Anything You Wish Saturday

[DeeClutter]

Thanks, Harriet -I'm just a bit "brain-dead" or suffering from "brain-fog" is probably a better term.

Have the island counter and behind it cleaned in the kitchen. Spending time there cleaning 1 area and then spending time in our room, doing 'internet' Christmas shopping. Have decided on the fireplaces we will order on Monday for 2 DS's families. Hoping they'll get there just about Christmas Eve Day. Now have to hunt for a few things for the rest of the dgks. Haven't bought 1 thing for gd here yet. Not sure just what to do for her.

It is such a feeling of violation to be robbed. It's happened to us. Both the car and the house. Remember coming in one time and finding the sliding patio door wide open and flies in the house -was really upset at our kids at first, thinking they had left it open. Not so. Another time our sliding door window on our van was smashed (in the city at hockey) and things taken. Another the little 'wing' window (remember those?) was smashed and our CB taken. There is so much anger at first. Can't even imagine the emotions of those in CT.


I'm off -again.

[blessedw2]

mmm anything I wish... can I be like the old show bewitched: loose the weight I want with a wiggle of my nose... be able to run the marathon and how about laundry and put away in a second... doesn't that sound nice

hello to all

dh wants to work in my car - a little (okay a lot cluttered) but it is raining
I still have 2 baskets to put in the basement that are in the kitchen at the top of the stairs.

thanks for the cheers on the 3 season room... (someone asked what that was - it's a room where it doesn't have heat but windows all around that you can sit in when it's not too hot or too cold. I guess you would call it an enclosed porch but it's built like a room in the house. Actually we really don't use it much.

[helia]

I agree with scattered - you are amazing, MT. You and Mr. MT are so creative and handy.

((Kathryn and dsis)) I have never been robbed, but I can understand feeling vulnerable and helpless by it.

Glad your dd and family weren't harmed, Lilac. Amazing stories out there. . . .

I called dmom who said not to mail the packages until they return from their trip to KS so that is one thing off my liset. I've checked the weather - I can finish the other garden Monday.

Dd14 has been dropped off at practice. She has a busy day too; I think she is feeling a little stressed. She gets home from practice around 1:50. A friend is coming over to practice a duet for solo/ensemble around 2/2:15. Then, she needs to do her vacuuming chore since we have people coming over tonight. She also needs to bake all those cookies -- and we have people here from 5 - 9-ish? tonight. I think she can bake while we're meeting, that is probably OK.

Dh is helping with soup kitchen this afternoon, 2-4 or so. He will not be able to help with small group prep.

SO, dh always insists I sit with everyone for bfast Saturday a.m.s even though I don't eat the bfast. He has refined a recipe for waffles, pretty healthy - uses whole wheat flour - but it is still too many WW points for me to use first thing in the a.m. So, I sat with dh and dd14. Dd17 is away at her small group sleepover.

Anyhow, now to get going for real. I'm going to get ready and then head out to the mall and then the groc. store before picking up dd14 around 1:40. I hope that will work.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Dd really got out of this lightly.

The credit and debit cards are all canceled. Her dh can go to Seattle on his own (and will have to because they were picking up Christmas gifts they had ordered online.) Her laptop is completely backed up, complete to her last school assignments which were done last week. They have insurance, although her laptop isn't worth replacing. Nothing else was taken, not that they have anything of value (almost 100% of their possessions are used - except for kitchen utensils and dishes - and they live like students so have very little stuff to begin with.)

But the loss of feeling safe is the big concern. And I'm not sure she'll want her dh to go stay the 2 days in the US to save on the duty and taxes because that means she has to stay home on her own for 2 days.

The secondary concern is that she can't fly without ID and it was all stolen. They leave in 4 days to come back East for Christmas, stopping at his parents' house first. Dsil phoned the airline and she can fly with her birth and marriage certificates, the police report and her long-expired passport.

I'm pushing for her to try and get a replacement license because otherwise I'll have to drive her everywhere when they are here, instead of renting her a car.

[Twins' Mom]

Did most of that round (had a good walk with ddogs) but didn't finish up on kitchen. DH is home watching TV. Also texted with dsis' xdh (should call him xdbil?) and he located some social security paperwork regarding dsis that he is to get to me on Monday, so that's very good news. It's cool (48 degrees) and damp out; I have the gas firelogs on and the house feels cozy.

Now....
-finish kitchen clean up including "hot" counter
-clear kitchen table
-start a lol
-make the bed
-straighten MBR

I'm glad there's some "good" news from this Kathryn. Yes, could have been much worse but I'm sure she and dsil feel violated.

[Emptynester]

I meant to give you all the names of my friends that have books on Amazon or Smashwords (for Nook).

Nick Russell has several books of non-fiction out. Some are travel books about places to go and see and others are about the RV lifestyle. He also has a series of mysteries out starting with Big Lake. All are set in AZ up around Show Low. He is finishing the 4th one of the series.

D. B. McNicol is the one that just published her first full length novel. She has published short stories before.

Both of them self-publish digital books. Nick has been at it longer and has been quite successful. His books have been Number 1 in their genre at times. Nick also publishes a newspaper directed toward the RV world. He and his wife, Terry, have been full time RVers for many years.

Donna McNicol and her husband, Stu, are also full time RVers. They use a Freightliner truck to pull their 40 foot toy hauler. The back contains their toys - two Harley Davidson bikes. Donna and Stu met at one of our national rallies a few years ago and then married. Both had lost their spouses and were traveling alone.

http://gypsyjournalrv.com/category/nicksblog/
http://www.2takinga5th.com
Links to their blogs that are always interesting.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I think Ds has just pulled up. He didn't sleep well in his own bed last night. Not sure if that means he's staying back here or not.

I got the weekly kitchen chores done this morning.

I've finally s2s and started a load of laundry (2 to do today.) Also put fresh towels in the bathroom and fixed my closet bi-fold door (the thing that holds it in the track on the bottom is broken so I have to patch it together from time to time.

Knee was minor sore this morning and is currently fine. We'll see if that changes now that I'm dressed (my jeans are tight because I'm eating too much.)

Next challenge: vacuum and dust the bedroom level.

[lucylee]

Oh, (((Kathryn))) (((DD & DSIL))) -- so glad they were not harmed, but oh my... how scary that is! And now... how angry and frustrated they must feel! (((BIG HUGS)))

Of course, the families in CT are on my mind this morning... especially as a teacher, these kinds of things hit close to home... and to think of such a thing happening in an elementary school is just beyond comprehension!

I must s2s and be on my way. Dfriend -- former coworker, now retired -- has published a cookbook and is having a signing this morning! So I'm going to get one for myself. Right... like I'M going to cook something? But -- if I do get the urge to cook, this lady would be a good one to learn from!

DGS just left -- he stayed w/us for an hour or so while his parents went to a funeral visitation -- a friend of ddil's. Now they are on their way for dgs's first meeting w/Santa!

Do ya'll almost feel GUILTY for enjoying things, for having happy things to report, when others are suffering such unimaginable grief? It's hard to believe that life is so... "normal" right now for us... and there in CT, for sooo sooo many people, life will NEVER be "normal" again.
Praying.

[scattered]

Kathryn - does she have Replacement insurance? Not sure how insurance works there, but here we have two different kinds; actual and replacement. Actual is for the actual current value and replacement is for what it would cost to replace with new. Thankfully I have replacement.

Twins - I'm glad xDBil found the paperwork.

Lucylee - yes part of me feels guilty, but I also must keep going.

I finally got to talk with DP/BFF, I had texted her and called to leave a message to have her call me. Apologized for missing today, and told her that I really wanted to meet her DD, and suggested maybe dinner tomorrow. She has twisted my arm and so DS13 and I will joining their DFamily at church tomorrow. Her DstepS is lighting the candles at the service. I am not christen but was raised Bi-Annual Catholic, I very rarely go to a church... usually just for weddings or funerals, so I am sure she is feeling very proud of herself. She also told me to hold her and her DH's gifts till last.

ToDo/TaDa's
d2s
coffee
let out DDog
reboot Bert & Ernie w(XX/) d(XX/) f(XX) p/a() (DS13 is folding for me )
2 assignments for English
find flannel for hood and sleeves (not enough for both sleeves may have to get inventive )
talked to DP/BFF
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

[Twins' Mom]

I ended up running out to the vet because needed to p/u dMacs meds before 2 p.m. Dd and ds have apparently gone to grocery store, atho it appears that they forgot the grocery list? We discussed supper menu before they went out; I wonder if they will come home with just ice cream, snacks, and the stuff they eat?

Got the mail on the way out and rec'd results from bloodwork at doc's on Monday - just about all were great, total cholesterol down to 144 from a year on Lipitor.

Dh is asleep on couch in front of TV.

Back to the round I interrupted...and adding a couple....
-straighten MBR
-Make the bed
-Start that lol
-15 minutes DR table clearing
-unpack new vacuum cleaner