sueeeus

This week, Blackbird (and Deb) want to see a favorite ornament.

I tried to start a meaningful tradition a few years ago with home made ornaments, but that grand idea sort of fizzled. Most of my ornaments have no meaning or story. They’re just colorful things that were probably on sale. I do have butterflies, which are kind of cool. And lots of berry clusters. But nothing very meaningful.

At the risk of planting a Kenny Rogers melody firmly in the unwary reader’s mind, this is my favorite. This is what decorates my life:


What could possibly be better Or more beautiful Or more adorable He’s deliciously huggable, my little Love Bug.

Friday show and tell – Blackbird has asked to see decorations.
Alas, there is not an abundance of holiday spirit at Chez Squished this year. We do have a wreath on the front door. One of my coworker’s sons was selling these to raise money for his school’s band. I think they take a trip every year for a competition. Or something like that. He’s very good. (The son. He plays trombone.) The wreath was somewhat on the ho-hum drab side, so I stuck an assortment of colorful things in it to spruce it up.
We also have a cute little Charlie Brown tree just outside the front door, so a few baubles dangle from its limbs.

Just inside the door is a post with a nice vanilla candle. Not nearly as nice as Babelbabe’s, though. Those are downright fabulous. Some crackled glass ornaments hang from this. They are too heavy for the tree. They’re a deep amber color. Gorgeous up close.

Inside, the tree is jam-packed with all sorts of colorful things. I’m partial to the butterflies, and this green sequined star.
This fairly well sums it up though. The sentiments of the season, that is.

Topic du jour: Your Car

Cars. Is it true that cars are a reflection of one’s personality Aspects, at least. I imagine. I didn’t even drive my first car. It was an ancient Datsun with a manual transmission and I was a chicken $#!t. I paid $200 for it, and my boyfried drove it. That was in 1986, fresh out of college. He went back to school and I traded the Datsun for a new Ford Ranger. I was the cat’s meow at that point. It was red with an automatic transmission. Then I met up with a hoodlum crook in the guise of a friend who talked me into buying a classic Mercedes. 350SLC. The European version. Silver. Sleek. It was beeeeeeyoootiful, and very flashy, but it was being consumed by rust, and what did a naive girl like me know about things like that People thought I was RICH! I drove it to my 10-year high school reunion. Oooh, how successful I looked. Ha, if only they knew. I lost a LOT of money on that car. Relatively speaking. I drove it for 8 years, then liquidated everything I could in order to come up with downpayment for some property. At which time I acquired my beloved Subaru. I paid $350 for it, and drove it for many years as I struggled to pay for my real estate investment. Priorities. That car was a sight! It was a tiny hatchback, white with big round rust blotches all over it, and it was covered in green algae when I got it. I took a scrub brush to it, literally. I mastered the manual transmission with that car, and learned to drive in ice and snow. That trusty car never let me down. It had over 225,000 miles on it when we parted ways. I let my ex-fiance have it after the breakup, and I treated myself to a ‘me’ car. A safe and conservative sedan. Volvo 850GLT. Charcoal grey. I got it used, and it had all the bells and whistles. It was divine. It served me well. I drove it for 6 years, until, not too long ago, my sister had a friend in need and asked if I’d sell it to him. So I did. I didn’t have new car plans in my short term budget. I was on a vague wait two more years plan. But what the heck!!

This is the new me. I am a mom. A minivan mom. I’d never have imagined that a car could bring such delight, but I am delighted through and through. I have heated seats! Power doors! Lots of them! With a press of a button the rear hatch opens. Another press and it closes. Same with the sliding side doors. Both of them!! Deeeeeeeluxe!!! Oh. I almost forgot. It’s a Toyota Sienna XLE. 2006. Slate grey.
And how pretty is that My instrument cluster is like a jewel. All these pretty blues. It’s just so ooooh. So pretty. I am thrilled.
And the interior I’d have preferred a darker grey, but it only came in light grey. That burly woody stuff is okay. Sort of tacky, but sort of not. Sort of pretty, in a faux plasticy way. I can play MP3 files! I burned a CD with over 150 MP3 songs and loaded it in and away it goes. I can go several hundred miles on one CD without repeating any songs. Woohoo! Woo. Hoo.

Yes. I am really loving this car.

…and Blackbird says… Show us your front porch.

Alas, my front porch is not so pretty. Not so inviting (but it doesn’t seem to deter the friendly Mormon missionary boys and the nice Jehovah’s Witness ladies, who all keep returning, again and again…)

On my front porch is an assortment of withering plants and a few empty pots (whose contents have recently met their demise and been sent to the afterlife — compost heaven).

Note to self. Must water plants.

There is one thing of beauty, however. This glorious green! Such a lovely coleus. Something is nibbling away at it though.

I live in suburbia where nobody knows their neighbors and nobody uses their front porch. People enter and exit their homes via the garage door, so there is little chance of interaction and things on the front porch can easily be forgotten. A level 2 sex offender just moved in a few houses down anyway, so we’re even less inclined towards being sociable. Directly across the street from a grade school. How does this happen

All said, I am thankful that I have a front porch.