Glittered-Glam at the Cambridge Christian Academy

Our good friend S.Elf has been hard at it the last couple of weeks getting the halls of the Cambridge Christian Academy in Keller, Texas ready for the Big Birthday observation!

What?  You thought elves didn't celebrate Christ's birthday?  Ours does.  If you'd like to dispute, you're welcome to, but it's only fair to warn you that our elf-friend is over six feet tall and if you give her trouble over her Christmas-activity, she's likely to get miffed and sparkle you!

Getting sparkled isn't so bad unless her miff-meter gets into the red zone.  Thennnn the sparkling also may include shrinkage.  In that event, you might find yourself being a Christmas ornament, hanging on a tree somewhere until she calms down and decides to release you.  She's hard pressed to make that decision because the kids do so love the rude-people-ornaments looking surprised amongst the other baubles on the tree.  Sometimes they even take them down and play with them.  That usually doesn't turn out well.  Just sayin' it doesn't pay to be a rude-Scrooge when S.Elf is doing what she enjoys the most.  My advice is stay out of her way when she's spreading Christmas cheer.

When S.Elf's not busy at the job that actually pays her money, she's busy with her volunteer job as a Christmas Interior Decorator for special folks.  Most of the deco is provided by S.Elf herself.  (I think that came out cute, don't you?)

Special folks are kids, of course!  When she described this year's motif, I asked her to please send me photos via email, which she managed to do, and it was no small feat.  S.Elf is somewhat techno-challenged but she pulled it off with determination and therefore, I'm privileged to post some of them here for you, so you can have at least a glimpse of what the kids at the Academy are enjoying during their buildup to the big celebration day.

This year S.Elf employed the help of another volunteer from work, Amy, her elf-in-training.  Between the two of them, and a few extra sets of helping-hands, this year's winter-wonderland (I use that description loosely because ARE in Texas, after all) had a feature-face lift, and it turned out great!

Something I much admire about S.Elf is her giving attitude.  It doesn't stop after the holidays.  She's always busy doing special things for others throughout the year.  She makes newcomers feel welcome in the office mix.  She ensures peeps on specialized diets are covered with items they can eat at office parties.  She'll take the time to teach someone interested in learning the art of crocheting, or looming or any of those other talents in artistic creativity she's been blessed with.


It pays to have friends like S.Elf, and not because she can do things for you.  Its because being around her can pretty much guarantee you a smile if you're willing to feel the cheer and wear one.

On a side note, S.Elf  speaks blonde fluently and is very good with directions, at least for "most" blondes. (I'll leave out names, but some of us are more blonde than others.  Thankfully, there are GPS apps on most mobile phones these days.  I use mine frequently.)

S.Elf is great to teach the kids how to make their own holiday decorations out of simple things most of them can find in their homes every day.  However, when she told me she was making snowflakes out of coffee filters, I nearly choked!  If filters are covered in glitter and filled with holes, how will anyone be able to make coffee with them???

S.Elf has assured me the U.S. isn't likely to run out of coffee filters any time soon.  But, for a few moments I was in a near panic with images of children all over the world cutting up this precious commodity which is often a necessary item in making one of my two favorite libations (the other being Monster Blue) when I'm away from home, and for which I have absolutely no addictive tendencies. 

If they ran out of coffee filters, what might they request to make use of  next?  What if they got it in their little creative minds to ask me to donate my winter flannel lounge pants with snowflakes and snowmen print that I sleep in and inherited from my dad!  Kids DO those sorts of things!

Yes, for a few moments I envisioned myself in a stand-off with a bunch of children at my bedroom door demanding that I hand over my goods so they could cut them up for next year's winter project.  See?  Yet another reason all coffee sippers should invest in a Keurig!  You'll never have to worry about running out of filters to make your favorite bean brew.

In fact, if you prefer to do the roast-and-grind-your-own thing (which I would if I could find the time for it), Keurigs even come with a handy-dandy reusable filter for just that purpose.  See?  Keurig's got you covered!

I was happy when I noticed my boy Rudolph, the former underdog-reindeer didn't get neglected in the festivities.  If you'll notice, he's in the lower right quad of the Flight School board, and even has his own special muffler to match that luminescent nose of his.  I always was one to appreciate individuality.

If your little one is in the DFW area and is attending the Cambridge Christian Academy, they're part of a lucky group who'll be getting to enjoy S.Elf and Amy's enthusiastic and creative talents.

And, while I was editing the photos for re-size, I was reminded of some truly magnificent memories of my own childhood Christmas decorating events.  In my family it really was an event, and for my sister's family it still is.  That's one of the many reasons I tend to have critical bouts of homesickness this time of year.

Luckily I'm surrounded by loving folks who help take the edge off of the holiday blues that sometimes threatens to knock the cheer right outta me.  My thanks to them for that, because I truly hate feeling dreary!

If you happen to spot that other elf, you know, the fat one in the red suit with the big bag over his shoulder who's constantly stuffing himself with cookies and milk?  Please put in a good word for S.Elf and Amy by letting the big guy know they've done a great job this year and should be commended for it!

Gotta run for now, so my thanks to you for stopping by and having a read with your coffee, or whatever it is you might be sipping while you browse.  Maybe eggnog?

Hmmm .... eggnog flavored coffee .... hmmmmmmm ......

Gotta go!!!!

God bless, see you next time and don't forget to thank a veteran should you happen to pass by one today!

As always, comments are welcome!

femme

Stalker Talk with S. Elf and Kimmi-Jo

Sundays and Mondays a couple of colleagues and I have gotten into the habit of meeting for breakfast at the IHOP on Hwy 121 near Glade Road in Euless, Texas, after our night shift completes.  We picked this new brekkie-hangout spot because it's en-route to each of our homes, and only a few minutes from our office which is nearly located in the back yard of DFW International Airport.  I'm not plugging DFW in this blog because, I have an intense dislike for that airport in particular, and detest American Airlines just as much.

I won't bother telling you here, what I used to do when I'd heard the roar of an AA passenger plane overhead, flying past the flat complex I lived in, which was nearly in the back yard of Love Field Airport in Dallas - and YES!!!  I LOVE Love Field and Southwest Airlines!!!  That one I was happy to link for you!  Next time you're there (for the locals) please tell them femme said "hi!"  I'm much more restrained with less-than-best behavior these days, or I at least try very hard to be.  Most of us don't manage to be perfect 100% of the time.

Our good friend S.Elf.  She allowed me to put her in the blog
if I promised to maintain as much anonymity for her as possible.
I think this suffices, don't you?

And so, back to the IHOP breakfast groupies, which yesterday morning consisted of me, Kimi-Jo and S., our friend who's had an issue with a stalker for longer than Kimi-Jo and I have known her, is our colleague as well as Kimi-Jo's business partner.  S. is very much into the full swing of the spirit of the season, and has been sporting either a Christmas cap (of various sorts) during our shifts, or antlers with bells, or sparkly bouncing snowmen attached to her hair-band, and various other Christmas personal-deco.  S. also has antlers on her new SUV (which is named Sabrina, by the way), and I'm surprised she's not shown up in green and red banded knee socks, or decorated the rest of Sabrina to look like whatever method of Christmas transportation she might have in mind to mimic.  For the duration of the holidays, S. will be heretofore known as S.Elf, which takes less time to type.    S.Elf is over 6' tall and is lately sprinkled liberally with glitter.  That makes it difficult for anonymity in regards to her stalker, but Kimi-Jo and I maintain vigil and surround her when anyone we suspicion might try to make off with our vertically-enhanced partner.  Since I have no description of him, I'm in hopes the stalker isn't as tall as she is.

The logo on my favorite flourescent green cycling tee-shirt.

Earlier in the morning (or night, depending on whether you judge it by if the sun is up or not) I'd voiced to the girls that I needed to find a drop-depot for the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots either close to my neighborhood, or close to places I frequent.  Leave it to S.Elf to notice the big box next the desk at IHOP, and the big sign on the window stating that this location was exactly the sort of drop-depot I was looking for.  You'd be absolutely correct in assuming that I showered the employees with thanks and gratitude for supporting the program.  They just won three customers who will guarantee repeat business when we're in the area.  We'd have come back anyway.  We always get exceptional service there from the manager and the wait staff.  They're friendly, they're articulate, and always very accomodating.

Do you think I'm obvious enough in my
pride and support of the USMC?
(My sincere thanks to Don Proctor for this much
loved insulated spill-proof!)

After the girls got me calmed down from the hyped-excitement of the Toys For Tots box, we were escorted to our table.  And, while waiting for them to present us with rejuvinating beverages, I made the comment that attending a writers' convention might be fun.  I followed the comment with a question to the girls.  "What do you s'pose folks do at a writers' convention?" (I've only been to journalism conventions and found them to be rigid and boring.)

Kimi-Jo's suggestion was that perhaps writers sit around and discuss what they've written, or what everyone else had written.  (I thought that might be ok for about an hour and then I'd be bored with it as well.  You can only cover style but so much before it becomes repetitive and mundane.)

S.Elf however, came up with some excellent ideas at what one might, or maybe should, expect to do at a writers' conveention, which Kimi-Jo and I have since wracked our brains trying to remember. Two sleepy blondes are not known for great ability with re-call, and S.Elf is off tonight/this morning, so we can't consult her to re-deploy the brilliant info she shared with us.  I only know at the time she said it, I deemed it brilliant and wish I'd written it down.  I'll be sure to check with her in regards to sharing the information when I get back into town later this week.

We moved from the discussion of writers' conventions to weblogging, and that I'd noticed my friend Irish's blog (Irish is better known as Annette Donaldson, a friend and author out of Northern Ireland), and how some buttons for following and sharing her blog's hadn't been implemented into it yet.  Hopefully, that is soon to be remedied.  I helped Kim set her blog up and her buttons are all in place and functioning fine, as far as we know. 

Kimi-Jo

Then the discussion moved to style, both in what's written, as well as in presentation.  This bit of the conversation presented a bit of confusion for Kimi-Jo, and during the struggle to break it down into Kim-friendly explanation, S.Elf became frustrated.  Kimi got amused, and I warned her to be cautious about overly-annoying our elf, but ... ah well ... Kimi-Jo laughed and S.Elf responded with a threat.  "Don't push it and make me have to SPARKLE you!" It was then that I noticed the Christmas-cap-of-the-day had elf ears on the sides of it, commented on it, the gears shifted again and everyone climbed back on the let's-laugh-and-be-happy-train. 

I've noticed several reviews stating the service quality of this IHOP is very poor.  However, my friends and I frequent the place, and so far, our service has been great!  I sometimes wonder if the majority of folks who get poor service are poor customers.  I agree with the addage about the customer always being right, however, right is one thing.  Jerk is another.  Some customers I've had the misfortune of having to be seated near ... the very tone of their voice and the foul expression on their face could incite me to dump their order in their lap and serve coffee on their head.  Or worse ... I could send our S.Elf to sparkle them.

Main entrance to the IHOP in Euless, TX off Hwy 121.
Just below the Christmas tree is the collection box for
U.S. Marines Toys for Tots

If you're a writer and have been afflicted with the block, come join us for a sun-rise coffee break at IHOP.  Kimi-Jo  is nearing the completion of her first novel, and hasn't suffered an episode of it yet.  I haven't had writer's block in so long, that I've forgotten what it feels like.

I've a new review out on the Hub covering Pirates of Savannah: The Hunt for Shamus's Booty.  I've got a trip to east Texas on Tuesday to get some photos and finish up some work on part of a larger book project, and next week, I'm headed to south-central Texas to spend some time getting photos and spot interviews from the folks in Goliad, Texas.  Before all that happens, I've got a lunch-meet with Torres, some editing to work on, tires to replace at Art Cervantes' shop, and eventually a little shut-eye before I lock, load and go.  By the way, if you're a local and haven't been to Cooper's Tire in Fort Worth, TX to buy tires ... shame on ya.

Lots of stuff going on this month folks.  If your friends, church or neighborhood have something you can volunteer to help do in spreading a little cheer, and maybe offering a hand for some peeps who are in situations needing it, I encourage you to do so.  It really is much more fun to give than to receive, and Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Christ.  He was the most exceptional giver I know of and my advice is, if you're gonna follow a leader, He sets the best example to follow.

I'm all finished up here, and I thank you for your time, and don't forget to thank a Vet today if you should meet up with one. :)
God bless and have a great day!

femme