One Ring To Bind Them All

The best Christmas gift I have ever received: a (too small) ring picked out by the Kiddo. He's be telling me for two weeks that I will love it and he didn't spoil the surprise. He told me this morning as I opened it, he knew I would love it and gave me the biggest, most exuberant hug ever. I am so blessed!

Christmas Scenes from the Diatribest Household

The Kiddo reciting his litany to (a very rude) Santa

Our (very dead) Christmas tree

My favorite ornament--Baby Kiddo four years ago

The Baby Diatribest's first Christmas

Wooden Creche that I've had since I was 5.  It still has the 3.99 price tag from Woolworths.

Painting ornaments

An impromptu photo shoot

A nice hot toddy to cap off the end of the day

Pint-Sized Viking Fury

Thank you Uncle Ed!

From Russia With Love

So what's up with you Russian readers?  How did you find this link (of which I am VERY glad you did!)?  What's your opinion of this blog?  Interesting, stupid Capitalist? Crazy Westerner?  Very Funny, Charming Writer (I hope!)

I studied a lot of Russian history while I was back in college and I must say that I am thoroughly enchanted/terrified with your country.  (Reading about the KGB scared me silly.  But then again, I guess you could say that we Americans with waterboarding are just as scary.)  The rich vastness is amazing!

I'm very interested in you.  Send me a comment, drop a line, introduce yourself.  And by all means, pass this link along to your friends.  Maybe we could open up some lines of communication. 

And since it's been so Arctic cold down here (at least in my wimpy opinion), I'll raise a shot of Vodka in your honor next time I want a nip of something to warm me up. 

Baby It's Cold Outside

I've been so busy with this seasonal job that I haven't had the energy to write much. So much so I missed a deadline for one of my Yahoo! freelance pieces, which was really annoying, but helped me prepare for the next assignment. I'm usually in the warehouse making boxes or packing fruit from 8-6, six days a week. The packing house hasn't been warmer than 42 degrees most days, but I am still so grateful for the work. Besides, the pickers in the groves have it much harder. We're working with a sense of urgency because we are in danger of a sever freeze. If it drops to 22 like it's been forecasted, the fruit will die and that will be the second year running the the season has been closed after 2 months rather than the full six months. My hope is that the Lord and Mother Nature will spare us. If not, there will be another sixty people applying for unemployment.