At Home With Ailsa - December 2005

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Friday, December 16th, 2005. Hello there, My Little Holiday Junkies... I see you're taking a wee break from the massive amount of Holiday Shopping... Man, is it just me, or are we buying a lot more stuff for people than we used to? I wonder if people's level of expectation has been on a steady rise since, oh, the Eighties... (Remember the Greedy '80's? Now it's the Greedy '05's, but it doesn't have the same ring to it. Ring Tone, maybe, or Diamond encrusted ring... oh, and if you're listening to Kanye West, and I hope you are, since he's great, and now you feel all guilty about wanting more and more Diamonds, keep in mind that Canadian Diamonds are 'clean & pure', thus completely guilt-free. No Canadians harmed in the mining of deese here beeeauteetul diamonds... no, no. That's not really what Canadians sound like. We're much less polished than that kind of 'fancy talk'...

You know, I once actually had a Minister who did say 'beeeeauuuteeful' just like that, right in the middle of a Sermon. I used to laugh and laugh, until I realized that he really did pronounce 'Beautiful' like that. Still funny, but I had to control myself a bit more after that! Great Sermons, though. I miss a Great Sermon. Lately, every time I head off to Church, there's an awful lot of 'This is the Only Way', and I can't listen to that without wincing, even though I get that they're trying to sell their own particular brand of religion ... I'm better off with the Non-Denominational 'We're All Good' sort of thing. I really can't be bothered with the 'Lucky we chose the right one' Sermons -- doesn't seem that applicable in this day and age... Ah, well. I'm all about the Hymns, though. I'll sit through pretty much anything to get to sing some great Christmas Carols!

One thing I find that is happening to me as I get older (and older...!) is that I get far more enjoyment out of helping other people than I do out of buying things from my own Family. Makes me sound a wee bit like the crazy Lady in Charles Dickens' Bleak House. Isn't that what she did -- helped the needy at the expense of her own family?? No, no. I'm not there, yet, but it's hard to want to keep buying more and more things for some folks who already have everything on the planet. It seems like a Generally Bad Idea.

This is the first year that haven't jam-packed the bottom of the Tree with a million Gifts, and so far, no one has really said anything, so maybe I'll get away with it. My Daughter is almost 18 (Cara, if you're a 'Newbie' to my site, and if you are, a Hearty Welcome and perhaps a bowl of soup, which always goes along with any sentence including the word 'hearty'...), and she likes to help other, too, so that part's easy, and Aidan, my little 6 year old, can't really remember last year clearly, so I just make like this is the way Christmas is... that way, he won't get too greedy, either. Hope my little scheme pans out, and I don't have to pay for Therapy in the years to come! ha,ha,ha!

That reminds me of a Children's Book I wrote long ago (gee, wonder what triggered the idea...?), called, The Greed Monster. Funny wee story, and I wrote a song to go along with it, too. Maybe I'll do something with that, one day. Not today, 'cause I've got more shopping to do... oh, and I've done all my long-distance gifts Online (through my own site, of course -- might as well make myself a wee bit of money while I shop, if you adapt your reasoning to make that seem about right!), and amazingly, many of the Gifts have already arrived. One really cool gift -- a Marilyn Monroe Watch, which I got for my friend, Greg, who collects all things Marilyn and Mickey (as in 'The Mouse'), won't arrive until well after Christmas, but I don't think he'll mind. I found it at eMerchandise.com, a Site I've found some realy cool Wizard of Oz stuff at for Cara. Sometimes those 'special finds' are worth the wait...

Anyway, on to The Apprentice. Yippee, Randal won!!! Oooh, I loved Randal. Smart and nice -- my kind of guy! I didn't like the thing at the end where The Trumpster asked Randal if he would hire Rebecca for that incredible job in New Jersey. NO!, I think he said. I'm paraphrasing, as I am wont to do, of course, mostly for my own amusement, but that's what I wouldda said. Come on. Being able to manage yourself on crutches for 13 weeks doesn't seem like any great feat. Foot. Whatever... when you're doing any construction job of any size, you need someone with real experience to even be allowed to wear the Hardhat. Perhaps I'm biased, on account of I don't like to see a Building Site poorly managed, even if their hair does look pretty, and they do look a wee bit like Jaqueline Smith... did anyone else notice that?

Okay, I've gotta get going. Hey, did I mention that we're actually thinking about getting a Realtor? Yep. Maybe. We've heard that they have lists of all sorts of people who are looking to buy a giant home such as ours. I think I'm really ready to sell, now, because Cara will be finished High School in January (thanks to some carefully selected Summer School Courses!), so then we're free to move. It's never great to pull a kid out of High School, if you can avoid it -- unless it's a crappy school, in which case, pull away... but Cara's been at the Fine Arts School because she wants to pursue Acting, so it was good to see that through. She's great, too, in case you're an Agent, or you've heard of someone with an Agent! ha,ha,ha!

Now I really have to go. Thanks for taking a some time out of yer busy Holiday Schedule to come in for a wee visit! I always love to see you! (Did I mention how great you look? Yes, stunningly lovely!) Anyway, Enjoy your Holiday Shopping, and I'l see you back in here soon enough! Love & Laughter, Ailsa xox (The Kisses & Hugs are on account of it's Christmas. Ain't that sweeeet?? Not as sweet as Chocolate, which I hope to God that I get, and I hope you get what you want, too...)

New Pages from this Month: How to Get Along with Difficult People - Stroke Information - December Horoscope (I see a possible Gift in your future... that sort of thing! ha,ha!))- You can even get a Sneak Peek into your 2006 Horoscope from Astrology.com, too!- Toys - Christmas & Holiday Shopping - <California on sale: Save up to 15% on hotels this winter><Holiday & Getaway: Travel now, get $150 off your trip next year> <Americas Best Kitchens>My Gym Tips - Teen Page

Tell a Friend about My Site - eBay - Ailsa's Favorite Books <Win Great Prizes at PermissionResearch!> Free Monthly Horoscope * Freebies! * Fitness with Ailsa * The Scottish Diet * Cool Stuff * Travel * Home Search -- MLS * Site Menu - <Find Old Friends, Lost Loves or Anyone><Find Old High School Friends at Reunion.com>

Quick Aside (Hope This Works -- Every little bit counts, right?): You know I get all riled up by a variety of things (okay, a very, very many things make me soooo mad... I'll get help when I have a minute...). Anyway, one of my favorite Shows, Arrested Development, is up on the Cancellation Block, again. Seems that if a Show is Funny and Smart, the Networks won't stand behind it. Very annoying, since soooo many folks gots a brain they don't mind using when they're watching a little TV. I found an Online Petition you can sign to send to FOX, to get them to keep Arrested Development. Pop in here to sign your name, then come on back to me -- I'll start mixing your Drink while you're over there -- and I'll even taste it quickly to 'make sure it's okay'... so that's half a glass for you, two and a half glasses for me (yours was the extra half for me! Thank You!!). http://www.petitiononline.com/Arrested/petition.html

Here's one more Petition, since we really need to make some noise to Save Arrested Development. http://petitionspot.com/petitions/arresteddev

Monday, December 5th, 2006. Ooh, I just scrolled down to my last Entry, and it was in November -- sorry about the delay... that Big Holiday Party we have every year keeps me so busy I haven't had any time for anything else, including the computer. Ah, well. It's done now, and it was a Great Party! Well worth it, too, since we always have a Giving Tree, so our Guests bring out a Gift for a Child and Food for the Food Bank so we can help out Families in Need in our own Community. It's a great way to have fun and contribute to a Good Cause at the same time. I'd love to see a Giving Tree at every single Holiday Party -- think of all the stuff we could raise... and have Wine, too! What's a Charity without the Wine, I say...

It takes me three weeks to get ready for the Party because I take the opportunity to go through each room and clear out anything I think can be given away, in preparation for a Move, should we sell the house... and since the house is sooo extra-tidy, I think we might have an Open House next weekend. Our last house sold at Christmas Time, so why not this one? The Tree is up, and looks gorgeous (mesmerizing, even -- Dwight and I can sit for hours late at night listening to a little Kenny G and gazing at the Christmas Tree. It's the only Sport we both really enjoy. And I assume that Christmas Tree Gazing is some sort of sport, even if it hasn't been recognized by the Olympics. I figure that if Ballroom Dancing got in there, Tree Gazing is somewhere down the line, too....)

So, how have you been keeping? Man, you look great -- love the new lipstick, or is that just from too many popsicles? You can never tell, especially with the men. It's only a real concern when you see someone sneaking off to the freezer for a little 'touch-up'... Some day it would be fun to get all My Readers together, so we can see what each other looks like. Of course, I'll have to hit the Gym a few more times before that sort of an event, but that's just for fun and basic stress-relief, as muc as for my arms for when I wave to people! ha,ha! (Man, how many times is she gonna wave at us? And her arm's been down for the past five minutes...)

I'm so happy I put my marriage on the line for the new Fireplace Mantels -- that was a good call on my part. Risky, but some things you just have to stand up for, am I right? A calculated risk, some might call it -- others have other things to say about that, but I don't listen to them --- la,la,la...all I hear is you singing... oh, I'm lovely like that. All oblivious to others, 'n all. I've gotta say, my life is a lot happier now that I don't care anymore -- try it and see what happens! Yuff, yuff! The Mantels look fantastic at Christmas time, though -- all decorated 'n everything.

Oh, and speaking of the Decorations on the Mantelplace, here's a bizarre thing that happened right at the end of the Party, last night. The Power went out. Jokingly, I said, "Oh, crap. We shouldda paid our Electricity Bill instead of spending all that money on Cake...". Of course, my little man, Aidan, who is 6, heard me and thought that fer sures I had not paid a bill. He repeated that about twenty times, and I'm hoping he doesn't say it at school, today! ha,ha! Oh, those kids. Still honing their sense of humor! So here's where the new Decorating came in -- I had just bought a couple of Hurricane Lamps from Walmart, so we quickly lit those and turned on the Fireplace, so that lit up the Living Room. Pretty. And then I cleaned up from the party by a romantic mix of Flashlight and Candle light! And the Power was out for hours and hours -- annoying because I missed most of Desperate Housewives, so now I is one! (A Desperate Housewife, I mean... housewife, what a crazy word. I used to think it was funny because quite often I felt far more married to the house than I did to my actual husband, and if I had to pick one over the other, the house wouldda won out 95% of the time! ha,ha,ha,ha! Okay, I realize that's purely for my own entertainment... but who knows if you're in a similar boat, right??)

Okay, gotta go. Hey, if you're having a Holiday Party, or your Place of Work is having a Party, see if you can add a Giving Tree, too. Oh, and I'm pretty sure Arrested Development is on tonight, Monday, December 5th (probably at 9:00 pm, if you're checking out your TV Guide), so please oh please, pop in to see it. You'll laugh & laugh, and then they won't cancel it. And if you have a couple more minutes, maybe follow the links below to sign the online petition to Save Arrested Development.

Almost forgot. I was in here on my Site, last week, and wrote an inspired piece about How to Get Along with Difficult People, 'cause can you believe it, I know some. Many. Some of my Best Advice, and yes, some of it does involve Drinking, but I don't know why you always ask me that... so pop over there for a wee laugh, and perhaps you'll pick up a little tidbit to help you through the Holidays!

I've added a new page, today, with information about Strokes. No, not those kind of strokes. Come on, now, drag yerself up from the gutter... no, no. It's really good info about how to recognize a Stroke Victim, and the Three Immediate Steps you can take that can save their life and might even prevent permanent injury, so it's really important for everyone to know. (Yes, I'm still a Teacher, first!)

Thanks for swinging by during your busy day! Hope you're having a Great Holiday Season, and don't forget that marriage means having a built-in Designated Driver (so that's the real reason for marriage -- I wondered what it was...! ya'ha,ha,ha!). Anyway, go get yer party on, but bring a DD with you, so you can have as much fun as humanly possible!

Love & Laughter, Ailsa

Christmas & Holiday Shopping -- Get great Deals and it supports my Site, too!

New Pages from this Month: How to Get Along with Difficult People - Stroke Information - December Horoscope (I see a possible Gift in your future... that sort of thing! ha,ha!))- You can even get a Sneak Peek into your 2006 Horoscope from Astrology.com, too!- Toys - Thanksgiving & Holiday Shopping - <California on sale: Save up to 15% on hotels this winter><Holiday & Getaway: Travel now, get $150 off your trip next year> <Americas Best Kitchens>My Gym Tips - Teen Page

Tell a Friend about My Site - eBay - Ailsa's Favorite Books <Win Great Prizes at PermissionResearch!> Free Monthly Horoscope * Freebies! * Fitness with Ailsa * The Scottish Diet * Cool Stuff * Travel * Home Search -- MLS * Site Menu - <Find Old Friends, Lost Loves or Anyone><Find Old High School Friends at Reunion.com>

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Live, Love & Laugh, Ailsa!

Hey, you can help spread the word about my Site -- here's a new 'Tell A Friend' that my friend James made for me. He's been working away to teach me some new things for my website that I desperately need to learn to make the improvements I really want. Oh, and don't feel restricted by the whole 'Tell a Friend' thing. You don't even have to really like someone to tell them about www.buildyourownhouse.ca! What do I care? I'm just interested in loads and loads of people coming in for a visit -- maybe even buying something through the Site! And who knows??? Maybe they'll quit borrowing money from you by learning how to Manage their own money after reading my Articles! ha,ha! So here it is, and it's easy schmeasy to use!<

> Thank You!! Soon we'll be enormous! (And I don't mean just because of all the Caramel Apples, neither! ha,ha,ha!) Uh, oh... I see there's no apostrophe in the Friends Name Box -- must tell James! Rest assured ( I don't want you to lose sleep over this!), I do know it needs and 's... we'll fix it for you! See ya'! Ailsa

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