Am I the only one, or are the weeks going by even faster than normal? It just seems like it was friday a couple of days ago. I have a very uneventful weekend planned. Might try to get another couple of gifts bought. Too early to think about food for the holiday for me. Still thinking about what to do for Christmas day. Ham sounds boring but on the other hand easy....sandwiches and snacks are always easy without a big theatrical thing....which I'm not in the mood for nor have the energy for. I will be busy working that entire weekend...dogs here at the house and outside home visits.....so whatever it is has to be simple. Anyway, I am rambling. Hope everyone has a great weekend, keep warm and safe.

Duane

Here it's still cold and still blowing, so winter is here officially, in spite of the calendar.

tonight I hope I can get some more cookies into the freezer, Elery will be here this afternoon and I'm making fried chicken for supper. Tomorrow I take a quick trip to the farm to check tanks and feeders and Sunday I'm taking my girls and the Monkey Princess to the ballet to see the Nutcracker. My girls both loved it when they were small and this will be the Princess' first time.

Bruvver will stay with Elery, make cookies, watch movies and probably go to McDonald's.

Monday I'm taking Amanda to finish the Christmas shopping, Tuesday is the office pot luck. Wednesday night we leave for Elery's, his family Christmas is Thursday night, it's the only night in December his daughter could get free. And that takes me into another weekend, LOL.

Diane, I'm going to make your cucciadati sometime next week, I even bought dried figs!

Duane, ham is good. I'll have Christmas Day to myself, I plan to spend it eating leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner and reading my new "cookbook". The boss bought me Larousse Gastromique and Ricky Carroll's cheese making book!

Annie

TGIF everybody!

I'm reading the CF 'cause I've been tossed from the bed! We're having a new bed delivered today. We've finally caved & are following my neuro doctor's advice. We'd been balking at the several thousand dollar price tag (retired now & a bit nervous about spending money!); but we're buying it with a 90-day return. So, if it doesn't help we can at least get our money back. It's a TEMPUR-pedic BellaSonna. Anybody got one??? It's supposed to be delivered between 11 a.m. & 3 p.m.

This weekend I'm going to offer moral support to DH while he wraps Christmas presents. He's armed with a huge box of QVC wrapping bags, paper, & bows! I heard him tell his brother last week that this "homemaking" business was HARD WORK! ROFL

Have a great weekend everybody!

/tricia

TGIF, all! Yes, it does seem like the weeks are going by fast. Can't remember the last time I checked in. It looks like I have some catching up to do.

Today is prep day for our library Christmas party... labeling my thank-you jams, making some appetizers and baking cookies (we auction a dessert-of-the-month every year and at Christmas the winner gets a giant platter of cookies). This afternoon we'll wander around in the woods and try to find a small tree. It'll go on a table this year, maybe there's a chance that the new kitten won't take it down.

Tomorrow is work and party. It's warming up and Sunday it's supposed to snow...a perfect day to hunker down with eggnog and decorate the tree.

Take care, everyone. ~Clink~

Happy weekend everyone. Still at the cottage , this has been a PITA trip.

First we had the furnace blow, then a snow storm that pretty much has us grounded and now the damn heated pipe to the lake is on the fritz. We get are water from the lake so...no water!

If Clive can't get it fixed then we will have to shut the cottage down until Spring..... :(

He thinks he can do "whatever" to bypass the electric "thingy" that is causing the problem so here is hoping.

One way or the other , weather and water, we are stuck here for the weekend.

Was suppose to get the tree, finish shopping and attend a Christmas party......but instead we will doing our Pioneer routine!

PS can't even clink to the weekend with you...out of wine! Now that's a serious problem! Maybe I'll send Clive to town on the snow machine! LOL

oh Sharon, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you...I hope the "whatever" fixes the "thingy"! Out of WINE?!?!?!?! Did I read that right???

oh Katie, snow and eggnog and decorating sounds heavenly...

Tricia, it's so nice to have you back....and isn't it nice to be appreciated - hard work is right!

oh Annie, the Nutcracker will be fabulous - what a wonderful time you'll have! And thank you. I had forgotten about Diane's cucciadati - man that was goooood! I think I need you all to remind me of all the great Christmas recipes right after Halloween.

Duane, that's what's cool about this thread- and this forum -ya know? ...you can ramble all you want...you always know you're not alone and we're all following you...as opposed to when I ramble at home and not a soul pays attention...:-)

Diane, sounds like just with your baking, you have plenty to do. I still have to do Christmas cards, too.

It is bitter bitter cold here but I can't complain because we were spared the debilitating lake effect snow that they got - not too far north of here! We have a white coating - maybe 3 inches total. It's hard to say as the wind is blowing so much and lots has turned to ice.

Scott just returned after being gone for a week and a half, so tonight we HAVE to take our family pic in front of the tree....always an experience - LOL. ONe year, Will and scott got into an argument (will was VERY small) as he wanted to wear the pink fuzzy slippers that I bought him (because he wanted them!) in the photo...and his Dad didn't want him to...:-) Then remember the series of photos when We were all cracking up after Will - ahem- passed gas right before the timer went off??? Even Sammy had one eye shut - LOL.

I have to finish my cards. I have to make Sherry's Santa's Helpers - my new job as business manager at the public library requires that we make cookies for our board of trustees for their monthly meeting which is Monday - and I decided on those. Plus Will wants some. :-)

We have a work Christmas party for Scott tomorrow night.

Lots going on!

Stacy

Sharon, STAY WARM! First the furnace now the water heater thingy? You are indeed living the Pioneer life! Hope you have some great cocktail makings on hand so you and Clive can have a drinkie poo before you climb into that double sleeping bag SNORT!

Diane, good luck with the Tiger Bark - foe some reason I can never get that (or Sharons Peppermint Bark) to come out right and I end up with a big, albeit tasty, mess. And I haven't done a single card yet either... bad bad me! LOL!

Tricia, Ditto on the glad to have you back. Hope the new bed does what it is supposed to and keeps you comfy. And a hug to DH for being a good sport! LOL!

Annie, have a great time at the Nutcracker. It is a gerat story and I'm sure the performance will be wonderful.

Katie, Good luck discouraging the kitten and have fun at the Library party.

Duane, What a great service you provide. I know if I was traveling, having someone take care of the furkid would be a top priority - they are all lucky to have you.

Stacy - tell Will this is definitely the year for the Pink Fuzzy Slippers LOLOLOL! Nick still wants a tee shirt we saw 2 years ago that said "Pink is the new black". What is it with the tweener boys that they want to wear pink all of a sudden LOL! And good luck with the cards... I am going to attempt mine this weekend too.

I am starting the weekend with an early "clink" and going out with a couple of girlfriends for a well deserved night off from the family happy hour. Tomorrow is the last regular swim meet of the season, then Polar Express at the local movie theater, then off to a friends holiday gathering. Sunday will be baking and getting the Christmas cards done.

Stay warm and safe everyone and have a great weekend :-)

Alexa

Hey, sounds like everyone is on the run and that's understandable. I agree, something is out of whack with the speed at which the days are flying by.

We've got a big day tomorrow--leave for Winter Haven at 5:45am as we have 3 ball games (8:00am, 9:30am, Noon). Then hustle home for a sleepover, then back to Winter Haven Sunday for more games.

Clinking with a glass of Gatorade, have a great weekend. See you Monday!

It sounds like everyone has another busy weekend. I shipped DH off to his mothers for the weekend. My sister is coming and we are going to bake and make candy all weekend. Of course, there is going to have to be a lot of taste testing going on.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

Clinking with my diet Pepsi.
Linda

Good luck to you, Pioneer Woman! I can't believe you're out of wine, OMG. Do you have any Vodka?

We're having company on Sunday for one day and night - and possibly longer if the weather is bad like they say. Tomorrow I plan to cook for them a bit and hopefully decorate the house - if the resident scrooge here can bring himself to get the heavy boxes down out of the garage attic for me.

Diane, sounds like a fun weekend, except for the "muttering & cursing." LOL!! Maybe it won't be so bad, but if my DH were doing it, it would be bad. That is why I do it all myself!
Duane, the older I get the faster the weeks go by. My parents always said that and now I know why.
Annie, what a fun weekend you have planned. I love the Nutcracker.
Tricia, we bought our tempur pedic a little over a year ago. I think it is the grand bed. We tried them all out in the store and fell in love with it. We were told that you have to "break it in." I let my two little grandsons jump on it, which it what the store told us to do. I even jumped! We just nearly sent it back toward the end of the 90 day try-out period, but I am glad we didn't. We love it now. I hope you love yours immediately and glad to see you posting. I have been thinking of you.
Katie, your library Christmas party must be so much fun. I hope the new kitten doesn't take your tree down. LOL
Chase, I just hope you get everything fixed and can have a decent weekend. By all means send Clive on the snow machine or whatever for more wine. Sounds like you both deserve it and it is WARMING!
Stacy, your post made me smile. With two little grandsons, well we won't go into that, but I understand.
Alexa, sounds you have a fun weekend planned also. My DIL took grandsons to Lubbock last Wednesday to ride the polar express and they loved it. We have watched it so many times. I asked the 5 yr. old how long they would be gone and we told me 26 days. LOL
Cathy, you do have a busy weekend. Have fun and I hope your team wins, because that is always fun!
We finished harvest this past Monday and we are leaving for Las Vegas on Sunday, just to get away. We love Las Vegas!
It has been so cold here and we are looking forward to a little warmer weather, the 30's and 40's sound great!
Wishing all a safe, happy and warm weekend!

I'm taking my parents and one brother out for dinner at our favorite restaurant Ãlla Grill, meditteranean/greek, the food is always amazing.
Sunday, taking out my parents again and other brother.
We will be in Florida for the holidays so we're celebrating early with them.

cheers to all, I'm waiting to get to the restaurant to chin chin.........
I only have one glass of wine a day so I want to make it last part of the evening.

TGIF!! Clinking here with hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint schnapps...YUM! Just finished taking all the decorations down from the attic...the tree is in the stand warming up...and Elvis and Billboard oldies Christmas music is playing on the stereo. I hope to get the tree done tonight along with some other things. Tomorrow I'm going on a big shopping spree with Mom and my sisters...we are meeting for breakfast at 6:30 and then it's shop til we drop....the big mall included....we will do a late lunch too. I know Gina wants to go with us...LOL! Sunday will be more baking and candy making for my boxes that I send out to family members. I hope to chill at some point...I'd like to watch Julia and Julia...it just came available on demand. That and I need to dust before Christmas..lololol!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

David

TGIF everyone! Hope everyone stays safe and warm this weekend. I just watched my neighbor skate his way down the street behind his dog, it's a little icy here tonight. Not nearly as bad as some places, but we're not that great at dealing with/driving in bad weather here. I'm sitting here with my 50lb fuzzy lap warmer, enjoying my last diet coke of the day.

No big plans for the weekend, have to make some treats for the pup and maybe do a batch of practice cookies for decorating. I've never done "pretty cookies" and I'm determined to this year! I'll let you know how it goes. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Bri