Thanksgiving, and Starting Monday...

[bittersweet]

Now everything is done except going through the downstairs stamps. Dson had already done the cat box when I came down, and I delegated him and DH to get at the dishes. DH dried most of them, but has gone now to pick up DMum. I'm heading back upstairs to shower and change after my short break. Then I'll go through downstairs stamps until it's time to head out.

[DeeClutter]

You're right, Harmony, Standard time starts the 1st or 2nd of November -depending on if you set them back on Saturday night or Sunday morning. I had to look it up a few weeks ago as someone had posted in our campground's FB page that it was starting soon but can't remember what date she put. However it was truly wrong.

I was outside saying goodbye to a couple of friends, dh happened by and so did DS-R. Came in & looked at our phone after a while. DS-A had texted me while I was outside (& I thought I was safe). They're on their cruise in San Juan right now. He texted that because of the tropical storm they couldn't go on to St. Martens AND they have to leave Puerto Rico because of the encroaching hurricane. So praying for safety, not only for them, but all others who are in the path of this storm bearing down on them. Have no idea where their cruise ship will head to seek safety. I was amazed that he was even able to text from there. He wanted to tell DS-R & ddil#1 that they're at a site with DGS2 that they visited with them 3 years ago. They all went on a 10-day cruise a couple of months after they lost their DZoe. DS-R & his family went with them.

[Harriet]

Oh, Dee, bless their hearts! I hope they stay safe. Better safe than having an adventure. Kathryn will know, but I wonder if any money could be refunded?

bittersweet, so good to see you. Wise of you and of your mother to get together without too much work for her.

Well, you have me to kick around for a while longer.
I thought I might get side-swiped on the way out to pick up dd. A man driving a pick-up swerved far out into my lane right at the top of a hill without visibility either way. He was turning in to a driveway on his side of the road, and just ignoring the whole concept of the other lane. I had to swerve so much to barely miss his front bumper that I ended up way off the road and thank goodness there was minimal ditch. I was kicking up grass and dirt and far from stable, but was alright to pull back onto the road beyond him. Surprised that I then required most of the roadway to correct my own drift. I continued to be shaky all the way to the school.

And then dd got a "snapchat" in the car with me. Do ya'll know all about that? I'm sure I wouldn't without a teen in the home. At any rate, one hallmark of a "snapchat" is that it is available briefly and gone within seconds. Her friend was quite wise to inform dd that way of a very sad incident at the friend's school today. (5 miles from us.) It is best for the students there not to be gossiping, so I can see why her parents allowed only a brief word to her closest friends. Students are blameless in this trouble but I'm sure they will be impacted.

[Twins' Mom]

I have accomplished more than expected, even with such a late start. I got all the financial statements pulled together into a Dropbox folder so I can give others the link instead of emailing all the statements. Remembering that the two temple guys that were there on Friday might not recall that our f/s haven't been exactly stellar, I sent them a link inviting questions before I send the info to the bank.

TA DAs
-first draft of bank application form
-f/s info together for bank
-dental appt for tomorrow
-paid bill for dmom, paid for local history books that I am ordering
-this morning straightened out the date issue on the court order, and rec'd confirmation from closing agent that they got the corrected stmt via fax today
-purged email inbox to 62 emails
-email to distant cousin re: dna matches
-pointed out that our insurance shows a loss agent for all four Torahs, when the loss agent has an interest only in one Torah that is on permanent loan to us
-follow up email to insurance agent that he can contact me if additional info is needed
-a couple of overdue emails to temple bookkeeper

I still haven't finished up the religious school stuff I was doing last week, however.

I am going to reward myself with a little genealogy. Also need to feed poor starving ddogs. Later I need to stop off at a neighbors house for a few minutes w a birthday card and perhaps have cake and ice cream. Said neighbor is 93 y/o - lives with his daughter - and still walks around the circle with his walker occasionally. (The card I bought says on the front: "Urology Department. Can you hold?" )

[Twins' Mom]

Harriet, so glad you're okay! Scary things happening!

[FelineFriend]

Good Evening, Everybody! I'm waving to you ALL! This is a quickie C. I., too.

I've been watching old movies with DH, while browsing through magazines, cutting out recipes, tips, articles, coupons, and purging them. I keep magazines, like "Crochet!", which have oodles of patterns. I write the title of the page of patterns, on light grey post-it notes, in red ink. I stick them into the magazine, in a staggering fashion, so the post-its don't cover each other up. DH bought me a large pkg. of post-it notes at Costco, as I was running low, use them for writing and so many things. I needed more, love the new colors, too.

We're having a storm here, right now. It'll be stormy until bedtime, they said once. DH blew off the leaves on the 1/4-mile long driveway, prior to the storm hitting. He's relieved this storm's here, because it'll make more leaves fall, making his job easier. It's a good thing to rid the driveway of leaves because it's through the woods, slugs get under the leaves and if you walk ON a few leaves, with slugs under them, your shoes get all GUNKY AND SLIMY! Also, when it rains, the leaves left on the driveway make it hazardous because they're slick as can be, you can fall, and that's just NOT a good thing!

I have 1 LOL to dry now, so will run to do that now. Have a wonderful evening, and I hope those of you, celebrating Thanksgiving today, are having a wonderful time with family, friends and food.
I'll try to BBL. I can't believe it's almost dinnertime, too! The day's sped by!

[Nancy]

Did my errands I was right the ins. Office was closed they had a note taped to the door stating that. Went to the book store & returned my library book.

Went to the pumpkin patch aka fruit stand with pumpkins where plants used to be in the spring. that was fun! got a white one.

Went to the used book store and coffee shop & thrift shop got some used books a couple on writing, a couple of authors I wanted to investigate. That was fun got to drive the jeep.

I think Kim Jong Un is at a fat farm spa.

[lucylee]

I'm so far behind I can't possibly cuop and reply to everyone! Goodness, where did this day go???

Happy Thanksgiving to Kathryn, Bsweet, and any other Canadian SHE's!!!

I started this week by walking 2.6 miles w/ds, and then dh and I (after s2s, of course) got our flu shots at CVS. DH also got the pneumonia shot. They were surprised he wanted it at age 63, but he just KNOWS he had one about 10 years ago and he believes with all his heart that it helped him. He says he got it at the health dept. I certainly don't know; he has a first cousin's wife who works at the health department -- maybe she suggested he take it?

I have very few additional accomplishments to report for the day, but apparently I have not made anyone angry today. That is a HUGE accomplishment.

Oh -- I saw y'all were talking about wildlife sightings earlier. I saw FOUR deer in our pasture Sunday morning when I started out to church. Always a neat surprise when they are nearby like that.

WOW! (((Harriet))) (((Harriet))) That sounds like a VERY scary incident on the highway! Sooo glad you are safe!!!

I would know nothing about Snapchat if I had not been a high school teacher recently. I am so sorry about all that is going on at the friend's school, Harriet.

Ooohhh... (((Dee))) Saying a prayer for your ds and family to be safe on the cruise. I had no idea there was a hurricane approaching that area, but that must be what someone else was talking about on FB earlier. Now that post makes sense.

OH! Someone -- RR? -- was talking about family tree sites. Do any of you have family tree/ancestry software you recommend? This is what ds wants for his birthday and he is going to pick it out, but I was wondering if y'all had any tips he should consider. He is undecided himself about what he wants to order.

[Harmony]

LOL, Nancy, were you serious about the fat farm spa? Surely not!

I got a good start on my project but much still needs done.

Got the bed remade and laundry back in. Dinner of leftovers was barely passable but we'll not starve. Surely not as scrumptious as a turkey dinner!

We had a nice rain. But that made things more humid. I spent a good deal of the evening helping DH work on his big truck. New shock absorber came and I was tool girl for that and a couple other things he fixed. Hot, dirty, greasy, sweaty, and hard for me to do. I've pulled a muscle in my back over a week ago and it feels worse the past couple days. Stepping up into the big truck (2 high steps) really hurt. Company was supposed to send a return sticker so we could send broken shock back (lifetime warranty) but we didn't get a sticker. This thing is heavy too. Must call about that.

Harriet, sure glad you're ok and you didn't get in an accident or flip over.

Bittersweet, is nice to have you with us today.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

It is all over but for the cleanup which will take a while, I'm afraid.

Dh is doing some drying for me while I rest for a minute.

He has a conference call in 15 minutes.

The second load of dishes is going in the dishwasher. The rest will be done by hand (I ran the first load while we had dessert.)

The evening was a success.

My minister friend arrived after dh left for the kids and he and I went for a long walk with his dog. That gave us a chance to get 'shop talk', as dh calls it, out of the way without bothering the others. We got back at 4:15 and CM and her family were already settled, the boys playing N64 (with dd's old game system which she has left here so the boys have something to play while here.)

I still had over 45 minutes until it was time for me to start actively cooking so we sat and had appetizers.

Then I worked with assorted people in the kitchen. There was a problem with multiple fuses blowing so we had no power to the kitchen except the stove for about 30 minutes. Luckily the ham fit in the main oven with the turkey although the temp was wrong. The main issue was to get power back to the fridge.

Turns out our great plan of moving the microwave to a plug in the dining room wasn't so great. The dining room is on the same circuit as the kitchen lights and fridge and half the other plugs in the kitchen! So when dh turned on his burner, it blew everything. And the circuit next to it went too.

Thankfully, the super came with a box of fuses so it wasn't too bad. The ones we bought yesterday will have to be returned (one blew right away.)

That delayed dinner a bit but we still were seated by 6:30.

My minister friend had never been to a dinner like it. All of us around the table, kids too, lots of conversation and laughter. At one point dd mentioned her godfather and I mentioned how my minister friend looks like him, and she freaked out because the resemblance is uncanny. Personality wise, they are very different but ds noticed the resemblance the time I took my friend to a TSO concert. Between courses he told dh how much he was enjoying himself.

The dog was very well behaved. Dh had made her a place setting name tag and I put a rawhide bone out for her but she didn't really need it, she lay quietly wherever, beside whoever. I teased my friend because the one place she wouldn't be was beside him!

After dh left to take the kids home, CM went to record Sunday's anthem for us but was too nervous playing in front of my friend so he took over and recorded it for me, then worked with the two of us to get it right. Dh will have to learn it on his own but we'll have a practice just before the service.

Now it is time for me to get back to work. I'm exhausted but so is dh.

It was a very good day.