Thursday PWYC

[lucylee]

S2S -- including 5 min. exercise & Bible reading
Printed labels for pictures to go in Christmas cards
Errands --
-- t-shirt shop (picked up monogrammed items for Christmas gifts)
-- post office (stamps)
-- Walmart (picked up pictures for Christmas cards)
-- doctor's office (picked up paperwork for dh's blood work/annual check-up)
-- post office again, mailed Christmas cards
Talked to dsgm on phone
Talked to 4th grade teacher at doctor's office
Talked to old friend/classmate at post office
Talked to dmom * who said she slept in her own bed last night for the first time since returning from Houston!
Home
Wrapped 3 more gifts
Printed CVS coupon
Sent message to dbro re: dirty Christmas gifts

BIG WTG, Lilac's dd!!! So sad for that boy and his little sister. So sweet of dd to try to give them a little brighter Christmas!

[Lilac]

Dd2 just called. The little girls teacher called dd2. She said the little girl just has a sweatshirt for a coat. She said her clothes are nice enough. She will find out what size tomorrow. So dd2 and I are adopting them for Christmas. It is just the 2 kids. The teacher says the parents work a lot, so that various family members pick her up.

What is so depressing is that there are more than these 2 kids doing without. Dd1 is a school nurse at what is now called the Early Childhood center. These are all pre-k age. Dd1 buys new underwear and socks in various sizes for boys and girls to have on hand. She also keeps a variety of clothing because at that age, they have bathroom accidents, eating accidents, etc. Both of my girls see so much and any time they decide to help, I always contribute. I don't need things for Christmas so I would rather help a child. Dd1 also hands out backbacks of food on Fridays for the kids who don't have enough to eat on weekends. She gets them from the food bank. It is up to her to identify the need.

I just love to hear about Cowinkie and Norma's get togethers.

[helia]

MMmmm..... your Monday lunch sounds awesome, Norma! It is making me hungry.

So heartwarming to hear of the kindness of your dds - and you too, Lilac! I'm so glad there are people like that out in the schools. We have the opposite issue in our home. Even when temps are in the teens or below, Dd18 refuses to wear her winter coat and goes to school only in a sweatshirt. . . I gave up on that battle a couple years ago.

I switched the laundry and went to the store. I have made the rice salad. Now, I'm going to clean up the kitchen b/c dh is going to need to be cooking in it soon. I'll have to do some of the things on my li&t when I get home.

I have to allow time to shower before I go. I have a BAD case of hat hair! LOL!

[Ivy]

DH was at a retiree's luncheon, I was at home, napping to Christmas music under a warm blanket in my recliner. I was sleeping hard, but when I woke up to the funny song, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer!" I woke up laughing! I'm a grandma and the song took on a whole new meaning and his my funny bone!

I read through a children's Christian magazine, which I want to write for. I started out as a poet, read some poems in the magazine, figured, "I can do that!" and am looking forward to practicing writing poems again. I specialize in ones which rhyme nicely. I'll get out their 2014 theme list to see what I can come up with certain issues and get some submissions in.

It's still raining here, but is so much nicer than ice and snow or fog or freezing fog.

I got 2 letters, 1 card, so will answer them this weekend, or when I've got time. I'm running low on postage stamps, too.

I got a cute letter from my down's syndrome friend. She doesn't write much, but her letters are adorable, make my heart smile and I save them all. ♥

Have a great later afternoon and evening, Everyone.

[Nancy]

♥Got a Christmas card from one daunt saying the other aunt had broken her foot an is in the nursing home.

I took dgd to McDonalds for lunch, we did a dollar store run got Christmas cards, and a foil pan to cook one turkey in lotion that h. Can use for dry skin. We mixed up three kinds of cookie dough. Did a facial. It was warm enough for dgd to play with the hens a bit. She has left for the day. Dgson is earning time on his x-box by doing home work that seems to be working. He is in basketball so have not seen much of him this month.♥

[Lilac]

I need to add that when I help out a child instead of getting gifts myself, it is really a 3fer. A child/or children are happy, dh is happy because he has a hard time thinking of something to buy me and I am happy because it really is better to give than receive, in my case.

helia, from the time I was a teenager on, I have hated to wear coats, so I have always preferred jackets and light ones at that. Now that I am older, I wear a coat and I don't leave my house without gloves, even if it's just to get the mail. I guess I am getting old. So I understand where your dd18 is coming from.

[Elizabeth]

Hi everyone! It has been a cr*ptastic day.

Here was my day, stream of consciousness style:
I'm going to be early for payroll! Was that MY car making that noise. That WAS my car making that noise. <Turning toward brake place>
We can look at it now. Back pads are gone, metal on metal. Gonna need new rotors in the back too. Pads in front, rotors too. And usually an alignment when brakes are done, maybe not. Check this out, did you know you had a radiator leak? It's very small, but you are going to need a new radiator eventually, sooner if the leak gets bigger. We can fit you in today, recommend brakes now, check radiator level often.
At least they take checks. HOW MUCH? YIKES!!! $775 <Wanders to get lunch>
<Can no longer stay at lunch table, I want wait staff to get enough tips if their cars break. Leave big tip. Wander to book store. Get books for flight to Alabama. Spend more money than I ought. Back to brake place. Write big check. Retrieve car which now runs and stops nicely.>

I had called a friend to join me for lunch, but she was at a funeral, so we are having dinner tonight. I am feeling exceptionally broke now, so I am extremely motivated to work on job search stuff tonight. Fortunately, there is no church meeting tonight. Must also update Quicken and transfer money to cover that enormous check to the brake place.

Mom has been asking me what I want for Christmas. For my birthday in June, I asked for and got tires. Maybe I should ask for brakes. Car parts are not her favorite gifts to give, but at least she knows they will be useful and appreciated.

[OKay]

Long day but I'm thrilled with what I spent the time doing and accomplishing.

** Morning - shopped for kitchen cooking stove and faucet. Went to 3 stores and found the stove that had all the features that were important to me.

** Lunch & Afternoon - Spent it with DGS18 and getting to know our Great Granddaughter (six days old)

**Evening - went to town in pickup and brought new stove home. We worked together to get it installed. Had to stop a couple time to respond to MPB problems but at the end of the evening the stove is installed and working great. I'm back in business with full cooking facilities again.

[Harmony]

Wow, Norma that food sounds delicious!

(Elizabeth) personally I think car parts are great! In some not so great years I've asked for things like underwear, socks. My kids always roll their eyes but I appreciate those things.

Lilac, that was a wonderful story to read about you and your DD helping. There's so many in need. I must get some food to take to church, they are helping 35 families this year.

OKay, wondering what kind of stove you use with all that cooking you do? I have one of those flat top glass electric ones and I think the cooktop is slow to heat up, and the oven to preheat too. Know you loved seeing the baby!

I got one Christmas letter printed out. I only send one like that, to my childhood girlfriend in Maryland. She sends me one too. Other people just get a few lines in the card. But this is the one time a year my GF and I converse, so this is what we do. I must get the other cards out. I am so behind this year.

[Elizabeth]

Back from dinner. Running LOL. Got a job search tip from friend at dinner.

Car parts are nice Christmas presents and NEVER get returned or regifted.