Anagram, sounds like a wonderful Christmas!! A massage sounds great. I still need to get serious about that.

Candice, thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

I spend quite a bit of time and money at Wal-Mart too. We definitely save money there. My hubby works there, so we get a 10% discount on all taxable items.

Joanne, so sorry that things weren't the best for you and the family at Christmas. I can just imagine the stress level and what it is doing to you. Like you said, compared to other things in the world, even with all of our aches and pains, we are truly blessed.

Happy, enjoy your time with Ashley!!!

Happy New Year to all of you!!!

Happy New Year-we got all our stuff a day early-only our bedroom needs to be bought. And it all looks good together. I am feeling a bit better. Only I think the dining room set has a bit of mold even though it doesn't smell. I will put the chairs out this pm-they are fabric. I did spray them. We have to go back to the camper and get more stuff and our mail-almost done, I bet it was food poisoning, Joanne. All at the same time usually is that. Hope you are better. Anne, you have been busy-have fun with Ashley. Tammy, your time off will go fast. Oh yeah, I went back to Walmart-bought a beautiful comforter set for the spare bedroom. And other stuff. What is the name of that stuff you use to clean a cooktop stove. The ceramic one. One of you must have one!!! This one came with the place. Mima

Mima- Cerama Bryte.. I can't find it at Walmart but I can at Home Depot... There sometimes is a pad and scrapper with it if you are lucky..It sounds like you are getting your place in good order..I know you must be having fun.
I really think we all had stomach flu. One of Eleni's daughter family was just getting over it. I thought at first it was food poisin but only a few of us got sick and we all ate the same food.There was about 25-30 people there.I lost count.
After this Christmas, I told my hubby, I am thinking of backing out of trying to have the family all here. I will be 72 in March and I am beginning to think it is time for someone else to have the work.He said well you have a year to think about it...WOW
Happy New Year
I hope this year will be a healthy and Happy Year for all of us...
Joanne

Candice - sorry about your Mom. Joanne - sorry about the stomach flu putting a damper on your holiday spirit.

Mima - your new place sounds like you'll enjoy it so much - convenient to WalMart and warm weather finally. What more could you want?

That diso**** sounds great, Tammy. I know I loved it when my son worked as a bag boy at a supermarket in high school and we got a discount. Helps w/the growing boy appetite thing.

This season has been so great for me this year - and it's not over yet. Having pork & sauer kraut at sister's tomorrow w/her gang and my other sister and brother who still live in PA. Tough call as were invited to DS for an open house but decided to stay closer to home. Going to church this evening and coming home to hot turkey sandwiches and tv until I fall asleep waiting for the big moment. We're high on the excitement scale here.

Meme. They did blood work on dh and his iron supplements weren't keeping up w/the procrit so they've doubled them. Hope it helps. He's been down to about 9.2 plus had the flu. He hasn't had much fun (nor has he been much either). Hope you're feeling more chipper.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, ALL!

Well ... what ever it was, Joanne, hope you're feeling better now.

Candice, I know you're worried about your Mom and I would be, too, if I were you. Here's sending prayers your way, and her way, too!

Anagram, hope your hubby gets his blood back up, it's no fun when you're tired all the time. I've been like that all my life ... ever since I was 5 years old my hematicrit level hasn't been much above 10.

I know Anne will have a good weekend with her granddaughter and kids. And I hope you do, too Tammy. And, Mima ... just keep Wal Mart in business!!!

If I've missed anyone ... well ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year-in bed at 9 last night. But I did feel better and we went to the camper and got most of stuff out.Please remind me it's only been a week. And I did not go to Walmart yesterday. Only need a few more things. Anagram, I am glad you are having a god time. Are you coming to Fl this year? I thought you were . Auntie has been sick-bronchitis. Plus she has asthma so it's hard for her to breathe. Anymore on your mom, Candice.? Joanne, it was fun having the kids down here but a bit stressful. And in the middle of moving but they helped. Next year, we may go back up north. One year at a time. Church today-Brad's church tomorrow. Bye for now. Mima

Hope all you sickies are doing better! My fever finaly broke so I am feeling a bit better. they moved my mom from the hospital back to the nursing home Friday, don't know much more yet. I hate being this far away...if I Dh and I had not gotton sick I would have stayed abit longer. Got DS off too........he is up in Minniapolis for a formal New Years wedding of one the med students.

Joanne, my brothers whole family had the stomach flu and they all came to Christmas, we were all so mad!!!!!!!!!!! But so far none of us have the up chuck kind!

Meme....I do hope they can do something for you...you poor thing, you sure DH is not a vampire and sucking the blood out of you How long did your mom live after her stroke? Hope you don't mind me asking......

Did get my bathroom and kitchen disinfected and more laundry done, but that is about it! I'm not putting Christmas away just yet..it will keep and I like looking at it, now when I start getting anxious about putting it away then it's time! Still gotta strip DS's bed too. Did finish unpacking but want to wash more stuff up.

Happy humidity gets to me too....it was below 0 last week and 60 today ...I can't tolorate the big change much. Now it is back to 30........no snow here either.

Mima..sounds like you are ready for company! My son loves Walmart....It is so big I do not go there much.

Anna...pork and kraut..love the stuff but it does not like me! I usally do it int he crock pot.

Tam.....What does DH do at Walmart?

I actually made it until 12:05 last night! Hubby did too. We were very proud of ourselves. Of course, we both had taken naps earlier in the evening. lol Our son was at his girlfriend's house, and he came in about 12:30. bob works in the seafood/meat dept. at Wal-Mart. He brought home a bag of shrimp last night, so that was our snack for the evening.

Mima, that is so great that you are getting things together! I'm sure Wal-Mart is happy for you too. lol

Joanne, hope you are all back to good health for the new year. Being sick is no fun at all!!!!! Anagram, hope your hubby is doing better.

Meme, thanks for the fireworks!! Cool!!

Candice, I have only put away a few of the Christmas things. I know I need to get started since there is so much, and it's back to school on Monday. (boo hiss)

Candice, Mom had her first stroke in May ... as a matter of fact they moved her to a Rehab center on my BD (May 20) because she was paralyzed on the right side. She stayed in there for almost 2 weeks and then came to live with me for awhile. She had been back home less than a week when she had her 2nd stroke July 1st. She was in the hospital for 2 weeks after that before she died - on July 14th. But she had 2 strokes. And she may have had a different kind of stroke than your mother had. The tiny blood vessels in her brain kept rupturing and flooding the brain tissue with blood. The Dr. explained to us that there were several different kinds of strokes. The second one Mom had paralyzed her on both sides and she couldn't talk much either. Then she refused any means of life support, food or fluid so she actually starved to death in the end because she couldn't swallow. Human Resourses came by after the first week and said she had to be moved to a Nursing Home. I called my daughter (she works in Administration at the Hospital ... pretty high up the ladder) She went to the Human Resourse Office and straightened them out! She told them her grandmother was dying and her mother promised her she would not have to go to a nursing home and she was staying at the hospital until she died, end of story! So she stayed the whole 2 weeks at the hospital. I don't know how they cleared it with the insurance but I never did get a bill.

Mom's sister, on the other hand, had a stroke and was put in a nursing home with a feeding tube and lived for about 7 years. She didn't know anyone, though, not even her own son. She was also partially paralyzed and couldn't talk. That was what Mom was afraid of, she didn't want to do that. It was hard to watch her die like that, but that's what she wanted.

Joanne - I'm with you. It does get a bit much I think but then if there's tension between the kids, it's probably only going to work at your place. No, Mima, we're not heading south this year. DH would give you many reasons why but I think the real reason is he's not up to it and just can't say that. His health is really too tenuous right now to do much of anything. His "cold" of the last two weeks, which had seemed to be getting better is much worse again. I also noticed swelling in his hands and feet again so I suspect I'll be calling a doctor again soon - big question always is "which one". So while I know I'll miss the pleasant days and pleasant weather we've enjoyed in the past, I think right now I feel more comfortable being near all his doctors and the hospital where they've treated him successfully before.

And, knock on wood, it's been good weatherwise here so far this year. We've had no measurable snow yet! Usually about 11 inches by now. And today they set a new record high of about 69 or so (or maybe 64 - whatever - warm).

The sauer kraut doesn't always agree w/me anymore either, Candice but I ate that and most of the dinner very moderately. Then came the cookies and I didn't know the meaning of the word moderate. Dh was not doing well enough to go to sister's w/me so I had to eat his share And I also seem to be stealing your Night Owl patterns and I really don't want to do that. Did get in a nap this evening so not feeling quite so bad and think I'll try to make a NY resolution to go to bed early whether I want to or not because I've just not been able to go back to sleep when I wake up at 4:00 or so. If I wake up at 2 to go to bathroom I can usually sleep afterwards. And I'm really in need of more sleep right now and NOT to fall asleep right after dinner

Tammy, I'm going to leave my stuff up for maybe a week yet. Of course, I'm not going back to work or anything. The last few years I've had to rush it down so this year, since I'm staying home, I'm going to really take it easy about it. And be nice and organized in my packing .

Well now ... that's a new excuse for putting away the Christmas decorations late ... "I'm being 'organized' about putting them away so I'm taking it nice and slow this year!" I'll have to remember that one for next year!!!

Any excuse will do! When I played golf, I considered writing a book of excuses because I had so many for my bad shots.

I don't even count my strokes, I am so bad!!!Still feeling better and I bought an air cleaner yesterday-at Walmart!!!!! Now I need some material to make curtains but then I will be saving money-2 small windows and I want checked. Been getting up early but I go to bed early. DH is still sleeping but he gets up for a while at night-been doing that for a while. I'm sorry your husband is not well enough to go to Fl, Anagram. You and he are really troupers!!!!I have no decorations to put away!!!!Next year or we may go north for Christmas since we are coming In October!!!!!!!I think that's a good plan. Brad is really getting into his train room-first time he has ever had the time and place to do it. And no one calling him to do a job. Now we just have to get the money that people owe us. LOL-especially one wo keeps saying the check is in the mail. Church today. And then.......? Everyone get better. Hey Mem, we are going to a Gaither's concert on the 27th and bringing Alison. We can take the handicap van and strap her in in her wheelchair-no lifting! Mima

I'm always organized..that is why it takes me so long to get stuff done...in order to store everything it has to be packed in tightly! I would like a big walk in storage room

Meme..thanks for filling me in on your mom....They do not know what kind mom had because we did not ask them to run any tests, although they think it was a clot. We are not asking for any means of life support either, mom did not want that. She is swallowing a few bites but not much. She was in congestive heart failure due to the IV fluid when we first saw her so they gave her a water pill but she is not on them anymore....her legs and ankles were really swollen the past few weeks and the cr. would not do anything.

Raining here.........and for a few more days......

No measurable snow yet? And we had 24 inches in 2 days last week. There is a problem somewhere here! lol We're in the 50's and 60's the past couple of days, so most of the white stuff is gone. Now lots of flooding of fields, roads, and some in our basement. Ick.

Anagram, I can't imagine being nice and organized in my packing! It seems like things always just get thrown in boxes to get things put away.

Candice, we'll be having rain for the next few days also. We'll really have a mess with all of the snow melting.