Beginning 3rd week of year Sunday PWYC

[Harriet]

That is posted for Dee in J and C. Such high hopes, Dee, that they can figure out what's going on.

[Lady Maverick]

Harriet - Congratulations to your newly engaged daughter!

I am recovering from a long day. We attended church this morning then drove to Texas to meet the family of DD46's SO. We gathered to share a meal before SO leaves to work for 6 months in Australia. We made it back with 3 minutes to spare to pick up Sam's order. Then home to unload $300 of groceries with 5 minutes to spare before evening church service started. It was a good day.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harriet: congratulations on the family engagement!

(And I'm really happy that Dee got to chime in on it. Hopefully, it will bubble up from time to time over the next hours as a happy moment from today for her, both dd24 and as she was at 7.)

I had a good day but very busy.

Got off to church early with a member driving me because dh had the car.

Had the member up for tea after since we were getting cold visiting in her car as she dropped me off. Dh had come home shortly after I got to church and let me know he was tidying up in case I wanted to invite her up.

Had breakfast at 1:30 (!)

Got the lobby tree down. The second lobby tree is still up because no-one brought us the boxes to take things down.

Went for a walk to the store with dh but I stayed outside so I didn't have to put my grippers back on without a bench.

Had dinner and watched a tv show.

Child proofed, got toys out, and welcomed dgs here. He cried when his mom left (the first time that's ever happened) but stopped with distraction of new books from the library. Dh popped the door open and called down to them (still at the elevator) that he had stopped crying.

He went to bed a half our later and is apparently down for the night.

I should head to bed now. Tomorrow is my houseblessing but dgs is here so goodness knows how much will get done.

[DeeClutter]

Thank you, Harriet. Dh did not even pass “go” when ambulance brought him in. Dr in only couple of minutes of exam said, “Oh yeah! You’re staying with us “. He’s gained about 15# since he came home Thursday. Keeps falling asleep. Almost hallucinating at times. He had ankles when he came home. Not now. No argument at all when we said we were calling the ambulance. No way could dd and I ever could have gotten him to the car. In fact Dd and I together couldn’t get him up from the recliner to the walker. We KNOW something is going on that just keeps getting missed. Now for the miracle to determine just what that is. Funny is that the guys from this fire department know who we are and identify DD as “The Cookie Lady “. So she ran out to the freezer and grabbed some for them, telling them they were frozen. “We have a microwave “. Dd has been taking cookies in memory of 2 men from a neighboring town’s fire department who were ambushed and killed on Christmas Eve Day 12 years ago. Guys were actually friends with Ds-A and a Dgd. And I ramble. Dd and I are just going to go home as soon as they get him ready for a room. Thank you all my friends.

[lucylee]

(((Dee & Mr. Dee))) PRAYING... I know you are both at your wits' end with this... so scary and frustrating... but also such a relief to have him back under the care of professionals who maybe can solve the problem this time. (((HUGS)))

And HARRIET!!!! Sooo happy for dd and the young man! It's obvious he has been a good "fit" in your family for some time now. We will all enjoy wedding planning "with" you!

Kathryn, sometimes dgd (7) will still tear up a little and say she misses her mommy, or her daddy, when she is at our house. Not nearly as often as she did a year or two ago, but still at times -- especially if she doesn't feel well. The last couple times when it's happened, I've texted ddil and asked her to call dgd when she gets a chance, and that does the trick. Sometimes they will even facetime. DGD loves it here, but she is a little more attached to home than dgs -- I have no doubt he'd happily move in with us, provided he could see his parents once a week or so, LOL.

So glad y'all had a good day, LadyM -- but I know you are tired.

Sunday is just... I hate to say it, but it is my least favorite day of the week! I love my church, love my pastor, love the way the dgrands love to go... but Sunday always is the busiest day of the week:
On a normal Sunday, we (I, for the most part!) have --
Church
Lunch, both dgrands home with us * dh was a little help with this *
DGS piano lesson
Wmart, and sometimes second grocery store, with one of the dgrands along for the ride
Put away groceries
Trash to road
Wash dishes
Allergy shots
Supper, usually with ds and dgrands
AND TODAY, had to add --
Baby shower
Trip to dmom's to deliver paper towels and milk , her requests from Wmart
Unload dishwasher * dh helped *
Extra stop at Wmart in Next Town to try to find dgs some pants that fit -- no luck
Wash small load of dh's clothes (because he needs ironing done tomorrow)

I am so exhausted I can't see straight, and I haven't done the allergy shots or washed dishes yet... and I forgot to send text and make phone call re: teacher meeting Tuesday.

Baby shower was okay, but nothing to write home about... everyone sat at round tables and pretty well stayed in their groups... expectant mother didn't even mingle around much and NO ONE met you at the door to take your gift or greet you... no formal opening of gifts, before we left the my aunt, the great-grandmother, said, "Let's go see what she got before I have to leave..." ... no real announcement of when to start eating (we just noticed some had started and joined in)... no public thank you for coming or anything...
I sat with my aunts, cousin/grandmother of the baby, and cousin's mother-in-law. Other cousin joined us for a little while. Other cousins stayed at their table the entire time. I thought of something I wanted to ask one of them and took myself over there to speak to them all before I left, and I spoke to the mother-to-be after I arrived and when I started to leave. Oh -- and while some of the hostesses were unwrapping gifts for display, one of them calls over to grandmother of baby/my cousin: "Susie, do you know who's present came in this paper?" It was mine. Card had fallen off when dgd caused me to drop it in parking lot, but see, if someone had met us at the door and taken it to the table then, this would not have been a problem. I made sure it was noted on the master list, and it was, with only my name, but the card has my name along with dmom and ddil, and dgd. So I hope the baby's parents realize it IS a group gift. Sheesh. They are a disorganized crew, I'll say that.
Not entirely unexpected -- the sister-in-law who was one of the main hostesses is the same young lady who gave me a list of addresses for wedding invitations she wanted me to address for her, and I was flabbergasted because she had lots of married women addressed by their own names, with no mention of their husbands ("he won't come anyway," she said) and one said "Mary Smith and mother..." I told her to "find out MOTHER'S NAME because I cannot address a formal invitation this way."
It was a learning experience. At least, I hope if I am ever asked to do this again, I will have the gumption to demand proper form before I start.

I have a former student who does calligraphy professionally and I bet she charges a pretty penny for it. She gives weekend classes occasionally and the classes cost several hundred dollars. I have often wondered what she would do if one of her clients gave her a list like that.
My invitations were simply done with extra-fine point Sharpie in fancy handwriting.

Anyway -- I was glad to see my aunts and cousins who did sit at our table and speak to us. And I am glad glad glad to be back home with no one here except dh and me, even if my dishes are still dirty and there are three items in the washer. And probably three hours' ironing to be done tomorrow.

[Harmony]

That sounds like quite the shower, Lucylee! Ha!, I attended one once where the girls made it into a drinking party, a few hor-doerves (how does one spell that?) and lots of booze - for the mother-to-be who couldn't drink a drop because she was pregnant! My younger DD knew this was inappropriate and provided more ample food and something to drink other than that stuff. Some people are just clueless how to do things!

Yes, it was cold here. We were high 30's this morning very early. I had to get up in the night and put on my little space heater, then a few hours later had to get up and turn it off. My room is very small and it heats up pretty quickly. I don't like to leave it close to the bed so it's across the room. By the time I left for church at 10:30 it was 50° and I don't think it got into the 70's all day. Tomorrow it's supposed to be pretty cold too. This is our coldest time of the year. We really should be having a fire in the fireplace, but DH didn't say anything and I didn't either. I don't think he was feeling especially well today. He stood out there greeting people early today when it was colder. He wore his leather jacket and said when he went into church he was very very chilled.

Speaking of husbands, {{Dee}} what else can we say? Sorry you two are going through this and sure wish they'd find a reason and a way to fix all this. You are in my thoughts a lot.

Harriet, such great news! I'm so happy for your DD. Nice that the family all chimed in to congratulate!

You might like to read my family story about engagements. When DGS asked his wife to marry, he took her to the Aquarium up in Atlanta (she was getting that sort of education) and they had a way to make that special up there. After she had her ring, etc. both sides of the families had flown up there and took them for a celebratory lunch at a nice restaurant. Way to get involved!

So out in the cans for pickup tomorrow is all the stuff I decluttered from master closet and the usual stuff. It was full! I also got rid of a very old dirty Styrofoam cooler because we had a new one from the meat gift we got at Christmas. Stomped that old one into pieces and tossed. Got rid of a few more books. Recycling can went out too. I'm super glad for progress.

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone!
What a relief! I finally finished my crochet project! I wanted to post a picture in AC&N, but the board has exceeded its allotment of attachments. DD20 is in her apartment in College Town. Instead of church today, I helped load her car. I sent her off with a full tank and gluten free pizza crusts from a local restaurant. Then I did some needed errands. Yesterday I got all the shore excursions ordered and paid for except one - it shows a web error. I will phone them and pay that way tomorrow. I cleaned off one counter in the kitchen and a few other things around the house. The crochet was the big essential today. I will be eating lunch with its recipient's mother tomorrow. My garbage disposal broke and I will have to take the shop vac to it tomorrow. Guitar practice done.

Still need to do: cat care, tomorrow's breakfast, shower.

I hate this new keyboard, keys stick and are very hard to press. DD's dad gave it to her, but it was too big and she gave it to me. I have to bang on it.

Congratulations to Harriet's DD.

Prayers sent up for DeeClutter's DH.