NEW YEAR'S DAY WHAT'S NEW
It's 9:14 p.m. here in Oregon and we're having a quiet evening at home. We avoid the traffic on holidays as much as possible.
The folks across the street are letting off fireworks. Hopefully, not the airborne kind as we have a flat roof. A couple of years ago, someone was using one of the houses on our street for the weekend and they fired off bottle rockets. There were many jackets to the rockets in our yard and some landed on our roof. We had to pay for a roof inspection to make sure that no holes were burned in our roof. Even though airborne fireworks are prohibited in our state, people still light them. Can't get law enforcement to come out (when it's happening) either. Guess they get too many calls.
Anyway, I digress.
What are you doing on this the first day of 2010?
Cindy P.
I had a wonderful day, Tony came down and played chauffeur for the many little things I needed to run around and do, then it was finish the preparation for the get together at my home that my roommate worked hard cooking for all week and then the gang all arrived. Roxie was absolutely a dream dog, nothing phased her, she was not bothered by the many new people who came and went, she begged some, but as soon as she saw that was not going to be tolerated she settled for some petting and laying around. . . anyway, left for my friend Owen's AA anniversary celebration and then after that we stopped in at a "club party" for a little bit, came home to hang with roommate and Roxie, it's now a new year and I am hopeful, as we all begin with hope and ideals for the new year. . .
I am wishing for the best things in life for each and everyone of you, I hope that those of you dealling with various health issues, personally or with loved ones, that things resolve themselves on a positive note and that you have all the strength you need to get through any rough spots and if your strength is wavering then lean on the strength of your brother and sister OFFr's.
Today I will be doing stuff around the house and relaxing, possibly going to the movies to see "It's Complicated", otherwise I will be just chilling. . .
Hugs, Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Happy New Year, Cindy and the rest of the gang!
I made a big cabbage roll casserole for New Year's eve...just JB and me...and Derek after working all day again...he decided to stay home. I'm still cooking far too much.....does anyone else still do that too? Will I ever learn? Got to make an effort to cut back on my production of meals.
It's cold here but barely freezing....had some rain that melted alot of the snow we've had. So that's the end of the Ice Wine Harvest until the temps drop again...they need at least MINUS 8 degrees celcius for a sustained 48 hours to pick the froxen grapes and press them right in the vineyard...this is an annual "fun harvest"..hard cold work, always at night to keep the grapes frozen, but often with "guest celebrities" and celebrations after. We have a 100 acre vineyard across the road from our house, with chardonnay & reisling grapes, perfect for ice wine. Because these frozen grapes are harvested by hand (work-intense), the cost of icewine is higher than regular wines but the ice wine is soo sweet..a dessert wine...usually from $65-$85 dollars a bottle.
Derek is out somewhere..a friend visiting from Alberta called him for help...he just "smoked a deer" and his pickup truck is badly damaged...I hate to think about the poor deer, but we do live in the country and the deer are all over the place. Derek will help him get his truck off the road since it's steaming badly..the radiator must be destroyed...knowing my son, he will likely do a fast quality repair or a complete radiator replacement in the shop tonight. He has been gone for two hours so far....
On New Year's Eve, I made a commitment at the local Holiday Inn and I will begin my swimming exercising next week....I'm so nervous because Im so self-coinscious about my saggy skin and swollen legs (lymphodema) but I do need the exercise..I hate going out on cold frosty blizzardy mornings! brrr! But this is a gift for myself.
Mother sounds happy/content at her facility..I call her daily but I've been staying home the last few days...I'm still very sore from lifting Mother in and out of the car and I need to let those muscles rest and get better. Besides, I really don't like the cold at all! I'm using EFT and self-hypnosis to ease the intensity and it helps.
We used to follow the Dutch custom (JB is from Amsterdam, Holland) of going to both sets of parents to wish them a Happy New Year but three out of four are now gone. I will go the next day and take some treats and reading material for Mom. We will also call all five of his siblings...and some of my cousins out of town.
One of my "million and a half" cousins from Quebec invited us to a huge family New Year's Party in Quebec but I told them we will come when all the snow is gone *s*. It's just a seven hour trip but they have ALOT of snow...I think 3 feet right now. But their parties are always fun.....fiddle playing, guitars, spoons, washboard playing, singing, lots of home cooking, booze (of course), dancing, sea pie buried and baked under hot coals in the ground, and story telling. aww..I'm there in spirit! *s*
My office is a big objective along with sorting thru all of Mom's boxes.....no pressure...sheesh..promised myself (sadly, in public) that I'd have ot all done by mid-January... someone should have shoved a sock in my mouth!
This coming week, I also have a meeting with another writer who wants illustrations done.....she wasn't happy with her last illustrator's work so she wants to re-publish with new artwork and a new publisher. I'm also still working on my cousin, Michel's, family stories. And it seems that the publisher of the new weekly Niagara Community News wants me to submit more articles for the newspaper...it's more of an artsy-fartsy newspaper so I fit in there well *s*.
And I now have four afghans made for the Chemo dept at the hospitals to keep the patients warm while they have treatment...I sit and crochet them easily..only a single stitch pattern to make them warmer, more sense...and I can do that while sitting watching a bit of TV each evening..and it's so simple that I do it by feel..don't even have to watch what I'm doing. Frankly, I find crocheting very soothing..but don't put me near knitting needles...speaking of which, I swear Mother has about 300 knitting needles! OMG...guess I'd better find some knitting groups to donate them to.
Well, time for my last hot chocolate protien drink tonight and then to bed..late, due to an accidental afternoon nap on the couch while mending Derek's uniform...oops!
Wishing you al,l all the best in the New Year..be safe, be well and be prosperous *hugs*
Nancy B
Ready to go home. Mary wants to clean my office today. Yuck. I hate that job. But, I guess it has to be done.
As soon as I get home I have to sort our medicine for the week. Then get some sleep. Want to get up around noon to watch LSU, but I may get up around half time instead. Will probably watch the Rose Bowl. Not much else.
Play some Wii for sure.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
