The last days of 2010 for me have been spent walking in Memphis and they have been great, minus the hiccup of a football game gone sour. Pulling in town with the whole family in tow, we dropped our stuff at a quaint little spot known as the Courtyard Marriott. Wasting no time, we head out with the kids to smoke out a good lunch spot on Beale Street, much against advisors' suggestions which was to "get OFF Beale St".
After lunch and a three hour parade for the Liberty Bowl, (which, by the way, consisted of 18 mediocre high school marching bands, three 18 wheelers from Auto Zone, 15 Shriners in little cars, and finally a marching band so big they had to make us move back:)) we head back to the CM (Courtyard Marriott for those of you on the "slower" side.)
We pick up LOML's cousin and two of his three sons and head back downtown for dinner. After contemplating our choices, we decide on the Flying Fish. Another quaint and cozy spot I would highly recommend. Ok, cozy may be a stretch. If you like those rubber fish nailed to plaques that sing and good fried seafood, this is your place!
After dinner, it was only appropriate that we walk across the street to show our kids the Peabody ducks that live in finer digs than they do! They have their own "condo", if you will, from which they get escorted from and to every day. I am not sure what the upkeep on those ducks is costing the hotel, but if money gets tight at The Peadbody and duck suddenly becomes a new featured item on the Flying Fish menu I would avoid trying it until I got a head count in the pond they got over there in the lobby.
Then today, as we awoke to somewhat cloudy skies with just a hint of sun trying to work it's way through, I just knew we were all meant to venture out to Elvis Presley Boulevard to see, (drum roll please........)
GRACELAND!!!!!!
Oh, what a lucky, lucky girl I am!
There are just not enough words in the English or Japanese dictionary to explain that place. Let's just say I will be downloading every available book about Graceland, Elvis, Lisa Marie, Vernon, Priscilla, etc. onto my Kindle ASAP as I am now terribly fascinated with this icon of music. But who I would really like to learn more about is the decorator of that fine home, but feel certain they overdosed on hallucinogens years ago and for security reasons was probably living under and alias. Who knew you could put carpet on SO MANY SURFACES!!! Wow! A true talent for showing us the real meaning of "waste not, want not".
After leaving the mansion, viewing the King's clothes and numerous gold records and awards we had a stroll through the Meditation Garden that Elvis had built so he could have somewhere to think away from the 20 plus people who were probably living there with him. Either that or he needed a place away to go do some drugs...whatever, now it's four graves, including his. Moment of silence please...............................................................................................ok, moment over.
I did leave a good bit more impressed with the man than I left the hotel this morning. He took care of his family and that's aces in my book.
(I do need to stop here and tell you a little about some of the other Graceland Goer's today.....the lady next to us in line was comparing Graceland to Liborachi's and Dean Martin's homes....ok, that's really all you need to know....)
Sooooo, after the tour of the house, we got to see the AIRPLANES!!!! Now, for those of you who know me, I am not a fan of flight, BUT could totally fly on a plane with blue suede walls! Damn he knew how to fly in style! The littler plane was not as impressive as the Lisa Marie, but I do give them credit for their color scheme of yellow and green of the 60s seat covers.
The footlball game we came up here to see is not even worth mentioning right now since we lost and I want to end my year on a hight note...
So, here I sit in the CM. The two youngest of our kids are sound asleep. LOML, Baby Girl 1 and my in-laws are over at their cousin/nephew's temporary home up here having a cookout. On the way, they got to stop off and see B, our cousin who is up here because St. Jude's can help him. He has leukemia and about 90 days ago had his 3rd bone marrow transplant. I think it is very appropriate that we are here as 2010 ends and 2011 begins. We have spent a lot of time over the past two years hoping and praying for this young warrior and his family, and for two years B and his family have continued to inspire and lift us up in our darkest times, which compared to theirs are pretty damn bright. They have taken to "pressing on" through all of it, the very worst of it and I have been fortunate, as so many have been to be one of the passengers on their journey. B's mom has a word of the year and encourages others to do so as a means of inspiration of how you are going to live the next year. So, as the hours wind down in 2010, I have been trying to think of my word for this year- I think it will be "grace"...well, for more that one reason:), but for all the right ones.
Happy New Year's Everyone!
From Memphis with Love.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Christmas Time
It happens every year, so I don't know why I am ever surprised. Christmas is here once again- wasn't it just last week? I grew up on many traditions and now as a mom, have tried to come up with a few of my own. I have fond memories of decorating the tree, singing Christmas carols, going to church and singing "Silent Night" as we all lit our candles. All very Norman Rockwell-esque. I think I can even here Karen Carpenter singing in the background as I look back over the years. Good times. And, the good times are still here. (Well, let me back up and give you the run down of Christmas prep at our house, then we will get to the good times.)
LOML, God bless his sweet heart, has this thing about the way he likes things to be. In life in general, but at Christmas time...well, let's just say his inner Clark Griswold comes out. Last Thursday night he was hanging out wreaths on the windows so the outside would be all ready for the church Christmas party we were hosting. Now, there is a fine art and science to hanging the "damn wreaths" (as they are affectionately known as). I gave up helping a long time ago, for simply wanting to keep my head attached to my shoulders. You measure and place the suction cup on the bottom sash, you lower top sash and hang wreath and the ribbon to the nail at top of top sash, and then you carefully hook the wreath onto the suction cup for extra security, and close both sashes- hoping nothing falls off. (Including LOML falling out the window.) By the way, something always falls off....enter here LOML using some VERY BAD WORDS!!! Also, a point to note is it is usually about 30 degrees with blowing winds while this is taking place. Good times.
This past Wednesday was the night that my family was going to pick out the "tree". Now, I have never met a bigger tree snob than my husband- but I love that he wants it to be perfect for his family...but honey-life ain't perfect. We chose to head out to the local Home Depot...(.yeah , yeah, I know- not the most Norman Rockwell thing we do at Christmas, BUT they have Noble Firs which is Tree Snob's fav so there you go). It's about 7 o'clock as the five of us prance on in, the kids are very excited as am I because Baby Boy is REALLY digging the whole Christmas thing. Baby Girl 1 and 2 are as happy as they can be, and LOML is grinning from ear to ear. We head out to the garden center to find that, although open, no one is working....not a good sign for me. Then, we find the ONE Noble Fir they have left...the Charlie Brown Noble Fir...again, not a good sign for me. Then, as LOML and the girls are honing in on a good one- Baby Girl 1 gets upset because it isn't big enough...ok, you can see this is only about to go down hill and into a concrete wall right? So then after looking at 20 trees (mind you, I didn't look at this many colleges, wedding dresses, names for my children,...) we find "the tree". It really doesn't seem to matter, because Baby Girl 1 is beyond consoling at this point and LOML is just pissed off that no one is there to check us out which is going to require him to get the tree way the hell to the other side of the store to check out!
Picture this...
LOML, in his Brooks Brothers suit and dress coat, dragging a Christmas tree through Home Depot with the rest of the Griswold's trailing behind. We finally catch up to him at the SELF CHECK OUT LANE trying to scan the tree! Literally.
The nicest girl comes over to offer help and I am trying desperately to catch her attention in warning that she may just want to hide behind the counter, but it's too late.....the kids are all coming un-glued and I am afraid LOML is going to be taken out on a stretcher after he has a heart attack. The girl has another worker come over to help Frank, and things seem to be moving in a new happier direction...the guy picks the tree up and carries it back to the garden center to trim the trunk and bag'er up! (Insert here the uncontrollable laughter from me.)
Anyway, so now the tree is up and got decorated that night with lots of fun and laughter. Once we got home- everyone was a bit more in the Christmas spirit. I sat in the other room for a while and messed around in the kitchen thinking of how the size of the tree and the wreaths on the front really don't matter much- not in this day in time. It's all nice to have, but it's not what it's really all about is it? No, and of course you know where I am heading with this,
Charlie Brown: “Isn’t there ANYONE who knows what Christmas is all about?!?!
Linus: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ ” (Luke 2:8-14)
“You see, Charlie Brown—that’s what Christmas is all about.”
Thank you Mr. Schultz and Mr. Griswold, for reminding us for what it's really all about, but also for keeping it real:
LOML, God bless his sweet heart, has this thing about the way he likes things to be. In life in general, but at Christmas time...well, let's just say his inner Clark Griswold comes out. Last Thursday night he was hanging out wreaths on the windows so the outside would be all ready for the church Christmas party we were hosting. Now, there is a fine art and science to hanging the "damn wreaths" (as they are affectionately known as). I gave up helping a long time ago, for simply wanting to keep my head attached to my shoulders. You measure and place the suction cup on the bottom sash, you lower top sash and hang wreath and the ribbon to the nail at top of top sash, and then you carefully hook the wreath onto the suction cup for extra security, and close both sashes- hoping nothing falls off. (Including LOML falling out the window.) By the way, something always falls off....enter here LOML using some VERY BAD WORDS!!! Also, a point to note is it is usually about 30 degrees with blowing winds while this is taking place. Good times.
This past Wednesday was the night that my family was going to pick out the "tree". Now, I have never met a bigger tree snob than my husband- but I love that he wants it to be perfect for his family...but honey-life ain't perfect. We chose to head out to the local Home Depot...(.yeah , yeah, I know- not the most Norman Rockwell thing we do at Christmas, BUT they have Noble Firs which is Tree Snob's fav so there you go). It's about 7 o'clock as the five of us prance on in, the kids are very excited as am I because Baby Boy is REALLY digging the whole Christmas thing. Baby Girl 1 and 2 are as happy as they can be, and LOML is grinning from ear to ear. We head out to the garden center to find that, although open, no one is working....not a good sign for me. Then, we find the ONE Noble Fir they have left...the Charlie Brown Noble Fir...again, not a good sign for me. Then, as LOML and the girls are honing in on a good one- Baby Girl 1 gets upset because it isn't big enough...ok, you can see this is only about to go down hill and into a concrete wall right? So then after looking at 20 trees (mind you, I didn't look at this many colleges, wedding dresses, names for my children,...) we find "the tree". It really doesn't seem to matter, because Baby Girl 1 is beyond consoling at this point and LOML is just pissed off that no one is there to check us out which is going to require him to get the tree way the hell to the other side of the store to check out!
Picture this...
LOML, in his Brooks Brothers suit and dress coat, dragging a Christmas tree through Home Depot with the rest of the Griswold's trailing behind. We finally catch up to him at the SELF CHECK OUT LANE trying to scan the tree! Literally.
The nicest girl comes over to offer help and I am trying desperately to catch her attention in warning that she may just want to hide behind the counter, but it's too late.....the kids are all coming un-glued and I am afraid LOML is going to be taken out on a stretcher after he has a heart attack. The girl has another worker come over to help Frank, and things seem to be moving in a new happier direction...the guy picks the tree up and carries it back to the garden center to trim the trunk and bag'er up! (Insert here the uncontrollable laughter from me.)
Anyway, so now the tree is up and got decorated that night with lots of fun and laughter. Once we got home- everyone was a bit more in the Christmas spirit. I sat in the other room for a while and messed around in the kitchen thinking of how the size of the tree and the wreaths on the front really don't matter much- not in this day in time. It's all nice to have, but it's not what it's really all about is it? No, and of course you know where I am heading with this,
Charlie Brown: “Isn’t there ANYONE who knows what Christmas is all about?!?!
Linus: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.’ ” (Luke 2:8-14)
“You see, Charlie Brown—that’s what Christmas is all about.”
"We're gonna have the hap hap happiest christmas since Bing Crosby tapdanced with Danny f!@#* Kaye!"
- Clark Griswold, Christmas Vacation
Thank you Mr. Schultz and Mr. Griswold, for reminding us for what it's really all about, but also for keeping it real:
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Now why didn't I think of this....
While purusing the yearly Christmas catalouges I stumbled upon this gem...and I an great disappointed in myself for not thinking already.
Who thinks this stuff up and why haven't they been arrested yet??????
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