Happy Tuesday! We're inching closer and closer to The Big Day!

I'm making pizzelles this morning and hopefully will have time to run by Walmart to pick up Tyler's present before heading over to the farm. We decided to get Tyler a Radio Flyer My First Scooter, since he has already has so many trucks and cars, and I heard Santa is bringing him a train set. He seems pretty young for a scooter, but this is supposed to be age appropiate for 2 year olds, so I hope he likes it.

It's pretty balmy out for this time of year, but we're supposed to get a blast of frigid air tomorrow. I made Cindy's dogs spend the day outside yesterday, after finding all 3 of them on the kitchen table devouring the girls' gingerbread houses when I got there in the morning. Cindy forgot to lock the mudroom door, and the dogs figured out how to open it and get in. Poor Maggie was just devasted, and she was excited to show me her creation, but Audrey thought it was hilarious. I managed to console Maggie by promising she could make another one while they're on Christmas break.

Good Morning!

Cottage, That really is funny about the gingerbread house. Auston would have been devastated, too. Doesn't a Radio Flyer scooter have 4 wheels? I bet Tyler will love it. Auston has graduated to a Razor scooter. He goes too fast and scared me to death!

Today the families start picking up their children's Christmas presents. The sponsor's generosity has truly amazed me. Not only are most of them buying presents, they are sending gift cards for the parents. One lady's Bunko group made a donation -- $1300!!! My Bunko group takes in about $60! With her donation and others we received, The Children's Center was able to buy all of our needy families a gift card to the local grocery store. I have been humbled through this season.

I hope you all have a great day. Ho Ho HO!

Good Tuesday morning, Cottage. Tra-la-la reminds me of Spring! Right now we are just at freezing and there is dense fog. I've never seen a weather advisory saying "visibility nil" but that's it this morning. I can't see the house across the road. Our temps are going to drop drastically during the day and we are in for a major cold snap.

Yesterday was way too busy but I did get my DD's gifts mailed off - $59.60 in postage! I could not believe it. I think Christmas 2010 will be The Year of the Gift Card. I also put up my new Christmas tree although it's not yet decorated. The "bling" will go on later. I am missing my box of Christmas jewellery so there must be some more Christmas storage in this house. Wanna bet I find the missing tree legs when I find it?

I'm off to do the Good Food box distribution this morning - on my own because Claire is going for her third last radiation treatment. This afternoon there is a Christmas Party at the nursing home. Both dogs are invited but Disney has declined due to poor health. Her elbow problem was just dermatitis which is being treated but the residents fret so Jazz will have to represent the family.

Time to get to it and tackle the house. I just might be able to work in a bit of Christmas cooking today - sausage rolls for the freezer, most likely.

Hope you can tra-la-la OP through the day!

ETA: Good morning. Chelby. Isn't it great when people give things following the true spirit of the season? I feel so good when I see a former client able to bring food to our Food Bank.

Linda, what a sad day for the girls! I'm glad at least Audrey got a kick out of the whole thing. I hope the dogs didn't get sick!

Michelle, what an amazing story you've been able to share this season. People really do shine through the holidays!

Ruth, glad to hear Disney's problem will be easily remedied. Have fun at the party, and stay warm!!!

I have a question for you gals. I looked up recipes for soups for ideas for tomorrow's soup supper at church and saw Laurie's recipe for balsalmic roasted winter vegetable soup (or something like that - it's in the Phase 2 Soups and Stews section). I couldn't find Swiss Chard at the store. Can I substitute fresh spinach?

My day is going well! I have done four loads of laundry, folded one and hung one and I'm about to fold the last two. I've cleaned the downstairs bathroom and entry and done 99 pushups and an hour and a half of yoga! Kadyn's done her violin, grammar, and AWANA verses and the kids all went to school with bellies full of warm oatmeal. I'm waiting on Connor to get home and then we're going to do his violin and math, check his homework, and run off to get the girls so I can throw together some peanut butter cookies with them before we have to leave for Cub Scouts. The cookies are for the ballet school cookie exchange this evening, which should be fun. The kids will practice their performance dances and then have a little social time. Tom will pick Connor up from Cub Scouts and drop him at martial arts and then go swimming before he picks him up and brings him home. It's so much easier to do all this now that he's back!

Better get to folding the laundry because I don't think I'm going to get another chance!

Good Morning

I'm feeling a little sluggish this AM. Too much yesterday...we did get to our Eastern Slope home about 5:30...the roads weren't too bad. I need to send my boxes out soon and I'm not too excited about the process at this point. My standard fare for years has been Pinon Brittle, but I pledged to send healthier this year.

Cottage, what a sight to see. We had a dog that ate the whole fruitcake one year.

Santa(aka Chelby) have a great day! What a nice holiday for your community-both for recipients and givers!

Ruth, what a busy day! I hope the fog lifts before you have to go out.

Kara, wow! What a day! The SB solar energy is shining at your house today!

I hope I get more motivation soon. Schmoodle, thanks for the recipe suggestion. I'm going to try the sugarplums this morning.

Good morning ladies.
Have a regular day for me today. Gotta bake when I get home for the christmas party at work tomorrow that I'm not even going to be a part of. Sadly, when you are in the front office, you supply the goodies but do not get to partake. Tomorrow afternoon I have to swing by the local community college to drop off some things from my students and Thursday night I have to bake again and pick up a secret santa gift for Friday. And then Friday night is Brad's christmas party for his unit. Its gonna be ridiculous because they are having a rockband contest...again. They did it last year and Brad and his group won 1st place. If they get the same prizes (gift cards for the marine corp exchange) that will help us immensely in the christmas shopping we have yet to start.
Well let me go because I still need to pack my lunch and make myself some breakfast. have a good day.

Good morning It's going to be a day of many refills.

Cottage - Poor Maggie! Sounds like a good solution though. It's our last balmy day though looking out the window there is no doubt about the season!

Chelby - Wow, how inspiring Enjoy the day

Ruth - Glad to hear all is well with Disney. I sure hope DD likes those gifts!
Hey, my Mom makes sausage and spinach rolls. I don't eat them anymore but sure did love them when I was a kid.

Kara - You can definitely substitute spinach for chard. I often sub the other way. I haven't tried that soup yet so I'll look forward to your review.

ETA - Debbie & Heidi. If you find some motivation Debbie could you send a little my way?!

I'm kind of in a funk. Found out that my uncle died yesterday. I had lots of great aunts and uncles but only one "real" because my Mom is an only child and my Dad just had the one brother. Mike was just 6 years older than me so was more like an older brother or close cousin. He introduced me to the Beatles and lots of other 60s music and to science fiction. He was the person who encouraged me to read The Lord of the Rings, something I might not have picked up for many more years otherwise. He also brought me to my very first used bookstore, a place that would become my favorite destination. (My family is very big on reading). He was incredibly tolerant of a younger cousin tagging along and listening to his music and borrowing his books. 35 years ago he was struck with profound mental illness and over a short period became, in many ways, someone else. He has never recovered and between the illness and the changing cocktails of meds his life and his health were destroyed. I have missed him often and wondered what he would have been like, what kind of adult he would have become without the illness. It can be hard to figure out how, and when, to grieve for someone lost to an illness that takes their identity away while leaving their body in the room. I don't want to be a downer but do want to acknowledge his life and reaffirm that mental illness is an illness and not a moral failing that someone can just pull themselves out of if they choose to. There will be no ceremony. He was not religious and there has been no one but my father who has watched him over the last 10 years. I will remember quietly and finally say goodbye.

I'm really sorry to hear about your loss, in more ways than one, Cyndi.

Debbie, good luck with your healthy baking!

Silly, have fun at the Christmas party! We had ours two weekends ago and it was really fun. They had a skit competition but Tom's shop didn't enter. The guys who participated did a really good job. They had held a fundraiser contest to get two people into Santa and reindeer suits and the commander and some first lieutenant were up for it and they dressed up in those sumo costumes and wrestled. There were tears rolling down my face it was so funny!

Cyndi, I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope you can remember him fondly through your love for reading.

Ah, Cyndi, I am sorry for your loss. I had a similar experience with my grandmother, but she suffered from demensia along with Altheimer's. Keep the happy memories alive in your heart.

Kara, I've made that soup several times, and it's delicious. I hope you enjoy it, too. The chard can be switched out for spinach, or almost any other greens. Make sure to drizzle extra balsamic over your serving, as it really enhances the flavor.

Chelby, that's a heartwarming story about the people in your office coming through. There's still more good in the world than bad, despite what we hear on the news every day.

Ruth, I'm so relieved to hear about Disney's diagnosis, and hope it heals up soon! That's outrageous how much it cost to mail that package!

OK, I've eaten my breakfast (oatmeal w/peaches) and just finished preparing Jake's supper for tonight. Now I MUST get started on those cookies!

Ohhhh now I'm so sad. Cyndi, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Also sending good vibes and happy juju your way.

Ugh. Well. Morning. Alarm went off at 6:30 but it felt like 2:30 so I'm a bit bleary-eyed. My head is still doing the Drainy McDrainerson thing. I got the Paul McKenna program in the mail yesterday and listened to one of the CD's already. There are 5 so I'm going to listen to one a day M-F and try to follow the plan to see how I do combining his plan with what I'm currently doing.

Need to go blow my nose and dry my hair. I feel very snoopy-cry-ish today. Gonna be a cold one. Hope everyone stays warm and safe, and knows they're loved! Have a good one!

Lisa

Cyndi, I am so sorry for your loss. Maybe you can put on an old Beatles album and have sweet memories today.

Good morning,

Cottage- poor Maggie, hopefully the promise of making a new one made everything better.

Chelby- there is not better way to get into the spirit then participating and watching in helping others at this time of the year.

Ruth- glad to hear that Disney ailment was not serious. Did you find the other Christmas box yet.

Kara- You are super busy all the time. I can finally wind down as the play is over.

Debbie- I feel sluggish this morning as well- still waiting for my tea to wake me up.

Silly- Have a good day today.

Cyndi- I am sorry to hear of your loss, I have empathy for you as my grandmother had Altheimer's and it was bad at age 70 for her and she did not die until 95 years old, but did not know anyone around her. Atleast you have good memories to sustain you of your earlier times with him.

Twynn- hello

As for me- my sluggish self has decided enough is enough. I am starting Phase 1 today- I can't deal with what my eating has become so I am starting fresh, if I wait til January the road will be that much tougher so I am starting today. There, that is all I wish to say

Have a great day everyone.

good morning Chickies

Cyndi - hugs to you. I wish more people were educated about mental illness.

Chelby - nice to hear about the generosity of people at Christmas. That is what its all about.

Everyone else have a nice day.

me - kind of having a let down because I feel like my Christmas happened last week but I still have to look forward to my youngest son coming home on Friday and telling all about his Europe adventures and NYC.
Making a menu plan for holidays so that I won't have to hit the stores during that time.
take care
Sophie

Ok so I don't know how much I really bought into the Paul McKenna system, but I've only listened to one "mind-programming" CD and already I've found that I'm paying more attention to my body and what it's saying, and I'm eating more slowly. I can't say that I chew each bite 20 times (I must have big teeth because after about 10 it's pretty much ground into dust) but I've been working on the same snack for 25 minutes now, when normally it would've been gone in under 2. I think I'm going to like this as an addition to what I'm already doing.

15 degrees outside. Brrrrr. Hope everyone else is staying warm!