Christmas Eve - what's up?
Good mornin', ya'll.
It's a cold crisp morning here. I have nowhere to be and nuttin' to do. Hooray!
Everyone relax and enjoy this holiday. Christmas should be held in our heart, whether we are away from family and friends, if we have no money, if we have no job. Have FAITH!!
Have a fantabulous CHRISTMAS!!
Grammylew in Jax
Morning all. Merry Christmas to all.Feeling OK, but missing my kids and Gkids so. Missing many friends. Glad I can send you happy wishes.
Bright and sunny here. Campground is busy. Golf cart parade and carol sing tonight.
Sober 51. Forgot that post office will be closed today, Emma's gift got there, but cards for our adult kids not arrived yet.
Hugs to all, love, and thanks for being there for ME.
Monica
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Good Morning Everyone,
Have to remember to be careful what one wishes for. I wished for my daughter and her family to arrive safely. They picked Tuesday to travel and arrived about dinner time. Erin called about 10 minutes from our house with a request to meet them in the driveway with towels. Hannah had just tossed her cookies and they weren't stopping.
It got worse from there. Erin thought perhaps the chocolate milk treat they had bought about 2 hours away was bad. . . . Lasted about 12 hours with both twins sick. Thought we were through that.
Erin and Josh went out to dinner last night and stopped at a friend's Christmas party. Erin started feeling bad and they came home at 10pm. . . She's been up most of the night with the garbage can at her side. Mike was just up and says his stomach is acting up too.
Oh, joy. The house is full of food, and no one will feel like consuming it! Was going to make homemade stromboli for dinner tonight. Already have the Rhodes bread thawed to make the crust. . . Well, shoot, guess I'll laugh. Sometimes you just have to don't you?
We did have a great day yesterday. Mike and I took the twins out to the local mall; not to shop but to play in the little play area. We still have snow on the ground. Went out to lunch and back home to make a big snowman in the front yard. Snow is starting to melt but it packed great. Everyone got in on it and we have some great pictures. Our snow lady looks like she has a bustle in the front and back. I'll be surprised if she survives the day as she was a bit tipsy already!
Had planned to take everyone to a friend's tonight but with the flu going around we'll probably lay low.
Went to get my "minor medical proceedure" taken care of by my PCP. She examined and then referred me to a new OBGYN. My doctor of 25 years died a couple of years ago and I had stalled getting a new one. Well, the economy in our area has not suffered like the rest of the country and it seems that the referred doctor isn't taking new patients. Ok, what now? The doctor doesn't think the cyst in a sensitive area is "dangerous" but it needs to be taken care of.
Had a cortisone shot in my foot that is prone to a neuroma about every 6 months. Hurt worse yesterday, but feels a bit better today.
Hope the kids sleep in a bit this morning as I'm tired! We made popcorn and watched "Olive the other reindeer" last night. Cute movie based on a children's book.
January 7th I hop a plane to southern California for a new days visiting a friend. Oh how I know I'll be ready for that trip. Hope the recent rains get moving out of that area. I am needing and expecting sunshine and warm dry weather!
I'll close and make a cup of something hot. Think it will be SF hot chocolate this dark am. But hey it's still quiet and getting close to 7am. Erin is in bed in the spare room. I'll try to let her sleep in. (Geeze, just had a very unsettling thought. . . . it is the flu isn't it?) Please be the flu. . . . . Love these babies but not ready for another one!
Travel safely those of you on the road. Those close to home, thinking of you all. I know the holidays can be tough. I tend to over build them. I don't think all of the commercial hoopla helps any. Everyone gets to thinking that more is better and sometimes it is just that. . .more.
I'm trying to concentrate on the blessings that I have. A bunch of them are under this roof this week! You all have a good one. Get out there and share with someone who doesn't have much. By someone a cup of coffee or a meal at a fast food place you are going through. It will make you feel good too!
Monica, I am so proud of you that I could pop my buttons! Keep stacking up those days!
Maui Karen, Cheryl, Cindy. . . I know you're out there lurking. Stop by and say hi so we know you're still alive. Cindy, did you find out what they think the twins are yet? Besides human I mean? Maui Karen I saw some incredible fares from Bellingham to Maui. . . . Am I ever tempted!!!
Bev, keeping you close to my heart as you go through your treatments. I guess in our world today as we live longer we are bound to have to deal with medical challenges. I watch friends on this forum handle them with determination and grace. My thoughts are with you.
To the rest of you, I'm sending you good wishes not just for the holiday season but throughout the year. You are my support system. You enrich my life in ways that you cannot imagine. Your challenges cause me to reflect on my ways of dealing with life. Your celebrations give me reason to celebrate along with you.
Karen C
I'm about to start crying over an ASPCA commercial ... it's playing "Always on my mind" by Willie Nelson, and showing all these sad little faces of dogs and cats. I'm a sucker for furbabies. I'd have a whole house of kitties if it was up to me (and if someone else could vacuum and scoop out the litter boxes). But oh well, the commercial is over and I'm happy to have Juliette, who greeted me last night after a long night at work with kitty kisses and purring.
It's going to be a long haul the next two weeks ... no holidays for me. Another person is leaving, we'll be lucky if a couple more start (but when they start, we don't have their full services for a while because they can't get their logins right away). I work til Sunday, have Monday off, then work six days (and all on Monroe sports ... yuck!). I'll get my holidays off sometime in January for a long weekend.
Signed the bankruptcy papers yesterday ... not something I wanted to do, but it won't be so bad. $200 a month, so about $100 a paycheck. The condo will be out of my hands, the condo association won't get anything else out of me ... even my mom will get some money.
Well, I have to be into work early today (about 12:30 or 1 p.m.). So I need to get things done. Hope everyone has a good holiday.
I will be taking my mother to Deano's today. She loves eggplant and they have wonderful egglpant parmesan. Of course they also have the best pizza I have ever eaten. The crust is thin and as crispy as a cracker. I don't usually eat pizza but I allow myself this pizza a couple of times a year and today will be one of those times.
Tomorrow is Christmas and I will be taking my mother to my brother's for dinner ( lunch to you non southerners) I have to make sure I have stuff in the apt for supper ( dinner for you non southerners). I will probably just have a sandwich. I have oatmeal, and a couple of sweet potoatoes. I won't starve.
The 26th is my birthday and my kids and grandsons will be here. I made a pot of gumbo last night for when they get here. all I'll have to do is make rice Sunday. I cooked the gumbo and put it in the freezer ( in the pot I cooked it in). This morning I removed the fat. I always take the skin off the chicken and all the visible fat but I like the flavor of sausage and it is fatty. If I put the pot in the freezer the fat solidifies and is easy to remove. I do this with gravy, chili, stews, etc. Makes it easy and healthier.
I finished my shopping weeks ago but find that I keep buying things because I see something I think a particular person would like. That is the best time for me. No stress. I see it I think of someone and I buy it.
Does anyone else find that it is much more fun to give and watch gifts opened than it is to receive them. I am at a time in my life where gifts mean little if anything to me. I told my kids the only thing I want is a yearly calendar with pictures of the family. My daughter has been doing an annual calendar since Charlie my elder grand was born. That is truly the best gift I recieve. My hubby and I usually either take a trip or plan one for early in the year and call it our Christmas gift to each other. Doesn't have to be a big trip. Maybe just a week at our condo in Arkansas where we do nothing but walk trails in the state park and relax in front of the TV. May not even do that this year. It seems so unimportant. I realize that that is because I am truly blessed. With my kids reared, educated, on their own and working, I have no responsibilities to anyone except my mother. I have discresionary funds that allow me not to worry about the future. I thank God for that everyday but especially during the Christmas season.
I hope everyone has a meaninful Christmas.
School's been out about a week but then I plunged right into trying to catch up and get ready for Christmas. I managed to get all my cards out, whew! Now I'm working on cookies. Last night I made two batches with my daughter and hope to get another two done today. Right now I'm roasting a chicken that we'll reheat for dinner. I wanted the oven free this afternoon for cookies, lol.
Between the "Criminal Minds" marathon on TV and the Christmas music playing round the clock on the radio, we're set for entertainment! Have a wonderful day, everyone! Cassie
Merry Christmas Eve everyone!
Last night I took my sleeping pill and when I got up to potty at 2:00 I took a Tylenol pm. Got me through to 7:00. Just what the doctor ordered.....a full night's sleep!
Today Gary and I will work to get the house cleaned up for tomorrow, at least stash the construction materials in the sunroom and pantry so it's all out of sight. There is this hazy white dusting all over the house from the drywall which is quite a mess. We'll get it cleaned up the best we can but we're not putting too much effort into it since the guys will be back Monday to finish up. I just want it a little cleaner for when the kids come tomorrow as they haven't seen any of the project yet. Besides, I need a clean kitchen to cook in!
We're going to evening services and then out to dinner with friends. It will be a very nice evening, I'm sure. I'm just looking forward to some rest, even if it's just for a couple of days.
Made my pre-op appointment for my plastics yesterday. Less than three weeks now!
I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday, no matter what or how you celebrate. And may the New Year bring health and prosperity to all!
With deep love and respect,
Susan
Susan
