Hey Susie. You sure squeeze a lot of activity into a little bit of time. I'd love to go to Cape May, too, but I don't see it happening.

I am still working on yard cleanup. Leaves and frozen flowers. Just battening the hatches for winter. I also have to clean up the porch. I put a big tarp over the furniture to protect it.

I haven't done a blessed thing about Christmas. I'll either run out to stores near work at lunch or on the way home, or order on line. I can't face the mall on the weekend.

Maybe I'll get the pine roping for the fence and put it up this weekend. I still have pumpkins on the fence posts! Maybe I'll put Santa hats on them! One of them is wearing a pointy birthday hat that I found tangled in a bush after my neighbor's kid's party. It looks so funny.

Well, Friday is still a work day, so I better get to it. Here's aclunk of my coffee mug to you all!

Enjoy your weekends, everyone.

Susie and Pam, you're both inspirational. I started putting the tree up yesterday and hope to finish today.

I was supposed to work this morning but the weather has been so bad this week that I called to see if they really wanted me in there today, I'd rather know ahead of time rather than going in and turning around and coming home after a couple of hours. Soooo, I have the day off...yippeeee. So I have extra time to do the tree, laundry, clean and shovel the snow off the deck. Our driveway was plowed this morning, the first time this winter. Tonight we are supposed to go out for dinner. Tomorrow is the town wide Christmas open house, so even with all the snow we are getting today, tomorrow should be a busy day at work. Sunday a BIG storm is supposed to hit, a good day to start on Christmas cookies for sure. I've been stocking up on supplies, now it's time to use them.

Nancy

Susie, good luck to Amy on that dance team, I'm sure she'll be perfect, and enjoy Van Halen. I'm glad to hear your Mom is feeling better, she'll like that trip I'm sure.

Pam, I like the idea of the hats on the posts, LOL. I just finished burning leaves last week, now we have three inches of snow. The only Christmas shopping I've done is for a Christmas dress for Makayla. Ashley ended up picking it out, cream on cream brocade with a full skirt, big bow and a little fur cape, all in cream. Elery says she needs those long gloves, so I'm looking for those now.

Nancy, it's snowy here too and I'm one day ahead of you, I got the tree finished last night, and the wreath on the door. That's as far as I've gone. No baking, and no wrapping. We're supposed to have a big storm on Sunday too, I guess it's officially winter weather, and I need to shovel the driveway when I get home tonight.

I'll go to the farm tomorrow, and Sunday I leave for Elery's. He's taking me on a "mystery trip" for Christmas and he won't tell me where but I'll be gone until next Thursday. Somewhere south, LOL, and I need two "nice" outfits. That's all I need to know, I'm told, but Ashley knows and she won't tell. Traitor.

A clink of my tea cup to you all, have a great weekend!

Annie

Gosh you guys are good-- trees & wrapping already !

Susie-- hope you get to Cape May-- sounds like fun.

Pam-- a Santa hat sounds like a fine idea--
Nancy-- as much as I hate the cold & snow I just love that first snowfall--& then it can go away, come back Christmas Eve, stay a couple days & then leave !

Annie-- gee-- you don't sound as "bah humbug" this year . Could that Elery be changing you outlook?

I should be raking off the last of the leaves & finishing stacking wood but not gonna happen , I'm in for the weekend with a nasty cold/sinus/not a bit of get up & go-- heck I'm still in jammies. DH's due back from camp Sunday-- he can finish the stacking and with the wind we're suppose to get maybe all my leaves will blow across the road.

Have a safe weekend all.

Happy weekend all! Too many industrious types here, you're making me feel guilty! Actually I got a few things done in preparation for a party Saturday but really need to nail some Christmas shopping.

Annie sounds wonderful, that guy of yours is a real keeper!!

Tomorrow I'm having a "cottage" get together for Sara and all her lake pals. The kids have a Risk tournament planned. They play Risk on rainy days at the cottage for hours and hours. It's a real "lake thing", so that should be fun.

The grown ups will gossip about the cottage association, complain about the uptick in property taxes at the lake, eat nibblies and drink wine! LOL Actually they are a great bunch of people so should be fun.

Sunday...nada.

Stay safe all you who have storms headed your way...'tis the season!

Nah, Diane, Elery is a grinch too, LOL. I have threatened to just buy one of those pink feather trees and hang it with pink flamingos. Dad would have a heart attack, he still criticizes me for having an artificial tree. Every year I remind him that Amanda is allergic to pine.

Elery says we should just forego a tree altogether, get one of those plastic lawn flamingos and string lights on it, it couldn't possibly be any more tacky than some Christmas decorations, LOL.

Merry Christmas anyway, and I'm hoping that your leaves DO blow across the road. Mine too. Or maybe Santa would take them, he'll have that extra room in his sleigh after he drops off presents, won't he?

Annie

I get anxiety attacks reading what everyone has accomplished!! I am cleaning and decorating, and it's not organized..going from one thing to the other.

Gbaby # 4 is due tomorrow, and dil never has made it to due date, so I am on pins and needles. Want to get everything done so I am available to help.

.Washed the windows, ironed and hung the drapes, cut the greens and filled the window boxes, and cut some for my centerpieces and mantle, put the Nativity up outside...hear we may get the S word tomorrow..

Wish I had an elevator to carry all the bins up from the basement....tiring.

Chase, a cottage party sounds like fun, Susie, I hope you get to Cape May and miss the storm..I've heard it looks so pretty decorated for Christmas, Nancy, please keep the S out there! Craftyrn, I hope you feel better soon..

Annie, this is a very special Christmas for you..hope it is wonderful!
Have a good weekend everyone!

Susie, my Nana lived in Cape May for about 10 years. They would come up to our house in Southampton, Pa. for every Christmas so we never got a chance to see the town all decked out. I've heard it's beautiful! I hope you can go! We will be up for the Giants/Eagles game next Sunday. It's my DH's 50th B-day so we will be partying all weekend with his family and our son! Look out Pa!!!! Have fun! Gina