I live in Wv, so DH and I had to 'cross the river' to MD to go to the bank and grocery store. He's not able to get around very well, so he went mainly to get out of the house and a change of scenery. By the time we got back home, it was eleven o'clock, and I had laundry to do. I got two loads washed, before we had lunch. This afternoon, I've managed to put a strand of lights around our front door, and that's about it. The time goes by, but I don't accomplishe as much as I used to! Oh well, the "Golden Years" have gotten a little tarnished! Stiii, we are blessed with all we have and thankful for it.

In just a short while, Hubs and I will be heading out to look at roofs. We're getting a new roof on our house this month. We know that it will be the "Canyon Shake" stone coated steel by Gerard, but we haven't settled on the color yet. So, we're going to drive around to look at other Gerard Canyon Shake roofs in the two colors that we're considering, to make our final decision.

It will be an easy drive -- there are 16 houses on the same street that have had the Canyon Shake roofs installed, and 7 more houses with Canyon Shake roofs on the two streets that connect to that street.

Sure hope the rains don't come during your de roofing! I am babysitting my two grandsons (6 and 8) while their parents house shop in Texas. They are moving away in 3 weeks, and we are happy for them and sad for us.

Watched Pioneer Woman doing some holiday cooking....did the laundry...went to church to help decorate for Christmas....now watching my KU Jayhawks BB against Harvard....so far, we are ahead!

I went to Michaels to get some plastic snow for my Christmas village. Yikes, $5 for a bag of plastic shreds...ridiculous. But I want the grandkids to help sprinkle it on tomorrow, so it's worth it. They will love doing it.

I'm supposed to be working on Christmas cards but instead am wasting time on the computer. OK, I'll get back to the cards now. (Maybe just a game of mahjong before I start the cards.)

Lost my cell phone, as I'm getting ready for a trip, coming Monday. Had to turn it off, so whoever found it would not use up my minutes, and bought a new one. Had to go back today and ask for HELP! I don't know how to use those new fancy gadgets, as mine was a dinosaur, only made and received phone calls.

I'm now packing for a trip to Branson, come Monday, but weather is changing, so having to rethink for warmer temperatures.

"Sure hope the rains don't come during your de roofing!"

The roofing company works from 7-4 every day - doing only one roof at a time. (Some companies work on several roofs at a time, and only spend a few hours each day at each house.) Each day when they're done, the roof will be tarped so it will be protected if it rains.

You sure wouldn't want to be roofing in our area today. We have a major rainstorm/windstorm happening right now.

Today was an inside day so I did some laundry, made shortbread (regular and gluten-free for DS2's girlfriend). ting-a-lings, and muffins.

My hubby hung some holiday lights with the help of our grandson. Me I watched the Hallmark channel and a couple of holiday movies. It was a quiet day here.

Visited a couple of grocery stores, Michaels, and William Sonoma for a few cookie decorating items.

This afternoon I made the batter for maraschino cherry butter cookies and will bake and decorate them tomorrow. I have a set of three snowflake stencils that I love to use!

I haven't made these before but they sound sort of fabulous. Says that they get better with age, so I'll put them away until my party.

I had a fun "me" day today. Walked the dog, went to have my hair cut and colored, went to the library (and dry cleaners) then I went to a event at a holistic center that. I bought some nice stocking stuffers, all natural soaps and crystals.

I took a walk this morning. It was very quiet, and the only sounds I could hear were water dripping off the trees, and distant birds.

I've been cooking all afternoon. I made four batches of pfeffernϋsse cookies, then since the oven was on, made meatloaf and scalloped potatoes (I cheated--potatoes were from a box), and then, since the oven was still on, made 8 gallons of 'Chex' mix. Now I'm sitting here with my feet up, resting my back.

My BIL kindly repaired my vacuum cleaner, which needed new brushes for the motor, and he and my sister stopped by today to exchange the vacuum for cookies. :)

marilyn sue, it is so nice that your daughters live close enough to drop by. Two of mine live nearby, but middle daughter lives about 4-5 hours away. Glad everyone is having are cozy day. DH and I are spending the weekend at our river house which is on a small island of about 200 homes- quiet and rather remote at least to me. DH worked on tidying up the property and picked up the boat after it was winterized. I shopped till I dropped online, texted DD's on and off today with some talking on cell in between. I had a really good time selecting books for the Grands. Stunning day - blue sky, mild temps, no wind, cormorants and what swans are busy, Couldn't be better- There has not been a freeze yet, so knock out roses are still blooming. I brought some blooms inside. We took a walk and admired the Christmas decorations. Lots of our neighbors were outside and the kids were enjoying their bikes and a group was on a trampoline having a great time. We heard their giggles way down the block.

mama goose- about your chex mix. Is it the original recipe with worcestershire sauce that is made in the oven?

DH & I ran to Denver with our older truck. We'd seen wire racks for sale at a warehouse, for the kitchen pantry, assumed they would be cheap, not so, we passed. Picked up 3 cabinets that we'd ordered, purchased laminate wood flooring to do the whole house. Started the tear out in the great room, hauled it to a nearby dumpster. Stopped at the McDonalds drive through for a quick meal.

Dh just realized he left a breaker flipped. Worried it's also the breaker that controls the furnace, he ran back to the house leaving me home. It's supposed to get down to 17 tonight.

We put up the outside Christmas lights today, it was a beautiful, sunny day in the low sixties :-) Having a beer now and relaxing.

Slept till about 11:00, which was about 11 hours. I guess working 3 in a row wore me out. Spent today doing a load of laundry, dishes and making dinner. I need to pay bills, do Christmas cards and my dad's birthday card....but I sat on the computer reading and playing stupid games. So, tomorrow I'll have to get up and get some things done, including grocery shopping.

I took a nap...

Friday night we went to the Christmas celebration in the next town over. Since I don't work over there anymore I saw a lot of people I haven't seen for a while. They had a real nice light parade for a small town of 700+. I noticed that my wrist started hurting right before we left to go over there. Yesterday morning I called a chiropractor to see if he could help me. I went to Pierre and saw him and he helped it because it doesn't hurt anymore. He also worked on my feet. They hurt so bad by the time I get off of work that I can hardly walk for about an hour after that. I hope he also helped them. I won't know until I go to work tomorrow. Today I have to make soup for our bunco party we are having. I will make noodle soup. I bought a turkey breast to make it with. I decided I wasn't going to pay 10 dollars for a package of chicken. The breast was only 12. I will make homemade noodles for it. Other than that I have been doing housework.

We got the grandson this weekend so took him grocery shopping with me yesterday, i hit three stores with him, picked up a beef bottom round roast for 3.45 a pd. had the wife slice it up for me and marinate it so I can make beef jerky today. Also made a sausage pasta bake last night. Gona get the Christmas tree up today get the jerky made and make pork chops in a mushroom gravy with somthing else for dinner

I went to ... pick up a skunk.

I took a nap ...

One of these has to be the winner. ;)

We had a hard frost last night, followed by a heavy fog this morning, so everything is still eerily quiet and hushed.

happy2b_gw, I've been making my own mix for so many years I don't remember the actual Chex Mix recipe. IIRC, it included seasoned salt, which I've never used--since the mixed nuts and pretzels are always salted, I prefer to mix my own herbs and spices. Following are the ingredients I use, but other than the butter, which is already in a 1/2 cup stick, I don't measure, just pour and toss. The amounts are approximate--you can adjust to suit your own taste.

1 stick melted butter

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

a couple of drops of hot sauce/tabasco

Mixed and poured over:

3/4 box of corn squares cereal (I use the store brand)

3/4 box of rice squares cereal

3 to 4 cups bite-size cheese crackers

3 to 4 cups oyster crackers

3 to 4 cups Goldfish crackers (or store brand Whales)

After coating the above with the butter/oil mixture sprinkle with:

1/4 cup onion powder (I grind my own from dried onion flakes)

1 T garlic powder

1 T ground dried basil (I grind my own)

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp (or a few twists) freshly ground mixed peppercorns

Bake on cooky sheets at 200-250° for about 20 minutes

(I use 200° because my oven seems to run hot.)

When cool add:

2 cans mixed nuts (no peanuts)

1 jar roasted/salted peanuts

1 bag mini pretzels

Mix well and enjoy. :)

Pfeffernϋsse assembly line, with head elf supervising:

We are enjoying mild winter temps here in SE Wisconsin so we're taking advantage of them. Before the sun came out and started to warm us up I felted some wool for some Christmas gifts I am making. Cut out and put together a jean jacket/hoodie that I am making for a nephew. From there we went and uncovered the raised garden bed for the last time. I pulled all the carrots, beets and italian parsley. I left the arugula and lettuce as well as the kale in, we'll have salads from it this week. This is the first year with my new raised beds and we were able to garden from May until yesterday. We should go longer next season as the beds weren't finished until May. I should be able to get a nice spring crop in and use the hoops and plastic to keep things warm. Today we will finish deconstructing our 8 beds that I had been using in the lower garden. Neighbors black walnut trees killed everything a couple of years ago so we have decided to deconstruct it and plant prairie grasses and regular green grass. It will be less work in the long run.

Hubby will bring up the Christmas tree and ornaments later today, I think I'll get the tree up this week. Later I'll start a pot of spaghetti sauce and stuffed meatballs for dinner.

Enjoy your day.

Well, we had a snow storm on Friday and everything was shut down so it's like a long weekend for me. I did some tidying up, took some photos, made a big pot of turkey soup. Last night my camera club got together to take photos of the Christmas lights in the park. And last evening my first great-nephew was born! Little Isaac. I'll go visit him today at the hospital. My sister and her husband (the new grandparents) are on their way here now (they had over a 9 hour drive last night and this morning). They'll stay here for a couple of days.

This morning I went to a craft/art fair and got the last of my Christmas gifts. Yay! Now I just need to wrap a couple more and I'll be done. I also bought some gorgeous decorated shortbread cookies that I will take pics of for my blog before I eat them, LOL.

The weather is so nice that I plan to head out to some gift/antique shops today in a nearby county. I also want to pick up the ingredients for mama goose's chex mix that she was so kind to post. Thanks, mama. I am going to alter the recipe a bit if I can so GD with celiac and grandson with food allergies can eat it.

Today and the next three days are supposed to be sunshine and temps with highs around 65-70. I plan to trim back garden stuff, rake leaves, etc.

happy2b, you're certainly welcome. If you can find a good gluten free mix, please post it here--my DD has a co-worker with celiac disease, and she's feeling bad that he'll miss out on the goodies.

Mama Goose, I think Marilyn's skunk was the definite winner. Anybody can take a nap. :) It was a really loooong nap, though. A champion nap. I feel a lot better today and plan to do a lot of gift wrapping, since I didn't do any last night. The rest is just chores. My big score was on Friday when I got to Trader Joe's before all the chocolate coins were gone!

I envy your nap! I have a difficult time napping during the day, unless I'm not feeling well. A couple of days ago I told my grandson that I'd like to take a 3-day nap. My grandfather was a champion napper--he'd nap in all of the four beds in the house, in the same day.

Congrats on scoring the gelt--Happy Hanukkah!