Cats, Best Friends and other ramblings....

Day 3 - December 26, 2009 - Last night I had this frightening nightmare that I had left the cats locked up in my room with out the litter box or food. Whenever I pack the car, or bring in groceries, etc, I lock the cats in my room to keep them from running outside. Luckily it was only a dream. When I arrived home tonight they were running everywhere, glad I was home, trying to get into the bag with the leftover turkey.
I'm leaving in the morning for Arkansas to visit relatives. I have not been there since about 6 months after my father passed away. That was about 4 years ago. I am also going to visit with my two childhood best friends whom I have not seen since we were about 18. Many, many years have passed since we last saw one another. We each took different paths, Both J and A went off to college, I went off to the Navy and we lost touch. We were reconnected recently via Facebook. I am looking forward to seeing them again, and talking about old times.
I'm driving to Arkansas even though it takes about 12 or more hours. I hate flying. You expect to leave on time but that rarely happens. The flight is almost always delayed so by the time you get to your destination, you have to wait for the luggage, which does not always make it on the same flight you are on. A few months back I had to go to Vermont on business. I left Pittsburgh 3 hours late, flew to LaGuardia and what should have been only a 1.5 hour lay-over turned into a 4-5 hour lay-over. I could have walked and got there quicker!

Bah Humbug!!!

Day Two - Christmas Day: Everyone slept in today. I miss those days when it was 5 in the morning and one of the kids would be running in wanting every one to get up and have breakfast(that was the rule when they were little - eat first) so they could see what Santa had brought them.
I got up around 9:30, put the turkey in the oven and made breakfast - eggs, biscuits and gravy. The silence lasted about half a day then something was said that caused something else to be said and so on. On Facebook my daughter asked what everyone wanted for Christmas. I stated Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men, just playing around but that is exactly what I wanted in my own family. I just wanted everyone to get along for one 24 hour period. But that was not to be. Why can't we just get along, say your opinion but without hurt feelings and without blaming mistakes of the past on each other.
God has shown me this year that I need to listen more and react less. To not be so quick to anger when things are said. I failed that lesson miserably today.

And the season begins.......

Day One - Christmas Eve: Arrived at my daughter's house in Cleveland late, around 3:30. I did not realize my daughter had gotten a 12lb turkey that takes 4.5 hours to cook and since we were eating around 6, I had to go to plan B: Pasta!
We rented movies from RedBox - all the good ones were gone.
We opened gifts. Normally we open one gift on Christmas Eve and the rest Christmas morning but since Sean was going to go to his dad's(later decided to try and visit a friend instead which backfired) Christmas morning, (or so I thought) I decided we should open them all Christmas Eve night. There is an uneasy silence betwen my daughter and son. They both need to get over themselves and play nice.