ho-hum

Not really...we finally got snow!! Our friend just turned ...gulp...47 yesterday. She has had quite a year, and not in a particularly good way. Keeping in mind her age, imagine your oldest daughter deciding she can't take care of her 3 year old daughter! Sadly, this friend is the SECOND of my friends to have this happen. I also know an ex-co-worker who is in her 50's who is now caring for her 15 and 10 year old grandchildren!!

Wait...I'm way off track from my original starting point here...

Friends decided T. needed a night out, so we all met up at a local bar and celebrated for a few hours. I was excited to go out, and as usual as the time grew nearer to actually leaving the house, I wanted to stay in. They had been predicting a massive snow storm for the area to start anywhere between 4pm and midnight. Everyone was meeting up at 5, Hubby was working til 6, and I had been begging for the snow to start since 2! Without the snow storm, we had no good reason to miss a friend's birthday party, so we went. And of course I had fun. I always do...it's just the act of leaving the house and GOING somewhere. Around 9 or so, half of the group moved on to the next bar; while the other half went home. Hubby and I hadn't eaten all day so we got a table and had dinner before we went home. It was a nice night. We actually got to see people we haven't seen in forever. And in a totally uncharacteristic move, I left Hubby's side and mingled!

But I think that's it for socializing until New Year's Eve. That means I can concentrate on MY party. I put the finishing touches on decorating the house yesterday.

I am so excited about these clever paper lanterns. I got a dozen of them on etsy (here) and they are so cool up close...dragonflies and koi...I just love them.

Today I'm making my eggnog...which is actually a recipe I got about 14 years ago from one of Hubby's co-workers. But I have consistently made it EVERY YEAR. One year I cut the batch in half because it makes so much, but then I was sad to not have any left over for Christmas day...so now it's all or nothing (so...ALL).

I'm also going to try my hand at homemade green tea ice cream. I don't have an ice cream maker, so it will probably be a little more checking and stirring, but the recipe seems fairly simple.

I'll be wrapping gifts today, trying to find some fun Japanese music on Pandora (which is proving to be quite difficult), a little bit of 'maintenance' cleaning, and shoveling my car out for work tomorrow. I'm hoping there will be some time for a glass of scotch, a fire, and gazing at the snow, too.

Some of my chores for the day will have to wait until Wednesday since I can't really get out of my drive or down the road right now.

I am still excited to be leaving my bagel shop job. Last night I had a friend ask, 'so, I'll ask...what now? what do you want to be when you grow up?' To which I replied, 'That's the thing...I don't think I want to BE anything. I have never found one thing that holds my interest long enough to make it a lifelong thing.' Now, in the past, this has been sort of hard for me to accept, but I have such an odd feeling of joy from quitting my job I hate, while having nothing lined up to take it's place, that I think I've finally come to terms with this aspect of my personality. Something will come up. I mean, I can't NOT work...bills tend to keep coming whether or not money is coming in. But in the meantime, I have made sure there is enough to give me some time to find something. Hubby was offered a full-time position the day after I quit my job. And, being the type of person I am, if things get desperate, I don't have any problem taking what I can get until things heat up in the job market.

I'm actually happy again.

And I think this will help with my creative side. I am hoping to get some new stuff going, but I also have had some stuff in a shop in Maine...none of which as sold apparently...that I will likely have them send back after the new year. It's all stuff that I think is really cute, and I thought it might do better in a retail setting where people could see and touch (it's stuff I had sold at my first craft fair), but no luck there. oh, well...

Is everyone else ready for their Holiday parties? I told someone last night that our Christmas party is just like a night at the 'kid's table'! One of my favorite parts of being grown up...still getting to act like a kid. I am looking forward to all the laughs and silliness on Christmas Eve. Then, a movie and Chinese dinner on Christmas Day.

How about New Year's Eve? The past few years we've had plans then bailed and stayed in. This year, we have the same plan as last year, but I don't think Hubby's going to let me get away with 'it's too crowded in there, let's go home'. But I need that sometimes. Like I said, I always end up having fun...I just need to be pushed into it sometimes.