I’m working on a serious New Year’s Eve post, but if you see me in Reader, you HAVE to come to  my site and see the custom header Lorrie at Token Fat Girl did for me! It is awesome!

So why am I not blogging anything substantial?

Nathan’s famous latte. New book from Nathan. Ray LaMontagne.

If every night of 2009 is like the last few nights of 2008, I’ve got a great year coming.

I have spent today preparing for the Christmas dinner I am hosting tomorrow for Nathan’s brother and his wife. It has been a long day of cooking and cleaning after just getting back home last night. I am excited, though, because usually I don’t feel like eating a big dinner after I’ve spent all day in the kitchen. But I did all that tonight! Tomorrow I’ll just come home from work and put everything back in the oven to heat up. That is exciting to me.

I also talked to my brother today. He said my grandfather isn’t doing well. It’s not time to call everyone back home, but that time is quickly approaching. I’m doing better than I expected. I think that’s because I see that my grandmother is doing pretty well herself.

The best part of Christmas was the spontaneous Christmas music that broke out. My grandfather has been a musician all his life. It was so great to see him so happy with my brother and my husband’s versions of Christmas songs.

But tomorrow I am back to work. And I am bitter. The break just wasn’t long enough. This is the first year of my adult life that I haven’t taken off the time between Christmas and New Year’s. But I have to save my time since my employer offers no berevement leave.

Oh, and I still have to tell you all about my meeting with Lorrie! That will come soon. Just keeping you tuning in…

Christmas turned out so much better than I ever expected. I will have stories for you, but I’m exhausted. Here’s just a little taste of Christmas. Nate and his new mandolin, Linford.

Me and my Mommy on Christmas Eve.

My brothers and me at Mamaw and Papaw’s.

Merry Chrismas from Nate and me! (Isn’t that a beautiful vintage necklace? I have the bestest husband EVER!)

I’ve been avoiding the blog for a while. There is no way for you to know this, but this is post #500. I’ve felt like I should have an ephipany or huge weight loss to report in #500. But I don’t. So this is what you get.

It has been a hard winter so far for me and Nathan. Illness, death, and impeding death in the family. And frustrated that I work at a job with such limited time off I had to choose between taking extra time off at Christmas and saving for upcoming berevement leave. I didn’t make my signature truffles. I didn’t even make peppermint bark.

I just don’t feel a lot of Christmas spirit. It would have taken a lot energy to create it. And I just haven’t done it. I’m not scroogy. I want to feel Christmas. And I do, just subdued. I’m hoping that when we get back home-home this afternoon, I’ll feel it more. But I’m afraid I’ll just get sadder.

So what did I do today? I took my cookies out of the freezer to thaw. I shaved. Self-mani and pedi. Cleaned up the eyebrows. Fixed the hair. Did all I can to feel good today.

We’ll be getting on the road as soon as UPS gets here with Nathan’s Christmas gift. He got me beautiful jewelry that you’ll see in upcoming pictures.

So Merry Christmas to you all. I wish you all happiness and joy with your families.

And this was in our local paper and Nathan emailed it to me. I loved it. And wanted to share it with you.

‘Tis the day before Christmas Eve, and someone somewhere is reading or watching the epiphany of Ebenezer Scrooge.

It’s said that Charles Dickens invented Christmas as we know it when he created the bitter skinflint who, shaken by supernatural visitors, is transformed into a free-spending lavisher of gifts and glad tidings.

Everyone from Lionel Barrymore to Mr. Magoo has played Scrooge as he rediscovers the joy of giving.

But, in this season of slumping 401(k)s, upside-down mortgages and lowered expectations, Scrooge’s example of finding bliss by tossing around wads of cash may not be working so well.

We, therefore, humbly offer an anti-Scrooge: Bob Cratchit.

This is the year to take a cue from Scrooge’s overworked, underpaid clerk, who:

■ Was grateful just to have a job, any job.

■ Didn’t need money, stuff or status to be happy.

■ Lived grudge free, even defending his miserable employer against Mrs. Cratchit’s reasonable resentments.

■ Found pleasure simply in the company of his family and imbued his children with the same outlook.

(And, remember, the Cratchits had no health insurance and a family member who had a pre-existing medical condition.)

So, in this special season, may we all be filled with the easily satisfied spirit of Bob Cratchit, who didn’t carry any plastic.

And, oh yeah, God bless us, every one.

A few entries ago, I talked about how I was controlling my physical space. I still have trouble with my eating, and I’m not doing anything that resembles exercise, but I am still keeping my house – and pretty much my car – straight. Like tonight, for example.

We went grocery shopping, I made 4 batches of cookies. And then? I cleaned the kitchen. Immediately. Before I even packed them into the freezer. Loaded the dishwasher, hand-washed what wouldn’t fit, cleaned the counters. Done.

I just realized this picture leaves several questions to be answered.

So why does someone concerned about her weight make cookies? I love my family. I bake at Christmas.

What kind of cookies are these? Left to right: Andes Chip Cookies, Cranberry White Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Butter cookies.

How do I keep from eating them all? Nathan and I split one from each batch. And I had a spare butter cookie. The rest went in the freezer immediately after they were cooled. There are no cookies visible to haunt me.

What is that heart in the background? When I was a very little kid, my grandfater gave me that as a valentine. It says, “Krissie Ann ~ Be my valentine. Love you, PapPaw.” It sat on top of my parents’ microwave for years and then I stole what was mine a few years ago. I love having it in my kitchen so I see it every day. He died 6 years ago from Alzheimer’s. Right now, it also reminds me that life will go on after I say goodbye to my other grandfather who is in the final stages of cancer. I will get through the pain – I’ve done it before.

Don’t you love how an innocent conversation about cookies turns to death?

But I digress…

Meet us at 8 at Fat Bridesmaid’s place for the chat about the Biggest Loser Finale! Down with Brown!

Fat Bridesmaid came to see us yesterday! We had such a great time!

We started our evening at the Spaghetti Factory. We got to eat inside the trolley car! Dinner, and conversation of course, were wonderful.

We then headed a few block away for Over the Rhine. Such a great show. Great venue. Great performance. Great crowd of drunk ladies in the front providing reliable spirit fingers.

Somehow I missed taking a picture of us. I was too focused on trying to make sure Nathan found his way home. But, just like we used to see on Unsolved Mysteries, here is an artist’s rendition (I am the artist, by the way.)

We then embarked on the hour drive back to our house. FB and I chatted and chatted and we were home so quickly! She gave me the best smelling candle – my bedroom smells like a spa!- and we called it a night.

This morning, Kent came over and we had pumpkin pancakes. Yummm.

Here we all are enjoying breakfast.

Then FB had to go home. Sad face.

Nathan and I have just bummed around the house. I made sausage balls. We’re getting ready to go for sushi with Kent. It has been so nice to not have things to do. I love Saturdays.

And friends!

I’m spending my Tuesday night chatting with Fat Bridesmaid and friends about Biggest Loser! Come see us!

Not a lot new today. Work is blah. I’m a tattletail. I’m okay with that.

The highlights of today?

• I love our Christmas tree.
• Nathan’s amazing espresso skills.
• The newest Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine. All the recipes look so good!
• Straight hair!

Today has been wonderful. Why?

• I’ve lost weight since the last time I weighed. Not gonna tell you how much or how long ’cause I don’t wanna jinx myself.
• I had absolutely nothing to do today. I didn’t even leave the house.
• I got all the laundry put away, the bathrooms clean, and the kitchen spick and span!
• Minestrone for lunch. Yummy.
• 100 best songs of 1990s on VH1. Awesome.
• One of my bestest friends called to tell me she’s gonna have a baby!
• Nathan put up our exterior Christmas lights.
• I made plans to meet up with Token Fat Girl over Christmas vacation.
• I get to see Fat Bridesmaid this weekend!

And tomorrow = work. And I’m almost okay with it.

You know, I look back at 2008 and can get a little discouraged. I mean, I started the year with such an awesome weight loss the month of January. I had such hope for my new job. I had plans to lose weight, try new recipes, and be a runner by 2009.

Although I can’t say I did those things very well, I did meet a big goal that I decided upon within the first month of 2008.

I grew out my hair.

My hair used to be short. Very short. And I think I rocked it. (This is the spring of 2007, I think.)

The growing out process has been long and awkward and not always cute. A few months into the grow-out with a certain Phat Girl!

And then a few months later with Fat Bridesmaid…

Then me and my bestest cousin a few months later…

And last week at Thanksgiving! I cropped me and Nathan out of a big picture, so it’s kinda fuzzy.

I’m really glad I stuck it out through the tough stages! It’s almost long enough for a ponytail!

So what have you accomplished this year that you’re proud of?