random thoughts

Mundy Madness – a Thanks Mom

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Good Morning Wonderers!

I was thinking I needed to thank my mom for all the things she put on me because her mother put them on her. I’m talking about the things that bring me unnecessary stress. The things that make other people think I’m overwhelming at times and definitely a tyrant.

Thank you Mom for raising me to believe my house has to be clean bringing in the new year. Yes Mom, I cleaned out my shoe closet , my clothes closet, my night stand drawers. I dusted and vacuumed my room and cleaned my bathroom. You would be proud. While I was at it, I rearranged the furniture too and got everything up from under the bed.

Thank you Mom for saying all your laundry had to be done bringing in the new year or otherwise you will be washing clothes all year. I dispelled that one last year lady and called my girls and told them that one is a myth. But habit is habit, I washed all the clothes anyway and swept and mopped the laundry room floor.

I cleaned out the refrigerator Mom and went grocery shopping for collard greens, black eye peas and rice. We have to have that and EVERYONE has to eat it for the household to have good luck and plenty of money. Alex, your holding us back buddy. We might have hit that Megabuck by now if you would just eat your share of black eye peas. You have to do better buddy!

I don’t have the energy to rant with the grown folks around here about cleaning their rooms but you guys better have your bedroom doors shut when the new year rolls through the house! And clean your bathrooms! I mean it!!!!

Okay wonders, I hope your ready for the new year and that your homes will continue to be blessed. I want to extend a Happy New Year to all of you! I am definitely having my last surgery for the year this morning and will see you guys in the new year. As always, thanks for perusing and until next time, keep wondering.

Oh and by the way, y’all can visit me, my house is clean! (thanks Mom, I love you)

Mundy Madness – Tapping Out on Christmas

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Good morning my fellow wonderers.

Yesterday I was soaking in the bathtub questioning why I was feeling so defeated about Christmas. I had to admit to myself that my expectation and what I was actually achieving didn’t measure up . First off I haven’t been feeling well and had to address some health issues last week. I had gotten home from the hospital Friday and was resting when the hubby calls stating he had a viral infection and was coming home. Why is it whenever I have a down time someone else has to be down too? That sounds insensitive I know but can’t I be sick alone. I remember when I worked I never told anyone at the house I was sick until everyone got home from school or work. If they knew I was home I would get a phone call someone else was sick too and I would end up nursing everyone else back to health. I just went to bed. Tapped out after I washed all the sheets and blankets. Turns out he did not have a viral infection just a rash.

Saturday I still wanted to be all and everything for Christmas for my grands but it wasn’t working out. It all came to a head over the weekend when I decided we would make candy. We always made cookies but never candy before. We started with making caramels but of course it didn’t get hot enough and we ended up with Caramel sauce. Great taste and I think it will be good on waffles Christmas morning or Ice cream for dessert. After I cleaned the kitchen I announced we will make coconut macaroon later that evening. When I came back in the kitchen there was sugar all over the floor. Come to find out J had knocked the sugar over and they got up as much of it as they could. I still had about 5 pounds of sugar left for my candy making but when I realized they had gathered up the sugar from the floor and added it to the clean sugar — TAP OUT! I went back to bed. What kind of mess was this?

When I woke up, my son had the girls mop the kitchen floor and he went to get some clean sugar for me. J and I made coconut macaroon dots. Do you remember that candy? The candy that you ate off of paper! I just gave up.

I told my husband I was going to take a bath, roll up my hair and just wait for Christmas. It’s just to late to get candy in the mail and I was just going to accept it as it is. What was done was done and it was going to be okay. The bathtub was going to be an attitude adjustment. While I was in the bath, J my two year old granddaughter comes in and I say, ” Its my quiet time!” She replied, “You want some help?” and starts taking her clothes off. I tap out and put my hands up and help her into the tub. We watch Netflix and Polish our toe nails when it becomes apparent to me this is what Christmas is about and I vow to just spend time with my family be it doing chores, baking cookies or just playing a game. Whatever the days bring the rest of the holiday belongs to them.

This morning I check the second batch of caramel which turned out perfect. We had even made some caramel popcorn. The macaroons have loosened off the papers and I still have time to get one box of candy in the mail for my dad.

Christmas is going to be alright after all! Thank you my little two year old!

Until next time, thanks for perusing and Merry Christmas Everyone!

Artful Oven Mitts

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Hello wonderers!

You guys know I have been searching for a craft to make for the middle schoolers. Well, thanks to stitchinggrandma for blogging about this site. I have found the coolest oven mitts at http://talesofastitcher.com/2013/11/10/artful-oven-mitts/

You have to go over and take a peek! They are gorgeous. You know how I love colorful things.
Thanks Maria for sharing.

I know you remember I am a little challenged on the sewing machine but Prettyladybaby is coming to visit her mommy soon and you guys know how she loves to guilt. She can get me started and I’ll have plenty of time to get enough for atleast a class. What, I’ve got until the end of May. ;-). And I can make them feminine or masculine. How cool is that!

And there’s a bonus to all of this. Kerrie will be elated I’m sewing!

I’m accepting my own challenge. A new year. A new project. I’m so excited!!!!

Wanted: Domestic Engineer

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Hello fellow wonderers and welcome new wonders. As usual, thank you for perusing my blog.

I met a young woman today and we got into a conversation about our children. At some point of the conversation I must of asked her what her profession was. I don’t remember asking but that doesn’t say much because I do tend to drift when people talk to me. But somewhere in the conversation, she announced she was a domestic engineer. Is that a new term? I hadn’t heard it before so I asked her what it was. She got offended and said again, “Domestic Engineer!” Call me stupid because I asked her where she worked. Again, but a little condescending, ” I’m a domestic engineer.”

This time it clicked. Oh, stay at home mom, housewife, unemployed. Gotcha!!

I’m socially sensitive so speaking from years of experience over her I had to tell her that being a mom is the most important job in the world. It is the hardest job in the world and I wished I could have just been that for my family. This time around just being a “MOM” is enough.

I gave her my phone number in case she wanted to have lunch sometime or arrange a play date. I wrote in out in her language. I put Denise, CEO. She laughed.

Can’t sleep

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Hello wonders:

It used to be when I couldn’t sleep, I did housework, laundry, move the furniture around, decorate, redecorate, cook, go grocery shopping, just catch up on domestication. Now all I want to do is practice drawing. I remember when Prettyladybaby.wordpress.com first started quilting she would be up quilting all day and night. Quilting consumed her and she has a passion. Now here I am being consumed with drawing. It’s wonderful! I feel like I’m in love. All I want to do is be with my HB to 6B pencils. I’m anxious to use my colored pencils and chalks. I don’t even get upset when I get charcoal on my sheets anymore. I have a new passion. Only thing is….. Who’s doing the housework? One thing I know for sure, there are no magic elves coming here to do any.

Mundy Madness – I feel cheated!

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Hello Wonderers!

First let me apologize for leaving you in a lurch the past two weeks. I didn’t realize that my post two weeks ago didn’t post and last Monday I was under the knife so again no post. Which last week there is no telling what I might have told you. I seem to be in trouble from some of the things I said last week. What a waste of good drugs. People take things so seriously. I was in a drug induced high people, forgive me please.

Well speaking of seriously, I seriously think I have been robbed. I probably have no real claim to this, but Elf on a Shelf is my creation. I think somebody owes me a lot of money. This is my case.

Back in the 70’s the Christmas store windows would come alive in mechanical animation that my parents would take us to see at Sears and Roebucks. How I loved to go on that family outing. The scene in the window would come alive with lights and music and in the end you would see Santa.

My husband, back then boyfriend, worked in retail and in 1987 his store was throwing out the mechanical Christmas display and he brought home two elves as a surprise for me. Our son was born the following May and that first Christmas was the birth of the Mundy Magic of Christmas.

Every Christmas season my children would decorate the tree. All the ornaments and lights would be on the bottom of the tree, only as far as their little arms could reach. I would put these elves on the fireplace and tell my children stories about them. If they were good children the magic of Christmas would come. The elves were there to report back to Santa their conduct. Over the years the story elaborated further. The elves move around when everyone was sleep, they freeze in motion when the lights turn on, …etc. It got to be so serious my son would turn the elves around to face the wall when he was doing something bad. On Christmas Eve after they went to bed, I would dismantle the tree, put lights on it and fully decorate it while my family put together toys. I would then place those elves in a position that they got caught when the lights came on and Santa had to dash without them. Isn’t that my story, sort of? Seriously!!!!

I’ve been doing this for 25 years and looking at another 20 at least because none of my children have picked up the tradition. I have to keep it going for my grandchildren. I guess it’s possible that some body out there has an imagination like me. I guess I need to thank the creator and stop hating on that Target commercial that makes me scream when they mention it. I guess with a new generation of children all these other elves only bring credibility to my story.

I still think…… My elves are still cuter!

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Beginner

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Good evening fellow wonders:

As you guys know, I have been taking art lessons. The drawing classes are coming along nicely but the painting, it’s gonna take some time. Last week the drawing class kinda laughed at my painting. Oh they were very supportive but I could hear the snickering in their voice. So much so I remarked, “This is the beginner’s class!” I am the only beginner and I haven’t found my technique yet. I felt like a kid like when my daughter would say after any mistake, “but I’m only six.”

My instructor wanted the class to tell a story in their painting. I told you guys about my husband walking on water so I thought I would put him in the water to tell a story. When my husband proposed he said to me, “We will have stormy times but if you take my hand we will weather them all. If you marry me you will never be hot, you will never be cold”. Well, that’s what he said and I thought I captured it.

My instructor read: We better have fun before the storm comes. I just said, “Close! It’s only my second painting!”
🙂

It Says Dishwasher

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Good evening fellow wonderers:

Some forty something odd years ago I said to my mother, “It says dishwasher.” She was the proud owner of “The Carousel”. It was a countertop dishwasher that connected to the kitchen faucet. She lived to show it off to out of town guest and the women of her circle. My mother was the sole owner in our five block radius. But by the time you had to scrap the dishes, wash and rinse the dishes just to put them in “The Carousel” the dishes could have been done. I mean washed, dried and put away. But when you got it loaded and put the top on and turned on the hot water, you thought you had something special. You could hear the water going around and around with hot steam billowing around it. I bet my mother felt like the queen of the neighborhood. I felt like it was a waste of time and hot water because if you didn’t get your bath before it started, you had to wait for the hot water to build up.

Now, as I watch my husband scraping and rinsing the dishes with soapy water just to load them in the dishwasher I just want to yell, “That stainless steel contraption under the counter says – DISHWASHER!”

Onward and Upward

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Hey wonderers;

In case you have been wondering how my art class is going, I’m moving onward and upward. I am taking a figurative drawing class and an acrylic painting class after my beginner class ends.

All of my classmates are very talented and encouraging. They are all fine artists. When we have our framed art show I’ll take pictures of theirs to show. Todate, all I can say about my art. I’m an impressionist wanting to be a fine artist but I’m having fun!

Take a look at my entry!

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Secrets

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Good afternoon fellow wonderers:

My mom used to say, “keep it to yourself”.

I often wonder why the things we tell others flow so freely and other information we lock away indefinitely. I’m not one to keep secrets but I hid one from y’all recently. As you know I have been trying to break into the art world. I wanted to start by taking classes but every time I register for a class for some unforeseen reason the class is cancelled. I would be so excited I’d tell anybody who would listen that I was starting an art class only to be disappointed and then have to explain why I didn’t go. I seriously had the thought my classes were being cancelled because I told the secret. I really seriously thought I had broken some code of silence in the art world and some secret society had black listed my admission. So this time I didn’t blab it all over town. And today, yes this morning, the art gods gave me admission to their world. Dr. Bradley Sabelli’s Learn to Draw in 5 Easy Steps class actually started.

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My instructor is not only an acclaimed artist in is own right, he is a member of the Catawba River Art Guild in which he invited me to join. Finally I am in the loop. But don’t tell anybody else my friend. I don’t want to jinx it.
I will definitely need more than 5 steps.

Feeling artsy!

Until next time, keep wondering.