I love the snow.  It gently falls to the earth in tiny white sparkles, floating on an innocent journey through our chilly atmosphere.  It not only begs for fun, building snowmen and fashioning cannonballs (aka snowballs) to whip at your friends and relatives, but it also provides a great workout.

Heavy, wet snow should be avoided if you've got any health issues, but last night's inches are wonderfully light!  I love picking up a shovel and clearning our walkway, making a path from the driveway to door.  I also love playing games with my shovel by clearing the driveway in geometric patterns to pass the time.  What time you ask?  The time I need to take to make a safe driveway for all!  Since I'm not actively employed full time (although raising 3 young teenagers begs to differ) I take pleasure in the simple white stuff with a positive attitude, knowing it's considered work by many.  Why not?  It doesn't change the fact that snow is here - and shovel I must.

I hope it continues to snow throughout the season.  My children love the powder on the ski slopes and they look forward to this time of year's hot chocolate with tiny marshmellows.  They especially love the multi-colored ones!  And who knows, by the time they get home from school today they'll probably be out there with me shoveling, laughing and undoubtedly throwing a snowball or two at their mother!

HAPPY WHITE WINTER - HERE COMES THE HOLIDAYS!

How are you spreading holiday cheer this year?  Holiday Cards?  What about gifts?  How is this year's economic crisis impacting your holiday spirit?  Let's Discuss!

Robert Mondavi's Variety of Cabernet Sauvignon
Preparing for MN's winter by warming the insides with the best!

Spreading Holiday Cheer - 2008

I'm having a hard time getting into the spirit of the season this year - anybody with me?  Ho ho ho.  The economy is in a free-fall, people are losing their jobs & homes and babies are malnurished because their mother's are trying to stretch a can of formula by cutting it with too much water.  Oh yea, we've got thousands of our brave men & women serving in wars in foreign countries too.  And now the holidays are upon us.  

So rather than toss my hands in the air and get seriously wrapped up in negativity, I've been wondering how I can make more positive differences in the world this season and help out people in need.  So many are trying to survive and get back on their financial feet.  What are you doing?

About a week ago I got an email from the company where I purchased my holiday cards last year.  I looked at it and then deleted it; I couldn't justify the spending.  When I did the math, having sent out over 300 cards last year, I thought about how I could put that money to better use.  Toys for Tots, Caring & Sharing Hands and the MN Food Shelves came to mind.  With the help of my boys, we're going to go out and buy for people that are really feeling the pinch of the recession (yes, they finally admitted we've been in a full-on recession since December 2007). 

We truly believe the magic of Christmas is for children and thinking back, my boys know how lucky they've always been.  I think the lesson in giving will be much more important this year and we're starting to really get into it.  Besides, I realize we're all just one unfortunate step away from being where many American's find themselves today.  That is, in need.

But how will I let people know how much I love & appreciate them?  Well, I'll be sending out email holiday cards.  It may be considered tacky according to Miss Emily Post, but given the cir****stances of our country, I think I'll get a 'pass' this year.

What are you doing to bring holiday cheer to the world?  How are you cutting back?  Let's share - I'm always looking to get more ideas!  What better place than to share them amongst friends in our own community - so let's keep it going!

THAT,  My Friends, is the Spirit of the Season!

And so a new family has taken residence in my childhood home.  Trucks arrived early on Friday and just as things were hauled out last week, new 'stuff' was hauled in throughout the weekend. 

I have become a slumlord.  Actually, I prefer that title to Landlord.  I always get a smile when I introduce myself that way.  Besides, how do you call friends Tenants?  It's been a weird couple of weeks.  I've said a tearful goodbye to old family memories, but joyfully welcomed new beginnings at the old homestead.

Kid Norman made the A hockey team, yet I've never seen him more miserable.  How could someone work for nearly 10 years to reach a goal, yet suddenly lose the joy of the sport (hmmm perhaps its all the politics you've had to put up with?  Isn't it sad that our children learn such sad lessons so young because of the psycho parents out there!.  Alas, what's a mother to do?  Suggestions are welcomed.  I'm beginning to think that anyone that gets their kids involved in youth hockey in MN is either a sadist or just plain stupid.  Above all, I just want my kids to know their loved & to be happy.

And wth - Stephanie.....you're leaving the daily airwaves just as you were being allowed to show what a smart & talented woman you are - boo hoo!  While I love Jason, I mourn the loss of your smart discussions and creative programming.  Best of luck to you.  Seriously - you can always keep up to date right here on the "G-Spot"!!!!

Slumlord.  Yup.  That's me. 

Game Over.  Friday at approximately 2:40pm; that's when the last load of family heirlooms were hoisted from my car and given to ARC.  Done.  Complete.  Finished.  The last 'Simon Sez' doll, lamp, box of books, clothing and a box of "this & that" were given to a nice man who smiled and thanked me for my donation.

So it's all gone.  The 4 bedroom family home from childhood is now pretty much an empty shell.  If walls could only talk.    My friends have begun bringing their household items over in anticipation of the cold week ahead - I told them it was ok, yet found myself feeling weird as I saw their stuff replace things on my childhood mantle and in my Mom's mecca - her kitchen.  But why?  It's only adding character and special touches back to the house.  The feelings caught me a bit by surprise.

But truly, when I take a step back from my own bag of emotions, I'm thrilled I can help out a wonderful family and college friend.  They've been over every day this week, working tirelessly to help me get the house painted and cleaned so that they can move in.   Who would ever schedule a house closing on the Friday after Thanksgiving - forcing people to move over the weekend holiday?  The horrible buyers of their house, that's who.  These people are d.i.n.k.s. (double income no kids) - the acronym fits the selfish bastards if you ask me.  They could care less that my friends had to sell their house because they fell on hard financial times. They underbid their home shamelessly - and now they want everything on their terms.  But what about trying to welcome home 2 kids from college - home being a relative term since it's a brand new house & different community....or what about their two younger children, adjusting to saying goodbye to neighborhood friends.  Happy Thanksgiving huh?  I keep reminding them they have a healthy child that survived a brain tumor.  A house is just 4 walls - family is priceless.  So screw these people - they've been horrible to my friends and I'm hoping karma comes knocking very, very soon. The saddest thing of all was going to the city yesterday to get information for them and standing in line with someone being forced to foreclose.  The attendant said it was their 5th that day.

For now, I'm tired both mentally and physically.  I've been eating on the fly and not getting the proper workouts I need - I think I've gained 5 pounds.  This move has kicked my arse and zapped my emotions...but when I think about it, I'm feeling pretty fantastic about what I've accomplished - at least over there!  I've got a dining room & living room full of boxes and 'stuff' (except one big crockpot - LeeLoo took that off my hands earlier in the week!) 

And now for panic #2, 20 people will be landing on my doorstep for Thanksgiving.  That, my friends, is a blog waiting to happen!

Here goes one quick blog, just letting everyone know that I'm still alive (tired, but alive).  Thanks for the emails, text's and the messages on my various sites.....you know who you are!  I've been reading them late at night or early early in the morning - but at the moment I haven't had much time to answer back.

About 8 days ago I got a phone call from the friend that is going to be moving in to my 'other' house (yup, the one I inherited). It has remained vacant for the past 2 years while I've been working to update it and clean it out of 100 years of family history.  You see, mother was not only a breast cancer victim, she was a bonified packrat.  I cannot tell you the volumes of interesting stuff I've found.... even a bag of money in the rafters!  The woman actually kept a bank bag full of Liberty head coins in case there was a run on the banks.  I'd have thought she was crazy until this year's near run on several banks due to the national financial crisis.  Yup - it's taken a real focused effort to get the home ready for a new family to move in by late January.

So last Friday I got a stunner - the move date has been changed to the day before Thanksgiving!  My friend's home was sold and the new buyers (who don't have children) scheduled the closing the week of Thanksgiving.  That means I've had to make some hard choices about the things still in the house.  My friend is horrified at the imposition - but hey, she's just helping me speed up the inevitable.

Tomorrow the Hope Chest for Breast Cancer is coming to pick up two bedroom sets, a formal dining room set, a room full of furniture from the library and various paintings, lamps and otherwise beautiful stuff.  But no matter how beautiful, I know it makes no sense to hang on to something because it reminds me of my parents or a family that no longer exists.  They are forever in my heart - but the mahogany table and the tiffany lamps are just symbols of a family now gone.

So for now, I'm 'paying it forward'...and getting intimately acquainted with Craigslist for free boxes!  Just tonight Emily of St. Louis park was a wonderful friend!  Tonight I scored 20 more boxes with sturdy lids!  Of course Kid Norman escorted me to ensure I wouldn't wind up in a trunk. (speaking of trunks, I've got one of them too!).

Just keepin' it real - and wanted to say I may not be blogging, but the station is keeping me company while I pack and I'm enjoying the late night reads.  Keep it funny.....and wtf Captain...since when are you a mouse?????

xo - IJ