Christmas Parade in Hutchinson Kansas

Today was the annual Christmas parade in Hutchinson, Kansas. It's always the Saturday before Thanksgiving and Santa makes his arrival as part of the parade. It's almost as if he is the Grand Marshall of the parade. And who better, really?

I watched from about Second and Main, near my office building. Of course, the Hutchinson High School Marching Band played. Our marching band has an angel playing.

 


And, at least two elves...



Later in the parade was one of my favorites - this dance group. They were so cool. I didn't see a banner indicating what group they were representing, but I loved it.

I'm not sure if the appropriate term for this dance is stepping or not, but it's the only term I know. They were a dance drill team, essentially, but with the movements you expect in stepping. There was also a caller, that you can see  in the background here in the black outfit.



Maybe someone will correct me if I'm wrong about the terminology. I loved their presentation. I could have watched them all day.



This little guy was standing a few feet away from me during the parade and was loving everything. He kept wanting to run out into the street. His adults had to keep corralling him. But, I love that sort of enthusiasm.



He was so cute people were coming over to give him and his sister/cousin/whatever candy.





Kathie did an entry for the democrats, as usual. She is so devoted. And she's very artistic so she comes up with some great entries. That's Nancy on the left and Cam on the right.



I loved year's entry...





Trish was walking with them, along with Rocco, who's name these days is "Ba-Rocco."  I guess Rocco is the official first-dog in Hutchinson. His duties include walking in parades, greeting residents and sniffing things.


Any parade has to have a selection of unusual vehicles...





I was taken with this little Shriner's vechile...



And real men do drive pink cars...



The phone number on this one was four numbers.






Bill Drews, who owns D and D Honey, which stands for Drews and Daughters, has the honey-mobile.



And there were tractors...





And this unusual moving present - I assume this is an ATV under there.



I appreciated the D and D Towing motto - When Santa Breaks down he calls them.



Antique firetrucks...





The Phoenician Salon and Day Spa had a great float, which included Lelani there under the hair dryer. She's one of our favorite Applebee's servers. It was fun to see her in a different environment.



If you can find them... unicycles add another dimension to the parade.



Greg took this photo of me at the parade.



You can tell a few things from it...
1. It was a little chilly today
2. I didn't put on any makeup - that is natural color in my cheeks, otherwise known as "wind burn."
3. I really am like a four-year-old. It's just that I can drive my own vehicle and pack my own bag of toys when I go somewhere.
4. I should learn to put on makeup or, alternately, learn to not put my photo on the world wide web.

Of course, parades always end with horsies. At least here.



And this one came complete with jingle bells.

If you were in the parade and want to see the raw photos, go to www.patsyterrell.com/2008parade.htm
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Traveling Back in Time

I've been going through an old photo album tonight. Wow. I don't do this very often but it's amazing how pictures do take you back to a moment.

I was looking at photos from a 1992 trip to Europe that I took with Greg and his mom. We went to Paris and then on to England that May. Greg had made arrangements for us to visit Stonehenge and we spent a couple of days in Avebury, England, which I loved.

One of my favorite photos from the England part of the trip is of Greg's mom having breakfast at the place we stayed in Avebury.



Doesn't Miss Joy look like she's having a fabulous time? We all were.

Earlier that morning I had experienced one of those moments that stays with you forever. I woke at dawn, hearing something I couldn't identify. I got out of bed and went over to the window and pulled it inward to open it. I looked out onto the church from the 1600s right across the street, and there on a path beside it, in the garden, was the peacock I was hearing. It was chilly, especially for May, and I quickly retreated to the bed and snuggled under the heavy covers for a bit more sleep before beginning the day.
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A Festive Day

This morning I did the MHA's table display for the Downtown Tablescape contest. Last year I did a Snowman theme in a window and it was way too much. So, this year I said it would have to be much simpler. I started with the white fire king and just worked from there. Frank's Frame Shop is hosting the display.

The weirdest thing was when I went to do the flatware, I realized the writing on the knives was on the wrong side - so it would face up when placed on the table in the proper place. So, I reversed the sides for the fork and knife/spoon. I wasn't sure what to do. Basically, there is no way to properly set a table using this flatware. Although I rarely set a proper table, it's nonetheless distressing to realize that even manufacturers don't know how to do it anymore. Either the knife had to be turned the wrong way in relation to the plate, or the writing had to be visible, or the place setting had to be reversed. Maybe I made the wrong choice and should go change it. Odd. Obviously, I haven't used this flatware much. Or ever, maybe.

When I was loading the extra stuff into my car I noticed something festive happening across the street. They were putting up the downtown holiday wreaths. It was quite a process.








They had to mount the poles it was secured onto and then hoist the wreath into place and secure it on top, and then on the bottom. It was chilly enough I didn't watch the end of the process but got out of the wind.

After work I decorated a bit more around the house and cleared the dining room table off because Trish, Andrea and Diana were coming over tonight to do Christmas cards.



It's time for me to get some sleep now. I want to have some energy left after work tomorrow night to work on the novel. Yes, I know, another exciting Friday night on tap for me. I'm such a party animal. I'll be the one hunched over the keyboard. Or, if things get really exciting, writing edits in the margins of the hard copy.
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We All Need Some Holiday Cheer

These are the ornaments that are my package tags this year. I first did this in the early 90s and started out simple, writing everyone's name on one of those little red apples they used to sell as ornaments. I haven't seen those in awhile now that I think about it. They didn't last long, so maybe that's why.

Then I progressed to making them.One year I sewed stockings. They're really cute, but I was working on them up to the last minute. One year I made little gingerbread men from cinnamon dough and Bobby Clark wrote the names on them. He was a little guy at the time, so it adds to the charm to have his handwriting on them. The only rules were that they had to be able to have everyone's name and the year on them. A couple of years ago I decided not to put the names on them and found myself Christmas morning with a sharpie, trying to do that, because Cathy and Kim both wanted names on them. Lesson learned.

This year I found these stars at Hobby Lobby when they first put the Christmas stuff out. I bought them the first time their stuff was half off. I'm so glad I did because I haven't seen anymore. I wasn't sure how I would get the names on them but then tonight I ran across these Martha Stewart hangers and realized the problem was solved. I'm very happy with how they turned out. I haven't attached them to the presents yet, but I think they'll go nicely with my theme this year.

As you might guess, the ornaments have to match the paper, which has to coordinate with the ribbon. Last year it was the cream colored star paper, that I loved, with star ornies (I love stars!). The year before it was the red foil with silver snowflakes, and those wonderful snowflake ornies that were just perfect. In 2005 it was this translucent paper with old fashioned ornaments printed on it. I had to wrap the presents with white paper under that but it was a cool look. I can't recall what the ornament was that year and the close up photo of the presents I have doesn't show the ornies. I'll have to go hunt on the tree.

Yes, I know this isn't a life or death matter. But, good grief, I want to think about something happy instead of the continual gloom and doom I hear every time I turn on the TV. Avoidance? Perhaps. I'm a big believer in avoidance as a coping technique and I think others are engaging in it too.

I've had multiple people tell me they want to have a "Christmasy-ier Christmas" this year. In no cases does that mean an expensive, extravagant Christmas - just more Christmas. If ever we needed a holiday season, it's this year. And for those of us here, who lost a large part of our holiday season last year due to the ice storm (more than a week without power for me in the heart of the season), it seems to be an intense desire.

So, I'm engaging in the holidays full force. I'm finishing up my cards tomorrow evening with friends. I'm hoping to get a bit more decorating done after work before they come over. At the very least I need to move the piles of plastic tubs away from the dining room table so we can use it. I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving and hope to entertain a great deal during the holiday season and enjoy time with friends and family in the coming month.

For those of you who are Kansas Country Living readers, I'm hoping to see some of you on December 6 at my home. I'm extending the invitation to blog readers as well. December 6 from 3-6 I'm opening my home to share the Christmas decorations with everyone. If you want to come, please RSVP to me so I have some idea how many to prepare for and I'll send you the details. I'll be making dessert. You do not need to bring anything except yourself. You can email me at patsyterrell@gmail.com if you're able to come. Hope to see you then. I'm really looking forward to meeting some readers.
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The Day

I had a very busy workday today - just one thing after another. I was tired by the end of the day. But, I managed to find some energy to put out more Christmas stuff - imagine that. I also worked on the novel some more.

Greg helped me bring up a bunch of Christmas stuff from the basement last night so my house is a forest of plastic tubs. But, it's so nice to have help getting them up the stairs. Later this week I've having some friends over to do our Christmas cards so I need to at least have a path to the table by then.

I was finishing my Christmas letter tonight, too. I thought it was all done but I keep editing until it starts coming off the printer. Frankly, sometimes even then I'm still editing the other side of it. I'm doing a much more straightforward one this year - no photos. I need to simplify that a bit. I'm simplifying a lot of things this year. For some reason I just don't want to "fuss" as much. Not sure why. But, I am going to honor that feeling.

I think I'm so focused on my writing these days that it's hard to think about much else. I realized this afternoon that it has been ages since I've been in my art studio. Of course, I will be again, but at the moment my creative energy is devoted to the novel. I'm still reading and editing and rewriting on it and probably will for another couple of weeks. Unfortunately, that inability to stop editing is going to be a problem at some point.

The more I write the more I want to read, too. Funny how that works. At the moment I'm reading Wil Wheaton's book, "Just a Geek."  I have read it before, along with his first book, "Dancing Barefoot," but I wanted to reread it before reading his new book, ""The Happiest Days of Our Lives." He's a great writer. I check in on his blog regularly, too. It's one of the blogs out there that's always worth your time.

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Living These Days

I was thinking tonight about the amount of information we have readily available to us all the time. When I was growing up - not all that long ago, thank you very much - we had network news and that was about it as far as timely info. There was a newspaper, but of course the news was at least a day old by the time you got it. There was not on-site satellite reporting from where news was happening. Radio news had already been relegated to a token. Research required a good relationship with your local librarian and an understanding of the Reader's Guide - is that what that thing was called that listed magazine articles - I think it was. Remember how we all carried around card files with notes about research in high school?

Now I'm on the computer large parts of every day. And, if in the middle of a project I make a reference to something and then have a question about whether or not I remember it correctly, it's easy to google for it and check myself. If I suddenly get a hankering to learn what baby gorillas eat, it's no trouble for me to find out. If I feel a weird numbness in half of my ring finger and my pinky, Dr. Google will shortly point me to an ulner nerve problem. A few keystrokes and almost anything information I want is right there on my screen.

I'm also able to share the daily lives of people I would never be likely to meet in person through their blogs. I keep up on the trials and joys of being an actor in Canada, owning a vineyard in France, living in Morocco, riding horses in Egypt and being a writer in New York - all from my home office in Hutchinson Kansas. This is something that has never been available to people until now - no matter their socio-economic status. Until this moment in history we have not had the opportunity to connect in this way. People all over the world read my blog, sharing my daily life, and I'm continually flattered by it. I continue to be amazed at how alike we all are on the big things, and that our differences are in the details.

These are fascinating times in which we live. Mind-boggling and mind-stretching. I like to stretch my perceptions of "normal." I like to make room for all kinds of possibilities. I like to get a glimpse of what could be, instead of just what is.

Recently, this video was posted on whatsuphutch.com. I found it quite interesting. It's well worth your five minutes to watch it. Just click on the arrow in the middle of the picture below and it will automatically play for you. It may take a minute, so be patient. I'd love to hear your comments on this.



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Dick Cavett in The New York Times

I did not know that Dick Cavett was writing for the New York Times, but he is. Mary Lou forwarded this to me today and it's brilliant writing. It's called, "The Wild Wordsmith of Wasilla" and well worth your time to click on the link and give it a read.

One Excerpt:
Could the willingness to crown one who seems to have no first language have anything to do with the oft-lamented fact that we seem to be alone among nations in having made the word “intellectual” an insult? (And yet…and yet…we did elect Obama. Surely not despite his brains.)
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A Day of Writing

I have spent the entire day working on the novel. I'm at the point where I'm finishing up details, rewriting and editing.

Of course, I've done this multiple times and today I printed out a fresh copy and on page one I found a huge error. Yes, page one.

I'm guessing at least a dozen people have read or heard this chapter and missed the error. Just goes to show you that you can never edit and proof read enough.

I'm excited to be nearing the end of this project.

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New York Times Op-Ed

The Moose Stops Here is an op-ed piece in the New York Times that's fascinating. You can read the whole thing by clicking on The Moose Stops Here link. Frank Rich writes about the future of the Republican Party.

I must admit I am fascinated by the situation at the moment when one of the major parties is trying to find its footing again. Of course, democrats have been there before, but I'm not sure to this degree for a very long time.

I'm no political expert by any means. I can barely understand it most of the time. But, it seems to me the Republican party has come to mean, "conservative Christian." I think that's partly why McCain chose Palin. I think what I call the "real Republicans," meaning those who are more about the fiscal policies than the moral ones, have to either take back their party or abandon this party and start another one.

Take a quick read through - but hit at least a couple of the really interesting parts including:

He (referring to McCain) strenuously sought the endorsement of the Rev. John Hagee, even though Hagee had blamed gays for Hurricane Katrina, referred to the Roman Catholic Church as “the great whore,” and theorized that Hitler came about because God’s “top priority for the Jewish people is to get them to come back to the land of Israel.”


I did not realize this, and find it incredible - hard to believe, but it is true.

The reason why they are promoting Palin and the recently elected Indian-American governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, as the party’s “future” is not just that they are hard-line social conservatives; they are also the only prominent Republican officeholders under 50 who are not white men. The G.O.P. will have to dip down to a former one-term lieutenant governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, to put a black public face on its national committee.

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Carol's Christmas Village

Tonight my new friend, Barbara, took me over to her friend Carol's house, to see Carol's Christmas Village. Barbara told me it was "big." Now, when someone tells you a Christmas village is "big" what do you think that means? I thought it meant maybe one wall of a living room. Something the size of one six foot folding table. Maybe an eight foot one.

So, we walk in and at first I'm looking at the Christmas tree and accoutrements.



Obviously, this is very cool in and of itself. Then I look to the other side of the room and find the "big" Christmas village.



Yes... big... This is a four car garage space... and it's all Christmas village...



She said if she doesn't have the village set up before Halloween that she's behind. I know how that is. She said the rest of it goes pretty quickly, but that takes a lot of time, especially putting down all the cotton.



Some of the buildings were gifts and some were specially made for her. There are some rows, and then a large flat area, all covered with buildings. Barbara told me that she asked Carol before what happened if a light went out on one of the houses in the back row. Carol's response, which I think is genius, is "those people are out of town for the holidays."



That's Barbara on the left, Carol in the middle, and Mary Lou, another friend of Barbara's who wanted to come see the village. I met Barbara at the blogging class I spoke at a few weeks ago.



This is what they're standing in front of. Can you say Santa?

After we looked at the village, Carol took us on a tour of the home, where Santa's abound. We walked into the dining room, where there are more Santas per square inch than most holiday sections in stores.







In the office she had a Coca Cola Santa. I love these.



I took this closeup in the dining room for my brother, who used to collect John Deere things.



Carol said people give her Santas, too. And she had some really special ones. She showed us one that is made with Mount St. Helens ash.



It was a lovely evening. I'm so thankful to Barbara for arranging it and to Carol for letting us come into her home. She was so generous to share her holiday cheer with us. Thanks to both of them. It's so fun to meet others of my kind. We need a Christmas fanatics club in town.
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Friday Night

On my Friday night agenda was getting ribbons and decorations on the Christmas presents I had wrapped. The tree isn't finished for me until I have the presents under it.

I have this "thing" about the paper being coordinated. I found this ribbon three or four years ago and had to keep gathering paper to go with it. The photo doesn't do the ribbon justice, but it's an airbrushed look of purple in the middle, then blue on each side and silver on the edges. So, the paper is blue, purple, silver and white mixed. I really like it. I'll eventually get a photo with more packages and you'll be able to see the mix of it. I just took a quickie that got some of all the colors in it.

I'm so glad it's the weekend. I want to get a lot done around the house this weekend and also enjoy the tree a bit. It seems there's never enough time to enjoy it once it's done.

I also want to write some this weekend. I haven't worked on the novel any today. I'm close to being done with the writing. Then it is just a matter of doing some rewriting, editing and rearranging. So, I'm eager to have some time to focus on it.

Tonight I also added a Christmas tree to my front window. It's a tree that already has the lights on it that I got on clearance after Christmas last year. I always have a tree in there but it's usually a three or four foot one. This one is 6.5 feet. I'm going to try and decorate it sparsely, which is so not like me. But, I'm going to give it a try. We'll see how that goes.

As I was taking some present photos tonight I snapped a couple of ornament pix. I realized when I was looking at them on the computer that I had taken a photo of my newest ornament - this little clear plastic tree bought at Wal-mart for $1...



... and one of the very first ornaments I bought...



It's a clear glass ball with white and gold glitter added in places. I bought balls and bells of the same design. I've broken some over the years, but still have some. I remember the night I bought them - I was coming back to Kansas from a Kentucky Christmas visit and bought them along the way. (Yes, I know the pix aren't great - I just snapped them quickly with my little camera. They're not Greg's professional quality photos.)

This year I realized that I've been doing trees long enough that some of my ornaments have "history" in the sense that they're getting old. I'm not sure I like that. But, it just is. So, there you go.

I'd love to be able to say that back when I bought those I would have been out partying on a Friday night and not at home. But, alas, that would be a lie, an untruth, a deception. I've always been a homebody.
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Deborah Raney Speech at the Library

Christian author Deborah Raney spoke at the Hutchinson Public Library tonight. I am so glad I went to hear her. She gave us an inside look at the publishing business, and answered questions.

There were a number of aspiring writers in the audience, including some people I know from various things, but didn't know were writing. There were also some folks there I was surprised to see.

It strikes me, again, that there's a real need for a writer's group in Hutchinson. I've considered starting one, but I think my time is better spent writing. However, I would make time to go to one if it existed. I just don't want to be responsible for making one more thing happen on a regular basis. I wouldn't mind organizing it initially, if someone else would keep it going. Anything like that requires some time and attention. I did wish we had a signup sheet tonight so we could see if there was interest in such a thing.

Someone asked me afterwards if I still had my full time job and when I said yes the next question was, "So, when are you writing?" "Nights, weekends, vacations, anytime I can," I replied. I think this is how most people do it until they can make a living writing. I guess I have made a living writing at various jobs, but not as a novelist.

I've been writing since I could, really - journals, newsletters, articles, cookbooks, this is my second novel, and of course blogging is an almost daily practice for me. But the business side of this is a stumbling block to me. I'd like to have an agent to handle that for me. I would happily give them their 15%. It would be money very well spent.

I know I can write. I know I can market. I just don't want to be solely responsible for either. I want some good editors and some good marketing people working with me. I want to find a literary agent and build a new career with them.

I've veered away from Raney's talk, but I will sum up by saying the most important thing I think she said all night is that step one is, "Write the Book." So, I'd best get back to doing that. But, if you have an opportunity to hear Deborah Raney talk about her experiences, it's well worth it. Do check out her website.



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Treasure Chest

This little chest is one of my recent thrift store finds. It's marked "Made in Italy" on the bottom, and is lined with gold velvet inside, including inside the lid. I wonder if it was made to hold a religious item of some sort.

The moment I saw it I was struck by it. I love the detailing on it, the fact that it's worn here and there, and that the lid doesn't open completely evenly - it's obviously been opened and closed many, many times.

I wonder what has been secreted away inside it over the years.
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Question Authority

Last night was Creative Sisterhood and it was an excellent evening. We did a group process Virginia had introduced us to, and then our usual sharing around the circle.

In addition to some other things, I mentioned the library book discussion I attended recently where the differences in southern and plains literature were considered. I shared not only the main discussion, but also the insights from blog comments. That's something I love about the blog - other people can share valuable information in this medium.

Virginia stopped by tonight to pick up something she forgot last night and it was lovely to visit with her for awhile. Unfortunately, tonight she forgot her coat, which I'm afraid she will miss. Although, I guess I get another visit with her soon.

I had lunch with Kathy today and she asked me about my photo being on the front page of the paper the day after the election and if I was OK with it. I said, sure - besides, I'm not sure there was much choice in the matter. I think I was the only one in the group overcome by tears. Actually, it's flattering that my photo is on the front page with Obama's photo.

However, I've been amazed at the hatred that has come my way since then. I've been called names. I've had people sling racial slurs at me. I've had my basic character questioned. I've been flipped off in traffic. I'm guessing that last one is from the Obama sticker in my back window. I guess it wasn't threatening until he was actually elected. Resoundingly. By a huge margin.

I ran into Kathie from the democratic party at Target later, and we walked out to our cars together. As we're standing there chatting, someone walked by her vehicle with Obama stuff on it and looked at us, her hand raised in victory, and said, "Yes We Did!"

Conservatives are the majority here - although not by as huge a margin as they seem to think - but they are not the majority in this nation. Not anymore. We have had a national referendum and the vote is in - racism is out, war-mongering is out, neo-con is out, disregard for the environment is out, health-care as a privilege is out, Guantanamo is out - and it's a mandate, not just a slight majority. Senator John McCain, during an appearance on the Leno show tonight said, "One thing Americans don't want is a sore loser."

I couldn't agree more.

I'm trying really hard to remain above the fray, but I gotta tell you it's difficult. For eight years people have been telling me that if I don't like the president I should get out of the country. I'm really having to bite my tongue from saying the same thing to the people who are calling me names. But, I don't think that makes us a better country. Why? Because every president needs to be questioned. All authority needs to be questioned. And that includes anyone I voted for.
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The Annual Wiring of the Tree

Sunday night was time for the annual wiring of the tree to the wall. Greg, as usual, is a trooper. He squeezes in between the wall and the back of the tree, to wire it into eyelets in the baseboard to correct that serious lean you can see in this photo.

Of course, it's my fault it leans because I put more ornaments and lights on the front. So, this has just become part of the holiday season - wiring the tree into the wall. Greg even has a little song he sings as part of the ritual. Unfortunately, it's not something I can print here in polite company. Suffice it to say it encapsulates my unnatural love of things sparkly.



First is the inserting of your arm into the tree (the beast) to get the wire wrapped around the pole. Then I give the tree a good shove in the opposite direction of it's leaning, and Greg makes the initial tightening of the wire.



Then I step back and see if we've fully corrected and Greg finishes the wiring into the eyelet.



And then there's the joy of a job well done.

See, that was fun!
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Self Sabotage

I've been working on the Christmas Tree and the novel today. I would decorate for awhile, then write for awhile. Tonight I checked in on a couple of blogs I read and Jen Lemen has written a really funny - and yet horrifyingly accurate - list of 40 ways to sabotage ourselves. Apparently I was engaged in Number 36 when I ran across this.
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A New Day

Will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas front man, debuted his new video "Brand New Day" on the Oprah Show yesterday. I watched it last night on the rerun and just loved it. You can go to youtube and see the Oprah version too.

Some of the lyrics include:

I went asleep last night
tired from the fight
I been fighting for tomorrow all my life
Yeah, I woke up this morning
feeling brand new
'cause the dreams that I been dreaming has finally came true
It's a New Day.

Here's the Oprah version where he performed it live.



Below is the video Oprah references that was done earlier.



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Why Do You Write?

Mark David Gerson has a blog post inquiring why people write. I follow Mark on twitter and thought that was an interesting question to ponder. Of course, it has been asked before, but it's always good to come up with an answer. Below is mine.

I write because it is a natural part of who I am. Most of my writing for public consumption is done at the keyboard, but my soul-searching writing happens with pen and paper. The connection of brain to hand to paper is one I will never let go of. There's a magic to seeing words appear that never gets old.


Pop over to Mark's blog and read the answers and add your own.

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The Day

This was a very full workday, but I got through it thinking about dinner with Teresa, Jocelyn, Greg and Sharon. Trish had planned to join us but couldn't at the last minute.

We wanted to go out to talk more about the election. Obama got 41% of the vote in Kansas, but only 37% in the county where I live. This is a red state. A blood red state. But, I just keep reminding myself that more than 1/3 of the people around me are in agreement.

After dinner Jocelyn called about something else and we were chatting. I told her I still feel so optimistic, so hopeful. We talked for a bit about how powerful it is that so many people have that feeling of optimism right now. I know that's a positive force. Oddly enough, tonight I checked in a couple of blogs I read and one of them mentioned the very same thing.

I'm so glad it's the weekend. I'm looking forward to doing some things around the house and decorating the tree. I finished the lights last night - I have just a couple of touchups - and this weekend I'm going to work on the ornaments. I love putting ornaments on because so many of them have a memory attached. Ultimately, I'm a sentimental mushball, and Christmas brings that out in me. It's one of the reasons I love it so much.
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