Year's End Saturday

[BookSaver]

Last weekend of 2013
Let's make it a good one!

[BookSaver]

DH is having his annual post-Christmas cold virus from being exposed to all the family germs. So far I'm feeling ok, but I'm drinking extra water, taking vitamin C, and trying to get enough rest.

We had hoped to get together today with some old friends we haven't seen in months, but DH doesn't feel like going anywhere and, of course, doesn't want to make the friends sick. He has gone back to bed.

I'm hoping he will feel well enough by this evening to go see a large Christmas lights display a few miles away. The family has filled their yard with lights that are programmed to music. I heard that they've also included their next-door neighbor's lights in the music. The weather was too bad to be out driving on the previous nights we tried to go. Someone told me last night that the display is supposed to be up until January 5th, so we are not too late to see it.

My main goal for this weekend and next week will be to do many, many 15 minute sessions in decluttering. Where's my timer?

[Lynlee]

Today I looked at things I'd like to do next year. Back to readings and writing prayers for starters. also to pick some spaces and make some progress in decluttering.
Its a bit of a raffle with me picking the spaces out of a container and giving it a go. today
readings, and prayer written
cleared clutter off a section of counter, cleaned it tonight.
old rolls of tape from stash room dresser tossed.
walked ddog 45 min
2 ph calls. someone rang at 8pm, another at 9pm, .... complex needs / wishes from both. Really - the pity was I hadn't gone to the movie and missed both calls.
Note to me. I cannot be responsible for others.
No - a bed in my house was not available for a sleep over of undefined time by someone who has taken to their bed years ago.
Both calls have whizzed up issues for me.

The desire to go to bed earlier is not happening/ fulfilled tonight.
night all

[Harriet]

Oh, I hope your dh feels better soon, BookSaver.

((Lynlee)) You have the right attitude about all. You are "gearing up" for the bedtime habit - you'll get there. Enjoy the game with the jar full of space-names. I hope you pick at least one that makes you smile at yourself!

Hi. Couldn't even get here yesterday except for a moment that wasn't even long enough to read. So if ya'll were brilliant yesterday, I'll have to find out about it later!

I had said in a "debriefing" post in the Holiday thread that a lot would be happening Friday and I'd have more to warn about to my future self! So true. Biggest warning - don't let 2 big meals happen on the same day. We had a crowd for lunch and then a crowd for supper. This was because ds28's family, who had thought they were going to be able to be with us all for supper, had to move their visit back.

So I cooked all morning, and then we had a big lasagne meal for a dozen of us at lunch, spilling over onto the "child's table", with ds28 asking the blessing. Got a good photo of the four boys (so far) in stair-step mode around the side of the tree. Gifts, excitement, laughter, flying wrapping paper. Then I hurriedly washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen to get ready for HRH and I to both cook a big turkey meal for a somewhat different dozen of us at supper, spilling over onto the "child's table" again, with dstepgd asking the blessing. Gifts, excitement, laughter, flying wrapping paper. Much more cleaning and washing after that! Of course, neither of these hot meals lent themselves to the paper plates I'd bought.

Last evening, we played the new Duck Dynasty board game with dstepson, ddil, the girls, and dd, and it took a long time for me to get out of the kitchen to come play. You choose from the 4 main male characters as your team's identifying pieces for the game. I asked, "Hey, where are are women?" and dstepson said, "In the kitchen, where they belong!" He didn't need to run because he was all the way on the other side of the dining table from me, and I was too tired to chase him!

This morning, the kitchen is dirty! (That's a long story) But anyway, I believe I am needed at the sink. So that's where I'll be!

Oh, Lilac, from Thursday, yes we are surprised. But at 33, my dd is still in SuperWoman mode. This was a surprise pregnancy, but she is really embracing it with a lot of optimism and excitement. I must admit to you that HRH and I awakened on Friday morning, looked at each other, and both asked the other if it had been a dream! Surely there was not a fifth little grandboy coming to meet us so soon! At that moment we had one sleeping on the couch, a younger one sleeping on dd's bed, having (literally) kicked her out to another couch! The third had cried to get to stay with us as well but we were running out of boy-spaces!

[Nancy]

We have a sunny day on tap here today. Harriet wishing you well claning up. K in C hope you can type or use voice thingie for sermon notes.

I am trying to journal and breakfast is underway.
Bed is made.
First round of hen chores is done.
I worked on laundry yesterday through out the day.
I am enjoying the sunrise here today.

[Twins' Mom]

I slept until 9:30 this morning and have read the paper and drank my coffee and started a lol. I am so happy to not have a packed schedule today. Tonight dh and I are taking out for dinner the elderly friend whose dh passed away recently.

Vent ahead: I'm ready to pitch a hissy fit because, mysteriously, my house key has disappeared off my key ring (was there when I arrived home yesterday) and dd used my keys to drive my car last night instead of driving hers, since mine was last in the driveway. It seems like original house keys just disappear around here. Also over Thanksgiving break, the brass hardware hook that I had that I could use to attach keys to my purse disappeared. I hate it when my things disappear when dkids are around. Vent over. Off of soapbox.

[lucylee]

Waving to all... (((Twins)))... (((Mr. BookSaver)))...

Do hope we hear from MT soon.

BTW -- what is the weather forecast along I-40 West next week? You know... California, here we come...

Well... dmom has (reluctantly) agreed to go see Saving Mr. Banks with me. Reluctantly b/c she says she doesn't like to be on the road when it's raining. I told her she would not melt.
* sheesh *
DBro called me last night and he was about to have a come apart. Besides the fact that dmom had been in Chatty Cathy mode all during his visit, to the point of following him and dgf around as they were trying to pack to leave, and he was extremely rushed getting to the airport... on top of THAT, when he got home, duncle called him immediately, telling him that he needed to be making plans to move back here ASAP "to take care of dmom." This put dbro immediately on the defensive, thinking duncle is NOT going to be the one to order him around and that if I need him back here, he will be on the return immediately, but NOT b/c of duncle's demands. * sheesh *
I told dbro that I did not see that dmom needed 24/7 care at this point. She is perfectly capable of driving herself, feeding herself, and caring for herself. If she is becoming a bit eccentric and lazy in the process... that does not equate with the need for assisted living. Good grief. Also told dbro that duncle is a nut, but that since that night he called, almost at the point of tears re: the tombstone/boat/car/etc etc... he has not mentioned ANY of those things again to me, and nothing has changed except the stone and the boat has been cleaned (but not sold). So dbro might find that duncle does not think of his concern for dmom again, in re: to dbro moving back here, for quite some time.
Lord have mercy.

Dbro also was very complimentary of my hostessing abilities, etc. for Christmas, and said it was one of the best Christmases he remembered. He really enjoys spending time w/dh & ds.

Well. Time to go. Y'all wish me luck.

[Harmony]

Oh, Harriet, that is a lot of cooking for one meal. Could some of it been done the day before and just heated up - the lasagna for instance? I've done that... and one group of people I had here were all when I was just sitting around talking with them until I told them dinner was all prepared ready to heat up..

Lucylee, have a safe trip. Does your DBro have plans to move back at some point? Doesn't he have a job where he lives now?

Twins, do your kids lose their keys and just grab yours? I'd be furious too!

Hi Nancy. Kathryn, you going to have a dr. look at your wrist sometime?

I've been stuck at my desk. Mucho time over one form that I had one number misplaced on and couldn't find it no matter how many times I redid...I guess I kept making the same stupid mistake over and over just to make sure the wrong number was the same each time...but that is done now and in the mail..sheesh!

I'm going to stop and eat something and then maybe work on something in the house for a change. Still have my decorations up and will probably take them down next week. I usually wait till the new Years. It takes such a long time to get it all done, that removing everything too quickly doesn't seem right to me. At least this year we don't have anything outside but a wreath, which I will leave for last. It is a pinecone one.

[CathyS]

Hi everyone!

There is a Twilight Zone marathon on today. Mike is flipping between that and The Simpsons.

I had a very hard time getting to sleep last night.

I want to do laundry today. I also want to work on filing.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harmony: No point going to the doctor. The office is only open 3 days between now and our trip and those days are over-filled with activity to get us off. I have a splint on. The internet tells me the first line of mending is to offer the wrist 2 weeks of complete rest. Not quite sure how that is to work (it is my dominant hand) but the splint reminds me somewhat, and I'm doing as much as I can with the left. I can't stop typing until tomorrow.

I have set up the voice dictation software on my computer and will use it during the trip. I can't write sermons that way. I can write descriptively but not expository work.

Once we are on the ship, 9 days from now, I'll try and enter a complete rest for the wrist plus physio I've picked up from the internet. And icing. I'll be doing the same for the knees.

I will try and book a physical for when I'm home. It normally takes 4 months to get one so it makes sense to do that before I leave so the physical is waiting when I get home.

I've been so sick over the past year, I actually missed my physical last year. I was never well enough to do it. Dh booked his and it was cancelled by the doctor but not rebooked by them so I should book one for him too.

We are up. Did presents, I stripped and remade the bed (as wrist free as possible), s2s (as wrist free as possible) and unloaded the dishwasher (with my left hand.) Dh made a waffle lunch and we are heading off to a movie and out for dinner later. I bought a virtual gift card from the theatre before I left so I can get free popcorn when we buy the tickets.

I still haven't finished the sermon yet. But there is some time between their movie and mine, or maybe I won't go to a movie at all (I'm not interested in the Hobbit.)

We booked our excursions last night but a lot were waitlisted so I'm not sure what we'll do in some places. We'll wait and see what happens when the cruise actually starts. Dh will do the tour to the Hobbit filming sight. Dd wants to stowaway in our suitcase and come too.