Happy to be ALIVE

You know how it is, we all can get bogged down with our tasks & responsibilities. Especially at this time of year, it can be overwhelming and life can seem a little bit too full of the daily drudge. But...it is important to stop and realize what you have right now and that basically life is full and you have what you need and usually what you want as well. I had an opportunity to ponder this rather intently today.

We were traveling down our road today heading for the main road and there was a small amount of snow on the road. We approached the intersection and Uncle Paddy applied the brakes which had no affect AT ALL. He then tried turning the car into the snow bank on the side of the road NOTHING. So there we were headed into the intersection and we could both see the gravel truck headed our way. Apparently I was saying "we're gonna, we're gonna" as it was dawning on me what was about to happen to us. We slid into the road(which was clear of snow) and Paddy turned hard and stepped on the gas. Somehow we did not get hit. The truck whizzed past us as we came into the road. Maybe he sped up and Paddy maneuvered and well nothing happened and I lived to tell this little tale. It was super scary and I am still not quite sure how we left unscathed but I am glad!

Glad to be ALIVE!

I'm Dreaming of a Wierd Christmas...

Oh no wait, that was real! I do not know what was up yesterday but I am glad it is now over. Maybe next year we will go to Colorado and have Christmas with Mom, and then the following day go skiing. I think that is a very good plan. (I hope you are up for having us Mom)

This is the one thing that turned out perfect this year. Cinnamon Buns! Yum! I must figure out how to make a GOOD gluten free version of them for Uncle Paddy. I did feel guilty enjoying this as much as I did, I was a bit too vocal about them.

Christmas Eve At My House

Here we are eating our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of bratwurst, mashed potatoes, & broccoli. I do mean traditional, we have been eating this the night before Christmas since the kids were very small and I was desperate one Christmas Eve because I felt like I needed to prepare a special dinner and I was very busy (which is generally the case on Christmas Eve) and at that time bratwurst was considered a treat in my family and so this tradition was born. It has served me quite well through the years as it did this year. (I am not in the photo, I must find the timer on the camera). I just love this picture!

Here is Leif tearing into the one present he gets to open on Christmas Eve. A small gift dropped off by his Aunt, Uncle & cousins on there way out of town. A small gift but he loved it!

Here is our tree with presents. Not as many this year but no one seems to care and it made getting ready easier too. As I was getting ready to take this picture Pippin walked up and sat down by the tree.

Happy Christmas to all!

Got Work?

So tonight I came home from a party all relaxed and happy. It felt good as I have been stressing the last several days. As soon as I walked in the door Uncle Paddy called me over to the computer to view this: http://knox.villagesoup.com/Government/story.cfm?storyID=139836 this is where he has been working this week and last, where he was supposed to be working for a few more weeks. Ugh.

Update: Uncle Paddy's Hat

It is done! Finally. This hat should never have taken me months to finish, and I know Paddy would agree with me! See here http://auntkirstie.blogspot.com/2008/03/uncle-paddys-hat.html and here http://auntkirstie.blogspot.com/2008/04/whos-hat-is-that.html for more details. I could make this hat in a day or two. Anyway, it is now complete and he likes it! I didn't intend on having a white circle right at the top of the hat but I was running out of black yarn so I put it there. I thought it looked a little weird but of course that made him like it more. So it stayed. He put it on right away and started wearing it before I could even sew the ends in, I did take it back and finish it.

I have another little project in the works which will be revealed after Christmas. I hope!

Tree

We found the perfect tree last weekend and hauled it home.


We put it up that day and it patiently waited until Wednesday for us to decorate. It is a great tree, we seem to have found the perfect one. It was just Uncle Paddy, Leif & myself decorating this year. I saved a few ornaments for Cor, he was out working. I found myself prodding Leif along and Paddy sat down and relaxed and I finished it up while they watched and talked to me. So different from previous years. But still nice. I do miss Hayley's enthusiasm at these times, I think next year I will try and plan ahead so that she will come over and help us!

What a difference a day makes!

I dragged myself out the door yesterday for a 40 minute hike. I have been so resistant to going out into the cold, but I broke thru the malaise. It was great. I had such a nice hike, and not only is it one of my favorite ways to exercise it also clears my head and puts me in a calm place. Oh, and it warmed me up! I have been plagued with a chill that won't quit but this cured it for quite awhile.

So I went back out today into the snow and it was even nicer than yesterday! It is just beautiful out there in the snow and peaceful as well. I took a 60 minute hike and I feel great. I think I will keep going with this, I started to think about snow shoeing...

Mid-December

It is hard to believe that it is the middle of December. I don't have much done for Christmas and yet I feel surprisingly calm about it. It has been a month of ups and downs and I am OK with that. I am happy that I can walk out my door and see the beauty of the moon shining. My instinct is to stay inside on the couch when it is cold and dark and this is most definitely the dark time of the year. I am looking forward to the solistice and the official start of winter so that everyday from then on it will stay light a little longer

Tree Lighting on the Common

One of Those Days

Okay, so when you get up in the morning a few minutes later than you intend and you pick up your son's backpack off the floor to look for his lunchbox and you find that the cat has peed inside A LOT, it is not such a good start. As I saw it covering the top of his lunchbox, also his homework folder and then felt it drip on my foot through my crocs I just knew that this is not a good start to the day. Ugh. The next 35 minutes were met with some more struggle & some yelling on my part. I will not elaborate except to say that my son is an eccentric person an usually this is something I accept with good humor but sometimes...well you get the idea. So off he went to school.

Then, I decided to exercise and I could only find one exercise DVD and it is kind of a weird one! I went for it for a while then decided I had had enough of that weirdness and got out my exercise ball to do my own thing. Well it is a bit compromised due to getting to close to the fire but what the heck I thought I would use it anyway. It needed air and the pump was missing a part but With some assistance I got it filled. Whatever.

I took a shower and realized it was way later than I thought so I would not be going to the grocery store as is much needed.

I am off to work now and I hope that the rest of my day goes a bit smoother. At any rate I will sit & relax at knitting group tonight.

Lobster...Local Food at it's Best

These were alive and kicking just a few minutes before this picture was taken. It feels a bit cruel to throw them in the pot of boiling water...but somehow we get over it.

A delicious meal of lobster and local potatoes, simple yet so good.

The prices have bottomed out on lobster and the lobstermen are struggling, I bought these off of the back of a local losterman's truck down at the gas station. They were $4.50 each, and then he threw in an extra one for $2.00 more, 5 lobsters for $20. We spent that much on two during the summer. I feel badly that these guys are struggling to make a living doing something that has previously reaped large rewards. However it is nice to be able to eat them( the lobsters, not the guys)! They were great last night boiled and served with butter. Tonight we had leftovers-lobster omelets, amazing lobster omelets.

Hangin' Out

We went out with friends today- had lunch, took a walk and then did a little shopping. I am learning to schedule this type of day or it never happens. It was great to get outside and MOVE and fun to hang out. What a beautiful day too. The clouds were amazing and the weather was pretty warm for this time of year in Maine.

I think the boys had fun too. They are now old enough to go off on there own, so while we walked down the breakwater they walked along the rocky shore. We were late getting to the agreed time and place and so they were waiting for us...bad grown-ups!

This is how they looked when we came back. Do you see how worried and upset they were?

Another day goes by...

L and I went out walking yesterday while the food was cooking. Just a quick walk. It was cold! I was taking this picture when he unexpectedly jumped (honestly I know that at anytime he might jump or flip or climb something) making for a really cool picture.

The ice on the pond was surprisingly thick but we through stuff at it anyway without much luck.

Home at the end of a really nice, relaxing day.

Early Morning Thanksgiving

It was beautiful & cold this morning and while other people were prepping turkeys and various other items I ran out to take some pictures. I need to knit myself some fingerless gloves because my hands were freezing! I forgot to wear my orange-so I didn't go too far. This is a big hunting day.

I love when I have to run & take pictures without thinking! I just HAVE to do it. Uncle Paddy asked me when I got back in"Did you go take more pictures of the woods road again?". Well, yes but these are different. I liked them and I always try to find a new perspective.

Now, I must go finish making the pie...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have been very busy, this month is the start of my busy season and with the year I have had, I do not know what to expect. I hear so much doom & gloom about the financial status of our country that it is hard to believe that my business could continue to grow but it seems to be doing just that. I think part of it is that my prices have not gone up as well as the fact that there is not much else you can do for $4. No matter what the reason is I am happy about it and hopefully this coming year will be one where I make a comfortable profit. Don't "they" say that is supposed to happen after 3 years? I am ready!

I am happy the store is closed down tomorrow. I only close it a few times a year and I am glad when I do. The days before and after always seem to make up for it $ wise.

Happy Thanksgiving!

3 Years and Counting

Here is my shop. This is where my focus has been for the last 3 years and I am still going strong despite predictions that this industry can't support video stores any longer. This weekend I am celebrating my 3rd anniversary!

I have been spending a lot of time here trying to make this place better everyday. After the store closes this evening I am having a little party to celebrate my store's success.

I must go now and get to work. I still have lots to do!

So people always remember to SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDPENDENT RETAILER!

I Saw A Sign...

Uncle Paddy & my faithful employee Carol are inspecting my new sign.

Here we are putting it up!

Luckily for me he had a rain day today and was able to help me pick it up and install it right away.

Yaaaay!!! YaHoooo!!! Hazzah!!! Hoopah!!! I am so happy that I finally have a sign. Looks pretty cool I think. Thanks must go to D.R.Inkblot for coming up with the original logo concept & my friend Cindy for making it from artwork to logo.

And it only took 3 years...

It's November 4th, did you vote?

We just voted. Uncle Paddy, myself, and Cor. It is done, now we just have to sit back and wait to see what happens! I will be distacting myself with Mad Men, while periodically checking the statistics. This is a very exciting election.

Now onto some pictures I took on Sunday...

We went out for a walk and though it is much cooler and everything looks completely different than a few short months ago it was still great in the woods. I got some nice pictures and it was Sunday so we didn't have to worry about hunters. I wish that I could walk out here everyday but since it is hunting season I am going to stick to Sundays. Too bad though, the weather is very warm this week.

British Invasion '08

The amazing Fab Four descended upon our town early Friday evening. I am speechless...

Ghost of Halloween Past

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!!

In continuation of my theme of the week here is a scary ghost circa 1994. Isn't she pretty scary for a 5 year old? When she was out walking in the dark she was pretty creepy. As you can see she took her costuming pretty seriously and completely dropped the cute, bright, sunny look.

I will be back tonight to report on the British Invasion of Maine.

Have fun everybody!

Where Am I?

Yes, that is Bono of U2 at Red Rocks in Colorado on June 5, 1983. Twenty-five years ago. I was there and I am in this photo, it was a little more than a week before my 17th birthday. Somehow 25 years went by and I am NOT a teenager anymore! Here is another post down memory lane and I am not sure why, a friend mentioned U2 in a blog post and it brought this to mind and so here it is. My real claim to fame regarding U2 is that the year before I saw them and was pulled up onstage by Bono and we danced. He led me to the edge of the stage and looked me in the eye and said "Thank You" and kissed my hand. I said "Thank You." and gave him a kiss on the lips. There you have it.

22 Years Ago Today...

It was a Monday just like today. I was up all night and at 4:07 AM, with much effort, my oldest child was born. Twenty-two years have passed, it amazes me that it was actually that long ago. So much has happened in both our lives, it still is a challenge for me to wrap my brain around it! That is including the things I remember as well as the things I don't, the things I don't remember are an unknown quantity but I suspect it is more than I do remember. I may have lost a large portion of my brain when I started having children, at least I think that is when it happened. I actually don't remember.

I do know that when we were recently in California, Uncle Paddy discovered my first gray hair, he pulled it right out of my head and gave it to me. Thanks! I also know that our nephew showed us a copy of a home movie of a Halloween party that was at our apartment, we were in the video, and I have NO recollection of it. None at all. It kinda freaked me out a little. It was filmed exactly 20 years ago and I was in early pregnancy( it must be the children's fault) at the time. It looked like a great party. But I couldn't tell you for sure because I don't remember it!

As always time marches onward as it should and today is a day I do remember very well. It was a very good day. It will be marked with Carrot Cake, a tradition I started on his first birthday and one he requested (when asked) for this birthday. Of my 3 children he is the one whose favorite cake is not dirt cake, or vanilla cake but my personal favorite carrot cake. Our special family recipe. I must get to work...

Guardian of The Video Shop

This lady has stationed herself at the door outside of my store. She has been there for months. I thought she would be gone when we arrived back from our 9 day trip. There she was, still standing guard keeping all the bad guys out of my store.

I have been recently toying with the idea of changing the name of my store. I have never been satisfied with it. Oh, it is basic and it serves the purpose and so there it is. I am always on the lookout for new inspiration.

How about Praying Mantis Video? Rent a movie and then we will bite your head off...maybe not.

Any ideas?

Contrast

This is a beauty I have been watching all week. I can see it from my store. The COLORS blow my mind at this time of year. It is so very different from what I was looking at a short week ago...

Last week I was here, in the Redwood forest outside of Santa Cruz, it is hard to tell from the photo how big that tree in the middle actually is. It was huge. This forest was so cool, it felt good to be walking in it. In fact it felt so good my 1 year old nephew who recently learned to walk took off! He walked for about a half a mile, it was amazing he loved it! Here we are back in Maine. Do you see the hard frost in the field thru my trees? It was 26 degrees at 8 AM yesterday morning. It felt COLD.
I had to remind myself that this is the time of year to get outside and enjoy the weather. Embrace it. That is how I get thru the long, dark, cold winter.

My instinct is to curl up under a blanket and read, knit , or watch TV and comment about how cold it is. It can be hard to go against my instinct.

Fox

I thought I would start with The Planet of the Apes. I mean how cool is that?

So today I am back tracking a bit. The cruise I went on last week was actually a convention for independent video store owners (yes, there are still many of us out there!). Despite everybody saying I have been on vacation, I was actually working much of the time. Not that I didn't have fun-I did. I would not have been on this trip if it weren't for work. Ahem.

Friday, after getting off the ship we were invited to take a tour of Fox Studios. They do not give public tours and it is not a theme park. It is a working lot. There was a lot to see. These two photos are from the wardrobe department and just a small drop in the bucket of what was there.

This block of buildings is in many TV shows and movies, it looks just like New York until you look down and see the palm trees at the end. The diner on the right is from the show Bones.

As is this smashed car. When we first arrived they were hauling this thing out of one of the sets. Which was one of the places I wanted to see most but we were not allowed into any of those and we not even allowed to take pictures from the street. There was actually a lot of stuff we weren't allowed to photogragh.

Still cool though.

There is a Simpsons mural on the building in the front. The tallest building in the back is were they filmed the first Die Hard movie. Currently, it houses any Fox offices.

The coolest thing we got to see was a sound cutting studio where they were working on adding music to the upcoming remake of The Day theEarth Stood Still. We had to quietly file through with no photos, no talking, no pictures. There were all these big screens and the music playing and I would have loved to stay and watch for much longer. The building it was in had previously been the Bat Cave for the Batman & Robin TV series back in the day.

Oh, and we saw Seth Green.