Happy Sunday - peaceful Sunday - What do you think your week would look like?

[CathyS]

TA DA!! My hall is all back in place! Books, a few small antiques and some mementos. YAY!!

Plus there is a pork roast in the oven and a fire crackling in the living room.

[Ramblinrose]

Lucylee... totally understand where you're coming from. My only advice is to scale everything down. Thats what I did. I'm not putting all my ornaments on my tree, I am not cooking a turkey for our Cmas night dinner...just chicken breast, 5 cup salad, simple green beans and a sweet potato casserole. I don't buy many presents and wrap as I go. I've cut way down on decorating my house.

I think the media wants us to by into all that fancy stuff ...beautifully decorated tree and house with fancy packages under the tree. I don't need that stress and I doubt anyone will notice the difference but me and except for several bows I need to place on a few things, I'm done. I have a wreath on my door and I'm calling it quits.

There was a time when Martha Stewart would be quite impressed with all my holiday presentations, but you know what, I started resenting the fact that no one really cared but me, and no one was there to help me put everything away or clean up. I'm done with that jazz. And living many Christmases without my son taught me alot about this Christmas stress.

Right now I am searching for a restaurant that will be open on Christmas Day.Back in Mesa our public country club stayed open and I so enjoyed not having to cook and clean up. I tipped the servers well and went on my merry way.

[blessedw2]

scale down is a great idea d rose! great advice
yay on painting getting done!!!

I too had my usual grand plans for decorating. I can see that this year I just can't do it!
I know this year, that even Martha decided not to cook for Thanksgiving!

yay d Cathy!!!

d Nancy - so glad you were able to make it to church.
how nice to see a hawk!

hi d Lucy be gentle on yourself.
I am glad your frame of mind is better!

waving to all!!!

[blessedw2]

Christmas tree is bought and up! it's a huge tree for me... but dd older felt she could easily carry it. It was a really heavy tree after all. tree is in place and watered.
lights are up on the tree and just a few ornaments.

[LadyMaverick]

So many big things happening in the SHE village!

Cathy - Congratulations! Completion of a long construction project is huge!

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and behind. It is easy to give in to what I am feeling instead of what I know I should do. I briefly thought of not doing today and just staying at home and vegging out. But when I stop doing and going then everyone else is negatively affected. It was easier to just keep on doing and going. After I got started, I was glad I didn't throw in the towel before putting in the effort.

[blessedw2]

lady well done on doing what you knew was right to do!

[blessedw2]

time to drive d mom home soon. she was great being with us and helping on the tree. she has eaten a couple times - lunch, dinner, a snack.

I am going to set my alarm so that I can make sure I get mom breakfast/meds earlier in the day. at least that's my hope.
tomorrow is our washing machine's appointment. hoping I don't have to buy a new one.

[Nancy]

Finally got my steps in today took a stroll to see the lights after dinner with the dog.
Then came home and did the dishes from today.
Dusted a bit on the bathroom counter too yea for progress!
Spiffed the other room some more too.

[Harriet]

((blessed's dmom))

dd25 and I worked on the card today. Nearly done.

Then she drove and we went out to buy sewing items at JoAnn's, which is something of a long way for us. I may not have gone since before she was born. But on a Sunday afternoon it was a much easier destination, her car is super comfortable, and we did do closer-to-home errands, too.

They happened to have in stock all the threads I needed and a sale that made dd insist I buy other colors. They did not have the bias tape I wanted but we found another almost as nice. When we finally found the fat quarters, they were on sale too so we each picked a favorite in brown, the only color of fabric for which I don't have much of a stash. So, we can consider that small and sensible buying, lol.

I bought her some yarn and she's already working with it. I wish she could find more time for the pleasant hobbies she loves.

This was ideal because I wouldn't enjoy going alone and she's immeasurable help with driving and searching through a store, too.

Expectations/stress chat
Frankly, it was partly the new-to-me JoAnn's commercial, in which a drone flies a camera through a large, perfectly stocked store, that got me there.

I think it's the stores/retailers that want us to keep up all traditions and make new ones for which we'll also need to purchase.

As far as media, they have a story either way, but I'd say social media tends to make it seem that everyone else is perfect, so we feel inadequate.

When we got home, HRH had brainstormed with his brother and already purchased for our niece, so that means just one more child's gift to buy. And the children's gifts are nearly all we must buy.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Quick check in before bed. It was a successful day.

Slept OK again but was coughing and had a sore throat and croaky voice when I woke up so thought I'd skip church. Of course, after I was up for an hour, things were mostly fine so I ended up getting there, just a bit late.

The service was 'too much' and really shows how inexperienced our new minister is. It was 30 minutes longer than we want, 20 minutes longer than what he's shooting for and it felt disjointed, not at all cohesive. The sermon started out more as a university lecture (including he had made sure we all had the written notes in front of us as he was speaking.) It got a bit better toward the end but only a bit better. He's an academic with at least 5 degrees and a career in government. So I have a few pages of notes.

Met with some people after church about music and worship.

The storm was to start at noon. I got out of the windowless sanctuary at 11:45 and it was just a bit of light blowing snow. At noon, I stepped out into the parking lot with ice over the pavement and freezing rain coming down fairly hard. It was a slow and steady drive home, no problems.

The apartment is still a mess so I worked a bit on tidying and then proper weekly house blessing. There will be no water tomorrow from 7 - 2 so I won't be able to do my regular housework then.

After I got the vacuuming done (except the bedrooms), and the floors mopped, I took a brief rest and then made a casserole for dinner. And cranberry sauce. And then after dinner, Danish Cucumber salad (to have with dinner tomorrow night.) I have to run the dishwasher on rinse/hold and then I'll head to bed so I can be up and dressed by 7 in the morning. Ugh.

Nancy: The greenery I was looking for was real fir boughs. I can't have them inside the apartment but I like looking out on the balcony and seeing them there. Otherwise the balcony is just grey concrete walls that are depressing in the winter.

Christmas decorating talk: I shocked dh when I walked into the bedroom today and said the lights I have set up in the living room as so impressive the way they are around and through the plants and ficus tree, that I am not sure I need to go to the work of putting up the Christmas tree. (I have the lights set to come on between 6 and 8 in the morning so they greet me when I get out of bed and so the people stuck in the traffic commuting can see them.)

I'm sure I will put the tree up eventually (my usual date for it would be next weekend.) Tomorrow I have the lobby tree decorating to do in the evening. In total that's four trees going up (but residents from each building will be working on it so I'm mainly just visiting with others.)

I really need to contact the kids and see if any of them want to have a tree decorating night (a family tradition, missed last year due to dh having Covid.) And if we'll be having a big family dinner at all, and when. The hospital shift schedules should be in place now.