Tuesday Trimming

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Today, in my household, we are going to trim the tree and watch our favourite Christmas movie. The kids are coming (ds claims to be almost well, except for a cough.) There will be pizza (ordered in - no cooking.) Soda has already been bought and I'll peel clementine oranges in fun shapes for dessert. Nothing fancy, just time together.

Today is also a good time for all of us to trim things from our "starry-eyed, perfect Christmas" vision.

Priorities, Priorities, Priorities.

Embrace the P-word. Be intentional. Choose what has the most meaning for you and your family. Leave behind the expectations promoted by the media. This isn't their holiday time with family, this is your holiday time with family, so don't let others take away the joy by filling your head with must-have things or actions that require precious time to produce, time that you'd rather spend being with family.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm up. An hour early. Dh has a bad headache so decided to start the day early. I'm not sure if he's up yet. I left him checking email on his phone in bed. I offered him a cold compress for his head but he said he'd see if it went away when he got up.

I've lit candles for prayers, made my tea and have emptied the dishwasher.

If we are all going to be together today, I have to uncover chairs in the living room and places at the table (although I think we'll probably eat watching the tv in order to save time.)

Today's time with family will be rushed since dh has to start prep for his conference call around 7:30. That's fine since dsil needs to get to bed early (he chooses to leave for work at 6 a.m. so he's home early in the afternoon.) This is time for a bit of laughter and conversation. Time to welcome dd back to being part of the family. And welcome dsil into that experience. He's never been with us for a whole season, he's just arrived a few days before Christmas or, more usually, the day of or the day after Christmas.

Dh and I are also out for lunch at the chip wagon and then hair cuts. We'll take the bus. It takes twice as long and costs slightly more but builds in steps for me, eliminates the parking headache, and really only adds 10 minutes to the travel in each direction. We'll take the bus again on Thursday when we go to the theatre (unless the weather is really foul, in which case we'll go early and park in the underground parking lot at the theatre.)

I'm still trying to write sermons and have two floating around in my head at once. Not sure if either will pour out today. I hope at least one will. Neither are fully formed so they aren't exactly demanding to be written at this point.

[CathyS]

Hi everyone.

Wayne and I are starting to make our own traditions and new to each other's expectations and ideas regarding the season.
We built a gingerbread house together the other night. Something new to both of us. I have been told that he is expecting a very large orange and apple in his stocking. He also would like us to open our stockings first and then stop. Then he will make breakfast and then we will resume with the gifts being opened.


We will be at my sister's on Christmas Eve. She orders in on that night and we have all exchanged gifts already a couple of weeks ago. This is another new thing that we are doing. I haven't been included in her celebrations for more than 15 years.

Wayne and I will be going to a Chinese restaurant for a late lunch on the 25th. Reservations have already been made.

Other than that, I can't think of anything else we are doing as far as Christmas.

I am working on getting 3 massive piles dealt with in the bedroom. I loaded the car with laundry yesterday and got it done. I might do the same thing today. I think there is clean laundry hiding in at least 2 of those mountains and I do need to go and get more plastic hangers so I can put stuff away.

I have gotten a lot of new clothes since August as I have been donating "most" of my black clothes. Almost all the clothes I had when I was with Mike were black and oversized as he went clothes shopping with me all the time and hated anything tight enough to show any hint at the fact that I am fat. The tops I had when I was with him were size 3X. Now I wear clothes that fit nicely and most of them are just X.

I need to make some notes before I go out so I can do everything I need to do.

My daughter is coming over on Thursday and Wayne is going to look at her car and try to fix a few things. He has her scheduled for 10:45. Between Wayne and I, her bill will be covered. He won't charge her for labour, and any parts will be at cost. Most likely an oil change as well. He did the same thing for my sister last month and saved her over $1,000. It's marvelous to have a mechanic in the family.

Time for my hot chocolate.

[helia]

Enjoy time with family, Kathryn! Your plans sound uncomplicated and fun - lovely!

Cathy, your plans sound nice too!

I'm keeping Christmas pretty simple. I've never felt the need to have a magazine perfect Christmas, maybe because decorating in general is not my gift! We haven't even gotten our Cmas boxes out yet, not that we actually have a lot of decorations. Between dh's tastes and mine, it is very hard to find decorations we both like. Maybe today or tomorrow we could do that. I'd like to get a tree before the party here Thursday evening. I'm not sure that is possible. Dh seems swamped at work; if ds comes home early enough, maybe he could help. The party is not a Cmas party, but a tree might be nice décor anyway. I also gave up long ago on Cmas cards and now do New Year cards, if anything. . . .

Band concert last night was of course so awesome. The 3 bands played for about 2 hours; the symphony band, highest level, played for about a full hour. Dd19 still has my camera so I couldn't record, but I think one of dd16's friend's dad recorded, so maybe he'd be willing to send me a copy. Proud announcement: our high school band program (or band/orchestra programs?) is sending more students to the all state band and orchestra than any other high school in the state. This is welcome news to those who engage in the friendly/not so friendly rivalry with another high school in town. LOL! We are sending 3 first chairs out of about 16 in the all state band. This includes our first chair oboe.

I'm up, have fed g. pigs, unloaded and reloaded the dw, checked emails, updated li$t of Dec. goals.

Goals today:
- tutor at 10:30
- Christmas prep progress; order a few more gifts, perhaps do a little shopping.
- errands at nearby small mall: mail book to dsil and family in Germany, pick up dry cleaning, buy hay for g. pigs
- R and J will be here for dinner
- laundry catch up; I'm close to getting to the bottom of every basket in the laundry room!

I need to go to the mall for some gifts, and I'm hoping to do that tomorrow morning.

Off to get the a.m. routine done.

[Emptynester]

Good morning all. It is still dark here and I can hear either the big owl or a coyote pup making noise outside. I think it is the owl as Dakota hasn't paid any attention to it.

Yesterday was very productive. Windows washed and fans and light fixtures cleaned. I also baked 8 loaves of stollen.

Today won't be hard but will be busy. Book study at 9, PT at 11:30 and Dr. appointment at 1. Hopefully, the boot will come off today.

Hope you all have a great day.

PS: KIC - if you can't have "I choose Joy" as a bumper sticker - how about a screen saver?

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Still sitting here.

But I've ordered a humidifier for the apartment. I was trying to research but there are so many options I just gave up and, almost randomly, selected one. It is reported super quiet or super noisy. It will do the whole apartment. We'll put it across from the guitars (where it is currently 14% humidity!!!!) and hopefully it will help in the bedroom (which is 21%.) Those numbers are way too low for either health or happiness.

Now to have breakfast.

[BookSaver]

Good morning, villagers ~
Thanks for opening the thread, Kathryn.

My plan for today is to alternate between cleaning and sewing.

I need to watch the TransSiberianOrchestra DVD today because it is due back at the library tomorrow. I can multitask with watching it whenever I get around to sewing.

I'm so glad I don't have to go anywhere. It's too cold to spend the whole day in my pajamas, but I'm going to change into something as comfy as my jammies and I don't care how it looks.

[Twins' Mom]

Good morning! I was up at 7:30, read the paper then got dMacs to PT at 9 a.m. We were done at 10 and I got myself MCD for breakfast on the way home. Need to regroup.

OMM/PODA for rest of the day:
-Body work (much needed) for me at 1:30
-JCC at 6:45
-groceries
-buy something for dsis for Christmas and birthday when I visit her tomorrow. I am torn about this because everything new that I take her disappears.
-routines

I have to get my mind together to deal with dd and ds and their issues. Yesterday she read "Mom doesn't care, Ds is the favorite" into me not wanting to get between the two of them. I ruined two batches of challah (out of the three I tried to make) never got one of the emails sent, and finally went to bed at 9 p.m. so no one could mess with me anymore.

I think I will plan to get groceries after my body work appt - they are in very close proximity and I should be done with body work around 3 p.m., leaving time for grocery trip. That means that right now I need to s2s and figure out what to do for a gift for dsis.

[Harriet]

Twins', what about personalized gifts? An embroidery shop could personalize some gift items, like her name in pretty script on the bodice/chest of some gifty clothing item. Some types of things could just be decorated by you with her name in sharpie marker as part of the design.

Tragedy in Pakistan has me upset today.

Tractor Supply run and grocery run done.

Frustrated that my priority was wrapping but I wore myself out on those trips standing up so much because HRH wanted to do that early.

[Nancy]

Last night I noticed I only had 4 pills left so made an Rx all for them today. TddlerN will be here longer tonight one of the employees were her mom works shattered her wrist so the mom has to close today after 7. The others that usually watch her are out ofv town. On the ex bike now. Time to feed hens. Havecavgreat day.

Taking a break from my crocheting cannot get that patrern to come out ack!