Handbag Homicide

I apologize if this image is too graphic for some of you to bear. I realize it’s not a pretty sight. A Prada handbag mysteriously murdered. Cut down in the prime of its life. Dismembered at the strap. Brutal, simply brutal.

And the timing is awfully suspicious. Just the other day I was tagged by Josey at Stayin Silly Livin Lucky for a meme. The assignment? Reveal to the world what I carry in my purse. The very next day this senseless crime took place.

This purse was truly loved. My mother gave it to me for Christmas just last year. I remember fondly how we would spend our time together. Arm-in-arm we would venture out to conquer the tasks of the day. And now, besides being distraught with grief, I am completely discombobulated during my mourning period, forced to grab-n-go the former contents of my purse in a-la-carte fashion. Normally you could find the basics all in one place: cell phone, ipod, a loose car key, some scraggly dollar bills, lip gloss and every so often my digital camera.

But now it is with devastating sadness I must report to you…I got nada in my Prada.

But before I order the hearse for my purse maybe – just maybe – I should consider resuscitation. I did a little online window shopping and came up with the following options. So what do you think? Fix the Prada…or replace the ole bag with one of these:








My purse may be dead, but let's keep the meme alive....tag:

AntiBarbie (she is the kindest blogger on the entire world wide web and yet she has this really edgy, raw blog. I love her. I'm kinda hoping she tells me where to shove this meme)

Olga The Traveling Bra (my prediction? no purse. certainly she tucks it all in her brassiere)

Midlife Gals (because I know these ladies personally and they already have a drunken video blog that answers the meme)

Participate only if it's fun and you have the time...Happy Holidays Yall~

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Get Ready to Groove

I promise not to make a habit out of it, but I’ve included some music on this post. It should make sense when you scroll down. Just a little funk that flows with the theme of the meme…

So Tee from Spilt Milk tagged me to do my very first meme. Here’s the assignment:

1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (see below).
3. Pick your month of birth (see below).
4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.
5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them.
6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!

My birth month is SEPTEMBER (hopefully that’s obvious by now) and I’m going to bold the attributes that fit me:

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

And given how I am shakin’ my groove thing to Earth Wind & Fire right about now, I would be remiss if I didn’t add: Incredible Dancer.

Alright, now I'm going to tag:
Toddler Humor
From The Land of Monkeys and Princesses
One Man's Travel Blog
Nola Notes
Sarcastic Mom
Mommin' It Up
Reality Is Overrated
Dirty Laundry
Kate Blogs About
The Only Thing I Know
A Little Piece of Me
Ruffle Butts

(Please don’t feel obligated to do the meme! If you don’t want to, it’s okay with me!)

THE MONTHLY FLAVORS, WHICH ARE YOU?

JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.
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I-Pod Therefore I Am

The great Western philosopher Descartes wrote that “there is a deceiver of supreme power and cunning who is deliberately and constantly deceiving me.”

I think it might be Steve Jobs.

I simply could not exist without my iPod. And truthfully I’d like to think the iPod can’t live without me either, as our histories are intrinsically synced. You see, I hit the market as a single chicken right about the same time the iPod hit the mainstream. There we were, both launching ourselves into uncharted territory, wondering what fate had in store for us. A suburban mom and an MP3 player, repackaged and ready to change the world. The iPod and I were partners in crime, armed with nothing more than a 99-cent song in our hearts and big dreams for the future.

Except the iPod actually had a multi-million dollar advertising budget while I just had match.com and some hand-me-down self help books. But nonetheless! We were all charged up and ready to play.

I received my first iPod as a cheer-up-during-the-divorce present. It was a great influence right from the start. I stopped stealing music from Napster and Limewire and started paying for it fair and square. I stopped smoking (eventually) and obsessively started making custom playlists. I stopped crying and started creating a new soundtrack for the happy new life that was just beyond my reach. The new tunes tricked me into feeling happy until I actually became happy, sort of a chicken and the egg thing. I loved my iPod. It was as if I’d hit the clickwheel of fortune.

Slowly but surely my family has joined the cult as well, each for very separate reasons. Two years ago Little Chick got a Nano for Christmas so she could collect the colored iPod cases and little clothes for her iDog. Last year my mom got an iPod so she could order some fancy red speakers from Switzerland that matched the new décor in her house. But she wouldn’t touch her new little Nano for several weeks as if she had some sort of iPod postpartum depression. So I had to teach my dad how to use it so he would in turn teach her. Up until then my dad vociferously doubted the merit of an iPod, but once he realized you could find the most obscure western tunes and versions of jazz songs no one else had, he was a believer. For a man who’s never stepped foot in a mall, he now goes regularly to check on the latest accessories at the Apple store.

This past weekend we gave my grandmother an iPod for Christmas. As she opened it, Little Chick said, “Mimi, you’re going to love it. It’s like a whole way of life.” Mimi was just flattered we thought she could figure it out. And she caught on remarkably fast. But really, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried to teach your grandmother how to navigate iTunes with your mother and your daughter sitting on either side correcting everything you say. Four generations of iPods in one room – now that’s a lot to download.

I’ve been through several versions of the iPod -- the original classic, a shuffle, and a Nano. Apple keeps dropping new product designs on my head, and much like the force of gravity, I simply can’t resist. This weekend my family surprised me with the new iPod Touch and I am over the moon. Forget a fancy technology review on the capabilities of the device – I am going to look like a badass in public! Yesterday morning I loaded up Little Chick so we would arrive at her school early. I rationalized that we needed to go into the Starbucks across the street to get a latte for her teacher, but really I just wanted to be seen in there during the morning rush with my new iPod Touch. Now granted there was a 12-year old little girl at the table next to me with her new iPod Touch and she was kind of stealing my thunder, but hey, I still had the magic Touch. And in the spirit of the great Southern philosopher Forrest Gump…Cool Is As Cool Does.

I’m sure self-help authors around the world would cry out in horror at my materialistic version of self-worth, but the syllogistic argument simply holds up: The iPod Touch is cool, and I have an iPod Touch, ergo I am cool.
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The Broken Spoke

Last night I met some friends at The Broken Spoke, a venerable Austin honkytonk. Whenever I have guests in town I always take them to The Broken Spoke. It has so much character that it pretty much does my hostess duties for me. I can just sit back and watch them fall in love with the look of the parking lot, the country dining area, the mix of cowboys and dot-comers and hipsters and rockabillys. Out-of towners are instantly mesmerized by the novelty of the live western music and the constant flow of two-steppers going round and round the dance floor.

But here’s the thing…it’s not novelty to those of us who live right here in Austin. It’s just a gem of a watering hole and the best place to dance on a Thursday night. So we relaxed with some pitchers of beer, took turns spinning around the dance floor, and shared our plans for the holidays. Our friend Dana was called up to the stage to sing a few songs with the band which was a delicious treat. She has a torchy voice and poured out velvety versions of ‘Crazy Arms’ and ‘Walking After Midnight’. All in all it was a lovely way to take a break from December madness and enjoy a truly Austin evening.

Some pictures from last night at The Spoke…











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Roll Credits...

Time to share the love and pass along 4 Major Blogger Awards.

I rolled across a rockstar blog called Don't Take The Repeats, penned by super-cool-mom-to-be Canape. And she graciously awarded me 'A Major Blogger Award'. I was thrilled! I don't even really know what it is, or what the rules are for sharing it, so before anyone tells me I am going to pass it on to four very deserving people...

I am giving my first Major Blogger Award to my new friend Piper whose blog, Piper of Love Bliss in Bloom, is a rare treat. Piper is a single mom, wonderful writer, gracious blogging buddy and has fabulous taste in music. I find myself stopping by her page just to hear the tunes she's spinning. Piper has been suffering the ice storm in Oklahoma but has still managed to share some lovely and passionate posts.

My second Major Blogger Award goes out to my new friend Jim (or BD) of The Busy Dad Blog. Besides being the nicest person in the blogosphere, BD is also the kind soul who invited me to join the Cre8Buzz community where I have been able to share CFT and discover some incredible blogs. Visit The Busy Dad Blog and see how a smart, hip, hands-on dad juggles parenthood and everyday life. (Guess what ladies, they're not all that different from us.)

Third award goes to Tee and her Spilt Milk Blog. Now, if you read my last post you know I am bouncing back from a 24-hour stomach bug. My first proper meal today was a bowl of rice and I haven't been so excited about someone keeping down rice since my baby daughter conquered her first helping of that infant rice cereal. And that was over seven years ago. So when I found Tee's blog today and she was endorsing a website called Free Rice, I had to check it out. She's right. It's beyond cool. Free Rice offers a slightly addictive FREE vocabulary game and every time you get a vocabulary word correct, they donate grains of rice to solve world hunger.

Finally, I must give an award to my good friend Will Hornaday of ShoeHorn Design. Years ago when I ran the creative services department of a consulting firm I would hire Will and his graphic design team, and then I would promptly torture them with insane deadlines and unreasonable client requests. I think I have the distinct honor of begging him for a creative concept as he was on his way to the hospital to help his wife deliver their baby. I kinda can't believe he still speaks to me which why I am SO lucky he designed my new CFT banner. Will, you nailed it. Thank you...once again.

And thanks again to Canape for the award. I hope everyone will take a moment to check out the sites I spotlighted in this post. They're good people kickin' ass in their own way. And really what more could we ask for?



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I Must Be Allergic To Duran Duran

1982 was a pretty big year for pop culture. Both “Fame” and “David Letterman” made their television premieres, while we said goodbye to the “The Lawrence Welk Show.” At just seven years old Drew Barrymore hosted Saturday Night Live, while Joe Montana was the Super bowl MVP. TIME Magazine named ‘The Computer’ as its 1982 Man of The Year. And Duran Duran led the ‘New Romantic’ music phenomenon across the pond with the success of their ‘Rio’ album.

It was a fairly busy year for my family as well. Like Duran Duran we also migrated across the Atlantic, moving from London back to Texas. That year I lived in 2 different countries, 3 different cities and attended 4 different schools. We finally settled in Nashville in the middle of my sixth grade year and it didn’t take long to size up the social scene. There was this super pretty, slightly edgy, avant-garde girl named Katie who was running the show. Everyone loved Katie and Katie loved Simon Le Bon. And I mean she loved him.

A crush on Simon Le Bon…really? Wasn’t that eyeliner he was wearing? And what was up with that hair and those ruffly shirts? I didn’t get it. I was sweet on Willie Nelson and Captain Von Trapp for goodness sake. But I knew dissension would be social suicide so I bought the Rio album and threw myself in the mix. Katie was sweet and really funny so I was thrilled when she finally asked me to sleepover. We spun those Duran Duran tunes and danced upon the sand until the wee hours. I was feigning a deep love for Simon Le Bon and making a new best friend in the process. Life was great.

Until I got violently sick and my mom had to pick me up early.

My friendship with Katie sort of melted away after that. I switched schools, we lost touch. I saw her once in high school and she had cropped her beautiful blond hair into a punk-like bob and streaked it pink.

So here we are 25 years later and guess who played in Austin, Texas last night? Duran Duran. A few weeks ago a friend invited me to join a group of girls for a birthday outing…dinner and the Duran Duran concert. I was so excited! I have only recently come to know this cool crew of chicas and was thrilled at the chance to spend more time with them. Plus, after all this time I thought it would be fun to give Duran Duran another shot. I brushed up on my lyrics and charged the camera battery.

But apparently it was my fate, once again, to trade The Reflex for The Reflux. I woke up yesterday with a violent case of stomach flu and had to miss the show. After 25 years I think it’s pretty clear I’m just not meant to be a Duran Duran fan. I probably should stick with my Texas music roots…country, rock and blues. I’m a little old for the New Romantic music movement anyway. Nonetheless I was so blue to miss the chance to spend time with a fun group of girlfriends. It was like 1982 all over again. And isn’t time such a funny thing? A quarter of a century passes in the blink of an eye, but when you have the 24-hour stomach bug, time can’t seem to move fast enough.

But time does press on. My old friend Katie has ditched the pink streak and now hosts a television show called CMT Insider where she interviews country music stars like Dolly Parton and Brad Paisley. Not exactly my flavor of country music but I do think it’s funny I spent so much time trying to impress her with my fake Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo airs and she ends up making a splashy living in country music. Good for her.

And hey-- she may have a fancy career in television, but I have lost five pounds in 24 hours and my stomach is the flattest it’s been since high school. I am going to enjoy it while I can because I’m certain tomorrow I will once again be hungry like the wolf.

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San Antonio Stroll

Enjoy my ‘San Antonio’ playlist and a few pictures from my weekend stroll around the Alamo and the Riverwalk…




Some Fun Songs About San Antonio:
San Antonio Stroll – Tanya Tucker
San Antonio Rose – Bob Wills
Is Anybody Goin To San Antone – Charley Pride
I’ll Be Your San Antonio Rose – Emmylou Harris
San Antonio Girl – Lyle Lovett
When I Hit San Antone – Owen Temple
San Antonio Rose – Patsy Cline
Across The Alley From The Alamo – Asleep At The Wheel











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Someone's Blogging Lord, Kumbaya

Just a few of the ways my life has changed since I started blogging…

Bye Bye Bathroom Scales. Hello Statcounter. No longer concerned with pounds, now it’s all about unique visitors and subscribers. These are the numbers that determine my mood for the day.

A new career with the United Nations. My first international blog visitor was someone in Canada. Little Chick and I were over the moon. It was so exotic and exciting! I still love to see the maple leaf pop up, but now I can spot flags from Malaysia, South Africa, New Zealand and the Philippines, such a thriller to have visitors from Manila. I’m having a ball seeing flags from around the world and I think Latvia is my favorite. I also love learning the names of US cities and towns I’ve never heard of like Deer, Arkansas.

Self Help is a daily ritual. The good news about blogging is that for the most part, the tools are either free or terribly affordable. The flipside? There is rarely an 800 number with a 24-hour help desk waiting to walk me through my latest blogging glitch. You simply have to help yourself. I scour help forums and search grassroots blogs that have sprung up to help bloggers with similar frustrations. Imagine my shock the first time I realized they expected me to jimmy with the html code myself. Somehow I’ve figured out each technical challenge, one by one. But I must give credit to my blogging buddy Peter Chen who’s had an answer for everything I’ve thrown at him so far.

Accidental Spammer. I took a little stumble when I first signed up with Stumble. When searching for contacts Stumble sent an email to every address in my Yahoo contact folder asking them to sign up and visit my profile. I was mortified to realize the rector of my new church was going to see the only two websites I had as ‘favorites’ were a diagram of Dante’s Inferno and a website about serial killers. (This second one was an accident I swear.) So I madly started giving the ‘thumbs-up’ to some lighter sites about cooking and chocolate. I turned to my pals at BlogCatalog for a laugh and moral support. Turns out Teeg who lovingly talked me off the ledge, is a Stumble expert. If Teeg says Stumble is a powerful tool for bloggers then I believe it.

More friends in the sandbox. It’s been so fun to connect with old friends in new ways. Kelly from MidlifeGals and I have started blogging lunches where we drink wine and share blogging tips. And I love chatting with friends and family all over the country. Your comments let me know someone is paying attention and urge me to keep it going.

Plus I have wonderful new friends in the blogosphere itself. TCWriter from Trout Underground has been incredibly supportive and has taken to chiding me like a brother about how I need to bail on Blogger and switch to Wordpress when I launch my next blog. I love it. And it turns out WokeupToday and I are kindred spirits when it comes to dive burger joints and honkytonk bars. PlainJaneMom was among the very first to link to CFT, and her viewers leave such thoughtful comments.

I truly enjoy this new community and think we need a Blogger Kumbaya widget. Translated Kumbaya means “Come By Here,” so it’s the perfect mantra. We all love visitors and we all love subscribers. I’m terribly grateful for each of you so from the bottom of my heart, thank you for visiting CFT. Feel free to browse, comment, subscribe. And don’t forget to Kumbaya often.
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Attica! Attica!

Attic – huh? Now wait just one minute. You want me to go where?

I haven’t been up to the attic since my divorce three years ago. Normally it’s not an issue, I am perfectly happy to let boxes of lord-only-knows-what stay locked away up there. But the one thing I know that is being held hostage? Christmas decorations. Each year Christmas rolls around and each year I am armed with a litany of excuses for why we can’t decorate a tree. Holiday travel…we’ll do it when we get to your grandparents’…let’s not confuse Santa. But this year Little Chick caught me off guard when she asked sweetly, “Mommy, this year can we please please please decorate a Christmas tree for our house?” So I knew what had to be done. I was headed to the attic.

Forget the nostalgia of seeing boxes from the house where we were first married, wedding albums, or Little Chick’s baby crib, I was in true physical danger. I almost killed myself up there yesterday! There’s no flooring, and no electricity so I was dangling on the foldable stairs trying to hoist heavy, poorly labeled boxes over the edge. I needed someone to catch them. I broke a few Spode mugs and some ornaments because I chucked boxes from the very top instead of negotiating them carefully down the stairs. No, it wasn’t pretty, but in the end I prevailed. I kicked that attic’s ass.

But conquering the attic was only part of the challenge. The truth is that sprucing up a spruce is desperately depressing when you’re freshly divorced. I pictured my daughter and me hanging out alone, quietly stringing up lights. But this year Christmas finally feels light. I’m ready for some new traditions. For example, my ex would never agree to a white artificial tree. A little campy I know, but I think they’re fun. Each year he had the same response: When Pigs Fly. So as a consequence of freedom, part of my amnesty package so to speak, I treated myself to a white Christmas tree. And it’s dreamy.

We had a ball decking the hall. I rearranged the furniture to place the tree in a whole new spot, everything fresh. At first it looked a little lean since all our presents are all shipped to grandparents’ house. So I gift-wrapped the empty ornament boxes and stuck them under the tree as props. (Lord knows I wasn’t taking them back to the attic.) We celebrated with holiday cupcakes and hot chocolate and exchanged a few early treats. Confused by all the activity, our sweet dog Gus was stealing ornaments so we would chase him through the house. He barked wildly, holiday tunes blared, and Little Chick and I were rockin’ around the Christmas tree. It was a laugh-riot.

So in the holiday spirit of sharing and caring, I’d like to share a little caring advice. If you have a friend who’s freshly separated or divorced, be their holiday SWAT team. Show up with the wine and Christmas music. Haul boxes from the attic, unwind lights. Add some laughter and remind them that things do get better. The day will come when their freedom will be a blessing, not a death sentence. Christmas will once again feel magical. And pigs really can fly.

I know it’s true because these little piggie angels are all over
my very first white tree.




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