FINISHING FRIDAY

[blessedw2]

kitchen routine for morning is done. I am pushing off what I need to do.
Next front room home blessing.

[Harmony]

Thank you Norma. I know I'm not alone.

Clean up around our community is all over the news from the debris from yesterday's winds. Got a dark grey sky in one direction overhead. I just saw they closed the Sunshine Skyway bridge because of the winds. I'm glad we won't be traveling that way Monday.

Not looking forward to that trip Monday.

Sewed until 4:30 AM. Slept till 9:30. Sewed the rest of the morning. I'm getting there.

Have to make a trip out now. Getting my hair trimmed. Stop at 2 stores.

Still to do before Monday late morning: wrap all the gifts and pack them up. Finish the sewing, couple hours tops. Clean up this wreck of a house. Clean out the car. Dirt in there from the plant that tipped. Need to figure that out for the trip. Plastic around the bottom I guess. Need to wipe the inside of the car. Will need to top off the gas. Look at directions (hope we don't get lost, or get into huge traffic jams - going right past Disney). Pack. Bake cookies. Not rolling them out, just drop. EGADS!

Here I go.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm afraid to list all I have to do!

My sister called and talked for a while. I picked up the mail. I refilled the vitamin dispenser for me (dh does his now, which is probably bad since I no longer remember what he takes - I barely remember what I take!)

I put my friends baking in the freezer (or at least some of it, I've eaten a lot.) Dd is trying to get everything that people bring for her or dgs into the freezer immediately. Sometimes dgs sees it so she keeps some out. She's trying hard to limit things to 2 - 3 cookies a week but that's no longer possible.

On Tuesday while I was buying his crepe, he pointed out they sold cookies too! I said, "that's right. But cookies are a treat at home and M only eats cookies he's baked with mommy." When I told dd, she said she's had to relax the 'only things he's baked with mom' because so much has come over, including beautifully frosted cookies by the little girl next door.

Having said all that, baking is on my to-do list today. I want to bake lemon squares for dd so I can take over 2 tomorrow (one for each of us to have with a cup of tea.) And maybe a few for her freezer for after the baby is born. Dh and I are over there tomorrow to babysit and help with new baby and Christmas prep.

Oh, and I need to make sugar cookies to test out the specialty pan I'm giving to dd (I bought us each one.)

[DeeClutter]

All that Norma said, Amen Harmony. My husband is one not wanting to retire either but he's been forced to slow down. Not sure what spring will hold when he gets back to the campground. I'm having my 'wonderings' about it all. Only know he said to his dboss a couple of weeks ago, "I'm ready to get back to work" and the last words dboss said, "We'll talk later". Not sure what that means but have my fears.

We went to Auburndale today and I mailed all our cards. Had one card here that needed a gift card. Bought that while we were out & got it out before the mailman came. Also bought more cards. Was watching for the mailman as I did the final 9 and somehow missed him going by. All of a sudden there he was, heading back by us. Mail was here so missed him somehow. Had a lovely card with a beautiful signature from NC! Nice! Bought more stuffed bears for the Teddy Bear Toss at the Orlando hockey game tonight. Sure they won't even come close to Hershey Bears (PA) toss. They set a new world record for a Teddy Bear Toss of 34,795! Took them 45 minutes to clear them off the ice. They all go to charities which includes several to first responders to give out on some of their emergencies.

Dsonil had forgotten he was supposed to ride with us up to dd's school so he can bring their car back. Otherwise we would have to leave one vehicle at school and go pick it up tomorrow. Neither dh nor I wanted to drive ours home that late at night. It was 11:45 before they got home from last night's game. I have a niggly feeling that dh may have stopped on the way home and bought me a DVD player because he asked me if I'd ordered one. Told him no, because I did order one to give him. I'm betting we'll be giving each other one for Christmas.

[Nancy]

I am back from the store got the turkey decision is made for meals this next week. Got Rx refills also.Got yarn for prayer shawl projects.
Walked the dog.
Made a smaller crochet flag for the dog to use as an alert.

[Twins' Mom]

I got dressed, walked dog and finally got out of the house. Dropped off corrugated for recycle and books at library. I still have another bag of books but will take them another time, I can only carry two bags at a time. Got groceries, then went to a little gift shop place with beautiful things and got a gift for dfriend whom we will see on Christmas Eve, and a gift for her dd because we'll be at dd's house. Also into toy store and a dinosaur puzzle for the dd's son. And home again.

I'm having a quick lunch, then need to start dinner in crock pot - creamy chicken wild rice soup - and I'll make challah.

I think our rain has stopped but it's very windy

----------------

Didn't post this before starting soup in crockpot and challah in breadmaker. That is done, and I need to finish with clean up, but I've been on the phone with dd. She chats, chats and chats some more.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dee: I have no problem with husbands working until they want to quit. In my case, I can quit at any time, cease to get a salary, hire a bookkeeper and do whatever I want. Dh will have to do more paid work in order to cover the increased costs but he can still work. In fact, that is the plan if I can't work on the books due to the concussion. He accepts that I can't work but he'll hire someone to replace me.

In your case, you are free to travel and, in fact, do so, spending long periods of time away from your dh. I know you don't always like that, but at least you are not forced to be at your dh's side through all the final pumpouts and winterizations, handing him tools, fetching things, and doing all the billing, keeping books and filing government forms. You might help out your dh from time to time, but you are not his work slave.

So we are both free to work as much or little as we want with our dh's.

Harmony does not have that choice. Hence my harsh choice of words to describe her position and how she is being treated.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I've made:

32 lemon squares
16 pieces of short bread
4 dozen sugar cookies (2 doz in my new mold/pan, not sure if I like it.)

Some of the cookies were too small so are too brown despite lower temperature.

Everything is cleaned up except the dishes need to be dried.

Dinner is planned.

For me (my latitude/longitude) winter solstice is in 31 minutes. From that point onwards, the days becomes longer. About time. We had 8 hours and 43 minutes of daylight today.

[Sunny]

Hello! Well, this is the first day of winter here in North America. The weather here in Florida is much different than it was yesterday. There are still some clouds, but lots of sun. We slept through the gusty rain overnight, but it is still very windy.

My dh worked as a shipper for an electronics manufacturer. He was laid off due to his company shuffling jobs around. He was 70 years old and had worked from the age of 15. He would have continued to work another year or two, but was happy enough to be home. Working for a company vs being self-employed is very different.

"Finishing" is such a nice word. I am finished with decorating the living room and dining room. The dining room table is now visible; I have dealt with the pile of papers and mail and put our Christmas place mats out. I did decide to put the little tree on the buffet. Nice to have that all done. I still have a few cards to address.

Next on the list for now is to get supper on the table; must look in the freezer. Speaking of supper...Minnie just put her chin on my knee and is looking at me with hungry, pleading eyes and wagging tail.

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! I just sent off some paperwork and posted report modifications. I got the call that one of DD16's gifts is ready for pickup. I have already told her that one gift will arrive the day after Christmas. That will complete her birthstone dragon collection, what on earth am I to give her on her birthday? I need to find out if she wants amusement park season tickets again this year. We only broke even this year, but that is the fault of my surgery. She didn't want to do ANYTHING last night but lay of the sofa watching Hogans Heroes, because she has a cold. Eventually, she did eat the leftover steak and some rice. She wants to spend Sunday with the x because she will have > 1 week with me soon. I gave the ok to that because my "exciting weekend plans" are to fix the guest toilet and clean the house. Whohoo! So much fun.

Today is Ugly Christmas Sweater day and I am assaulting everyone's eyeballs. Tonight is dinner with a friend, then I will try WalMart for postcards. (The pre-stamped ones at the post office won't work because it must go to Germany). It's payday, so bills and budget must be done. I want to clear that credit card YESTERDAY!!! I should wrap gifts for the Christmas party tomorrow. Saturday, foster cat Chelsea will go to her new home and Alfie will take her slot at my house. I will then have all tomcats.

Could LadyMaverick's mom have a fever? That could cause confusion and face flushing.

I am racking (wracking?) my brains trying to remember a scary scene in the original Mary Poppins. Not sure what Kathryn was referring to.

FWIW, my dad didn't retire until he was 81. He would still be there now but for the fact that the company changed hands and he was laid off.