Random ramblings

-Today was one of those days where I got a lot accomplished and it feels good. I got the house cleaned, the beds changed, laundry done, candy made for the Christmas potluck Wednesday, calls accepted and made, trash taken out, a movie watched (Nine Lives which was very good if you like independents (i.e., not Angela) - it was like looking in the window at a moment in a person's life, well nine persons to be exact), some cross-stitch done (though doubtfully finished by Christmas like I had hoped when I started it less than a month ago), and even a little writing mixed it.
-Angela is still in the hospital. She was threatening to escape tomorrow, to give up but I think I persuaded her to stick it out with a stuffed pig named Beans delivered to her room tied to a balloon.
-For a while this afternoon I thought we were being attacked. Huge helios were flying overhead but then I remembered that this is the week of Desert Talon, the huge training drill here when soliders from all over the country come to train in preparation for deployment. According to the news tonight they come here because our climate is very much like that of Iraq's. Good to know.
-This is the last week of school before our three-week Christmas vacation. I am very excited. We're going to read Snowflake Bentley and cut out snowflakes to hang all over the room. We're also going to take a big unit test and finish writing our origin myths (inspiration=the Greek myth Echo and Narcissus).
-I got my hair cut yesterday and the stylist went a bit crazy. Well insane really. I wanted a few inches off and my hair is now just below my ears. I am still in shock. Tomorrow I'll wash it and see how it curls up (she straightened it yesterday) and see what the damage is. Figures, just as we go into a big family photo-op time.
-Christmas is 2 weeks away! I can't wait. I get like a little kid this time of year. Today I was talking to my dad on the phone about our annual Christmas shopping outing to buy mom's gifts and I got really excited. I watched Rudolph Friday night, and have been downloading new Christmas itunes. (By the way It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Sixpence None the Richer rocks. And it doesn't hurt it was featured in last year's Christmas episode of Grey's Anatomy.) The fact that it was 70 degrees here today was a bit weird as I am having a hard time remembering it's December but I lit candles anyway!