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Our local deer herds wax and wane.
Some years we have 3, some years we have 10. Our record is 21.
This year?
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It started with 4…
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And has now gone up to 6.
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Sadly we haven’t seen the big beautiful buck from last season.
I hope he’s just moved on and hasn’t fallen to a hunter’s bullet.
😰
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We’ve been having trouble with our landline.
Yes, you read that correctly. The old fashioned form of communication we decrepit antique humans grew up using. It doesn’t take pictures or track your location or allow you to cruise porn…. but when the power goes out? It still works without charging. There’s something to be said for simple technology.
We hooked up a landline when we first moved to this house 22 years ago and never saw any need to cancel it. It’s the number we give to businesses and doctors offices and all those annoying things you sign up for that require one. It’s our junk call line and saves our cell phones from being inundated with spam.
Anyhoo…. I’ve noticed the line has been scratchy with distortion lately, but didn’t pay it much attention. Until the other day when my husband tried to use the phone and couldn’t. Sure enough, the line was stone cold dead.
After an aggravating half an hour trying to reach a non artificial life form at the phone company, I was connected to ‘Ruby’… who said she was from the Philippines but sounded like she got there by way of Mumbai. I explained the problem and after giving her my cell phone as a contact number, an appointment was made for a tech visit. Problem solved. Great.
I thought no more about it… until I started receiving random texts from unrecognized numbers in Idaho and Nebraska and South Dakota an hour later. They said, “What’s wrong with your phone? Have you blocked me?” and “Why haven’t I heard from you?” and “Hi! How have you been?”
I don’t know anyone in Idaho, Nebraska or South Dakota and the timing smells a bit fishy.
I had to give my cell number to the phone company because the phone I was calling about was dead…. and now I’m getting fishy texts.
Is everything a scam these days?
☹️
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In honor of the season.
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While I often enjoy the upbeat and light heartened songs of Christmas, it’s the more heartfelt and poignant tunes that I tend to call my favorites.
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Yes, he’s promising to be home… but so often the ones who we dream about sharing the holidays with are not.
And after watching the most excellent movie “Monuments Men”?
I will never hear this song without choking up.
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Your turn.
Favorite Christmas carol…?
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Because my life is full of it.
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Geesh, it’s hard enough to win a championship when you’re deaf… but dead?
That’s seriously impressive.
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In case you were wondering.
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Ugh.
The pickle algorithm has struck again.
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Substitute cat for dog at this point, but the sentiment is the same.
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It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.
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Maybe Star Trek was onto something.
Long live Veeger.
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The plastic was attached to one of the greenhouses across the road the other day, and then…
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We had a wind driven rain.
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Which made for an interesting show.
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It was almost hypnotic.
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And proved a little more attachment work was needed.
🥴
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Because I’m still chuckling about this FB page.
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Wondering if the haggis were including or cost extra.
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Ouch!
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Haggis wrangling is not for the faint of heart.
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Almost little guy.
Almost…
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Now that’s a carbon footprint.
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The perfect stocking stuffer!
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Like news you can use, but worse.
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I’m afraid to ask which organ is electric.
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That doctor can bite me.
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Not dying at 45 is isn’t a valid reason to be happy about menopause. It’s not even close.
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Wow. Talk about unnecessary surgery.
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Admit it, you all have that one child you wish you could give back and try again.
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I don’t know what that is.
And I don’t want to know either…
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Animals are evolving into crabs? I missed this headline and will be keeping a closer eye on our cat from now on.
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Freaky?
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For a Kardashian, it’s just another Monday. .
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Have you ever wondered how long you’ll live?
My mother was 10 days away from her 91rst birthday when she passed, my father didn’t see 69.
I’ve often said I wouldn’t want to know the breadth of my mortality, that particular clock ticks silently for us all…. but when a fellow blogger posted a link that promised to give me the exact day of my death?
I couldn’t resist.
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Sweet!
I’ll beat my mother’s record…
And 11,153 days might just be long enough for me to clean out my husband’s cellar full of crap.
If you’re curious, give it a whirl and post your results.
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Or don’t, it’s entirely up to you.
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I could say “you” but Mariah Carey already did and continues to do so entirely too much this time of year.
I used to be crazy for Christmas. I’d decorate everything that stood still.
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Yes, even the Barn Mahal.
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I shopped till I dropped searching for the perfect gifts. I’d spend a fortune on fancy wrapping paper and sparkling ribbons and give you something that was almost too pretty to open. I’d send 150 handwritten festive cards and host elaborate meals. Our tree was a magnificent thing to behold… always freshly cut, twinkling with alternating strands of red, green and white lights and festooned with gorgeous ornaments.
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Even the cats were impressed.
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There were carols playing, sweet baked treats on the table, mistletoe over the doorway, and I enjoyed every single thing about it.
Until I didn’t.
Until the beloved family members who shared my joy passed, one by one by one.
Until it all seemed like a terrible waste of money. And time. And effort.
My husband was raised poor, one of nine children for whom Christmas meant work and hand me downs. He always went along with my Xmas mania but never really felt it… so why was I bothering?
In 2015, a year after my mother died, I simply quit.
No tree, no gifts, no meals. I cut my card list back by 2/3rds, put some wreaths on the windows and called it good. We took a trip to the Pocono mountains to escape and enjoyed a stress free week that would become our new tradition. We’ve travelled every year since and never looked back with regret. The memories are gift enough.
In answer to the question, I don’t need anything and I don’t want anything. We have too much “stuff” already. What I want is what I already have, a nice home, a nice cat and the wonderful man I’ve shared my life with for the past 40 years.
Do I miss the big bright Christmases?
Sometimes, yes. But not enough to resurrect them.
That’s my slightly depressing story. So…
What do you want for Christmas?
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Heading south across the border into New Hampshire, we discovered a fabulous brewpub.
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Housed in an industrial complex, it had a funky urban vibe.
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The mural was awesome and took time to appreciate…
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So we grabbed a seat at the bar and checked the nicely varied tap list.
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Stone face doesn’t do flights per se, but you can order small pours to sample.
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Thoroughly enjoying their brews we chose a few full glasses and an order of their amazing garlic Parmesan wings.
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Tasty beer aside, I’d drive down just for these.
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There’s a large glass wall behind the bar that allows you to watch the brewery operation, but I was more taken with the fancy glass cleaner on the shelf.
The man cave could definitely use one of those.
😉
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River's world..... 