Ah, found you!!!!! Yes, I've been amiss over the recent holiday (a week ago tomorrow already).

Weight went up to 204.4 Monday, 201.4 yesterday, 200.6 today. But I did start taking prednisone yesterday so who knows? Will hang in. Scale loves playing w/me. But I've been fooling with it too with all this alternating calorie count.

Kaylets, I'm so glad you'll get a breather. News sounds promising. Stay strong. It will truly be one of your best Christmases - you are so on target about how all perspective changes.

You have been great on the party scene, Arabella. And I'm looking forward to your report on the Messiah this week.

wsw, I hope you are back "home" or at least close to it. ceara, I love how you take off and travel so much. Such a full and active life.

Ah, Arabella, the magic word "windows" - mine are now scheduled to be installed next Tuesday. Handyman coming in Monday to take down blinds, drapes, move furniture etc. and reverse same when the other crews are done. I don't think I really thought about how much work this would be.

So the rush is on this week to do lots of holiday stuff - baking tomorrow. (A lot of my gifts are baked.) Did go shopping today - bought the gift for the "angel tree" at church. Don't do a lot of major shopping as in the past so am only in "need" of something small for SIL, a small addition to basket for DIL (and I know what and where = it's just a matter of getting it and I hope to do that tomorrow). And then a couple of small things here and there.

Going to Princessville this weekend to see Princess 9 as an angel in The Nutcracker. Quick trip - down Sat/home Sunday.

Thanksgiving turned out well. Everyone seemed to get along and they worked well enough together to give me an early Christms gift of a 32 inch flat screen TV which DS and DDIL set up. Also got to see newest Great Nephew - a real darling -Luke. Neighbor also had her baby on the 22nd - Owen. Always a great thrill for me to see/hold new life.

DD still overstressed (and sharing it) and I suspect that played into snittiness last week. However, DS's job again seems on tenterhooks and I'm amazed he doesn't snit back. They have him working so much - almost every weekend this year - that it's hard for me to believe they could get by w/o him, but that's the way of the business world these days, I guess.

Always a comfort to return to the peace of the palace.

Oops, almost forgot!

Thanks for once again setting up our new thread, Arabella. I think that's the first we've done it "by request".

What a luscious looking cake! I'm dying to dive into it. Yes, you are a busy Royal. And I like your "ploy" - wonder if it would work for me.

I don't watch much TV either so would not have gone the new TV route. DS though has put some old videos/movies on DVD and I'd like to watch them on the newer screen. However, in installing TV he noted DVD player had been fried and surge protector burned out (I'd nevr have noticed) so now need to replace DVD player to watch them. Haven't tried on computer because I want the "full" experience.

Today's incredible news is that Demon scale in is a good mood. I was at 199.4 this a.m. and after all my naughtiness, this is a gift. I can only ascribe it to that "hang in and it will show up when you least expect it" theory. I had reached about this low four years ago during DH's difficult times but not seen it since. I'm walking an inch or two taller this morning. Tomorrow might be another story.

I am highly suspicious, though. I bet you're sneaking in enough good behaviour to offset the naughtiness. Kudos!

Well, I thought I was being "good" yesterday but was up to 201 today so I'll have to sneak in more good behaviour. It may have been the lack of exercise. I spent the morning baking and the afternoon shopping so nothing "formal".

I'm pretty much done my shopping - need something yet for DSIL which is likely to be a gift card (suits him, suits me) and something for a great nephew I may or may not see over the holiday. But that's not bad. Baked gifts are done. Cards written. New baby gifts taken care of.

This push was all of necessity. I expect the week from **** next week. Windows are to be installed Tuesday (and I expect a little of Wed if necessary). Monday a handyman is coming to help me take down blinds, drapes, move furniture and all that. Hopefully Wed afternoon and/or Thursday, he'll be back. My only two holiday events are Monday night and wednesday luncheon (for which I said I'll bring dessert but that was taken care of yesterday as well).

Hopefully by next weekend, all will be serene in my palace and I will do whatever decorating I'll get to. I did put some poinsettias and little doo dads in all my plants today so they look festive. DS had carried up my ceramic tree when he was here and I had brought up my moving angel.

With all the other stuff going on, I'm going to put up my mid-size tree with mostly what ornaments are left from my first years of marriage. That will be in the family room and then I'll put out all my angels and my little creche in the living room with the ceramic tree. That might be it. When I get that much done, I'll re-assess. If it's 11:45 Christmas Eve ..............well, by then I'll be in Princessville.

But for now, the angel, the ceramic tree, the things in the plant pots and the potholders in the kitchen will have to show my good intentions. Maybe later tonight I can dig out a tablecloth or two......Or maybe not. Should rest up for the drive tomorrow as they are calling for some snow/rain kinda stuff and I'm going to stop as usual at the Gettysburg Outlets and see if I can finish up at least one of the last two items - plus maybe pick up a huge dose of Christmas spirit.

Hello, my friends, I hope there's still a little corner of the Palace for me... a place to lay my weary bones and feel a part of something once again. Please forgive my absence. I think I stayed away so long because I felt like I had nothing to contribute. Same old start and stop story over and over again. I was feeling so down in the dumps about situation with my sister, (which is still unresolved, we're still on the outs, I never did do the breast cancer walk, at her request) and I didn't want to come here and whine, when that's all I felt like doing. Ever since then, I pretty much stopped exercising, stopped going to Weight Watchers and have been on a total downward (correction: upward) spiral. I just didn't want to bring all my sadness and anger and dark thoughts here... so... I stayed away. The longer I was gone, the harder it was to come back. But I missed my s and often wondered what was going on at the Palace.

Tonight I declared to myself that no good has come from staying away, and I'm trying to catch up on all that I've missed... am only half way through October and I had to just start typing! I just read some more and was thrilled to hear of Kaylet's DH improvments, and Arabella's trip to Ireland/England, enraged about WSW's flood, and feeling a kindred soul to anagram, as I was at the Gettysburg Outlets only a few weeks ago! I have missed you all, and hope that I will be welcomed back!

What have I been up to whilst staying away? Mostly just work. I should have done some decorating today... at least removing the pumpkins, gourds and dead mums from around the front door would have gone a long way to updating the season! Tomorrow I will, I swear, come **** or high water... oops, touchy subject, wsw, sorry! We're going to the in-law's (in CA) for Christmas this year, so, sadly, no ... I will try to make it festive without a tree, but still....

I really would love to ramble on, but I don't want to overstay my welcome, after being gone so long, and besides, I'd better get to bed soon, if I plan on getting things accomplished tomorrow.

It is lovely to be back, I feel better already...

Ohhh, I love the Winter Wonderland! Ours was more like snow mixed with rain on Saturday... nothing pretty about it! Although, yesterday, when I took myself for a good long walk at my favorite park, there was snow up on the hills and dusting the pine tree branches... very pretty! I hiked up hills, through the woods, 'round the lake and back again. Even managed some woggling, just to see if I could. (I could!) It felt great to be outside and moving. Got some shopping done after that, including a wreath and some pine roping to replace my sad pumpkins. I felt very accomplished.

My freshly batteried scale told me that I was up 2# from from weight posted here. I'm going to wait til Saturday for an 'official' reading and make the necessary changes then. <whew> Amazing how much control that little number has over the state of mind!

Lunch break over... I'll be back later. Have a great day, all!

WEAR OUT YOUR WELCOME????? Now, kat, you should know better. Welcome HOME. I'll discuss more at length, just a quick checkin while waiting for the window guys to come back and finish up.

And, dear Arabella, I was checking in for a glowing report and find you'd no voice. Yes, yes, yes, TAKING CARE OF US has got to be the 2010 theme. ]

Fell back on my old ways last evening too - shame, shame, shame. AND I AM OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER!!!!!

Anyway, back in when I can. It's not as bad as might be - I feel "in control" of all this mess except for my self indulgent binge last night. Smack, smack, smack.

Luv to all lies and off I go to face another disrupted day. Hope to see calm by the weekend but it could be worse

It was absolutely miserable out this morning... pouring rain, bleak, blah. "There goes today's walk," I thought sadly, through the swishing of windshield wipers set on fast mode. One good habit I have managed to hang onto, during my <ahem> sabbatical from healthy living, was my lunchtime walk. I so look forward to getting outside, moving the bod & breathing fresh air, after sitting on my a$$ all morning, so I really was sad about missing it today. Lo and behold, the sun came out, shining brightly in a pretty blue sky, it's warm and lovely out...so I got my walk in after all. I didn't need a jacket but I did need sunglasses! All is right with the world!

The End.