FINISHING UP FRIDAY

[CathyS]

And off to the thrift store they went !! Kathryn my dad left my sister a set of 97 pieces of some horridly ugly set of china that none of us had ever seen before. It wasn't my dad's. It wasn't his second wife's. It wasn't my mom's. My dad must have thought that it was special enough to be listed in his will. My sister hated them on sight. She gave me the entire set. I hated them. Dh hated them. We gave them to a thrift store and the entire set sold for $300.

Starting back in the 90's I started using my good china every day. I left whatever was left of the plates with Mike. I think I have a teapot and the salt and pepper shakers. Hmmm... they don't bring me joy, sitting here thinking about them. I guess they will go to a thrift store as well.

I am actually doing dishes and putting away books. I also realized that the cat has not been sleeping on the huge (king size bed sized) white afghan. It is now in the washer waiting to be washed tomorrow, so I can put it away. Last year she slept on the same afghan every day. This year she isn't interested.

[Dove]

Quick post without cuop. I'm several days behind but noticed that Bittersweet is back & I wanted to say Hello -- Hi Bittersweet! So good to see you!

I like the title for today. There are odds & ends I'm still working on to close out 2016. Better late than never! At least all the Christmas decor is down, including the tree. We always seem to leave that up a few extra days since it is so nice to sit in the living room with just the tree lights on. We have our coffee table up in the attic (to make more room for the tree) & as soon as dh gets home I'd like to bring that down & be completely done with getting the house back in order.

Clothes hamper was overflowing so I'm washing clothes today instead of waiting until my usual Monday washday. We had repairmen here several times this week but all is in working order now. My only resolution for the new year is to focus on working in my Zones every week. There is lots of clutter hiding in closets, cupboards & drawers, & the attic -- well, it's pretty bad. This first week is Living Room, Guest Room & Hall Closet. Since the living room is undecorated & I'm not expecting any more overnight guests, today & tomorrow I'll work in the hall closet. I have a shoe organizer hanging over the door crammed with scarves, gloves, hats & misc, so I'll start there. Time to empty that completely & see what I really use & what can go.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

[Harmony]

Hi! I was up very late late and checked in here before finally getting to bed.

Well, I've been working on taking down the decorations. Got up and DH had ran a damp mop on hallway and kitchen and he blew off the porches. Great to have some help.

Everything's sitting around in piles and boxes stacked up so more of a mess than before. Will get back to all that shortly. Had to stop to get a map and directions for DH who was trying to figure out how to get his truck up in back of a property where he will be working.

Stopped to copy forms and send to 3 people. Town office has made a new form which makes permitting even a longer and more complicated process. I picture people sitting around in a conference room discussing how to annoy us more.

It's a bit chilly today. Supposed to rain this weekend, ruined our plans.

I have 2 "good" sets of china. 1 was DMom's which I added to from thrift shop when I saw them... and 1 was two boxed sets of Christmas china, neither set is expensive antique china, but both are pretty and I use them when people are here. I did buy a set of clear salad plates to go with either. My Mom's is not dishwasher safe but my Christmas set is.

This new generation does not entertain the way we used to. It's my experience that they don't really enjoy it when WE do because it's more work when they're helping. They'll spend all day on their phones but heaven forbid they should stand and wash a sinkful of dishes.

Ok, back to my decorations.

[Nancy]

Sigh men! So last nite I tell h I am going to do my regular routine at 8 a.m. cleaning vacuuming etc. so at 7 thirty he is up the sits in the living rm. so
I get out the vacuum his office then proceed to put vacuum in lr and clear stuff out so I can do this room next. So instead of asking what he can do to help he He picks up a side table puts it where I want to vacuum next and grabs the other side table loaded w pens etc. Ack! in my minds eye I see em scattered on the floor to have to pick dog chewing up a perment marker - up so I say stop you are messing w my routine! The way to help is put the dog out and go down stairs sigh. Oh brother. after he high tails it to the cave basement I step on the dogs paw who obvioysly did not get let out.

Next up is sweeping the steps to the basement. Done!
Now I remember why I like to clean alone.

Hens are out in the run now.
S2s x
Laundry is going.

[Ramblinrose]

I just posted in J&C. I am in the ER with Norma.

[Twins' Mom]

I set out some sandwiches and drinks in the virtual waiting room over in J&C.

I've started to post several times and each time got distracted and decided to start over. Dcleaning lady was here and did her magic, I went to drugstore to p/u scripts and went by the post office to mail a (very late) gift card to our newspaper delivery person. I decided not to go out otherwise today - I took some steak out of freezer and will start challah for our Shabbat dinner, hopefully with snow coming down outside.

Gonna start the challah and may be nap?

[Elizabeth]

Good morning! I am in late because we had a snow delay, schools are out completely. I dealt with the daily load failure and set the data cube to building, then came here. By the time I had CUOPed in J&C and returned here, I find out from Ramblinrose I need to revisit. Praying for all dealing with hospitals and that no one else joins them!

I no longer need to make the DPC to the pharmacy company. The meds arrived yesterday despite dire warnings that they would not and I needed to contact my doctor. (The doctor who prescribed them is no longer in the practice, but set everything up before he left). I got a call that my Sunday schedule has become a lot more complicated. I have training at church after service. DD14 is also with me. What we do depends on her homework situation, I may take her back to the house and return for training.

Thank goodness today is payday!!! Tonight's highest priorities are: groceries, letter, and email catchup. Also some bills and budgeting. I should bring in the cat crates for tomorrow and block laundry room access so I can actually get Stratton. One of my fosters may end up being the star of the year and the ambassador. This should be ok. I need a haircut, but WHEN??? I need new bedding and bathroom rugs, but when and HOW?

Kathryn: What are nappies in context of fine china? Obviously, you were not referring to diapers. I recommend your heirs sell the china to someplace like Replacements Ltd. They can connect it to people who really want the pieces. It is much easier for people who are searching to find it there than random chance at thrift stores.

[LadyMaverick]

I have been busy all day but haven't accomplished much.

It took me over two hours to put together meatloaf and get them into the oven. I am using 6 lbs of meat to make meatloaves for tomorrow's family gathering. Assembling the meatloaf ingredients should have only taken me 10-15 minutes but the phone kept ringing. Three short phone calls from DFriends, a 15-minute call from DMom and over an hour phone call from DDIL. Plus receiving 18 txts from DFriends.

We haven't started school yet today!! Ack! There have been too many distractions this morning. DS8 has enjoyed playing in the snow for over an hour. Telling myself this is the good part of homeschooling. Adjust. Adjust. Adjust. But eventually, we have to block everything out and get down to business.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Elizabeth: fruit nappies are little glass bowls that hold about a cup of fruit/ice cream. So not big like a soup or cereal bowl.

While double checking that this isn't something that just my family calls them, I came across this blog post:

According to Merriam Webster, nappy means foaming. It also means diaper. It also means kinky, and rimless shallow open serving dish. Put them all together, and we can get a general idea that a fruit nappy is this rabid, diaper-wearing serving dish with a fetish for throwing fruit at your dinner guests. Miss Manners wouldn't approve, I'm sure, but Martha Stewart says it virtually guarantees dinnertime conversation will be much more animated.

You can buy a dinner nappy on eBay, if you're so inclined. This one's description reads, "These elegant glass nappies could be used for fruit, dessert or sauce dishes." And then, they add cryptically, "They could be used for many things." For example, you could one as a cheap home security system by filling it with ball bearings and train it to dump them everywhere if a burglar breaks into your home. Worn upside-down, a fruit nappy makes a stylish hat. Hundreds of other uses! No home should be without one.

From: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a ... _id=003zcV

(the joy of google!)

I'm in my dressing gown. I'm debating having lunch before getting dressed. Less chance I mess up my top before going to the party. Today, at 5 is NF10's birthday party. We are having cake and learning Arabic Dancing. Just the women on the committee are invited. The men are going out for hamburgers at a halal restaurant because hamburgs are NFD's favourite food.

[DeeClutter]

Guess where you are it is cold, Kathryn! Our friends from that city had a lovely experience yesterday I think. Son went to the garage for something and the daughter started hearing explosions. She went to check and the son was covered in exploding soda. Evidently too cold even in the garage.