Anything You Wish Saturday

[DeeClutter]

You can name today anything you wish. I just couldn't come up with a title today. I feel a little better than yesterday (emotionally that is). Not that the situation has changed any in CT, but have decided I need to get busy, busy, busy to get those endorphins going. Really should go for a walk to get them started.

DH went for breakfast with men from our church, but should be back shortly. I have to spend a lot of today on the computer and find things for Christmas gifts for up north. I'll do 1 family at a time, so they can all be shipped to that household (at least I won't have to wrap any of them). I did leave some (wrapped) presents for each family when I left but there wasn't something for everybody. DS-R sent a package out yesterday that we're giving to our dbil for Christmas. It's a road snowmobile crossing sign for his driveway. One that ds picked up along the road. Obviously had been hit but will do great for dbil's long driveway.

Need to get my meds in and eat some breakfast.

[scattered]

Dee - I was having trouble coming up with a name also.

Today I was supposed to go out with DP/BFF, but I just have WAY to much to do. I have 2 small assignments that I need to complete for English, and then I have to sew, sew, sew, sew, sew, sew, did I mention I need to sew?

Watching the T oday show now and drinking my coffee, I've rebooted Ernie to fluff the LOL so that I can swap the load, and now I am going to do those assignments.

ToDo/TaDa's
d2s
coffee
let out DDog
reboot Bert & Ernie w(X) d(/) f() p/a()
2 assignments for English
find flannel for hood and sleeves
cut out hood & sleeves
sew in zipper
sew hood
sew in hood
sew in collar and interfacing
sew in sleeves
sew fronts to back
finishing touches

BBS

[Harriet]

((Dee)) This was a little sneaky (I changed "Saturday" to "Anything You Wish Saturday" because of Dee's first sentence). But I don't mean to be flippant about your feelings when you posted - those are feelings many of us share.

I wish we could fix many things, but we can't. Time, emotional effort, comforting, and prayer all help.

I'm wishing for a productive day here.
I'm wishing that my silly preparations, from shelf-elf to mini-lights to hot Wassail will encourage smiles this season.
I can wish Amazon hadn't lost my order but they did, so that won't arrive for an additional 3 days.

It is a rare Saturday in which dd has no friends with plans for her, so we've agreed on 10 half-hour segments of productivity of any kind for her. That will put her 5 hours ahead of where she was when she awakened, but shouldn't keep it from feeling like a Saturday.

Yesterday was not a wash, but it was like a day away from the plan, partly because of the dominating news. Also we had been waiting for a day we thought my ddad could handle a dr's appt and decided suddenly on yesterday, having only 1.5 hours until the only available appt. So that took the morning for both me and HRH, what with helping my ddad get ready, then trip/appt/trip time-consuming, then back here at home my ddad was weary and disoriented. By the time he felt relaxed enough to nap, the news was so bad we had to take time to grasp it. Then we took time to walk dd through it a little when she got home.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I wish we could fix many things, but we can't. Time, emotional effort, comforting, and prayer all help.

That's exactly how I feel but not regarding CT. Dsil just called to say they were robbed overnight.

While they were sleeping, the apartment was broken into and her purse and laptop were stolen. They were leaving for Seattle today so her purse had her passport so she's grounded (can't even fly within Canada at this moment since she has no government issued ID.) The call was to let me know to cancel our shared credit card (She has one of my cards in her name so if there's ever an emergency, she has access to funds since I'm not always around to send her money.)

This is where being OCD is an advantage. She's prepared for destructive fire so has all numbers stored on the Cloud. Dsil's computer was packed in his backpack in the bedroom so they still have that and she's been cancelling cards since she has all the info. She just wasn't sure she could cancel mine. Some of the cards have already been used.

I'd love to be able to wave a magic want to make it better but can't. And being this time of year, I can't even fly out to see her. The first day I have 2 free days in a row is next Friday.

As for CT, I'm leading prayers tomorrow so am trying to figure out what to say. I'll probably be doing grace tonight as well.

[Emptynester]

Added in response to above post: Oh, Kathryn. How sad. I remember when we were robbed many years ago. You feel so violated/helpless. And then you just get angry.

Good Morning, All. Today will be a carving day for me. I finished cutting out the ornaments on Thursday so now I have to round them out.

When we were in Kansas we visited Lindsborg and fell in love with the dalas. They are carved and painted Swedish horses. The traditional color is red with tole painting on them. In Lindsborg they had a herd of "wild" dalas, large ones painted to match the business that sponsored them.

I took lots of pictures to use as a pattern and have cut some out of 2 inch wood. They are about 4 inches high and now I have to make them look like the originals. After I finish carving them, I will paint them and make them into Christmas ornaments for the 3 families of our kids. I hope to get to the painting stage today. It depends on how chilly it gets in the garage and how many times I have to come inside to warm up.

DH has been carving Christmas trees with a Santa on one side for the 6 granddaughters. He started with a pyramid of wood and has done it all with knives and gouges. He is now at the painting stage and they are looking great.

We don't know what our kids and grandkids want/need for Christmas so we just give them a check or gift cards - the ornaments give them something to unwrap to get to the checks.

[Twins' Mom]

I was up and about around 8 a.m. - ddogs had been fussing at me off and on for awhile but I persevered that long. Both kids are asleep upstairs, dh has gone to Torah study and the house is quiet. Ddogs still patiently expecting their walk for the moment.

Yes, what I wish for and need is a quiet day today. We had toyed with the idea of having friends over tonight for dinner for the last night of Hanukkah - with the busy-ness of the last two days we never got anything planned, and I'm glad now that I'm not cleaning house and cooking all day today. So I'm hoping for at least a family dinner tonight all of us together and to light the Hanukkah candles.

I need to get my day started. My house is a mess from 2.5 days of not doing anything, and dkids home less than 48 hours for one, and about 12 hours for the other. Not all their fault as I haven't done much here, either.

-breakfast
-walk the ddogs
-forward email from social worker to dsis' xdh re visiting her on Sunday
-meds/vitamins me and ddogs
-clear kitchen counters

quoting Harriet's wise words, which apply to a lot of things happening right now, including my dsis:

I wish we could fix many things, but we can't. Time, emotional effort, comforting, and prayer all help.

Now I see that Harriet's words resonate with several of us today.

[helia]

Wonderful words of gentle wisdom from Harriet. That's how I feel about many things in life, including the CT tragedies. Definitely OMM. Getting on with daily life is probably the healthiest thing I can do.

Ooh, happy days for Twins with kids back home! I'm looking forward to having ds back in the nest next week. He adds a new level of vivacity - and noise - when he's home. All good.

I have a BUSY day, lots I need to do. I am hosting small group tonight for friends S and R b/c their schedule is insanely busy. ONly, now I'm realizing my schedule is also insanely busy. . .The following may not all get done.

MUST DOs:
-mall -- I forgot to look for a black button down blouse for dd14 when I went last week; she needs one for her band concert Monday
-groc. store -- for meal to provide tonight for 13 adults and 4 children
-make a huge crockpot full of lentils and rice cooker full of rice
-drive dd14 to and from synch. swim practice
-house tidy for tonight
-small group arrives at 5 pm.
-help dd14 back 5 - 6 dozen cookies; she has 2 cookie exchange parties to attend tomorrow. I'm attending one with her.

May Dos:
-wrap and get dmom and ddad's gifts in the mail; if they're leaving Th., I'd like to get the package to them by Wed.
-trim back left garden at foot of the driveway; not as urgent as the right side one, which I did yesterday
-get caught up on laundry, which is really backed up right now
-some form of exercise - a walk, gym (I doubt), a video

[scattered]

Harriet - Thank you for your touching wise words.

Twins - I am so glad your DKids are home, enjoy your time together.

Helia - I truly understand being insanely busy... I have been busier being unemployed then I was when I was employed.

MT - you are constantly amazing me, I would love to get into woodcarving.

Kathryn - (((DSis))) Oh my how horrible, I know just how she feels, it is just horrible.

Got my assignments done and sent so I am now officially done with English. Now I need to flip B&E and get busy on the jacket for Mother... I will get it done today!

ToDo/TaDa's
d2s
coffee
let out DDog
reboot Bert & Ernie w(X) d(/) f() p/a()
2 assignments for English
find flannel for hood and sleeves
cut out hood & sleeves
sew in zipper
sew hood
sew in hood
sew in collar and interfacing
sew in sleeves
sew fronts to back
finishing touches

BBS

[Lilac]

30 years ago, we had moved here in April and were able to go "home" for Christmas. We left here on the 23rd and the next morning my friend/neighbor called to tell us our house had been burglarized. I thought that was bad enough but to be robbed while you are sleeping is terrifying. I think the only way to deal with that would be to remember how lucky you are that they robbed you but didn't physically harm you. (((Kathryn, dd and dsil))) I agree with MT that you feel violated/helpless. The burglar had went thru my underwear drawer. I had to wash all of them before I could wear them. After that for years, every time we went on a trip, I took every pair of underwear I owned. Finally I was able to quit doing that. They took our console TV. I had Christmas cards and 2 ceramic Santa mugs that I had made the girls on it. They had set the 2 mugs on the floor and then you could tell that they had just used their hand to send the cards flying everywhere. I always take out the trash before we leave on a trip. The empty 13 gallon trash container set near the fridge. They used it to steal the meat out of the freezer. They took everything but a box of shrimp. I am so glad that your dd was organized and had easy access to all the credit card numbers.

8 years ago about this time in Dec., dd2 and her family lived away. She went home with dgd and dgs9 mos. Dgd always got the mail out of the box right by the door. They walked in and dd2 could see the broken window in the door to the kitchen and realized that they had been robbed. She told dgd that they had to get out of there. Dgd threw the mail on the sofa. They got in the car and dd2 called the police and her dh. While she waited in the car in the driveway, she called me. I remember how helpless I felt. When the police and her dh got there and checked to make sure the house was empty, dd2 and the kids went in. There was stuff piled ON the mail that dgd had dropped on the sofa. Meaning the burglars were still in the house when dd2 and the kids went in. I was just sick to think what could have happened. Dd2s house had a fenced yard and there was no alley so the burglars had to jump the fence in other yards to get away from there and it was broad daylight.

Yesterday was a gray day. It started raining about 2:30 and rained off and on the rest of the day. I'm not sure how much we got but we had had no moisture for over 2 months. At least this will settle the dust.

I need to work on Christmas cards today.

Guess I better eat, do meds, etc.

[Lilac]

MT, I meant to comment that I think your ornaments are such a special gift to your 6 dgds and your 3 adult children. I remember that you posted pictures one time and I was so impressed with them. The ornaments that you are doing this year sound wonderful.