lizardblog ( the blog of liz creech

December 27, 2004
Well, the planning begins again....

I bought outside decorations for my house next year. I didn't get to do much outside this year. What I had was tacky, but it was something. Usually my mother in law and I go out the day after Christmas at the butt crack of dawn and get Hallmark ornaments for the kids next year. They are half price, duh. Went to Wal-Mart around 10 a.m. or so and it wasn't so bad. Had to wait in line for a bit to check out and couldn't drive the buggy around so much but people were polite. So, I have stuff at half price, that is what it is all about.

There is one thing I find flabbergasting. Literally. How come it is that at the "happiest" time of the year people are rude? How come the common courtesy of "excuse me" alludes people? I was raised that even if it isn't really your fault, you say excuse me when bumped or do the bumping. I have found that this really exists all the time. And what is the deal with people not smiling back when you smile at them? I mean really. I am amazed at that phenomenon. And I even heard of a fight back on the day after Thanksgiving shopping day. Over a damn toy.

Well enough bitching. Had a good time this year. Usually do. Got some really great gifts, didn't expect them but they were nice just the same. I know it isn't about the gifts you get or give. I got a automatic grind and brew thermal carafe coffee pot, a nice new coat, a new toaster, and a bunch of money to buy clothes. And that is beside the money to help get our new furniture.

We are going to be heading home here soon. Got to get the house in a bit of order for friends to come over tonight. I am looking forward to that.

I hope you are as blessed as I am.

posted by Liz at 1:09 PM - permalink - -

December 23, 2004
Snow?!

I hate people who get snow when I want it sooooo bad. Those silly ole people in Cincinatti and Indianapolis, Northern and Western Kentucky, well, they suck. Cause you know it is their fault that it snowed there. We have just this silly little dusting over a layer of ice. IT IS AWFUL!!! I keep waiting and waiting, but is there any "good" snow? Well, no.

Now, you all know I am just being silly when I say I hate people. I am just really jealous. I would really like a good foot or two of snow. So, I can just sit and drink coffee next to the fire and look at how pretty it is.

Oh, just let it snow, let it snow, LET IT SNOW!!

Ok I am going out into it to the store. I really LOVE driving in this stuff, really! I hate the cold literally, but it sure is pretty.

posted by Liz at 10:21 AM - permalink - -

December 20, 2004
Christmas time count down

Went to my younger sisters house last night for our family Christmas gathering. It once again brings to me how much I do not have in common with them. I love them and it wasn't too painful, can't say for Alan, but it was an ok time. My sisters boyfriend made dinner. Ribs, baked beans, potato salad and mac and cheese. Then there was dessert, we all brought some. I made Red Velvet Cheese Cake, my younger sister make regular Cheese Cake, my older sister made Banana Pudding, and my mom made Chocolate pies, mostly for Meaghan. It was tollerable. Got some gifts for the kids, we don't buy for the adults(but of course my older sister did). Got a good bottle of wine from the Gatlinburg Winery. If any of you go and can find it, you can bring a case home to me if you want.

Today I am going to take Meaghan and McKenzie to the Orthopedic doctor today. I took Kenz to the First Choice Clinic on Saturday because she injured her shoulder some how and was waking up in some really bad pain. They told me there wasn't anything in the x-ray that showed but that I should take her to the Sports Medicine Clinic this moring (7:30 yeah right!) but I am going to take them where my younger sister works instead. And Meaghan injured her knee back in the early Spring and has been complaining ever since. She fell in the road and it didn't look so bad then, other than tore up from the asphalt. So we are going to have them look at it to make sure she didn't do something really bad to it.

Oh, we got our new leather furniture on Friday! Woo Hoo! It is nice and Alan's wonderful parents paid for almost half of it. One of the good things is a 5 year protection plan that if anything happens to the leather, due to anything, they will fix or replace it. I like that, especially with kids.

Two of our kids are going to visit above mentioned Grandparents for a couple of days. With only the 2 older ones, I should be able to finish up with the last little bit of shopping. I know for sure I have to wait til tomorrow to get one thing, it is just a time issue there. A friend is going to come take the older 2 or maybe all 4 if they don't go to the grandparents out to a movie and maybe a little bit of Christmas shopping. I think Alan and I will go get a big item during that time. We will see.

I have to work all weekend up til Christmas Eve. That was a free choice of my own, since I make the schedule. Then I am off for 4 days til I have to go back. That will be nice. I am already planning next years outdoor decorations, so I can go out the day after Christmas and get what I can for it. I didn't do much this year and it looks kind of tacky, but there are a few lights outside. For those of you who have seen "Christmas with the Kranks", first I highly recommend it and secondly I am going to decorate my house like theirs, after the neighbors help, of course. I am really going to do that. I think I am actually going to draw up some plans so that I make sure and get the right stuff on clearance.

Ok got nothing to do but nothing else to say. Sure hope you all are done with your shopping, or at least very close. Peace.

posted by Liz at 9:04 AM - permalink - -

December 15, 2004
Blessings

It is interesting how you get used to things and then expect it to happen all the time. What I am talking about is gifts (at least that is what I am going to call them). In the church (traditional church) it seems like it is the norm to give the pastor and his family gifts all the time. A new truck, a birthday party every year, money as a bonus, money just because, a house, and all manor of things. I have seen all of this happen. I can see where a person might start expecting such things on a regular consistant basis. As humble as a person might try to be they get to a point that when such things don't happen like they may have in the past, they miss it. I actually have a point here. I was jealous of that my entire time in past churches. I was struggling finacially, wondering where the money for the phone bill was going to come from. Wondering how I could get money for milk for the kids.

In all of this God showed me something. The lesson for me was appreciation and good stewardship. I think that if I had gotten things all the time, then I would become one of those people who would grow to expect it and then be disappointed when it didn't happen. When things like that happen I truly appreciate it now. I wouldn't have in the past. So, I got a gift recently. One of my regulars at Macaroni Grill was in on Sunday and we got to talking about the holidays and being prepared and such. The husband and wife asked if I had seen "Christmas with the Kranks". I told them no. The conversation went on to other things and when they left the tip was a lot less than they normally give. The wife homeschooled her kids and when she found out I do to we just hit it off. So they come in to see me about every other week or so. They always tip above and beyond normal. So I was dissappointed when I only got 4.50. I kind of shrugged it off. About an hour later, one of the hostess came and said there was a lady out front asking for me. I went out and it was Ms. Witt. I went up and asked her if everything was alright and she said "Joe and I were talking and we decided we wanted you and your husband to go see Christmas with the Kranks." She handed me some theatre gift certificates and said there was enough for popcorn too. It ended up being 30$ in certificates! I was moved. I am not a hugger but I hugged her then. It was really nice of her to do that. I think you all see the point I was making. We just need to be appreciative of the things we do get and not assume that we deserve stuff like that all the time.

Well, happy holidays to you all. I sure hope your shopping and such is coming along. Peace.

posted by Liz at 8:49 AM - permalink - -

December 08, 2004
What is true?

I find it very interesting the things that you have that are "true" for you. What I am saying is are you a stay at home mom because that is what is best for you. Or you have to get out of the house for time for yourself. That you like rap instead of Christian music. That a U2 song instantly lifts your spirits. Or you come to dislike the "have to's" of the holidays. Or I think for me I have come to realize that you put the "have to's" on yourself.

I think this is a process that God takes you through to make you the best person you can be, here on Earth any way. Sometimes the process is quick but most times I think it is long and hard, but worth the effort. I look back and find that it was painful but so rewarding and how it made me a better person.

posted by Liz at 9:24 AM - permalink - -

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