Sometimes...

... the stars just line up right.

Back in December I was doing a little after-Christmas shopping on Amazon and came across a really pretty 5-pc nativity set I liked, so I ordered it. I also ordered an additional 2 pieces to complete the set - an arch and a shepherd.

The next day I wanted to show my friend what it looked like so I pulled up my open order, clicked on the photo of the set and got the following message:

Looking for something? We're sorry. The Web address you entered is not a functioning page on our site Go to Amazon.com's Home Page

Hmmm, thought I, that's strange. Maybe I got the last one? (not likely, but I was reaching!) So now I'm feeling a skosh uneasy, but figured I'll just wait and see how things go.

Well, to make a long story short, I spent several weeks waiting for and then returning the partial order they sent. After much back and forth dialog with the Amazon supplier (Christmascentral.com) I ended up with no nativity set, the news that the 5-pc set is out of stock and no longer being manufactured, an apology, and a credit to my credit card. Well, poop!!

Since I already have a child's nativity, I wasn't really devastated but I was disappointed because this one was really cool - contemporary and unique. Oh well.

So, fast forward to this month. I'm putzing around on Amazon and decided to look at nativity sets again. Hello!! Staring back at me in the very first position of indoor nativities is the very same set I wanted in December!! The one that was out of stock and no longer being manufactured! Hmmmm, curiouser and curiouser, thought I. Sooooo...

Oh no, you din't!! Oh yes, I did!! I ordered it again. And don't you know that when I tried to look at the picture on my order the next day I got the same message as above? That was on April 24-25.

All righty then - this is getting old and I'm really not expecting to get this thing, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?? And I was having a slow week anyway. Well, lo and behold, on April 27 I get an email that my 5-pc nativity has shipped! Get outta here! Now I'm wondering what they're sending me cuz I'm just not believing that I'm really going to get THE set.

So now, I'm tracking the package on FedEx... it's in Buffalo, NY on the 27th; then it's in Syracuse, NY; then it's in Hagerstown, MD on the 28th... with delivery estimated on the 29!! I'm still leery, wondering what will arrive...

Ta Da!! Looky what I got today!!

Oh me of little faith!! Isn't it purty??
(and I don't care about extra pieces!)

Rite of passage...

*sigh* These kids just won't stop growing up!! My little guy, my #1 grandson... the one who used to crawl into a pillowcase for a snooze or pretend drive his Hot Wheels for hours and hours or snuggle up for a bedtime song... that little guy?? He went to his junior/senior prom Saturday night.

The boy cleans up good!!

Flowers for his lady, so sweet!

Don't they look adorable?

They had a great time - didn't get home til 3 am!

*sniff*

The good, the bad, and the ugly...

Well, it's been far too long since I've
updated,so here's a bit of a summary
of what's been going on in my world.

THE GOOD

Our trip to SC was fun, especially handing over all the baby stuff I've been accumulating since I found out I was gonna be a great-mommaw... and feeling my great-grandbaby kicking and moving around in Christy's tummy! What a thrill!
My son, the grandpa-to-be, is as enthralled with his new grandchild growing as he was with his own children ... it's just dear.

Always creative, Christy has gone into nesting/crafty mode and is making things for her new son... here she's putting the finishing touches on his first piggy bank that she designed (with the Univ. of SC gamecock/color theme.)

One of a set of three that she free-handed and painted, this cute little monkey guy will join a giraffe and elephant on baby Bryce's wall.

A little sibling bonding with a raucous session of Rock Band...
ha! my great-grandson will be a rock star! lol

The mommy-to-be, looking absolutely beautiful and glowing at 28 weeks.

THE BAD

Have spent the last week and some days nursing a bad back. I can only attribute it to the aging process, I guess, because I haven't fallen or twisted it or anything. It just happens. I can be going along minding my own business one day and the next day be out of commission. Then it pretty much goes away ... until the next time. Maybe a touch or arthritis or something, I dunno. It is, however, MOST annoying - not to mention painful!!

THE UGLY

This past Friday night, our less than 4-yr old refrigerator died... just up and kicked the bucket without so much as a howdahyado, kiss my butt, or see ya later!! Luckily, we have a second fridge in the basement and the freezer in the garage, but oh... I was sooo NOT amused!!

A call to Sears repair got us nothing but a service call scheduled for April 26!! God, I hate dealing with those people!! I know it was a weekend, but still! So, we found a local repair person who could come out today, Wednesday, the 21st.

In the meantime, Lew scouted out a few places - Best Buy, Lowes, Sears (grrrr! I refuse to deal with these people any more even though I love their appliances) Bray and Scarff - to see what a new fridge was going to cost us if this one couldn't be repaired. However, the gods must have been looking down on us because as luck would have it, the local repair people called Monday and were able to come out then.

Now, over the weekend Lew had tried a couple of times to see if it would work and all it did was put out hot air, so we just left it unplugged, put a box of baking soda inside and left the doors ajar so it wouldn't stink like refrigerators are wont to do when they're closed up and not running.

So, Monday the guy came, plugged it in and... you see it coming, don't ya??... of course the damn thing started working, blowing out cold air! Aarghhh!! After checking everything there was to check, he couldn't find anything wrong and allowed as how it might just be a fluke or a balky part that may or may not give up the ghost any time... or not.

So, at the moment, the ugly is on hold, the fridge is still running, and we'll just see how things go.