Final Thursday of 2013

[BookSaver]

It's the final Thursday heading into the final weekend of 2013.
Are you still celebrating Christmas?
Are you starting to celebrate New Year's Eve already?

[BookSaver]

Good morning, villagers ~

DH has a 7AM meeting at work today so he's already left.

I will need to run a few errands after the stores open. Must try to avoid the main places where people will be returning gifts ... although I'm not sure that's possible

Will order flowers or a plant for friend's funeral.

Want to clear some space in my office.

Must write appointments and meeting dates in the 2014 calendar, a task that has been on the list for some time and has finally arisen to the top priority.

[Lynlee]

the day is done here.
Train to the city, church, then walked through the city crowds.
I looked in a few store, bought water to drink. Looked at phones - both corded in case of blackouts, and cordless. Finally on the way back to the station - an office supply store had a good range, and an assistant who could answer my silly questions.
dgd had lent me her key so I could get in.
lunch
a rest
helped dd prepare for evening guests. 12 adults and 9 children - at least.
DD and dsil have a nice group of friends, one set brought visiting parents and ? a sister? so I was able to talk to a few people. Some obviously BO (or precise OCDers), others may well be SHES.

hot and sticky here today.
Home in the morning.
DHarriet and others - thank you for the sleep prayers. I have slept better than I normally do here. It is not uncommon for me not to sleep at all here and I've managed to mostly sleep on 1st night, and sleep through last night. I've learned to close my door so the morning sun does not shine right in from before 5am.

good night all.

[DeeClutter]

Celebrating here: We have a Christmas baby. New SGGD, Averi Mae, was born at 11:18 last night. When we talked to DS-A last night he said they might be on their way to Buffalo as DSS's wife had gone into labor -at least they thought so. Obviously it was the "real" thing. None of our DGKs are quite old enough to become parents yet, but certainly some of the Step DGKs.

DD and dh are going to Bradenton pretty soon to visit GD15.

Now my mind's a blank -will have to come back.

[Lynlee]

Congratulations to Dee's family's new addition. May many blessings come into their lives.
Prayers for the words and interaction to come with dgd.

[OKay]

Good Morning!

Bookie - Thank you for the timely start.

LynLee - Sending thoughts for safe travel home.

Dee - Congrats!

We are limping along this morning. LO and I are both coughing like crazy with what seems to be an old fashion cold. Also MPB broke yesterday (DH ended up working most of Christmas day) and couldn't be repaired with knowledge & parts on hand, so finding a solution is a priority today. It is going to be a busy day.

PODA -
** Christmas celebration continues today with DGS18, DGS16, GGD20days
** return Christmas gift (wrong size)
** drop off donation to GW
** CT scan for lung cancer screening for both DH and myself

[Twins' Mom]

I am heading out the door to take dmom and dbro to see my dsis. I will need patience in spades today on the road herding the two of them. Hoping for light ATL traffic also.

Congrats to Dee and dfamily!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Boxing Day party today. And just Ken and I to prepare for it. Can't figure out if that means things will go more quickly (no distractions from the kids wanting to tell me stories about things in their lives) or more slowly without the extra hands. I have printed off the to-do list and the menu so that much is in hand.

I'm not s2s but the upstairs is all tidied and basically ready (once I put on the clothes I've laid out.)

There's a load of laundry on in the washer.

I'm having my tea and chocolate and then breakfast.

Ds' girlfriend Cam (I'm just going to use her name because she may not be a feature in his life, so to use GF will confuse you all as the person with that role keeps changing!) put up a nice review of her Christmas on FB and since she spent the day with ds, that means I get a view of his day too! I had accidentally friended her on FB (meant to hit the About button) but it has turned out to be a very good move. She actually sounds quite lovely.

One of the pics she posted today was of a toaster with a crumpet setting. That's the sort of thing we'd take a picture of so she seems to have the same sort of interests as we do. As well, her FB isn't full of pictures of her wasted (unlike the FB pages from ds's van companions.) I'm very happy and not at all worried about ds this Christmas (this is his first away from home and I was concerned he might get depressed if he didn't have a good group of friends to share it with.

[Nancy]

I have a couple of things
Ready to go out in the trash for boxing day.
Empty pie container tossed.
Laundry has been rounded up.
BabyN. Maybe here later on not sure about dgkids.
Journaling done.

Read two ch. In my new devo. Book yesterday I am enjoying it but I do like the option of making the print bigger with e-books they do seem to be a bit more of a hassle. I think the Target probs. Have helped other stores. We do not even have a Target store here so no worries for me. But did have to get new cc before tky day so that was a wake up call about on line shopping for me I do not do much anyway.

Got two gift cards one for a feed store where we get chicks, another cor the place we get fed next door to where h. Works so the hens got more gifts thst we did LOL!

Got 8 eggs yesterday the hens seem to be alternating days. Had the last of the deviled eggs for breakfast today, resupplied the fridge for our use. H. Has a new egg customer for when the hens are laysing better when it warms up. I need to resecure the light today.

Tried to watch a Van Dame movie and we both fell asleep but blaming that on tky not the movie.

[DeeClutter]

Not only do we have a Christmas baby, but another DSGD became engaged yesterday. Good things in our extended family yesterday!

DS-A called last night before he went back out to plow. Presents from us were SO mixed up. This will be know as the Christmas of great blessings and of 'mixed up gifts'! DGS9 opened a gift ddil#2 had wrapped to him from us (these were all unmarked sealed boxes). When he opened it at his house yesterday morning his response was: "What is this?!?!" It was a sign saying "One Fireman & the Flame of HIs Life Live Here". Obviously meant for DS-A & his wife. It was the only gift dgs9 had from us at that point. DS-R & ddil#1 had a real good laugh at dgs's expense. He will be receiving a gift via A mazon from us about tomorrow though.

I am lazy today but have lots to do. I really need to get at the reports for the Annual Report for church up north. Don't have anything from anyone else as yet, but do have my own to do.

Got a K indle F ire HD from DH -which had quite a history. DD had ordered it for dh and used a dfriend's dh's business address to send it. Well, it didn't come and didn't come. So dd talked to A mazon & they sent another which also didn't come. After a flurry of phone calls dd traced the package through U P S and it had been delivered to the address on the box. DD went on her lunch hour to the address -not in a great section of town. Got there and it was a gun shop on the 2nd floor. She went up with great trepidation and when she gave her name they said, "Oh! We have a package for you". Wonder they didn't just keep it.

Another tear jerker gift from dh was a remembrance from DD -after our discussion here on our favorite movies, she remembered me saying something about Cinderella & Gus-Gus. Dh bought me a figurine from Disney with Gus-Gus in a teacup. Brought a flood of memories and tears. I love it and surely something I never would have thought of or ever asked for.

Glad you're getting a peek at DS, Kathryn.

We had a very relaxed and nice Christmas. Dh touted it as one of his best Christmases in a long time. Amazing how wonderful just being with loved ones can be.