Back in the 1960s, Disney released a movie called The Absent-minded Professor. It starred Fred MacMurray of My Three Sons fame. (If you’re over 50, I know exactly what just happened with your brain when you read My Three Sons. You started humming the theme song and envisioning the opening sequence with all the cartoon feet. I do it too. You can see the My Three Sons opening and some snippets from the show here.) Meanwhile…back at the ranch…The Absent-minded Professor was released before I was born, but I remember watching it as a child…maybe on The Wonderful World of Disney on a Sunday night? Or maybe even in re-release at the theater in downtown Brewton, Alabama? It was about a bumbling, absent-minded professor who accidentally invented something called flying rubber that gained energy with every bounce. Pretty darn good family movie, actually…you can watch it on Amazon Prime here.

Well, when I was a little girl, i wasn’t “bumbling,” but I was absent-minded. I could spell anything and remember any piece of trivial knowledge and any phone number, but I could not remember where I put things. My parents called me “the absent-minded professor,” a reference to the film.

Sadly, not much has changed. Well, I can still spell really well. My memory is not what it used to be, but I’d still say it’s better than average. But that absent-mindedness? It is alive and well. On any given day, I can’t find my keys, because I wasn’t paying attention when I put them down somewhere. They might be underneath something, or in the bottom of my handbag….or even in the door. Or maybe I can’t find my handbag. Or I don’t remember where I left my phone or my hairbrush. I can even stay in one room and still misplace things. It drives my husband crazy. I call him Rainman, because like the character in the film of the same name, he is very orderly. He never misplaces anything. He does, on occasion, lose things, but that’s completely different than misplacing...loss is permanent, and misplaced is temporary. I’ll save that for another day.

Yesterday, I remembered I had received some checks in the mail over the weekend, and I wanted to take them to the bank to deposit them. I got my paperwork “folder,” and as I went through it, I realized the checks weren’t there. I had a vague recollection of putting the checks somewhere for “safekeeping.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember where I was keeping them “safe.” I did such a good job of putting them away that I hid them from myself. Panic set in, as it always does when I misplace something important. I started retracing…did I put them in a drawer somewhere? Did I accidentally throw them away? And any time I get into a frantic search, I talk to myself out loud about it. “Where could they be?” “What the heck did I do with them?” “Where did I put them?” “How could I be so stupid?” “Oh my gosh, I’m a lunatic!” I repeat those phrases…over and over. My pulse rate rapidly increases, and I’m sure my blood pressure goes sky high. I break out in a sweat and move swiftly, searching and searching.

My husband has long known not to comment during these episodes, and he knows not to jump into the fray uninvited. He learned a long time ago that I will go nuts if he says, “Where was the last place you saw them?” Or “You always do this.” He even knows not to offer to help find them. He knows I have to manage the panic alone.

And of course, the whole time I’m frantically searching and talking to myself, I’m also thinking, “How embarrassing if I have to call those people and ask them to reissue those checks!” I’m also thinking, “They are going to think I’m an idiot!” If this has ever happened to you, you know the mental anguish that goes with it. If it has never happened to you, well, good for you…you get the Organizer of the Year Award.

Eventually, yesterday, I did find the checks. They were exactly where I had put them for safekeeping…tucked away inside a notebook inside the folder of paperwork. Whew! Disaster averted. It took a few minutes for my pulse rate and blood pressure to get back to normal, but I was really proud of my husband, who stood in the kitchen nearby throughout the search, pretending to peel some fruit, but never uttering a word or so much as glancing my way. After I announced that I had found the checks, he turned to me and simply said, “Good!”

The cycle continues, I guess. I will always be absent-minded. I will always misplace things, and I will always talk to myself. At least I’m a good conversationalist…

Yesterday I checked the Fathom Events website to see what old movies will be shown in theaters this month. If you’re not familiar with it, Fathom Events, in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies, releases at least one “old” movie a month in theaters all over the country, and sometimes you can find a favorite.

In the past, I’ve seen Big with my friends and their daughters. For my 50th birthday, some friends took me to Smokey and the Bandit…and even smuggled in Dr. Peppers in glass bottles for us to enjoy during the show! If they’d known how to make a Diablo Sandwich (from the movie), I’m sure they would have smuggled that in too. We also saw, on another occasion, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and last year, I forced my teenage daughter to go watch Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner with me, in hopes that she would fall in love with the movie I had watched with my mother and had loved for so long. No dice…she fell asleep about halfway through it.

This time, when I checked the website, I was thrilled. Today and Wednesday night, May 8, True Grit will be on the big screen in a theater near our house, and later in the month, Steel Magnolias, a favorite of many of my friends, will be shown.

True Grit was a favorite of my daddy’s. He loved John Wayne, and he loved westerns, so True Grit was the perfect combination. And Rooster Cogburn is a memorable character. The film was originally released 50 years ago, in 1969. I remember watching it on television with my parents when I was a little girl. Back then, we had to wait a couple of years for a movie to show up on TV…edited and censored.  I don’t remember much about the plot, so I guess I’ll need to go see it Wednesday night to try to refresh my memory. Daddy would have loved knowing I’m planning to go.

As for Steel Magnolias, being shown in theaters May 19, 20, and 21, well, I have lots of friends who can quote the whole movie. It’s difficult for me to believe it is the 30th anniversary of its release. I guess I was pushing 22 years old when it came out. Anyone who grew up in the south can relate to the characters. In fact, many of us see ourselves in certain characters. While the southern accents are a little difficult to bear at times, I can get past that for the plot of the film, because truly, I feel like I know these women. I feel like I have met someone just like each of them at some point in my life. If you’re familiar with the film, I’d love to hear which one you think you are. I know I’m not Truvy. And I know I’m not Annelle or Shelby. I think I’m probably most like M’Lynn with a helping of Ouiser and a little slice of Clairee. Maybe? My friends might think differently…

No matter which Steel Magnolias character you think you are (or aspire to be!), this is a good opportunity to see it on the big screen again. Movies are at their best on the big screen…with a big tub of popcorn, some Milk Duds, and a soda. I plan to be there.

To see the schedule of re-releases by Fathom Events and TCM, check out the website here. In addition to their partnership with TCM Big Screen Classics, they also offer lots of other events on the big screen…boxing matches, ballet, operas, and more.

See you at the movies!

A friend and I were talking a couple of weeks ago, and she told me about an experience she had with a babysitter the weekend before.

She and her husband were going out at night and asked a teenager to babysit their nine-year-old daughter. The daughter had not had dinner, so my friend got out a few canned items, put them on the counter, and told the babysitter to heat those up when the little girl got hungry.

When she got home, the cans were still on the counter. Worried her daughter had not eaten dinner, she asked the babysitter, “Did she eat dinner?” The babysitter told her that her daughter had, indeed, eaten dinner, but she gave her something else, because...she…did…not…know…how…to…open…the…cans. 

We had a good laugh about it, but it made me think: does my own 15-year-old daughter know how to open a can? That afternoon, when my daughter got home from sports practice, I asked her, “Do you know how to use a can opener?” She assured me she did. Hmmm…. I took her into the kitchen so she could prove it to me. And she did. Whew!

When she was younger, we once had a housekeeper who wouldn’t let our daughter do anything for herself: put on her shoes; get dressed…she was two or three…old enough to put on her own slip-on shoes, but the housekeeper would always run over and try to help her. She could do it fine when the housekeeper wasn’t around! It drove me insane! If that housekeeper had remained with us, our daughter might not know how to do anything!

I know people have their own ideas about what teens need to know before they graduate from high school. I’m not even going to look at anyone else’s online list, but I’m going to share my own ideas with you.

• Use a can opener to open a can. Obviously.
• Crack an egg and scramble it. If you can’t cook anything else, this one is essential, preferably without eggshells in it.
• First Aid. Know how to stop/treat bleeding; recognize if you need stitches; How to make a temporary sling; recognize serious illness (appendicitis, heart attack, etc.); treat a bloody nose; treat a bee sting. It’s also very important to know how to operate an Epipen; you never know when you will be the only one who knows how to do it in an emergency!
• Heimlich maneuver. This is an important one. I’ve known several people who have been saved by it. They also need to know how to perform the Heimlich on themselves in case they are alone and choking.
• Escape a burning building. It’s important to know to stay low and move swiftly. Don’t open a door if it feels hot to the touch. And more…
• Budget. It can be difficult to budget. When I was first out of college and making very little money, it was all about choices. I learned to pay essentials first, set some money aside for saving, and make good choices about what I wanted to do. Sometimes, I had to pass on some things I wanted to do.
• Write a check. Check-writing is rare these days, but it is a necessary life skill. By the time our teenagers are in their 30s, checks might be obsolete, but for now, they need to know how to write a check. It’s also important to know how to do banking transactions: deposits, withdrawals, transfers, etc.
• Check the oil in an automobile and add engine oil. You don’t want your child to find herself 200 miles from home with the “add engine oil” light on in her car, but if she does, you want her to know what to do.
• Put gas in a car. One would think this is obvious, but in New Jersey, it’s illegal to pump your own gas, so I wonder what happens to those people when they get to another state? Years ago, I knew a woman whose husband had always pumped gas into her car for her. While that’s gallant (my husband takes my car to fill it up regularly), it’s important to know how to pump gas.
• Negotiate new cities (without fear). This is not an innate skill. It is one that is acquired by experience, and it is crucial for survival, if your child plans to do any travel. I learned it as a teen.
• Swim. Yes, everyone needs to know how to swim. It doesn’t have to be pretty.
• Pack a suitcase. Someone once told me about an adult (over 40) whose mother packed her suitcase for a vacation. While I hate packing, I know how to do it. I’ve been doing it since my first trip to Disney world when I was six. My daughter hates it too, but she has been packing her own suitcase since she was about seven or eight. *She went on an adventure trip to Iceland last summer, and someone who “had the inside scoop” insisted on packing for her, and I was OK with it, because we know nothing about wilderness packing…and frankly, we don’t need to know.* It’s not likely she’ll do another trip like that again…she is her mother’s daughter and likes nice hotels.
• Iron a shirt/pants. I can iron just about anywhere…a floor, a bed, a countertop. I grew up ironing, and I actually enjoy it. Need some ironing done? Invite me over, and if you’ll chat me up, I’ll catch up all your ironing…just ask my friend, Angela, whose ironing I’ve done before! My teen daughter knows how to iron. She also knows how to use a steamer to release wrinkles from her clothes.
• Check in for flights at the airport. People need to know how to make sure their bags have name tags on them; check in; get boarding passes; check bags; clear airport security; find their gate; change planes; stow baggage on planes; and retrieve their bags at their destination. They also need to know how to get ground transportation.
• How to cross a city street on foot. Kids who don’t live in urban areas don’t learn how to cross city streets on foot unless they have some practice doing it. It’s a life skill.
• How to tip. Living in the US, it’s important to know how/when to tip. They need to know how much to tip in different situations and when to tip. My daughter does her own tipping at restaurants with friends. I now encourage her to do some of the tipping at the airport (skycaps) and hotels (bellman, valet, doorman, housekeeping),  so she will become comfortable with it.
• Clean a toilet. You don’t have to enjoy it, but you have to do it.
• Vacuum.
• Use a plunger in a toilet. Definitely need to know how to do this. It’s not fun, but it’s essential.
• Repair a hem. I don’t care if she uses hemming tape, but it needs to work.
• Sew a button onto a shirt/jacket/pants, etc. When I was fresh out of college, I worked as a flight attendant. I arrived at a hotel one night to realize one of the buttons was falling off my blouse. The hotel had a sewing kit, and I re-attached the button with ease. Not everyone can do it. Teach your children.
• General safety. Safest places to park. Be aware of surroundings. How to know if you’re being followed, and what to do if you are. What to do if you’re approached by a stranger. The necessity of locating emergency exits in buildings, theaters, hotels (and planes) all the time…especially crowded ones. How to avoid dangerous situations. What to do in active shooter situation.
• Weather safety. Growing up in Alabama, we had to know what to do in case of a tornado. Even though they are rare where we live, it’s important to know. Know what to do in lightning.

• Use a bottle opener, a corkscrew, and open a bottle of champagne properly and safely. Sounds basic, I know, but a lot of adults don’t know how to use a corkscrew. And the cork isn’t supposed to fly out of a champagne bottle (dangerous) or make a lot of noise. It’s an art. It’s one they shouldn’t need till they’re over 21, but just in case…they need to know how dangerous a flying champagne cork can be.

I know I’m forgetting some things, so feel free to comment any skills you want to add. I know “change a tire” will be on there, but that one is iffy. While I know how to change a tire, lug nuts are often difficult to remove, and lots of newer cars don’t carry spares. Therefore, it’s important to know how to call for roadside assistance (through the manufacturer or AAA). There are lots of other necessary life skills…recognize an abusive relationship; when to walk away; etc.

Let’s hear your suggestions…

I know I’m not the only one behind the curve on the Instant Pot. I purchased mine over a year ago, and most of that year, it has been sitting in my cupboard just waiting to be used.

Last year, at about this time, I browned some sausage in it for a breakfast casserole I was making for a brunch at my house. After that, I put it away and haven’t given it much thought since. It’s not that it didn’t work well. It did. The problem was simple…

I was afraid of the Instant Pot.

It’s that whole pressure cooker thing. I have childhood memories of my mother telling me to stay away from the pressure cooker when she was using it to cook cabbage or turnip greens, because it could blow up. And she wasn’t kidding. It could, but it never did at our house. It did happen at a friend’s house, when his mother was cooking turnip greens in the pressure cooker. Greens went everywhere! According to my friend, there were turnip greens on every wall in the kitchen and even hanging from the ceiling.

Now you understand my fear.

Well, Friday night I was home alone. My husband was at the beach with friends, and my daughter was spending the night in Raleigh, a few hours away, for some lacrosse games. Normally, I would go to the games, but since my husband was gone, someone had to be home with our three dogs. Plus, I was actually looking forward to an evening home alone to do whatever I wanted and eat whatever I wanted.

As it turned out, cooking was what I wanted to do. After spending the afternoon in a local thrift store, I went home to cook dinner for one.

I had decided I would have my favorite chicken spaghetti, using spaghetti squash instead of pasta, for dinner. It’s one of my favorites, but the rest of the family…not so much. I was talking on the phone with my funny, reliable friend, Mary Ann, as I prepared to cut the spaghetti squash to bake it in the oven for an hour or so before making the casserole. And she stopped me, asking, “Why don’t you use your Instant Pot? You don’t have to cut through that hard squash, and it will be ready in 10 minutes.” I told her, “OK. I’m going to use it, but you know I’m afraid of it. You have to walk me through it.” And she did.

I did exactly what she told me to do, and lo and behold, I had a cooked spaghetti squash in about 15 minutes, because the Instant Pot has to pressurize before it actually starts cooking the squash. But 15 minutes is fantastic compared to the hour it usually takes! And I didn’t have to risk life and limb trying to cut through that hard squash! I just stuck it in the Instant Pot whole!

It was a masterpiece! It came out perfectly cooked. I sliced it in half (it was so easy!) and scraped out the seeds before scraping out the actual “spaghetti”…the meat of the squash…with a fork. I added all the other ingredients and popped it in the oven for about 25 minutes, and voila! Chicken Spaghetti! As soon as I stuck it in the oven, Mary Ann reminded me I could have done all that in the Instant Pot too. Next time…baby steps.

At least I’m not afraid of it anymore! If you’re afraid, don’t be. Mary Ann has never had a problem with hers, and she uses it all the time. Mary Ann will likely have to walk me through it every time I use it, but that’s OK…it gives us an excuse to talk (as if we need one).

Here’s the recipe for my chicken spaghetti, which really started out as Mary Ann’s Chicken Spaghetti, because she gave me the recipe years ago. I’m sure I don’t do it exactly the same way she did, but it’s good nonetheless.

Ingredients:

• 1 Spaghetti squash
• 1 rotisserie chicken, plain
• 1/2 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can Rotel Original tomatoes and peppers
• 1/2 can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 grated cheese of your choice (I use Colby jack for mild flavor)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375

• In Instant Pot, pressure cook whole squash per Instant Pot directions.
• Pick chicken off the bones and place in a mixing bowl.
• Mix 1/2 cup of the cheese with other ingredients in bowl with chicken.
• When squash is cooked, allow Instant Pot to depressurize for a few minutes before removing. On a plate, cut the squash in half and scrape out seeds/strings, using a spoon.
• Using a fork, scrape “spaghetti” from the meat of the squash and fold it into other ingredients in mixing bowl.
• Pour into 8×8″ casserole, spreading evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheese over the top.
• Cover and bake in oven for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes, till cheese is melted.

For more Instant Pot recipes, check out the healthy recipes from Hungry Girl website here. She also has a really good, easy Instant Pot recipes in her new book, Hungry Girl Simply 6, which you can purchase from Amazon here.

Enjoy your Instant Pot!

There are several houses in our area that go all out for Christmas. One of my favorites is a couple of miles away, and the gentleman who lives there dresses up as Santa at night, standing out by the road to take donations for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, one of my favorite causes. And the lights! Wow! It’s insane! (That’s the house in the picture above.) When our daughter was little, we told her it was Santa’s second home, where he goes to prepare for Christmas, because she couldn’t understand why he was standing outside a house in Charlotte. See bottom of page for a list of several places to see great light displays in the Charlotte area. 

When I was growing up, my parents would decorate our lawn for Christmas. My favorite decorations were those 40″ Noel Candles everyone had in the 70s. I have some now. I haven’t put them out this year, but there’s still time. Maybe tomorrow. I was absolutely fascinated with them when I was a little girl.

My daughter and a neighbor’s daughter, several years ago, with the Noel candles.

I also remember my parents putting blue lights on the shrubs across the front of the house. The big blue bulbs that would steam a little when rain hit them. That’s because bulbs got hot back then.

As an adult, I still love lawn decor, but sometimes, like this year, I’m slow getting it out. I found the multicolor bulbs today, but it was already getting dark, so I’ll likely put them on the shrubs out front tomorrow. And yes, I said “shrubs,” not “trees.” I’ve never been one to do lawn decor that’s up too high. I don’t want to drag out a ladder. Maybe I’m lazy. Or maybe I’m smart, since this year, my vertigo seems to be in high gear. It flares up every now and then, and it only bothers me when I look up or lean my head back, so climbing ladders to hang stuff up high isn’t a good idea.

I’ve mentioned before that I have lighted animals I put out front every year. One friend who lives down the street looks forward to seeing our Christmas pig. We usually have a fox too, but this year, I let him stay inside. I put out a small lighted elephant and a couple of small lighted cardinals instead. Quite a menagerie. And my leg lamp…the one from the movie, A Christmas Story, is always in the front dining room window. A mom came to pick up her daughter at our house yesterday and said, “That’s an interesting lamp.” I laughed. “I’m guessing you haven’t seen the movie?” She had no idea what I was talking about. I explained, but I think she still thought I was crazy. Maybe she’s right?

But here’s what I’m excited about this year: when I was in the attic yesterday looking for some wrapping paper, I came across something I ordered a few years ago ( at an after Christmas sale) and never opened. In it? A giant inflatable elephant carrying Santa and some presents!

I carried that box out to the front yard and got that inflatable elephant anchored down and inflated in record time! He is glorious! Did I mention the thing is over 10 feet tall? It makes me happy.

Anyone who knows me knows I went to The University of Alabama, so of course, I’m a Crimson Tide fan…the elephant is perfect for my yard. My husband gets back home today after a few days away. Surprise, honey!

It’s tacky. And I love it. The neighbors probably hate me. My husband might hate me too; tacky decorations are not his favorite thing. Oh well, at least I waited till well after Thanksgiving to put it up! Frankly, I hope it will last till Christmas. The last time I put up a giant inflatable pig, my next door neighbor called to inform me it had blown into her yard!

A friend who lives in the neighborhood has an inflatable Airstream in her front yard, and it makes me happy every time I see it. If I get a call, I’m going to say she set the precedent. There’s just something about outdoor holiday decor that’s fun, and for me…the tackier, the better.

So, it’s tacky Christmas decor at my house. I like it. I think it’s a lot more fun than perfect, little twinkling lights spaced perfectly on every tree and shrub. Those are beautiful, but this is fun! And one thing’s for sure… everybody can look at it and know we did it ourselves. Nope…not gonna hire someone to make my yard look perfect. Anyone can do that. Not just everyone can kneel in wet grass for 20 minutes while untangling tether lines for a giant inflatable elephant.

I think Santa likes it too.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

***The photo at the top of the page is a house on Sherwood Forest Drive in South Charlotte, off Colony Road. Drive toward that road at night, and just follow all the cars turning into the road. The neighbors’ houses have lots of lights too.***

***The town of McAdenville, just off Interstate 85, south of Charlotte, is a former mill town, and the whole village participates. It’s free! Traffic is heavy, so plan to be in line for a while, and don’t drink a lot of liquids beforehand.***

***Hillside Avenue in Myers Park has beautiful outdoor decor. Just drive down the street at night and see how the neighborhood comes together to decorate. Beautiful!***

***Another popular decor area is Thomas Avenue in Plaza Midwood. ***

Other great places to see lots of Christmas lights: Carowinds’ Winterfest, Billy Graham Library, Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, and Charlotte Motorspeedway. 

***

I love thinking about how exciting Christmas was when I was a little girl. I also love remembering my daughter’s excitement leading up to Christmas…and Christmas morning…wow! There’s nothing else like it. It’s magical. Even if you stayed up till 2am putting together toys, it’s magical. Even if you stayed up all night with a sick child, it’s magical. Even if you had to search frantically for all the gifts, it’s magical. Seeing your child’s face on Christmas morning is magical.

Ten days till Christmas!

And kids have no idea how much goes on behind the scenes. They couldn’t even begin to fathom all we do in preparation for the holidays. They wouldn’t believe how much prep work goes into that “magic.”

Most of my purchasing is done this year, so I’ve been spending the last few days wrapping gifts…and wrapping gifts…and wrapping gifts. That sounds like it has been drudgery, but I have loved every minute of it.

Last year, on December 30, I lost my mom. And while I’ve dreaded this Christmas and the approaching one year mark, I’ve told myself I’m going to find joy in everything about the holiday.

My husband put up the tree and some of the decorations while my daughter and I were away a few weeks ago. We came home and found the tree waiting for us, poinsettias in the foyer and living room, our light-up animals on the front steps, and my glorious leg lamp in the dining room window. Fra-gil-e! It’s a major award! My husband had shared a little joy by surprising us.

Then Christmas cards started arriving…more joy from friends and family, near and far! I love Christmas cards.

Even though my husband put up the tree, he didn’t decorate it. I got out all the ornaments and decorated it recently, surprising our daughter with lots of ornaments from her childhood. There are ornaments my mother gave us, and I smiled every time I hung one. There were two ornaments left on the tree from last year…cardinals. My mother always said when cardinals come around, they are loved ones we have lost making a visit. I was thrilled to find those two cardinals on the tree. And there were lots of owl ornaments. I don’t remember buying them, but there are lots of them. After three or four, I wondered if they had any significance.

I’ve purchased gifts from links our teenage daughter has texted us. And I’ve added a few surprises for her too, to give her a little extra joy…and to make it seem a little magical. I know Christmas isn’t about the gifts, but we didn’t have much of a Christmas last year, since Mother fell on Christmas Eve and was admitted to the hospital. I’ve purchased lots of gifts, in fact. And I’ve been doing lots of gift wrapping.

Gift wrapping was always something I dreaded, but this year is different. This year, I’ve found gift wrapping (and making gigantic bows!) to be therapeutic, and since it’s our first year without Mother, I’ve needed the therapy. Of course, I’m sad she’s not here to talk on the phone with me while I’m wrapping, but it has still calmed me. It has been downright joyful to wrap gifts, because the busy work relaxes my mind.

And those owl ornaments? Well, last night, I was searching for a necklace my mother gave me, and I came across a charm bracelet I brought home from her house after she died. I had never seen it before she died, but I found it in a jewelry box at her house. I picked it up last night and looked at all the charms. There’s a tricycle…I have pictures of her on a tricycle as a little girl. There’s a nurse’s cap….she was a nurse. There are lots of charms, including a sunflower, which was her favorite and Daddy’s too. And there were two owls. I smiled. I had my answer about the significance of the owl ornaments. They were somehow special to Mother. I don’t know how, but that doesn’t matter. I made a connection.

I’m going to be joyful this holiday season. It’s my goal. And so far, I am. There have been a few tears, but I feel like these little signs…the cardinals, the owls…are telling me to be happy, so that’s what I’m going to do. Mother used to always say that if you decide to be happy, you’ll be happy. I’ve decided to be happy.

Anybody have any gifts that need to be wrapped?

Our daughter is a teenager now. No more trips to Southpark Mall for her to sit on Santa’s lap. Oh, that used to be one of the highlights of the season…and she did it 15 or 20 times a year.

She doesn’t want to hang out with us like she used to, and we’re cool with that. She’s growing up, and I’m glad she is becoming more independent every day. During the Christmas season, she’ll join me for a few fun Christmas things, but we used to do a lot when she was younger. Every city has its own places to visit, but here are my favorite fun things to do during the holidays that can be done anywhere:

• Neighborhood Lights. Riding around looking at Christmas lights never gets old. Fortunately, our daughter will still do this with us. She will invite a few friends, and I’ll get a mom friend, and we will drive around looking at lights. Sometimes, we might even stop for the girls to “carol” at a friend’s house, which really means they want to visit with someone for a little while.
• Host a Cookie Swap. This is something we haven’t done in years, but when we did it, it was fun. Maybe this year, my daughter and I will pick a weekend day to invite friends over and have an old-fashioned cookie swap. We’ll make a few dozen of our favorites and ask our friends to bring their favorites, and we’ll swap them out while we drink hot chocolate or coffee…or maybe champagne for the moms!
• Decorate the Tree. I know, lots of people hire folks to decorate their tree and do their outdoor lighting, and that’s great if that’s what you want to do. Not me. Part of the fun of the holiday is doing that stuff! Sure, it’s frustrating at times, but it helps with the spirit of the holiday. Often, teenagers think they’re too cool to help decorate the tree or help with outdoor decor. At our house, it will be a family event…again. Besides, the best memories are made when the tree isn’t perfect! I remember when our daughter was four, we let her hang the ornaments on the tree, and they were all on the bottom third of the tree. Good times!
  
• Christmas specials. Maybe I’m the only 51-yr-old mother who loves the old Christmas TV specials more than my child does. She cares nothing about watching the old animated shows I watched as a child, so I usually end up recording them and watching them by myself. My husband thinks I’m a nut, but it never really feels like the holiday season till I see some of my favorites: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming To Town, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, and The Year Without A Santa Claus. Those were the ones we could hardly wait to see every year when I was a little girl. We’d get an early bath and get into our pajamas. Mother would turn off all the lights in the den, and we’d lie in front of the TV, watching the special of the night.
• Christmas Movies. When I was a teenager, I still looked forward to those specials, but I loved staying up late at night with Mother, watching classic holiday movies. Our favorites were Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Holiday Inn…all on TBS. One year, when It’s a Wonderful Life was on earlier in the evening, Daddy came in and wanted to watch something else on the television in the den. I pouted, but I went upstairs to finish watching my movie. He ended up coming upstairs and telling me we’d watch the movie in the den. He watched with me, and it became one of his favorite movies of all time. His other favorite Christmas movie? National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Daddy had a good sense of humor. I can remember his laugh like it was yesterday.
• Bake, Bake, Bake! Every time I go into Target between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I pick up some baking supplies: sugar, flour, butter, Karo Syrup, or even just cookie or cake mix. I have some favorite things I like to bake for the holidays: Fudge Pecan Pie Bars, Cardamom Cookies, Sugar Cookies, Buttermilk Pie, and Beer Bread! Maybe I can get my daughter to stay home long enough one weekend afternoon to do some baking with me. I’ll share some recipes soon too!
• Knitting. In Charlotte, December is when it starts to get a little cold, which puts me in the mood to do some knitting, and this year is no exception. I’m dragging out the yarn and knitting needles, getting ready to make a new snow beanie for my husband. He has one I made last year, and surprisingly, he loves it. He actually  requested another one. It’s very relaxing for me to knit, and it’s great to know he likes what I made him.
• Visit Local Holiday Sites. Every city has different things to enjoy during the holidays, and every year, something is added. I love to get online and search for holiday fun in Charlotte every year. Maybe it’s a tree lighting or candlelight tour of a local attraction. There are so many fun things in Charlotte around the holidays. Lots of them are listed here. Our favorites are Winterfest at Carowinds; Christmas at the Library, Billy Graham Library, click here; Christmas in the Gardens at Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens; Gingerbread Lane, Holiday Tea, Hot Chocolate and Toddies, and more at Ballantyne Hotel…see their events here; Charlotte Christmas Village (click here), and the drive-thru Nativity at Carmel Presbyterian Church located at the corner of Carmel Road and Sharonview Road (click here).
  

  Live Nativity at Billy Graham Library

Now, I’m getting my calendar out to schedule everything we can possibly do between now and Christmas!

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