Sunday, January 04, 2009
Stuffed Weekend!
Saturday afternoon our friends Darlene and Michael arrived with a pan full of Seafood Enchiladas that Micheal had prepared.
We spent the evening catching up on things and watching movies on TV. Of course we ate Micheal’s delicious offering and the apple gingerbread cobbler that I had made and went to bed stuffed.
Sunday morning we sat down to pancakes and bacon that Jay prepared.
Les, Anne, and Courtney came in the afternoon.
So we socialized while poor Les fixed Jay’s goofed up computer. We tried playing a game Anne had brought up but it was a little too complicated for Dar and me. So we ended up eating lasagna, garlic bread, and salad for our dinner with cheesecake for dessert. Les finished up with Jay’s computer and gave mine a quick look see to make sure it was all right then they left for home.
Jay had made a rice and raisin pudding during the afternoon so Darlene, Michael, he, and I had a dish of it before they went home.
It was a busy weekend and our Molly demonstrated it for us.
Sometimes the best place relax in the house is on a rug in front of a warm dishwasher!
I forgot to mention that with our company’s help the tree and ornaments got packed away so we are back to normal in record time. Thank you friends!
Friday, January 02, 2009
She Is Three!
Today Our baby is three years old.
She was a real cutie when she came to live with us. She was a birthday present from my son Wes, daughter-in-law Debra, and children Jasmine and Dakota. She has been a delight and a constant, loving companion for the last almost three years.
So even though she doesn’t understand it I’m wishing her a very Happy Birthday!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
The First Day of 2009!
A very Happy New Year to all. First my New Years resolutions!
1. I will not leave the house without lipstick and earrings (so people will not say what for you sir!)
2. I will iron my husband’s shirts and keep them ironed (so that the people he encounters will not think he is a bachelor).
3. I will not piece between meals. (This will be hard)
4. I will try to make some interesting meals during 2009. ( I hate to cook)
5. I will work diligently to complete all my craft projects. (I keep buying more or changing the types of things I do)
6. I will read the novels I have waiting for me in the bookcase (like a mother hen—books are eggs and I like to sit on them)
7. I will try to be more cognizance (of my surroundings, humans, pets, duties to correct a habit of tunnel vision).
8. I will try to get out and meet more people (to improve my attitude and knowledge of life).
9. I will try to improve my health, diet, and exercise. (Another hard one—love to eat).
10. I will try to think more pleasant things, smile every chance I get, and laugh out loud when the humor hits me.
One of my gifts for Christmas was this charming tea light holder from Clayworks by Heather Goldminc.
A gift from Daughter-in-law Debra, it is a ceramic Fruit Cocktail can with a spoon holding a cherry on top. I love it!
I caught a picture of a visit from one of my Red Bellied Woodpeckers this morning.
With the trees that were cut down last year I was afraid we might loose this visitor but he is still around.
Finally, after staying up to watch the ball drop last night I decided to start taking down the inside Christmas decorations this morning. This is the dining room table as it looks at this moment.
I will start packing it up as soon as I get up from visiting your blogs this afternoon. I will work on the buildings on the computer desk, the garland on the stairway, and the tree over the next few days. Don’t like taking things down but once the doctor appointments start it is harder to accomplish.
Have a great rest of the day and laugh at something for your lungs sake!!!!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Two Thousand Nine!
Thanks to Skyline for this.
Subject: 2009 Contract
After serious & cautious consideration . . .
Your contract of friendship has been renewed for the New Year 2009!
It was a very hard decision to make. So try not to screw it up!!!
My Wish for You in 2009 May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips!
May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had forget your home address! In simple words . . .
May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!
As Promised!
Well the snow came last night. Big fluffy flakes fell so softly that unless you looked out you would never know. I was up until after 1 am finishing The Graveyard Book. The snow had already coated the deck and the truck. This morning I was awakened first by a hand resting on my forehead. When I moved it hubby sleepily said, “Oh is that you?” I thought to myself who else would it be a redhead with a red ribbon around her waist.. A while later someone pulled the hair on my head and woke me again. O K I thought enough of this and I crawled out of bed. A glance at the clock on the dresser told me it was 7:30 am. Oh boy I thought a whole six and a half hours, not counting the pee breaks and the forehead tap. It is now 10:26 am and hubby is still sleeping, Brandy has been outside (now back in my bed), Molly has been fed and watered. The dishwasher has been run, emptied, and contents now in the cupboard. The laundry from last night has been folded and all but one pile put a way. I have had my bowl of Red Berry Special K and a couple of cups of coffee. I have read two chapters in The Broken Window by Jeffrey Deaver and as I sit by the french doors typing a dove has been flying into them (not hard but getting my attention).
The Doctor’s appointment don’t start until next week so I am debating starting to pack Christmas away or just concentrating on a little vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping. Hopefully friends Mike and Darlene will be up on the week end for a long overdue visit so I think the house work will win this debate.
I also need to start packing records for 2008 in a box and starting new envelops for 2009. I will locate older boxes full of receipts and miscellaneous paper to shred and throw out. It is like stocking the shelves in a store—Old items out and new in! We think oh boy a new year is upon us. We forget all the duties of the transition until a day or two before and then the weight of it all hit you in the back of the head. Of course if your hubby is the records caretaker you are home free. But that is not so in this household so I will dig in, grin and bear it until the mission has been accomplished.
Again I am wishing my eldest son a very Happy Birthday and all of you a very Happy New Year! May we all find 2009 starting to improve our lot in life!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Getting Some Things Done!
I took my first walk down this driveway in regular shoes since August. Two hundred feet down and back and the results was a slight headache. I wanted to do this before the snow hit tonight. After that happens I will be back to limited walking and then it is baby steps to keep my balance. It is funny how important it is to get that first shower after a cast comes off. Or that first long walk when it is clear enough to get around. I certainly have learned a lot about mobility this last year. I’m not quite over the healing yet but it is a far cry from Thanksgiving a year ago. Two ankles have been corrected I hope for a long time to come.
I have just finished Beedle The Bard by J. K, Rowling. I had bought three copies so the grand daughters could have one too. I am now in the middle of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book . Les had a chapter of it on SEB and after listening to it I had to have it so I bought two copies so Les has one too. Both are a light fantasy to escape with. Next I’ll go back to a Deaver novel I started quite a while before Christmas. Then there are several others, purchased over the last few years that just got shoved away when a craft had to be done. I even have Stephen King’s new one, a gift from Mike and Dar to read.
But I must confess the the fingers are itching to work on the tiny X’s again and my book on Punch Needle( also from Mike and Dar last year) hasn’t been tried out yet. But at least I have a whole year now to complete some of these things I had bought for Christmas gifts!!!
The only thing that bothers me is that with all these projects to do I don’t dare order anything else ( even if it is on sale) until I make a dent in the stash I have!
Tomorrow is my eldest son Wes’ birthday. Sad as it seems, I not sure, but I believe he is going to be 47. I have trouble with this because that means I’m old as dirt!!! As in the past few New Years Eves we will not be there to celebrate with him. That is the bad part about getting old, traveling even a short distance in winter, and a birthday on a holiday. But we wish him a very Happy Birthday along with a Happy New Years Eve
Monday, December 29, 2008
The Other Half!
Since Saturday night late until about a half an hour ago we have been off line. Our cable people had trouble with the high winds for a couple of days but we are up and perkin’ now.
First the other half of our family came up Saturday for Christmas dinner sans the grand-kids. This gave us a chance to play a game of pinochle. Jay and Richard (our old friend/ my pseudo son) against my son Wes and I. Jay and Richard won 537 to 518. But I thought that it wasn’t too shabby a score!
Dinner picture are as follows.
Jay and I, Wes and Debra, and Jay and Richard completed our seating at the dinner table.
It was really quite pleasant and relaxing. I would have love to have seen the Gran-kids but as with all families they had prior commitments with friends for Saturday.
On to other things:
We canned 12 and a half pints of bean soup with the honey baked ham bone and still had enough meat to feed us on Saturday. Yesterday we took all the equipment and canned goods back down to the food room and generally got the kitchen back in order.
Today we took advantage of the weather and removed all the outside decorations before the snow moved back in again.
A question for you!
Look closely at this picture and tell me would you honestly let this person drive your $20,000. pickup down an icy driveway? I felt like a kindergartner trying to get ready, without the teacher help, to go home after school.
Yes indeed they took a picture or two of me this time.
I really don’t think I look brain dead—do you?
Friday, December 26, 2008
Half A Family Is Better Than None!
Well I’m Back ! I had heard that the weather on Christmas Eve would prevent company so I was sitting, fat, dumb, and happy (though a little disappointed) thinking I had nothing to do. Wrongo!! Cindy called to ask what time is dinner. A little while later Les called and said he and Courtney would be up also. Oh boy I had potatoes to peel, cook, and mash or candy. The table needed to be extended and the holiday table cloth put on it. The cookies and candy had to be put in dishes. The cheese and crackers would go out when help came to set them up. Also the dishes and silverware had to be set out. But most importantly I needed to take a bath.
Wes called me from work and said he didn’t think he could get out in time to be able to spend any time with us before the ice storm hit. He said that he and the family would be up on Saturday instead. That was fine because our friends Jeanie and also Richard will be up then.
So the Eve dinner had these sweet people at it.
I think you know all of them so I’ll start with the meal Mashed potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, Caesar salad, Honey Baked Ham. deviled eggs, and canned corn. Also home canned pickled beet, bread & butter pickles, and dill pickles. For dessert it was pumpkin pie and assorted slices of cheese cake. There were truffles and homemade cookies also. No one went hungry.
I took the ham bone and made bean soup with it today after setting aside ham slices for dinner tomorrow. Again we will go with the two potato dishes, a lettuce & tomato salad, the ham, the home canned extras, two different kinds of cheesecake, and ice cream. I also made a dish for more company on either Sunday or Monday. While I was messing around in the kitchen today I made Lasagna for supper tonight. The bean soup is out in the cold so we can skim the fat off it. Tomorrow morning we will heat it then pressure can it for meals later on.
I think I’ll make some more truffles for tomorrow. The cookies seem to be holding up well enough to come out of the fridge and onto a plate in the morning.
I had some problems this morning getting out of bed at 5 am. The covers seemed to be twisted and very heavy. By the light of the bathroom I saw the problem and grabbed the camera to take this picture in the dark.
Now tell me isn’t a little crowded with one full grown man, myself, a 10 pound dog. and a 12 lb cat fighting over who gets what covers in a 65 degree bedroom. I’m used to Brandy but Molly coming in to share a space is new. My knees couldn’t get warm!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas from Momma!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Plans May Change!
It is funny how one appointment change can screw up the whole day. At around 8:52 am the phone rang. It was someone from Davita asking Jay to come in today instead of tomorrow to dialyze. So I got him down to the end of the driveway to meet the Your Ride vehicle then went back up to the dome to get ready to go pick up the Honey Baked Ham. That was on the list for today but I thought he was going with me. My list of 19 things to do is shorter by eight items but after the drive to Flint I was ready to relax not work. So that was all that got done today.
A call from my eldest saying he had to work Christmas Eve so if the rain forecasted for that day starts to freeze his family won’t be here. Les’ wife and daughter, I think, are working too so if the weather is bad I want him to cancel too. As I told Wes I love the tradition of family getting together but I I love my families alive and safe more. I will call Cindy tomorrow and tell her the same thing. We can get together on a better day if need be.
As you can see the snowmen are done but delivery will depend on the weather also. It could turn out to be a quiet day here at the old homestead but knowing that everyone is safe is a great comfort.