Holiday Baking

Over 100 cookies later, and I just finished my first round of holiday baking! My Grandma's molasses cookies are my favorite thing to make this time of year. It can get a little messy, but I still have fun. And I got to try out the new camera we got tonight to take pictures of my progress. Yeah I know, pictures of cookies isn't that exciting, but it is for me, because it is with the new camera!

Internet sighting

My brother forwarded me this link today that someone had sent him. As he said in his email, I guess Brandon if famous now :) This is Brandon walking to his truck in front of my brother's house in Charleston, SC when we were down there last fall for the Citadel vs. Elon football game. Kinda crazy!

Come on Christmas!

This time last week I couldn't believe Christmas was just around the corner and I didn't feel ready at all! Well, after a weekend at home to get some stuff done, I am ready.....or at least very close :)

Brandon put up the tree on Friday (again gotta get him busy with his "honey-do" list while he is off on Friday's!), and we decorated it when I got home from work. Saturday morning I put up the rest of the decorations, and then we headed out shopping. We only hit two stores - Belk's and Wal-mart, but we got a lot done. We even picked up the wreath for the front door on the way home. I do artificial inside the house with the tree and mantel, but I love the smell of pine (reminds me of Christmas), so I love having a live wreath on the front door so that I can smell it going in and out of the house. The debris of pine needles on the ground is worth it.

I don't have pictures to post :( because our camera is still BROKE. But, we did check out possible candidates for new ones while shopping. If it were up to me, I would already have one, but I gotta respect my hubby for his bargain hunting and researching skills. He IS the reason we have all that we have right now, because I have ZERO budgeting capabilities (and they allow me to be in charge of paying out millions of dollars on a daily basis at work! HA!! - no seriously, I am good at that, but I am tired of worrying about money by the time I get home).

After a Target run later on Saturday night, I am pretty much done with the shopping. Not going all out this year - but don't think anyone is due to the financial situation (which doesn't boast well for the economy improving).

So, come on Christmas! - I am ready to celebrate with friends and family, and to celebrate the birth of Jesus!!

Stomach in knots

I started out the day with my stomach in knots and it has stayed that way. On the way to work this morning I witnessed someone hitting a dog with their car. While I know animals getting hit in the road is an unfortunate fact of life, I still hate to see it. It is one thing for it to be a "stinky skunk", "rabid raccoon", "dangerous deer", or "stupid squirrel". But when it is an animal I have and love in my own home like a "cuddly cat" or "devoted dog", it just breaks my heart! Whenever I see a dog or cat on the side of the road, my stomach does a flip and my heart aches. But, this was the first time I actually witnessed one of this loving animals actually get hit. While I am grateful it wasn't my car that hit it, I still had to witness it, and it tore me apart! And to make matters worse, the guy who hit the German Shepherd with his truck didn't even flinch - and just kept driving like nothing happened. I, on the other hand, stopped on the side of the road, called my husband crying, and then managed to dial *HP to report it. I didn't know what else to do. The dog was obviously (or hopefully!) dead, but I just couldn't face getting out of the car and going over to it. If it was alive, I didn't know what I could do for it, and I know that animals that are hurt can attack. I did a quick look at the houses either side of the road, and didn't see any cars or signs of anyone home. So after I had a better handle on myself, I drove the rest of the way to work - of course still crying the whole way. And wouldn't you know this was the day I decided to change purses and didn't have any Kleenex with me!!!! I was able to compose myself in the parking lot and went into work, but I kept to myself most of the day. I just kept replaying the scene from the morning in my head over and over. Luckily some co-workers talked me out of going back to the scene at lunch (I just wanted to see if the HP had done anything yet), but I couldn't stop myself from making the same drive home from work. I did find some relief when I saw it was no longer in the road on my way home. It was dark, so it could have been on the side of the road, but I am hoping that it had been gathered by either the owner or at least collected by the city so that it didn't just rot on the road like all the other roadkill. I think that makes me feel worse - when you see a once living thing on the side of the road for several days - just seems so inhumane. But, I still keep thinking about the owners that no longer have their pet. So sad!! Now I have to be realistic in that I may one day have to be the horrid car that ends a loving animal's life, but I will keep my fingers crossed that I never ever have to experience that!! The few squirrels I have hit are different, and even the deer that kept running and I didn't have to see if it died or not. For now, I am off to watch TV and try and forget about this morning......