Awesome News!!!

Oh My Goodness!
I'm so excited I could scream!!
Okay, actually I did scream, several times in fact! A very good friend of mine (whose in several pictures on this blog and has a link on the side and whose name is similar to something that shines in the night sky) who I can't yet name, sold a short story to Ellora's Cave today!!!

I AM SO IMPOSSIBLY STOKED!!! I had to call her and shout and dance and scream and laugh with her. I think she was more excited than I was, but I was a damn close second, hahahaha. I've been feeling very up in the air about some things lately and this good news was just what I needed to make my day.

Now the reason I can't say her name is because she hasn't put it on her blog yet. Darn it. Once she announces her good news though, all bets are off!

YIPPEE!!!
Ari

Not exactly the Christmas I had planned

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, or are in the midst of your wonderful holiday right now! After running to my husband's great-aunt's place on Christmas Eve morning, then his father's house, then church, we sat back and relaxed on Christmas Eve night. It was wonderful to have the fire going and kick back with a glass of wine. Once the girls went to bed Paul and I put the presents under the tree and Santa filled their stockings, and I fell into and exhausted slumber.

The girls waited until 7 to get us out of bed on Christmas morning. They were so funny waiting for us to brush our teeth and go to the bathroom. I thought they'd jump out of their skin waiting to come down the stairs. I sensed some seriously guilty consciences as they waited to see if Santa left them gifts or coal. . .

My parents came over for dinner and that was the best Christmas present of all. Last year we almost lost my father, and the year before that we did lose my grandfather, so to have my parents here and healthy for Christmas was a blessing without measure. One of my high school friends who was in the state visiting for the holidays stopped by with her new baby and that was wonderful too, he was an absolute cutie and I cuddled with him to my heart's content!

After they left I went upstairs to play with a present my friend sent me (thanks Kris!) and that's where this Norman Rockwell scene turns into the Rocky Horror Picture Show. . .

I was playing on the computer quite happily, munching on some leftovers and having a great time when I started to feel. . . odd. I spent the next 24 hours curled around the toilet heaving my guts out. My husband had Monday off and I barely saw him through my sicky haze.

I'm doing better today, but man, I haven't been that sick for that long in years. What is profoundly unfair is that I caught the stomach bug two weeks ago in a much weaker form. I didn't think you could catch the same thing twice but apparently it mutated or something because I got it back with a vengeance!

Hope the rest of you had a bit more relaxing holiday!

Here's wishing you a happy HEALTHY New Year!
Ari

Ready for a long winter's nap

I went shopping today for food for this weekend. I have three different groups of people coming to my house over the next three days so I need all sorts of groceries. I hit the liquor store too, and bought the last of the last minute gifts.
I'M DONE!!!!

Sure I need to clean my house and cook all the food I just bought, but I don't need to set foot into another store for at least a week. Thank God!

Why does it feel like the holidays approach with all the speed and panic of an on-rushing train? I remember as a kid waiting for Christmas and it seemed like it NEVER arrived. Now I keep thinking "Oh my God! Christmas is this Sunday! ACK!"

What do you think? Have the holidays suddenly arrived that much quicker or is it just now we have so much to do instead of counting down the days that it just feels quicker?

I think it's a conspiracy and they're ganging up on us. . .

Have a happy holiday, whatever you celebrate and I'll see you all in 2006!
Ari

Spent!

That's what I am, and that's what I did, hahahaha

I went shopping yesterday and GOT ALL MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE IN ONE DAY!!!
I spent money like they were going to stop printing it if I didn't spend it all at once, but I'm done. Now I just have to wrap them all. If I start right now I might be done by Christmas...2006.

As a Christmas present to myself I had lunch with my best friend. We split a pitcher of Sangria and talked and laughed and had a great time. I'm really doing my best to ENJOY the traditions of Christmas instead of sweating the small stuff.

This is not as easy as it sounds. I have PMS and have run into some rough patches recently, but I'm trying to focus on the positives.

One very positive thing is that I have a lot of great friends. Thank you all so much for listening to me babble and even commenting on my ramblings! We've been so busy that I haven't been on line as much lately so I haven't done my usual blog hopping, but boy do I think about y'all!!!

Well, I had better get to the wrapping while the girls are at school, if I don't get back in the next two weeks, have a great Christmas everyone! Thanks for being my best presents!
Ari

Rude Awakening

The other morning I woke up crabby and out of sorts. My youngest daughter started to harass me before I even opened my eyes. My older two girls wouldn't get ready for school and I had to practically scream at them to get them moving. I wanted to write, but I had a whole laundry list of things to do and knew I'd be running all day long instead of getting lost in the book that has been consuming me lately.

In short, I was not a happy camper.

I took my daughter to pre-school, muttering under my breath about bills that I couldn't pay and where was I going to find the money for Christmas presents the whole way. I was grouchy and whiny because it seemed like I worked so hard and was getting no where.
Then I walked into the school and saw something that snapped me right out of that funk.

A child who went to school with my middle daughter just lost her father. He was 38 years old and died of a massive heart attack.

Suddenly my complaints seemed so trivial, so pathetic. Talk about your wake up calls! This one smacked me right upside the head. Here I was complaining about the kids not listening to me and this family lost their father/husband.

I realized I am extremely lucky to not only be alive and well, but to have so many friends and family around me who are alive and well too. The stress of getting ready for Christmas faded from my shoulders as I recognized the fact that Christmas is about family and I'm damn lucky to be able to spend the holidays with them.

So, to all of you running like crazy as you try to get presents bought and cards sent out, keep in mind that you are alive and well enough to do this. I'm so thankful for all my blessings, and I'm going to strive to keep them in mind through all the craziness the month brings.