wonderment

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!”

September Was a Blast

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Good morning fellow wonderers:

First let me say, Thank you for all your well wishes! I had a great birthday and a very nice anniversary. My husband and I went to Charlotte, NC and stayed at the historical Dunhill Hotel.
www.dunhillhotel.com. What I love about The Dunhill, there are no kitchens or any kitchen accessories in the suites. For me, if I have to cook, it’s just not a vacation! This is my stayation location. I love that it is in the heart of the city. We park the car and walk around like we used to do when we were young living in Philadelphia.
I’ve stayed in the Penthouse before but I must say the lower levels are just as nice and the amenities are excellent.

While in Charlotte I had the pleasure of sampling The Mimosa Grill on 327 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC and The Delta on 525 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC. Both restaurants have valet parking while Mimosa offers a farm to fork southern cuisine and sophisticated atmosphere; The Delta offers a live jazz band that took me back to New Orleans with their style of southern fare. We went to A Poetry Slam at the Blumenthal and What the Truck! Food Feastival. I even got in an art show. I did not get a chance to go to the Southern Women’s Show but I have to leave something for me to wish on for next year.

I did get the Starbucks You Are Here cup!

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I had a blast

Mundy Madness – A Lesson in Liability

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Well hello wonderers:

Today I’m going to take you through the Mundy’s House Dictionary. Turn your page to the word liability and I will define it to you Mundy style.

Oldest daughter Kerrie wanted to borrow the car to go to Myrtle Beach for spring break with her girlfriends. She was 17 at the time and my only logical response was “No, the liability is too great.”

“What does that mean Mom?” She responded. Only she kept saying it over and over again. What does that mean, what does that mean? No matter how I explained it to her she said what does liability mean? Finally I broke it down to her:

A lie – as in what your gonna tell me when something happens.

A bill – as in what they’re gonna send me.

A T – as in tough titty. It ain’t gonna happen.

Li-abil-ity!!!!!!!!!

That’s my story for this week. Thanks for perusing.

Mundy Madness – Where it all began.

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Good morning fellow wonderers:

Since this is my 25th wedding anniversary, I thought I would take you back to where all the madness began. How I met my husband.

I used to be a legal assistant for Hyatt Legal Services back in the 1980’s. Our office had a state of the art conference room that the regional department felt they must have and moved their staff into our office space. That’s when this gorgeous guy walked into the building. He had a beautiful smile and an infectious laugh that I heard around the building but I hadn’t had the opportunity to speak with him. The first day I met him was at the introductory staff meeting. Everyone was in the conference room and he began calling out names requesting people to stand. I remember thinking these people were going to get some kind so recognition and was waiting to hear my name when he said, “You all can leave the room, your fired. Everyone else remain seated, the meeting is about to begin.”. So cold. The dismissed people didn’t even have time to react. So calculated. We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye, by the time the meeting was over, they were gone. He looked so at ease with this moment. I really did not talk to him again for a couple of weeks.

Our next encounter was when the office manager called me sexist because I usually organized a welcome luncheon for new staff but had not had one for this guy. Well I didn’t consider regional employees one of “our” staff but I took him out to lunch anyway. No one else was available to go so just him and I went and it was a good time. He was very charismatic and told me a lot about himself and we had a lot in common. By the time lunch was over, I decided I liked him, he was alright.

We worked together for a couple weeks more. I had been promoted to office supervisor and he was regional supervisor and our jobs sort of intertwined. The two office staffs had become one and we were all in the front office joking around when the regional director came in. He didn’t know anyone so he asked the guy to make coffee. This proud, above all employees (girls) in the room personality was offended but he did not say a word when he went to the break room. A few moments later he came back with coffee for everyone. That coffee was so thick, when you stirred in the condiments, the spoon just floated with the stir after you released it. He walked over to me and said, “He’ll never ask me to make coffee again”. I knew at that moment I could fall in love with this guy.

Twenty five years later, he only still makes coffee for me!

That’s my story for this week. Thanks for perusing and keep wondering.

It is written, it is so

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The numerology chart at www.numerology.com has this to say for my address. I thought to check it out to see if my decorating is complimentary to the house’s personality. This is some serious stuff (lol) and it might also have the answers to some questions I have about the direction some of theses rooms are going. 🙂

This address inspires creativity, optimism, flexibility, and openness. An excellent address for artists and unconventional people. Equally well suited for singles or families. Older people tend to feel comfortable in this environment, while younger people are inspired to do something unique and creative. Probably the most up-beat of all addresses. A good location for an art studio but not so good for a home-office. Lacking focus and direction, this address is not ideal for ambitious workaholics. Also not a good address for serious or overly religious people.

Strengthen the positive influence of this address with: Bright colors, art work, perhaps even a mural or two. The interior design should be unconventional and loosely arranged furniture. Mix modern and antiques and don’t worry about other people’s opinions.

That explains my office. And why I should turn it into an art studio.

There’s hope for me still!

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Friends Request

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Good morning fellow wonderers:

A few friends, old co-workers and acquaintances have asked me to tell some of my stories. They say it is what they miss most about me retiring. They don’t get to hear my sense of humor and they really miss my upbeat personality. (Yes, and I’m modest too!). So since they’ve asked for it, who am I to deprive them of my adventures.

So, starting Monday I will post, “Mundy Madness”. Get it, Monday, Mundy. I can’t believe I just wrote that considering I hated when people would say my last name and then say things like, “It’s Mundy on a Tuesday.

🙂

So thanks for perusing and until Monday, keep wondering.

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.

Stow away, go away

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Good evening fellow wonderers:

First, let me tell you my progress on my magnetic chalkboard wall. It’s magnetic!!!!! For some reason I didn’t think it was going to work. I was expecting the wall to crumble or something drastic to happen for my hubby to get angry about. But so far, so good. The magnets are sticking. Now I am at a crossroad. The sales girl at Lowes had to mention I could use any kind of paint over the magnetic primer so now I’m wavering between chalk paint and wall paint to minimize the chalkboard look. I’m gonna sleep on it. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

Now for my go away story.

I used to live in the country side of York county where I would see an occasional deer, rabbit, maybe a turtle or two during the twenty something years I lived out there but now that I’m in the city side of the country I have seen a crawfish in my yard, a black snake, a mole and today I don’t know what to call it but a creature I hope to never stow away with me again ever! That was a long sentence I know but I couldn’t break my chain of thought for fear.

I was driving to a school meeting, windows down, breeze blowing in my hair. (Yea, I signed up for celebration parent.) I was thinking on the way there how to NOT volunteer for too many things at once, you know, getting my excuses together when up popped the head of a monster at my driver’s window. I was trying desperately to close the window without killing myself in the process. It’s a new car and I don’t know how to work everything yet and under pressure I was pushing all the buttons on the door trying to keep my eyes on it and on the road. I yelled at it thinking I was going to scare it to jump off. I closed the window and sped up hoping it would blow off my car. He was riding like he was wind surfing. When I pulled into the parking lot I said to him, “Okay, you stowed away but I know where your not going back!” I got out the car and took his picture because my husband would never believe how big this thing was.

I feel like I need a body guard. Almost everyday something is lurking around my house but this villain has been removed. I hope his family doesn’t come looking for me! If I am missing, here is your number one suspect:

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Until next time, keep wondering!