SHEs Organized

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 9:47 am**

Morning all. We're home again. Was a really great week with dd and dsil. Up in the frozen cold north. Although we did get quite a bit of snow here while we were away too. Seems their heat bill wasn't too different in winter so they had the house comfy and warm. We baked. Cooked. Shopped all my Christmas shopping in a couple trips to town. I bought all of her stuff with her but that was ok. Their cats had a nasty marking habit for a bit before they were fixed and she had washed the old cheap blanket from their bed too many times. So we got them the whole set of new bedding for their bed. Comforter and sheets and a couple of new pillows. That took a few tries cause first we got just the flat sheet then accidentally the double fitted. I kept that for ds bed here. Also a big soup pot which we used for potatoes for 15 people. I found trinkets and small stuff for ds and ddil here and a couple things for baby j. A couple pairs of sweatpants for ds16 and decided we'll shop some sort of exercise gear online for him that will inspire his new goals.

So we actually did drive Saturday but decided to spend that first night with dh brother and family a couple hours before as the weather made a bit slower trip and we had not seen them since our kids weddings. On to dd place for lunch and brother and family followed us. We spent Monday at fil with everyone. Tuesday and Wednesday were prep and more decorating and shopping and baking. Christmas day was full house with fil and dh sister and nephew plus dsil parents and all 5 of his siblings. He's the oldest. We did all the meal . The day was beautiful. A quiet day after and drove back on much better roads yesterday.

Oh and between stuff we gave dd kitchen a minor face-lift by painting the face of her top cabinet white over top of the wrong match unfinished mid brown they had . Pulled it all together and made it clean and redid her organize of the whole thing.

Busy but delightful... and now I am back to the real world of mom in care at the hospital and dad hopefully getting some needed relief. Church. Work. Life.

I think I will start by enjoying my tub and such. A slight expansion on worship team I'm going to take my flute along and experiment. A break from piano today. I'll update the church story next time cause that's a whole story in itself...

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 10:38 am**

With this topic, I instantly thought of my dear aunt, whose signature piano piece for Christmas at church and for family was "Star of the East". It sent her fingers swooping over the keyboard back and forth, mesmerizing children. It was how she taught octaves, since it dramatically went up an octave.

Star of the East

Gma, how fascinating that you have a family connection with the research done into the star. In 1974, my dmother's cousin wrote a book on the many theories about the "when" of Jesus' birth. Most was about the historic path of theological thought, gathering the clues in scripture and writings contemporary to it. But part was on the many centuries of scientific inquiry about the star, and the settling into the concept of conjunction.

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 11:05 am**

1-meds and temp for DD33
2-mop bathroom floor
3-diet site

Menus
Sunday-Cajun tilapia and roasted veggies
Monday-one pot kidney bean and pepper soup
Tuesday-bang bang chicken
Wednesday-DD33 out/leftovers for me
Thursday-fondue
Friday-chorizo enchiladas
Saturday-Thai sweet chili glazed salmon
Sunday-rest of enchiladas

Events
Sunday-
Monday-Little Bit 7:40-5, fasting bloodwork for DD33
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:40-5, breakfast with friends @8:30, 10:30 library storytime
Wednesday-Little Bit 7:40-2:30, 10-1 New Years Celebration at museum, DD33 w/ PS from 3-8????
Thursday-
Friday-DD33 has center
Saturday
Sunday

Weekly House Blessing-mop bathroom, dining room
Extra stuff-

Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for me and dog
-delete email
-review credit reports
-read
-dress and pick up bedroom
-walk outside

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 12:10 pm**

Good morning, all. Yes, if I type quickly enough, it's still morning here. I am entertaining myself looking at Ventusky (a weather web site). There is a huge arctic air mass coming down the centre of the continent with the tip of it reaching the U.S. and a big hot air mass coming up from Mexico/Texas. The front causing the freezing rain warnings etc. stretches from just southwest of me (it's on its way) all the way to Gma's house, I believe, hitting Smile*Lee and helia on the way. It stretches about 1000 miles. I thought that it was interesting, so I've included a couple of print screens below:

Temperature:

Precipitation:

And I was not quick enough to wish you a good morning, lol. Good day, eh? I'll go do a 15 and then CUOP.

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 12:22 pm**

I am off to see if one of the transfer stations has room in recycling.

1-recycling to dump

Menus
Sunday-Cajun tilapia and roasted veggies
Monday-one pot kidney bean and pepper soup
Tuesday-bang bang chicken
Wednesday-DD33 out/leftovers for me
Thursday-fondue
Friday-chorizo enchiladas
Saturday-Thai sweet chili glazed salmon
Sunday-rest of enchiladas

Events
Sunday-
Monday-Little Bit 7:40-5, fasting bloodwork for DD33
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:40-5, breakfast with friends @8:30, 10:30 library storytime
Wednesday-Little Bit 7:40-2:30, 10-1 New Years Celebration at museum, DD33 w/ PS from 3-8????
Thursday-
Friday-DD33 has center
Saturday
Sunday

Weekly House Blessing-mop bathroom, dining room
Extra stuff-

Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for me and dog
-delete email
-review credit reports
-read
-dress and pick up bedroom
-walk outside
-meds and temp for DD33
-mop bathroom floor
-diet site
-lunch

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 12:28 pm**

Doggedly I use Ventusky a lot, very reliable and you can see the weather in many places. Good luck with this very cold weather !

L.Ann I hope you get enough rest... I see you have Little Bit over this week. What is the program at the museum on Dec 31st ?

helia your programme seems fascinating and a bit tiring, poems, hoemade constructions, baking, having people over from breakfast till dinner ! You sure will need some quiet at some point.

Laura I hope the "getting back to normal" is easy, you seem to have time well-spent at your DD's.

Harriet, thanks for the link (what an extraordinary piano)

Played table tennis with DS7 while DS10 was with 11yo Dneighbour R-- - they are now at our house playing the console.
I had a paperfiling and paper sorting session before tennis table, so that's one less thing to do in 2026. I need to sort, declutter, organize my side of the bedroom. Also my closet. Each time the weekly Zone is Zone 4 (the master bedroom) I avoid doing anything in that area... I have difficulty dealing with clothes that don't fit anymore but almost, I hate to part with clothes because I hate shopping for clothes, and I need some more space in my own bedroom for the stuff that is "me" like family journal, some creative writing, unfinished books, lists, photos, craft projects... it's a discussion that comes over and over again with MrNG - I need a desk area somewhere but there is no room for one - we have a shared desk but MrNG uses it for his current training and for his own consulting business.
This is a problem that won't be solved in 2025 but I can declutter a bit.

TADAs
some paperfiling, decluttering near my bed
thinking about goals and such for 2026
table tennis for 1 hour with DS7
afternoon snacks
DNeighbour R-- playing console with DSs for 1 hour
unwrap new paper planner

TODO
teach DS7 another game of card ?
house tasks, to-dos from list, FACE session
easy dinner
also : set things up for the week, wash hair, bed early

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 2:08 pm**

I hope that the recycling cooperates, L.Ann.

Big WTG on organizing the papers, FrenchFly. That sucks up so much time, and no one enjoys it. But 2026 You will thank you for getting it done.

Our cold weather will be replaced by freezing rain, but luckily for me I have done all of the errands that I have to, so can hibernate and wait for it to pass.

Sunday
Gave dog her Benedryl
Took pills
Put away clean dishes
Emptied out dw
Gathered sewing supplies to send to basement
Cleaned up after dog X 2
Changed out kitchen cloths
Wiped down accessible surfaces
Tidying in kitchen
Filled slow cooker with dog-safe vegetables and water

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 2:41 pm**

Doggedly, that's a big weather system, over 1,000 miles! The snow and wind is here. We only had 41 people at church!
L.ann, with 12 days of Christmas, that start Dec 25, you can certainly leave the decorations up! I wish the radio stations would continue to play Christams music well after Christmas, so we can listen when we are a little more relaxed!
FFB, when I was growing up, I was the only child that had a desk in my room (it became my brother's room, with a desk, when I went to college, as he was 14 years younger than I). Everyone else had to do homework on the K table. That's where Mother and Daddy wrote out checks to pay bills, open mail, write letters. I think records needed for taxes were kept in a box in a closet? Of course Daddy had his professor's office at the college)
Harriet, that is an amazing piano. I caused me to think, player pianos were an early version of automated music that eventually became computerized?
Laurlind, sounds liek a very good Christmas with nice gifts for all, then helping dd with painting her cupboards, too! You are amazing. I'm glad you had a little break from your at home responsibilities.
trissie, those honeycake balls must have been very delish to disappear so fast!
helia, trissie, and others, I think everyone, even "good" families, have some dysfunction. some more than others, but no one is perfect. We all need resilience and coping skills.

We have snow, wind, cold. I turned up the thermostat, because the walls start to radiate cold when it's this cold and windy. And I'll be sitting with paperwork instead of mvoing around. And listening to our Christian radio station, that IS playing Christmas music. I found the Christmas gift list that mother made out last year. Can't throw that away right now.

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 2:58 pm**

It is a special program for museum members, FFB. Last year they had balloon animals, face painting, crafts and snacks. Then they do a countdown at noon and either a balloon release or confetti. They do one at the library too.

1-clean off table
2-find acorn squash recipe
3-quick fridge clean out

Menus
Sunday-Cajun tilapia and roasted veggies
Monday-one pot kidney bean and pepper soup
Tuesday-bang bang chicken
Wednesday-DD33 out/leftovers for me
Thursday-fondue
Friday-chorizo enchiladas
Saturday-Thai sweet chili glazed salmon
Sunday-rest of enchiladas

Events
Sunday-
Monday-Little Bit 7:40-5, fasting bloodwork for DD33
Tuesday-Little Bit 7:40-5, breakfast with friends @8:30, 10:30 library storytime
Wednesday-Little Bit 7:40-2:30, 10-1 New Years Celebration at museum, DD33 w/ PS from 3-8????
Thursday-
Friday-DD33 has center
Saturday
Sunday

Weekly House Blessing-mop bathroom, dining room
Extra stuff-

Accomplishments
-stretching and knee exercises
-breakfast for me and dog
-delete email
-review credit reports
-start laundry
-read
-dress and pick up bedroom
-walk outside
-meds and temp for DD33
-mop bathroom floor
-diet site
-lunch
-reboot laundry
-recycling to dump
-walk outside
-read both nonfiction book and fiction book

Posted: **Sun Dec 28, 2025 3:05 pm**

Hello , everyone!

That's a huge compliment to your baking, Trissie, with everything disappearing so quickly!

FFB, L.Ann gave me a very good tip for dealing with clothes - turn all the hangers in the wardrobe so they're racing the "wrong way" , and when you wear something, turn the hanger hook round so it's now facing the right way. After a few months it's easy to see which are your favourites !

Helia, today sounds a lot of fun, but also a lot of work!

Laura, so glad you had such a wonderful time with DD and DSil.

Harriet, your DAunt sounds a wonderful show-woman. I've heard of those types of pianos referred to as "pianolas", but that might be jist a UK term?

L.Ann, very wise to leave the undecorating of your feeling tired. That sounds a lovely event at the museum!

Dogged, I'm glad you're able to stay safe and warm when the freezing rain comes.

Gma, I'm glad you're able to stay warm indoors. I totally understand about wanting to keep your DMum's last list!

Today was cold and cloudy but dry. Church was good, even though numbers were low, and I had a lovely time with DF E. She is really looking forward to her new years eve party that's she's holding at the retirement home, and, of course, her 100th birthday party a bit later on January.

Lunch today was mostly missing up the leftovers from Christmas, although I did roast some potatoes and cook some veg. We had the last of the fruit salad for dessert.

DH finally changed the windscreen wipers on the car while I was cooking lunch (he's having a day on the trains tomorrow and it may rain, so he needs working windscreen wipers). I took advantage of dry weather to unwind the lights on the canopy over the front door, so that's one small bit of undecorating done.

This afternoon I've updated both the kitchen wall calendar and my filofax for 2026, so I'm feeling a bit more ready for the new year. I still need to do the end of year banking -maybe tomorrow when DH is out for the day?

SHEs Organized

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