FORTY-THREE DAYS???
FORTY-THREE DAYS??? ARE Y'ALL TRYING TO GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK???
That means, of course, that there are only
THIRTY-SIX DAYS till Christmas Eve -- and that is when we celebrate with ds and dbil's families. Whew.
And here I sit... still not s2s or even dressed for the day.
HOWEVER -- I HAVE accomplished a little bit...
I have been Christmas shopping online, and I am basically through with dgs' gifts.
I have talked to ds & ddil, received their "okay" on my ideas for dgs and dgd's birthday.
Pictures popped up in email "Your memories from this day..." and that made me cry. I just hope and pray that dgrands will always know how much dh loved them and how proud he was of them. He wanted sooo, sooo badly to see them grow up.
Seeing that I was awake until 5:00 a.m., I am being "gentle" with myself today. Yesterday was just a long day, and I did take a long nap late in the day. Then I just wasn't sleepy, so I started online shopping. So maybe I will start to GMAT after I cuop here, and send two emails that have been requested -- teacher group VP and our pastor, two totally different needs.
Yep, just getting through,
Twins... just getting through...

Oh -- question --

is it inappropriate for me to buy an engagement ring ornament for dbil's fiance? I love to give ornaments and I do not suspect that HE will think of an ornament as a gift, so when I saw a pretty one, I thought of her and went ahead and bought it. But is that okay, coming from someone other than dbil? It's just a ring in an open box, the "Old World" brand that is all glass, old-fashioned looking.
blessed, I certainly hope to get the new year off to a better start, maybe * finally * start taking care of the decluttering and deep cleaning zones. Praying my dmom will feel better in the new year.
BTW -- I would not feel one bit guilty for ANYTHING I had to do to get rid of mice! No no no -- you do whatever you have to. All creatures are on their own when it comes to mice. I am terrified of them. (I know that is kinda illogical, although my aunt was bitten by one in her sleep once.)
Nancy, that does sound like such a wonderful way to start the day... the moon and the owl, raven, and deer... and obviously you're not sitting around in the t-shirt you slept in at 3:00 in the afternoon...
LadyM, I thought about you last night (this morning?) when I saw there were storms in your area. So glad to hear that so far, it hasn't been bad for y'all. Are you and LordM taking a dancing class? My dmom has always wanted to take ballroom dancing, but that was definitely NOT something that was on my dad's bucket list. (Maybe I should introduce
her to the rocket scientist... sounds like something he would enjoy, LOL.)
(((
Harriet))) I sure know what you mean about "good kids, very good kids, but..." only my concern is off a different sort (J&C) and definitely not as serious, because no one's health is involved. Hang in there. That is amazing that the dog would actually block your dd from entering the restaurant, Blessed! That is wonderful. I am so thankful none of us have serious food allergies. Dnephew used to, mainly milk and tree nuts, but I think he has outgrown them now. I always make some cookies without pecans for him, and dgrands, just because that is their preference. DS and I, OTOH, think it is impossible to have too many pecans, LOL.
Twins, everyone is short-handed and frustrated now, aren't they? I dread going into brick and mortar stores, but I will have to for some of the people on my list.
And I am still completely at a loss as to what to get the men on my list. DBIL still has Omaha steaks from Christmas past... I got him and his fiance a movie gift card... and she is hard to buy for because I still feel like I don't really know her preferences that well, and she gives AMAZING gifts. Plus she will soon be trying to downsize a bit in prep for moving into dbil's house after they marry...
I really miss having dh to confer with, even though to be honest, he was only helpful in bursts of inspiration (dirt from Dodger Field for dnephew, for example. He found that one.)
The ugly sweater contests,
Nancy? I think my family-that-always-leaves-me-out does that.

I commented on a FB post to dcousin that we really do need to make an effort to get together and for those who can't come, they just can't come. There's probably 40 of us now, and some have step-families they have to get to, and it is impossible to arrange everyone's schedule. But I'm thinking, this year we've lost dh and daunt, and who knows how many of us will be together next year? That sounds morbid, but it's the truth. My dmom is the youngest of her generation and she will be 80 in March.
It Makes Me Nervous, but I may offer my house for a gathering spot. I wish the carpenter would come back and get my ceiling fixed. But ds said, "It shouldn't make you nervous, because your house is always picked up and 'looks' clean. It's not like us -- we have to hire J to come clean for us before we can even think about Christmas Eve." And when I said you could write your name in the dust on most of my flat surfaces, he said, "Oh, I'm not talking about dusting! I'm just talking about getting things put away."
So that's true. But OTOH, all it would take for us to get together would be for dcousin to invite us to the New Year's Eve gathering they already have. Sheesh. I hope she hasn't become one of the "guests" that lurk on here.
