Monday, December 01, 2008
12-1 Inside!
After decorating their house on Friday Cindy and David came up here to help me pull out the decorations and put up my tree. The furniture was rearranged and the rocker moved to the bedroom to make room for the tree.
Cindy and David set it up with David working on the top branches, Cindy and I working the lower area, and eventually me unwrapping ornaments while sitting because my feet started complaining.
While we worked on the tree David took over the garland project. He placed it around the French doors and developed an unusual pattern for the pass through. He then wrapped the railings from the loft down to the main floor in lighted garland and added ribbons to the the railing.
It was a good start with still around three or four plastic boxes to go through. But the tree is done except for placing the village around the base of it .
I must find a place for the nativity scene, several wreaths, (indoors and out), other treasures still packed away.
But the bird and the clown on the tree are two of many items demonstrating my interests and the candle on the coffee table is a reminder that Buck and Doe are out on the porch waiting for the snow to stop so they can go out in the yard.
December First!
Need I say more? Well maybe that I guess/imate it to be another at least 3 1/2” if not 4”. I think I’m ahead Mrs. Dof. Unfortunately we still haven’t gotten any one over to take the tractor in to be converted to a snow plow yet. I have to get someone here soon or they won’t be able to get up here to get it.
Company yesterday—I’ll post that later today.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Things To Be Thankful For!
I’m thankful for the help, love and attentions shown by my son, daughter-in-law, and daughter in getting this Thanksgiving dinner ready, served, and cleared away yesterday. (Please forgive some of the fuzzy pictures my physical state was not up to snuff.)
Wes, my eldest, took on the duties of cooking the sauce and basting it to candy the sweet potatoes.
He carved the turkey the best I have seen in a long time. It seems he either read or saw how it was to be done turning out a large pile for the platter and a very empty carcass when he finished. He helped set up the serving table.
Debra, his better half came in time to put the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy into the appropriate containers for reheating, She then took over the warming duties of each dish. She put the home canned pickles, chutney, pickled beets, cole slaw, cottage cheese into serving dishes. She set out the plates and silver ware for me.
Where was I? Walking in pain around the kitchen watching things get done. Earlier I had drove to Davison to pick up the dinner thinking I had it made in the shade until I opened the box and read the instructions for preparation. Two years ago I picked up a ready made dinner and everything was complete. Just keep it warm or cold depending on the item. This time the turkey called for 2 1/2 hours for reheating and all the side dishes had to be warmed too. As extra I had already peeled and steamed the sweet potatoes, made the crab dip, try to roll it into a log with no success, and turned it over to Debra to do. I was trying to peel boiled eggs that I had cooked from the night before but the membrane wouldn’t separate and they were falling apart, No deviled eggs for the family this year.
Jay was in bed still not feeling well from the minor surgery the day before and Richard, our long time friend, who was the first to arrive was wandering around drinking coffee. When Wes wasn’t busy he kept Richard company. My grandson Dakota wisely stayed out of the way.
He found something to keep himself busy as he waited.
Next Cindy, with friend Lewis had arrived. ( My picture of them didn’t turn out.) Cindy pitched in to help with the set up. By this time my legs and feet ached so bad I couldn’t think. Nothing was working under my hands and I realized that my children were saving the day.
At last everyone was seated and the chowing began.
.
Richard started as Jay, after waking up, taking his medications, and filling his plate he followed suit.
After dinner the same crew that helped me get things ready started clearing, transferring left over to smaller bowls or to containers to take home with them, and loading the dishwasher. The dirty dishes or pots that didn’t fit Debra washed by hand. All three of them had me sit in a chair in the kitchen and supervise the proceedings. I love them dearly and don’t know what I would have done without them.
A special request for a picture was filled as son and grandson posed in the kitchen.
So despite my problems together we pulled the dinner off.
It is unnerving to realize that age and infirmities are finally effecting the way one can perform a task that used to be work but could be done comfortably . What am I thankful for, besides all the help—why that the whole thing is over with.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Morning!
We here at Momma’s Corner urge you to count your blessings today. Be they many or few they belong to you.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Snow, Deep?
Just a few weeks ago Mrs. Dof had a picture of the leaves on her porch steps. Early this morning this is what greeted me on my porch.
Hubby said that we have at least four inches of snow out there and it is still falling sparsely.
I was very happy that we had taken time to fill the bird feeders yesterday because wading out to them today just ain’t my cup of tea!
Yep somewhere out there is my driveway. Even the Thanksgiving flag can’t hide what Mother Nature handed us today. I can’t blame it on Old Man Winter because he hasn’t arrived yet!
Unfortunately we didn’t call Keane’s to come and pickup the tractor and change the mower deck to the snow plow until yesterday. They are to pick it up today but in the meantime if you don’t have four wheel drive you are ‘s.o.l.‘ getting up to our house. The Your Ride driver is down on the road right now honking his horn so Jay will walk down to meet him. Dialysis goes on snow or not and having someone else drive him in is a great relief to me. My challenge comes tomorrow when I drive 133.6 miles round trip to the hospital for Jay’s appointment with Dr. Webb. When I was younger this was a no nothing task but as I age I grow more cautious about snow and ice. But this is my job, to take care of him, and I try to do it well.
When I looked out at the thermometer is was around 30 degrees, Molly is sleeping in OUR chair, Brandy is curled up on the afghan on the couch, and yes I have my shrug on. I gave up working on the lap robe in the recliner and moved to the dining room table.
Yes the light is not as good and as you can see it is slow going but I just keep plodding along.
Well it is back to the needles and thread for a little longer. Stay warm, keep well, and remember to laugh.
Monday, November 24, 2008
New Slogan!
In by five and out ready to deliver the next day! 
Yep! Pammie brought them to me on Saturday and last night I finished the last one . As you can see I love edging for her. I also wore my shrug all last night and have it on again this morning . So warm and comforting for these old bones of mine. She made me a very good thing!
Jay and I packed the jam boxes yesterday afternoon and they will be at the post office this morning. It is a little later than I wanted but that won’t effect the taste.
I have to sit down today, make a ‘last minute list’ for Tuesday through Thursday morning so that I have all my ‘ducks in a row’, (make that turkey and fixings)
so I can finish up the meal with no hitches. Of course Kroger is doing the serious cooking and I’m just playing with candied sweet potatoes and crab dip.
I’ll know Thursday if I need to construct some costumes for the Lake Orion parade. That will only give me about two weeks to get them done but that isn’t impossible. We will see if the kids decided to march or not.
A sample of my work here.
Take care, stay warm, (I sure am) and keep laughing (your lungs need the exercise!)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I’m Back!
Twice in one day—can you stand it?
I had to tell you that my dear friend Pammie, hubby Earl, and son Eric came up this afternoon. She brought me four more afghans to edge and this:
Isn’t lovely? Just what any Doctor would order. It is soft, warm, and Pammie made it—three important things to treasure . I have had it on ever since she gave it to me this afternoon. No headache or sore shoulders from hunching over to stay warm. When I finally take it off it will go on the back of my computer chair until I need it again. I plan to wear it every waking hour until Spring comes because she assured me that it is sturdy.
Thank you my friend it is just what I needed.
More Planning!
As promised my two scruffs turned into clean cut pictures of joy!
Well plans are progressing well towards Thanksgiving except for a few hitches. I didn’t get the priority mailing boxes picked up until yesterday afternoon so I may not get them to their recipients before Thanksgiving. But I’ll have them at the post office on Monday morning I promise!
We have our dinner ordered for Thursday morning which is good because we received word yesterday that Jay has to see Dr. Webb on Wednesday. But what we had planned to make at home can be handled easily. Things have a way of popping up unexpectedly then you find out that previous plans were the best choice after all.
Hope all is progressing well with your plans and that it will be a pleasant day for you.
Well I have company coming for a short visit today so it is time for me to hit the shower so they don’t want to leave early. (That is a stinky joke that is supposed to make you smile—did it work?)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Catch Up & Count Down!
Good Morning! Well I’ve been up since 8 am and everything with a beating heart is still tucked in and sleeping. The dilemma I faced last Monday was solved Tuesday morning when a man showed up with a steam cleaner and straightened out my dirty carpet. I had called Monday and got the last appointment he had before Thanksgiving. Dumb luck but worth it if you could see the floor. I called my daughter-in-law, Debra, thanked her for her help. and told her she was free to work on her own house instead of running up here to clean mine.
Wednesday the chairs and the bird totem came off the deck and are now safely put away in the basement thanks to Jay. I left the umbrella stand on the deck because I’m still debating setting up the birds feeders in front of the French doors (outside) so I can watch the birds during the Winter.
The picture shows the hiding place for my construction paper turkey that grandson Dakota made several years ago. One of these days I will have to retire it from duty but not yet.
Today I take Jay down to Clarkston for his haircut at 3 pm. Daughter Cindy works just a few blocks from there and will met us for a well deserved hug before she starts. On the way home we will stop at Sam’s Club for a few items because it is on the way.
Tomorrow Brandy goes to Doggy Depot for her bath and trim. She and Jay usually need a haircut about the same time so it is easy to remember. I’ll do some before and after shots so you can see the improvement.
Pammie called me to say she and Earl would be up Saturday to bring me my finished shrug so I should hold on to those six afghans until then. So I have them ready to go for her. Maybe she will have some more for me to do.
I have three boxes to get ready for shipping to my friends in California, Illinois, and my brother in Florida. So I will get them on there way before the week end. I want to get the Maple/Cranberry chutney to them in time for Thanksgiving. A little bit of jam for them won’t hurt either.
Well everyone is awake now. Jay is fixing breakfast. The cat is wandering around and I have uncovered the birds. The exception is Brandy who has been up, outside, and now asleep on the couch.
Next week may be busy because Debra had mentioned the grand kids might want to do the Lake Orion Lighted parade again this year. That means that I will need to sew a few more costumes because every one is out-growing the ones we have. I think I’ll go with bag costumes that way they can be a little larger and will last a couple of years.
Well Jay just said Breakfast is ready So I’m Gone!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Saturday…..
...because of this my daughter-in-law Debra came up to ‘help me’ clean house.
Yes it is swollen.
Yes it hurts.
Yes I feel like finding a cheap chain-saw.
But Debra started up stairs and made everything clean and shiny without me. The problem came later in the day when she tried to use my old Themax to shampoo the carpet in the living/dining room area. It sprayed the carpet very well but it wouldn’t extract the water. She had worked so hard all day that I let her go home. I told her I would rent a cleaner for next Saturday and she said she would be back up to finish the job.
So for right now it looks like this in the living/dining area. Every thing that can be moved has been pulled out from the walls. Things have been picked up off the floor including Brandy’s toy box. She is a little miffed with that. It will stay this way until the carpet is done.
Now this is around an 80 or 90 mile round trip for Debra. She has her own house to clean and doesn’t need to be cleaning mine. But I didn’t move anything back in hopes of being able to clean it myself. I think I have a solution and all will be better tomorrow.
Sunday night brought this into our life.
But it didn’t stay long and then the green of the grass came back. Oh well it is Michigan, November, and anything can happen.
Hope all is going well with you and the holiday plans are being formulated. Let me know how you are doing and what your Thanksgiving is looking like.