendan. I love them and miss them very much. When I was recently home for Thanksgiving I spent as much time with them as I could.
However there is a special bond between Collin, my oldest, and me. He is our firstborn grandchild and the first boy in born to our, (Mikes and mine), small family. Collin turns 8 this Friday, 12/5. Happy Birthday!
When Collin was born Mike was recovering from pretty significant knee surgery. He was not to bear weight on his leg, nevertheless when we got the call in the pre dawn hours of a cold December morning he drove us to the hospital to witness the birth of our first grandchild. My daughter however was in a hurry and gave birth to him just prior to our arrival.
He was perfect, beautiful in every way. My daughter handed him to me and her nurse asked if I wanted to give him his first bath. What an honor. From that moment he has had me wrapped around his finger.
As I said he is now 8 years old and nearly as tall as his very petite mother but he is not too old or big to sit and snuggle with me. So it was with very heavy heart and sadness that I had to say goodbye to my grandkids when the Thanksgiving trip home was over and I had to leave to return to Ohio. Brendan, the baby was very concerned that I button my coat before leaving the house. Ashley, my very precocious granddaughter was telling me her mother was going to buy her a special phone so that she could see me where ever she is. Then I went to hug and kiss my Collin goodbye. I started to cry as it is really hard not to see them as often as I used to. He too started to cry although he did not want me to know this and he turned his head away. We stood like that for several minutes and then I had to remind him that he was standing outside without his coat or shoes. Even then he did not want to let me go.
When I finally convinced him to go inside I was crying pretty hard. I cried most of the night and the next day as I left VT. In fact I am teary as I write this now.
So until the next time I get to hug each of them I will have this broken heart, one that will only be mended by a hug and kiss from those special little people, my grandchildren.