New Year's Eve Eve 2011

So, last night we had two gatherings.

For the first, we had time only to drop in and run because we had weeks ago accepted a dinner invitation from May guests at Moogie's Mansion. It was good to have one last gathering of The Easter Group for this year (seven families with children of similar ages who have been getting together at Easter, then Christmas, then New Year's, then wedding and baby showers, and birthday parties since the eighties). Three of those families (including Moogie's) have scattered around the globe in the last decade.

Later we joined my junior/high school friend and her husband (who is only a few weeks out of surgery!) at their delightful home in Hillcrest for a new taste experience and companionship.

Shep grilled marinated lamb tenderloin. I've never had lamb tenderloin before. Oh. My. Word. I gotta find me some lamb tenderloins again SOON!!!

It was a delightful, relaxing evening without a food orgy, but food delights. And good company, learning about the sculptures created by our host from raw wood.

Wow.

More food tomorrow -- after scrubbing, dusting, washing, unpacking, and sneezing (a lot!) at the construction project! There's a non-freight-train light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Happy New Year's Eve Eve!!

Moogie's True, Feel-good, Christmas Miracle Story

On Christmas Eve, I was navigating the aisles at the enormous grocery that I call Krogerville because it deserves its own zip code, intent on grabbing what I needed and getting the heck out of there (along with most of the rest of the population of central Arkansas), when I heard a clattering racket behind me. A young woman had knocked over an entire display of holiday muffin tins and was frantically trying to pick them up, without much success.

"Bless her heart," I thought as I turned to resume pushing my cart.

But then I heard myself talking to me in my head. "It's Christmas Eve. We're all frazzled. Go help her."

So I walked back to her, set my purse down, and we got everything back in place while sharing a good laugh. She went her way and I went mine.

About five minutes later, as I was searching for the good kind of eggnog, a voice over the loudspeaker announced, "MoogieP, please report to Customer Service." Twice! And it dawned on me that my purse was no longer on my arm.

You know that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach? I had it in spades. My cell phone. My car keys. My billfold. My chapstick!!

But when I got to Customer Service, as I had dared to hope (since they knew my name, of course), they had my purse! Someone had turned it in! And, here's the miraculous part -- everything was intact! Nothing missing -- not even cash! I smiled and hummed Christmas carols aloud for the duration of that shopping trip, feeling quite peaceful and good-will-toward-men-ish.

So, I guess it truly does pay to do a good deed -- it might come around back to you sooner than you could imagine. Merry Christmas Season to one and all! May the miracles multiply for you and yours.

And, Geaux Saints! Pluck those Dirty Birds!

What? Don't judge me. Beating Atlanta on Monday Night Football feels good, too!

Merry Christmas 2011

So, once again I outsmarted myself. Please go back in time to December 9th where my saved Christmas Post is apparently posted. I composed and saved it, but it obviously doesn't want you to see my Christmas message. So, please go back to December 9 to see our message to you all. Wishing you blessings and peace in this holiest time of that very promise.

Love, Moogie

Pre-Christmas --We're Ignoring Congress

It's December 21st. Pepper and I successfully shopped and joined several members of the Hall High class of '72 for dinner and catching up. Good to see classmates I haven't seen in years! Social media are miraculous things, truly.

A reasonable number of workers showed up at the addition/remodel site (after, yesterday, we cunningly allowed some of the general contractor's people to overhear our strategy of pursuing action against the contractor, plus concerns about hiring the contractor to do home improvement, not DEMOLITION). We'll be especially prepared to address "explanations" of construction "shortcomings" after proof of theft and engaging in the use of illegal substances on site by some of the previous "workers" was uncovered. What a nightmare.

Still and all -- we're sleeping peacefully at Elder Daughter's house, and looking forward to Christmas! Bouie, too!

Two Christmas Cartoons

One pretty funny . . .

One kinda sad . . .

One week 'til Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Day!

A Look Back in Time -- Christmas 2005

We'll see if this works.  It's mainly for Lou -- she asked for a picture of Moogie's Mansion because the old girl might become the subject of one of Lou's paintings!  (If so, maybe she'll post it!)

Anyway, the best picture I have of the Mansion appeared in the Christmas newsletter I composed in 2005 while we were evacuated after Katrina.  I rarely do Christmas newsletters, but 2005 was such an eventful year, I needed to do it so I could remember everything.  And seeing as the Christmas season has rolled around again, hence and thusly, I present (hopefully):

Woo hoo!  It worked!

(and there is much less of several of us to love these days in the poundage department!)

Merry week before Christmas!

The Young Prince Will Have His Way

Have you ever met a dog who could hear you stretch in bed from another room?  No, you say?

Well, allow me to introduce you to Bouie -- Mr. Perky-ears McPest Pup.

One morning last week, Pepper and I were both down with the crud (or "black damocus," as Pepper says) and had plans to sleep in until we awoke naturally.  Bouie had other ideas.

He has this uncanny ability to know when it's the weekend and Pepper won't have to go to the office, so he wants to go on his off-leash romp and/or swim with Pepper before the break of dawn.  Pepper usually accommodates him because he pretty much trained Bouie to expect said romp.  If Pepper doesn't get up at a time Bouie deems appropriate, Pepper can expect a big ol' paw or two to land on the mattress beside him, if not smack in the middle of his chest.

Bouie tried that trick last Saturday, but Pepper told him, "Not yet.  Wait a little bit until I wake up," and Bouie slunk out of the bedroom to pout in the tv room.  Typically, when he does that he won't bother Pepper again until he hears sounds of people stirring and walking.  But, seriously, last Saturday, while Pepper was still asleep, I simply stretched before shifting position, and Bouie interpreted that miniscule sound as "stirring."  Here came the toenails clicking across the floor, followed by 2 big paws flumping on the mattress, followed by a tail wagging so ferociously that the mattress swayed along with it, accompanied by soft whining coming from a face with wrinkled brow and ears that looked so perky you imagined that they hurt from the strain.

We both giggled.

And Pepper got up.  [I turned over and went back to sleep.  ;) ]

After they had their together-time romp at City Park where Bouie got to run and swim and chase some geese, they shared breakfast, and Bouie promptly curled up for an extended nap which lasted most of the rest of the day. 

Pepper couldn't get back to sleep.  Sort of.

Do you think we maybe spoil that dog a little too much?

Today's Grasping-at-Straws Post

Like many blog buddies, I'm kinda in a blog-post desert right about now. 

I didn't get a good enough picture of the squirrel sitting in the gutter on the garage munching camphor berries that I watched through the kitchen door today while having my own lunch, so there's one blown idea. 

There's not much going on at Sophie Wright Institute for Academic Excellence because they're gearing up for Christmas break (but they do have a lighted and decorated Christmas tree in the second floor landing window!).

 I don't have the energy to address the Young President's simple (minded) request that Iran kindly return our downed drone, if you please.

 Sooooo, I think I'll go with "odd."

I ran across this video on a local news site, but there was no embed code so I looked it up on YouTube.  It is set in Maryland where some clown rented this sign and placed it on the shoulder of a busy road.  The city removed it "in the interest of public safety."  One wonders what the dude who put it there was thinking.



Seriously?  Do you suppose he was older than 12?

Sheesh.

New Orleans' Salute to the North Pole?

LANGUAGE ALERT!

I haven't heard of this event before (unlike the New Orleans Running of the Bulls).  It's apparently to take place this Saturday in the Warehouse District: The Running of the Santas -- 



Somehow, I think this is one we'll skip.  The Carols and Candles at Jackson Square will be much more uplifting.

Pepper got a Christmas decorating bug this weekend, so Moogie's Mansion now has wreaths on two of the windows!  I fluffed the branches and attached the bows (and recovered the nail from the holly bushes where it landed after escaping from Pepper's hand), and he hung them on big ol' brass cup hooks (that I'll see every time I look at the windows after the wreaths are packed away). 

Now the old girl looks pretty festive during the day as well as at night when the lights are shining!

I love Christmas decorating!  It both makes -- and recalls -- such good memories.

Bouie agrees.

NOT on Moogie's Wish List

From today's inbox -- this little gem to brighten up your "holiday" tree, only $19.95 from MyDemocraticStore.com (with free shipping with the code from the email):

Even though I'm an Independent and not a Republican, please don't send me one of these as a "holiday" gift.  We have Chrismas Trees at Moogie's Mansion, so we won't be needing a "holiday" ornament.  Please don't.

Please!

MOOGIE'S FAMILY WISHES YOUR FAMILY

A Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

                            and

a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous 2012!

We grew in 2007 when Lizzy joined Steve, Helen, Will, and John ...

. . . then again in 2010 when Shay married Tim . . .

. . . and again in 2011 when Veronica married Nick!

And, we still have Rosie, soon to turn 17 years young . . .          

. . . and, of course,  Bouie!                      

 With Lots and Lots of Christmas Love, Moogie and "Pepper"                                                 

Your Gift-Giving Guide

Blog buddy, Andy, occasionally shares "unusual" gift suggestions that he and Mrs. Andy have run across.  When I saw this one in a Bed, Bath and Beyond mailer in the "Great Gifts Under $20" section, I thought that I would do the same.  It's just what everyone needs!

For entertainment purposes only.  Heh.  The gift that keeps on giving (by saving the recipient all those attorneys' fees, court costs, and fines?).

This was a very entertaining mailer -- the Breathalyzer was positioned on the page right beside this gift suggestion--

Bed, Bath and Beyond is into irony!  Who knew?

Now, go warm up those credit cards!

Rudolph's Going Green . . .

I suppose an LED bulb would be a little too bright -- might blind oncoming pilots -- so poor ol' Rudolph had to go with this:

(Sorry posting has been a little lagging this week -- I've been under the weather, and the covers, with a foggy brain.)

It's Beginning to Sound a Lot Like . . . .

The Sophie Wright Institute for Academic Excellence marching band has been doing a lot of practicing lately.  Yesterday I caught them marching down our side street back toward the schoolyard.


I've been wondering why they're practicing so hard -- it's nowhere near Carnival season and football season is over for them.  Then, while waiting on Rosie to do her thing in the front yard this morning, I listened to them playing "Angels We Have Heard on High"  (well, they were sorta playing it -- some of them might have been playing something different) and thought maybe they were gearing up for a Christmas Program at school.  Then they played it again, a little better.  And again, better still.

As I opened the back gate to let in the guy from Entergy so he could change out our meters with new ones that can be read remotely (Entergy has been estimating our bills for years -- the meter readers obviously don't have the breaking-and-entering skillz of thugs who steal lawn mowers and, it turns out, cordless drills and Skil saws) , I discovered the reason for the frantic practicing -- the band was loading onto buses wearing Santa hats!  They were on their way to march in today's Krewe of Jingle Christmas Parade downtown!  Sorry -- I didn't have a camera with me, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

I think maybe they should've practiced the Christmas music a little more, but they'll do great.

Don't you wonder why they make the 4 girls who play clarinet march in the very back?

Justice Kagan Sullies the Supreme Court Bench. Badly.

Article III, sec. 1, of the U.S. Constitution establishes the federal judiciary.  The requirements aren't much -- one needn't even be a lawyer to qualify as a federal judge.  There are only two simple requirements:

The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behavior, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.

So, to become and remain a federal judge (or Justice) for life, one need only (1) behave him/herself and (2) get paid.

In my opinion, if she continues to refuse to recuse herself from the Obamacare case, Justice Elena Kagan will meet only one of those two simple requisites for service in the federal judiciary.

In her role as Solicitor General, Kagan became so inextricably intertwined in efforts to pass the Act that she cannot possibly be able to remain impartial in hearing arguments against, and deciding on, its constitutionality. Because such an appearance of impropriety falls well shy short of "Good Behavior," Justice Kagan should be Impeached, convicted by the Senate, and removed from the bench.

Yes.  I contend that such egregious behavior amounts to nothing less than "high crimes and misdemeanors."  The woman clearly perjured herself during her confirmation hearings by denying any participation in the Obamacare process, and her threatened participation in the Obamacare case is an oozing blemish on the face of the Supreme Court. 

Where's the Clearasil?!?!

From Today's Inbox -- The Obama Lottery!

I could just swoon!  Looky, looky!  I'm on a first-name basis with FLOTUS, and I could win!

Moogie--

I'm excited for the chance to meet you and whoever you decide to bring to dinner.

I really hope you give this a shot.

Give $3 or whatever you can to be automatically entered for you and a guest to have dinner with Barack and me:

https://donate.barackobama.com/Dinner-With-Us

Hope to see you soon,

Michelle

I'm not liking their relentless fundraising.  Or anyone else's either, for that matter.

With Christmas, together with December birthdays and gatherings, coming up, you'd think the pols would back down and leave us alone for just one month!  (Or maybe two months since the bills for December arrive in January.)  But, noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  They have to keep on sticking out their money-grubbing hands and grinning with their lying-eyed faces. 

Plus, this ruse doesn't even guarantee the contributor a quid pro quo like August's "Election Poetry Refrigerator Magnet" fundraising scam.  Heh.

With my luck, if I lost my mind and decided to kick in 3 bucks on a lark, I'd probably win.  Then I'd have to hire someone to impersonate Moogie for the gala feast with the Obamas, because I certainly don't think I could eat with them in the same room and keep everything down, and that would be really expensive.  Then I'd have to hire someone else to impersonate Pepper because that vein in his temple would start throbbing if he found himself even in the same building as the First Family, and that would be even more expensive!  So, I think I'd better decline this invitation to invest in the Obama Lottery.

I have no doubt that I'll be hearing from them again very soon, however, with another opportunity to part with some of my dollars.  They can't seem to lose my email address!