I know I’ve mentioned this about 152 times, but after a 2009 holiday season that was a little rough because of the way family travel plans fell out (and was made worse by the fact that I was on the front end of a few months where I would feel a strong pull toward pajamas, television and no small degree of loneliness), I wasn’t exactly in my finest emotional state at the beginning of 2010. And while my normal reaction under similar circumstances would probably be to dream up some fun activities for the three of us or use the time productively or try to see the bright side of the situation, SUCH WAS NOT THE CASE IN 2009.
Given all of that, D and I agreed at the beginning of December that we were going to make a conscious effort to Take Part In Activities during this most recent round holidays. And oh, did we ever. We didn’t over-commit or anything – and we made sure to have plenty of at-home time – but we may have set a personal record for Having Plans. And do you know what? WE ENJOYED IT. Plus, we had more time with extended family this year (we saw D’s family and my brother’s family before Christmas, my parents were here Christmas Day and then Sister and her hubby were here for FOUR WHOLE DAYS after Christmas), not to mention that I got to catch up with some sweet friends last week. IT WAS ALL QUITE DELIGHTFUL.
And all that to say: I think it was our best Christmas and New Year’s ever. Seriously. We had an absolute blast. And in the end it had very little to do with the activities and everything to do with the fact that we got to spend time with lots of people. I told D this morning that the end of 2010 was pretty much the antithesis to the end of 2009, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that. Because while I know there are lessons in every season of life, it sure is more fun to sit around a table and laugh until your sides hurt than it is to stay in your pajamas for three days and struggle to remember the last time you took a shower.
I’M JUST SAYIN’.
Anyway, here are a few pictures of All The Fun.
Alex got to hang out with his lifelong friend AC when we met my friend Norma and her girls for lunch this past Wednesday. It’s always so great to see them. Norma and I put the kids at the table next to us and let them eat their food and visit while we ate our food and covered about 72 different topics in an hour. We started off talking about hair color and had made our way to the spiritual gift of prophecy by the time lunch was over. Those two topics weren’t related, by the way, though you can rest assured that there have been MANY times when I have longed for someone to speak a prophetic word over my hair, amen.
I picked up these DELICIOUS gingersnaps for half-price when we were running errands Thursday morning, and OH MY WORD THEY’RE TASTY. I’m embarrassed to tell you how many of those cookies we’ve eaten over the last four days, but you can rest in the peace of knowing that it’s A LOT. They’re so thin and crispy and ginger-y – all the qualities I admire in a gingersnap.
Friday morning Sister and I went to a few of my favorite stores in Homewood, and afterwards we hopped over to my friend Jan’s bakery to pick up some cupcakes. When we were leaving Jan said to be sure to stop by the new antiques market at the end of the street, and since we were feeling all footloose and fancy-free-ish, we did just that. There were lots of different booths, and I couldn’t help but think of a couple of friends whose husbands love to hunt when I saw this:
THAT’S A LAMP BASE, PEOPLE.
When we finally made our way to the back of the store, I was drawn to a booth with a bunch of original paintings. I loved the colors, loved the style, and when I saw how affordable the prices were, I picked out one for my foyer and brought it home.
YOU CAN IMAGINE MY JOY.
We capped off the day with some friends who stopped by for New Year’s Eve, and oh sweet mercy I laughed until I cried. Sister and I managed to stay up until midnight, but everybody else had given up the ghost long before that. We really weren’t even staying up to welcome the new year – we were just trying to work in a little last-minute research before Mississippi State played Michigan in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day. Pre-game preparation is essential, you know.
(If anyone is still reading this post, I should probably offer you some sort of prize.)
(I’m just as sorry as I can be about your certain boredom.)
(But it’s like I have to document all of this stuff so that I can free up memory space in my brain and move fully into 2011.)
(The crazy takes up a lot of room, you understand.)
Much to our delight, Emma Kate and her daughter C were able to join us on New Year’s Day. Since all of EK’s fellas were hunting, she and C had a girls’ weekend here in the ‘Ham. I CANNOT TELL YOU how happy it made all of us to have them here. EK even brought Sister and me a little treat she’d run across the day before.
We had a fit over them. Sister called them our Gator Bowl Good Luck Bling Rings. I mean, do you see how those fake diamonds sparkle and shine? We thought they were PERFECT, and besides my cowbell, my ring will be my new favorite game day accessory.
I didn’t have any huge expectations going into the game, but it didn’t take too long to figure out that the Bulldogs were on FI-IRE. I’ve never seen us play that well IN MY LIFE. Sister, EK and I screamed and hollered and cheered and jumped and hollered some more. And get this: the Bulldogs had such a big lead for most of the game that I never even pulled out my vacuum. CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE SUCH A THING? We really are so proud of our Bulldogs; they finished the season 9-4 (MY WORD) and made this past football season one of the most fun I can remember.
(Yes. We totally paused the TV so we could take that picture.)
(Yes. We are goobers.)
(Yes. We are PROUD goobers.)
(YES. 52-14!!!!)
It really was the best New Year’s Day ever.
Hope yours was, too.
Go ‘Dogs!
Thought about you all day while yelling GO DOGS all the way out here on the west coast!
I cheered HARD for your Bulldogs while my husband cheered HARD for his Crimson Tide and I bugged him by wearing a Michigan State tshirt (ok, it wasn’t really a MS tshirt – it was technically a Mountain Brook tshirt – but it TOTALLY made its point – especially since he has been proudly wearing an Oregon tshirt for the past week, the big butt). So now you have to pull for my Tigers on Jan 10. Because I will be home alone watching it (S will be in Vegas for a work meeting, the big butt) and I might need your vacuum and a nearby puke bucket to get me through it.
Seriously, I’m so nervous I have no more fingernails.
I keep telling myself that it’s a bunch of 19 year old boys playing a game and that I shouldn’t get this worked up over it.
It’s TOTALLY not working.
War Eagle.
I was thinking of you and rooting on the Bulldogs!!! I’m an Ohio State Fan and you know how I feel about that team from up north! :) Glad to hear that you had a wonderful holiday with the family & friends! The people in our lives do make the holidays even more special!
I think I’m having what you had in ’09. Let’s agree not to swap it back and forth. Ugh.
So happy the Bulldogs won! We had to listen on our satellite radio on the way back from skiing. Those gingersnaps are the best – so jealous you got them half price!!!
I like how your Gator Bowl memories are of Mississippi State being on FI-RE. Much more positive than our memories of endless discussions of when will Coach Rich Rod likely be FI-RED (answer: not soon enough. He’s a nice guy & good coach, but the circumstances have unfortunately worked completely against him.)
Happy 2011!
I don’t think you’re boring and your little guy is too cute.
Happy New Year!
Love the bling! Congrats on your big win!
I live in Michigan…We are still hanging our heads in shame..nuff said…:)
My hubster, who does not read your blog but gets to hear its recap from me (as in, “Today, Boo was so funny; she said, in all caps, now you have to hear it in a Southern accent….”), was so excited to report that your Bulldogs won. His words: “Boo Mama is going to have a lot to talk about. Maybe she didn’t even have to vacuum!” Does he know you or what?
So my husband and I went to Michigan and are huge Wolverines fans. So we’re all geared up to watch the bowl game and I see we are playing Mississippi State and I thought about it for a minute and remembered that is YOUR team. Anyway, as you said, it was a blowout (which is kind of okay because we want our coach to be fired) and I thought, hey at least Boomama is happy. :-) Glad you had such fun holidays!!!
The SEC in general was great to watch and I want to know what it is with ABC scheduling all that great football at the same time. The commercials were even in sync at one point and I just couldn’t keep up with all the switching from one game to another! But we were so very proud of the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs! ! It was a great New Year’s day! When I saw that precious State player running with that flag I wondered if you were having a fit! Loved the picture!
I enjoyed every word of that post. It never occurred to me that if I was more diligent to spill the minutiae of my life on my itty bitty blog, the diminished crazy might make more room in my brain! Genius! New resolution! Love to you and yours!
I do not even think I have words to describe my love and adoration for your fan bling.
Of course mine would have a little badger on it. With a tear in his eye. Because he was beated by a HORNED FROG on New Years Day. What even IS a HORNED FROG?
But I digress.
I just LOVE the bling.
Do I even dare to admit that I made it through the weekend without having to watch a single moment of football? Don’t be mad. Ha!
I was not even bored for one syllable of your post. I’m not sure who that should be scarier for – me or you!! LOL and I agree with the above comment, you little guy is adorable. I can’t believe how much he’s changed just since starting to read your blog. And by the way – if you ever see those ring for my boilers – I would totally buy one. MS State was the only team I was rooting for to beat a big ten team. Go dogs!! Love reading you every day. Wish we could meet IRL.
I was so excited to see that State won big! I went to Southern Miss but will pull for State (and despise Ole Miss). DH and I were back and forth with the TV all day long watching the games – why do they schedule the SEC teams opposite each other like that? And now I’m wanting to trip down to Homewood to pick up some Dreamcakes! Love them. And those ginger snaps? Yumms. Now if I could have a Booberry Biscuit on top of that I’d be in heaven. So glad your 2010 ended much better than your 2009.
Love your game bling! So GLAD when the SEC beats up on the Big 10 (sorry, Big 10 fans!) My Tulsa Hurricane beat up on Hawaii while NO ONE gave us a chance! Great bowl season so far!
I love the ring. I must find one for my team. Also, love that they creamed mighty Michigan like that. Love it. Happy New Year!
Sounds like a perfect way to end the old year and move into the new one. :-)
I must tell you…..I am an Ole Miss graduate and fiercely loyal Rebels fan, but I was pulling for the Bulldogs in the Gator Bowl. So proud of their win, and a great rep of the SEC!!
I live right outside Jacksonville. I was hoping to read you were coming to the game. I would have had you over for sausage dip and diet coke!
Can you please tell me where I can get those rings?! My daughters are married to HUGE State fans and have become such themselves. They would love them! Rejoicing with you over your sweet, happy holidays!
I am afraid if someone ever prophecied over my hair it would go something like this….
“Thou art dead. Get over it”
I am not sure what it says about my life but I could not wait to read your blog today–well everyday of course but oh my oh my how I LOVED watching football this weekend. LOVED those dogs, roll tide, gators were great, then TCU–who knew horned frogs had it in them and topped off with Boomer Sooners! All my teams won. Now, we would greatly appreciate everyone vacuuming like crazy on Tuesday night while chanting GO HOGS GO!!
Oh my lands it was just the BEST New Years Day EVER!!!!! Sophie failed to mention that we ATE UP her yummy peas, cornbread, cabbage, mac & cheese, and pork chops!!!! All that food, a HECK of a ballgame, spent with my dearest friend on the planet and HER wonderful sister!!! = a perfect day!!!!
I ate those exact same cookies last week– picked them up half price at World Market and I COULD NOT STOP EATING THEM!!! I eventually had to put half of the tin in a plastic bag and furtively leave them at my mom’s!!!! Happy New Year!
I’ve been buying those cookies faithfully at World Market for several years. Totally addictive. Try making little tiny ice cream sandwiches with them – I, of course, use Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla – but just whip out any kind you like! Love them!
Boomama!! I know your choosiness with pens because I’m the same way! You mentioned using the Sharpee pens, which I liked for a while, but I have found the best pens ever! The new Pilot Frixion!! Don’t let the word “gel” frighten you because it writes NOTHING like a gel pen. And the friction eraser works a million times better than normal pen erasers. Can’t say enough about these pens! I sound like a commercial when I talk about them! (I promise I don’t work for Pilot! Ha!)
Oh Sophie, now my finger looks completely naked without that beautiful bling!! :) How fun!!
I wish you had been in Jax though…I would have loved to hug your neck and hang out for some maroon-wearing fun! But wasn’t that game the best? Just the best?
Love you so! Go Dawgs!
Oh my stars and garters!!! I simply must have one of those rings ! I honestly think each member of my family would wear one with pride !
I was there and it was perfect! The game, the weather everything! Go State!
Oh, my where did she get those rings? Please let us know! Have enjoyed your blog all year long! Thanks!
Oh, Sophie!
I, too, am a PROUD goober! I wore myself slap out hollerin’, ringin’ my bell, and textin’ Andrea while watching our Dawgs on FI-IRE! I had to keep telling myself, “Yes, this IS the Mississippi State Bulldogs playing this well!”
It was such a wonderful way to start 2011!
So, so glad you had THAT kind of holiday season. I think they come every few years and remind us how wonderful it can be.
Boomama,
I am so sorry you had a rotten time last year. I truly empathise with you as I was just the same.
That said, you need to know what a differnce your funny, cheerful, witty, faithful blog makes…….
Yes, My adult son will still be handicapped, yes, my other kids may try My Unconditional Mothers Love………..bless their cuddly little hearts …………but its nice ot come here and Unwind and BELLY LAUGH.
You are an answer to prayer and don’t you forget it. When someone asks “What did you do to lift another, Sister Boomama ? ” You can reply ” I blogged about bacon/cheese/shoes with kicky heels and Martha…………and I Made a Difference in Someones Life.
Cos you Do.
Where did EK get those rings????? I am going to S’ville this weekend and I MUST get one!!!!! LM
Oh my word – that “leg lamp” might be even more disturbing than the fishnet stocking version. Hilarious!
First of all…I love the name Norma. It was my grandmothers name. :) Second of all, the lamp base is straight up awesome.
Thirdly, is that a word…the picture reminds me a picture my mom still has in her kitchen from NOLA. Fourthly…sounds like an un-word…GO HOGS GO!!
Happy 2011.
You are awesome. :)
I haven’t been here in a few days, so you may be proud to know not only did I make it through this post, but I kept on reading through the previous one. Not bored at all. It seems like we have some things in common. I think right now I am where you were this time last year. I’m not sure why. Some great things happened in 2010 (FINALLY adopted my son!) but I am still very unsettled and really struggling with depression. I’ve actually thought about asking my doctor for something to help take the edge off, but that would require me actually going to see him. Not my idea of fun, so for now I’m trudging through. Prayers are appreciated!
Thanks for being a blessing!
Cathy
ps… can you tell us the name of the artist? I LOVE that but live nowhere near you. I would like to see if she has an etsy shop or something.
I am loving the rings! Can you tell where EK got the rings? They are exactly what I need for the MSU girls in my family.
2 questions mizz boomama. are you on facebook? cuz my blog time is limited but facebook its all about the now :) and second, did you watch Paula’s new show Live to Dance? YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT it was amazing and moving and FUN TIMES :) LMK. I am on the facebook and wish/hope you were. xoxo melzie
I KNOW!!! I just said the same thing – I don’t think I’ve ever seen them play that well! My hubs has rewound and rewatched that game about 4 times. I would love to have one of those rings – where can you get them? I know…the Lodge, right? On the opposite side of the coin, I have just this very week been going through the exact same thing, i.e., can’t remember the last time I showered and don’t want to get out of the bed. Thanks for the pep talk.