happy valentine's day!

hope you are using this day to spend time with the one(s) you love

and those who love you in return.

merry CHRISTmas!
(courtesy of craftily ever after)

one more to go

this is my 99th post! next stop, 100. wow.

thanksgiving has come and gone (and boy, was it tasty!). soon, christmas will be here and after that, a new year! aside from the summertime (my birthday, the college world series), this is my favorite time of year. there's just something about a brisk chill and being able to see your breath with the glimmer of hope that snow will come east of the appalachias to brighten one's spirit.

and even though it's december & i haven't watched an ounce of basketball, i'm already looking forward to february and the start of baseball. i'm contemplating getting season tickets for the uncc games. season tickets are $49 total. that's ~35 home games. i think it's a good deal..plus it's tickets for the uncc/clemson and uncc/unc match-ups. could be good. ecu comes this way only twice, and only to high point and elon. i will be asking to leave work early for those. but before i jump the gun completely, i just wanted to say, you better bring out your megaphones and root for the pirates this saturday as they take on houston(?) in the conference usa championship game, 12pm, in greenville. woo hoo! gooooo pirates!

Post-Thanksgiving

We had a pretty nice Thanksgiving this year. Bella and I got to my folks' early enough to help make a couple dishes (total shocker for my mom!). Joe arrived around 1:15, followed by Paige and Paul around 1:30. We munched and talked while Mom and Dad were fiddling with the turkey, that came out too soon and had to be put back in. We had a great spread, the usual, but still yummy: turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans oriental, yummy fruit salad, cranberry sauce (at Joe's request). Later, pumpkin pie and carrot cake. It was delicious! :) Paige, Paul and Mom had fun making music in the living room while I watched football with my dad and Joe. My mom said Paul got extra points for bringing his new guitar with him! I wish I would've taken a picture!
Friday, I spent the day with my mom and Bella spent the day with my dad. My dad raked the entire yard and let Bella hang out. He said she had a great time running through his piles of leaves and at one point, even stole his rake that he'd left on the ground! :) Needless to say, when she came inside, she couldn't stay on her feet she was so exhausted. She'd sit up in her crate and basically slide down in exhaustion. It was really funny and super cute! :) Saturday, I went to the fabric outlet off Capitol with my mom and got a couple swatches. I intend to recover the blue chair (again...since Bella went to town on my incomplete upholstery project a couple months ago!). So, we'll see. That will be my January project perhaps. And that's where the "great" parts of the holiday end.

P.S. The Conference USA East Division Champs, the East Carolina Pirates will be playing Tulsa on Saturday in the conference championship game, 12pm on ESPN2! AARRGGHH!! :)

Bella graduated!

By the way....

Bella Bean Gladwin completed her Puppy Education class and graduated last week! :) I have her "diploma" in my office at work. I want to get a clear, box frame (cheap!) to hang it. She gets this week off and then next Wednesday, December 3rd, we begin "Beginner Education". I stuck to Wednesday nights, with our same trainer, since that's what works best for work. It's another 8 wk. class and I'm hoping that we will learn how to teach her not to jump up on people and how I can better prevent her from doing so. While I think it's cute and kind of humorous in the way she shakes her butt & wags her tail, it won't be if she continues to take on weight like she did in her first 6 months. We shall see! P.S. I am very aware Bella's middle name is "Bean" but that's what I call her. I can call her just "Bean" and she will come or at least turn her head to look at me. Why change what she knows?

We are going to Thanksgiving at my parents' house in Raleigh on Thursday and I think we're going to take Christmas photos! I'm excited!! :) Hope everyone has a great time feasting and remembering to give thanks. Even when times are tough and heartwrenching things happen, there is always something to be thankful for! Keep that in mind.....