Merry Christmas! And Welcome to Our Light Show!

Whew wee - were the holidays a busy time or WHAT? Let me just catch you all up on everything since November 15. On November 16, my sweet Bradley turned thirty years old. Oh yeah... middle age is coming on fast - we ain't seventeen anymore - although that was a fun year and in my heart I'll always be seventeen or twenty... haha. Anyway.. that reality hit, and so now we really are on the road to being grown ups. I guess.

I went back to work at FUMC - my church job where I was Director of Music. After two weeks of being back, I turned in my six week notice that I would be leaving for good. (Big frowny face.) Even after only doing it for 2 weeks, I could see it a whole lot more clearly that that job and driving and hauling my sweet tiny babe in swaddling clothes back and forth just was not going to work. I didn't like relying on my mother to keep him, although I think if it were up to her, I could just GIVE him over to her and she would happily spoil him for the rest of his days. Hahaha. Grammys.

But I didn't want to just walk out on them right before the start of Advent and Christmas. Oi. We got through the Christmas Cantata and all the other things that were going on and it turned out to be quite a success I might add. A bit of advice for all you other church music folks: don't do two cantata performances in one day, especially on a Sunday because you have all the regular Sunday morning grind, then rehearsals starting two hours later, and after the FIRST performance you're ready to roll over and take a snooze. I thought I was going to die that day. And then I went home and slept straight for about 26 hours. :) (Disclaimer: yes, definitely DO 2 performances or 6 or 8 or whatever you have in you, but just don't do them in the same day.)

Okay, where does that put us? Elijah happens to be doing quite well. That little piggy is eating and giggling and playing and sleeping his way through life. Can't wait until he's Dancing Through Life. Haha.. I love Wicked. Anyway.. Christmas was tough on the little feller. He was passed around like the little hot potato he really is, but that wore him out! On top of that, he got his first round of vaccinations the day before Christmas Eve. He seemed to do fine with that, we pumped his little booty full of Tylenol all during Christmas just to help him relax a little if he happened to be a little sore.

And now... for the traumatic happening during Christmas....

You know, (big sigh), there is always some sort of drama going on during the holidays. I think its because everyone has a crazy family and when multiple crazy people get together, then its almost like as crazy as a loom. (Loooommmmm.....orrr.... dump truck??) HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA. okay, only about 4 people get that one. But here's what had happened:

Picture this: freezing cold Thursday night, December 23. About 6:00pm. Dark outside. Wind blowing. (A little background for the story: everyone knows we happen to have a very large Great Dane - he's not THAT big, like Big George the Great Dane, but Jack is unusually tall for the Great Danes he goes to school with.. haha. The daycare had lost his leash, and on top of that my husband had misplaced his gentle leader - which is a contraption that we affectionately call his "G-String" because its a collar that wraps around the back of his big boy ears and goes on his nose, like a horse thing - maybe a bridle? Anyway, the gentle leader helps you control the large dogs, because they won't pull AT ALL when their control is from their nose. *would you pull on something that was going to yank on your nose? nope. not us either*) Okay. so back to the main story:

I was taking Jack out on his normal evening outing to take care of business. This young man is walking by with a small dog, maybe of the Shih-tzu Breed or something of the like. Now, you know, Jack loves little dogs, in fact, he really thinks he's a Shih-tzu since he was raised around one. He loves their quick movements and especially their bark - they just get his motor running if you know what I mean. lol. So, I forgot to mention that I had him on some kinda thread leash cheapest of the cheap thing that the daycare gave us since they lost his heavy rope lead. Oi. Let's wrap this up, Rach -

Jack is pooping. Just as he finishes, the little dog is walking right by out on the street. The little dog yelps. Jack lunges, and I try, oh gosh did I try, I TRIED to hold him, but when 150 pounds of dog decide to run, and you don't have something trustworthy to hold him with, guess what? He runs. The poor guy - I had never actually seen before walking his dog, although I know his face from living in our community, but I really don't think he had ever seen our big Jack before. Jack scared the living daylights out of him because he was running, full speed ahead, towards him and his little dog.

One can only imagine what insued in the following moments. Screams from a man, screams from a little dog, and a very loud and joyous BARK from Jack filled the cold night air at 1792 Appling Oaks Circle. I went on about my business taking Jack's business in the house for flushing, and then something completely startled me! It was the man! He was yelling at me! At ME! Oh my, and what he was yelling at me was not a melodious "Merry Christmas!" Oh no, it was not. It was more like something you'd hear from a crazy and gory rated NC17 movie down at the discount movie theater on summer ave. I was in shock! My shock was in shock! No one talks to me that way!! Especially on Christmas Eve Eve! The nerve.

Well, the scourging ended and he merrily pranced his way down the street after my large and wooly husband stood in the front door and looked all mean at him. Ha! Serves hi right! The big and almighty Dr. Harrell scared the mean man away!!

Speaking of scared, that whole thing SCARRED my whole Christmas weekend!! But, in hindsight, I suppose, if I were an unassuming individual walking my cute little puppy on Christmas Eve Eve and enjoying all the Christmas Lights (especially ours!) and then suddenly a GINORMOUS dog came bounding across a yard at me... AND the owner did not seem to do much about it, I suppose I'd scream obscenities too. I knew Jack wasn't going to hurt them. But THEY didn't know that. I should've thought about that. That would've been neighborly.

But then.. I haven't really been known for being neighborly.. OR thoughtful at all for that matter...