Scout — Page 99

The Day After

December 26, 2011 at 9:30 am by Claudia

This photo says it all: I wanted an iPhone for Christmas and Don (who is staying away from the computer more and more lately) wanted a vintage typewriter. I found this 1961 Remington Monarch on eBay and it’s a beauty! The two-tone case is covered in a linen-like fabric. Hi-tech and low-tech happily coexisting in the Hill-Sparks household.

One day, I’m going to get a vintage IBM Selectric. I worked many an office job on Selectrics and I absolutely love them.

The rat-a-tat-tat of the keys was a constant yesterday afternoon. Don was like a kid again.

I hope you all had a wonderful day. Ours was filled with presents, dogs, food, music, dancing and more food. It started off with this:

My Christmas Coffee Cake. Don likes to butter the top.

Santa left some peanut buttery treats for the doggies. (Since we have no fireplace, the yule log via the television is on throughout the morning.)

Christmas Scoutie.

I’m always a bit sad when Christmas, with all the decorating and shopping and planning, is suddenly over. No Christmas music playing on the car radio, no Christmas movies on television, no beautifully wrapped packages…. I remember being very upset by that when I was a child. I suspect I still am that child on the inside. Just like I want my birthday to extend for a week, I want Christmas to be more than one day.

As to beautifully wrapped packages, full disclosure: I forgot to buy scotch tape, so I had to seal my packages with blue painter’s tape. Yep.

I’m glad you liked the photo of my mom, dad, brother and me visiting Santa in yesterday’s post. Poor Meredith (my sister.) Every time she sees that photo, she wonders where she and my other sister figure into the equation. You see, there was just my brother and me for many years. Then, when I was 8 and Dave was 13, Leslie came along. Three years later, Meredith came along. So it was like there were two sets of kids. The older ones and the younger ones. Meredith, you were a beautiful child and I sorely wish I had a photo of you and Santa. Ask Dad if he has one. Then I will be more than happy to post it. After all, you are my adored youngest sister.

I’m off to run some errands. Have a great day.

Tired

December 21, 2011 at 6:00 am by Claudia

I’ve been posting every day for a couple of months now. Haven’t missed one. I won’t miss one today, but I’m cheating a bit. Today, my friends, I’m tired. I’ve got nothing. The way Scout looks, with eyes at half-mast? That’s the way I feel.

Our Christmas is very simple, but it still requires some shopping. I’m just about finished. Still have to gather together the ingredients for the Christmas Coffee Cake I make every year. Really, on a scale of 1 to 10 – 10 being having to buy lots of presents, go to lots of parties, worry about making Christmas fabulous for the kids, etc. – our Christmas is about a 1. So I’m not complaining.

I’m just tired. It’s been a stressful few months for my family.

And I want to apologize to all of you who have commented on this blog for the first time, who are new readers or followers. I’m so behind on visiting you and responding to your comments. I’m usually on top of all that, but I’m really behind. I promise to make that a priority in the next few weeks.