SO MUCH TO DO SATURDAY

[Harmony]

(OKay) ah, the first driving lesson!

Where to start?
1 kind of cookies baked, the last batch is in the oven and I'm sitting here with the timer beside me.
2 different kinds of cookie batter in the refrigerator. I'll do them next.

DH ran out to store, I was running out of flour (bad planning on my part, I thought I had enough, but had used a bunch doing the pies at Thanksgiving.

I got DH started on the wrapping, had little post it notes with names on everything; put the shirts, etc., in boxes with tissue, gave him the tape, scissors, paper and said there go do whatever you want. He got all but about 8 done. I'll have to put regular name tags on and ribbon if I have time.

It is cold here. 48° and I'm worried we'll have a cold snap and lose our garden while we're gone. Man, I hope not. I still need to get beans in tomorrow morning before we hit the road too.

Stay well, Kathryn.

[Ivy]

Oh, my! DD called and she's GOING TO COME! She'll go to her Duncle's first, then come to our house, with dgrson-16 to sleepover and leave Christmas morning, by 9 a.m. so she can get dgrson-16 to his dad's and then DD is going to her DBFriend's parents house for the day with him.

I need to get DD's b-day card ready w/gift into it, get Dgrson-16's card/gift ready. I'll be hot spotting the place tonight. Already wrote a list, and will do what I can. WE can, because DH helps, too.

DH is SO HAPPY she's coming! He was very, very upset when she said she'd be going to Duncle's and not here, at first. I tried telling DH she's an adult and what does getting angry do? Nothing. He agreed, he "said", but now tonight, he's said how he'd been so upset and angry. So now he can be happy! And we'll all be together. DD and dgson haven't come for a sleepover in over a year, so this will be fun, too.

So our family's learned to be VERY flexible, because our adult kids/grandsons' plans can change at a drop of a hat! It's good to be a flexible family, too, I think. Just roll with the punches and not get all upset because that wastes so much energy. I'm glad DH is so happy now, too. It makes me feel better than he can feel good about sharing Christmas Eve with both of our kids/all grandsons: 7 of them!

So my so much to do Saturday will also be a so much to do Sunday, too. I'm in the process of making a to do list on a steno pad, too. I'll go finish that and get busy on and off tonight and tomorrow, too. I'm very pleased. ♥

Have a GR8 night, Everybody!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm off to get ready for bed now.

Dh is up now. Sitting and reading.

I've managed to get the prep done (except copying the activity sheets because, if I take ill, it will be for naught), loaded a bin to put in the car with my lesson stuff, the extension cords for the lights in the sanctuary and some of the stuff I'll need for Jesus' birthday party (after the early church service Christmas Eve.) I've also marked the hymns in my hymn book and have my music in the bin. I will need to remember my mp3 player, but that and the copying is all I have to do in the morning.

Clearing off the dining room table and paying bills has been postponed to tomorrow (along with a long list of other stuff.)

[Harriet]

Oh, Kathryn, I hope he soon feels better and that you continue well.

We can't have clemantines here, unaware of how close their kinship might be with the tangerines to which dd is so allergic.

Lynlee, the video is strongly emotional and riveting. But it is only appropriate that we share the things that move us. I'm sure you'll make the right decision, deciding if now's the time she'll benefit from it. Hope the cpap machine does it's magic. Sometimes they do!

Happy for Ivy's dh! He got his Christmas wish, then.

OKay, good job - 15 is an age to get behind the wheel and get an understanding and in my opinion it needs to be with family.

Today was my frantic day of the year. The dfirstil party. I was up by 6 and cooking, finishing still the final wrapping and putting presents into a big box, separated to keep the bows nice. Last minute clothes and jewelry decisions. I couldn't feel calm. At one point, I told dd and HRH this is the equivalent of going to Hyacinth's house for me. (from BBC series Keeping Up Appearances in which the character Elizabeth is so nervous dealing with her neighbor's social events). The crowd was smaller than usual. I had a pretty good time.

There were moments I was thinking, "Why am I here, again?" But there were also a lot of memories. And in general my nephews and nieces there were very glad to see me. 2 nephews have gotten engaged and everyone's scared to ask the brides questions, but not me. Honestly, if it wasn't for me diving into conversation the 2 wouldn't have had a chance to talk about themselves, and they are both interesting young ladies. I was able to tell another nephew his uncle would have been proud of him.

Frustrations to consider and let go - that after spending a couple hours on plenty of deviled eggs, there was another large batch already there when we arrived, so somehow those signals crossed as far as who was bringing what. Also frustrated that visiting my colorist yesterday did very little for my hair. It looked okay, not really nice as I would hope from the time given.

Better moments to remember - I got a compliment on my skin looking young compared to the others there of my age group. I got a compliment on the wrapping of my gifts. So those moments made me feel less stressed. I successfully slowed down the unwrapping of children's and secret Santa gifts. That was a help to all. Great-nephew 11, who is an unusually quiet boy no one seems to be able to "reach" opened our present first and so loved the lego-type hero-building kit that he hardly took his hands off of it for the rest of the party! Finally, finally, I found him a gift he would acknowledge! When dfirstmil's sister90 played carols on the piano I helped sing. Many compliments to dd: "polite" from dfirstmil's sisters, "ladylike" from dbil, constant hand-holding from little cousins.

I feel quite freed now, as I always do after the major party. I have many gaps to fill before the evening of the 26th, but that's "homefolks". So now I can concentrate more on the meaning of the season and also treat myself a little better.

[scattered]

WooHoo!!! The jackets are finally done!!! Of course the DS's know what they are getting but they fit and the boys say that they really like them. Tomorrow I need to start on all the other gifts... ugh 2 days to finish!

[Ivy]

Yes, Harriet, DH got his Christmas wish!

You sound like your day was frantic, indeed! Wow! It's so nice you got a compliment on your skin! AND on wrapping gifts, too! That was really sweet.

We left at 2:25 p.m. today, to deliver a gift to a widow friend. We picked the mail up on our way, so I put the mail in my purse. I'd forgotten all about it, until 8:45 p.m. I opened up cards and letters, read them, and found a $25 Visa gift card for us from my BFF and her DH with a note, for us to go out to eat somewhere and to treat ourselves. I was so surprised. I thanked her, but I'll write her a thank you card, too, because the USPS is running the mails on Christmas Eve! I looked it up on-line and was so surprised!

DH is running the DW. He's trying to find something on TV. He said he'll buy Les Miserables when it comes out on DVD because he loves Hugh Jackman and others in it, the music and the fact that everything was filmed lived and not taped with dubbed in voice singing 4 months later. It's going to be wonderful to watch it. We love the music and the story, too.

Scattered, it's GR8 the jackets are done!

Kathryn, I hope you'll stay healthy! And your Dfamily, too.

OKay, I was so nervous with DD and her first driving lesson. Then we paid for an instructor because of 2 minor accidents and insurance. Now she's an excellent driver. Did you get nervous at all?

Lynlee, That's sad about the friend and her dad killed in a learner driver lesson gone wrong. It's good you gave a special hug.

Waving to Booksaver, Sunny, CathyS, Twins' Mom, MT, Dee, and Everyone else, too!
Goodnight!

[Harmony]

Ivy, I'm glad your DD can come. I know how important it is to see
ALL of one's family if at all possible.

Harriet, sure glad for you that your big doings is all over and you can enjoy the rest of the holiday. And now you have compliments to tuck into that place we go to when we need to bolster ourselves up.

I had more to say but I think my brain is tired. And the review scrolled off.

Two nice big Christmas tins of cookies done and ready to take with us tomorrow. Only 3 kinds this year, less than usual, but they look good and I'm pleased I managed to get this done. DD1 is less than happy we will only be there one night and one day, but DD2 is begging me to come and help her. She remembered one more several hours long chore that she MUST get done before they go away, and has no idea how she'll do it. She asked me, "Mom will you please help me?" I truly think she doesn't know how she'll get enough done for them to be on time for their trip. They are taking a train and then driving to Banner Elk, NC for a skiing trip, their family Christmas present.

She doesn't waste time and she's not truly that unorganized, she just has too much on her plate. It impacted our holiday this year.

I'm off to wrap the last gifts then off to bed. It's cold here and I'm achey all over. Even DH put a quilt on the bed tonight and he never does that!

[Nancy]

♥ Had a good time at dd's Christmas family thing but feeling a bit puny tonight. Lots of ideas running inside my head. Planning for family to be here after all on Christmas day so maybe a tea with some healthy snacks. Too many diabetics to think of it being unhealthy. Dson validitated sp? what a bad time mil gave me about the school photos she wanted before it was time for her to get 'em; I had them framed and wrapped for cards and gifts under the tree she was having a fit about not having them what she thought was "on time"! And the bball hoop was one of his gifts and hubby and dson made the back board for a project during the break one year!

Sewing things for the grandgirls to do on their new sewing machine. Glad I have sorted out the yard sale fabric for them to go through, and old jeans that I cut up and saved the denim from will be great for practice stuff like doing a straight seam. Gift bags, and tote from a feed sack idea that I love!

Store run to do for the stuff I want to make ~ h. is sneezing as well sigh~ hope we can make it through this holiday ok.