News from across the pond

My oldest son, Lucas, left on his 24th birthday, December 14th, to fly to Europe for the first time. His girlfriend, Kristen, is studying a semester in England so he's there to spend a month which will, of course, include Christmas and New Year's. He flew into London where he met up with Kristen then they flew to Amsterdam where these photos were taken. Lucas reports that they spent three full days walking the city so they could see as much as possible from street views. According to his list they saw everything a body should see and more in the way of sites and history. He definitely has the Teer family travel instinct. Lucas said they are back in England now, flew back into John Lennon Airport which he thought was very cool...me too. I'll share as he does...

And the prizes go to...

Well, here is my very enthusiastic assistant picking from the hat of names this morning. Marcie from The Pink Cabbage was picked for the Winter Wish figure and Kari from ArtsyMama won the bird on the box both by Nicol Sayre. Congratulations and thanks to all who participated (I can hear what you're thinking...). There was some very nice sucking up but, as you can see, it doesn't effect fate but is appreciated by those in power. Another way to get these items is to go to www.bayberrycove.com. I personally witnessed the new spring things that came in yesterday from Lori Mitchell and Jennifer Murphy, we were swallowing tongues all over the place!

Today's news...Scientists discover traces of what is suspected as heart, soul, sanity in Baltimore judicial system!!!!!

Or was it just media, watch-dog group attention? All I can say is thank the good Lord for the NAACP. I know there are folks who criticize some for being media hounds or knee-jerk reactions but I believe that extreme conditions call for extreme response. This is absolutely good news but, not liking to be the pessimist, what about all the others we don't know about and why will the judge go on without justification?

How do you send a soldier off to war? No, really?

Cedric and his family have lived two doors down from us for almost two years. Cedric's from Georgia, Astrid is from Texas. Their children say ma'am and sir. Cedric and I got to be pretty good friends over the summer. Paul played golf with him and another neighbor several times a month. Cedric's son, Alec, is Matt's best friend. They brought together and taught our neighborhood how to be a neighborhood in a way that no one else could do. Our neighborhood has been completely transformed by their unabashed openness and friendliness. We knew from the beginning that Cedric was special ops and had been to Iraq a few times and that he was bound to go again. So for the last couple of months he's been preparing us that he was going again. I've known people who have been to war and even battle but I've never known anyone when they went off to war. I'm not making this about me but I had no idea what to say, how to act. We could tell that he was mentally transforming into a place where he needed to be to do his job but we couldn't make the transition with him. I overheard other neighbors saying goofy things to him, obviously feeling like me; not at all comfortable and unprepared to say something appropriate. You sure as heck can't say what you're thinking, "Don't get killed, come home with all the same parts, your children need you, etc.". Luckily I had given him a big hug prematurely because he didn't come around and say goodbye the day before he left as he said he would. I can understand why, it was for the best. Now all we can do is pray and keep up with what the family hears from him each day. Seriously, though, should this occur again, heaven forbid, anyone know what's appropriate and not goofy?

Doojies' Giant Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza!!!!

Well working for Deb at http://www.bayberrycove.com/ has taken the Grinch right outta me! I don't usually get into decorating for Christmas. I only do it for the 10 year old. And I've been using the same &*^%$ decorations for many years. All the poo poo left over that my mom didn't want anymore. Then when we first moved here Paul was real thrilled with the dough ornaments at the mall so he's gotten several every year plus his dad buys, every year, those U.S. Mint coins that come out decorated in brass snowflakes. So we have this great combo of dough and (as Deb said the other day) dough. The decorating Nazi doesn't cotton to it much. Last year I insisted that I alone would decorate the tree so I made cool clock face ornaments and used all the great antique ornaments from Paul's family...it looked great. But until a couple of weeks ago I had forgotten what deal I had made to get that privilege, yep, they get to do the tree this year. And here it is the 11th and still no tree. Soooooooooooooo, I've been working as fast as I can to get my new wonderful Bayberry Cove and my Silver Bella project goodies out and hopefully so many that they will distract from the tree. Soooooooooooo, Deb's generosity (I can't divulge company secrets) has been contagious 'cause I decided to have a giveaway. And not just one but TWO. Here's item number one, above, the Winter Wish. At first I was going to take bets on whether or not I'd make it home from this job with ANY money in my pockets but I knew that was just too easy. So I decided that all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog before December 20th and I'll put all the names in a hat and have an unbiased party choose. If you do not swallow your tongue and/or have smoke blowin' all the way up your skirt then please leave your entry for someone else who'd give their left nut for one of these.

Here's number two. I don't usually do seasonal decorating, if I like something I put it out all year. In fact I didn't realize that the Winter Wish said Winter Wish until after I got it home and unwrapped it. I just saw that it was pink and sparkly just like the little box chick above.

And while I have you here, below is a little sneak peak at just two of my many new items I've listed on Etsy, check it out at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=26667 . Especially you Bellas who were so disappointed when I sold out of my collage necklaces before you had the chance to purchase...new ones here!

I'll be back next week. I had the day off today 'cause I had to take Matt to the doctor with a sinus infection, then fill the RX, then by the time I got to Falls Church I'da had to turn around and come back to I'm back at it tomorrow. Buenos suerte!