It came and went in the blink of an eye, again. Time never ceases to amaze me.

Where does time go and why so fast? 

This purple ball was left over in the gutter of our little dirt road ~

left behind to linger, bringing a memory of summer for someone! 

Summer, like this ball, has been left behind.... 

no more time for playing games, school has started and focus changes.

If you'd like to, click here to join the Round Robin Photo Challenge.

It's Wednesday morning. A little late to post my photo of Angles, as requested by Carmi at Written Inc., and as the saying goes, better late than never. Carmi does a photographic theme each week and you have until the following Wednesday to post a photo based on his selected theme. Needless to say, it's the following Wednesday today....

Now that I have a small camera again, after ours was stolen out of my glove compartment of my truck, I thought I'd participate. So, here's my angles!

Two posts in one day! Miracles never cease! I was visiting some of my visitors and happened upon Carmi, whom I hadn't visited in a long while. Carmi has a new Theme post meme and I thought I'd play.... (even though my photo's could never compare to his georgous photography, you must check him out). 

My Water photo's follow....  This was such a fun night! It was about midnight and we were awaiting a big Nor'easter to blow through. This, was the beginning, middle and end of the storm, unfortunately, as it never did materialize into much more. I LOVE weather and LOVE storms and was quite bummed, especially since this specific (2006, I think) winter had been pretty mild for Massachusetts.

Introducing..... Water!

Yes, I let the kid's get wet.  What would the fun be?

 And... here's my favorite, because of the Mist!

Becky (see side bar for more information) plays the Friday fill-in. Although I didn't want to mention it, so as not to jinx myself, I am trying to post daily (with the exception of my days off, Mondays & Tuesdays), so I am joining in:

1.  Away in a manger, no room for a stranger 

2.  Dashing (or not) through the snow in a 7 hour traffic jam!

history:  My sister Molly sent me a text yesterday evening.  She was stuck in a wicked (and I mean wicked) traffic jam, trying to get home from work in Boston. She left work when the snow started, around 1 p.m., and made it home by 8 p.m.! I have complete empathy for her. The year of Samantha's birth and the day of my babyshower, I left the NH/Mass. border at around 1 p.m. and  I arrived in Rockland at about 5:45 p.m.  If you knew the area, you'd know the trip should have been a breeze at 1 p.m., but it took me 4.5 hours to get there!

3.  Hark! The herald angels sigh

4.  It's coming on Christmas and I wish I were in the spirit

5.  When I was small I believed in Santa Claus, though I knew I was too old

history: Last year was the first year I didn't "believe". My sister beth was born when I was ten and I had to "believe"... right about the time she didn't "believe" along came my sister Molly and need I say, once Molly didn't "believe" here comes Samantha!

6. That Christmas magic has brought this tale to a magical close

7. And as for this weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a bonfire at *Evil Trucks house, tomorrow my plans include being snowed or iced in, be it at **work or at home and Sunday I want to still be ***snowed in!

*My name, being Christine makes me an Evil Car, based on the Steven King novel.  Evil truck drives a truck.  His name is not Christine but if he is calling me evil car then he is an evil truck! 

**I have blankets here and a couch and not only do I need the hours but I need to be able to get back here for Sunday's obitituaries. The snow is supposed to start in the afternoon, so chances are I will be here vs. home around the time it starts.

*** Bring it on!

1. Christmas is:  A time for family

2. In memories, what was the best part of your Christmases past?

My sister Kim and I would wake up very very early on Christmas morning, too early, and we knew it.  I don't remember if we tried to get them up and were told to come back at 7 or if we just knew instinctively that it was way too early, but we would wait.  We would play games until the time came.  I remember playing that "memory" game where you turn over cards and try to remember where they are located and also "Who's It" (not the correct name) where you would use clues to figure out which character your opponent picked to be.  The anticipation was electric!!!!

We weren't allowed in the living room until Oz and Mom were awake and Oz would go out and light the tree before we could pounce.   

3.  Was Santa ever good to you?

Most definately

4. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or both?

Gifts are for Christmas day. 

We did each get one gift to open on Christmas Eve though, another special tradition I should have thought of above.  Mom made each of us girls match pajama's to wear overnight.  The most comfortable... snuggly PJ's.  I miss them SO much!!!  Mom has carried the tradition onto my daughter and makes matching jammies for my daughter and for my little sister Molly, who was the only girl still at home for the past few years.  Another one of my sisters, Beth, has also continued the tradition.  She is a sewing expert and makes PJ's for her kids for Christmas Eve too. The few times I wasn't at home in Mass. for Christmas I bought Sami her new PJ's, but she got them, just like I did. 

5. Is there something you make each and every year? [craft or recipe]

Reindeer dust.  My sister Beth started this tradition with her babies and they shared it with Samantha, so they make it every Christmas eve.  It's an oatmeal and glitter mix and it attracks the reindeers.  On Christmas eve you take the dust and sprinkle it on the front lawn.  It looks best when there's snow on the ground - but either way, the reindeers are very attracked to it! 

6. What are your favorite five Christmas songs/hymns?

Honestly, I'm not really all that into Christmas carols.  I do like the more current ones, if any at all. 

7. Is there a new tradition for Christmas since your childhood days?

Tracking Santa for my niece and nephew at Norad.Com.  Have you ever been there?  On Christmas Eve if you go to this website it will give you Santa's whereabouts as he travels all over the world.  In other countries it's daytime when it's our nighttime so you get to watch Santa fly all over the other continents.   

8. Describe one of your Christmas trips. [whether it’s across town or across country]

Most every year is a trip home for me but I'd have to say my most interesting trip was in 1993.  Samantha was 1 month old and we actually lived up in the Mass. area and were making the trip to Va. to visit Eric's (Sam's Dad) parents.  We were to meet Clinton in Washington D.C. For no other reason than he wanted to drive his brand new Thunderbird on a road trip.  So that's what we did.  We met them and I followed Clinton down the road.  Still to this day, I'm not quite sure why they wanted to drive to DC and have us follow them.  We had made the trip many times, it's not like we were going to get lost...  Anyway, in Clintons car was himself, Trish (his wife), her son, Patrick and Shannon (Eric's sister) and Jeffrey (Erics sisters' boyfriend) all packed into this Thunderbird. In mine was Eric and myself and Sami, only one month old.  She did great and of course slept most of the trip down to Va.  We were about 2 hours away from Roanoke when we stopped to get some gas and munchies. From the time we went into the store, to the time we came out, which couldn't have been more than 10 minutes - the roads had frozen over to solid black ice.  We debated what to do, after watching dozens of cars slip and slide and debated too long because they shut down 81, leaving us with one option, which was to drive the roller coaster looking backroad.  It was well traveled, but very "up and down hill" and not one bit condusive to ice.  I could tell you more, but to make a long story a little shorter, we (all 8 of us) split a motel room and completed the trip in the morning!  

9. Do you have a special Christmas outfit to wear for the day?

No

10. Have YOU or any of your family members sat on Santa’s lap?

Not this year

11. What is/or will be on your Christmas tree this year?

White lights and new ornaments.  My Mom bought me a theme for my birthday.  She does a "theme" tree every year and I wanted one too.  Mine is Angels and all my ornaments for this tree are angels of some sort.  I wanted to put my tree up today, but couldn's afford it, so hopefully next weekend.

12. Do you/or have you decorated your yard for Christmas?

No - a few times I've done lights around the outside door, but that's about as creative as I get with it.

Two Names You Go by:
1 Chrissie

2 Mommy

Two longest car rides:

1. Massachusetts to San Diego CA & back

2. Florida to Michigan & back

Two Favorite Holidays:
1.  Thanksgiving

2.  4th of July

Two favorite beverages:
1. Dunkin Donuts coffee, iced or hot

2. Pepsi

 

Two questions you'd like to ask me?

Loose Leaf Lady interviewed me last week....  and after a week of putting off actually answering them, I finally got it done.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to play and requested she interview me, it's just that, as usual, life's too busy and after work I usually don't even want to think - so I don't.  But I have, as you see below:

Question 1. Tell us something you think most people don’t know about you that would surprise them.   

ANSWER:  When I was little I wanted to be an oceanographer & as an adult, had I down another road, I probably would have liked being a police officer or EMT person.  I didn't really do the college thing, but sometimes wish I had and would have chosen to study law and become a “defense attorney”.  Maybe in my next life...    

Question 2. If you could change 3 things about yourself, what would they be and why?    

CHANGE 1: I wish I had concentrated and dedicated myself in high school & had gone on to college (refer to above question for what I would have majored in, science or law).  I wish I could go back and realize at such an important time in life that  it is such an important time… it’s not all about fun.  Even though I sure did have a lot of that! 

CHANGE 2:  I wish I had nursed my daughter, just to have the experience.  She wouldn’t “suckle” and I didn’t really try very hard to make it work.  I got frustrated.  When I hear others discussing how great it was, I get a little jealous that I wasn't able to.  Also when my daughter was born they cleaned her up before they gave her to me.  I had to wait a good 7 minutes before they handed her to me.  If I had the chance to do it all again, I would have just reached out and grabbed her.  I did, however, get it all on videotape! 

CHANGE 3:  I would like to have a different body type.  I have a “pear” type &  I tend to be larger up top and although I love my legs, I wish I had a bigger bottom and a smaller top, which I think makes people look smaller.  I also wish I were a little more graceful or feminine. 

QUESTION 3.  If you had to wear a costume for a day as you went about your daily activities what would it be and why? 

ANSWER:  I would wear a mimes costume and go the whole day without saying a word.  I love peace & quiet and this would be ideal!     

Question 4. What’s under your bed?

ANSWER:  I have a georgeous cherry wood sleigh bed but unfortunately the frame is broken, so the mattress & box spring are sitting within the head and foot board, directly on the floor.  The mattress & box spring are high enough that you would never notice the difference, but there obviously is nothing under it… except the floor, that is.    

Question 5. Who would play you in the movie? What would the plot be? Would it be a comedy or drama or other? 

ANSWER:  I have been told a lot that I remind people of Drew Barrymore, so she would have to play Chrissie.  The plot would be along the lines of the Life Styles of the Rich & Famous and it would obviously be a fantasy!

For those who want to play:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview Me" (and an email address).
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your weblog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Did some blog reading yesterday and I visited my friend Becky.  Not only was I quite entertained catching up on some of her entry's, I also found a few things I'd like to pilfer and give her credit for at the same time.  She pilfered from others, which is the way of the weblog world and makes it oh so fun!  Becky loves to do Meme's and I have no idea where she finds them all, but they all look so fun to do.  I don't do alot of them but some catch my fancy and here is one of them.  I'll be doing another one later in the week too, but this should be first as it's a tribute to 2006 and it's getting further and further away each day.  06 was not only when I started blogging (& in January) but it also was quite the year for me.  I went through both trials and tribulations and had much fun & many smiles!

The ideal is this.  Go back into your archives to the first post of each month and simply copy your entry title and first sentence of each entry.  It'll give you a brief look-back on your year and I gaurantee once you get started reading your archives you'll have a hard time stopping.  At least that's what happened to me. 

This is how my 2006 shaped up:

JANUARY

My IQ = 124

Click here to take the test
IQ TEST  

FEBRUARY

Nana

Nana – by Chrissie
Mother of nine and nine had nineteen
James thru Trish with seven between  

MARCH

And now I'm feeling like today is Tuesday.....
 

Except for the fact that Idol was on last night!   I thought the show was a little on the boring side. Without further delay, here is my reaction to yesterday's displays of talent.  

APRIL

Goodbye Puppy
 

I hate to do it, but I'm getting rid of the puppy! If you want to see a pic of the pup scroll down.







APRIL FOOLS  

MAY 

Forever and a Day
 

Well Hello there and how are you? Haven't seen or talked to you in awhile. Hope all is well!  

JUNE

It would only happen to Chrissie
 

Again I've got another "it will only happen to Chrissie" entry's, seems to be happening quite often.... considering the keys going down the toilet a few weeks ago. It might become a regular feature!  

JULY

Go to the Head of the Class
 

Not me. I've been held back.

AUGUST 

Coal Mines & More Mountains 

Got back last night from a long trip to Kentucky.  I had never been and it was really a nice drive.  

September

Outdoor Open House

Becky and I took a ride over to the new house Friday afternoon and I finally got some snap shots to share!  

October

Have You Missed Me?
 

Honey I'm home!  I finally have my internet at home, a dish for TV & a phone too (I had my cell phone but didn't get much signal unless I went out on the porch). 

November

Forever and a day!
 

That's how long it's been since I posted last.  I know, I know, Get with it.  Sorry guys - busy life is getting the best of my time. 

December

Mouse Matters
 

We have a new wireless mouse & keypad.

While surfing the web I ran across www.myheritage.com.  They have this face recognition software that takes your picture and matches it up with your look alikes.  I was so excited to post my results, but I couldn't figure out how to add it to my entry.  It is in html code and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to add it into my post.  So I'm posting my top two results my own way.  It is really fun - you should check it out!  Much, much Fun!

I used this picture of me (which isn't great but it was a good closeup of my face and I don't have many of those)

And my top two results:  Michelle Pfeiffer & Goldie Hawn

             So there you have it!

     Let me know who your look alikes are! 

Thanks to Two Sirius - this looks like fun!

Opening credits: Starry Starry Night, Don McLean

Waking up:   Tuesday's Gone - Lynard Skynard

First day of High School: Centerfold, J Giels

Falling in love:  Can't You See, Marshall Tucker Band

Fight song:  Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes

Breaking up: Do That To Me One More Time - Carly Simon

Prom: I just Died in your Arms Tonight - REO Speedwagon

Life:  Blinded by the Light, Mannfred Mann

Mental breakdown:  Problem Child, ACDC

Driving:  Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald, Harry Chapin

Flashback:  I'll Wait - Van Halen

Getting back together: Heartbreaker, Pat Benetar

Wedding:  Karma, Alicia Keyes
Birth of child:  Watch Over You, Holly McNarland
Final battle: I Want you to Want Me, Cheap Trick
End credits:  I am Immortal, Quenn

I swear I didn't manipulate the Media Player - but alot do fit rather nicely....  :-)

Straight from the horse's mouth.

Have a terrific weekend to everyone!