Month: December 2017

Football on Christmas Eve! That’s a hit with me and Ties o’ the Day. And…today, my Seahawks are playing the cowboys. (I can’t even capitalize the name of that other team.) I used to watch football with my niece, MiMi, who is my mini-me. Actually, we called it NOT-WATCHING football because we snarked and laughed through the games, while only occasionally looking at the scores. MiMi and I are pretty much an open-mic comedy show whenever we are together. Much snort-laughing goes on among spectators. 🤡 🤣

My NAUGHTY cup runneth over with Bow Ties/Tie o’ the Day. Been anniversary-brating all day, and just walked back into the house after a tasty Italian dinner in Ogden, at La Ferrovia—one of Suzanne’s fave grazing places. The three or so hours we were out of the house is the longest Skitter has been alone since Roxy’s passing. She almost exploded with happiness and relief when we came through the door. There was much howl-whining and prancing. And Skitter howl-whined and pranced, as well. 🤗 🤡

And then I got hitched 4 years ago, on this date. If it had been possible, the hitching would’ve happened 31 years ago. So I suppose you could say there are two anniversaries to celebrate. Christmas Tie o’ the Day represents Grant Wood’s AMERICAN GOTHIC, an iconic painting of a farm couple. Lapel Pin o’ the Day is a 2002 SLC Olympic pin, referencing the same painting. On it, the pitchfork is replaced by a set o’ skis. Marriage is like skiing: downhill, cross-country, and jumping. ⛷Mostly jumping. 😉

Ties o’ the Day present another of Momo’s milkweed pod ornaments—another nativity scene, with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, a shepherd, and two of the Three Wise Men. One wise-guy has disappeared. I lost my personal Three Wise Men when I left Delta. My bro-in-law/hubby, Gary, Hank Harris, and Les Harward regularly hold court at the bar at The Pub. During the Christmas season, I refer to them as My Three Wise Men. The rest of the year, I refer to them as My Three Stooges. 🐪

Momo, my g-ma, was gorgeous. Popo, my g-pa, thought she was a babe, and she was until the day she died. She was elegant in manner, speech, and fashion. (That’s where I got those qualities from.🤡) Ties o’ the Day give us Santa-hatted pin-up girls. Momo could easily have been one, but she was too proper for that career. She crafted these Christmas tree ornaments out of milkweed pods. See how beautiful Momo was? The top ornament depicts the nativity scene. Momo was clearly inventive. 🎄

Christmas Ties o’ the Day ask this: What was my bro, Ron, thinking when he allowed someone to take this picture of him and Mom while they were tieless? And whoever took this photo should be equally reprimanded for not insisting that the models don neckwear before the flash. So, when I was sent this pic, Ties o’ the Day had to sort of photo bomb it for me, in order to make it presentable enough to be worthy of this post. 📸 👔

I had to purchase both Ties o’ the Day despite their similarities. After all, the NYC snowperson is different on the ties. And only one tie has the Los Angeles snowperson.  That one and the 16th Century England snowperson are my absolute favorites. I wear these two ties at the same time. If I don’t, whichever I wear second, someone always says, “Gotcha! You wore that Tie o’ the Day already!” Hear me: I do NOT wear the same holiday tie more than once per season. ☃️

If you have a couple of bobbleheads standing around, they should be these: Ralphie and The Old Man. (I do want the Joe Kenda HOMICIDE HUNTER bobblehead too.) These Ties o’ the Day are chivalrous. They refuse to allow the two bobbers’ pedestals to touch any hard—possibly dirty— surface. These bobby guys sat on a bookshelf in Delta, year-round. When especially bumptious trains barreled through town, Ralphie’s and The Old Man’s heads shimmied. I miss the barely perceptible vibrations of rollicking trains. 🚂

Bow Tie o’ the Day grooves, like Tie o’ the Day’s greeting. Years ago, we bought a used white mini-van, so I could carpool Rowan and his pals to and fro. I wasn’t happy. White? A mini-van? And then I loved it. I called it The Mormon Assault Vehicle. I didn’t even mind when the driver’s door had to be welded shut. The van lived double its lifespan, and we got a whole $100 for it when we turned it in for Vonnegut Grace Vibe. 🚐

Tie o’ the Day is a nod to “the reason for the season.” Red-nosed reindeer and re-gifting are festive, but Christmas also honors the birth of a miraculous babe. Three Wise Men mounted camels and followed a star to the infant. When Suzanne was in Mongolia to accompany her parents home from their mission, she rode a camel. She didn’t follow a vibrant star. She concentrated on not getting camel-sick. There she was—another kind o’ babe, riding a camel just like a Wise Man. 🐫🐪🌟 See how I tied all that together?