Just peeking in to see if anyone posted today. I couldn't get into the site earlier tonight. Have a nice weekend, Flowers! Tomorrow is December 1st . . . where did November go? I am off to bed!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Lorraine -- I took the liberty of moving you over to the new thread. Hope you don't mind.

Hi Maggies

I tried to get on the site yesterday, but got the message that they were working on it.

We warmed up some. We are at least above freezing!!!!! I can't believe that we are already into December. I have so much to do for the holidays. Starting to work at the school really has made my days go a lot faster and have a lot more to do.

Tonight we have the Christmas parade in town. My youngest son is not feeling too good today, and he was suppose to be in it. I don't think I am going to take the chance and let him in it even if he is feeling a little bit better.

Well, I need to get some laundry done and do some picking up around the house.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.!!!!

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
The sun is out! That makes such a difference in the day.

Lorraine -- sorry that your little one isn't feeling the best. I know he will be disappointed if he doesn't get to be in the Christmas parade. It doesn't feel a bit like the season should be starting yet. I think we are heading to Sioux City to do some shopping shortly. Maybe by the end of the day, the crowds will have thinned down some. I am not a good crowd shopper!

Have a nice weekend!

Jean -- from Iowa!

GOOD EVENING MAGGIES

Another incredible day! Can you believe we were almost 70 today! It doesn't seem like December. However, I have all my shopping done and everything is piled on the bed in the spare room. I have done everything except the tree! Maybe between tomorrow and Monday I can get that done. That will leave the wrapping and Christmas cards. Oh, yeah! The baking!! I will admit I will be doing much less baking this year. I will be making the neighbor hood gifts and something to bring to DD#2's Christmas Bash! Tomorow is the Stroll and the Gardner's Guild Open House so we will be busy.

LORRAINE hope your son is feeling better soon. This is not the season to be ill.

JEAN How did you make out being alone the other night? Since you didn't mention it I assume all went well

Where is that MAGGIE? Maggie girl we miss you.

Gloria in MA....off to surf the web.

Good Evening, Flowers!
Well, dreaded Monday is just about here. *groan* I'm getting as bad as the kids about Mondays!

We did some Christmas shopping yesterday and plan to go back on Tue. afternoon - evening to finish up. The kids each want - need a new microwave and money so that part was pretty easy.

Gloria -- the other night I stayed up VERY late, like 1:30 AM, so I fell asleep right away. I get up at 5:30 so I was dragging by the next night. It was windy so the house was making noises which didn't help any. Nothing more was in the paper so I am assuming the guy is laying low for awhile. I don't plan to do any baking this year; maybe I can talk my daughter in it when she is home over the weekend. I don't need it and neither does anyone else in the family. I have a few of my cards done and plan to finish those this week. We have back to back Christmas parties on Friday and Saturday night plus one on Wed. night. It will be a busy week again.

Hope you all have a marvelous Monday!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Good Afternoon, Flowers!
It is so dark here! It looks like it is going to storm but I think it is just the fog rolling in.

It's pretty quiet around here . . . where is everyone?

Hope you had a good Monday! We have a half day of school tomorrow and I'm hoping to do some more Christmas shopping in the afternoon.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Jean -- wondering where everyone is!

Good Evening Maggies

Jean Sounds like you are going to have some weather soon. Wasn't bad today and even about an hour ago when I was out on the back deck grilling some salmon I was able to be out with only my sweat shirt & slacks on. No need for a coat. I'll take that. Yesterday's Stroll was fun and we got some chowder from the restaurant in the square as well as cookies and cider from other stores. Saw most of our neighborhood there. The house tour was fabulous and they had it decked out in all the Christmas finery you could want. They even had a 1927 Packard 2/door with a rumble seat (remember them or am I giving my age away) . Anyway they had in set up in the garage on an oriental rug, yet and had two 8th grader girls dressed up as Laurel and Hardy. The car was borrowed but it was just the right touch. There were 3 Christmas trees and both fireplaces were blazing. All in all it was beautiful. Then we went home and it was still our own old house. But we love it.
Tried to start the tree today but when I took out the light strings two would not work so off to get a few new strings tomorrow and then I can get to work on it. When the tree is finished I can start wrapping as I will have some place to put the finished gifts.

Jean are we the only flowers in the patch. I know Maggie is off to the sunny climes of California and Lorraine is a very busy mom. We will have to send out an SOS to all the other flowers.

Gloria in MA.....off to play some games on the 'net.

Hi Everyone

Well we didn't make it to the parade and Andrew still isn't himself. He wanted to go to school today and he wasn't a fever so I took him on in. I talked to his teacher during the day and she said he didn't look like he was feeling well, but was particpating in class and wasn't acting sick. I told her to send him down to me if he got any worse. I guess something is trying to work on him and he is fighting it off. We are putting up all the Christmas trees at school and it is really starting to feel like Christmas. We warmed up a little, we got up to about 50 or so today, but there was a light mist with a north wind which made it feel cooler.

Jean: I know what you mean about Mondays. I felt the same way yesterday afternoon. I told my husband that I got spoiled staying home all of these years. When I was a sub, I could turn jobs down if I didn't feel like working....but now I have to behave.

Gloria: Wow...in the 70's in the North East in December is really something else. When I lived up there, we were always much cooler than that by this time of the year. Usually around October it really cooled down where you would need a coat everyday. Enjoy it while you have it.

Well, I need to help three little Indians with their homework. I hope everyone has a great Tuesday.

Good Evening, Flowers!
It's great to see you both! We are having a day and an evening of fog; it was 55 degrees this afternoon but with the fog just hanging above the ground it was really eerie outside.

I did some more Christmas shopping this afternoon. I may get it done ahead of schedule yet!

Gloria -- I could never get my house ready for an open house! I still don't have everything decorated and may not do much more than the tree at the rate I'm going. I did finally get all of my laundry done so that is something! I've addressed a few envelopes so now I just have to write a note in the cards.

Lorraine -- there is a bug going around in school. The kids are fine one minute and asking to go home the next. A couple of teachers are out with the respiratory flu. I hope Andrew is feeling better and that the rest of you don't catch it.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Flowers!

Jean -- from Iowa!

Good Evening Magnolias:

I am back on line and it feels good! It has been awhile and I have missed ya'all very much. I haven't been doing so well on my weight loss program and have decided now that I am in an area where there is WW that I will start the first Monday they are open after the new year. That will be the 7th. For now I am trying to maintain. Looks like you all are doing fine and are well. I will write more later...... just got on line tonight and it is late now and I am gonna go cut some zzzzzzzz's.

Everyone have a wonderful tomorrow!

Maggie!!!!! Welcome "home" -- we have missed you! I love your Christmas tree!! Please let us know all that's been happening since we last heard from you!

It has dropped about 30 degrees since this morning but the SUN was out this afternoon! I have a Christmas get together tonight . . . have to take something to auction off and something to put on the snack table. DH bought some chocolate covered, creme filled "things" at Sam's -- I don't like them so won't have any trouble staying away from them.

Have a terrific Thursday, Flowers!

Jean --- from a long day at school!

Good Evening Magnolias.

Wonder why I have to "log in" each time I go to post now. Do the rest of you? I checked and I still have it marked to accept cookies. Cleared it out and resubmitted it and still have to log in.

Jean have fun at that holiday party. I love those that play games with the gifts and by all means take those candies. Not much out of the ordinary happened during my absence. But I will e-mail you my musings during a sit in the truck while Cowboy was shopping in Wal-Mart.

Have a great evening all 'yall

GOOD EVENING MAGNOLIAS

May I add my 'WELCOME' to you MAGGIE
It is great to have you back in the flower patch. Good luck on your maintain til early January. When we don't attend WW it is difficult to keep on the program. You have done it in the past so I know you can do it again! I also love your Christmas tree.

JEAN Have fun at your gettogether tonight. It is always nice when DH brings home something I don't like as then I don't even have to 'hide' it.

Well, got the tree up and decorated today so now it's on to wrapping and settin up the stockings. I think 'stockings' are the hardest part of Christmas buying especially for my teenager. They are so hard to buy for. Sunday will be my card writing day and they I can relax.

Gloria in MA.....have an achy leg so I think I will head up for a hot, bubbly tubby!

Good Morning Magnolias

It is going to be another lovely day here in the forest. Jean how was your party? Did you bring home anything interesting? Gloria I used to love bubble baths ~ I would stay so long I would prune. How bout you? Did you light some vanilla candles and sit back and enjoy? I agree about those stocking stuffers. Little things fit and those little things are the expensive ones. Jewelry, perfume, knives ~ jerkey. Yes a good brand of jerkey. Have fun. Our tree is a little one that came decorated in a pot that I can replant. We, of course don't have any room for a larger one. It fits quite nicely on the dining table and Turn likes to smell it. Doesn't bother the ornaments but sticks his nose in among the branches on occasion. Lorraine, how are you doing?

Maggie enjoying her coffee through a straw in California

Good Afternoon, Maggies!
The sun was out today but it is on the chilly side . . . a winter coat day for sure.

Maggie -- I don't have to log in each time. I sure don't know what to tell you as I consider myself lucky to just be able to find the site and then post. I enjoyed your observations from the parking lot! I think you should taking up writing -- I could just picture everything like I was sitting right there beside you! Our cats all like to lay behind our Christmas tree -- it stands in a corner and they must feel "safe" there. When Jason and Amanda got married I started putting a $50 bill in the Christmas stockings. I figured no one needed the candy and it was probably cheaper in the long run. I had to laugh though, none of them wanted to spend their brand new bill and hung on to it for the longest time. Last night we did buy tickets to a mystery dinner. We've never done one but it sounds like fun. We get a 5 course meal and an evening of entertainment for $15 a piece. The money that we raise goes towards books so that each 2nd grader in the county gets a book of their own to take home. Then we also provide a scholarship for a nontradtional college student. . . .usually a "mom" who has decided to go back and get her degree.

Gloria -- DH bid on a loaf of home made rye bread (my favorite but he doesn't like it) and then turned around and put it back into the bidding. Then he bought a pecan pie for himself! When the next loaf of rye bread came around, I bid on it and got it! I don't have to worry about sharing it but I hope he will share a piece of his pie with me! I hope your leg is feeling better! I love to soak in the tub but just don't take the time to do it often enough.

Have a fantastic Friday, Flowers! We have a Christmas party tomorrow night and another one on Saturday night. The weekend will fly by like they always seem to.

Jean -- from Iowa!