Petunia rambles on and on….

Damn weather is keeping me guessing, and I’m batting ZERO.

One of the things I bought yesterday while in the grocery store was a large package of stew-beef.  I am a freak about quantity buying for many reasons.  Cost savings is the main one, of course, but I also like having a larger selection of goods here to pick from as the mood strikes me, AND I don’t run out of what I need as often.  (I buy huge commercial rolls of “Saran Wrap”  (plastic film) and keep it on top of the fridge.  I think I’m on either my 4th or 5th roll - over the last 16 years!!!!   Running out of Saran Wrap just doesn’t happen around my house!  I’ve never been much for planning ahead for dinner.   I cook best when I’m hungry, and I cook with the most enthusiasm those things that I’m really in the mood for RIGHT NOW.   Sadly, there’s no prediction as to what that will be!

So…  the stew-beef.  The package was enough to get three big portions, and I thought I’ll make a big crock pot full of beef stew today, and put the other two in the freezer.  But then I realized, yesterday, that it was like 70 degrees out.  (For you Centigrade folks, that means “t-shirt, no sweater or jacket needed” degrees)  Some things are warm weather items.   Hot dogs and hamburgers cooked outdoors, potato salad, fresh locally-grown tomatoes, fried summer squash – these are summer things.   Beef stew is one of the things you enjoy on a cold, winter day.   Is this really a good idea?   But I bought it anyway, because it was beautiful looking meat and the price was good.   I figure that it’ll get cold, soon enough.

First thing this morning, I let the dog outside and the wind whipped the storm door out of my hand, slamming it to the end of it’s safety chain.   The dog’s ears were flapping madly, as she tried to do what she was sent out to do.  The wind knocked her over in mid-squat.  The temperature had dropped to just over freezing during the night, which felt even colder because of the damn wind.  

And I thought,  “Hmmm, good day for stew!”

I was out running errands today, into Best Buy, Boscov’s Department Store, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.

I bought a CD of Barry Manilow songs.  It’s soothing, and I’m gonna enjoy listening to it.

This is the time of year when I’m usually at least thinking about Christmas shopping.  Maybe a few things are bought, maybe it’s all still just thoughts and ideas running free-fall around in my head.  Maybe I’m just sitting on my wide ass leafing through catalogs I’ve received in the mail.   I generally feel a bit ill when I first see holiday decorations all over the mall, especially if I haven’t bought the Hallowe’en candy yet, but the nausea is passing.  Christmas is getting closer.  It’s time.

But this year, it’s going to be different.   Although there’s been many a year that I’ve said similar words, that I needed to cut back, that they didn’t need this much, that I was spending more than I should, more than I could afford, that all the shopping was DRIVING ME CRAZY, none of it has ever translated into Actions.  I’ve remained static, or increased, but I’ve never reduced the spending/shopping yet.   And it gets crazier every year.  Every year, I have less idea what they want or need, and more angst about that, too.  It was easier when my kids were wee folk, underfoot all the time.  I knew all their interests, heard them talking about things they’d like to have, and could look around and see what I’d already bought them.  This has long since NOT been the case!

This year, it’s going to be different.   We’ve already discussed the idea via cell phone and e-mails cc’d to all.  We all agree, for various reasons, that this is the year to seriously curtail the Holiday Spending Frenzy.  We talked about kids/spouses having a name-pull, each one then buying for only one.  Also discussed was buying for all as usual but with a strict dollar limit, the emphasis being on imaginative and/or humorous and/or that perfect gift for that one special person.   We all agreed that we need to get away from the endless buying sprees. 

This year, it’s going to be different, we’ve all decided.    And then, I read in the news today that the Market has done another graceful swan dive, plunging on the news that consumer spending is down for October, the 4th straight month in a row that it’s dropped, and at a rate not seen since late 2001, shortly after the 9/11 tragedy.  Oy!  Another major indicator of financial crisis.   It’s often been said that the Christmas/Holiday spending is the Make/Break point for almost all retailers.  If they don’t have a good holiday season, spending-wise, they are sunk for the year.  They must have lots of black ink now or they’ll never get out of the red. 

The country is on the verge of tanking financially, and it’s all my fault.

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I was recently hit with the news that I’m looking at some ferocious medical costs in the near future, and I’ll get little help from insurance.  When I advised the kids of what was going on, as it must affect my standard holiday budget, my oldest was the first to say Let’s just have a nice dinner together, cause being together is the most important part of Christmas celebrating.

I must have done something right raising these kids.