Merry Christmas! Sup?

Merry Christmas, ya'll.
Have you opened all your gifts? Have you had your Christmas breakfast? Are you remembering Christ during this season? Are you gearing up for Christmas dinner?
You know, we never had a big dinner at Christmas til we moved here. When the kids were little we were just happy to watch them play with all their gifts and relax after cleaning up the wrapping and everything. After the kids were gone, my DH and I would go out for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Our DIL always did a big Christmas dinner when she was a kid and after she married. So when we moved down here we started doing the huge meal here. I do love to cook, so it's OK with me.
My DH and I never get each other anything. We give the kids and grandkids their stuff early, in an envelope. Not sure when they open them. So now our Christmas is more about eating than gifts!
Have a fantabulous Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all  you  folk from our house also! 
We are just finishing breakfast  and getting ready  to head to church with Steves brother and family.  We celebrate Christs birth in our familys  dos.   dont know what else the day will bring  though sil will have a big dinner'   We only give gifts to  below 18 in our extended familys  Steve and I are exchanging our gifts new years day after steve gets another paycheck!   
Heres hoping for a love filled day for all and a peaceful one for those who wi****  
As always prayers going up from our house for all friends here

Merry Christmas Everyone,

It's just 5:30 here. Looks like Santa came and ate his cookies and juice that the girls left out. He left lots of goodies in stockings and unwrapped presents under the tree. Kristin and Nate took the twins out to look at Christmas lights last night giving us all a much needed break.

Erin's family has been here since last Saturday. My house is closing in.  There is a lot of room but it seems like everyone and all of their stuff ends up in our main living area. Add all of the Christmas decorated stuff and it is a bit claustrophobic. But, tomorrow Erin's family heads home and on Tuesday Nate, Kristin, and new puppy, Ellie, return to their house.

I know I'll miss them as soon as they leave, but a week is a long time to have 7 extra humans and two extra mutts especially when it's too cold to do much of anything outside.

The new year is coming! The days will gradually get longer and I have a trip to Kauai in early February to look forward to. Looking forward to starting up at the gym again. I want to try a stretching class and even perhaps a "senior" yoga class if I can find one that I am able to participate in. What DO I do with all of my free time when I don't have a houseful? I sure must waste a lot of it!

Sending my best wishes to you all. The "hoopla" will soon be over for another year and we can get back to the regular stuff which right now is sounding pretty good. I always start the holiday season saying it's not going to be about piles of "stuff" and yet that's what it turns into every year. I feel bad daily passing the people on the corner by Walmart who are holding signs saying "Please help", "Out of work", "Veteran without home". The other day a lady sitting on a walker with a boy about 10 was standing there. I feel so heartless not emptying my purse each time I pass. I wish I knew their story and could provide the help that they really need which isn't a handout but a handup. I know there are social services that provide beds, food, clothing, etc. But then I think of how hard it must be to stand there having thousands of cars a day pass you by.

I give to organizations that I know provide food, clothing and other assistance. Alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes are not high priority items for me to help people buy. If someone offered these people a job would they take it? I think about how much room we have, but do not dare offer a person a temporary home. But I do feel bad and guilty that I am so blessed. Enough. How did I get on this tangent?

Sending holiday good wishes and the hope that a new year brings. Fresh starts, new jobs, a new chance to get off that last 10, 20, 30 pounds or more. The joy of watching a newly "restructured" friend here on this forum revel in the weight loss and renewed physical health that has been denied them so long. Giving and getting support when and where we need it. That is what we do so well on this forum. Through the years people come and go, some returning, some moving on just living life. Still this forum continues almost taking on a life of its own, but always here for those who need it!

Karen, I know what you mean about the guilt for having when so many seem to have not.  I have never considered myself well-off, but my husband and I do well and I we both work professional jobs and have huge benefit packages and then I spend a fortune on all of our grandkids.  Yesterday, we took our granddaughter to the mall to buy some last minute things for my daughter and me, and we took her to see Santa.  On our way from the mall, there was a woman, a man, and two small children and they were holding signs that said, broke down, need help.  I called my friend who runs a homeless shelter and told her to please come and help them.  I turned around and picked them up and took them to shake and steak and we all ate some burgers while we waited on my friend to come.  She finally got there and had managed to get them a room for the next week in one of the hotels.  I gave them some money, and she had told me she would make sure they had a tree, gifts, and a big dinner.  My granddaughter said, how will Santa find them…my husband said, Santa found them by sending us by and telling us to get them in a warm place.  So, when I got up this morning, I called my friend and she said, girl, you will not believe how much stuff that family has recieved from the community.  A local car place is repairing their car, they did get toys and stuff, and someone bought them a prepaid cellphone so they can call family.  My friend gave me the cell phone number and I called them to wish them a merry christmas and the woman said, thank you so much.  We stood in the same place for over an hour and no one stopped, then here you came.  I said, well if you had not had the kids with you, I probably would not have stopped.  Anyway, long story short, we rarely have homeless people roaming around our town, so when we see them, it's usually cause someone broke down or a woman has left a bad situation.  Karen, it is so hard to know what to do and there are a lot of folks who scam people and you never know.  But, I'm like you; I feel so much guilt when I see it, and when my grandbabies are with me, I am forced to act in a way that will teach them that human compassion administered carefully can be a good thing…but I was quick to tell my granddaughter that she is never, ever to stop and help someone…but she can call me or her mom and we will know what to do.  Lesson number one for our granddaughter--not all people are what they appear to be.  Merry Christmas my dear friend.  

KAREN
                  DONT FEEL BAD ABOUT.THAT YOU CAN NOT HELP.HERE DO AT THIS WAL MART.THEY DO THE SAME THING/WE HAVE TRY BUY FOOD FOR THEM ONE DAY LIKE BREAD,SANDWICH MEAT.PEANUT BUTTER.AND THEY WOULD NOT EXCEPT IT/THEY WANTED MONEY/IT MAKES YOU WONDER IF THEY WOULD SOMETHING MORE THAN FOOD.I TOLD THEM THE CHURCH I GO TO JUST 2 BLOCKS UP GIVES OUT FOOD ON MONDAY AND THURDAYS.SO WHAT TO DO.YOU DONE YOUR JOB.ITS LEFT UP TO THEM TO MAKE THAT MOVE.

MARYLYN

 Good Morning OFF Family,
My Christmas celebration is tomorrow.  My kids are at their Dad's today.  Colleen asked me to give her an entire day there, and then one with me.  We were at my Sister's last night and had a good visit.  

This morning I took a friend to an early AA meeting.  Now, I am getting ready to make stuffed cabbage for tomorrow.  I will fill the crockpot and cook it tomorrow.  I just have to wait for the pot to finish in the dishwasher.

Later, I am heading to my sister's for a quiet dinner with Mom and her, if that is possible, because nothing is usually quiet with Mom.  She is always very loud and argumentative.

Then, I will go to another AA meeting.

Merry Christmas.

Hugs,
Trish

Merry Christmas everyone.  

Last night, we had our daughter and her family over to eat and open gifts.  Today, we will go down to her house.   Jan 2, our son and his boys will come over and then we are finished for another year.  Yeah!!!. I'm like Karen, I hate for this to be about piles of gifts, but every year that is what it  becomes.  Next year, I'm taking all of my older grands to a soup kitchen and we are going to spend some quality time with people who are less fortunate.  

I am so happy that sweets make me sick.  Tried to eat a cookie and got it all down, and thought, okay, that went well.  Ten minutes later, I was on my knees in the bathroom praying to the porceline throne.  Let me tell you, no more.  I should know better but I thought, one little cookie…argh.  

Hi Caroline and my OFF family:

It's a gloomy and gray and wet day in Louisiana. But it's bright in my world ... it's my last day at work at the Monroe Content Production Center ... couldn't be brighter. Talked to my cat rescue lady, Patricia, and we are going to get together tomorrow for lunch, then I'm going to take her shopping (I need to get cat food anyway), then we're going to come back here and watch movies and pack (she offered).

Just got done talking to my brother Gary and my mom on Skype. They had a nice time at my cousin Kathy's house last night, reminscing about Christmas Eves past at my Grandma Delort's house. Made me laugh thinking about some of those old times ... bubble lights on the tree, "Grandma mints" (the wrapped peppermint candies ... she always had them, and to this day I refer to them as Grandma mints).

I bought myself a pair of silver fleur de lis earrings yesterday, part of my mom's Christmas present (she sent money). So she asked me today what I did with the money, and I told her ... she look disapprovingly. Oh well, it was what I wanted.

Anyway, work later. We're having a pot luck at work; then home again and lots of packing. Have a good day and Merry Christmas everyone.

Merry Christmas again, my dear, dear OFF friends!
I had just finished my cocoa and some Fox and friends when our son, DIL and younger grandson came by. I had a few seconds of thinking, man I hope they aren't here for breakfast. But of course! They brought us gifts that we told them NOT to!! They got us one of those waffle irons that spins around, among other things. My DIL said I want some waffles, I started to hand it back and said "let me know how they tasted". Well, no. And it IS Sunday. So waffles and BLTs! My DIL did offer to help with dinner prep, but she knows my kitchen is too small and my OCD doesn't allow me to give up any control. Soooooo, they all took a nap. I peeled 20 granny smiths for 2 pies. At Thanksgiving the one guy almost ate an entire apple pie by himself! And he has asked our son TWICE if he is sure I am making apple pie. So in the top crust of one pie I carved TIM!. I also started the gravy thawing and heating, put together the mushrooms and sausage roll ups to cook later for apps (another thing Tim wanted to be sure I was making), cooked but didn't stuff the creme puffs, put snack mixes in little bowls, got out all the cookies and bars out of the freezer. Ran the dishwasher twice, and unloaded same.
Then, everyone woke up and went home to cook the ham. I swept and mopped the floors, took my shower and had a 2 hour break. Soon I will begin cutting up fruit for the fruit salad. Dinner at 3!!!
I know how you feel about helping those in need! Also, the fear that some folks are scammer. When my DH and I used to travel across the country pulling a fifth wheel, you used to be able to sleep at rest areas. We would stop about 5 every evening. In almost every rest area would be a family with the hood up on their car or truck, signs saying they were broke and stranded, please help. Many gave them money. Then at dusk, they would put down their hood, pile in their vehicle and drive away! I ALWAYS put money in the red Salvation Army kettle. I know that just a fraction of the money they get goes to administrative costs. A huge portion goes to actually helping people!
BUT we have to have faith in our fellow man!
Everyone enjoy their holiday!

Good afternoon Carolyn and everyone....

MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!!!

I of course was the first person Grace came to this morning. She is so used to her mom not being here...another story!!
Grace was giggling and so excited!!! She said, "Come on Nana...lets go....Santa must have been here by now...I slept good just like you said I should." I made her go in to get her mom up before we headed down stairs. Nic wasn't in his room. We found him sound asleep on the couch still in his clothes from yesterday....he must have been really tired!! Grace said, "WOW ..... Nic didn't even hear SANTA" !! He told Grace he was sure he heard noise on the roof. He was just too tired to get up. Grace said "Nic it must have been Santa and Rudolph". Her eyes were HUGE!!! Little ones are so fun to watch at Christmas.
Our Christmas was very nice. To tell the truth it was much better then I thought it might be. I prayed hard for that!
Grace went with her Dad about 11:30. Nic will join them for dinner tonight. Jamie went over to take dinner to a couple friends who are working today. I am going to relax and watch movies and enjoy this beautiful day. I never did get to yesterday as I had Grace most of the afternoon...another long story!!!

Wishing you all a wonderful day. Prayers for many in need.

Love and hugs to all....connie d