The Post of Christmas Past

My childhood Christmas's have never been the glitz and glamour of Hollywood TV. They had always been filled with boxes of Salvation Army donations. Things that had been donated by other families, to the less fortunate. I can remember thinking as a kid, I bet this was the best present ever, when it was opened the first time. Before parts when missing or where broken or tattered from use. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I was grateful to get anything I got, and was happy with it...mainly because I didn't know any better. I recall going back to school after Christmas vacation and hearing about things the other kids got and thinking if I wasn't a poor white kid living on an Indian Reservation, I would get things like that too. Unfortunately, I was a poor white kid, living on a reservation and poor white kids living on Indian reservations didn't get cool stuff like that for Christmas. They got stuff from Salvation Army and they liked it or else. Or else next year they got nothing for Christmas. I seemed even as a kid to just know my place in the world. I do recall one Christmas being my favorite as a kid. I'm not sure how my Mom managed to get one since they where a particularly hard item to find that year...I do know it had to have sat in Lay-a-way for some time to be able to afford such an item in time for Christmas. It has always been my uber-gift. It was a ColecoVision, and it was brand spanking new. While other kids where getting the Atari 2600 and 5200, I had gotten the have-to-have system of the year, that year. Thanks Mom, you're the best.

My times sure have changed. Here "WE" are twenty-five years later, sitting in the living room of my own house (or soon to be in 5 months). The Christmas tree is up, the stockings are hung and Christmas is just around the corner. The boys are playing their new Wii (early Christmas present)in front of the 65" big screen. They have a choice of any game system they want. Nintendo Advance, DS, PS1, PS2, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360 and now the Wii. There are TV's is every room, equipped with their own HD Satellite receiver and HD DVD. There are 3 laptop, computers to choose from and one desk top. Who says, you can't break the chains in your life. I would have never imagined being able to give my kids all this stuff for Christmas...not in a million years. I would have never imagined kids, for that matter. Which leads me to my favorite adult present, ever given. One Christmas Eve, in 1999, I asked my fiance (now wife) for a special present. I asked her for a baby....now I was a bit disappointed, come Christmas morning when their wasn't any baby under the tree but to my delight on September 19th of 2000 (he was a week early). I finally got my Christmas present. He has been an absolute joy to have ever since. Thanks Momma, your the best!

I'm Getting Old...

Grandma came over today with an early surprise for the kids. Since she will be in California for Christmas, she brought over her Christmas present early. The boys where so excited, to open, her carefully rapped gift. Momma made them wait, while she got her camera ready, but the excitement was to great for Gage, as you could hear paper slowly being torn, as she ran to gather up the camera. "It's a Wii", they exclaimed. Jayce held it high over his head as he admired their present. Soon there where Wii parts every. Orders were given, to Dad, to hook it up. So we have been playing with it for about three hours and my ass is whipped. I have concluded that I am a child of the Pac-Man era. My old ass, belongs glued to a chair, staring at a screen for hours on end...and not jumping around like a retard in the living room. Between, that damn rock-n-roll and this new Wii, my age is showing. I am by no means as old as some people I know (Kim), but what happened to just sitting in front of a TV with your Pong or Atari, for a 36 hour marathon, knocking around a ball with a line, and loving it. A few of our Xbox 360 games contain clip-its of the old Pitfall, and Missile Command and my boys love 'em. They laugh and they ask, "this is what video games used to be like in the olden days"? I laugh and say, "yes, and we loved 'em" just as much as you love your new games". I also tell them that our parents worked in the mines before they had shovels, they had to use their hands. They walked to and from work in 10 feet of snow, up hill, both ways, with no shoes. My how far we have come in the world of technology. Now, if I could just get one of them to build me a new disk for my spine, that I believe, I threw out playing boxing on the Wii. I think I'll just stick to my sit on my ass, while I type, laptop for the rest of the night...at least till some young, punk comes up with a room sized, roll up keyboard, forcing us old folk to jump around the room typing IM messages to each other.

Our Tree Is Up

Here are a couple of pics of this years tree.

I Want Balls, For Christmas...

We got a call from Grandma today, informing us that Santa Claus was at the Full Moon. He was asking for the boys personally. Gage stepped up first telling Santa he would love to have a unicycle and a bowling alley. Jayce then took his turn asking for some movies and games for an Xbox 360. A laptop, a Wii and and Xbox 360 of his very own. He also wanted some Bakugan stuff. This is where Santa asked, "what's a Bakugan"? Jayce said, "they are balls"! Santa confirmed his request. "So you want balls for Christmas", he asked. Yes I want balls! "Alrighty then", Santa replied.

To Tree. or not to Tree....that is the question

I'm sitting here trying to figure out where to start with the Christmas decorating. I have no room to set up a tree with my living room current living room configuration. So now I'm wondering do I really want to have a tree this year or not. We probably should if we want Santa Claus to have a place to stick presents this year. Unfortunately, I am going to need a much bigger tree this year if he has any hope of getting Amy's very large box of Ugg Boots, under the tree (it's huge). As for the rest of her presents, I'm sure after Christmas morn, she will tell me where I can stick the other three presents she will get.

Be The Change...

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

What a wonderful quote... How often do you meet someone and think, I wish there where more people like them in the world? People, full of passion, displaying such a zest for life. In touch with themselves enough, to be open minded of others and are able to think outside the box. The kind of individual that makes you want to be a better person. One who helps you, to become the kind of person you hope to be seen as. These are the kind of people I love to surround myself with, learn from, grow with...

Pieces of us...to you...

So we just completed our first craft show of the year and the financial results where better than last year. We where able to add a few items to our trick bag. Ceramic tile, table toppers are one of the newest items we added and sold out of. They are very elegant looking with just the right amount of an old look to tie the two together. Amy also added 4x4 block shelf sitters. They are cubed blocks combined together to create a word or two. We also have plans to add votive glass inserts to make them candle holders as well. The only downfall this year is we are lacking in inventory. A summer long remodel of the house made it impossible to build up the usual truckload of inventory we normally have for shows. As a result we are now under the gun to generate enough stock to make a good showing at the Tonopah, Winter Craft Show. We have two weeks to put together what we can. This is my least favorite part of crafting...creating under a deadline...It seems to take the fun out of it. Amy and I have decided to sit down and create a realistic plan for Tonopah so as to not make this a miserable experience for the two of us. We also have a page full of custom orders to fill in addition to this so it will be a hectic two weeks ahead of us. I am looking forward to having the house paid for this spring and perhaps purchasing a hitch and trailer for the van. Transporting goods to and from a show has proven to be difficult for us and these things would make life much easier, as would having a grid wall frame for displaying items. We are creating a plan for acquiring these items which should make life a whole lot easier, at our next years shows. We also plan to add Ely and Lovelock, NV to our locations in the upcoming years also. So here we are beginning our two week run starting now, time to set aside the PC and start crafting...