This post is very entertaining---Campanula and sherry----you two should compose a book---you both have a way with words-------I have had some good and some not so good Christmas Days--the bad ones are health related and loss of loved ones (first DH died on Dec. 11)-----but I do love the fresh Tree-(my son has a garden center and sells trees at Christmas)--(two this year) I'm known for going overboard.--one year I had 5 trees--We have cut way back on gifts-but I still make Christmas Eve dinner and DIL has a nice Christmas dinner---Of course we are living through a nasty divorce---my daughter's DH decided he is tired of being married which has caused a lot of pain with grandkids taking sides-----but My son's two boys (27 and 22)still love to be with us so we enjoy what is left of our family-this year we watched the re-enactment of George Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas Eve to surprise the Hessian soldiers in Trenton N.J thus changing the course of history.Many people have sacrificed a lot for our many freedoms Have a great Holiday however you wish to spend the day-----"alone" can also be good--- Florence

Dawn recently posted on storage of squash and pumpkins. I don't recall exactly where. First of all, it doesn't hurt to leave them on the vine after they test mature (fingernail test). If saving seed, then try to wait a month after the fruit tests ripe, before you cut it and take the seed. This additional time is used by the seed to absorb more nutrients, thus giving the seed a longer viability in storage. This additional month can be on or off the vine. I simply pick my squash and put them somewhere where it doesn't get too hot and where it won't freeze. Try to keep them dry. That's about it. In past years I've stashed them behind the couch, under the bed and used them for door stops! Bon, you will most likely get A LOT more squash before frost. I'm always amazed at how many are hiding in the foliage. Last year, even though I combed the garden, looking for stragglers, I still didn't see a 30 lb Old Timey Cornfield Pumpkin, only finding it after it froze and spoiled. George

"What about child actors? They are "marketed" too." My sister was going to get my nephew involved but when she saw how it was, changed her mind. Have you seen how many child actors end up burnt out and depressed, on drugs or dead by the time they should be starting out their lives? I'm not 'harassing' you because I have a different opinion about something. Aren't I entitled to my opinion as well as you are? We aren't questioning her falling off her bike. My DH just called her to see if she was okay. It's BM & SD's behavior that are weird. I can see that she may be defensive. When we pulled up to pick SD up, they were standing in the driveway. SD said she had to show DH the scratches on the back of her leg to dad before she could get in the car. I didn't see anything on her hands or knees but I guess that doesn't matter, it's been a couple of days. So we leave & stop for dinner. As we are eating, SD mentions that her leg & head hurt. DH says out loud that he wonders if it's a concussion and I mention the hospital. SD's face gets a terrified look on it and she says it only hurts a little bit. She starts to minimize how much it hurts. So, DH is trying to assess if she has a head injury that needs to be looked at and asks what the pain feels like. SD starts to tell him the story of how it happened and we stop her and tell her we don't need the story on HOW she fell off her bike (which is what she was telling us) but how it feels now. She starts to tell us about her leg pain but he's only concerned with her head. She starts out saying it's throbbing but concussion & hospital are mentioned, she says it doesn't really hurt much at all. and finedreams, since your daughter had a concussion, did she go to the hospital? and what did they do for it? and it isn't 300 miles away. I don't know where theotherside came up with THAT. It's about 3 hours away. It's about 150 miles each way but we live up in the mountains and she lives up in a different set of mountains so there are a lot of slower curvy two lane roads to drive on. And yes, my DH would drive it. We drive it every week to pick her up. They would do the EXACT SAME amount of driving if she came to pick up SD instead of sending her mom. But they are both equally responsible for transporting the same time/distance. I don't know why you would doubt he would do it. When she goes over there for the summer, he will get SD the same 1st three weekends of each month. And when they had 50/50, DH drove her 45 minutes every morning to school on his weeks and I drove 45 minutes (each way) to go pick her up. BM didn't have to drive because she lived a few blocks from the school. Again, that's not a complaint, that's just the arrangement they had and DH never had a problem with it. We also never had a problem driving SD to her taekwondo classes (she took with her mom) which were almost an hour from where we live, when it was her dad's week. We also would go to her events whether she was with us or not. If her mom had her for her week and she had a taekwondo testing or tournament, we would go watch her. We sometimes drove a couple of hours. DH's parents would also go to those things too. I would have a problem with any father that doesn't see his children the way he should. I don't see different standards. Parents should see their children on a regular basis. I'm not saying what that should be but if they agree to one thing, put it in writing (or a judge orders it) and then they don't show up and the kids are upset & disappointed (or worse, sitting there waiting/canceling other plans) then there is NO EXCUSE for a parent to do that to their child. NONE. If you don't want to have that much time, then don't make that agreement. If you don't want to be tied down to it, then leave it open and say "I'll call when I have time to see them" but it's is SO WRONG to have a child that is excited they are going to see their other parent and then when the other parent cancels or doesn't show up, it breaks their hearts. That's only my opinion and it's not directed at any specific situation, not even mine. I think that is how it should be in general with ALL parents.

My favorite Christmas gift is one I won't be able to fully enjoy until next Christmas but I have an entire year to look forward to it!! We have an arm of the family - my sister's middle daughter and her spouse - that has considerable wealth. They are extremely generous and three years ago they hosted the entire family - 28 of us - to an all expense paid Christmas vacation in Mexico (an all-inclusive resort on the Mexican Riviera). Next Christmas they are doing the same and made the announcement Christmas day!! The first trip was a magical experience and everyone enjoyed it immensely. Some of the family is getting on in years and the ability to travel much is diminishing. We have actually lost one of the original members in the past year and this may be the last time that we can get the whole extended family together once again, as they are scattered across the country. And my daughter had just started a new job the last time and couldn't join us but she will be with us this time!! My nephew is the big planner and he delights in putting these extravaganzas together. He plans outings and adventures, plans parties for our two Christmas time birthdays (24th and 28th), gets the resort to put on an amazing Christmas dinner (last time was on the beach with bonfires and our own mariachi band!!) and derives year long entertainment doing all the planning and ironing out the logistics. I can't wait!! Mexico in December is heavenly! We are indeed blessed :-)