I ain’t doing Mondays  no more!!!

On the 14th of this month I fell, blacked an eye, and raised a knot on my head.  This last Monday I decided to work outside with no hat or gloves for a while.  My reward was a stopped up throat, a very achy body, and a headache to end all headaches.

I am erasing Mondays from my week until I can learn how to behave sensibly.  At least this time I got to my doctor for medication but it isn’t immediate relief so I guess I will sit with my lower lip poking out in a beautiful pout until I feel better.  I did manage to get Courtney down to her Uncle Wes’ house before I saw the doctor.

You know Winter is a beautiful time of year but it can sure tear the heck out of an old folk’s life!

Due to a work schedule my second day was on Sunday.  I tried to have the same meal for the Ann Arbor Jenkins’ family.

Son Lesley ( known to you as SEB)

Les was going to show me some new things about Word Press while he was here.  He did that but I’m not sure how much stayed in the brain and what fell out.

I finally caught Anne as she was getting ready to leave so that is why the coat.

Daughter-in-law Anne (Les'wife).

Courtney who came to visit with us for a couple of days was knee deep in presents that Les and Anne brought with them.

Grand daughter Courtney with her new Camera!

Courtney said, “Gram I don’t think I remember how to plat Dominoes”, then proceeded to beat me three out of five games.  She is a shark I tell you.  I grumbled through all the games but she knew I was kidding her!

I'm getting my butt beat!

She will be with me for another day or so and I love having her here.

So another holiday passes and another memory is filed in the old woman’s brain to  to be brought out and perused another time.  My thanks to my family for being here to create  happy thoughts of  2009 ending!

Birds a gift from Dar & Mike

After the stocking were attached to the off springs presents I had to find something else to hang on the hutch.  Rescuing  my Hallmark birds from the tree they really seemed to belong hanging there.  I had several comments on their beauty that were never voiced before because they were hidden in the tree.  So0n the wreath in the center will be replaced by another bird.

As usual the men are hiding from my camera – Jay, David, and Wes were elsewhere!

Daughter-in-law Debra with children Dakota and Jasmine checking the camera shot.

We had lasagna corn on the cob, deviled eggs,  garlic toast, and Apple dumplings.

Cindy with Dakota's Scrooge top hat!

Then everyone except Jay played games together and laughter (as they would say in the old days) did abound!!

A pretty full Christmas Eve for all of us.

It was a good supper, much help in the kitchen for cleanup, and a hilarious game time spent with off springs minus Jay who doesn’t play games .

The memorable statements of the night were: Forget the cows
Forget the barn
Old Yellow!
Now none of these were the correct answer but all were funny as heck!

There were three cameras beside my own and unfortunately they were used more than mine so pictures are at a minimum but rest assured it was a good evening.

I had only one empty spot because my middle son and his family couldn’t be with us. This is not the first time one of my children didn’t make Christmas Eve with me but each time the little empty feeling returns.

However grand daughter Courtney will be up tomorrow to visit and Les and Anne will be here on Sunday.

When your children become adults they have other commitments to attend to but I am fortunate enough not to have any of them so far away that they can’t visit.

Today is a quiet day for us because the weather is rainy, our drive is very icy and slippery, and this old lady is just a touch out of sorts. But things will get better and at least I have all the laughter from yesterday to think about.

I hope your day is full of excitement and laughter.

It is hard to believe that it is the second day of Winter and three days away from Christmas. In my younger days this was a time of excitement personified. My own hopes and dreams as a child, then later, those of my children. But time passes too quickly and life becomes just memories of what was.

Now I wait and try to catch the visions of today–trying valiantly to not let them slip away.

Try to remember that no matter where you are in life there are happenings around you that are your memories tomorrow. Take hold and love them with all the strength you have because someday they will be all you have.
Have a Happy Holiday season!
Momma

I lead off with the second Christmas cactus. Not as many buds but beginning to bloom also.

I woke up this morning at around 2 am and then again at 7:30 thinking I had to post something but many factors seemed to block the happy words I wanted to say. It is hard to be cheery when the forehead still hurts from the fall. Also my right side in the hip and arm area decides to ache a little every once in a while. So I just took a Motrin and went back to bed .

But now it is after 8:30 and I think I finally have my act together.

There is a bit of shopping left to do before the informal dinner on Christmas Eve. Lasagna noodles, mozzarella, and apple dumplings are still on the food list along with Chocolate milk. One present has to be picked up also.

I have to e-mail my wishes to everyone for a safe and sane holiday in lieu of sending cards.

There are at least three phone calls to make to old friends and family.

Then of course I move on to a bit of house cleaning before the family arrives for dinner on the Eve.

I hope all your plans for your celebrations are on track and that you will soon be saying all is under control.

Watch the walking and driving if you are anywhere the snow and ice are. If not, don’t work to hard on what you have yet to do.

It seems that with the advancement of the internet and the poor economy sending Christmas cards has all but fallen by the wayside. So I will sadly join the majority and use this method to wish you and the family all the best that can be for your holidays!

Momma, Jay, Brandy, Molly, Teki, and Chips

After a couple of very trying days I can now joke about you shoulda seen the other guy!

A trip to the hospital today for a “kitty-cat” scan revealed no serious damage. But I have some advice for you. If you want honest attention and interest from either sex just throw away the hair dye, the lotions, and the make up. A good smack in the head from a kitchen floor beats all that gook to he**. I mean people don’t know if you are a wonderful old Grandma that tangled with a delivery truck or a slut who tangled with her pimp. Now that it doesn’t hurt too much to smile you can really have fun with strangers.

Basically what I am blathering about is I will be fine and that great news for me but a nasty fall can be a scary thing if you haven’t been checked by a doctor. So please take care as you move about because there is only one you in the whole wide world.

A special thanks to my friend Jeanie who dropped every thing and hauled my clumsy butt to emergency!

A look outside and this is what you get. The snow is softly falling and there is very little wind to blow it away. But I’m not concerned about that because I’m not going anywhere.

No, In fact last night I tripped over my own slippers as I was turning from the table and as I fell my right hand seemed to collapse and my head hit the floor hard. A knot the size of a large marble (a boulder I believe it is called) formed to the side over my right eye. Now I seldom leave my head unprotected when I fall so this was a shock to the system.
An ice pack on the forehead and restricting the use of the right hand I survived the night. Sweet husband kept waking me to check on my progress and my periods of bath room use help determine that I was still functioning coherently.

This morning the eye is restricted some what by the swelling but the ice pack seems to be working on that problem. The right hand, wrist, and arm are sore but not unbearable.

Will I see a doctor–not if the swelling continues to subside because there are two problems there. One neither Jay or I drive right now and two, my kids are all working and I won’t pull them out of work in this weather to come and get me.

The nurse that lives behind me told me what signs of trouble to look for and if they develop I’ll call an ambulance and head for the hospital.

In the meantime I am reading when I can see and sleeping with my trusty ice pack when the swelling starts.

Be careful as you go about your days now because even a level, dry, kitchen floor can knock the senses out of you so the ice and snow are twice as dangerous.

This is a message from a clumsy old woman!

When I got up this morning it was 14 degrees out side. With the sunshine we finally hit 38 the last time I checked.

Every thing is done in the decorating except putting up the Nativity scene. I’ll work on that tomorrow because the legs are still screaming over the stair climbing to wrap the railing in garland yesterday.

Then I have a few gifts to wrap and I’m done.

You know I still haven’t picked up the lap robe to work on it. Mental block I guess. Just don’t feel like doing much of anything right now. But I’ll get over it when I pull up my big girl pants!