:merry:

I have been very productive today... but at the same time...
not getting anything done.
I know that doesn't make a lot of sense... but it is true.

I am so jealous of you guys baking. I usually hate to cook .. but I always loved baking Christmas goodies for my family and others too. This year I am just not willing to take a chance of caving into temptation. I am doing good food wise... and I want to stay good MORE than I want anything... even baking for family and others. I am not willing to take any chances. There is always next year when I am skinny to bake again. But ... ohhhhh .. those goodies all sound soooooo good.

Michelle.... I love those chocolate covered apricots ... I use white chocolate and then roll in finely grated pecans. Mmmm
Are your cherry pecan cookies made out of a cake mix.?? Oh those are sooo good too. My favs are the WHITE Chocolate dipped pretzels.. NO will power when it comes to those either. Mmmmm

Okay... I have got to change the subject... I am drooling here. LOL

I had a GREAT on program day here. Went out for a nice steak dinner and substituted the grilled veggies for potatoes ... drank water and did not even lick my bread. LOL What I am most happy about is... I stopped when I knew I had eaten enough. My brain does not tell me when I am full. I am defective in that area. But I KNEW I did not need to eat all of my steak and I stopped. Often I say I am going to stop... but then nibble away at it until it is gone. Not anymore. As they say... Enough is Enough.

Barbg... you look so good in your new haircut I am surprised she didn't ask if you were his SISTER !!!! I love your new do.

Terri... I too thought the first time you post ISO you were just guessing like everyone else.
It is sooo easy to miss understand via online.

Thin... did you get your treeS up yet ?? I know you do several. I hope you post some pics of them. Hmmm.. that is an idea ... we could all post pics of our trees. Of course... pictures are NEVER as pretty as the real thing.

BarbPA.... yes indeed. That baking IS hard work. I don't miss standing on my feet for hours. I don't miss the clean up either. LOL And this year... I am NOT going to miss the added pounds I gain either.
I AM DETERMINED TO LOSE WEIGHT THIS CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY !!!

It is sooooo cool here. My neighborhood goes all out decorating at Christmas. We even have a grandpa who dresses up like Santa and greets the kids individually. He does a super job of it. When we came home from dinner there were a minimum of 30-40 cars lined up to see Santa. If only we had some snow... that would make it so much Christmasier.

Oh wait !!! I got two more cards today !!!
Kerri... what a lovely family you have. You are so young and very pretty.
CD... loved your card .. and your note.
Susie... I got your card too. I was disappointed not seeing Andrew's pic

Speaking of cards and photos. Don't forget....
Today is the last day to earn your weekly bonus.... and Monday is the bonus for including your photo with your Christmas card. Don't forget to give yourself credit if you earned them. Posting photos online is not acceptable for bonus points. BUT we all still want to see them.
I really liked my "secret good deed" I did this week.
It made me feel good all over.

Okay... back to being productive... except this time getting stuff DONE. LOL
I can't leave without continuing our little song.



You know Dasher and Dancer...and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid...and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all.....?????"

Ruldoph the RED NOSE reindeer...
Had a very shiny nose....

and if you ever saw it...
you'd even say it... GLOWS .

All of the other reindeers ...
Use to laugh and call him names ...

They wouldn't let poor Ruldoph
Join in any reindeer games....

SNOW? What is that? We had our family Christmas at my uncles sitting out by the pool today!!!

Kerry, Taylor TX is one of our favorite towns, although it's been about 10 years since we've been there. We are/were into antiques, and there were a lot of really cute shops there!

Gotta go, no time to sing, or even print pictures. GS is spending the night, and he had my laptop occupied all night. He's in the bathtub right now, so I was checking in while I had the chance.

Since there are only a few of us that appear to be home this weekend, I guess I'll have to sing again.

You know Dasher and Dancer...and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid...and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all.....?????"

Ruldoph the RED NOSE reindeer...
Had a very shiny nose....

and if you ever saw it...
you'd even say it... GLOWS .

All of the other reindeers ...
Use to laugh and call him names ...

They wouldn't let poor Ruldoph
Join in any reindeer games....

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say

"Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight....."

Hey, can we do Silver Bells next? Huh, huh, can we????

Grrrrr I am frustrated !!!!
Went to bed late and then at 5:20am someone calls the house ... and HANGS UP when we answer !!!!! Grrrrr.
Geeze... if you call the wrong number at that time of the morning... at least tell the person you have the wrong number. I am wide awake now wondering if it was one of my kids in need of help or a family member out of town died or who knows what !!!

Oh well. I just might go shower and go to WalMart to pick up a few things. Hopefully it won't be crowded at 6 am. LOL

Thin... I think Silver Bells sounds great for the next song. I thought Chris was going to start hers... but she didn't. I will move this one on to the next verse.

"You know Dasher and Dancer...and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid...and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall...the most famous reindeer of all.....?????"

Ruldoph the RED NOSE reindeer...
Had a very shiny nose....

and if you ever saw it...
you'd even say it... GLOWS

All of the other reindeers ...
Use to laugh and call him names ...

They wouldn't let poor Ruldoph
Join in any reindeer games....

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say...

"Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight" .....

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee ...."

...
Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history!

I have not yet gotten my Christmas cards done! But, I promise you will all get them - they just may be New Year's cards. And, I am still have to take a new picture.


Guess what I am doing today? Yep, more cookies! I was quite proud of myself yesterday - baked all day and only ate 2 cookies!

Hugs!
Barb

City sidewalks,
Busy sidewalks,
Dressed in holiday style,
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas!
...

2Cute...I started Rudolph!!!



I couldn't remember the one I had started before, so I chose Rudolph.

2cute, don't you hate that!! (the hang up call) BUT you are right about 6 a.m. being a good time to shop at Wally world! I have to go there today too. i got my dgd a cupla cd's for xmas that I'm going to return.. I didn't know were such trash! When did i get so naive??? Eminem sounded like an innocent enuf name for a group! or was I thinking M & M's ???

I am sorry to say that the picture i sent in my cards is the same oldie that you have all seen now I'm feeling guilty...i will get one posted soon. No excuse with the digital camera and all.

I'll have to 'ask jeeves what the next line to Silver Bells is...meantime. la la la la la I'm humming along with you!

I'm done with my cookies and candies, just have to wrap the last of the candies! THen uugh!! CLEAN THE KITCHEN! I also have tons of laundry to do!

2Cute...the white chocolate and crushed walnuts on the apricots sounds sooo yummy!~ Next year though...since mine are all done now! It will look like I have a new candie in the basket next year!

OK gotta run..but I WILL BE BACK! I need a shower too!

TTFN Michelle

Hi all!

Just checking in real quick. Busy day. I have to write out my Christmas letter and stick it in some of the cards to far off family and friends. Sorry, no, you guys don't get one. It was all I could do to get a pic done and now yours are all shipped off. The rest of these will have to go tomorrow.

Today is also time to go through all the piles of things I've randomly bought, determine who I bought them for and see what is left to buy.....and return!!

2cute: So far the family room (traditional) tree is up. My dining room (Santa) tree is up. I haven't put up the one in my bedroom (romantic Victorian) yet. There's another thing I should get done today. I can't put the Star Trek tree up this year in the kitchen eating area because my new kitchen table and chairs is bigger than my old one and there's no room. I really miss it because the way my house is laid out, when we're in the family room we used to (with the tree in the kitchen) get festive lights from BOTH trees that we could see all evening. Now, the kitchen is all dark when we're sitting in the family room watching TV. Oh well, I guess I'll trade a new kitchen set all year long for a Christmas tree that's only up for a couple of weeks.

BarbPA: WOW, you only ate 2??? Good for you! That's a real accomplishment. I'm with 2cute, it's easier not to even have them in the house. Temptation is an awful thing and my will power lacks WILL!!!

Chris: I had forgotten you started Rudolph as well. I'm glad the Paxill is helping you out. I've been in a terrible funk this holiday season. Not so much as to call it depression, just worried about some of my aches and pains being more than aches and pains. And of course going away in December was not my BEST idea yet. We had a really good time, but now I'm so behind and really frazzled! Oh well. What gets done, gets done. What doesn't, doesn't!!!

Barbg: Snow is that beautiful white stuff we have a dusting of this morning! Beee u teeeee ful!!!

Michelle: Your goodies sound yummy! It's the "cleaning the kitchen" part that I hate too!

Joyce: "Eminem sounded like an innocent enuf name for a group!" Yeah, I think you must have been dreaming of M & Ms, surely not Eminem!!! OMG! What a rude awakening YOU must have had!!!

I think that's everyone. I'm sorry if I missed anyone. Actually, I meant missed responding to anyone. I'm definitely MISSING a bunch of you. I know you're not ALL out of town!!! Come on out and sing.....

Simpler that googling or jeeves-ing, here's a web address with Christmas Carol lyrics and when you click on the one you want, it even plays it in the background for you. I just opened a second window and now Silver Bells is playing in the background while I'm typing this. www.christmas-carols.net Have fun with it.

City sidewalks, Busy sidewalks,
Dressed in holiday style,
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas!

Children laughing, People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on ev'ry street corner you'll hear,

Now sing the chorus girls!!!!

Ok, ladies, I have got to go and get some stuff done. See you all later. Love ya bunches.

Silver bells, silver bells
Silver bells, silver bells
It’s christmas time in the city
Hear them ring, hear them ring
Ring a ling, ring a ling
Soon it will be Christmas day

One last batch of cookies to glaze, then time to package them all up and get them out of my house!! I agree with you guys - it's best not to have the temptation, but I have done this for so many years it's tradition and expected. Jeff's work knows that this week every year they all get a homemade box of cookies! I take a couple platters in to my work and then have a few friends that get them.

I have some gifts to wrap tonight, need to venture out to the store for some bottles of wine and watch my EAGLES!

Time to spend a little time with my sweetie before the rest of my "to dos".

Later gang....

Barb

Sorry, just not up to singing. I teach a 4&5 y/o Sunday School Class at church, and It just about does me in. There are only 6 kids in the class, but it wears me out. I was just checking in before I go get my nap.

How could anyone come here and NOT join in...

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style.
In the air
There's a feeling
of Christmas.

Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on ev'ry street corner you'll hear,

Silver bells, silver bells
It's Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing.
Soon it will be Christmas day.

Strings of street lights
Even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush
Home with their treasures.

Hear the snow crunch.
See the kids bunch.
This is Santa's big scene.
And above all this bustle
You'll hear,....

Cant post now... hubby is a SCROOGE today. LOL
Just had to peek... and he already is after me and I have only been here ONE MINUTE.
I am telling Santa to mark him down on his NAUGHTY LIST.

Husbands can be that way just stop by to see what was going on