i made myself this for christmas

I usually buy myself a sweater for Christmas. It's tradition. And if you want to be technical about it, I really bought myself two sweaters this year. Right, Phil? Oh, wait, thanks for telepathically reminding me. I totally just forgot about that really good deal where I got some for five bucks a piece. It was a limit 2 deal or I would've gotten more.

Anyway, I've had the frame and glass pebbles for a while because I was going to make myself a fallish looking one. I even bought the paper for it. As you can probably tell, it never happened. And then because of Arctic Blast 2008, and having nothing to watch on TV except the same old "It's snowing and drifting in Troutdale, but they haven't run out of food or beer at the truckstop" news coverage we've seen the last 8 days or so, and I don't see that changing any time soon, and because I was bored out of my mind and needing something to do last night after Phil went to bed, I got crafty.

I figured after making 19 of them with students last year, 22 with students this year (which have yet to go home to parents, by the way), and 4 to give away as gifts, I might as well finally make one for me. So I did. And it now sits on display on our entry way table right next to the glass Nativity scene I got from Daniel Ferry my very first year of teaching. The set didn't come with shepherds, but it does have Wise Men bearing gifts. I wish my candles were a little taller, but I'll make do.

Can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve? And another storm is supposedly on its way. Portland has yet to dig itself out from the first round and now we're going to get pummeled for Christmas. I feel so sorry for those people who are stranded at the airport. I totally feel their pain. But only 23 hours worth. Some of these poor souls have been there for days. In case you didn't know, last year the hubs and I got stranded at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport on our way to Ohio for Christmas. I'm sure it's been blogged about - check the myspace archives in March 2007.


Despite my half grin there, it was not pleasant. Fortunately we packed blankets in our carry-ons (instead of clothes & underwear which turned out to not be so good a little later when our luggage was lost for 3 days) and we picked up some foldable mats to sleep on as we walked the length of the really, really long terminals every single time our gate changed. That's where we slept (well, Phil slept, I really didn't) - right under the reader boards. Right next to the tram that had this little annoying lady's voice that kept going off every 5 minutes about how the tram closed at 10 PM.

I told Phil we should go over to the airport and pick a family and bring them home. But then we thought that over and figured we probably shouldn't. They might end up being here for a really long time.