lizardblog ( the blog of liz creech

December 07, 2004
Let's see.....

It has been awhile and I figured I needed to get something up here. You all might miss something going on here in the Creech household.

Well, hmmmm. O.K. I made red velvet cheese cake. That is something to talk about. I found it in the most recent issue of Southern Living. Found a lot of things I am going to make for our Christmas party this weekend. Every one who had some said it was good. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. A friend said last night that you get all built up when you are making something and if it doesn't quite meet those ideas you have in your head it ends up being disappointing. I think that is what happened to me. I am making another one for tonight and then one again for Saturday. As long as everyone else likes it that is enough. I will get it started as soon as Alan leaves for work - it makes a mess and I can't work with him cooking his breakfast in my way.

Got enough of the garage cleaned out so we can get the Christmas tree out. I still wonder who's stupid idea it was to put your house into total chaos just to have it be all decorated for a couple of weeks. Silly practice. It puts a lot of stress on a person. I remember loving to put up the tree when I was young. Either Thanksgiving evening or the day after. I don't ever remember waiting very long to do it. Of course my sisters and I did all the work. My mom had Polio and couldn't get up into the attic to get it down. She would sit on the couch and laugh at our antics and then untangle the ornaments so we could hang them. I kind of do that now but the kids fight over who gets to put what ornament on the tree. My mother-in-law has given us 99% of the ornaments we have. They are those Hallmark ornaments. There are 3 of every kind of Barbie ornament they have had for the past 9 years and then at least 1 or 2 of them for the 6 years preceding McKenzies birth. It really is a whimsical tree and something new on every side. I really don't think that if you came to visit you could see them all without having put them on the tree.

We are putting the tree in a new place this year. It has been set up in the same place since we moved here. I wanted a change of pace this time. I think we will actually get the tree up and the lights on but we need to wait until Katey gets home to put on the ornaments. She would be upset if we did it without her. And I have to agree. It just isnt' the same without them all here, fighting over who gets to hang what ornament - HA!

For those of you who have the clutter problem that I do, I want to tell you that there is hope. I have given up on the yard sale idea and I am just packing crap up and hauling it to Goodwill. Did I tell you all this already? I went and checked and I haven't. There have been 3 trips already. And I have the back of the van full again with another load. That one is from the garage. I keep getting boxes from work and filling them up and just taking them. This is kind of interesting. You know how you hold on to stuff because it is "sentimental"? Well, I have my broken wedding cake topper. Yes, for 12 years I have been hauling around a broken one. I will make the story quick, or at least I will try. My sister bought the topper in Gatlinburg for me as a Christmas present. It is/was one of those blown glass creations that is/was very pretty. A heart with two doves hanging from the v of the heart. Well, I had it all packed and wrapped and actually used it on friends wedding cake that I made, because the bride had forgotten that part - ha. So it was in the basement of the previous house we lived in and the girls had gotten it down off the shelf it was on and just left it on the floor. Alan went down and saw the mess they had made and got angry and kicked what he thought was a random box, but contained this very fragile blow glass cake topper. I didn't find out about it until I was cleaning up down there and found it under the bed. I was devastated - cried and hollered at the kids for having no respect for other peoples possessions. (I can laugh at it now). Later that night when I told Alan what had happened it confessed, but he didn't know that was what was in the box. Oh, well, what is the purpose of having such a thing anyway, really? So, I told you that to say I am trowing the box with the glass crunchies in it away today. And I have this stuffed mouse, named Mousy, that my sisters father gave to me when I was 9. I actually slept with it the first little bit of our marriage (embarassed face here). Alan would stay up much later than me so I needed something to hold on to to go to sleep (embarassed face again). It to is going into the trash. That one will be hard, really. I get a little ache in my heart because of all the crying I did on that mouse. If Alan hadn't taken the camera to work I might have taken a picture of it. I am sure there is one somewhere from when I first got it.

Anyway, the day calls and I have written quite enough disconnected things today. Happy Holidays!

posted by Liz at 8:35 AM - permalink - -

spiritual

> vine & branches
> vineyard central

blogs

> Garden Escapades
> Trish Hiduk
> Maryann
> Alan Creech
> The Vine
> Little Houses
> Amber Bishop
> Jody Nixon
> Laura Ogle
> Debi Warford
> Jason & Brooke Evans
> Eric Keck
> Beth Keck
> Pete Matthews
> Trudi Matthews
> Brian Phillips
> Bryan Sherwood
> Malie
> Kim Johnson

Homeschool

> vegsource homeschool
> discovery school channel
> saxon math and phonics

general interest

> john rosemond's affermative parenting
> lisa welchel
> thunderstruck
> Homestar Runner

gardening

> Kids Gardening

books i like

Here are some books I suggests if you are looking to homeschool or just for information. I gleaned a lot from them. Our church gets credit if you buy through these links.

In their Own Way
by Thomas Armstrong

Seven Times Smarter
by Laurel Schmidt

How to Talk So Kids Can Learn
by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Teen Proofing
by John Rosemond