Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

This is about as good as good as it gets for snow in the NC Piedmont in December.

This great little holiday sketch is becoming as necessary as re-runs of Rudolph! Love it!!!!

I am not one that is usually down for snow, but right now I WANT it.....I NEED it! I want a snow day off with Little Boy! So......ice......snow.....sleet....whatever it takes to close the local schools....and that ain't much.....bring it on!!!!!!

When I need somebody there's nobody to call. When they need me, my phone rings off the wall. (If I Had No Loot by Tony, Toni, Tone in 1993) (I am in such a bad mood and sooo need a day off.......)

This is Little Boy's current favorite after school DVD, "Elmo's World: Happy Holidays!" . And even though it does get tiring to watch every single day (no exaggeration there) it really is a great show for educating children about the holiday practices and rituals of various religions and cultures. The DVD specifically spotlights Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa but it also briefly mentions Ramadan and Three Kings Day. It features children who talk about their favorite parts of their family's holidays, sing songs and even show games they play like Dreidel. I tell you I have learned something myself! Several of the children give heartfelt statements about love and respect and tradition in their holidays. It's very touching. But my favorite quote is the kid who says he likes Christmas because "you get to spend a lot of time with your family and you eat a lot!" Is there any more truth than that?

I heard this song this morning and I thought about the past week...... ~the sad anniversary of John Lennon's violent death ~the planned picketing of Elizabeth Edwards' funeral by those Westboro fools ~the stupidity of the Wikileaks mess (and yes, it is stupid) ~and the general douchery of people all around all of us every day (countless examples....I can't even get started) And I thought........ why can't we all just take a page from Elvis just this once? I mean....it's the holidays!

No matter how you felt about her husband, her politics or the sensational tragedies that marred the later part of her life, the fact is that Elizabeth Edwards was a rather elegant lady. Through all of the difficult moments she endured right in front of the cameras, she managed to hold her head up and conduct herself with a great deal of grace and respectability. My heart breaks for her young son and daughter as well as her young adult daughter. I wish them support and warmth in the coming days and years. Rest in Peace, Elizabeth. And thank you for your service to our state and our world.

Have you ever done something that you just felt ashamed of afterward? Like, it was fun at the time, but then a few hours or days later you just felt gross? That's how I feel the day after I spend an evening watching Bridezillas . Why do I do it every week? I'm asking myself this as I experience my Monday morning Bridezilla guilty hang-over. Why? Is football really that boring? Why don't I just read a book? Or pumice my feet? Or dust my Willow Tree figures? Or stand in the freezing cold outside admiring my Christmas deck lights? Why do I invest myself in these women? Why do I watch the same episodes that I've seen countless times? Why do I actually know their names? (BTW.......Alex, Maria, Erica, Megan and of course, Karen are the worst ones ever.) I think I actually know and the answer doesn't make me feel that proud either. These jack-ass women make me feel good about myself. Yeah! I said it! When I watch this show I can congratulate myself on many of my

It has been a while, so I wrote over here this week . I wasn't really trying to be deep.....just something I kept noticing everyday.

Designer Christmas trees ? Couldn't be from anywhere else but the NC mountains! As long as some of the cash makes it back to the farm, I'm all for snotty NYCers putting down this kind of jack for a holiday "experience".

AIDS has been part of our lives for over 30 years now. We have come a long way.....in treatment, medicine, testing, and general understanding of this illness. But there's always more work to be done. Just because people living with the disease are living better does not mean the fight is over. We should still be striving to educate people on how not to be infected and how not to pass the disease on to anyone else. We should not lie down to this disease like it's just another plight on our world. Condoms are free at any local health department. You can also buy a 3 pack of Trojans for less than $2 at Wal-Mart. Testing is also free. And anonymous. There is no reason to get AIDS anymore and no reason to spread it. There is every reason to take care of the people who live with it daily. Think you're in a marriage or long-term relationship and AIDS isn't a part of your life? Think again. You should be in constant conversation about the trust and monogamy of you