even if I did get the flu shot...

...I would have been sick I believe....

...OKAY, this flu thing is getting rather old. I hate it. I can't drive, think, talk, eat - I'm a mess. I try to knit (new stitches) but end up messing that up too because I'm so FLU-ee!!

I'm dropping out of the Luther Burbank Greenhouse painting and art show and auction due to me being so darn sick. I can't bear the thought of painting right now. Gotta have my brain to do that I think. Well, perhaps there is next year. I would have turned in my greenhouse painting, but it sold - and sold to a dear friend of mine who is enjoying it totally! The greenhouse was a personal favorite of hers as she grew up in this area. Had to let her have it. That's WHY I paint. If someone 'gets' a painting and wants to buy it - that's my job and I did it.

Back to this silly flu --- I realized that I can't type either. Transposing things and can't spell very well. Forgive any weird grammar and poor spelling!!!

...oh, and Happy Russian Christmas (today!) -- CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!!

Getting over the Flu, trying to get on with the new year

...I think I'm still in 2004. Really! Seriously!! It's like when you wake up in the morning, but an hour later when you're in a store you realize that you really should have had some coffee or something to get you going...well, that's what it feels like.

Apparently I gave myself a touch of the flu or some awful virus that's sticking around on New Year's. Lovely. We had some friends over for an 'East Coast' New Years - that's what parents do when you have children under the age of 10 I guess. I was so not feeling like the hostess with the mostess that evening and the kids totally freaked out (too much sugar I think) at 8pm. Early evening. We'll all try again next year.

So, I'm still in 2004 - since I didn't ring 2005 in properly. LOL!

We were to move last weekend, but something funny happened to the Home Depot cabinets on the way to our new rental. As in the order was totally wrong. So, it turns out that with that and me being sicker than a dog that the move being postponed was a GOOD thing.

Why haven't I got this concept yet that God does things to HELP me? Duh! So, the next time I freak out about not hitting a deadline or moving on time or whatever, please remind me of this.

In the meantime, the house is 60% packed and ready to go, but I'm very stressed out about the garage. WAY too much STUFF.

Sigh! Time to simplify!

That will be the 2005 'thing to do' - get rid of STUFF and keep it out of my soon to be SMALLER house. Sounds logical, let's see if I can do it.

That and getting back in shape - need to tone up a bit. Weight is fine - which is amazing after all the great stuff my best friend made for us this Christmas in our goody box. Man, can she make all the good traditional candies, brownies, fudge - you name it I ate it all!!

I must add that the best present I got this past Christmas was a microwave. Hands down the most important thing in a mom's kitchen besides running water. Our four year old microwave died on us suddenly last week and I was lost without it. So, basically, an angel of a person we know and love got us an awesome one! She's weaving crowns in heaven for this!

Happy new year and I hope that I start painting again in Feb. 2005! That's if I stop knitting for one second....hey, I'm learning!

Getting ready to pack...

Okay, I HATE moving. Let's clarify this a bit: HATE - LOATHE IT! Today we're packing the second round of stuff and I think we're out of moving boxes already...sigh! I guess having a child will contribute to the 'stuff' one accumulates.

So, my husband's grandmother is out here from Michigan and we have her packing our stuff with us. Poor dear! She's such a good sport about it too!

Now the tricky part - trying to get a hold of the landlord to figure out when I can start bringing stuff over to the new place (in the garage for now) while he's finishing the remodel there.

Happy new year! LOL! What chaos to begin the new year with...

...as for my painting right now - well, it's in a box at the moment. More to come in January when I'm trying dearly to reach a January 10th deadline.

Just call me Drama Gal!

A few days before Christmas...

...and all through the house,
not a person was helping with the packing for the big January move....

...Okay, not a poet or songwriter but I have to sing crazy songs like this around the house to get things going a bit! LOL!

Bad news, have NOT painted at ALL since my lovely best friend Irene taught me how to knit. Well, she showed me how to start it and how to do a stitch or two so I could do something. It does take some practice, and I'm not done with my scarf yet. It's been like two days! I guess Rome wasn't built in a day either - right?

Then it's almost Christmas, we have Grandma out here which makes things a lot of fun and really hectic sometimes too. Where to go, what to do, go to the park with the family, picnics, ice skating, etc. Whew! All this and fighting a little virus too. Lovely!

Can't wait for Christmas this year, however! We all bought gifts for my son ONLY - well, maybe some of us broke the rules a bit, but it's OKAY - it's a family portrait that I haven't heard the end of request for all year long. They'll forgive me once they see it. I finally look like a human being again after having my son.

Jabba the Hut I was known as, yes!! Normal now I am!

I'm really hoping to paint again as soon as we move and settle into our new place...I can't wait for that either!

May everyone have a Merry Christmas out in Blogger-ville and may God bless all of you and your families for the coming year!

Elections and all that Jazz

Well, the elections of 2004 have come and go - Bush is in for 4 more years and I live in California. So, IF I actually voted (which I can't right now - long boring story) I'm not sure who I would have voted for - but I live in the Democratic State of California. Would it have mattered? Possibly.

I am OKAY with Bush winning because he started the war and he should finish it. Can't switch leaders part way through can we? Too weird.

I watched something on Frontline the night before the election and it compared/contrasted both candidates (as if they're the only ones running). Very interesting. Bush and Kerry aren't THAT different after all and Kerry has done some amazing things in his life.

Today I'm still worried about Kerry's wife. She was so outspoken at the onset of the campaign, then too outspoken then GONE. Any time they showed her (rarely) she was kinda slumping and looked really medicated. God bless that lady. She went through a lot. I would have never been able to endure all that she went through. I sincerely hope she gets some rest for as long as she needs it.

Well, that's all I have to say on the election - that and thank God nobody pulled a 2000 election and brought in the lawyers again. I'm not that political, just some ramblings.

May God bless our country and our leaders.