Busy busy busy. Miss some of you; others, not so much.

xoxo
HP

It's strange not baking (literally) thousands of cookies this year. I've got three kinds done and they only total around 800. I tend to average between 3,000-5,000 each year, but I've had to stop sending out so many packages, mainly due to rising postage costs. I'm only mailing out three boxes this year and they are going to "family", i.e. my e-kids and best friend.

Working around Mom's ever-changing schedule is a challenge, but I'm managing.

The weather has turned cold and Herbie is quite perplexed. He keeps wanting to go out, feels the chill and runs back in. Ten minutes later he wants out again, thinking maybe NOW it will be warm. Unlike Spike, he doesn't seem to remember this happened last year, too. Poor baby.

Hugs,
HP

Only 7 1/2 weeks til Christmas. GAH! While I refuse to decorate the house til after Thanksgiving, I gotta think about the shop. While I love walking into a festive holiday environment, I have a hard time creating one.

The Spawn and I wandered around some stores looking at this and that. She knows me well enough that each time my face totally lit up looking at something stupid she stopped me from putting the item in the cart. *pout* Poohbare will thank her for this. *double pout*

When the kids were little, decorating the tree was superfun. For quite a few years we made every effort to create the ugliest tree we could manage. Multi-colored garland ... M 'n M lights ... hideous ornaments... Each year it was a bit more gawdawful than the year before. Good times.


HP

How the HELL did the holidays creep up so fast? I've got waaaaay too much to do and not near enough hours/days/weeks to get it all done. EEK!

The Spawn is growing up SO fast. Letting it happen isn't always easy.

She's downtown today with three friends attending a concert. She picked up the other girls and they all caught the train into the city. Since she and I have wandered around downtown regularly since she was little, I have no worries about her knowing her way around and being aware of her surroundings. She knows how to avoid the unsavory types and how to stay safe.

Still.....she's my baby and she's in the city on her first real grown-up type adventure without me. I am determined not to worry too much, but I'll breathe easier once she's back home.

xoxo
HP

After working on it for a couple months now, I'm almost done with a big sewing project. There's just some hand-stitching left to do. Therein lies the problem. Herbie is "helping" with that even more than usual. It's really really difficult pulling thread thru fabric when he's pouncing, biting and playing tug of war, and while I laugh uncontrollably. I've tried working on this while he's sleeping, but I swear he can hear the thread and it wakes him up and he immediately goes into "play mode". As problems go, I kinda love this one.

*grin*
HP

While I have no need to justify MY opinion or YOUR accusations, I will.

First, I've been a legal secretary/paralegal for thirty years and I never claimed to know a thing about psychiatry. I merely stated what I know based on first-hand knowledge from my own past and others in the same boat.

Second, I was referring not to my friend, but to you in the self-appointed role of knight in shining armor protecting the alleged damsel in distress. You seem like an honorable man. I truly hope you do not find yourself played the fool.

Third, he has nothing to prove to me. The fact that he has not lashed out in response to the allegations made says much about his character. Were he what she claims, his ego and reputation would not tolerate silence.

Fourth, there is no reason to protect my friend. She is a strong woman who knows her own mind and heart. I trust her judgment without hesitation -- especially with regard to the man she loves.

Fifth, I have no need to protect him. You, however, I worry about. Again, you seem like an honorable man and I get that you are merely doing what you feel is right based on the information you have been provided; be it credible or not.

Sixth, I have said nothing in the comments of either your blogs or hers. I've got enough self-restraint to keep those thoughts off your pages. Clearly, neither of you do, therefore I took the measures necessary to stop either of you from spreading additional venom in my direction. It's an option the site provides and which I exercised.

Recently, I read a blog about liars and fools. Something about how liars say whatever someone wants to hear knowing full well it isnt at all true. There was also something mentioned about how fools believe the liar and have no reason not to, they become blinded with words and how when the liar needs protection from its own tangled web the fool becomes the shield of protection.

I'm the survivor of a physically abusive marriage. I'm the survivor of a very verbally/emotionally abusive marriage. I worked in family law for a number of years and encountered other survivors. I have close friends who have also been through similar circumstances. None of us consider ourselves "victims." We do not rant and shake our fists at the injustice of it all. We often do not blame our abuser as much as ourselves for allowing the abuse to take place.

Not a single one of us would ever consider spewing the gory details in a public domain. It's private. It's painful. It's embarrassing. It's far too personal to share.

The only reason of which I know for one to do such a thing is to garner sympathy and attention and/or to reinforce the stories one has told in an effort attain credibility.

Be careful what you type. Within your words you may find a self-fulling prophecy.

I spent a good portion of the day at the sewing machine today. Good thing I had some help from my faithful assistant, Herbie.
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