Friday Focus

[Nancy]

We've slept in today here.

No family celebrations that I know of in the past we've had finger food favs. that include olives, cream cheese dip, celery, carrots, crackers, fruit etc. cheese dip velveta, salasa, & mayo, Fondu style things is easy enough and a hit here, cold meats like ham or other cold meats for sandwiches you assemble yourself, cheese. For us this morphed from sweet treats to healither more diabetic freiendly foods.

Still to do:
Store run x
Ex.
Make out cards for dgkids
Wrap stuff
Assemble gift basket
Make jello

[OKay]

sliding into chair for a quick break. glass of DDrP and another glass of coffee sitting next to me....YES, two cups of caffeine! It's that kinda day.

I've done the best I can with the time available. Thankfully the family is appreciative of my efforts, even though they are far FAR from perfect.

We ended up having DMIL, DSisiL, DNeice and DGNeice11months old join us for lunch. I had started a batch of hot roll dough as I was cleaning up kitchen after breakfast and had things laid out to fix spaghetti for lunch. When I found out we were having extra people for lunch I added a cheesy-chicken casserole to the menu and we had plenty of food. Everyone raved about the hot rolls and casserole, but they are the quickest and easiest part of the menu to prepare. I find myself wondering why people don't rave about rainbow salad....it takes much more time and effort to cut up all those vegetables.

i haven't bought gifts yet for DH family (that gift exchange is on Sunday) but there was no way I was going to let one child be left out today. So I took a gift that was on-hand (purchased for DGD1) and wrapped it for DGNeice11months.....so everyone had something to open today. I had enough things on hand to fill up another stocking so that was a easily-put-together-at-the-spur-of-the-moment-gift. I'm the first to admit that this is a crazy way to do Christmas celebration....so t-totally unplanned, unorganized and skating though on a prayer.

DH has taken the kids to MPB to put up a sign about fireworks for New Years celebrating. The owner of that business gives us $100 of fireworks for the use of our sign to advertise his business. We give the fireworks to the older DGChildren so they are very eager to help to make sure the sign says the right things.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Had lunch. Started defrosting dinner.

Got email from dh's cousin and that has knocked the wind out of me. The new baby has major brain issues and at this time there are no answers or certainties just waiting to see how much the body rewires things and how delayed she will be.

Dh came with me when I did the groceries which made the dreaded errand much nicer. We also stopped at the church on our way out and tidied it. We have to start the heat on Sunday (and probably shovel again) plus empty the garbage cans after the service, then our month of work will be done. Christmas Eve services are at the other church so we won't have to clean up after those.

Groceries are put away, dh brought the bedding off the line and it is warming in the dryer now and the meat to make the egg rolls has defrosted. Dh hasn't done one of his to-do items yet today. I'll go out and deliver the cards while he works on the egg rolls.

I'm not feeling 100% (or even 80%) at the moment. Can't figure out what's wrong but might have a nap to see if that helps. I'll need one anyway since we'll be up so late tonight.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Okay It sounds like you are doing just fine - you are prepared for each moment as they come up. That's what I was like until Wednesday of this week - I'd do the two cards I needed for the two people I was seeing, and everything else waited. I'm still doing that to a certain degree but am starting to get a bit ahead of myself (for instance, dh's present is wrapped.)

[cathyy]

Twins' mom, those matchbox holders sound lovely!

I am testing my best Chanukah gift from my Sweetie, a Cuisinart electric pressure cooker. In addition to high and low pressures, with a built-in timer that starts when pressure is reached, it has browning, simmer, sauté, and keep warm settings. It switches to keep warm automagically when the pressure cooking is complete. I am making the beef stew I intended to make yesterday. It's smelling delicious! It will be done before sunset, with leftovers enough for tomorrow. I am very happy to see candle lighting time beginning to get later again. 4:44 was simply too early for me!

I had a small Chanukah incident last night. Because the original order I placed for candles disappeared into the ether, I was using birthday candles fattened up with masking tape to fit in the menorah. Last night, when the masking tape started burning, it set off all the smoke detectors in our house! Since they are hard-wired, I couldn't just pull the battery to make the noise stop! Oh, it was loud, and it went on for quite some time. At least three eternities, I'd say. Time really slows down when your ears are ready to start bleeding. I had to run the exhaust fan for hours to clear the smoke. It's surely a good thing my second order of candles arrived today. No more birthday candles!

Now I need to go vacuum, change the bedding, and set the table.

[Twins' Mom]

Finished up here - matchboxes in Hanukkah gift bags with handmade gift tags, a little candy gift for office secretary and custodian (they have already rec'd Christmas bonuses) and wrapped print from biennial for drabbi. All are bagged up to go.

Need to get into the shower. I've enjoyed the creative time today! Cathyv, I may try to post the matchboxes in arts, crafts, needlework tomorrow or later....

[Harmony]

OKay, I think you are doing wonderful!

Kathryn, that is very sad about dbaby.

Working away here. It feels like nothing is getting done. But I guess it is. I'm on my 2nd glass of iced tea, I better stop if I'm to sleep tonight at all.

Cleaned out/tidied bedroom closet so I could get all the wrapping paper & boxes back in. DH stuck his head in when I was just starting and quipped "trashed again!". Thanks, that's helpful! Anyway, I did tidy up my ribbon box which was a mismash of stuff.

Wrapped the 4 fruit cakes in cellophane and tied with ribbons.
Brought ladder in and got little punch glasses up in top cabinet. They've been sitting on counter since last Friday.
Scrubbed both recycle bins and put them outside to dry. I'll pack Christmas presents in them. Checked cooler to see if lasagna pan will fit, it will, so that is scrubbed and drying for tomorrow.
Another paycheck made and christmas bonus given out. That is company chores done till after the holiday.

My body is starting to ache.
Next up: remake bed, fold 2 LOL, pack suitcase, pack car after I pack gifts in bins.

I need a shower bad. I'm hoping I have time to see my colorist and do a pedicure. Crossing fingers.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm starting to track dd's flight. So far, it is showing an on-time departure. But it is still 3 hours until departure so we'll see. They say today is the busiest travel day of the year (for Canada, I think before Thanksgiving is the busiest for the US.)

Dh talked to her this afternoon.

I've got the spare bed made up now. I need to get our drying rack emptied and put away in the other spare room so ds has his room ready.

[BookSaver]

Hello, villagers ~
I've enjoyed reading posts from the past couple of days.

Our status: Last night I met my self-imposed shopping deadline, yay! I still didn't find a couple of ingredients on my grocery shopping list, but the cupboards/refrigerator/freezer are so full that I couldn't fit more in anyway. I will tweak menu plans tonight to reschedule for what we have on hand.

DH helped with the shopping by going to the gourmet popcorn store to pick out a few flavors for DMIL's gift to go with the soup mixes. Then, because apparently no good deed goes unpunished, he was in a little accident.

He says that technically it was his fault because he misjudged which lane the oncoming driver was in and turned into the other's path so that the other driver hit DH's passenger side rear. (Knocked out the tail light, quite a bit of damage to the panel and bumper.) DH turned on his flashers, pulled over as soon as he could (rush hour combined with holiday traffic so he pulled into the first business parking lot he could get to) and got out to walk around and try to find the other driver. No sign of the other vehicle, no sign of police arriving so probably no one else paid any attention to call it in.

I say since the other driver didn't stop, even to verify that DH was ok, then they were probably speeding and maybe had some other reason for not wanting to talk to police.

Luckily DH's car was drivable so he got home ok.

This afternoon we stopped at the local garage for an estimate. If they did all the body work to restore to new, it would cost over $2900. DH says since the car is 12 years old, already has some rust, and the other driver disappeared so our insurance would have to pay it all, he's only willing to pay the minimum necessary to get it back to safe driving. That will cost about the same as our deductible, therefore no point in turning it in to the insurance.

After the holiday rush, I will call the insurance company and have the collision and comprehensive coverage taken off of his car.

We normally drive my car to family gatherings anyway, so no problem there. DH is taking vacation days next week and we're hoping the garage can get the parts for the light and do the repair before DH goes back to work.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Booksaver: I'm glad your dh is fine.

Dh got the egg rolls made but can't make the dip - we don't have horseradish. I had him check to make sure we had ingredients for the egg rolls but not the dip. So that will have to wait until tomorrow (no biggie, not needed until Monday.) Our grocery list for tomorrow is getting longer and longer as he moves around the kitchen.

Dinner was very good. Just bbq steak but it was good.

Dd's plane is now showing a slight delay and it hasn't tried to get off the ground yet. We called ds and updated him on the status and told him the flight number so he can track it on his own.

I'm either going to wrap or nap now.