Gaudete, Gaudete, Christus est Natus

Ra, Ra, Ra, look at DIS!! I IS POSTING!

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I is very proud of me.

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Ackshully, I got tagged by Bella over at To Say Nothing of Reality.

This tag, I like it.  Another!

Before I actually do the tag, today is Gaudete Sunday, and my little niece Chloe received her

First Holy Communion today.

She was so excited, it was so cute.  She was shaking when she went up to receive, she was so jazzed. We were all so proud. :-)  (That is an example of how NOT to repeat the word "So" so often.) Anyhoozle, hope your Advent continues well!

Now, for Bella's Tag.

So the RULES to this tag are as follows:

1.) Link back to the person who tagged you.
2.) Answer the Questions (which are not supplied here, but given via Bella's blog.)
3.)Tag five (or more - hahahahaha) people.

Soooooo, I linked.  :-)

Here are the questions lifted from Bella's blog:

1.) When does the Christmas season officially 'start' in your house?
Officially?... It starts AFTER Christmas.  Right now we're in the Advent season.  However, if you're talking about Christmas SPIRIT, it kind of rolls up (on me) on Thanksgiving.

2.) What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
I remember being super little, like three or four, and waking up and smiling into one of my older sisters' face as she woke me and hissed, "It's Christmas!"  I remember thinking, "Wow, Christmas.  That's so cool!"

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3.) What is something that is something that is iconically (if that's even a word) Christmas for you or your family?
Probably the food.  Christmas morning is the only day in the world that we have Italian sausage and soft rolls and orange juice for breakfast, and usually the *main* day that we have gnocchi and ham for dinner.  We also do the Advent wreath and sing O Come Emmanuel at dinner.

4.) What are some of your Christmas Traditions?
We always listen to O Holy Night (Nat "King" Cole version and Josh Groban version) on Thanksgiving.
We also watch Holiday Inn on Thanksgiving.
We celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6 and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8.
We do the Advent wreath and do Christmas rings, counting down the days to Christmas.
We decorate the house, usually starting around December 6th or 8th.
We bake and make gnocchi the week before Christmas.
We watch Christmas movies.  Many, many, many. :-)

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5.) What is one of the traditions that you want to carry on even after you're married?
Just one?  I want to make gnocchi and ham every Christmas, and I definitely want to keep the tradition of Epiphany.

6.) What if your favorite thing when preparing for Christmas? The baking, decorating or cleaning?
The decorating.  Totally, the decorating.

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7.) What is a special/unique Christmas memory?
About 23 years ago my Grandpa passed, right around Christmas time, and my mom was not here for Christmas.  So all of us kids at home saved one present and left it under the tree, and when she got back in January we celebrated our first Epiphany on January 6th, and we have celebrated it ever since.

8.) What do you like better, giving or receiving gifts? 
I LOVE giving gifts.  I sit right next to the person and am like, "Open it more... and more... and more... can you guess what it is from the box? Huh, huh, can ya, can ya?"

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9.) What are some of your favorite Christmas cartoons?
Mickey's Christmas Carol.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
The First White Christmas - The Story of the First Christmas Snow.

10.) What are some of your favorite Christmas movies?
It's A Wonderful Life (My absolute FAVORITE.)
Angel In the House (a recent discovery).
Silent Night.
A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen.
(These are the four I NEED to watch.)

After that I like to watch:
One Magic Christmas.
While You Were Sleeping.
Doctor Who (Eleven's) Christmas Specials.
A Keaton Christmas Carol.

11.) Do you have a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree?
We have an artificial.  I am of two minds between real and artificial.  I love the smell and authenticity of real.  I don't like how they shed needles or die so soon.  However, I don't like how fake smell... odd, but I do like that you can leave them up through the entire season.

12.) Do you have a favorite Christmas book/story? 
The Crib of Bo'Bossu.  Makes me cry.  EVERY time.

13.) What is your favorite Christmas song?
O Holy Night (Josh Groban and Nat Cole's version)
Believe (Josh Groban)\
What Child is This (Josh Groban and another version that is a group version that I can't find that I LOVE.)
Little Drummer Boy (Tennessee Ernie Ford and Josh Groban)
In the Bleak Midwinter (Julie Andrews)
The Little Road to Bethlehem (Hayley Westenra)
Peace Shall Come (Hayley Westenra)
And too many others too count.  But those are the top seven I could recall one after the other.

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Imma not tagging anyone, but I wish youse all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :-)

Prapples to Flashpoint in 5 Seconds or Less

These days, I'm really just aiming for one post a month.  That way I will (hopefully) never fail!

Jared

I haz discovered a new favorite fruit.  They are called Asian pears, apple pears (or maybe it's pear apples...) Japanese pears, Chinese pears and a plethora of things in between, but I call them Prapples.  They are a combo of the best part of the two fruits.  They are crispy like apples, but have the taste of pear.

Cook's Thesaurus

They are AMAZING in salad, with some fab apple cider vinegar!  True story!!  (The gif below does NOT reveal my true feelings about prapples - I simply found it while browsing da Google, cracked up, and felt compelled to share it with all you all.  Prapples are GOOD!  :-)
 

Castle

 I have been very busy making things these day.  It's LOVELY making things.

 

 

Some of the "new" stuff in my shoppe.  It's nice having new stuff.  For a long time it was sort of just languishing with old stuff, but I have been a bit craftier and doubled my inventory.  HooRAH! :-)

J2 Dancing

 
Since I apparently cannot live my life without delving into new (for me) TV shows, I would like to introduce you, yet again, to a new TV show!

Flashpoint

This one is really good.  It's about a police team, Team One of the SRU (Strategic Response Unit) who tends to answer the "hot calls" of a crime gone wrong or going wrong.

Greg Parker

First, there's Sergeant Greg Parker.  He's the "Boss" and the team's lead negotiator.  During a situation he's the one to make contact and try to "talk" the subject down so they can resolve the situation peacefully and non-lethally.

Ed Lane

Then there's Ed Lane.  He's the team leader, tactical operator and a crack sniper.  He is often the person in charge of taking down the subject if the situation escalates and there is no other option other than lethal.

Spike

Michelangelo "Spike" Scarlatti is demolitions and tactical.  He is often to be found in the van doing fabulous things with a computer, figuring out info on both subjects and victims for the Team to use to de-escalate a subject.

Wordy

Kevin "Wordy" Wordsworth specializes in entry and hand-to-hand.  He is the "family man" on the show and an overall sweetheart.

Sam

Sam Braddock is ex-military.  He tends to take over as team leader and tactical whenever Ed can't, and is usually lead sniper.

Jules

Julianna "Jules" Callaghan is the team's only female member, and she is awesome sauce.  She tends to be the one to do negotiating if Greg can't, and she is also often called upon to be the sniper.

Lew

Lewis "Lou" Young is the less lethal weapons specialist on Team One, often backing up Spike when it comes to bombs and research.






This show is crazy, because not only is it a GREAT show, but all the team members are like a family.  They have each others' backs all the time, and their one goal is to "keep the peace."  It also does backstory on the members, so you grow fonder and fonder of them as the seasons go.  I tend to shed a lot of tears at the end of each episode.  They do a great job of finishing up the story and having this song playing in the background that totally depicts the whole episode perfectly.

At the moment I've just started Season Four, and I have a TERRIBLE feeling about one of my favourite members on the team.  I'm not going to say anything, in case I end up being right, and if I am I'll probably cry even harder.  :-)

Okay, my life is boring.  I'll leave you and love you and post again sometime in December.  Probably just in time for Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Advent, Happy St. Nicholas Day in case I don't pop on long enough to commemorate those holidays with their own special posts.

God bless!!

Cat

Hello, Nick Burkhardt, Etsy, Origami, Instagram, Grimm, Goodbye!

So how are you?

Good?

Isn't that grand?!

I have been... not here, as you may have noticed.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about all you all!!  I haz been.  I just haz kept it to myself.

Nick Burkhardt - Grimm

Yes, trusted followers, you see this gif?  This gif, here? That means I am watching/watched a new show!!  At the moment only the first three seasons are out, but the fourth is airing/going to air soon.  It is called GRIMM and that guy there, the smugly smiling one with the epic book, is my fav'rite character.  Dat's Nick.  I likes him muchly.

Epic Detective Nick with Gun

I haz made some new Etsy things, in time for Halloween...

The Scream Team:

The Li'l Punkins

I have also made these little butteflies, which will eventually join my Etsy shop and will be my first Origami Jewelry featured on my shop, but right now they're just paper.  Not lacquered and beautiful yet.

I am going to be attempting more jewelry stuff during the week, and I'm doing my bestest to post the new things on Instagram, so I now has an Instagram you can follow!

Le Instagram: 

All righty, I came, I saw, I posted...

That means my work here is done.

Dat Smile, Do'

Bye!

WAVEWAVEWAVEWAVEWAVE!!

Cat

Once upon a Time...

... I had a life.

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Now I spend much of my time working and working and working, and while I'm not doing that I'm writing.

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However, I have done some crafty things.

I made a this:

Ignore my fat hand. Haha

I drew a this:

Ronan Lynch - The Raven Boys

I did a this at my flower job:

That's a wreath, folks

I have to go back to work tomorrow and I'm not really looking forward to it.  I don't feel like I've been "off" for awhile, which is really terrible of me.  I mean, I had a LOOOOONG time off in April-May.  I'm just a vacation person.  Work doesn't suit me.  Hahahahahahahaa!

Anyway, this is my super short blog post that I felt I simply HAD to do, since it's been something like 1-1/2 months since I last blogged.

Oops

So now I'll love you and leave you.  God bless.  Byeeeee!!!!

Cat

Yay, it's Saturday!

I must needs be quick, here.  As excited as this post title is, I'm actually less than enthused that it's Saturday.  For one thing, I must needs go to work.  There are two weddings on Monday the 7th, and since the flower shop is closed Sundays we (meaning me and my other sisters who work there) must go into work and do wedding flowers.  If we're uber efficient, perhaps we'll get off at 4 pip emma.

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Hope youse all had a glorious fourth.  Yay, America!  We watched a couple videos, such as Josh Groban singing the National Anthem and Toby Keith's Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, and I just love Military Men.  They get so enthused with patriotic songs!!  I was watching those videos going, "I just LOVE being American!

Other than that, we just had a really nice, quiet day.  The older I get, the less "into" crowds I am, so I didn't go watch the fireworks last night.

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Instead, we had a lovely meal and drank lots of Mike's Hard Lemonade.  (Yep, HARD.  When life hands you lemons, and all that...)  Seriously, that's the way my family celebrates.  Food and drinks and food and drinks and food and drinks and food and drinks.  It's very relaxing.

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Okay, dokay.  As I said before, I have to make this quick 'cause *sigh* I must needs be off to work. So, without further eloquence...

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God bless!

Cat

TAG!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awhile ago, Bella at To Say Nothing of Reality tagged me with what she thinks is the Liebster Blog Award.  The goal of this tag is to:
1.)  LIST 11 facts about yourself.
2.)  ANSWER 11 questions the tagger asked.
3.)  ASK 11 questions of those you tag.

Since I have done the Liebster Blog tag several thousand times already...

:-)

...I am, once again, going to cheat on this.

Here are my Eleven Facts! Tada!

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Having cheated, I shall now faithfully answer Bella's questions, which are these:

1.) If you had a choice would you visit Rivendell or the Shire?
Um, um, um... the Shire.  I think the elves would expect more from me than the hobbits would.

Elves

 VS.

Hobbits

2.) Have you read The Ascendance Trilogy?

Yepparoony!

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3.) Do you tend to like the Villain BETTER than the hero? (This means in everything, mind you.)

Um... it really depends on the conflict in said villain, and the motivation driving them.  For the most part I think I tend to like the hero more than the villain.  I think...

Prison Break - Scofield vs. Mahone

4.) Are you a Tolkien Purist?

Yes.  IMHO, if there had to be a film adaption of the Hobbit, Peter Jackson should have made it a TV show and followed the book verbatim.  He wouldn't have had the urge to add all the unnecessary drivel that he did.

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5) Are you a Marvel fan or just an Avengers fan?

I would say mainly an Avengers fan.  I'm not much into Spider Man, I'm not sure about the upcoming Ant Man, and I don't know about Guardians of the Galaxy.  I do like Wolverine, but I don't think I really love all the X-men.

Avengers!

 

6.) What book are you reading RIGHT NOW, and is it good?

Right NOW right now?  Er...  My own.  I'm editing. :-)  I think it's good, but it could use some - lots - of work.

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7.) What is the first thing that comes to mind when think of trains?

MICHAEL AND SUCRE AND LINC EVADING RECAPTURE FROM BELLICK!!!!!!!

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8.) Have you ever had Vegan Chocolate? (If not, don't. DO NOT EVER.)

Thanks be to God, no.

Snickersnort

 

9.) Have you ever cried in the theatre?

Are you kidding?  The real question is, have I ever NOT cried in the theatre?  It's such a dark and private place, I can weep unashamedly.

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10.) Would you go shopping with me dressed as your favorite Avenger?

Eheheheheh... I think I'd have to be a tad bit stewed to be bold enough to do such a thing.  But mebbe.

:-)

 

11.) Do you think Frozen is overrated?

Yes.  In my outspoken opinion, Tangled was a much better story.  Besides, Rapunzel had a frying pan.

NOW!!!!!

(Mwahahahahahahaha)

Eleven questions for whosoever wants to be tagged.

1.)  If you could choose to be a bug, what kind would you be?
2.)  You are given a choice between pizza and chocolate.  What do you choose?
3.)  What does Panama make you think of?
4.)  Have you ever been so obsessed with a TV show you literally can't think of anything else for days?  Weeks, even?  If so, which TV show(s) are you obsessed with at the mo'?
5.)  Do you prefer pens or pencils when writing?
6.)  If you could have one superpower talent, what would it be?
7.)  Do you visualize yourself as an archer or a ninja?
8.)  Quick!  Off the top of your head, what's the ONE THING you can't live without?
9.)  You're on the run.  Would you rather have a.) a hairbrush, or b.) a toothbrush?
10.)  Are you a summer or winter person?  Why?
11.)  Do you unashamedly watch cartoons and cry over them?  (If yes, high five, sista!)

There you go.  Since I'm a good person, I'm actually going to force myself to reach out and tag a couple people.  After that, youse all are on your own.
Amanda
Maria
Jack
Arda Nessimava

Before I say farewell entirely, I am going to mention that I LOVED Prison Break the TV show, and because I loved it so much I made many collages, which I'm going to share here.

 

Yep, I'm a bit obsessed.  Unlike some other sisters I can name, I am very honest about being obsessed.  I like to share my obsession, and see how many other people I can get to be obsessed, too.

So, until next time... which may be awhile.  You never know.  I could go on a blogging spree and be your faithful blogger twice a week.  Or I may pop up in a couple months with a new obsession.  Life can be interesting that way.

So, talk to you later!

God bless!

Cat