Facie’s Ramblings

Even though things are hectic, I really enjoy this time of year. Some people are grouchier than usual, sure. I think people's driving skills seem to denigrate as well. But I tend to see the good in people and the season. I own several Santa hats--a Penn State one, a Steelers one, and a red one. I looked for a Penguins hat over the past few weeks, but no luck. Admittedly, this year I have not worn them much; I think I am still feeling my way around the job/people. But I did break down on a few occasions. First, I  wore my Steeler hat on my birthday a few weeks ago (I did not think my PSU hat would be appropriate where I work), along with a self-promoting birthday pin that I have worn for the past 17 birthdays and a bell. I took the hat off for the picture. At our building Christmas party last week, I again opted for the bell and Steeler hat. I was one of two people (out of around 50, I would guess) wearing something like that, and I was surprised there was not more festive ...

So apparently I have five drafts that I have not posted. Mostly I just don't have that much to say. And if/when I do, I tend to reread it and decide it is just too disjointed to a post. So, here comes yet another attempt, which will be yet another bulleted update on my life, for the two of you who still stop by occasionally. :-) I finished most of my Christmas shopping yesterday. Hooray! The snow falling and my playing Bach's Wachet Auf (Sleepers Awake) made the day pretty darn good. If I could find a way to upload the version the string quartet at our Lessons and Carols did last year, I would. I am telling you it is hard not to listen to that song and feel a a sense of calm as well as an appreciation for the beautiful music. Google it (or find it on You Tube), and you probably won't be disappointed. I went to my first building holiday party Friday. I knew only the people on my floor and a handful of people on two other floors. But I did meet a few more. The food was ...

Once again, I started to write another post. On one of my favorite topics as of late: Penn State. I wrote an even better one in my head last night when I was trying to fall asleep. But in the light of the day (which is actually the dusk of the evening now), I cannot remember it. Since I still have so many thoughts swirling around my head about this whole hideous mess, I want to instead come up with a list of some memorable Penn State moments. I feel for the victims. I truly do. And I am saddened that people lied and covered things up. But I am not sorry that I went to Dear Old State. Anyway, here goes nothing, in no particular order. It won't mean a whole heckuva lot to most of you, but it sure means something to me. I remember... Having mono, going home for something like 10 days, and then getting on the Loop bus back to my dorm only to be greeted by several of my friends who were riding around the bus waiting for my return. Signing up for astronomy because I thought i...

One of these days I may write a heartfelt, detailed blog post about the angst I am having with my eight-year-old child. But this is not one of these days. Instead, I wanted to share a few recent things. Third grade is difficult. I cannot believe the amount of homework Jordan brings home most days. On a good night, she has about an hour; several times now she has had three-plus hours. Seems a bit excessive to me. On the bright side, she has pretty much gotten to the point where she remembers to bring the correct books home, which is a challenge considering most classes have a hardback book, a workbook, and a Simple Solutions book. I feel bad that my poor kid's backpack often weighs more than 25 percent of her body weight (yes, I have weighed it). Jordan came home from school today with a flier for a Magic Treehouse book club and an American Girls book club, each of which will meet once a month during lunch. Jordan told me that most of the girls in her class are going to be in the...

I am afraid a rant is coming on. I know, it's hard to believe that I would complain about something. But here I go... It seems to me that expressing thankfulness has gone by the wayside. Or, at the very least, people showing their appreciation is more the exception rather than the rule.  Apparently, it is too much for the people checking me out at Giant Eagle to say thanks (in all fairness, I don't live near one of those fancy-shmancy Iggles, where perhaps they do say thank you). It is not as if I am looking for "have a nice day." Just a simple, even if insincere, thank you would do. But considering that most of the cashiers don't even bother to speak to me, I am probably asking for the impossible. And I bet not much more than half of the kids in the cafeteria bothered to say thanks when I handed them a requested napkin or spoon or helped them open something the numerous times I volunteered in the cafeteria this past school year. As many times as I have had ...

As has been documented here and elsewhere many times, I am a crier. But, oddly enough, not always for logical reasons. I did not cry at my own wedding or at the birth of my child, yet I have cried at countless other weddings and births, most of which I witnessed on TV, involving people I don't even know! Speaking of my child and NOT crying, today my baby made her first communion. This is a big deal in a Catholic's life, though most kids cannot fully grasp what is going on. What pretty much every kid does understand is that they will be getting dressed up, quite a few people will be coming to watch them, they most likely will be having a party or going out to eat afterward, and the odds are great that they will be ending the day with some loot. We had a pretty small gathering at our pretty small house. Unfortunately, the weather dudes were wrong about the weather. I know, hard to believe. Last night, one of the weather guys said there may be a shower or two, and it would mos...

I am quite certain that on several occasions I have already said words similar to what I am going to write, but here I go again. Most of us have too much stuff/junk. Kids especially. Do you remember when Valentine's Day at school meant filling out a box of cards for your classmates and getting cards in return? Now, parents feel obligated to send in candy with those cards. And a simple lollipop or bite-size candy bar is no longer enough; now most parents send in treat bags that consist of several pieces of candy, perhaps one of those annoying foil-wrapped pencils that are nearly impossible to sharpen, tiny erasers that are too small to be useful, and some stickers or fake tattoos. Halloween works much the same way. And some parents even send in small gifts for the class for the Christmas party. Don't even get me started on birthday parties, which now involve take-homes for each party guest as well. You might be wondering why I am bringing this up now. I will tell you, but on...

Yesterday Jordan went to a "princess party" at the photo studio my cousins' own. Under normal circumstances I probably would have never wanted to attend one of these things, thinking it was just another example of how materialistic society has become and how spoiled children are. But Jordan, like most girls around her age, loves to dress up and is enamored by princesses, plus these ladies are my cousins and I was in town, so we went. I have to say it was kind of neat and probably felt magical to the girls, though some were too young to be there (watching one of the moms try to put makeup on her crying two-year old particularly annoyed me). But Jordan had so much fun, and she was an angel pretty much the entire time. She stood still the entire time she was putting her dress on and having her hair and makeup done; and while waiting for the other girls, she sat quietly at the table for something like 10 minutes. She seemed to like the visit by the princess (a pretty high sch...

So I took Jordan to a birthday party for one of her preschool classmates today. It was the first of its kind for us; prior to this, we had gone only to parties of my friends' or relatives' kids. When we first arrived, Jordan latched on to my leg and would let go for nothing. Even when one of her best friends from school arrived, she still did not want to leave me. Mercifully after about 20 minutes, she finally warmed up to some of the kids, most of whom were strangers, and away she went. Being surrounded by about 30 or 40 strangers and only three girls she knew, I can see why Jordan might have felt a little overwhelmed. And for me, someone who once was extremely outgoing (but still very open), it was a little uncomfortable for me as well. I had exchanged pleasantries with the birthday girl's dad on several occasions, and I had said hi to the mother of one of Jordan's friends, but that was it. Everyone else seemed to know the others, though no one was unfriendly. Fortuna...