Warning, warning....Random ramblings and rants, proceed with caution....

If you read this, I can at least promise I won't be throwing any shoes at you! (Target practice on Bush, what the heck?! The guy just can't get a break. Hmmm, I guess I'm glad he ducked in time? ; )

Okay...I've spent a large portion of my afternoon writing Christmas cards and wrapping gifts and I'm still not half way done! I'm trying to accomplish a lot in a little amount of time because we're leaving for Disneyland on the 21st (it's hard for me to be excited about visiting the "happiest place on earth" when I'm not feeling too happy. Just call me Disney Scrooge!) Needless to say this excessive crunch and stress I'm feeling to get everything done by this coming week is just plain self-imposed and unrealistic of course no thanks to my Martha nature - Martha as in the Bible, not Martha as in Stewart (how I wish!) These are the times I so wish I could adopt a Mary state of mind as does my family! : 0 Seriously I've been behind ever since Thanksgiving and unfortunately I'm hitting that proverbial brick wall!! But you know what, in an odd, demented sort of way it actually feels good to have something to run into to stop the insanity and to finally say "enough" and admit that I'm maxed out, and I surrender (I love that word right now.) There's a reason we all hit our walls....sometimes that's the only way God can get my attention (my density level is well, pretty dense.)

Anyway, all that to say God is trying to tell me I need to be okay with slowing down, having and setting limits and that even if I don't get everyone's gifts to them in time for Christmas, the sky won't fall and chicken little will still be chicken little (where'd that come from?!), they'll understand and most importantly they'll still like me. And even if they don't understand, I have a Father who knows that sometimes my heart and intentions are bigger than my ability to carry them all out.

Onward with more ramblings....

~ I recently learned from my doctor that I have tennis elbow. For the life of me I couldn't figure out the weird swelling I was having that made my arm look somewhat deformed and out of proportion to my other arm. Trust me, it looked pretty freaky! But here's the funny thing, I haven't played tennis in years with the exception of Wii tennis (and I must admit I do make those balls smoke on the court!! BAM!!!) But I haven't played that in a while. So the only thing I could surmise was the combination of a recent intensive arm workout followed by no recovery time (dumb on my part) so I could get back to painting 20 foot walls. So maybe I really have "Painter's arm" instead!

~ While shopping at Walmart, I was told I looked like I worked there. I'm still trying to figure out if that was a back handed compliment or just someone a wee bit confused. I think I'll go with the latter and give this guy the benefit of the doubt. It was a little old man who came up to me while I was passing through the men's section and asked where he could find the gold toe black socks. After an awkward silence and my attempt to be helpful by pointing and saying they'd probably be in the sock section, it occurred to him "oh, you don't work here do you, but you sure look like you do." REally?! Gee, thanks...

~ New check out lane policy. I bet you didn't know this, but if you step out of a check out line to go to another opened lane, it's perfectly okay to go back to the original lane cutting back in front of everyone to your original place toward the front of the lane. Apparently I've been living in a cave and just didn't know this. Two ladies did this to me the other day and this is how the convo went: We're standing in a backed-up check out lane (lane #2). Next an announcement was made that Lane #1 was now open in which these two ladies made a bee line for it. I moved forward in my lane only to find these two ladies coming back and pushing their way in front of me. "Sorry, we're just getting back in line because Lane #1's cash register isn't working. Do you mind moving your items off the conveyer?" WHAT?? I was in disbelief and was more than a little annoyed. All I could muster sarcastically which went completely over these broads' heads was "Certainly! As long as you think it's appropriate and fair. Afterall, I guess lane hopping is now the politically correct thing to do especially at this time of year!" Still both were oblivious to what I said. Then I overhead a little girl behind me say really loud to her mom, "Oooooh mommy those ladies is cutting! That's not fair, is it mommy?" Oh out of the mouths of babes! Somehow I managed to keep my cool although the thoughts that danced in my head weren't very Jesus like.

~ New phrase being used by my children that is driving me to the brink of insanity!

Me: "Please take out the trash."

Child #1: "What do you meeeean?"

Me: "Please take the dog out."

Child #1: "What do you meeean?"

Me: "Can I see the work you did on your homework?"

Child #2: "What do you meeean?"

On and on and on....I thought my requests were pretty self-explanatory. Apparently not.

~ Solo parenting while spouse is in Telluride hitting the slopes. Something is askew with that picture alright!

~ Kitty decides to kill a birdy for a snack tonight and it's on our walkway! Yuck! And to make matters worse, no spouse to clean it up!