Merry Christmas From the Michigan Side

T'was The Night Before Christmas...

...and all through the house, not a Muffin was stiring, not even a Hodge.

I've been kicked out of my own kitchen. I can't even peak in to see what is setting off the smoke detector and making the place smell heavenly. It has something to do with chicken that has been in a marinade for days, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, rice, and who knows what else!!

Tonight we will have an early dinner, then I have to sing at 6pm Mass. We will come home and relax for a bit, maybe take a nap, then go back for the big Midnight Mass celebration!!! I'm so excited!

Last night was, I think, my favorite night together so far. I made a nice dinner, then we played (American) Trivial Pursuit. It never occured to me that his questions would be totally different, but it makes sense. We had a blast laughing at all the stupid questions. Then I taught him Uno - and that was pretty fun as well. A little cuddle/tickle fest on the couch, and then off to bed with wine headaches. But it was normal, and calm, and sweet, and I can't wait till he is here for good.

Oh - - and he would give me a hard time if I failed to mention that he beat me at both games on my own turf. :-)

Merry Christmas!!

~Liza

Hot Coffee Scandal and Hooker Boots

Okay, Liza is in the shower and has been needling me to make a post on the blog. She desires me to tell you of the shoes and of Petunia's adventure in the coffee cup.

One morning, Liza was drying her hair with the hair dryer (as one does) when I came into the bathroom with a cup of coffee in one hand and Petunia T. Hodgebeast sitting on the other, looking around and seeing things. Liza - being in a playful mood - blew little Petunia in the face with the hairdryer. She liked it very much - it was an exciting event in her young life - but, as she is only very small, she blew backwards and fell into the coffee mug; which was kind of full of coffee.

At this point, Liza was rendered useless as she burst into tears and ruined her makeup while Petunia swam around for a while as I fished her out. She was gently washed under the tap and squeezed dry and is now none the worse for her adventure. She does, however, smell of coffee but - when you are part of a species (Hodgehegs) which live entirely on fine coffee and vanilla pastries - smelling of coffee is a positive advantage.

We also went to buy shoes. I only have two pairs of shoes - for I am sensible. I have boots for when it is very snowy, and then I have shoes which are black and go with anything. Liza has 42 pairs of shoes.

42 pairs of shoes. Who needs so many shoes? She only has two feet.

She then proceeded to tell me that she needed this particular pair of brown boots. I challenged the necessity of said brown boots - I felt that needed should only really apply to one pair of shoes to keep the cold and rain out, and things like food and shelter. And not even all sorts of food and shelter - the funny Jewish balls in the soup stuff we are having for lunch is not essential. Especially at Christmas.

That is not to imply that one could live in a Matzoh ball - maybe one could. Is that the sort of dance held for girls at their Bat Mitzvah? And is a Bat Mitzvah what BatJew has?

No, I did not invent BatJew.





Okay, where was I? Oh, yeah - hooker boots. Liza maintained that she quote-needed-unquote these brown boots, but that they were expensive. Liza also really liked some brown suede boots, and rather had her eye on some spike-heeled things she called hooker boots. I said I would buy her the brown suede ones for Christmas, but she said they were too expensive. We had a bit of an arguement about this but she eventually saw it my way and said, and I jest ye not, "I'll let you buy me the suede ones, but I will buy these."

Excuse me? Is that girl-logic? (BTW girls, logic is a thought process - not an Albanian Christian name) It is okay for her to have as a present non-essential "Do-Me"-shoes, provided she buys other shoes? Does this make any sort of sense?

"Oh, I can't have an ice-cream, that would make me fat. But, tell you what, if I have a steak as well - then everything is okay!"

Heads up, ladies - buying more stuff does not cancel out stuff! It doesn't work like that.

On an unrelated note - why does American TV give prime-time slots concerned with "How to live your life" to a convicted criminal? America's housewives are taking life-style advice from a woman guilty of lying under oath? And this is good . . . how?

Look, fellas - don't mean to worry you but, let's consider for a second. Martha Stewart - asked by a Judge (after swearing an oath) to tell the truth, didn't. And she is being held up as a role model? Not wishing to be nasty, but this girl has a proven track record for being a liar. This tells me two things; i) I don't trust her stuffing mix to work and ii) I'm not sure I'm really comfortable with "living the Martha lifestyle" (i.e. criminal perjury)

I did, however, find it funny that her show this morning looked back on the year and not a second of it dwelt on her time in stir. Also, it was perhaps ironic that she focused on a charity which helped mothers incarcertated in prison - plenty of the children interviewed said they would like to be teachers or nurses or whatever; I think some of them should have said "I want to be a talk-show host."

Perhaps they edited that out. Happy Holidays.

Darknight

O Christmas Tree!! O Christmas Tree!!!

Tonight we decorated the tree!!! After a small bit of control freakishness on my part over how to put on the lights, and Simon not liking any form of Christmas music, we finally had a lovely time.

I've added some photos for your holiday enjoyment.

~Liza

Misc. Photos

As an ode to the Wild Coffee Adventure, Petunia reprises her experience for the Christmas photos.

















The Us's
Muff was not too happy about this one.














Simon demonstrating the almost falling over tree before I crawled under and tightened the bolts.

Family Photos

The Hodge Family Christmas Photo - circa 2005.

Father Hodgebadger
The Hodgebeast
Deacon Smallbadger
Suzi T. Hodgebeast
Petunia T. Hodgebeast
Hodgebeast Junior

~Liza (aka The Smooth One)

On the Agenda...

Today we will chill. For chillin' is a beautiful thing.

It's only 8 degrees today so we won't be going out unless we absolutely have to. I think we will decorate the Christmas tree today - that will be fun! And tonight we will go and talk to the guy at Church about music for the wedding. Yesterday we picked out our wedding invitations and the menu for the luncheon reception. That was fun too!

Man - it's smelling good in here!!!! I think he's making eggs with bacon and stuff. Mmmm!

~Liza

Family Reunion

The Hodges meet their new babies!!!!

Hodge poses with Hodge Jr., and Suzi poses with Petunia.

I'll let Simon tell you about Petunia's adventure in the coffee cup.

~Liza

Christmas with the P's

Simon and my Dad at our family Christmas this past Sunday. We all had a wonderful time! Ate too much, opened prizes, and stuff.

This morning he's making me breakfast. He had to kick me out of the kitchen - I'm not quite used to someone taking care of me. But it is nice for a change!

Ahhhhhhhh Bliss!!!

~Liza

Welcome to the USA

Yes, I am here - behold me!

Arrived in the USA without any problems, got through Immigration with no worries and no silly questions, and am now in Liza's house.

We are off to get breakfast.

Ciao,

DK

HE'S HERE!! WOOOO HOO!!!

More later - running late with a ton of things to do today, but wanted to say that he is finally here!!!

YAY!!!

~Liza

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!!

No - I'm not trying out for Annie -

I'm picking him up TOMORROW!!!! Woo-freakin'-hoo!

Not much to say really - not too sure I'll sleep tonight.

I promise we will do better at getting some photos and stuff out here this visit. :-)

Until tomorrow.......I will go watch Charlie Brown Christmas and watch the clock.

~Liza

One week from today!

I'll be picking up my sweet one from the airport!!

The time since June, when he left here, has gone fast and slow. It feels like a million years since I've seen him, and yet here we are with only a week to go, and hopefully we will be together again.

For months now I've been going from freaking out to - um - freaking out, about whether or not he will be allowed through by immigration for this visit. I've lost sleep over it, I've nearly made myself sick over it. But this past week a quiet calm has come over me at the realization that I have no control over it. I've said that I will accept God's will in this, and like it or not, this is part of it. If they don't let him in, I have to accept that too. Doesn't mean I will like it, doesn't even mean I have to. Acceptance and approval are not the same thing.

So now I wait and count the final week, which I know will fly by before I know it. And just have hope that he will be here with me - finally. After so many days of waiting, planning, and dreaming.

You know - there are some that are surprised that we have held out for as long as we have. We haven't grown bored with the distance, we haven't lost interest. I've learned so much about myself over the past 17 months, and about us as a couple. I know I can be happy with myself, happy alone, and don't have to have constant companionship to be happy. I know that I would prefer NOT to be alone, but I know that it's not what makes me, but what completes me. I've learned that we have an amazing trust of one another. How many couples can trust each other with thousands of miles between them, and never question the other's integrity? I've never once wondered - I don't believe he has either. It has built a level of respect between us that I've not known before. -----and there are those who wonder how you can build a relationship when you aren't together-----

Today he's off doing last minute Christmas shopping, and the buying of a bigger suit case, and I will do the final moving of stuff around the house and a good deep clean before the work week sucks up the rest of the days before he arrives. It's funny, but I've noticed this pattern. Before every meeting we seem to have only minimal communication due to last minute preparations. It makes that meeting at the end only that much sweeter.

I will see you soon love!!! One week from today!

~Liza