I had two dr appts this week, two dinners out with friends for early Christmas celebrations, a visit to a planetarium, grocery store, and today I hope to make some phone calls, pick up meds for the cat and some baking. Tonight a meeting at the club house. Sat and Sun I'll stay home and do some cleaning and laundry. Busy week for me.

Work was done on the garage door. The workers are here to replace the front doors (French-type) with a large door and 2 sidelights.

What has been happening? Money spent!

Just finishing up some Christmas details, made some phone calls instead of sending cards. My usual volunteer work, walking the dog, a little cooking. Made ham and bean soup using canned beans. It's much better slow cooked with dry beans.

I did see something funny this week in a fast food restaurant. It was a woman wearing an aluminum foil hat, held in place with a knit hat.

Cleaning, decorating for Christmas, and getting ready for a family Christmas get together on Sunday! Busy busy, busy, busy! also trying to stick to my diet because I am part of a friends Biggest Loser group!

Lately, not too much except trying to stay hunker down during these frigid temps. Had to run several errands today. Brrrrr.

I don't think I'll do any baking this year. I went ahead and bought the jar of mincemeat I use for my little pies just in case I have a change of heart. No cut-out cookies. The neighbors usually bring me enough. I'm trying hard not to inhale them all, but as someone mentioned a cup of hot tea just cries out for a cookie or something.

This morning I made some orange nut bread and for variety I added some dried cranberries. I don't know if I'll do any more baking but I would like to at least make some cut out cookies for the grandkids. I want to make a party mix but couldn't find white choc chips yesterday. Since I bought all of the other ingredients I'll probably just run to the store today so I can make the mix.

I grocery shopped this morning, 2 stores. Peeled 5lbs of potatoes, now in the crockpot. Will make cream of potato soup topped with cheese and rolls 2-nite. Laundry. I raked 4 bags of leaves and pine needles Monday. We're cutting and sanding 2 granite counter tops for the bathrooms. Ordered new sanding pads.

Working in my studio most afternoons, had a friend/neighbor over for lunch and visiting on Wednesday, making lists and plans for our trip which is rapidly approaching and housecleaning/laundry tomorrow.

Cleaning my kitchen from top to bottom and getting rid of some of the stuff I never use and reorganizing everything else. That is my project for this week. I make a bigger mess when I clean like that. That is why I allotted a week to do the job. (I'm tired of it already but I have made such a mess...no turning back.)

It's been a crazy, busy week. I've been to the dentist twice, had a mammogram and a follow up mammogram. Also pre Christmas lunches and gift exchanges with friends. In between I've been writing checks to various charities and trying to get paperwork in order to take to Florida after Christmas. This weekend I have to clean and get some groceries because my significant other is arriving on Monday for Christmas. I also spent two days playing bridge.

Oh, heck. Have them both!

The good/bad part- My SIL and I mapped out a plan to move my MIL from her apartment on Sunday first to my SIL's home, then to a senior independent living apartment in the same town as SIL. MIL lives 2 hours from SIL and 5 hours from me. MIL will not be happy, but a neighbor informed us that a pipe broke in MIL's apartment, water is shut off in kitchen, and MIL will not permit anyone in to repair it. Although my husband speaks with her daily, MIL never mentioned the broken pipe. Little by little we noticed that MIL is just not thriving and neighbors report some behaviors. BTW MIL is almost 100 1/2 years old. She will proudly tell you she takes no medication, not even an aspirin. BIL, SIL, DH, and I are going to be in for it, but feel that having MIL live close to one of us is necessary.

The good - This week I subbed two days at the middle school- math class and digital literacy which is reading class. In between I worked hard at Christmas shopping online and locally. I was happy to chauffeur my eldest grandson from school several times this week. He had early dismissal because it was mid term exam week. DH had some stuff to do that kept him at our river house for two days. I enjoyed the alone time here at home. I also attended the Christmas pageant at another grandson's school. He is a first grader and sang Angels We Have Heard on High with his class. He was totally excited to be an angel. I want to bake but just have not had the time even though the brand new KA I received for my birthday this month is calling me.

Monday I had bridge here, and lunch for 13. I was so tired Monday afternoon after everyone left that i just took it easy. In the evening I loaded the dishwasher and got everything back in order. Tuesday I did a little Christmas shopping and grocery shopping, Tuesday night went to a friends for dinner. Wednesday I made some cookies, and prepared the salad I was bringing to our Wine and Dine Christmas party Wednesday night. Thursday I baked some cookies and made little packages of cookies for some friends, then I went to our Mexican Train group Christmas luncheon at a new restaurant after which we went back to one of the ladies' house for champagne, cookies and gift exchange. Today I ran some errands than met some friends at the movies. Tonight I finished packing up my boxes to mail so DH can take them to the Post office. Tomorrow I'm going to do a little baking, cleaning (I made a mess wrapping) and am going to make mashed potatoes and a butternut squash casserole to freeze for Christmas dinner. Christmas is getting to be too much for this old body!

Again you all just wear me out, you work so hard! I worked at my job all week, raked leaves and got some more Christmas lights up outside. Planning to sleep in tomorrow. Cooking, laundry and light housekeeping during my lunch breaks.

I am battling a head cold. I got a new kitten this week. That is a job in itself. He was a outside cat and he is getting into everything. Runs around all over, up over my head, up our legs and has sharp claws. He will be getting declawed and neutered as soon as possible. I cannot even imagine what he would do if I had put my tree up. the only think I put up was my nativity scene. Luckily that is behind a glass door. He is always over there trying to get to it. Yesterday I went to work and drove 40 miles an hour home. When a vehicle passed me I couldn't see anything. Today I tried to go to work and backed up 2 feet and got stuck. I don't know if I will be able to make it later or not. No wonder I want to quit working. I am so glad Friday is my last day.

Last night I treated DGD and DD to granddaughter's first play. We went to a small community theater to see The Elves and the Shoemaker. DGD really enjoyed it. She is the least shy kid I known and will chat up almost anyone but she refuses to have anything to do with Santa. She "writes" him letters. Santa was at the theater. She wanted to take pictures of him from afar and DD gave her the camera to do so. Here are all the kids in a the audience lined up and their parents with cells in hand and we have our mini paparazzi working her mom's camera like a pro. LOL. The restaurant we ate at after has a life sized resin Santa and I asked if she would take a picture with him. She really mugged it up. We can't figure out where she learns this stuff but shes a natural in front of the camera. Sexy poses, fluttering eyelashes, kissy faces. LOL She took a few normal ones but she really likes to ham it up. It's actually a little scary that she can do this. It was our first girls night out and we intend to do more. Little Bro stayed home with dad.

This is a rough time of the year for DH mental health wise. He's home for 3 weeks starting Tuesday. The crazy weather is delaying the things we need to do. I have to keep him busy so he stays out of trouble. He goes stir crazy if he's not occupied. I'll be crazy by the time he's back to work. ;-)

Today I'm baking fruitcakes. Finally found some candied pineapple at Safeway.

Good day to have the oven going. It was in the 20s last night. We froze when we left the theater at around 8:30. I hate being cold. no thermostat. Once cold I stay cold. Putting on more clothes doesn't help. I have to have them on before I get cold.

I went to work, had lunches with friends, and yesterday I finished Christmas shopping. Woohoo!

Hubby and I are going to bottle the wine we made. I am giving it out for Xmas presents. This is the first year we have made wine and we used the grapes we grew. We both got our teeth cleaned and we are both kind of dental phobic so always feel relieved to get that done when it's time. There is a huge family rift this year and it is weird and sad not planning for a big Christmas with family. We are making the best of it though.

Shoveling snow.

Sorry, jemdandy, you have my sympathy.

Spent Monday at the hospital with my mother. Tuesday with my father, running errands. Wednesday (?) I think I goofed off. Babysat 6 month old GS Thursday and Friday. Made a big pot of turkey soup Thursday--reruns yesterday. Mixed and baked cookies a couple of times in between--the recipe needs to be refrigerated for several hours before baking.

DD and I had marathon cooky baking sessions last evening and today, then I bagged them for gift giving. Since I had the oven on anyway, I mixed up a batch of bread dough for sandwiches, and let it rise while the cookies were baking. After the bread came out of the oven, I baked bacon for bacon, egg, and cheese subs. I put the bacon on the sheets which had been used for pfeffernusse cookies. Oh my, does my kitchen ever smell good!

FINALLY got the house decorated and the tree up and trimmed! It looks (looked?) SO nice. Then, I decided that a few small branches were poking out over the sofa and chair they were next to, so I grabbed my pruners and cut away...right through the cord of one of 4 new strings of lights I bought this year. They're all tied together so all went out. I"m hoping that perhaps some electrical tape might fix it for this year, or at least my SIL can disconnect the one strand and have the other 3 working. I do have lights - the old fashioned colored ones, but it was prettier and brighter with the new white lights as well. Duh!!!!

I started a crocheted tablecloth for our oval dining room table today--for the 2nd time. I was not getting gauge, so I ripped out two days of work to begin anew. I like to have something to do with my hands and usually know of a baby being expected somewhere. But no babies at this time. Love to knit and crochet baby things while I watch TV. Therefore, I shopped for a big barrel of cotton crochet thread and was shocked to find that they have nearly doubled in price since I crocheted a banquet cloth 10 years ago. I will certainly be purchasing with coupons.

You all have had busy weeks! I am suffering with allergies that I can't seem to beat. I ordered almost all my gifts from Amazon and have learned more about little ones current interest then I thought I would. (I am still young but my kids are early 20's and darn things change). I am still trying to think of some little special gifts for a few people. We had a huge ice storm this morning and I am still kinda recovering from my drive to work. (It shouldn't take an hour to take a ten minute drive!_

Christmas things going in on here where I live and trying to get hold of prescription but found out that due to having to change phone number to district our good ole' SHAW makes us do, seems they didn't have it and no one knew how to contact me and then I phoned as heard nothing about it.Went grocery shopping to pick up things even though meals are cooked and served to us in the dining room. Making christmas crafts saturday morning, last week it was a pinecone reindeer and then today was a pinecone tree. Listening to this group they hire to come in and entertain us and finally got to hear christmas songs being sung and played, enjoyed it alot. Having snow all over.