Daily Ooos: December 10-11: Weekend Edition

[faerywings]

The two-week countdown has begun. Can you hear it ticking away? Or it is just a Tell-Tale Heart kicking around somewhere in my house?
I am pretty sure it's only the clock ticking

Any bets on whether I had a successful day out shopping?
Well- I am home and I survived so that goes in the plus column. Ha! I am still stuck on a bunch of things/people but it is getting better so that is also a plus.
I remembered why I despise shopping at Walmart. It was coo-coo for coconuts, the lines for the self-check registers were just as bad as the cashier ones. Thankfully, I didn't find anything there so I was able to ignore that. When I got home, I realized that the one thing I specifically wanted to buy in person-- the buttons for Sam's scarf- I forgot and I even had a list. I spent way too much time on Amazon trying to find ones that would be here in time for me to sew them on. And sheesh, the last thing I want is 50 of them! Blergh! I hate buttons.

All of that meant I was barely around here to comment on my challenge, but I tried to work on that here and there. I love what I am seeing so far. Such a fun challenge and wonderful to see everyone's creativity.

Soooo-- who remembers what today is? It is the yes to the Dress day!! My mom is coming up this morning and then we are going to watch Caitlyn try it on again and then try some different veils too. I have been thinking of ways I can scrap this without showing any of the dress-- one idea is to scrap it like a regular LO and then put a fake barrel over the dress.

Or maybe a black rectangle over it? I know I want to take a picture of her and my mom and I want to scrap it now-- just in case..... who knows what the future will hold?
But if I scrap it I am going to want to share it. I mean, I can (probably will) scrap it and not show anyone, but doesn't that seem weird? LOL

Hope that all of you have a wonderful day/weekend

 

[faerywings]

@tanteva how much snow did you get? How much snow do you have to get where things shut down, like school?
Oh my goodness, I can't wait to meet Sven!! Sounds like a wonderful evening for you and Sven

@vickyday Hope your headache is better, mine is still bugging me around the edges. I took preventative Aleve before I left here yesterday. That was very smart of me. *pats self on the back*
How was the Christmas play?
The blanket looks so amazing and so cozy. (You should have seen me trying to walk past all of the yarn at the craft store, had to force myself to not touch it all LOL)

@bcgal00 I am really happy that you are going to start taking some AAM photos to post on IG, you are so talented and creative. It must have felt like (it really is) a huge hole was gone (always will be there but wonderful that it doesn't always seem as huge )
I would love shopping for Taz too, I wish my dogs would let me dress them up.
I bet the image I have in my head of Remi eyeing you over the laptop is even just a fraction of how cute it is in person. ♥

@Buddy the O' Elf does the job at Santa's workshop come with medical benefits???

@BrightEyes yay! I am so happy that you had fun with the challenge. I love it when everything clicks together on a page too.
I am dragging more than a bit this morning, I am tired. And-- I just realized that I was in the kitchen to get another coffee and then the dogs wanted to go out. Guess what I forgot in there!?!?
BRB!
#coffee

 

[faerywings]

That is soooo much better! yay for caffeine

@Cherylndesigns My heart smiled when I read about Alyssa hugging Grinchy. Love those kinds of memories and traditions. Sam is being naughty with the trees and decorations, little bugger! There are days I really miss having cats. Then I think about certain things, I am don;t miss them as much!


MY BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look at that beautiful, handsome Taz!!! Loooooove his sweater! And his tail. And I want to pet him and scratch behind those soft ears. ♥

@tanteva I am in love with Sven too, he is so cute! You made him so fast. (PS: You are adorable too!)

@LSlycord That is fabulous news about your heart! Just fantastic! You deserved a nice laid-back kinda day too.

Hugs!!

 

[tanteva]

I am still stuck on a bunch of things/people

Ok, I gotta ask this. Been watching some YouTube videos on Christmas gifts lately, and I have to ask ... are all Americans crazy???
They talk about gift ideas for neighbors, co-workers, teachers, the kids friend's parents, Satan and his aunt! (That's a Swedish expression - when you mean EVERYONE you include Satan and his aunt LOL)

Do people really buy gifts for everyone over there? I mean ... if I turned up with a gift for my neighbors, they'd probably call the cops or the ambulance. LOL

In Sweden we buy gifts to family (that can be just your immediate family or a wider family, depending on how close you are, and whether you celebrate Christmas together). Then maybe you have a close friend or something that you exchange gifts with. That's it.

 

[faerywings]

*nods* Satan and his Aunt sums it up.

This time of year, pretty much anyone you come in contact with is "on the gift list."
When the kids were little, you needed to get something for all of their teachers and the school bus driver. I made up bags of homemade cookies for her. Some people leave tips for the mail carrier and garbage collectors (not me, no money in the budget for that!)

It is honestly crazy how commercialized it is, every other TV ad is either for a luxury car with a bow or diamonds.

 

[LSlycord]

Good morning ladies! @faerywings I couldn't quite imagine why you had all of these posts done until you reminded us of "Yes to the Dress". Actually, I love the idea of the barrel over the dress. Or maybe some spin on your challenge and make some type of paper doll dresses to put over the actual dresses. I cannot wait. And, wait, what, a two week countdown? I really thought that you had made a mistake. For real, I need to get going here!

@tanteva Americans are crazy. Gifts for everyone...good news is that I don't know anyone here so no gifts needed. I do send gifts home to my nieces and nephew and especially the great-nephews and niece. But otherwise it is just our immediate family.

We may take a drive today to the beach. Other than that...and gift wrapping...you know the thing that I say that I will do each day...well, I don't intend to do anything else of substance. So I should be able to get caught up a bit here.

I'm going to get my #coffee refill and then I'll be back for personals.

 

[LSlycord]

@faerywings thanks for the updates on the Sorento and the Santa Fe. It is absolutely crazy the prices, some of the cars had a $10,000 Market Adjustment above the MSRP. Which is just plain and simply profit. Because there is so much demand. And, as you know, the used cars are also really high so I don't know what we will do. I think we will go look at some two row SUVs. Or maybe I'll just get interested in something else. Hoping that you stay safe from Covid. No one needs that for this holiday season.

@tanteva glad that you got the snow to light up your many hours of darkness! And Sven is just adorable! He looks so cuddly.

@vickyday I just love that blanket. I can just feel the softness as I look at it. This is just such a thoughtful gift. Hope that the drive to the Christmas play was uneventful.

@bcgal00 I need to follow you on IG. I'm trying to do a little more over there...I guess we will see if I can continue that. Love that you are taking on a Project Life for 2023. And I love the photo of Remi in the sweater.

@Cherylndesigns glad that you got your Christmas decorations. They do bring back the memories.

I'm off to the gallery and then to do a bit of scrapping.

 

[CindaA]

I've missed my Ofriends and scrapbooking! I'm not sure how long it has been. I finished homeschooling and both of our boys are off at college. I thought I'd get back to scrapbooking with our nest empty this semester, but I have been working full-time, doing some volunteer work, and trying to keep things fun with just the two of us. Our boys will be home for Christmas next week. Maybe I can return to scrapping in January/February/March. I did design our Christmas card. I am stuck on the 2018 scrapbook. So much has happened since then - two deaths and two graduations, but time marches on! Next year should be another graduation and probably an engagement!

We don't buy for neighbors (although I am doing a restaurant gift card for the one who dog-sat for us this year). I feel like I should get something for my boss (it's just her and me in the office), and I am buying for the girls our boys are dating. Other than that, just family and nothing big.

 

[BrightEyes]

What a night....went to sleep at 9PM but woke up at 1AM... 2AM.. and finally got up at just before 3AM. #crazy Bet I will be wanting to nap#sleeping sometime during the day. Since I stopped the estrogen patches in Oct, I have been having hot flashes and interrupted sleep patterns. Covers on cause I am cold, then covers off and change from winter PJs to summer-weight gown... covers off then on then on!!! Same thing during the day... dress in layers and cover up with a throw - then off goes the throw... off goes the fleece cardigan... and sometimes have to change the long-sleeve knit top to a light-weight cotton blouse. Geeze, this would be easier to deal with during the summer month.

I did get my errands ran yesterday. Bought a new wireless outside senor/thermostat display duo only to find that it had no batteries in the package - needed both AA and AAA! Had plenty of AA but had to hunt and then use some not new AAA ones. Those go on my "must buy list". I set the new display one in the kitchen and moved an old one into the office and left one in the master bedroom. I will continue to use the old ones as long as they work. I swear everyone and their brother were out at all the stores and on the roads. Went to Sam's but didn't find anything there but I did get my Visa bill paid at the credit union. Stopped at Smith's and was happy to find sale bags of ripe Hass avocados (6-9 in a bag) for $0.99 so I grabbed 3 - plus a bag of red/yellow bell peppers. Plus they had blackberries pints at $0.97 each so snatched 3 of them. Ice cream was also on sale. Stopped back at the house and put stuff away before I headed to the library to return a book. Didn't get any books there. Did a quick stop at Walmart and picked up coffee. Glad to get all those errands done.

Today, I'm going to have french toast with fresh blackberries for breakfast. Then I need to mash all the avocados and make guacamole then freeze them in small containers. I can't remember getting so many avocados this late in the season. I will need to make more enchiladas sauce soon. Hmmmmm... may make some taco meat and have that for a change of pace.

 

[BrightEyes]

Ok, I gotta ask this. Been watching some YouTube videos on Christmas gifts lately, and I have to ask ... are all Americans crazy???
They talk about gift ideas for neighbors, co-workers, teachers, the kids friend's parents, Satan and his aunt! (That's a Swedish expression - when you mean EVERYONE you include Satan and his aunt LOL)

Do people really buy gifts for everyone over there? I mean ... if I turned up with a gift for my neighbors, they'd probably call the cops or the ambulance. LOL

In Sweden we buy gifts to family (that can be just your immediate family or a wider family, depending on how close you are, and whether you celebrate Christmas together). Then maybe you have a close friend or something that you exchange gifts with. That's it.

@tanteva - we gave Christmas presents to family only - then as the 5 kids got married and had children - we started having a drawing for giving gifts for the adults while still giving presents to the young kids. Then the grandkids grew up and the great-grandkids came along. By this time, DH and I would decide what we wanted and buy that together. Now that he is gone and most of the family lives elsewhere, I have stopped buying presents. I tell all the family I prefer to have calls from them instead of gifts.

 

[vickyday]

@faerywings thanks for the updates on the Sorento and the Santa Fe. It is absolutely crazy the prices, some of the cars had a $10,000 Market Adjustment above the MSRP. Which is just plain and simply profit. Because there is so much demand. And, as you know, the used cars are also really high so I don't know what we will do. I think we will go look at some two row SUVs. Or maybe I'll just get interested in something else. Hoping that you stay safe from Covid. No one needs that for this holiday season.

@tanteva glad that you got the snow to light up your many hours of darkness! And Sven is just adorable! He looks so cuddly.

@vickyday I just love that blanket. I can just feel the softness as I look at it. This is just such a thoughtful gift. Hope that the drive to the Christmas play was uneventful.

@bcgal00 I need to follow you on IG. I'm trying to do a little more over there...I guess we will see if I can continue that. Love that you are taking on a Project Life for 2023. And I love the photo of Remi in the sweater.

@Cherylndesigns glad that you got your Christmas decorations. They do bring back the memories.

I'm off to the gallery and then to do a bit of scrapping.

Thanks, Linda!
Yes, the drive to and from was uneventful. The play was wonderful and we stopped for a late lunch/early supper on the way back!

 

[vickyday]

The two-week countdown has begun. Can you hear it ticking away? Or it is just a Tell-Tale Heart kicking around somewhere in my house?
I am pretty sure it's only the clock ticking

Any bets on whether I had a successful day out shopping?
Well- I am home and I survived so that goes in the plus column. Ha! I am still stuck on a bunch of things/people but it is getting better so that is also a plus.
I remembered why I despise shopping at Walmart. It was coo-coo for coconuts, the lines for the self-check registers were just as bad as the cashier ones. Thankfully, I didn't find anything there so I was able to ignore that. When I got home, I realized that the one thing I specifically wanted to buy in person-- the buttons for Sam's scarf- I forgot and I even had a list. I spent way too much time on Amazon trying to find ones that would be here in time for me to sew them on. And sheesh, the last thing I want is 50 of them! Blergh! I hate buttons.

All of that meant I was barely around here to comment on my challenge, but I tried to work on that here and there. I love what I am seeing so far. Such a fun challenge and wonderful to see everyone's creativity.

Soooo-- who remembers what today is? It is the yes to the Dress day!! My mom is coming up this morning and then we are going to watch Caitlyn try it on again and then try some different veils too. I have been thinking of ways I can scrap this without showing any of the dress-- one idea is to scrap it like a regular LO and then put a fake barrel over the dress.

Or maybe a black rectangle over it? I know I want to take a picture of her and my mom and I want to scrap it now-- just in case..... who knows what the future will hold?
But if I scrap it I am going to want to share it. I mean, I can (probably will) scrap it and not show anyone, but doesn't that seem weird? LOL

Hope that all of you have a wonderful day/weekend

I like the barrel idea!
I'm comforted to know I'm not the only one that forgets or overlooks things on her list while shopping! It is aggravating.....like it is hiding in plain sight!

 

[vickyday]

@tanteva how much snow did you get? How much snow do you have to get where things shut down, like school?
Oh my goodness, I can't wait to meet Sven!! Sounds like a wonderful evening for you and Sven

@vickyday Hope your headache is better, mine is still bugging me around the edges. I took preventative Aleve before I left here yesterday. That was very smart of me. *pats self on the back*
How was the Christmas play?
The blanket looks so amazing and so cozy. (You should have seen me trying to walk past all of the yarn at the craft store, had to force myself to not touch it all LOL)

@bcgal00 I am really happy that you are going to start taking some AAM photos to post on IG, you are so talented and creative. It must have felt like (it really is) a huge hole was gone (always will be there but wonderful that it doesn't always seem as huge )
I would love shopping for Taz too, I wish my dogs would let me dress them up.
I bet the image I have in my head of Remi eyeing you over the laptop is even just a fraction of how cute it is in person. ♥

@Buddy the O' Elf does the job at Santa's workshop come with medical benefits???

@BrightEyes yay! I am so happy that you had fun with the challenge. I love it when everything clicks together on a page too.
I am dragging more than a bit this morning, I am tired. And-- I just realized that I was in the kitchen to get another coffee and then the dogs wanted to go out. Guess what I forgot in there!?!?
BRB!
#coffee

Thanks! And I know what you mean about the yarn in the craft shop! I have to stay clear!
My headache is still lingering, too! I had to take some more meds this morning. It is slowly calming down!
The play was very good! They all knew their parts very well!

 

[vickyday]

Ok, I gotta ask this. Been watching some YouTube videos on Christmas gifts lately, and I have to ask ... are all Americans crazy???
They talk about gift ideas for neighbors, co-workers, teachers, the kids friend's parents, Satan and his aunt! (That's a Swedish expression - when you mean EVERYONE you include Satan and his aunt LOL)

Do people really buy gifts for everyone over there? I mean ... if I turned up with a gift for my neighbors, they'd probably call the cops or the ambulance. LOL

In Sweden we buy gifts to family (that can be just your immediate family or a wider family, depending on how close you are, and whether you celebrate Christmas together). Then maybe you have a close friend or something that you exchange gifts with. That's it.

Not I, said the cat!
The only peeps that get gifts from us are the grandkids! And after they turn 18, Christmas is the last gift they get! They are on their own! After this Christmas we have 15 left, LOL!

 

[vickyday]

I've missed my Ofriends and scrapbooking! I'm not sure how long it has been. I finished homeschooling and both of our boys are off at college. I thought I'd get back to scrapbooking with our nest empty this semester, but I have been working full-time, doing some volunteer work, and trying to keep things fun with just the two of us. Our boys will be home for Christmas next week. Maybe I can return to scrapping in January/February/March. I did design our Christmas card. I am stuck on the 2018 scrapbook. So much has happened since then - two deaths and two graduations, but time marches on! Next year should be another graduation and probably an engagement!

We don't buy for neighbors (although I am doing a restaurant gift card for the one who dog-sat for us this year). I feel like I should get something for my boss (it's just her and me in the office), and I am buying for the girls our boys are dating. Other than that, just family and nothing big.

Welcome back to scrapbooking! Your Christmas card is wonderful! That's a first step!

 

[vickyday]

Good Morning!
Great participation in my challenge already today! It is an easy peasy one!

The Christmas play was great yesterday. It was a tear-jerker at the end. The school kids sang songs in between each act. The guys handling the stage props got a workout! All in all it was a good time! We stopped for a late lunch/early supper at Applebees on the way home. That is always good! I got their Oriental Chicken salad. It was HUGE! And a breadstick was included. DH#1 and I ate at Applebees a lot. I don't remember the salad being that big or having a breadstick included. I ate half of the salad and brought the breadstick and the other half home. It was good several hours later!

I've got to make myself get some work done around here today. Especially laundry! Mark's OT is over and he is back to 32 hours a week. Bad timing for that! 15 grands @ $25 a pop for Christmas gets expensive! Anyway, with him being off on Fridays again I kept thinking yesterday was Saturday. When I realized it wasn't I got lazy and put off doing the laundry! We were out about all day anyway. With going to the play and then out to eat and later we took the poodle to Mark's daughter's house so she could take him to work with her today to give him a haircut. I need to make the poor thing a sweater because he gets cold this time of the year when he gets a haircut. He looks like a teddy bear before. Not so much afterwards! I'll have to do a before and after page, LOL!

Chores are calling! Have a great day!

 

[Lynn Grieveson]

Hi, I am back after a quick trip to Australia to finally see DH's mum. First time out of the country for YEARS and first longish vacation on our own (ie without our 'third musketeer', M). We had a great time even if we kept saying 'M would love that' or 'I wish I could get a photo of M here' . The last few days were very hot, which was a bit of a shock to the system.

Now I am back and playing 'catch up' because I tried really hard to stay offline and not work. AND now I am trying to organise a big house move that got shifted forward by a few months and is now happening two days after Christmas. My to do list is giving me palpitations. Yikes!

Plus it seems like everyone we know there and here has Covid. But we wore masks all the way there and back on the plane, and whenever we were in shops/buses/ubers so fingers crossed we seem to have managed to avoid it.

@faerywings LOL at the barrel idea ;-) It does seem weird to do a layout and then not share (and then inevitably forget to post when you can in my case - although I imagine with as momentous a photo as that you will remember to share with us!). Hope it went well!

@tanteva loved your post Yes, that seems crazy to me too! Although I still remember the year a co-worker bought really expensive and thoughtful gifts for us all 30 years ago. She had to carefully explain that it was because she had gone through a break up and just wanted to buy something for someone - and especially for us as she appreciated us. But generally we don't go overboard on presents. Having said that, people always used to leave chocolates for the postal van driver when we lived in a rural delivery area. I think everyone along the route did, so it must have been a very long day to stop at every letterbox and then what did they do with all the chocolates?? Imagine if you were a post van driver with diabetes and you ended up with 300 boxes of chocolates every year
#dk

I was so relieved that this year my parents made a 'no presents' decree ... although it came too late as I had already bought THEIR presents Also does not apply to the grandchildren of course. But we all feel like we have all we need. Will still do things like a calendar for my mum (using my layouts) etc.

@BrightEyes Sorry about that bad night of sleep :-( Boy you did well with the grocery bargains though. Your breakfast sounds yummy and I like the frozen quacamole idea.

 

[bcgal00]

Good morning ladies. I've got lots to do today. I have a mystery coupon for my fave decor store so will be heading over there soon to pick up a few things and see what kind of discount I get (I have a sealed envelope that will be opened at the store). I've got errands and chores later. It snowed and Remi is hanging over the laptop, licking my face, trying to get my attention, so I will take her out and feed the birds (and play ice hockey with her). I'll come back later for personals.

@LSlycord Come find me on IG. Just search for raeclevett.

@faerywings This is what she does

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Good afternoon all. I'm just getting up and starting to feel the blood running through my body. We had Bailey all evening and she's a good dog, but was here until about midnight. Braden came and picked her p when he got home. The rest of the kids went to a concert in Tulsa and weren't getting home until very late because they wanted to go to iHop after the concert.

Well, the adventureId. We got the tree down here yesterday and Chuck went to put it up this am and he said the end of the box was open. He had taped up all of our boxes and labeled them like he does every year and he said the end of the box was open. Of course, the base is missing. Nobody can find it and we can't get a new one from Amazon until after Christmas. I'm about ready to give up at this point. I didn't really want to put up a Christmas tree this year anyway. #mad

Chris @faerywings what an exciting day for all of you - I can't wait to year all about it. Do they ring a bell when Cait says "yes to the dress"? That's what they do on that TV reality show. Yes, the cat is a stinker. He did the same thing to some other trees that I had on the kitchen table. I have a Christmas tablecloth on there and 3 of my trees. He actually scooted them clear over to the edge of the table so he could lay right in the middle. They're so funny. We're very lucky with him because he rarely uses his litter box unless it's bitter cold outside and he's stuck in here for a couple of days. He actually goes to the door like a dog and does his business outside. I've never had a cat that did that before. I'm sure he'll be forced to use it when it gets really bad, but he goes outside now. Ava's cat does the same thing, and she doesn't even have a litter box inside. I'm just afraid not to have one - for emergencies. They're more outside cats than they are inside.

Eva @tanteva Christmas is so commercialized here that it's ridiculous. We've never got caught up in all of that either. First of all, we don't have the same people who delivers

I've missed my Ofriends and scrapbooking! I'm not sure how long it has been. I finished homeschooling and both of our boys are off at college. I thought I'd get back to scrapbooking with our nest empty this semester, but I have been working full-time, doing some volunteer work, and trying to keep things fun with just the two of us. Our boys will be home for Christmas next week. Maybe I can return to scrapping in January/February/March. I did design our Christmas card. I am stuck on the 2018 scrapbook. So much has happened since then - two deaths and two graduations, but time marches on! Next year should be another graduation and probably an engagement!

We don't buy for neighbors (although I am doing a restaurant gift card for the one who dog-sat for us this year). I feel like I should get something for my boss (it's just her and me in the office), and I am buying for the girls our boys are dating. Other than that, just family and nothing big.

things and I just think it's unnecessary. I do give our housecleaner a Christmas tip - I'll probably buy her a nice bottle of wine - she loves wine. She'll probably bring me a bottle, too. LOL I have done more in the past, like when I had a standing appt with my hairdresser, things like that. When my kids were younger, I did teacher gifts, though. All the kids wanted to take their teachers a gift.

It's so nice to meet you and thanks for stopping in - don't be a stranger. Your Christmas card is lovely.

 

[faerywings]

Good morning! Ready for coffee??
#coffee

I miss our old coffee smilies soooo much! I need the coffee bath one. And the never-ending coffee pot one. *nods* I wish I had a never-ending coffee pot IRL.
LOL! Gary is calling out from the kitchen that our 14-cup pot is already empty. Not even 7 am. SMH! I need more so I think he is putting on a second pot, considering Cait and Tom are still asleep.

I wish I was still asleep.

We had a long but happy day. Caitlyn tried the dress back on and we picked out her veil. Both of them are officially ordered! She could not stop smiling the entire time she had the dress on and it is just prettier and prettier every time I see it. The veil hits the back of her knees and the lace matches the dress almost identically. My mom took us out to lunch afterward to celebrate. By the time we got back home, it was almost 4 pm which meant I got nothing else done. I made sure I got a bunch of pictures of Cait and my mom and a few of the three of us.

Today -- sheesh, My to-do list is really long. But it's going to snow and I have nowhere I need to be. Crud-- I need to get the snow shovels out of the shed and up to the patio. Not supposed to get a lot at all, 3-4"- just enough for me to complain about it.

I should wrap this up and start working on my list.
xoxoxo!

 

[faerywings]

@LSlycord It is really crazy how fast this month is going. Way too fast. Gary thought I was teasing him when I said "two weeks" to him as well.
A trip to the beach would be exactly what I need if I lived in FL. Oh, to get my toes in the sand and hear the ocean. I hope that you were able to go and recharge a bit.
What the heck? $10K *over* MSRP??? How in the world do people buy anything anymore?
*knocks wood* So far, so good, I feel absolutely fine, not one symptom of Covid. Is the window 3-5 days after exposure still? Everything keeps changing with it, I can't keep up.

@CindaA Welcome hOme! Time flies by so quickly. Congrats on all of the good things happening in your family and hugs for the not-so-good. As you can tell from my post, my DD got engaged over the summer and just picked out her dress. It's very exciting
Your card is beautiful, and so is your family!

@BrightEyes Oh yuck, that is a terrible night's sleep. I bet you napped yesterday you would have to. Hopefully, you napped just the right amount so that you didn't mess up last night's sleep. How are you today?
Is there anything you can do to ease the hot flashes?
Batteries prices are my new exasperation. And eggs. But batteries are so freaking expensive and when I dropped Gary's blood meter in the water I was really glad he thought to take the batteries out. It uses lithium batters and it's $25 for the two of them it needs.
Great scores on the produce!

@vickyday Were you able to get pictures of the kids in the play? It sounds like it was a big production. Must have been super cute. How many grands do you have in total? If you have 15 under 18 yo, you must have a lot!
I am sorry that Mark's OT got cut. There is no *good* time, but this time is def. on the lowest end.
(My chores are calling too but I am ignoring them for another few minutes-- shhhh!)

@Lynn Grieveson I can't imagine how weird it must have felt to my have DD with you on your trip.
Your to-do list is giving *me* palpitations. Oh wow, I can't imagine trying to pack and move in just a few weeks with or without Christmas stuck in the middle. Good luck with all of that!

@bcgal00 I just want to snuggle all of your dogs through the monitor. I described the photo of Taz in his sweater to Caitlyn and she loved it. Remi has the most expressive face, I'd ask how can you resist it, but I bet that you don't/can't. LOL
That is a great marketing technique, the surprise discount. I would have to shop just to open the envelope. Hope you got a great prize

@Cherylndesigns Did the tree base ever turn up? You have your Christmas palm tree, that does the trick, right? It counts for me.
There was no bell to ring, but Abby (the shop owner and wiz of a seamstress) had Caitlyn pop open a bottle of champagne and we had flutes of that. Fun!!
My BFFs cat would do that with anything that was left on *any* flat surface. In the middle of the night, she would hear him wack at her book on the nightstand. Little by little until it went over the end.
Cats! SMH!!

And on that note, I need to get going.

Have a wonderful, relaxing, and productive day. (Is that even possible??)
xoxo

 

[LSlycord]

Good morning. I wasn't even out of bed until 7:30 @faerywings. It is like clockwork here. Whoever is out of bed first is responsible for letting the dogs go out to go potty, giving them treats and then getting the coffee going. I was first out of bed this morning so here I am. First cup is almost gone and I'll be on my second before I start personals.

Did have a little bit of beach time yesterday but you can still see that it is torn up and there are big piles of sand waiting to re-build the dunes. Shaun went with us to Palm Coast. There was a festival at Washington Oaks State Park with food trucks and vendors and kids crafts activities. The park has beautiful rose gardens and you can walk along the Matanzas...as well as through lots of beautiful Florida greenery.

And the fun part is that we found a friend from 30 years ago. We knew that she lived in Palm Coast and we have talked about getting together but just haven't done it. Well, as we are walking along I hear someone yell "Linda and Brian". We all worked together when we lived in Austin and nearly everyone was single and people traveled a lot for work so when we were home, we all hung out together. It was really like the 30 years hadn't passed at all. Her best friend who also worked there is coming to visit in January so we made plans to get together for dinner. So much fun.

Ok, I need that second cup of coffee and then I'll be back. #coffee

 

[LSlycord]

@faerywings I am so happy that the dress buying experience has been such a pleasure! And I know that your mom was just over the moon about being able to share in that time with the two of you! And I know...I'm not sure how anyone buys anything any more. The 10,000 market adjustment is obscene. Because of how expensive my drugs are on Medicare, I have asked the doctors for paper copies of my prescriptions and will get them from Canada. (Thank you to my Canadian friends that your country is not in nearly the mess ours is in.) I am paying $432 a month and that is just for me. And, even paying that much, my copays on prescriptions would cost me over $500 a month. Sorry, rant is over now.

@CindaA how nice it is to see you in here! Love what you did with your Christmas card. I too took time off from scrapbooking when the kids had me running all over the place. But I am back now. My two are in college, and even though one is still living at home, I have more time to spend on scrapbooking. The one that is at UF will be home this coming week and of course I am just anxiously waiting. I really hope that you will find some time to spend back here. Friendliest people ever...and we'd love to have you...whenever you can make it.

@bcgal00 I followed you on IG so I'm ready for your AAM posts and all of the bird watching. I think that we may head to Merritt Island tomorrow. This is supposed to be a great time to see birds down there. Need to get the batteries charged on the camera because I think that I might want a zoom for these photos.

@Cherylndesigns I can't believe that your Christmas stand is missing. You have just had the worst luck with the tree this year! The palm tree is turning out to be the perfect solution! I love that you watch the dog...but of course, that takes a lot of energy. Do you hook her up when she goes outside or will she stay at your house without that?

@Lynn Grieveson oh my goodness. The trip to see your mother-in-law sounds wonderful. Taking the trip without your youngest, I'm sure was quite hard. The road trip that we took in October was the first time we had traveled without kids since we had kids. It was a little bit sad. I can't imagine being ready to move two days after Christmas. Oh my... But that way you will start the new year off on the right foot!

@vickyday I'm sorry that they cut Mark's hours again...although it will be nice to have him around more. I love Applebee's and we don't have any that are very nearby. I love their chicken wonton tacos and found a copycat recipe to try. But spending that much time making it feels like it might take away some of the joy.

@BrightEyes nothing worse than an awful night's sleep. Hope last night was better...the hot flashes are the worst. Do they know why that is happening to you right now? Ugh... I hope that your errands are all complete and that you can just snuggle in and watch the storm from afar!

@tanteva hope the knitting is going well in the bright moonlight!

Have a good day all. I'm off to the gallery!

 

[tanteva]

Toothache! Yay!

But knitting is going well. Sven will soon be happily married to Hilma!

 

[BrightEyes]

Morning, everyone. Can't believe it... I did NOT nap at all yesterday - ended up staying awake until 9:30PM and slept in until 7:30AM!!! Only woke up a couple of times but went right back to sleep. Feeling much better this morning. @LSlycord - the reason for the hot flashes and broken sleep is because I stopped using the Estrogen patches in Oct... so the body is reacting like I am starting into menopause! I am hoping that it will settle down soon.

I got all the avocados mashed up and the guacamole made yesterday. WOW... ended up having to use 2 large pyrex bowls to do it all... and ended up with 12 containers of guac!!! The freezer is full so no more room to make meals to go in there until I use up some of those I have already put in there. I had a lovely dinner of soft shell tacos with guacamole. Will have a re-run of that tonight.
Had a lazy afternoon watching DVD movies. Can't believe it but I had never seen "Pretty Woman". Also watched "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" with Jon Voight. I really need to get the latest DVDs entered into the DVD inventory on the computer then I can get them off the kitchen table and put away. The arm/hand are better but not up to doing all that typing just yet.

@Lynn Grieveson - you have a lot on your plate over the next few weeks. BTDT - we closed on into this house Dec 30, 2010 and moved the first week of January and I remember we really didn't celebrate Christmas as we were too busy packing up. Hope all goes smoothly for you.

@faerywings So glad it was a fun day for the 3 of you gals as Cait made the decision on her wedding dress. Happy that you took lots of photos for the memory album. I hear you about the cost of batteries going up.... Yikes, that is a lot for the batteries in Gary's meter!!!

@Cherylndesigns How terrible to lose the base of the Christmas tree!!! <<< hugs >>> At least you have the palm tree Christmas tree and the other small table top trees. Had to LOL over the cat moving them around so he has space to lay in his spot!

Sorry the personals are short but the coffee cup is empty and arm is aching. HAGD

 

[LSlycord]

Toothache! Yay!

But knitting is going well. Sven will soon be happily married to Hilma!

LOVE it!

 

[bcgal00]

Good morning ladies. I'm going to head out for a walk along the river with a friend in a bit. I want to get some scrapping done this afternoon and some house chores. I think I'll make tacos for dinner for D and taco bowl for me.

| signed up to Scribd yesterday and may try listening to some books when I am scrapping rather than trying to watch shows all the time. If that doesn't work out, I'll still try it out for the month (for free) and see what digital content they have. I'm getting frustrated with my libraries. All the books I want to read are on hold, I wait a long time and then all of a sudden a whole bunch come in at the same time so I can't possibly read them all within the 3 wk period, so they go back on hold again. At least with Scribd I can take as long as I need to finish a book. I canceled my subscription to Britbox and Acorn. I didn't watch it much this year. There is more than enough to watch on Apple and Netflix, plus in the LR we have the android box to watch pretty much anything. So that made sense to get rid of subscriptions I don't use.

I brought my sealed coupon envelope into the store yesterday and got a 15% discount so picked up a decorative metal tray and a big lidded container to put on the kitchen counter. I have a treat jar there for the dogs and treats in the cupboard behind it so thought it would be nice to set up a pretty dog tray with their goodies. I'll have to scrap a page about it soon. The grayish metal color fits in with the kitchen colors perfectly, love it. Got some pretty tea towels too.

@faerywings I can only imagine how gorgeous C looks in the dress. Can't wait to see her in it, I'll just have to be patient.

@vickyday That's a lot of grands to get gifts for. You must rip your hair out trying to figure out what to get them all.

@Lynn Grieveson Just a few days after Xmas, you sure are going to have a hectic season. Sending calm organized vibes your way that everything goes smoothly.

@LSlycord How fun to run into an old friend from work. Enjoy dinner together. Have fun if you go to Merritt Island. Today I'm going to look for eagles today if the weather cooperates.

@BrightEyes Wish I was there to share your guac Be careful with the arm, don't overdo it today, get some rest.

Remi is whining at me, time to go feed the birds, then a shower and get ready for my walk. HAGD everyone.

 

[Cherylndesigns]

Good morning all. It's a balmy 51 degrees going all the way to 55. LOL We sure haven't had the warm December we had last year. It was up in the 70's some days last year. I did that Document Your December last year and I put the date on each 4 x 6 daily page. I didn't do it this year for the first time in several years.

Yeah, I'm pretty bummed about the base for the Christmas tree. Adrienne and Roger aren't home and I'm sure Braden and Alyssa haven't really even looked for it. I can't imagine WHY the end of the box was open - Chuck is meticulous about putting the Christmas stuff away and he always has been. The boxes are all taped up and marked as to the contents. This keeping my stuff up there hasn't worked out like I thought it would. When Adrienne and I looked for it Sunday evening, there were two trees just kind of thrown in the attic where my stuff was. Braden brought everything down, but the base. Chuck thinks Walmart has them, so he's heading over there later on. If they don't, I'll just have to be happy with my palm tree and my other sparkly tree collection, like you said,, Kay @BrightEyes I HAVE had the worst luck with the tree this year, Linda @LSlycord UGH. Christmas Tree Christmas Tree


Linda @LSlycord that's SO fun that you ran into your old friends from 30 years ago. When you live in FL, it seems like you see people that you'd never have seen anyplace else - it's such a destination. When we lived there, we saw more people than we ever had - they were there on vacay and we always got together. Nobody comes to Oklahoma. BWAHAHA Yes, watching Bailey pretty much wears me out. She's a good dog for a young Lab, but she's active. Daisy isn't. Now, we have Lila - and I think we're going to have the other puppy, too. She's up there in her crate because Alyssa (it's her dog - RIGHT???) and Braden are never home and she's in her crate all day. I just can't stand that thought. We're going to get her tonight and have her while they're both at school and see how that works out. Give me strength. Hahaha It's a jungle here, I tell 'ya.

Chris @faerywings how fun that you all got champagne but no bell. That's pretty chaotic - champagne is much better. Cait even got her veil, huh? That's just so exciting and I can't believe you weren't all crying. I remember going through that when Adrienne got married - it's a very exciting time for sure. Are you all exhausted today? I know that you were all on am emotional high. I didn't get the pleasure of seeing Stephanie pick out her dress. She lived in Fl and we lived in Mi and her future mother-in-law decided to take her dress shopping and she found a dress and her now ex MIL put a down payment on it, then called me and told me what WE owed on it. Chuck was SO angry because I was so upset. I was planning on flying down to look for a wedding dress with her, but her pushy MIL decided to do it. But, yeah, I've forgotten all about that. #devil

Linda @LSlycord it sucks what prescriptions cost! You can "pay me now or pay me later" - we have AARP United Health Care to cover that "gap" but it's about as expensive as paying out of pocket for prescriptions. . They've got us by the you-know-whats. AARP is supposed to be the best medicap insurance in FL. We also have NO copays to see any doctor, so I guess that's a plus. Before I put my dad on medigap ins he was paying several thousand just for copays. Of course, he went to the doctor a lot. OK, off MY soapbox.

Kay @BrightEyes your quac sounds so good. I love it and homemade is the best - I could just eat it with a spoon.

Happy Sunday!








.

 

[vickyday]

@LSlycord It is really crazy how fast this month is going. Way too fast. Gary thought I was teasing him when I said "two weeks" to him as well.
A trip to the beach would be exactly what I need if I lived in FL. Oh, to get my toes in the sand and hear the ocean. I hope that you were able to go and recharge a bit.
What the heck? $10K *over* MSRP??? How in the world do people buy anything anymore?
*knocks wood* So far, so good, I feel absolutely fine, not one symptom of Covid. Is the window 3-5 days after exposure still? Everything keeps changing with it, I can't keep up.

@CindaA Welcome hOme! Time flies by so quickly. Congrats on all of the good things happening in your family and hugs for the not-so-good. As you can tell from my post, my DD got engaged over the summer and just picked out her dress. It's very exciting
Your card is beautiful, and so is your family!

@BrightEyes Oh yuck, that is a terrible night's sleep. I bet you napped yesterday you would have to. Hopefully, you napped just the right amount so that you didn't mess up last night's sleep. How are you today?
Is there anything you can do to ease the hot flashes?
Batteries prices are my new exasperation. And eggs. But batteries are so freaking expensive and when I dropped Gary's blood meter in the water I was really glad he thought to take the batteries out. It uses lithium batters and it's $25 for the two of them it needs.
Great scores on the produce!

@vickyday Were you able to get pictures of the kids in the play? It sounds like it was a big production. Must have been super cute. How many grands do you have in total? If you have 15 under 18 yo, you must have a lot!
I am sorry that Mark's OT got cut. There is no *good* time, but this time is def. on the lowest end.
(My chores are calling too but I am ignoring them for another few minutes-- shhhh!)

@Lynn Grieveson I can't imagine how weird it must have felt to my have DD with you on your trip.
Your to-do list is giving *me* palpitations. Oh wow, I can't imagine trying to pack and move in just a few weeks with or without Christmas stuck in the middle. Good luck with all of that!

@bcgal00 I just want to snuggle all of your dogs through the monitor. I described the photo of Taz in his sweater to Caitlyn and she loved it. Remi has the most expressive face, I'd ask how can you resist it, but I bet that you don't/can't. LOL
That is a great marketing technique, the surprise discount. I would have to shop just to open the envelope. Hope you got a great prize

@Cherylndesigns Did the tree base ever turn up? You have your Christmas palm tree, that does the trick, right? It counts for me.
There was no bell to ring, but Abby (the shop owner and wiz of a seamstress) had Caitlyn pop open a bottle of champagne and we had flutes of that. Fun!!
My BFFs cat would do that with anything that was left on *any* flat surface. In the middle of the night, she would hear him wack at her book on the nightstand. Little by little until it went over the end.
Cats! SMH!!

And on that note, I need to get going.

Have a wonderful, relaxing, and productive day. (Is that even possible??)
xoxo

I think we have 18 grands. 9 boys and 9 girls. The youngest is a year, so I'm not sure if the 18 was before or after, LOL!
When Mark and I married we doubled everything....kids and grands. He had 2 kids and 2 steps.....2 boys and 2 girls. I have 4 kids.....2 boys and 2 girls. We have tried to get everyone together at the same time but it has never happened. Too many schedules to work around!
I did get a few pictures at the play, but the characters didn't look at the audience much, so the pictures are not meaningful to anyone who did not attend. I may or may not do any scrapping of them.

 

[vickyday]

@faerywings I am so happy that the dress buying experience has been such a pleasure! And I know that your mom was just over the moon about being able to share in that time with the two of you! And I know...I'm not sure how anyone buys anything any more. The 10,000 market adjustment is obscene. Because of how expensive my drugs are on Medicare, I have asked the doctors for paper copies of my prescriptions and will get them from Canada. (Thank you to my Canadian friends that your country is not in nearly the mess ours is in.) I am paying $432 a month and that is just for me. And, even paying that much, my copays on prescriptions would cost me over $500 a month. Sorry, rant is over now.

@CindaA how nice it is to see you in here! Love what you did with your Christmas card. I too took time off from scrapbooking when the kids had me running all over the place. But I am back now. My two are in college, and even though one is still living at home, I have more time to spend on scrapbooking. The one that is at UF will be home this coming week and of course I am just anxiously waiting. I really hope that you will find some time to spend back here. Friendliest people ever...and we'd love to have you...whenever you can make it.

@bcgal00 I followed you on IG so I'm ready for your AAM posts and all of the bird watching. I think that we may head to Merritt Island tomorrow. This is supposed to be a great time to see birds down there. Need to get the batteries charged on the camera because I think that I might want a zoom for these photos.

@Cherylndesigns I can't believe that your Christmas stand is missing. You have just had the worst luck with the tree this year! The palm tree is turning out to be the perfect solution! I love that you watch the dog...but of course, that takes a lot of energy. Do you hook her up when she goes outside or will she stay at your house without that?

@Lynn Grieveson oh my goodness. The trip to see your mother-in-law sounds wonderful. Taking the trip without your youngest, I'm sure was quite hard. The road trip that we took in October was the first time we had traveled without kids since we had kids. It was a little bit sad. I can't imagine being ready to move two days after Christmas. Oh my... But that way you will start the new year off on the right foot!

@vickyday I'm sorry that they cut Mark's hours again...although it will be nice to have him around more. I love Applebee's and we don't have any that are very nearby. I love their chicken wonton tacos and found a copycat recipe to try. But spending that much time making it feels like it might take away some of the joy.

@BrightEyes nothing worse than an awful night's sleep. Hope last night was better...the hot flashes are the worst. Do they know why that is happening to you right now? Ugh... I hope that your errands are all complete and that you can just snuggle in and watch the storm from afar!

@tanteva hope the knitting is going well in the bright moonlight!

Have a good day all. I'm off to the gallery!

Well, the only time Mark is in the house when he is home.....unless it is raining.....is when he is back in for the night from spending the day working in the woods. And I'm OK with that, LOL! When he is in he is watching football!