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Monday, November 7, 2011

Monday Musings

Listening to Sylvie's four-year-old, Zuzu, chat on (and on - that girl can talk!), made me realize how similar her speech was to, say, my 22 y/o nephew.  And most young people I run into today.  Somewhere, within the long, rapid, stream-of-conscious mumbling, are words that I can understand.  With Z, it was the names of her three BFFs:  Kimberly, Hope and Ramona (her little sister).  With my nephew and other 20-somethings, I can clearly pick up many "likes", "ums", "actuallys", and, in his case, an occasional "Aunt Sue".  The rest is a glutenous mass of rapid jumbled consonants.  It causes me to turn into a fogey - "What?"  "What was that?"  "Can you speak more slowly?"  Could it be a global plot to instill unease and unrest in baby boomers?  Will we be drooling into our Cream of Wheat within a decade?  Mumbling ourselves?

The thrill caused by that extra hour of daylight we are getting, thanks to setting the clock back yesterday, sure fizzles out quickly.  I can hustle my bustle a little longer for what -- a week? -- before the day gets even shorter and it doesn't make one whit of a difference.  And it is totally dark by the time I get home, giving me nothing extra there.  So why, pray tell, do we keep going back and forth?  Just let Mother Nature take her course, I say!

Our family has finally stepped into the Age of Enlightenment.  We are celebrating our first No-Gift Christmas.  While I am sure that a lot of my reluctance to 'gift' everyone on the 25th of December, year in, year out, has to do a bit with my childlessness, I think it's more that I have come to a time and place in my life where I have too much stuff, don't want any more stuff (except, however, a SNOW WOLF), and would just like to spend a pleasant day with my family, listening to music, playing board games and enjoying a wonderful meal.  Bliss, I tell you.  So far, we are all on the NGC wagon - with the exception of my middle sis, from whom we have not heard on this subject.  She is uber-generous and it will be difficult for her.  But I know she can do it.

I have always had a very rich imagination.  When I was small, I had a very active imaginary life.  As I grew up, I could imagine myself in great adventures - doing amazing things.  Imagine how surprised I was when I failed miserably upon actually doing it!  Case in point:  I loved to watch skiers.  I KNEW I would be an amazing skier.  My first foray into skiing was in college.  I had gone from Ohio (f.l.a.t.) to Michigan, where, when the first snowflake hits the ground, skis come out, parkas are zipped up and everyone heads to the slopes.  Not one to be left behind, off I went.  I rented skis and poles and shunned lessons.  For crying out loud - the baby slope?  Not for Susan aka Suzy Chaffee!  I will give you the quick version of my day on the slopes:  wobble, fall, wobble, fall, wobble really fast, spectacular fall, hobble to chalet for hot toddy.  I hate to admit it, but I am still delusional.  I am just less inclined to break something, as it heals ever so slowly now.

Why are there so many sayings that involve poultry?  Something to crow about.  Pecking order.  Madder than a wet hen.  Talk turkey.  Nest egg.  Coming home to roost.  Chicken-livered.  Feather your nest.  Chicken scratch.  Comb your hair (I made that up....)  Okay - I know there are a lot more - anyone like to join in?  Let's see how many we can come up with.

22 comments:

Susan said...

The sky this morning was so clear and filled with stars. Worth getting up at this earlier hour!

Sue said...

No one likes the time changes--why do they persist in doing it? Can't be energy savings--as now we NEED to put lights on to find our way around after supper. Well, it at least gives me something else to complain about!
:)
But I NEVER complain about your Monday Musings....I just love the "randomness" of them!

Amy Dingmann said...

Comb your hair? Holy moly, you had me laughing all the way through this. I must say that I am jealous of your NGC and I was hoping I could commission you to talk to my husband's family. The entire lot of them. Because they a) don't understand my kids don't need their $100 made in china crap, and b) my kids are no longer 3 and 4 years old. They outgrew the talking dinosaur thing four years ago. :) Oh, and I hate the time change too. Last night I was in bed by 8 pm and up this morning at 3:30. Leave it to the government to mess up a perfectly good thing. Oops...did I say that? ;)

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Dont count your chickens before they hatch.

Ugh, I was pretending Christmas was months away. Now you had to go bring it up ;)

Anonymous said...

Susan, my oldest child is 22 and my youngest is a baby.... Your entire first paragraph made me smile! Thanks.

Mama Pea said...

Bird-brain. Dumb cluck. Chickening-out. Playing chicken. Slick chick. King of the roost.

The time change? Just another small way of the government seeking to "control" us.

Love, love, love the no Christmas gift thing! Especially if there are no little children involved anymore.

I also love, love, love your Monday Musings. Keep 'em up!

Mama Pea said...

Let's not forget hen pecked!

melanie said...

Rarer than hen's teeth. (You are).

Have been on the no gift-no celebration thing for my birthday for YEARS all because I have way too many blessings (and stuff). I hear you.

Erin said...

Haha this is a great post! And congrats on your no gift Christmas! That is awesome. It's a bit easier for us being that we aren't in the thick of things with the extended family. We'll buy for the boys, do nothing for each other (my computer was more than enough!) and I'll probably do a few homemade gifts for others since we always get gifts in the mail :)

Mama Pea said...

Cock o' the walk. (I CANNOT stop thinking about this!)

Dirt Lover said...

This year is a NGC on my side of the family. I tried a few years ago to bring up the subject for Hubby's side, but got shot down. I'm currently into the homemade goodies for them. It always seems to work. This Thanksgiving though, his brother and sister (with spouses) are coming a days drive to enjoy the day with all of us here. Should be nice, and we're looking forward to it.
Enjoyed this post!!
~~Lori

Susan said...

Sue - Complaining is good for the soul! And, yes, random would be a perfect description of my mind.

MamaTea - Glad you enjoyed it! Although I would love to have a nice long talk with your husband's family, I failed miserably in trying to convince my middle sis to join in. So I wouldn't recommend me.

Jane - Sorry! Just forget I even mentioned it!

MF - It's amazing how many similarities there are - no matter what the age!

Mama Pea - Those are great! ALL of them. Yes, someone in government is always trying to do our thinking for us, aren't they?

Susan said...

Mama Pea - You go, Girl! Those are wonderful!

Melanie - Aw, shucks. The feeling is mutual. It's such a relief to a) not to have to worry about spending money trying to find something you are not sure the other person will like and, b) not having more STUFF to deal with!

Erin - I wouldn't mind handmade - but I'm the only one in my family that is "crafty" (in every sense of the word..hehe). My mom knits socks, but that's the extent of it. Easier to just do nothing.

Mama Pea - I have never heard that one! Get's under your skin, doesn't it?

Lori - One side is better than nothing! Some people still think that it is imperative to give gifts. Debt-ridden or not. It's crazy! I'd rather have family together - that's the best. And thanks for your kind words - I'm glad you like the ramblings.

Tina - Our Rustic Roots said...

Nobody home but us chickens!
Happy as the rooster in the hen house.
Cooped up.
Egg on your face.
Woke up with the chickens.
He's a bad egg.


LOL, that was fun!

Susan said...

Tina - Wonderful! I love the first one!

Kayten said...

Flighty... plucked dry... Maybe more later. It's finally warm again! I'll take it.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I like the NGC idea and we are doing a half-way measure this year: my sister and I agreed to only buy for the children in the family. Fine by me! I have all I need and know better than anyone else what I want when I want it :)

And no fair! Mama Pea took all the good sayings! LOL

dr momi said...

Reading this all late and chuckling the whole time..... :-)

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Oh my, is it wrong that I can relate to "Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off"????

You make me smile :0)

Candy C. said...

Jerry's son is 36 years old and whenever he talks to him on the phone it's always "What? What did you say, you're mumbling?!" ;-)
Ha, Ha! We don't have daylight savings time here in Arizona! Nanee, nanee, boo-boo!
Hmmm...wonder if I could convince the rest of the family to do a NGC this year? We had to exchange so much "stuff" last year! :(

Leigh said...

Susan, your posts always make me smile. It's true about chickenisms. And I think it takes owning them to appreciate how appropriate they all are. :)

Tom Stewart said...

Well I'm sure that even tho I do not have my chickens yet (soon I hope!).
I'm such an EGG HEAD!
Egg all over his face! (It's on mine!)
How about "easy as an egg soufla (SP)?
Oh my, will they never end?

Even as a guy, I look forward to your posts! They make me smile!
Tom