Around the World - We off to visit Santa in Lapland

You're on Page 1 of 18
Go to
  • Check out the site. Check out Santa's Office and the smile gallery.
    http://groups.msn.com/965172qg02rbm4ek3a6e7udur5/

    Take no notice of any prices, we get it for free. It will take Suzi and I a while to get there since we have the furtherest to go but it will be fun. We'll move on to somewhere warmer after New Year and leave Santa to sleep it all off.

    See you all on Santa's Knee

    Welcome back Painterwoman.

    Happy - the 'cutie' in the blue shirt is DB2!!!
  • Family reunion shots on webshots - try this link - click on the picture.

  • Dashing in the snow to Lapland in a sleigh.......
    Sleigh bells ring
    are you listening
    in the lane
    snow is glistening
    A beautiful sight
    we're happy tonight
    walking in a winter wonderland

    Gone away is the bluebird
    here to stay is a new bird
    He sings a love song
    as we go along
    walking in a winter wonderland

    In the meadow we can build a snowman
    Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
    He'll say: Are you married?
    we'll say: No man
    But you can do the job
    when you're in town

    Later on
    we'll conspire
    as we dream by the fire
    To face unafraid
    the plans that we've made
    walking in a winter wonderland

    In the meadow we can build a snowman
    and pretend that he's a circus clown
    We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman
    until the other kids knock him down

    When it snows
    ain't it thrilling
    Though your nose gets a chilling
    We'll frolic and play
    the Eskimo way
    walking in a winter wonderland

    Walking in a winter wonderland
    Walking in a winter wonderland


    All my bags are packed and ready to go....la la la la
    Lots of singing going on over here!!

    I needed a change...Thanks Shad!!! I will go and look at all the pics when the eyes wake up. Sorry to hear about your garden. Wish we could send Oz some rain!!! This la nina/el nino thing is really affecting all the countries with some very strange weather. The storm that was headed this way took a turn again and went back into Canada from wence it came via the New England states. We missed the snow but the temps are dropping. Enjoy your time off!!!

    Happy~ I was lying in bed and thought of how MANY books I bought and are STILL unread All murder mysteries Jen picked up some Activia yogurt and my stomah etc feels better. Are you all decorated yet??? Ready for company?? What's on the agenda for the weekend?? Been naughty or nice??? The game sounded funny....bet it's a real crowd pleaser!!

    Ceejay~ I will keep the nephew in my thoughts. God every time I think of it I am horrified! Such an awful thing to have happen. Sending him healing vibes.
    You are giving me moitivation to get my little tree out this weekend and just bite the bullet and DO IT!!
    Hope you will be feeling 100% soon!!!

    Painter~ HELLO OUR SOUTHERN FRIEND
    I am so pleased to see you. think of you often and wonder how you are. Glad to hear about the gym and the drug. Aren't drugs great when you can find that "special" one!!!
    May it continue to work! Loosening up in the gym and getting moving again should help keep the joints more limber too. That was such an awful thing to happen to the woman's husband! OMG and a Holiday to boot. Double sadness for her. I keep saying life is too short but it's also so unpredictable. You are soooo right. Glad you stopped in!! I have those fat and skinny days too. Gotta love the SKINNY ones

    Suzi~ How has your gym been? do you still go with hubby?
    I keep thinking of your "getaway" night with hubby....hope it's a christmas dream come true for both of you!

    I forget what was on the other forum now!!!
    Should have taken notes. Yes, Happy, Jen did the windows and Antoinette decorated the lobby. Jen took pics and I need to get the camera from her and download them. She took pics of the Fall windows too before they got washed off. I think I am repeating myself from the other day. Just deja vu Nothing new to report.... did I say the 2 lbs gained are gone again? The eyes are being a real drag these past few days.... winter is here!!! Need to get back into the soaksdrops routine again and not sit here suffering like a fool Have a great weekend. I am off to dry my hair and drag out the tree!! Not necessarily at the same time!
    Happy Saturday/Sunday!!!
  • It's December!!!

    Mel--Good for you in losing those extra pounds. Don't over do on dragging out that tree. I've just put up a few decorations, one is the little snow village. bought a new one this year in honor of my dad. It's a barber shop. I found a fiber optic 12 inch tree that I'm going to use. I'm thinking about getting a couple of more. I want one for the snow village and one to sit by the minature fire place where I've placed Sant taking a bubble bath. The Santa is an ornament that my sister got me one year.

    Shad--I've been through Santa Claus, Indiana or Illinois in February when I drove to Louisville, Ky. I'll go back to check things out.

    I had a happy suprise this morning. The scale was nice to me and said 179.6.
    I thinks it's because I've been sick with the "crud" as th doctor's are calling it. I have not completed the measure thing yet.

    Painter Woman--Glad you are back. :hugs:

    Happy-- are you awake yet?

    Suzi and Madcat. hello
  • Lapland? Does that mean I have to work harder to get rid of my belly so that I HAVE a lap?

    Actually, thanks Shad for finding us a fun place to spend the holidays at. I kind of breezed through the links but missed the smile gallery somehow. I think it will be fun here. I liked the part about Santa not being able to live at the North Pole because there would be nothing for the reindeer to eat.

    Can we move Meadow's Christmas chick here too so I can look at it each day instead of having to back peddle through the threads? Please Meadow, please, please, please repost???? Thank you!

    Shad, what a great looking family you have there. Brothers and Sister and Sons and Nieces and Nephews. Thanks for the close up so I could read DN's T-shirt. I like it! How nice that you have such nice pictures of everyone from this special party - especially when there's a sea to fly over when you have to get together.

    Mel, it's good to hear you singing again. Things always seem to go better when you are singing along. No, I don't have all my decorating done. Didn't even start really. No way will I get everything done by Tuesday so I have to pick just what the important bits are and focus on them. Still trying to get through the book too. And I have to bake a coffee cake Monday and make Kolacky. I am regretting deeply that I have gone astray from Fly Lady. I'm glad you managed to shake those 2 new pounds. Do the peepers give you problems when it's warm and dry in the house? I had to put a pot of water to simmer on the stove yesterday. Then had to leave myself a note to remember to turn the stove off when I went to bed as I had already left the house for a short while while the stove was on knowing I was going to do just that very thing! Time to get out the much safer humidifier. My skin is all dry and itchy. Yes, I know DRINK MORE WATER, huh

    Congrats on loosing some yourself Ceejay. I like the idea of the simple Chistmas decorations - easy to put up and just as easy to take down and put away. I don't feel like doing the big fancy decorating thing anymore - even if I finally DO have a long banister that I can wrap pine garland and lights around like I always wanted to. Trouble is, now I NEED to hold on to the bannister and I'd probably destroy the garland coming down the stairs or fall and pierce myself with pine needles. I think I will do a few decorations in each room with some nice things over the fireplace mantle. Would love to get a real balsam wreath again so the room smells ahhhhhhh. I love having a real Christmas tree but it's impossible if we are going away for Christmas. Even with no lights on I would be afraid to have it in the house. So we will do our traditional white tree.

    Don't know if it was the cold weather last night but the moon is almost full and last night in the wee hours when we run fast to go make our own "wee" I checked on the porch for the feral cat that sometimes takes a warm snuggle into the blankets we leave out for him. I peeked out the window and the moon was just blazing bright. It was about 3am so the moon was setting and somewhat low in the sky. It hurt my eyes to look at it, that's how bright it was. Very neat though.

    Got my hair colored and cut today. I had her cut it short (well to the bottom of my ears which is as short as I will go). She covered up more of the gray in front and added a few more blond highlights. It really came out nice if I say so myself. I can poof it up, bend it, flip it out or curl it - pretty easy to style. And no chemical burns this time either

    Ok, I'd better go read for another hour and then hit the sack. DH cleared out the parlor / office that we will use to put the Christmas tree in. I'd better get the tree started tomorrow or I will hear about it since he kind of snapped to it when I asked him to get the extra computer and table out of the room so I could decorate. Going to be a busy day tomorrow.

    G'night chicks. Enjoy your Sunday.
  • Very handsome and delightfully happy looking family Shad. You were just beaming. Beautiful dress set too.

    Waving HI!!!!
  • I'm adding some more photos as we speak. Got a disc of Simon's digitals. Go back and check it out again tomorrow. There is also an album of the cousins at the zoo. Gotta run. Plane to catch and I'm not packed yet.
  • Popping in! Lapland - great choice, Shad! I'm going to go check out the zoo.

    We've got our decorations up and we've got all our shopping done. I've been working on getting the wrapping finished so we can get everything mailed tomorrow. Having the thugs overseas did get us motivated.

    I've been exercising every day - either running, working with weights, swimming, or doing a WATP tape. It seems like it takes no time at all to put on the pounds and forever to chase them off.

    Work doesn't seem to let up at all. We're as busy as ever. I thought I'd be off yesterday, but worked after all. We're supposed to get Christmas day off. We'll see.....
  • OMG!!! I FORGOT ABOUT THE PHONE CALL!! SHAD I AM SO SORRY....I JUST READ YOUR POST AND REMEMBERED. DID YOU TRY TO CALL? I KNOW WE HADN'T SET A TIME BUT I WAS GOING TO TURN OFF THE PC ANYWAY AND FORGOT. SO SORRY!!! GUESS I GOT CARRIED AWAY WITH SORTING OUT XMAS STUFF. HOPE THE TRIP HOME GOT YOU SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF AS WELL. I LOVED THE DRESS! EVERYONE LOOKS VERY PLEASED WITH THEM SELVES AND I AM GOING BACK TO LOOK AT THE T-SHIRT AND SEE IF I CAN READ IT TOO....DIDN'T THINK TO TRY!! MORE PICS YOU SAY??? YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE PICTURES!!

    HAPPY~YOU NEED THE DH TO READ TO YOU WHILE YOU DO THE FLYLADY THING!!! BTW...NO MATTER HOW MUCH I DRINK, THE SKIN IS DRY LAST WINTER ONE NIGHT WE HAD AM EMERGENCY. WHEN I GOT BACK I SAW THE MOON AND IT WAS THAT EYE HURTING BRIGHT ALSO. REMINDED ME OF.........
    The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
    Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
    When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
    But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
    THE ONLY THING MISSING WAS SANTA AND THE REINDEER!!

    CEEJAY~ GREAT THAT YOU ARE IN THE 170'S!!! HURRAY!!!
    I AM SO HOPING TO FOLLOW YOU! I REMEMBER CHASING AFTER YOU WHEN WE ALL JOURNALED TOGETHER. I ALSO KEPT IT SIMPLE. JUST THE TREE AND SOME XMASSY TOUCHES IN THE KITCHEN AND BEDROOM. JEN CAME DOWN AND SAID SHE WAS DOING THE SAME THING ALSO. SOMETIMES I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK TO BASICS. LOVED THE IDEA OF SANTA IN THE BUBBLES!!

    TIG~ FORGOT THE THUGS WERE STILL THERE!! FOR SOME REASON I THOUGHT THEY WERE HOME HERE. HOPING YOU GET THE HOLIDAY OFF!!! WHAT ARE THEY THINKING???

    YESTERDAY WAS PRETTY PRODUCTIVE. SORTED AND TOSSED SOME OLD XMAS STUFF. HAD JEN LOOK TO SEE IF SHE WANTED TO RESCUE ANYTHING. LOL
    THE GRANDSON COOPERATED AND JUST SAT WATCHING............FROM THE TOP OF MY HEAD!!!! HE LIKES TO GET A BIRD'S EYE VIEW
    GUESS HE WAS NOSY ABOUT ALL THE DOINGS. I AM MORE PATIENT AND I THINK THAT'S WHY HE LIKES TO GET UP CLOSE AND SEE WHAT I AM DOING. JEN'S ALWAYS YELLING AND TOSSING HER ARMS AROUND HE'S VERY CURIOUS. GOD KNOWS WHAT HE DOES WHEN I AM OUT!!! LOKS LIKE THE ROSACEA IS LEAVING THE FACE BUT GOING INTO THE LEFT EYE. GOING TO SEE IF I CAN STOP IT BEFORE IT GETS WORSE. I GOT THE FIRST SIGN YESTERDAY. SIGH.
    THE SAGA CONTINUES. WHY WASN'T I BORN "NORMAL" INSTEAD OF BEAUTIFUL AND RICH???
    NEXT STOP IS THE KITCHEN. I FINALLY FEEL HUNGRY!
    HAPPY SUNDAY
  • Thanks for setting up the new thread, Shad. Funny, but I was always told that the North Pole was in Canada, which would make Santa a full-on Canuck. Ok, well we do have the Magnetic North Pole. Can you imagine Santa in a lumber jacket and a toque? Merry Xmas, eh?

    I am starting to feel a bit better and a bit more Christmas-y. The initial new job shock has worn off, but I am still really exhausted. I think I have a cavity causing my sinus infection to flair up. I must remember to make a dentist appointment – though my dentist seems to have disappeared from his old office. Guess I'll have to find a new one. Such a pain.

    Today is going to be a re-org day. We bought two small side tables and two new lamps yesterday - setting them up, however, means a fair amount of moving and sorting and shuffling of other furniture. A bit daunting really, but the results will be good. I'll finally have light to read by on my side of the couch I'll dig the Xmas decorations out of storage at the same time. Probably won't actually decorate until next weekend: unless I'm feeling very ambitious. There is just so much clutter to wrangle today. Must get that lasso out.

    Shad, I agree with happy DB2 is a cutie. You have a very nice looking family. Travel well. Hope you enjoyed your time at home.

    Mel ~ Thanks for the song. Yeah, certainly do not suffer unnecessarily. Do whatever you can to make your life easier. Don't drag the tree out by your wet hair…

    Painter~ I missed you. Now I'll have to go back and reread the other thread.

    Ceejay~ Congrats on your loss. Good going.

    Happy~ Maybe Santa will bring us laps for Christmas? I'm glad you had better luck with the haircut this time.

    Holly~ Hi there!

    Tig~ You are only getting Christmas day off? Yikes! You are doing such a good job of keeping up with the exercise though. Impressive.

    And all my wishes to all the other chicks. If I am going to get everything done today I better get a move on.
  • Hi ladies,

    Lots to get done today. I sat in a chair reading last night and I was shocked to see when I got up that it was almost 2am! I'm surprised I wasn't getting sleepy. At first I thought we were going to have to reshedule the book club meeting (which would have been ok with me honestly) but then 2 more people responding. 5 of our 6 regulars can make it which is enough to hold the meeting. The house is a disaster, I did some work yesterday but it doesn't seem to have made a dent, I know that just doing the tree alone will take most of the day and I have almost 200 pages of the book left to read. By 7pm Tuesday. And did I mention I have some baking to do. Of course no one is forcing me to make home baked goods are there? I have decided against making Christmas cookies - too much work. The coffee cake I'm going to make is pretty simple. And some of the other ladies are bringing treats too so I have to keep in mind that I do not have to do it all myself.

    Madcat, the tables and lamps sound really nice. I have to do that too. I can really understand your statement about it being nice to have light by the couch. Have fun with the furniture rearranging - don't go hurting anything. Those furniture slider things they have now are fantastic. You just need 2 people - one to lift the furniture and one to slide the slider in when you start and out when you're done. I don't know how they can claim one person can do it all by themselves. I never thought much about Santa being a Canuck, but it does fit, doesn't it. Santa in plaid on his off days

    Ok Mel, now when I peek at the moon again, I will go back to bed with the poem running through my head. I think I could use your help to not only decorate but also let go of lots of old Christmas decorations. I have an attic full of them and it scares me that I have quite a few boxes in the garage that are marked "Christmas stuff". Where did this all come from? Oh man, I sure hope you can halt the rosacea from going to your eyes again - however you halt the dastardly problem.

    Hi Tig, I am proud of you - getting all that exercise in while you're so busy. You are a tribute to the saying that you must take time for yourself first! Sorry to hear work is sucking your life away - have to work on Christmas Day! No way - at least I hope not. Geez...

    Hi back at you Holly

    Shad, hope you got everything together and caught that plane. Sounds like you crammed alot into your not very "long" weekend back home. Hope you got a bit of recharging of your batteries so you can hit the bricks refreshed. Will look forward to more pictures from you.

    With that, hellos to the rest. Must get off this computer if I'm going to get anything accomplished today. Bye
  • Morning all,

    Back in Townsville after an eventful flight - storms in Brisbane closed the Airport for an hour, the incoming plane got diverted to Coolangatta and took another hour to come back. We had a very bumpy ride most of the way and got in very late indeed. Such is life as a traveller.

    Thanks for the nice comments on the family 'do'. They are not a bad bunch - as bad bunches go and we do happen to care for each other.

    I went to have lunch with DNiece yesterday but the queue's were so long and there was a 25 minute delay in the kitchen - this meant that she would have been late back to work so we have planned more time over the Christmas break. DB2, DS2 and family and I went to breakfast together in the morning. Lot's of family stuff.

    I might be keeping up with the exercise etc, but there is no weight loss coming, and if I don't take the water tablets weight gain is dramatic. So I am going to have to eat strictly to plan. There is no way I want to exceed the all time high of 80kg. again. This is so hard. And it is annoying me. What does one have to do to get the bloody stuff off???? I tried on 3 outfits this morning before finding something to wear to work that wouldn't:
    a: suffocate me
    b: strangle me
    c: looked halfway reasonable.
    Guess it might be time to visit the doc and find out if there is a reason for this continual niggling rise.

    Good to hear from the troops this weekend.
    Tig - always good to hear from you. Is it this coming year you are planning to go visit the Thugs and their parents??? When???
    I'm sorry to hear that the DD has not been well but glad to hear that she is on the road to recovery.

    Nice to hear from Painter also - do drop in again. You don't have to talk weight if you don't want to, but it is good to hear that you are exercising. Takes a while to get the weight going down, inches tend to disappear first and that is just as good.

    Mel, I did try to ring at the normal time, but figured that since we hadn't set a real date and time that it just wasn't going to happen. Not to worry. After Christmas will be okay. I don't get home again until the 24th.
    The Night before Christmas - oh boy that brings back memories. I know that poem off by heart. Or at least I did!

    Ceejay - Good for you on beating that darned scale. These victories are few and far between.

    Happy - so pleased that the haircut and colour worked this time. Sounds nice.

    Madcat - So Santa is actually Canadian. Oooookay. I think the Laplanders might have something to say about that. Santa in plaid is a novel thought.
    I like the sound of the new furnishings too.

    Okay - for those I haven't yet spoken to sorry, I'll try to get back later. Meantime there is doco to be done and some learner tech writers to educate and waylay!

    See ya
  • Forgot to mention - saga of the unit AGAIN.

    Cleaner came in on Friday and of course I was away. She turned the dishwasher on - it had only 3 things in it for petes sake. Then she unloaded it. I can't find where she has put the chopping board. I've searched high and low and in the middle. Where on earth, in a place where there is little storage, would anyone put a chopping board? The black hole for chopping boards obviously exists and is hungry!!!! I'll keep you posted
  • Santa is Canadian!
    I believe!


    The snowflake chick returns for Happy Pilsbury has dump on the tray sugar cookies that look like a snowman, super easy, if you want to do some festive baking, easy way Good luck with the book club and your reading. I'm reading "The once and future King" by T. H. White... King Arthur, Merlin and Robin Hood all packed in one volume of brave adventure.


    Shad-check the top of the microwave, that is where my husband always hides our cutting board I'm glad you journey ended safely. It was great to see the pictures of your gathering. I had heard so much of the planning it was nice to see some of the images of the people involved. I liked your red outfit too, you looked content and happy with your gang I'm sorry your roses are missing your attention, can't one of your kids water and mulch for you?

    Mel-take care of your eyes! Do you have a cooling mask that you stick in the freezer and pull out to calm things down? Tea bags leave a stain... cucumber slices smell good but they don't conform to your eye socket very well... yummy to snack on What Christmas tune are you singing today?

    Holly-I read your journal entry yesterday... I hope the perspective is more positive. You are a treasure and should be treated as such. Some cyber smiles and hugs, I'm thinking of you

    Madcat-have my pics made you feel more Christmasy? Did you play some Christmas CDs while you were arranging things? I have them on all the time while I am reading my book, I just adore Christmas carols

    Tig-Jeepers, they can't make you work on Christmas can they? Isn't that illegal except if you are in the restaurant biz? Sounds like you have your Christmas cheer on display early... wow, wrapping already?! My purchases are still hiding in bags, I don't think I have Christmas wrapping paper actually, whoops, that will need buying

    PainterWoman- Welcome back into the fold, you know we miss you when you don't check in. How goes it? I made a large canvas with mixed media, twigs, pics from magazines and acrylics the other day, my kids like it Have you been getting your artist groove on?

    Suzi-how hot is it? are you drinking your water and wearing a hat when you are out and about? Are you breaking out into Christmas carols in the stores?

    Ceejay- keep up the momentum. If I could just get back into a routine of exercise I know I could get my scale moving. Damn this highly effective storage unit body of mine I know... you know... I know
  • Thank you Meadow -

    Shad, you looked fabulous in the red outfit. You look so good in red you should be Santa's helper Tell one of those elves to get busy on the lathe and make you a cutting board. I sure do hope the work itself is fun on this contract because everything else outside the office sure is bonkers including the crummy flight back, bummer.

    I am still behind which just means as much won't get done. I am worried about the tree tho - it's an all evening affair. If I do it tomorrow, nothing else gets done. I can whip up the coffee cake tommorrow without a problem. Opted for fresh fruit and veggies as side items - pre-packaged and cut, less work and stress for me.

    I have an hour before bedtime. Should make the best use of it. Nighty night.