Christmas Meme

My neice dcrmom is having a little Christmas party over at her blog musingsofahousewife and she promises to have some good food for us if we come over and play! We're listing our top 10 favorite Christmas songs so here is my list and they aren't in any special order. Take a minute and hop over and give us your list! :o)

1. Mary Did You Know

2. Tennessee Christmas

3. Silent Night

4. Joy To The World

5. White Christmas

6. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (the grand kids giggle at this one)

7. Walking In A Winter Wonderland

8. Silver Bells

9. Hark The Herald Angels Sing

10. O Holy Night

I am still dancing the happy dance over Buddy's good report. Tomorrow we go up to the stable and give everyone a good brushing and going over. I talked with the stable owner this afternoon and she said he isn't sore at all after having his shoes pulled so that is a really good sign too!

We got more snow today and a weather report of a Nor'easter coming to town on Sunday. You can bet your boots that the grocery stores will be mobbed on Saturday. People will be fighting over the last loaf of bread and carton of milk like it was the last time the store would ever be open in their lifetime. The store owners must love a storm as it boosts business tremendously.

I didn't leave the house today, no appointments for once! I love a day like this. It was snowing softly the big fluffy flakes that are so pretty and I had nice music on while I did some more Christmas decorating. I got my Christmas Carolers all out and put in the bay window. I have had some of them for a very long time. I hinted to husband tonight at dinner that I hadn't gotten any new ones for a long time......hint hint......

Yesterday I looked at the flip house that I was interested in. It was the first house that we bought when we were newly married. It was adorable with nice shiny hardwood floors, one and a half baths, three bedrooms, kitchen and living room. The garage was a one and half car size so was just right to build a small beauty shop in the 'half' side so my father and grandfather did it for me. Everything was spit polished as I had lots more energy then I have now! ha! So it was with great anticipation that I drove up the street where we spent the first 10 years of our marriage.

The realtor was waiting in his vehicle when I drove up and there were cars in the drive way. Not a good sign. I don't like looking at houses with the owners present, very uncomfortable. Finally they left and we went in after struggling with the door that was half off it's hinges. We walked into the kitchen and was hit face on with a terrible smell. There was a large garbage can sitting there full of trash and hadn't been taken out into the garage. Yuk! To say this poor little house had been trashed is being kind. It was more then trashed. I felt sick. I had just said to the realtor that I had no emotional ties to this house, it just looked like a good candidate to flip. Boy was I wrong!

As we walked through the rooms it got worse and worse. All the doors were missing off the closets, there were holes punched through the bedroom doors, the tiles were half off the bathroom walls, I opened the shower curtain to check the condition of the tub and it was almost black with grime! Everything was filthy and unkempt. The windows had plastic over them to keep out the cold, the basement was a mess, the old beauty shop was filled with junk, the garage was filled with stuff one thing being a new snow blower that we figured was worth more then the house in it's present condition!

I kept thinking of our neat, tidy home with Son's room an adorable child's room with his toys neatly placed on shelves and his matching bedspread and curtains. Again I was surprised at my reaction that somehow these people had taken something away from my wonderful memories of this home. In reality this can't happen as I will always remember all the wonderful times there but you all know what I mean.

We crunched some numbers and needless to say this was not a house that could be flipped for any profit. Even the furnace needed to be replaced as it is the original and you can't get parts any more for that model.

I still felt that I WANTED to fix up this house! I wanted to bring it back to life out of its sorry state. I know I can't but I really wanted to to get it back to it's adorableness, clean and tidy for a newly married young couple to move in to and be thrilled with their first home like we were!

Now this isn't possible unless it goes to auction and I get it at a low price, very low, which isn't likely to happen as larger companies snap them up very quickly but it's fun to think about. First thing to go would be the pumpkiny orangey color that is painted through out with pieces of the blue tape still stuck to the ceiling edges in places! To think they had advertised this house as one that needed 'some cosmetic work'!! Yikes! No I think a house that needs an entire new kitchen, entire new bathroom, new doors, new windows, new furnace, floors redone etc etc is a bit more then 'cosmetic' work!

Anwho, that's my story for the day!