John's Birthday & Our Christmas...Only 7 Days Left...Football and Films

 The Halls are decked...and Christmas is seven days away!

A smaller, more manageable tree this year...with berries, pine cone, and bows.

and Santa came early for Tux and Gadget.

We celebrated John's birthday with lasagna, cheese garlic bread, sodas and strawberry cake.

And we bought for the cats this year.

Tux got a box of treats and food.

They both got tunnels and cat-stockings with toys.

Jingle Balls are EVERYWHERE!!!

Not a lot of extra $$$ this year, but a great deal of love.

Chris has invited me to Christmas with them.

So excited.

The baby will be 7 months old!

Working on getting rid of this chest congestion and sinus so I can actually be there. I've been fighting this crap for a week.

Steamy baths, bullion, and hot tea seems to help.

Things are breaking up...I think.

Most of the last week or so spent in a hot bath, watching football and ALL the Christmas movies and sleeping...a lot.

Hoping to feel better soon.

Love,

Carla and Tux

 

Proud Owner of Aisle 5...Maybe Too Much Football...Christmas is 15 Days Away

 Me...after grocery-shopping-while-hungry....

Oh sure...I picked up bread and milk and eggs & such...

...encompassing a couple of raspberry filled doughnuts...more eggnog...Pepsi...Lindt Orange Dark Chocolate...Cocoa...and more.

December calories don't count.

Right?

Anyway...I am now the proud owner of Aisle Five.

 

And, then, there are the late night games.

The Lions...The Chiefs...The Bengals.

All ending with down-to-the-wire wins.

The guy and I are going to have heart-attacks if this keeps up!

So many great teams this year!

Playoffs are going to be brutal.

Want to have a heart-attack?

Only 15 days until Christmas!!!

The halls are decked...the plans are slowly being made...getting ready to celebrate John's birthday...can't believe it is almost 2025!

Our distraction this week?

This guy.

26 year old, Italian-American, Master's Degree...Valedictorian...Dead sexy and buff...civically minded.

So civically minded he decided that The Healthcare Insurance system  was  abhorrent and that they needed to be taught a lesson.

...here is where the rub comes in...

And so he did.

...teach them an unforgettable lesson...   

By gunning down their CEO.

...to be fair...the CEO...through claim denials...had probably been responsible for thousands of deaths and endless suffering...

I think we all have insurance company claim denial horror stories.

Just after making his getaway, he earned the nickname

"The Claims Adjuster"

and had the makings of a folk hero.

He slipped away, and after 6 days we started to think maybe he had gotten away with it.

...many of us silently hoping he would...

Yesterday, they were tipped off by a McDonalds worker in Pennsylvania...and he was arrested.

Now, he is charged with murder.

An amateur's mistake they caught him with the fake ID...the gun...and a hand-written manifesto of Why He Did It.

Yeah, he is so busted.

A moment's flirtation with a girl at the hostel desk...holding on to items he should have certainly discarded...and what amounts to a hand-written confession will probably cost this kid most (if not all) of his adult life.

Life can be a tough instructor.

Have a Wonderful Week!

Love,

Carla

 

 

 

 

 

It's Beginning to Look a LOT Like Christmas!

 

 It is 14 degrees outside and today is all about decorating...good food...a long nap...a bubble bath and the Lions-Packers Game with my guy, tonight!!!

The tree is coming together with red ribbon, flocking, pine cones, red berries and balls and tiny soft white lights.

Yesterday's shopping trip resulted in eggnog, gingerbread, chocolates, fir scented candles and such.

...calories consumed during December don't count...

Watching all the old holiday specials!

Found a great recipe for Amish Cinnamon Bread.

and will be trying some soon!

Hoping for snow!

Thankful for the boys...their spouses...our grand-kids...John...our families and friends...our cats (Gadget and Tux)...and knowing it will always be okay and there is always enough.

Love,

Carla 

December...Santa Claus...Too Much Food and Football

Lachlan meets Santa...

And it is 23 days until Christmas!!!

Wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family and friends and football and food. So much food...pies and cake and turkey & dressing...mashed potatoes and green bean casserole...fettuccine with chicken and asparagus...Milo sweet tea...the turkey isn't the only thing stuffed, today!

Christmas music (piano instrumental) playing...the tree up and decorated with tiny white lights...and enjoying a bit of cherry cobbler with tea.

Football was exciting over the holiday weekend...and John and I were able to see both our teams win!!!!

...although both wins were edge-of-your-seat...I'm going to have a heart-attack, here...

They have to quit doing that to me.

Chris came over with the baby and joined my sister, Tina, and I for Sisters Day...it was her first real-life peek at him.

"He's perfect!"

Spreading out the calendar soon...to get life organized for December.

Ya gotta have a plan!

Love,

Carla and Tux

 

Football...Food and Getting Ready for the Holiday!

 

What is better than my guy...our favorite teams...and homemade chili???

Not much!

John and I enjoyed the Colts-Lions game yesterday...even though the Lions (predictably) won.

...they are a force to be reckoned with this season...

And we cheered on the Chiefs with their hold-your-breath win over the Panthers.

...these edge of your seat wins are going to give me a stroke...

Happily munching left over pizza (Breakfast of Champions) with Pepsi (all the sugar & caffeine) and checking out the news/social media before embarking on my Cinderella Day.

Cleaning and decorating for Thanksgiving!

There is laundry and dishes to be done...dusting...Instacart to finish and bills to get ready...

The new Christmas Tree has arrived flocked and festooned with pine cones...although it won't be lit until Thanksgiving or decorated until December 1st...I have to get it into its stand and fluffed out.

This will be my first flocked tree and I'm excited to see what it is going to look like!

Finished Fauci's book this week

and it was amazing!

An autobiography from his birth and growing up in Bensonhurst...the product of a Naples mother and a Sicilian father...it explained a lot. The years in Brooklyn. The AIDS crisis...to the Trump and Biden years.

A living legend in the world of virology who has earned his retirement.

A must read.

This week's movie was

Keanu Reeves plays a bio-tech gone wrong.

Nice story...some edge of your seat moments...a good twist toward the end.

Watch it...you'll be glad you did.

Time to get it together, here!

See you on the Weekend.

Love,

Carla

                        Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

Tyson-Paul Exhibition...Early Thanksgiving...Bills and Chiefs...Chris and Lachlan...and Lennon's Birthday!

 Such busy times!

Watched the Tyson fight.

With about 73,000 other people.

More of an exhibition than a fight...but is was wonderful just to see a legend in the ring, for maybe the last time.

They both seemed to pull punches...and the old Mike (of years ago) would have knocked him out before round three.

John and I decided on an Outback Thanksgiving...and it was wonderful!!!

Watched the Colts Game!

Watched the Bills and Chiefs Game...probably the BEST game I've seen this season!

Although the Bills won with a ballsy rushing touchdown by Allen...these teams are well matched and it was back and forth throughout.

And we are no longer undefeated.

If it had to happen...I'm glad it happen at the hands of Josh Allen.

Chris stopped by and brought Lachlan over!

It was a great visit...such a smiley baby/happy little guy.

And talked to Lennon this morning to wish him a Happy Birthday!

Never a dull moment.

Love,

Carla
 

Better...9-0...and Thanksgiving Begins!

Predictably...the sun is still rising!

Some of us may need small doses of Xanax through the next 4 years...and yes (Melinda) cranberry vodka does count as a side at Thanksgiving, this year.

Sigh.

Last week seemed pretty bleak, but now I have adjusted my attitude...am buying more popcorn to sit back, watch the up-coming shit-show, and laugh at the MAGAts as dawn slowly breaks and they realize what they have done.

Oh...and ask

"How is that working out for you?"

a lot.

We will undoubtedly suffer...but the schadenfreude of watching them lose their minds as they slowly figure it all out...well, that compensates a bit.

The Colts lost to the Bills last weekend, and now they have returned AR as our starter, and benched Flacco.

The Chiefs bested The Broncos with 2 seconds on the clock, and are 9-0 !!!!!

Sunday, we play The Bills.

I'm nervous.

John and I, are having our early Thankgiving this week...then it is friends and family for the rest of the month!

I ordered my new Christmas Tree, today.

This year's theme will be snow-flocked and pine cones with bright red balls and bows!

Oh...and the munchkin

From newborn

To Now...

Love,

 Carla

I Cried This Morning...

 

 Maybe you did, too.

Watched the numbers until the wee hours of this morning.

Then went to bed...knowing.

But the sun is shining today...and the geese have flew over, honking as they go...and life goes on.

John..I..my sister and several of our friends...just numb.

Heading into a hot bubble bath...and life...goes on.

love,

Carla

Dia los Muertos...NOVEMBER...

 

Yeah...now I get it...

November has arrived!

And with it the 40+ degree mornings...turning on the heat to take the chill off the house...wood-smoke scented candles...the leaves on my black locust tree immediately turning brown and beginning to fall...and steak & fried potatoes with onion for breakfast!

Plotting and planning the buttoning down of the outside borders and container gardens this week...fall planting of bulbs and some of the Blue Angel Hosta roots that John brought over from his gardens for Spring...tidying and stowing.

End of Fall stuff.

We are planning an early Thanksgiving together...and Tina and I will be celebrating Sisters Day/her 59th Birthday later this month.

And making Christmas plans.

But for now...it is nap-time...and the cat says I must go!!!!!

love,

Carla & Tux

 

Halloween...and Things That Go BUMP in the Night!

 

It's Almost Halloween!!!!!

And Lachlan visited his first ever pumpkin patch :)

I have Snickers in case any of the grands happen by...and a jar of Organic Pureed Pumpkin baby food for the littlest one.

Everywhere is decorated!

Tomorrow, October is over...

Enjoy the Spooky Month!

Love,

Carla, John and the cats...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Our Wide-Awake Crew

My 1st Halloween...

"I'm a dinosaur.....rawrr!"

Sisters Day and Loss

 Breathe...

Saturday, Tina and I had Sisters Day.  Lisa was still feeling pretty rough and wasn't able to make it.

We talked...admired the ,la tee-shirt and chucks...had a pumpkin pizza (shown above) and pan of brownies...discussed the up-coming election...and were blissfully unaware that our Sisters Days were about to change forever.

At 2 AM on Sunday, Tina got The Call and by 6 AM, Lisa was gone.

                                                               Sisters

We have spent the last few years getting to know each other better, doing all those things you miss out on as kids, loving each other.

Now there are just the two of us.

Lisa is dead.

And Tina and I are just numb.

Sometimes, there is never enough time, or tears.

love,

Carla

 

Fall Brunch...Chris is 35...Meteor...James and Jess' Wedding...The Bears are Sleeping and More

 

Happily Ever After...

A busy week/weekend.

Chris (and Don) both got a year older...and we had a Fall Chinese Brunch, here...with Lachlan.

It was wonderful!

And did you see the meteor?

                                                         "Well, shit..."

John and I attended James and Jess' wedding and reception on Saturday!

Still sorting through the photos.

Perfect day for it!

They had the ceremony at Cataract Falls...with Tina officiating and Chris doing some amazing photography.

Later, we would all go back the their house for food and the first dance and cake cutting.

Wonderful turnout!!!

856 and 903 would be the last bears out and about this year.

Now everybear is asleep and the cams went off.

We will be back next year.

The Colts won their game against the Dolphins.

Kansas won their game against the 49'ers, and is now 6-0, baby!!!!

You could probably hear me yell in happiness from here!

And...I voted early.

Everything is over except the counting, for me.

Love,

Carla