Good morning. I was expecting a bit of snow overnight but none so far. The prediction is for a bit later today which will make the Village Visitors in a more Christmassy mood. I'd love to sell out everything in the Gift Shop to avoid packing it up and converting the room back to a meeting space.
Good grief! Just checked the forecast for next week and we are way above normal - 55ºF Christmas Eve with low temps way above normal after today. In my opinion, if it can't snow for Christmas, forget it for the rest of the year.
Did get some things done yesterday - taco bake is now in the freezer - and finished a quilt for a man who starts chemo next week. I have another smaller one ready to hand-sew the binding and may make some progress on that tonight when I do my stint at the Gift Shop - 4 to 9. I'm going to avoid cooking today and focus on the gift wrapping. Fingers crossed that Heather and Steve do come and get my lights up.
One more coffee and then I get it in gear. How does your day look from this early and dark perspective? I hope there is something festive in your plans.
I woke up early and hip was a bit stiff so went downstairs to do some stretching found the dog had threw up so had to clean that as well. I am now eating breakfast and watching the Hallmark channel
I have been partaking into too many cookies and my scale is up a couple of lbs time to watch what I eat and no sampling until Christmas day.
Ruth I hope you sell everything so you don't have to pack everything back up. We are not going to get a White Christmas but I am sure we will have plenty of snow when we go to Denver the day after
I hope everyone has a wonderful Saturday. I need to break out a thicker sweater for today is a bit colder now.
Ruth, I hope your time goes quickly tonight, that's a long shift! No snow here either . FWIW, we were out to eat last night, and DH saw one of the accuweather guys. We should've yelled at him to get it snowing!
Pearl - I the hallmark channel! I think I've watched most of their movies. I'm kind of annoyed by the Mariah Carey commercials though - looks like she squeezed herself in that dress so tight, she can barely move!
We're going to go get out tree today! We put it off a couple of weeks ago to get it after DD's party, but the DH's mom passed, so today it is. I hate to say it, I probably won't do the other decorations for only one week (and I can't do them...). Who knows? Maybe DD will be festive today and want to do them!
Now to figure out the last of the gifts for the kids...
Good morning again I look at the date and think where did the month go?
Ruth I'll keep my fingers crossed you see out. I'm with you no snow for Christmas should mean no snow for the winter. I am not looking forward to parking in NYC with snow. They just plow you in ugh.
Pearlrose there's one good thing about where I work. Treats don't last very long. Unless you are there when they arrive, they disappear in minutes lol. I do need to gontomthe bakery and pick up some treats for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
I need to figure out dinner for tonight. DS ate the remaining creamy Mexican chicken last night as a dip with tortilla chips. Guess I'll be making that again soon as he loves it. Tomorrow I'll roast a spaghetti squash to have with turkey meatballs. My freezer stash of soup is starting to dwindle. I really wish I had a personal chef lol.
Hi Tammy, have fun getting the tree today. I'm sure your home will look lovely with just the tree. All of my decorations will come down on January 2nd. It's either that or sometime in March lol
Good morning, chicks! Sounds like everyone is full of optimistic plans today.
I'm also in that category: hope to get the tree up, do some wrapping, finish a few cards and do a quick run to the grocery store. I will probably do the wrapping tonight when I find a good Christmas movie.
Monday I have that infamous "fun for those over 50" medical test scheduled. It was postponed from earlier in the month; my choice was this Monday or give up a vacation day between Christmas and New Year's. So which did I choose?? That's why you get sick days! Anyway, I figure since I can't eat tomorrow I can have double the Christmas treats today, right?
Ruth, my mom quilts but so far I don't have that affliction. It is nice of you to donate the quilts.
Tammy, I am wondering if I am going to do all of my normal decorating. Might make a priority list.
Jennifer, I have intentionally been moving out the soups in my freezer; I had a few left from last winter to use up.
Pearl, I haven't worn many sweaters yet either. Strangely warm this year.
Ok, time for a coffee refill and to get at my list.
Slept in and now I am headed to the pool. Think I will try for a lazy day we are going to our favorite Christmas concert tonight. I got the day off from work tomorrow but will travel early to avoid ski traffic and be back to work on Monday.
It's been quite hectic here, what with helping the kids move, and then I wanted to get to the grocery store super early this morning to get in and get out before it got swamped. My goodness is it ever crazy out there, this last weekend before Christmas! I went by the post office to mail off a bill, and you could hardly get in the door. I'm so glad that all my Christmas stuff is done, and now anything else is just for pleasure. I do love all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, though. One of my favorite things to do, once I'm all set, is go to the mall and sit on a bench with a nice cup of cappuccino and watch the holiday shoppers and listen to the Christmas carols playing in the background.
OK, my break is over. The guys just got back with the truck and are ready for another load!
Tree is up! It was getting dark when we finished so I want to look at it in the daylight today and see if there are any empty spots to fill in. I also managed to wrap DS2's gifts while he was out so today I will work on wrapping stuff for the extended family. And I need to finish a few cards and decorating today. But yesterday, I also got my groceries and pretty much have the plan for the week.
So today is all about holiday prep; I don't plan on doing any cleaning, but who cares?
Good morning, Beth! I was just about to get up to pour myself another cup. Doesn't a Christmas tree make a house look all cheery? I love to just sit and look at it.
The guys are getting ready to take the refrigerator and beds to the new house. Jake is going to hook up the water line to the fridge and they want to get the beds all set up so they can sleep there tonight. I won't be able to help them today, since I'll be at Gina's all day making sugeets for Christmas Eve. It looks like tonight, for the first time in years, it will be just Jake and I here.
Suddenly it's Sunday! We had a wee fall of snow but the weather was suddenly very cold last night - just at freezing but a sharp wind. Lots of folks were in town and most of them came into the gift shop to get warm. It was a long shift but a good one but I'm so glad it's over for the year.
Yesterday went past way too quickly - I did get laundry done and baked two of the three rum cakes. #2 stuck to the pan and broke so that will be frozen and used for trifle another day. I think I'll just change gifts #2 and #3 to cranberry crunch of sugared almonds as I have more important things to do than mess around baking today. Heather and Steve did not show to do my lights and I still have a ton of gift wrapping to do.
Aside from wrapping, today I will do the Bling Tree and start to "Christmas-up" the house. There's a small pre-lit tree in the gift shop and I may move that here for studio decoration. (Maybe that will distract from the yard sale boxes which might get moved to storage next time a strong guy is here.)
First - coffee!!!!!
Have a lovely day with splashes of "peace love and happiness". 'Tis the season!
Awe Linda the kids moving out must be bittersweet. Are they close by? I'm sure you and Jake will enjoy your time together.
Beth you certainly had a productive day! I'm not home to enjoy the tree much this year. But by 3 I plug it in when I am home and savor it.
Today I reluctantly must go grocery shopping, but will wait until dinner time, less people. Unlike Linda I do not like hustle and bustle. I've avoided the mall like the plague and my local shopping center too. It's hard for me to relax in crowded areas, I think it is a job thing lol.
I plan on making turkey sausage and peppers today. As well as a pot of sauce, turkey meatballs and roasted spaghetti squash. I need to do my laundry, vacuum and organize my work car. I stayed late at work last night so in a little tired today. A second cup is in order, anyone ready?
I actually slept in until 7:50 a.m. guess I was tired. Yesterday I did get all the groceries for the rest of the week and Christmas dinner and enough supplies for the pets for our pet sitter. Should not have to go to the grocery store this week.
We (being DD1, DH and I) tried to go see Christmas light last night, the one in St. Lous we have never been to was only open for carriage rides (had to reserve in advance) so we just saw from a far so we decided we would go to our Lady of the Snows Shrine (we do this one yearly) but there was such congestion it would took over an hour to just get in the entrance so off to home and bed we went.
DD2 had a birthday sleep over at a friends after we took her and two of her friends Ice Skating. They had fun, I wanted to skate but know better
Beth glad you got the tree up and some wrapping done. Hope prep work goes well for you today. I was good and touched nothing off plan yesterday and the scale rewarded me with going back down.
Cottage that is good that they are not too far away, I am still getting used to not seeing DS but I did see him twice this week since I still car pool with him on days I travel in.
Ruth I love looking at Christmas trees and see them look so pretty and festive and I changed the channel on my car radio to the all Christmas music channel trying to get in the season since we have no snow
Jekel I sometimes like crowds and other times get claustrophobic, I do not like going to the mall and stores when it wall to wall people.
The Weekend! December 19th and 20th
The prediction is for a bit later today which will make the Village Visitors in a more Christmassy mood. I'd love to sell out everything in the Gift Shop to avoid packing it up and converting the room back to a meeting space. 
the hallmark channel! I think I've watched most of their movies. I'm kind of annoyed by the Mariah Carey commercials though - looks like she squeezed herself in that dress so tight, she can barely move!
It was getting dark when we finished so I want to look at it in the daylight today and see if there are any empty spots to fill in. I also managed to wrap DS2's gifts while he was out so today I will work on wrapping stuff for the extended family. 
And I need to finish a few cards and decorating today. But yesterday, I also got my groceries and pretty much have the plan for the week.
Doesn't a Christmas tree make a house look all cheery? 
