And So This Is Christmas...

Image via Wikipedia

Well, it's Christmas eve & it's almost time to start getting ready to be sociable. UGH! Yes, this evening we will be spending with my family. My uncle & his partner are in from Minnesota. The rest of my family will be meeting at my youngest sister's house at 6:00 pm for dinner & Polish traditions.
We usually start with sharing of the oplatek which is a very thin wafer-like square broken & shared with everyone to share good blessings & wishes for the new year. It's pretty much made of the same ingredients that a communion wafer is made of but it's a 5 x7 inch square. Then we sit down to say grace & all each a piece of herring. I know it has some meaning & I need to find that & the Polish spelling. When I do, I will let you know. LOL! We have a meatles dinner of pierogi (dumplings) filled with potato, cheese & plum, fish, kapusta (special sauerkraut with mashed lima beans) & dried plums & apricots. We usually have a few other thigs & dessert as well. After dinner, we sing Christmas carols, Polish & English & the kids will open their gifts. Then it's time to go to midnight mass, which is at 10pm because of the neighborhood or because we are Polish...lol! Those who don't go to church stay behind & cook ham & kielbasa (Polish sausage) for the after midnight meal when meat is able to be eaten. So, when everyone comes back from church, we eat & pretty much go home after that since it's usually around 1-2am.
On Christmas day, we go to my mom-in-laws house for dinner consisting of ham, chicken, sausage (pork & turkey), stuffing, turkey, potatoes, etc. There's a lot of food!!! Then since we exchange names every year, my hubby passes out the gifts. No, he is NOT dressed in a Santa suit. It would be funny, though...shhh, I won't tell him that! LOL. After all the fun is over, we all pack up food & all of our gifts & homemade cookies from my sis-in-law & head home to relax & digest.
I am so looking forward to Saturday when I don't have to do anything! I'll just be here reading blogs, email & playing mahjongg. That is my Christmas gift to me-Rest & Relaxation! I can not wait!
There is one thing my uncle told me yesterday that may be a gift for my whole family. He found out that my middle sis broke up with the idiot guy she got back with after making us happy when she broke up with him earlier in the year. Of course, UGH, they got back together but now we found out that they are no longer together. I certainly hope so. She deserves so much better & needs someone to take care of her instead of her taking care of him & his whole family. Anyway, I'm hoping it's a Christmas miracle. I will let you know, of course!!!

Well, I'm off to the bakery to pick up dessert & bread (that I had to wait a half hour in line to order yeaterday!). Then a nice bubble bath & soon after...The Peace, Joy & Love of Christmas! (cough cough) Sorry, I just choked there for a minute. LOL. Positive thoughts (& lots of cigarettes) will get me through.

Merry Christmas to all & to all Good Luck!!!

Using a Babushka to stifle myself,

Collette

Happy Holidays or Bah Humbug?

Image by HowardLake via Flickr

Well, Thanksgiving is over (WOOHOO!) & the holiday season is in full swing. Except for the fact that it is December 3rd & we have no snow (again, WOOHOO!) as of yet. Yes, they are calling for some flurries & snow showers during the week, but nothing to be worried about. In fact, just the past week has been chilly. We have had temps near 60 & above pretty much all autumn. I am enjoying the hell out of it. As you know, I absolutely hate & dread the winter season. The bitter cold, blizzard-like snow & the incredibly slick & dangerous ice that we deal with here in Michigan makes me want to hibernate until the temps hit 60 once again.

The weather is not the only dreaded thing about this time of year. All the shopping for gifts, finding parking, & pushing & shoving makes it seem as if selfishness has taken over. The news shows people physically fighting over the last popular toy that "my child has to have". Thieves are hiding around every corner watching & waiting until your arms, full of bags & boxes, are emptied into your trunk so they can knock you down to take your car with all the gifts that you worked so hard to save & scrimp for. The usually pleasant salespeople, that have been working many hours with angry customers who can't find what they want, are cranky when you get to them because there's no tag on the item you want & they have to search for a price.

Last, but certainly not least, we come to spending time with the family. Some we see all year long. Some we see during the year for events & get-togethers of sorts. And some come from out of town only a couple of times a year. It seems to me that the ones from out of town are the ones we'd rather see more than some we have closer to us. We are forced to make nice to others because "they are family" or "it's the holidays". Wouldn't it be nice to be able to be honest? So it hurts someone's feelings. I didn't ask to share my holiday with certain people. I would like to enjoy the holidays without any drama or negativity. I want the smile on my face to be genuine. I think if we could just eat & go, I would be very happy! But, it's not to be. I will be one of the few stuck cleaning up & being pushed out of the way so others can have their fun. The funny thing is, I'd rather spend time with my in-laws a during the holidays than my own family. Now you know I'm strange!

Well, I'm really tired because it's late, but I'm going to post this. It's how I feel most of the time during the holidays. The one really good thing about the holidays is having 2 weeks off from work. It's nice to work for a school district!

SO, how do you all REALLY feel about the holidays? MUHAHAHAHA

Hiding Behind My Babushka,

Collette

Time to Stop Procrastinating!

The procrastinator is back! I don't know how many times I told myself that I should just write. I have had ideas & thought "That would make a good post.", but did I do it? NO! Till now anyway. Oh, I've written a few comments here & there, but just couldn't commit to writing a post. Why? I could make a million excuses. But, I won't. I'll just say it straight out...I've been lazy. I've been reading blogs & email. Then something would come on tv. And then there's always the pretty, shiny things that distract me...LOL! Yup! Of course, dozing off at the computer is always something that comes up as well.

So, I am here & it's time to write! Onward!

Image by kudzuplanet via Flickr

Being that it is the Labor day weekend, we have our annual Hamtramck Festival going on. I think it's the 29th year. The city blocks off Jos. Campau, our main street, for about a 1/4 mile. There are 2 stages for bands & other acts. Rides, games, all kinds of booths with things to sell, drinks & lots of food. You should always come hungry to the festival because you will find something that you can't go home without eating! It used to be a mostly Polish area but now we have a very diverse crowd & something for everyone.

Our firemen make the best chili for festival. This year our local ABC affiliate is advertising the festival & had 2 of our firemen on tv to make the chili. Of course, when it came to adding the "secret ingredient", it was kept secret!

On Friday, my hubby, our dd & I did our usual walk-thru. We start at one end, walk down to where the rides block the other end, turn around & walk back. As we do every year, we stopped at the Fireman's booth & got our mugs. Then, we just strolled around a bit & people watched. It's always a great place for that & for meeting up with people you haven't seen in awhile.

Today, the festival started at noon. I took my babcia to the beauty shop early & to get some lunch meat. When I dropped her off, I wasn't feeling too well, so I stuck around the house today while my dd went with a friend so they could get the all-day ride bracelets. When they got back, they were a little sun-burned, but still full of energy as any 16 y/o girls. My hubby came home from work to chill for a bit & then headed off to the festival to meet up with my sis & bro-in-law. I have been sitting here, relaxing, watched a movie, & decided to buckle down & say hi to all of you!

Sunday after church, I may go to the festival to get my chili. The Sunday of the festival is my hubby's annual pub crawl day with people he works with. My dd spent the night at a friend's so I should have time for myself to have more peace & quiet. I definitely need it before we start back to school on Tuesday.

If I decide not to be lazy or get distracted, maybe I'll post again. Wouldn't that be a treat? Well, you may have to comment & beg for me to write again so soon...LOL! I tried to fix my comment box, so please let me know if it's working properly. I don't want to miss any of your wonderful comments. So, till tomorrow...maybe, I will be...

Wiping my mouth from all the delicious food with my babushka

Collette

I'd Like To Thank the Academy

Happy Monday Everyone! (yeah, yeah, grumble, grumble) My first order of business is to thank my dear friend, Chrissy @ http://ishouldabeenastripper.com/ for my very first blogging award. It is The Premier Meme Award.







The guidelines for the Premier Meme Award are to list 7 of your personality traits, as evidenced on your blog, & then to pass the award on to 7 other blogs with notable personality.


My list of traits are:

1. Family-oriented-One of the most important things to me is my family.


2. Fun-Just can't sit around & work all day-BORING!


3. Caring-I have a tendency to worry about others more than myself.


4. Intelligent-The Polish, blonde & female thing is just a cover...shhh!


5. Funny-There are times when I just bust out & hilarity ensues! (ok, so most of the time it's when I'm by myself...lol)


6. Giving-I would give you the shirt off my back (& anything else I have on because it's just too damn hot lately! So don't ask because me nekkid is not a pretty picture...lol!)


7. Emotional-I am usually pretty even-tempered but piss me off & Watch Out!




I have so many amazing blogs I read but here are a few that really get to me sometimes!


Ms. Quirky @ Musings of a Quirkyloon

Melissa @ Rock and Drool

Dana @ Life is Good

Chris @ Maugeritaville

Tiffany @ The Water Bottle

Sue @ Farvel Cargo

Margaret @ Nanny Goats in Panties



Thanks to them & quite of few others, my blogging abilities are being honed & perfected all the time. (time to get out the hip boots, it's getting pretty deep in here)

Image by wiccked via Flickr

Now since that is done, (finally, after hours of my internet acting up), I have some bad news for all of you. OK, it's not THAT bad. Sorry to worry you. I am leaving for vacation Tuesday morning. My hubby has 2 weeks off so we are driving to Massachusetts to stay with my cousins for about a week. They were here just over a week ago but now we're taking the fun there. They live in Westfield so it'll be about 11-12 hour drive from home. I'm near well surrounded on 3 sides by Detroit. I probably won't be able to get online, but I will ck twitter from my phone! My name is @rayvenne if anyone even cares...boohoo. I will miss reading all the blogs. So I will be busy reading when I get back.




We haven't been on a real vacation where we left town in quite a few years, so this will be nice. Besides, 2 weeks at home with the hubby would send me to the funny farm! Padded cell, here I come!


My babcia had me take her to the Polish Market here so I could take some kielbasa & other Michigan goodies with us. They have a Polish town near them but nothing is like Hamtramck. I am also taking Vernors ginger ale & Better Made potato chips. Only in Michigan, so anytime we visit family out of town or they come here, that's the "need to have" stuff!


I am pretty much finished packing. Tonight we have to go to my sister's house & trade my car for their minivan for the trip. My '96 Grand Marquis uses way too much gas & hubby's blazer is just not safe enough for that long of a drive. Then, on the road at 6am! I will be sleeping most of the time since it's a non-smoking vehicle. ARGH! Or else I would be pulling my hair out. Eventually, I would like to quit, but on my terms not because everyone wants me to. And of course, the more they bitch, the more I smoke. Maybe if they would just let it go, I'd get the state of mind to just do it. But, since hubby & some family members pick about it all the time, it just pisses me off.


Well, I'm not going to get into a smoking/non-smoking discussion here. It's a personal choice.


SO, that's about it for now. I will post when I get back & show some pics if I can figure out how to put more than the 2 I usually do!


Have a great week everyone!





Wearing the Babushka to keep the sweat from dripping down my face,


Collette

Like Seinfeld-A Post About Nothing

Image via Wikipedia

So, I was going to blog last night. Actually, it was around 2 am & I was wide awake. I started a post but realized one of my plug-ins was not working. I re-downloaded it twice & still couldn't get the damn thing working, so I gave up figuring it was a sign to GO.TO.SLEEP. Just checking it right now & it looks like it should be ok, but my blog subscriptions were jacked up. I had to go in & re-subscribe to about 8 of my blogs that I had on my aol fave page.
I don't have a paid subscription to aol anyway, but still use the site for a lot of stuff like e-mail, blogs, faves, etc. It just seems that aol is always jacking something up or running so slow that I get booted. ARGH! It's very frustrating.
Things should go ok now...knock on wood...tap, tap, tap. Ok, so I'm superstitious. Usually when things happen around here, I blame them on a ghost. I've never actually seen a ghost, but things fall or are in different places than where we put them. Sometimes, it's just a feeling or a little "whoosh" of cold air. Sometimes I just talk out loud to "it" & say "Ok, what do you want now?" or "That's enough already". Of course, it's probably just coincidence or my dh & dd playing tricks on me, which they love to do. They're pretty good at picking on me & each other. Boy, when those two go at it, you can tell they are father & daughter. It makes me want to pull my hair out! Hubby will unceasingly pick on, tease, nag, the poor kid till she is ready to strangle him. Of course, I have to hear the whine, "Mom, make him stop!". I just tell them to play nice & stay out of it as much as possible. I like my peace & quiet. It's like I have 2 kids instead of 1 & a hubby. You all know how this goes. I'm sure we've all been through it. Well, those of you who have younger children will have something to look forward to. LOL.
I guess I am really happy that they get along so well (until I am the target). And I'll tell you, I do believe in astrology & the zodiac signs. Poor little me, I'm a Cancer. My dh is a Taurus & dd is a Leo. I live with 2 very strong, dominant, stubborn signs. Gotta love 'em, but I try to stay out of the way...LOL!
Well, so much for my post about books for now. I guess sometimes when the mind rambles on, the thoughts just spill out. Good thing I am at the computer. Otherwise, I would be off somewhere talking to myself...lol. (which will happen anyway) Now, I am off to get some running done. Um, no, not running. I don't run.anywhere. Let's just say I have some errands. Gotta go get gas, pop (soda to you non-michiganders), & visit my Babcia. It looks like it should be a pretty nice day. Low 80's & some clouds. I love this weather! So, enjoy your day & maybe I'll post again later.

Babushka blowin' in the breeze,
Collette

Reading is FUN-da-Mental!

Image by coyenator via Flickr

Reading is FUN-damental! Do you remember those commercials from the 70's? Or SRA (Science Research Associates)? Those little cube-shaped boxes in the corner of the classroom, maybe purple or aqua, with lessons separated by dividers. (that I obviously didn't learn much from since that last sentence was not a complete sentence...LOL)

I think my love of reading started shortly before I started school. My mom read to my sister & I from the time we were very young. My dad always had a book lying around that he was reading. So, I guess it's just natural that I read whenever I possibly can.

I like to read pretty much from every medium. I'll read books, newspapers, magazines, online books, & my most recent obsession, blogs!

For the last few months, I have been immersing myself in the blogosphere. I'm not even sure where it started. Crotchety-old-man-yells-at-cars.blogspot.com was one of the first blogs I started reading. Then I started clicking on links, from one blog to the next, & before I knew it, I was hooked! I began subscribing. And I added more...and more! I forget to read my emails sometimes because I just have to find out what's going on with all my blogging buddies. Most I have never commented on. I can't read them all everyday, but I sure try. I am going to try to post a few more comments even if it's just a "Hey!" or "Great post!". I don't want to be a "lurker"...eww! LOL! One of my reasons for starting my blog was that I was inspired by all of you out there. It's incredible the friendships you can make here. I used to be in an online group & made some lifelong friendships there that are better than most of the ones I have "in person". Another reason for blogging is to write things going on in the world around me. I have a handwritten journal that I write in sometimes. I keep it in my car & write while I'm waiting for my daughter to get out of school. I do A LOT of bitching there. *snicker snicker* That's what I want to do with my blog eventually, as I feel more comfortable about sharing more of myself. I guess I'm just afraid I may say too much personally about family & that it will come back to bite me in the ass ( I ). But, as far as I know, only my one sister has decided to follow me, but may have forgotten about my blog. Oh, who cares?!?! Like anyone else will know who I am talking about! HMMPH! I'm going to "Just Do It"! I'll start out slow though so I don't scare the hell out of everyone & chase you away. *grin*

Do you ever start a blog with a certain thought in mind & the blog just takes off in a completely different direction? Well, that's what just happened here. I think that's great though because now I have a topic for my next post! And if I get off my previously mentioned ass ( I ), (yes, it had to be mentioned twice because of the size...sorry...LOL) I will maybe post sooner than a week, like I want if I wasn't so damn lazy sometimes. Or busy reading blogs.

So anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little blog today. *blink * Until next time, my lovelies...

I am always...

Waving my Babushka,

Collette

Happy Birthday-TO ME!

Image via Wikipedia

Friends, Bloggers, Countrymen, Lend me your speakers! Welcome to the 1st Annual Online Birthday party for...drum roll please...ME! For those of you who don't really know me, I am Collette A.K.A. Rayvenne (or Moonrayvenne on yahoo.) July 17, 1967 is my birth day. So, today I am 42 years young. No gifts are necessary. Your presence & maybe a hug are the best gifts I can get! (unless, of course, you have lots of cash burning a hole in your pocket & just have to get rid of it...lol)

I guess I'll give you a little history & info on me. Born 7-17-67 in Detroit, MI. Three days later, the riots started just around the corner from the hospital I was born in. (even from the beginning, I was trouble...LOL!) I have lived in Hamtramck, MI for most of my life. Hamtramck is a small city 0f 2.2 sq. miles, surrounded on three sides by Detroit & was once in the Guinness World book of records for most bars per square mile. Every year, on Labor Day weekend, we have a festival where we block off the main street for anout a 1/4 mile & there are games, rides & food galore of many cultures. Bands play throughout the weekend on 2 stages. It's a great way to spend some time & a little money people watching, eating & dancing.

I am Polish, blonde, & female & that gives me an excuse for pretty much everything...LOL! I am married almost 17 years (Sept. 23, 1992). We haveone beautiful daughter who will be 16 y/o on August 13th of this year. She was born on Friday the 13th & loves horrorflicks almost as much as I do. I am a lunch lady (cafeteria aide) at our public high school & can't wait to hit the lottery so I can get out of there!

Well, I know that's a lot of personal info for these interwebz, but I wanted to share a bit of myself with you on my bithday so you will understand why I am totally bonkers at times & no one will come take me away in white coats!

So, stay awhile, enjoy yourselves, sign the guest book (comments) & pig out on cake & ice cream! We're still under construction here, so dust off a chair & have fun!

Let me know when you have your birthday & I'll bring the trick candles! LOL!

This Weekend's Adventures

Money does NOT grow on trees!

Happy weekend everyone! Mine started a little early because I didn't have to work today. It was some kind of teacher-in-service thing. Hey, if it gives me a day off, I don't need an explanation.

I'm glad we had the day off. It gives me an extra day to nurse my cold. Actually, it's like a sinus & upper respiratory thing that I usually get a few times during winter. I was lucky enough not to get it this winter so now that the weather is starting to get nicer, I get sick. Sometimes it feels like I have an elephant sitting on my chest.(good thing it's not a pig sitting there, instead. We'd have to make up a whole new virus.) I won't gross you out with the details just suffice to say that I feel like crud!

I do have better, less disgusting things to share. I finally got one thing on my car repaired. I had the trans leak taken care of. Only a gasket & seals, so it was ONLY (like any one of us has money to be throwing around these days!) $250. I'm just glad I didn't need the trans replaced. I paid $2500 for this car a few months ago & will not put more into it than I bought it for. It's a '96 Mercury Grand Marquis we bought from a friend. My babcia says it looks like a gangster car...LOL! It's white with the blue, fake convertible look top. I love the way it rides though. Very smooth. It's a far cry from the car I had before which was a '96 Dodge Neon. I'm finally getting used to driving it as my last car was a little bit smaller. Ok, maybe a few feet bigger! It's got XM radio & we signed on for our own subscription but I a having a hard time with the reception. Everything is so close together here so maybe that is the problem. I'll have to check out the manual when I get a chance. (sigh) Anyway as for the other problem on the car (that we know of), they said the oil pan is rusted through. Doesn't sound that expensive, right? Ah, no! It will cost $500-$600. Well it seems that the oil pan is way down under everything & you have to remove it all to get the the pan to replace it. So, I was thinking, why can't you go from underneath, where it is right there. But, I am not a mechanic & there must be a reason although my hubby has not come up with one yet. The oil leak is not as bad as the trans leak so we may have some time to figure out a way that we won't have to go that route.

Another good thing about this weekend is my Uncle from Minnesota & 2 of my cousins from Massachusetts have come in for the weekend for Mother's day. Their flights were close to each other so they met up at the airport & came down to Babcia's together. This uncle is my Babcia's youngest son & my cousins are 2 of her grandchildren. We hung out a little today but will be at my youngest sis' house tomorrow for her annual Cinco De Mayo party. It's a few days late, but who cares! LOL! Then on Sunday, hubby, daughter & myself will go to church & then have breakfast with his mom. After that, we will head to Babcia's & spend time with her & my uncle & cousins. Of course, we will probably eat there, too. Always have to have food there! Then their flight is later on in the evening so we'll head home when they leave for the airport. We only live a few blocks from Babcia's house, so it takes no time at all to get home.

So, I guess I won't get to rest up as much as I want to this weekend, but spending time with family that we don't see often enough is always a great time with lots of laughs. And they say laughter is the best medicine (unless you have a bad cough & start choking from laughing too hard!!!)

Let me know how your weeknd goes! I hope it's a great one!

Love & Babushkas,

Collette