Today was our annual “Thanksgiving 2″. We got up at six, left Bryan at seven, and got to Paris just after 12noon for Thanksgiving dinner with Lori’s mom and grandparents. We spent the day with them, watching the Aggies beat the Longhorns (Whoop!), and catching up with family. Lori worked on a scarf project, too.

Around seven, we headed over to Mom’s, unloaded the truck, and settled in for the night. It was easy to crash when it came time to crawl into bed.

Today was a wonderful day with Emil’s family and some extended/in-laws. It was a lovely day of food, good conversation, football, chasing the sweetest great-nieces and great-nephews you’ve ever known, and genuine care, concern, and love for one another.

THIS is what the holidays—all of them—are about.

We wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Be safe. Take care. Have an extra scoop of gravy or dressing. Calories consumed in celebration don’t count.

Love to you all,
Lori & Emil

Today is a half day for A&M, so I tried to get as much done in the morning as possible.

• feng shui some of the master bedroom
• Getting Things Done
• walking with Jes and the dogs
• running errands
• lunch with Emil (lemon pepper wings at Wings & More are our new favorite!)
• project at home
• bridal session
• process images
• crochet/knitting night with the girls
• out with friends….waaaay late

Garden-safe Fire Ant Killer

(as described by a manager at a local nursery)

Supplies

• 5 gallon bucket of water
• shovel

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Turpentine (not “turpAtine” sold at places like WalMart)
• 1/4 cup ammonia
• 1/4 cup Lysol® cleaner
• 1/4 cup Dawn® dish washing liquid

Instructions

1. Add each of the ingredients to the bucket of water and mix gently. (Add the Dawn last to keep the suds at bay.)
2. Quickly and carefully, dig up the fire ant mound at lest 1-2 feet into the ground. Remember the queen lives at the bottom. Work quickly so you don’t get stung.
3. Gently, pour the entire 5-gallon bucket into the mound. The water will carry the ingredients deep into the mound. The suds will coat the ants. If you dug down far enough, you have a good chance of killing the queen.

Notes

• I like to leave the mound uncovered for a day or two to monitor activity. If necessary, I make another batch, dig further down and try again. When I stop seeing activity, I cover the hole back up.
• My grandfather shared this recipe with everyone on his street. They had enormous success in getting rid of the ants in their corner of the neighborhood.

Today is my next to last day to miss work. I am, of course, glad to be feeling better. I sure wish I never had to go back there; the prospect is giving me nightmares. So, I’m reaffirmed yet again that that environment is the root of much of my stress.

• slept in a bit
• walked with Jes and the dogs
• brunch with Jes
• bagua the living room
• bagua the master bedroom
• arrange the master bedroom according to the bagua
• lunch with Emil
• errands
• time at the Bead Fountain re-making my University of Miami-themed bracelet and necklace
• errands
• Getting Things Done
• more feng shui for the master bedroom and living room
• cleaned the stairs
• dinner with Emil
• Bridal Association of the Brazos Valley board meeting
• drinks with a friend
• GOOD gossip!!! 
• take care of some friends’ kitties while they are out of town
• make arrangements to help a friend
• Getting Things Done

I’ve had the “bah humbugs” for three years, now.

Here’s the beginning of a list of why’s.

• the shopping
• the errands
• the rush
• the hustle
• the hassle
• the grumpy clerks
• the grumpy fellow-shoppers
• the canned music in every freakin’ store
• the Salvation Army bell at every entrance
• the wrapping
• the cooking
• the bah humbugs
• the overt “everyone’s Christian” mindset and attitude
• the bills
• the decorating
• the way Christmas forces us to shop “globally” instead of “locally”
• the insanity
• the weather
• the gazillion charity drives
• the days off “ruined” by too much “work” to do
• the theft and crime
• the higher degree of stress in everyone
• the commercialization of it all…..

Mostly, I hate that every party we are invited to has a 1) gift exchange, 2) covered dish, and 3) toy for charity (or some other contribution). Any one, I can handle. All three is too much to ask. I’ve sworn off all parties this year. If you are having one, I will decline. (Emil can go if he wants to; that’s fine with me.) I’m not even going to some parties where I should. (Sorry Photo Guild. My apologies Bridal Association.)

I’d love for it to go back to being about:

• time with family
• food
• friends
• fun

I know I’m echoing my uncle, but it’s just not fun anymore. Where did the magic go? Did it leave me when I became aware of Santa? or when I moved away from Texas? or when I became an adult? or when I became a wife?

I want to do that thing where you see someone in need: say an older man on the street with no coat. And you go buy a decent coat and leave it for him to find. I want to bring the “magic” that I think is missing to someone in need. But it would have to be something that can be realized. I need to see this figurative man find the coat. I need to see his realization that it was meant for him. I need to see his smile. I need to see him cuddle in its warmth.

I haven’t “seen” the spirit of the holidays in a really long time.

-Lori

PS I wish everyone the best and happiest holiday season. I just need compassion and understanding that I’m not in the same place as “everyone else”. And by gods, if you are with me on this, email me. I need the support.

• slept in a little bit
• walked with Jes and the dogs
• Getting Things Done
• lunch at home with my darling husband
• send some images to Janette so she can make her Thank You cards
• finalize Danielle’s guest book
• research
• get ready for a meeting
• meet with a designer
• dinner with my new friend (thanks, Karl!)
• Feng Shui the office

30

• walked with Jes and the dogs
• Getting Things Done
• MOSS football lunch with some of our friends
• errands and Getting Things Done
• went to Northgate to meet a volunteer, but he couldn’t make it, so we hung out with friends

31

• slept in a bit
• Getting Things Done
• brunch
• errands
• re-organize the office furniture
• dinner
• shopping
• finish setting up the office
• pack up all Halloween decor
• Emil made a casserole for breakfast the next day
• chatted with a couple of friends
• hired a friend to help me with wedding albums; I meet with her on Monday!

32

• hosted breakfast for the Ren Fest goers
• McKinley was nice enough to drive us to Ren Fest and back
• we strolled and shopped and drank and ate and watched shows and gawked at horrid costumes

I haven’t mentioned sleep patterns in a while. I should have been. I seem to be on track, finally. Now that we have figured out what works, I’ll use the extra 17 days to test it.

Today, I:

• Getting Things Done
• walked with Jes and the dogs
• Getting Things Done
• lunch with Emil
• dropped off some paperwork
• attended a program for local wedding vendors
• ran by the pharmacy
• dropped of some other paperwork
• talked to a wedding vendor
• made dinner in the crock pot
• caught up on recent email
• booked a bridal session with a client
• dinner with Emil
• prep for the BV QueSt meeting
• BV QueSt meeting

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