Merry Monday!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I hope you all have a merry day, be it celebrating with family, or just quietly with good memories making this day a little more special than most Mondays.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Since today is the 25th, I'll skip my normal Monday House Blessing even though it will be a quiet day.

We take my sister to the train station in less than 2 hours and then on to dd's to see what the grands got for Christmas.

Then home for a quiet afternoon and evening. There is a fridge full of leftovers to eat, and all the Christmas movies I wanted to watch but didn't have time to.

Dh is wrapping the few presents for today.

The past two days were a full success. My brain worked properly and I got everything done and almost all done very well. (If you don't recall, my concussion in 2018 knocked out my ability to celebrate properly that year and I was just recovering in 2019, then Covid set me back and I wondered if I'd ever be able to manage big things or multiple events simultaneously, again.)

Saturday, I managed to make the filling for the tourtiere and mix up a half batch of sugar cookie dough. Once dd and kids arrived, they rolled out and we baked the cookies and I managed to get a roast beef dinner on the table, only a few minutes late. I had baked an apple crisp the previous day so that was our dessert along with biscuit twists that dd had made which we dressed up with jam or nutella to make them a dessert.

Sunday was the busy day, church in the morning (and ds and dgs came too) and then dgs sleeping at our place for his nap and playing around. As they were leaving to go see the other grandparents, I was assembling the tourtiere and getting it into the oven and that was our Christmas Eve dinner along with baking that ds had done. We were off to the church (little rural one 40 minutes away) right on time at 6:15 and the 7:30 service was a complete success. They had almost 40 people in it (they normally have 11) and my service was really well received. It felt like Christmas at that point for me.

I stayed up late visiting with my sister and have had a quiet morning so far. I'm off now to get dressed and eat something before heading to the train station.

[Nancy]

A bang woke me up at five today neighbors in their shop I think.
Have done a swish in my bathroom.
QT accomplishes mostly.
Watching a lovely sunrise.
Coffee from my Merry Christmas mug is great today!
Blessings to all.

[LadyMaverick]

Merry Christmas!

Cathy - Welcome home! You were missed here but I am so happy you had a great trip.

Kathryn - Full success is a wonderful way to describe the holiday, especially having to wait and wonder for several years before experiencing it again.

Nancy - your start to the day sounds lovely.

Yesterday was a good gathering. We did not have any unknown guest show up. The food was plentiful, and everyone ate more than we should. The gift exchange was so much fun! We have never given gifts this way and now I never want to do it any other way. We laughed and enjoyed the processes of swapping gifts until everyone got what they wanted.

We did have a few people bring wrapped gifts with names on them and IMHO they were a futile effort. I know they had good intentions, and I don't mean to be ungrateful. However, the facts are that not one single gift was something that any of us will use. After everyone left, I put some of the gifts I received in the donation bag for my favorite charity. Those gifts I don't know what store they came from so can't be returned. I have another stack of gifts to return to a store that I never shop at because it is a distance away. I will decide whether to make a special trip there (about 70 mile drive) to return these gifts or just put them into the donation bag and be done with them.

I made cinnamon rolls this morning for the family. I overate yesterday and have no desire for more treats today.

[blessedw2]

hello Merry Monday!!!
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate Christmas!

thank you d Kathryn for starting us on this fine day!
I hope you had a lovely time with your dear sister! have fun today with your grand babies and your grown up babies!
wishing your sister a wonderful trip!

hi d Nancy! Merry Christmas!
not a good way to wake up to a bang!
So glad you were able to see a beautiful sunrise!!! what a blessed way to start the day!
blessings to you today and always!!!

Welcome home d Cathy! ! Wonderful that you had a good gathering!!! The gift exchange sounds magical! I think its great th
at you put gifts you didn't want into the charity bag! Smart!!!
I am sure your kitchen smells fantastic with the smells of baked cinnamon rolls!

Merry Christmas d Lady
Wonderful that you had a good gathering!!! The gift exchange sounds magical! I think its great th
at you put gifts you didn't want into the charity bag! Smart!!!
I am sure your kitchen smells fantastic with the smells of baked cinnamon rolls!


blessings to you all!!!

[Twins' Mom]

Ddog had me up at a reasonable hour - 8:30ish, I think. Dh walked her in a hard rain. She hasn't asked for another.

Very quiet morning here, I'm trying to figure out what to do to keep me busy today! Dh is playing with phone in front of TV.

We had a wonderful time last night and ate too much! Home about 10:30. Tonight we go to another dfriends' for dinner - four couples total, them, us, and two more.

Wishing a Merry Christmas and love to all!

[blessedw2]

My hope today, for all, peaceful day.
I am going to start cooking for the small brunch.

I still can't believe that I actually finished in time for Christmas - I think all the years with pam and Peggy and all of you beautiful women - has helped me organize my thoughts and actions without realizing it!

Christmas was lovely except dh didn't come. Last year at the Christmas party he got Covid and he did not want that to happen again. We went for 5 hours and face timed him during the white elephant so he could participate!

My goal is to create a gentle morning without stressing about cooking etc.

girls will pick up mom at 11:30 - we will have brunch and then open presents. I think I and dd younger may go over to my sis in laws house this afternoon.

Merry Christmas to all.

d twins so happy you had a wonderful time last night! so fun!!! love to you too and all.

[LadyMaverick]

Twins - I love hearing about your time spent with friends and sharing meals. What a wonderful way to spend your evening hours. Building and maintaining a network of friends is not as easy as it sounds IMHO.

Blessedw2 - Your Christmas sounds wonderful! Enjoy your day with family

After taking a couple day break, I have returned to doing my hourly steps and checking in with myself. I have my stack of SHE cards in my pocket and each hour I remove the cards that have been completed and decide what cards I will do next hour. I find this hourly process very comforting and energizing to know I am doing what I will regret not doing (not sure I explained that correctly, so it makes sense to others).

[CathyS]

Hi!

I went to bed too early last night. I was up numerous times during the night to use the bathroom. Dh fell asleep on the couch before I went to bed. He was also up and down all night either sleeping in the bed or on the couch.

Dh and I exchanged cards this morning. He explained that he didn't get the card until yesterday and there weren't many to choose from. Usually I get a mushy/lovey-dovey type card. This year it was a humourous one. We also exchanged gift cards. I got one for books (YAY!!) and dh got one for a hair cut and hot towel/shave. He hasn't had a gift card for that since Christmas of 2019. He was very happy with it.

It is very foggy here today with no snow anywhere. The grass is beautiful and green, which is unusual for December 25.

Supper tonight...

Turkey thighs, scalloped potatoes with cheese and onion, stuffing on the stovetop, mashed turnips because we both love them, cranberries. No dessert unless I bake something.

One bag is unpacked and I have a load of dark clothes being washed right now. The other suitcase has a bunch of dirty clothes in it, so I will put the clothes straight into the washer from the suitcase. Most of the "stuff" is away. Dh's medical bag has been emptied. I'm going to store it in the suitcase along with the neck pillow.

I am trying to NOT have a nap.

[Nancy]

I am glad I was up early so I could start the crockpot as I'd forgotten to thaw out the meat.
Jan. Joys of 8 things will be a regular entry in my journal next month.
Having a peaceful reflective day it is nice!

Unloaded one basket of things after I'd sorted useful items out go do back in the desk.
Rebagged donation items.

One interesting thing this year I was going to do cake in a cup gifts did not get to it.
But I'd decided to do small gifts in a cup, did not get the candy but took the cups with Christmas theme pics on them
and the folks that wanted one took em the rest will be given or donated I suspect.

I have swapped out ones here to my favs. I got a few at the thrifting adventures and some at dollar store.
They went nicely with hot pad & dish cloths I made with cotton yarn.
If you are interested on you tube basic hot pad pattern will bring up lots of them, I crochet them closed with a herringbone type stitch.
My dsis wanted my pattern I sent her a video and she is doing them now.
I know up star shaped dishcloths did those in the summer.
Crochet & pray is great!
Duncle is better today, ty for thoughts and prayers.

My neighbor does the thrifted items exchange not sure what they call it a diff. name but same concept as LM's.