I gave both of my kids a grad party when they graduated from HS. Both were essentially the same. Sunday afternoon around 2 pm. Lots (LOTS) of munchies - chips, dips, veggies, cookies, brownies, cheese, that sort of thing. No activities were planned. I invited my close friends, and they invited their friends. I served wine for the adults, cokes for the kids. Everyone sat around munching & schmoozing and a good time was had by all. Simple. For gifts, I recommend things that have to do with the college they will be going to (for those who are going). T-shirt, sweat shirt, rug for dorm room, blanket, etc, with college logo. If they are going away to another city, books with information on that city. Mostly my kids got checks for gifts, but a few people gave them what I just named above and they liked those gifts a lot.

We had our neighbor gift us with a book of prepaid car washes at the local automatic car wash place after they had their driveway torn up and redone. They felt bad about the amount of dust... it was a lot... and the gift of car washes was very much appreciated. But they didn't do that for the whole street, our house caught the brunt of the dust and our side garage faces their driveway and our van was out because hubby was doing several days worth of work in his wood shop and they felt bad about that. (His wood shop is in the garage and to spread it out we have to remove cars, but we park in the garage most of the time and his tools get packed like a puzzle) We certainly didn't expect anything though, nevertheless, it was very thoughtful.

In my search for a red scarf, I came across the National Archives store, of all things. They have a lot of gifts, many of which mighy be good for FD. https://www.nationalarchivesstore.org/?utm_campaign=Branded_Search_Campaign&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=610994096&gbraid=0AAAAADSM6fNgPb1ZYYQDrG4gVEV54SO4m&gclid=CjwKCAjwl_XBBhAUEiwAWK2hzlmd0uT3YVPrzS6KE99feil9KinUeT-sZuY9R7yi4NhDjoSz9oMApxoCdD8QAvD_BwE

Thanks for even more good suggestions. There may be a brnch of that grocery store that sells the good fresh rock crab in our area. I’ll look. And super ideas about the plastic Tupperware like containers and Michael’s. We’ll have to go in between any snow storms. The other thing is that DH is usually good natured but increasingly obstinate. We have so many things to do here, and he just cannot get it together. I have to do a lot of quasi-supervising, reminding. He has been resistant to moving for 30 plus years, syays okay, but makes zero strides in that direction. I often feel like I have an unmotivated 6 year old. It can be very depressing. It’s verystressful. I hate where we live and it is no longer safe. He seems numb. Tuned out. I have to do the work of finding him a PCP then try (Hippa dippa) to work w that doc to get a neuropsych like workup on him. Part of it is his personality. But he seems very dense. I don’t sleep well. I have no one and find myself thinking black thoughts. Too often. I am exhausted. He will not help pick up and clean. No way to hire a cleaner, housekeeper. They would faint. Ive suggested he just drive to a mall and walk for excercise. He did that one time. Everything is a mess and he won’t even get out of my way so that I can clean. I battle fatigue and pain and now a new threat from a hateful narc dealer with police friends has come up in the past few years. DH is so retiring, even about this. I just woke up (did not sleep well) and already I am in bleak spirits. The sib that is failing was often lashing out at me or just dumb numb. Childhood trauma maybe. I wish there was not just me. I wish my family had some of my character. Sounds like such a self congratulatory thing to say. And I am far from perfect, but, for the most past I have a lot of strength of character. I extend myself. I’ll have coffee and get the house warm, then try to make a plan to see sib while shile still might recognize me. I still have to get my driver’s lic renewed and tend to what’s blocking that. It is easy to understand, based on USPS mail nor recognizing our residence, but a court of gov agency sending me a time sensitive document would not be aware of the USPS quirk. DH began to help w that, but he isn’t the most strategic person for helping. The other issue is being threatened by the drug dealer along with his cozy relationship with local police. I kept telling DH that it is not safe for us here. Block head. I need to take care of some of these things before I can go off on a visit. I will not enjoy any time staying over in that area, Cold and my own back home situation (under siege) would be like leaving for a vacation while the locks don’t work, or the water was left running. I hope I feel more optimistic after I warm up, have some breakfast. I am threadbare metaphorically and literally.