wallpaper What Does Christmas Mean to you?

As a child, Christmas was an adventure between Mom and me. She would buy basically what we asked for through the Sear's Catalog. She would try to wrap things up so we didn't know everything and then we would try to act surprised on Christmas morning. The game would involve me opening up the big Sear's box and then trying to close it up before she noticed. Then if I missed on that opportunity, I would tear open the edge of a package and read the label and then tape the corner back up. Generally by Christmas, I really knew what everything was. I don't have a clue if Mom knew but I will promise she wasn't stupid and didn't miss much.

I know that Grandma Petty grew up poor and never had much in her life. I am pretty sure that piano lessons and a WWI Widow's pension were her only sources of income. In spite of that poverty, I always got something from her. In a lot of years it was flannel pj's. I would rather she kept her money but that was what she bought so...

Now that I am a retired adult. (Read Child with time and money) I am always wondering just what the heck to ask for. In the real world of things, I have everything I need and most of what I want. The part that adds to that is there are all kinds of stores nearby that will take my Debit card. Yesterday, I set out on a journey to buy a great flashlight. I had a DeWalt flashlight and it would brighten up the night like none other. The charger died so I gave that rig to Dave who has the old drill and a great charger. I went looking for a Makita Flashlight so I could use my current charger and batteries for the Makita Drill ken bought for me. No such luck. The closest was a Riobi flashlight. By the time I bought the battery and charger I was up to about $80.00. Not my cuppa tea. I wound up with a 1 million candlepower flashlight with a built in rechargeable battery and a charger cord provided. (About $10) There is even a car charger cord so I can take it on trips. That sucker not only lights up the night, it actually heats up your hands if you shine it on them. (Bonus)

Barb, skip this paragraph - I am going to look around for a heated gray passenger side leather seat for a 2004 Crown Victoria. That will be Barb's present if I can locate one. She always comments about the cold seat so I will do my best to warm it up for her.

Yesterday, I put on a new coat of paint on the south wall upstairs. Barb wanted the color different and the first coat was Caramelized Onion in color. Yes dear one's it was a crappy color and I even thought so. I consider myself "pretty challenged" and it looked nicely painted but the color looked like a pair of wool Army Field Pants. On my flashlight journey, I bought some Flax Seed color paint and it is as pretty as a speckled pup. Today I am going to start patching the cracks on the wall. I will dig out the old crack and put in some crack preventer tape and then cover it with new mud. It will look good for a while but how long it will last is unknown.

Better get crackin'.

MUD