Christmas on the Course

Apparently the golf course is closed on Christmas. Our clues to that were there were no flags on any of the holes and no carts in sight. This translates into 'Free golf for the locals'.

This was my first Christmas actually on the course (last year we were in Ridgeland). The first 'twelvesome' took me by surprise (another clue it was not a normal day!). By the fifth or sixth group it was old hat.

With groups that large it took them some time to get around the course. And we all know (even us non-golfers) if you are golfing in the afternoon you will need some sustenance to get you through it. Liquid libations would be necessary. One industrious group towed their bar with them on a little red wagon.



The duffers did not play with their usual calm, solemn demeanor. Heck no! These guys were cheering and booing and busting each others butts. It looked like they were all having a ball.

If that is the way most golf rounds happened, I might actually think of taking up the sport! However, I believe the hallowed halls of golfdom will be safe from me for a few more years.

Merry Christmas to All

Someday, yes someday, I too will have my house decked out like this! He who has the most outrageous display, wins!

Merry Christmas to all of you.

The Mighty Cruella

During your life you may be lucky enough to have a truly goofy dog cross your path. I just never expected mine to be a doberman.

I was a little hesitant to purchase an animal from such a noted nasty breed. Would she get along with my 47 cats? Or the neighbor children? Let alone my other dog who was at least 100 years old?

The answer, all the way around, has been yes. Who ever knew that dobermans could be so freaky and enjoyable? I have been totally taken by surprise.



Although I have to admit it hasn't all been goodness and light. She did hurt one of Fuchsia's ex-boyfriends. She stepped on his bare feet with her long toenails and scratched him. He claimed to be in pain. That had to be her most ferocious encounter ever.


Since the day I brought her home, I have watched her diet like a hawk. Nothing but Purina One her entire life. However, there is some animal that keeps crossing our walking area every night, either deer or raccoon, and the dog is convinced that its fecal matter is pure irresistible manna. She is constantly trying to surreptitiously sneak any loose turds she finds lying around.




Down here she has her very own chair. Bassman decided to give it to her and she decided to accept. (Aren't the eyes scary here? Wouldn't you be afraid of her? Please?)



She is a fun dog and I'm glad I get to share my life with her. She loves kids, cats, and baby horses. She harbors a certain FT fetish (Frisbee toy. If you say it aloud, she goes insane) but other than that, she seems normal. She is everything a killer dog is supposed to be. At least in my world.

Santa is Where?

Fishing!


Last night we made a trek to the wilds of Ridgeland (without a map even!). After dinner at Duke's (a restaurant worthy of a post of its own), the Bassman, Fuchsia, and I decided to hit the Ridgeland Lights Festival at Jasper's Porch.



Only in the south will you find an alligator hanging out with the elves.




Or a lit palm tree display! One perfect thing about Christmas down here is being able to stroll around a display like this in the evening. 70 degrees beats the heck out of frigid temps and blowing snow. Because, as you remember, we were walking not riding in a car.



And this. Ornaments in the live oaks complete with spanish moss in the background. Very few places in the country can pull that off.

Every blog I have read today has pictures of the snow or ice draped trees. To keep it real I felt I had to give a bit of the other perspective!

(On a side note, happy 21st anniversary, Bassman. What a great ride this is!)

Apropo of Nothing

My desk and the famous NOT DELL laptop. I Stumbled upon the picture that I use for wallpaper. It seemed perfect for winter.

The Christmas lights are because I can. The only time of year I can get away with them. They are on 24/7 until sometime in January.



In a completely jarring segue, this was a very lucky impressionistic photo I took while driving down the main drag on the island. If I can figure out how I accomplished this, I will do a ton more of the same type thing. Eat your heart out, Monet.

Tomorrow the Bassman and Fuchsia arrive. It has been 3 months since I have seen my daughter, a month since I have seen my husband. I can't wait to pick them up from the airport. Since they are coming from a true winter area, I can only hope they have no problems with weather or connections.

Nirvana

I'm sure there are some people out there who immediately know what this is. For those who don't, the answer is;
Heaven. The end (or beginning) of a civilized world. One of the most wonderful things to have ever come out of the south. A reason, by itself, for a trip to Savannah. What the average Joe calls a praline.



I had never tasted one of these before I came to this area. I was hesitant at first (Fool!) but the person handing out samples finally convinced me to give it a try.

Oh, the years that I have wasted in my life! To know that I could have been partaking of these delicacies and instead, I had been living a humdrum life. Husband, children, work, BUT NO PRALINES. AARGH!

The first year of my acquaintance with them was, like all new relationships, completely consuming (groan). I could not get enough. They invaded my dreams. I looked for excuses to go to Savannah just to get my fix. Golden brown, filled with pecans, cream, and sugar. What more could anyone possibly ask from life?

As time passed, my feelings cooled off. The sugar was cloying, nauseating, too much. I had burned through our ties (Good thing too or I would weigh even more!). It was time to scale back.

For 6 months, I avoided them completely (amazingly easy to do when you are 600 miles away). Now, I can buy a box and not eat all of them at once. This particular box has been here for over a week! The control is amazing.

I have had pralines from Beaufort, SC, Hilton Head, and 2 different stores in Savannah. Without a doubt, Savannah's Candy Kitchen is the absolute best. Located at City Market or River St. If you go, just save some for me.

Music

I am a huge music fan. In high school, I once broke up with a boyfriend because he didn't own any albums. I married a drummer and then a bass player. I attend as many concerts as possible. I make music as much a part of my life as I can without actually playing an instrument.

Obviously a fan such as myself has to have a way to obtain her music fixes. My favorites are;

A) XM Radio. Yes, it has merged with Sirius which makes the station line-up hit and miss right now, but it is still the best thing going in radio. Very few commercials (I have only heard them on the talk channels), any genre music you can imagine, and you can listen to the same channel across the entire country. Even while traveling through the mountains, the signal rarely drops out. I would give up my cable before I would let the XM subscription expire.

B) Pandora Radio (www.pandora.com). This is internet radio. You can choose either by genre or specific bands. Pandora searches for other artists who have the same style as you chose. I have learned about several new bands on this site. I can also keep it running in the background while I surf.

C) Itunes. Yep, I actually buy my music. This place is great when I only want one song instead of the entire CD (ie Silent Lucidity).

D) Target! I love this store. The music is not censored liked at the evil Walmart and the prices are great. I like having CD's. I think they hold up better than the mp3 format and I can take them in the car, play them on a super loud stereo (when I am where I have no close neighbors), or even just read the lyrics.

So remember kids, music is necessary. Because, after all, how can you have Paradise if you don't have a soundtrack?

??????

I have this great book titled 'The Book of Questions' (sorry all grammarians. No underlining available on this post). The purpose of the book is to make you think. No right or wrong answers (maybe. You gotta' know that if your answers disagree from mine, well then, you're probably wrong).

But I digress. Since I am sure you are all on pins and needles waiting for me to bestow upon you my great insights I will get right to it.

Question 4 is; 'If you could spend one year in perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience would you do so? If not, why not?'

Yes. Yes. And more yes. Happiness is typically a fleeting thing yet here I am being guaranteed an entire year of it! There is no way I could pass that up. I think for most people the caveat that might prevent them from answering yes is not being able to remember the bliss. To which I answer, if you don't know what you are missing (in this case memory) how can you miss it?

Now how can you argue with that logic? I'm here for you.

Not in New York Anymore, Toto

I was born a Yankee. That means cold, sometimes snowy holidays (like Halloween!) This year though, I am on my second 'palm tree Christmas' as my daughter calls it.

It seems bizarre to be outside smelling fresh flowers the second week of December. And to put up my ornaments next to the blooming begonias (still here from spring. Two years ago.).



Now I know a lot of you are wishing you were here with the 60 degree days. But you should ask yourself, "Can Santa land a sleigh with those runners on sand?" Exactly.



On the flip side, the camellia really is beautiful. And the only place you will find them is where the palm tree Christmases happen.

I'm sure if I were in Tundra Land the cold would lose its charm almost immediately. So I will stop my whining and appreciate the lack of snow. Until December 24th!

Going to Walmart

It's a grey, overcast day on the island. A perfect day for errands. Yet even though it isn't the best weather, this is still a beautiful place to be. This is the neighborhood I live in.




This is Pope Ave. The main route to the beach for the average tourist. As a main thoroughfare it is still incredibly scenic. No billboards or neon.



And this? Well this is the Walmart parking lot. Not quite like the one I go to in Kentucky.

I am here by luck. We don't earn what the average islanders do. We aren't millionaires. The only way that would ever happen would be the lottery (see previous postings!). I truly do appreciate the cirumstances that allow me to stay here. I wish I could share it with all of you.

Movie Reviews

In the last couple of days I have watched 2 delightful movies. This was the first:



Absolutely everything you want Hollywood to be. Lots of impossible action, fast moving, a complete escape from the everyday. I guess you can assume this is a 5 star in my opinion.

The other was an older flick but still a ton of fun. I don't know how I missed this when it came out.




So do yourself a favor and watch both of these. You won't be disappointed

Oh, those crazy gays

I know the election is over and this is now a moot point but I think this clip is funny. And maybe a bit true.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Who doesn't love this song?

Conundrum

Monkeys. Ugh. Absolutely one of my least favorite animals. And yet I was born in the year of the monkey. What is the universe trying to tell me?

Tongue Tied Tuesday

My writing skills feel rusty today so a picture of the newest member of the goofy hat club will have to suffice!

Behold, the Christmas Chicken!

Oh, I love to decorate for the holidays. Bassman claims I have a tractor trailer's worth of Christmas stuff in the attic.

My weakness is colored lights. As far as I am concerned, you can never have too many. Plus, they work absolutely everywhere.

So this year, since I am not home with my attic of decorations, I have to make do. It's hard to get festive on a limited budget but I think I pulled off the creme de la creme with the chicken. Tasteful yet understated.

Sometimes I am so brilliant (pun? or not?) I amaze myself.