Good morning from snowy Delta! The plough just went by which means we got even more snow overnight. Shovelling decks and walks will definitely be on my to do list today.

Yesterday was rather frustrating with password problems but that seems to be resolved now. I don't know why the system picked on me. I went in and banned my own alter egos.

Today I absolutely MUST finish wrapping so the diningroom table is clear. Donna is coming to clean the upstairs bathroom. The guys were really tidy but the floor needs a good scrub and there is a bit of plaster dust floating around. Some painting is needed but will wait until after Christmas now. (The leftover paint from the last redecorating was all dried up so I need to get more.)

Tonight there is a concert in the village at the United Church. Of course there is a supper beforehand - chicken stew and biscuits - but I'm skipping that. It's Carb City around here this time of year! Even the cole slaw and bean salads have sugar in them!

So...on we go with the weekend. What's happening out your way? Any fun stuff?

I'm enjoying a quiet moment before Caitie and Carley get up and we get ready to head out for breakfast. It's great to have the girls here, but it does keep me busy! I don't really know yet what the rest of the day will bring, but Caitlyn did mention that she'd like to go shopping. We'll see.

Ruth, enjoy your snow! I bet your little village looks like a picture straight out of Currier & Ives.

Good morning ladies!

Ruth - Glad you're enjoying your new tub! I need to find some wrapping time myself...unfortunately, I can't have little helpers with me.

Cottage - How long do you have the girls? Shopping would be fun. Hope you enjoy!

Me - Woke up early (cuz I couldn't stay up last night!)...so the pup and I are enjoying some quiet time. It's going to be a slightly crazy day...working today (yay, yay), then DD has a bday party to go to, then she has her own bday party. I should plan ahead supper (or make the DH do it!) so we don't eat junk in between.

Have a great weekend!

Yes, Cottage, I am very lucky. I may put a new battery in my camera and get out there to take some pictures when the sun comes out. Hug that Carley for me and say Hi to Caite. I'm sorry I missed meeting her.

Good morning ladies!

Ruth, I hope you will have a chance to take a few pictures to show us. I really love the one in your avatar.
Cottage, enjoy your weekend guests. I'm sure they're having a great time.
Twynn, lots of celebrating today, eh? I hope you have a great, on plan, day.


I've got gift wrapping to do today, too, and I think we may put the tree up this afternoon. I'd like to wait til next weekend, but I believe we'll be heading down to my mom and dad's to get their tree up for them then. Actually, I'd just as soon skip our tree but tradition and all that..... Don't get me wrong, I'm not a scrooge - I just don't need a Christmas tree to enjoy the season.

Good morning I needed to sleep in so I did! It's 14.6 here this morning. You know it's really cold when you include the .6 It is supposed to get up into the 20s later. I sure hope it does because I'll have a hard time getting myself out the door otherwise.

Ruth - Add me to those looking forward to pictures Glad to hear the bathroom is all done and the house is back together.

Cottage - Enjoy your day with the girls

Twynn - Sounds like a good day for planning. Hope it all goes by without a hitch. Might be a good night for a glass of wine and some gift wrapping

Heidi - I gave up the tree a few years ago. Once my DD stopped spending the day here it just seemed like a whole lot of work that I didn't really need to do. For the past several years we have all met and celebrated at my parents house then DD goes on to her Dad's family. After years of having everything here I kind of enjoy the peace.
The snow has me in the mood

A pretty normal weekend for us. Julie has a gig tonight so that will be dinner out and hanging at the Pub with friends. Other than that there will be the usual weekend chores. I'm drying apples with cinnamon to bring in gift baskets. The house smells wonderful (who needs a tree when you have apples with cinnamon?).

Work stress has been unreal and I'm still learning how to deal with it without stuffing my face with carbs. It's so easy this time of year when there are treats everywhere. Must remember that this will pass but it won't go any faster or easier if I overeat. Tough lesson.

Tomorrow looks a little warmer and I'm hoping to get my snowshoes out. I never do enough of that because DP is not a big fan. Should be lovely tomorrow though and really good exercise.

Okay, time to get my weekend list together so nothing gets left out. Hope there are a few minutes of me time in your weekend plans. They can be hard to find this time of year but are oh so important.

Ruth, have a nice time at the concert. Be careful with the shoveling!

Linda, have fun with the girls! Are you going to bake with them? That was my favorite thing to do with my grandmother.

Twynn, happy birthday to your daughter! Hope the day goes smoothly!

Heidi, I bet you'll love the tree once you have it up. I just can't wait to turn the lights on on ours in the morning. It looks so pretty!

Cyndi, I really love how you said that overeating will not make the stress go by faster or easier. I need to cross stitch that and hang it on the wall!

We just got back from church. The kids had practice for the Christmas program, which is tomorrow during the service. The practice was long (3 hours) but went really well, and I'm excited to see how the kids do tomorrow. I'm going to go bake some more cookies and then pack them all up for the teachers who let us use their rooms for Sunday School (we hold our Sunday School at the elementary school on base). Sometimes we get complaints about using the rooms and we're always very careful about putting things back, but I figure it can't hurt to grease the wheels a little with some cookies. I made them all pumpkin bread at Thanksgiving, too. I have to put plates together for the kids teachers and coaches, too. Hopefully after all that, we won't have many cookies left in the house!

Have a good Saturday.

Good Morning

It's snowing like crazy today, just in time for the doggies Christmas party.

Ruth, thanks for starting us up! Glad to have you back. I remember when you were wishing for a White Christmas. It seems your "dream" has come true. Enjoy your day and concert.

Cottage, have fun with the kids. I'm sure they keep you very busy.

Twynn, have you done all your shopping for your 1st puppy Christmas? Busy day, sounds fun! Happy BD to DD!

Heidi, do you go out and cut a tree? Have a great day!

Cyndi, I wish the aroma from your house was drifting my way. Sorry work has been so stressful. I think you're doing a dynamite job not "carbing" your way through. You've motivated me to get a good list going today!

Kara, greasing the wheels is always great! Enjoy the rest of your day!

On the top of my list this morning is to get the rear hatch on the car de-iced so Rudi can go to his party. Poor Bing will have to stay home today since he's not registered yet. I'm going to do a 30 min exercise here-good music and a super quick pick up of the house, and my Holiday Challenge. Then baking dog treats and preparing for a batch of Raspberry Jam later. I'm going to cruise up to Target when they open at 8 so I can grab a few things and get out quick. I'll remember to bring my camera to the party today.

Be safe with the roads and crowds today. Happy Saturday!

Hi Ladies!!!
I'm actually here! SATURDAY and i have alittle bit of me time DH and I conked out in the livingroom last night he was deploying and I intended to stay up a bit with him then head upstairs however I conked and woke up with a blanket and some snugging kitties

Cyn I'm going to adopt your carb mantra!
I fell into a vat of carbs on thursday and am only climbing out now
Ruth Enjoy your concert Can't wait to see snowy delta pics!
Cottage Enjoy your time with the girls
Tammy Happy Birthday to DD
Heidi everyone has their own way of catching the spirit!
Cyn Part deux I want to be a nose in your house with the apples and cinnamon!
Kara enjoy your baking!
Debbie enjoy the puppy Party! how do you make dog treats? I have a neph puppy I'd love to bake for

Me
When DH wakes up we're going to have breakfast (Lunch for me) and decorate the tree
Then see an author I interviewed and get a signed copy of the book I'm a word Junkie
then potentially 2 christmas parties 1 is definite the other is tentative!
Gotta go barrel into the day
Vacay starts the 22 then I'll actually have time to post!!!
Kierie

Morning all!

Nasty, dreary and cold here. Not much going on except for school stuff. Just posted the last of my grades for the week, completed yet another folder of forms for spec. ed students..it never ends!

Have been stove shopping both online and "in person" and found a stove I think I want. Found out I could NOT get the pro stove I wanted or my insurance would have been canceled. So I think I'm going with a Bosch gas range. But honestly I wish I could find a big sturdy OLD gas range..just plain old vanilla with no fancy stuff. I hate all this digital stuff that goes out. A stove should last a lifetime, not just a few years...that sucks.

I made a wonderful discovery this week at my local organic store. A lady there makes "candy" out of raw cocoa, goji berries and agave necter and nuts...oh man! I am going to try to go to a workshop at the store tomorrow. The guy who wrote the Raw Foods Bible is going to be giving a talk/workshop. I see that one of the treats we are going to be sampling has to do with raw cocoa. Hopefully I can get a recipe to post....

Rushing off to get dressed and get to the store before the weather gets worse...hugs to all!

Good morning everyone,

I took some me time this morning and worked out before coming here, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten in. Work has been stressful the last couple of days. Found out last night I need to go in tonight at Midnight for a couple of hours as they need to change a router card that is failing. Mind you DD2 has the play tonight and two more plays tomorrow as well.

Last night performance was wonderful, everything fell into place. Today slept in on purpose even though I woke up a couple of times still as my pager keeps going off, but we are going to go shopping today to get some gifts DD2 needs for school and then we will go to play tonight.

Have fun at all of the events you are attending today, Ruth can't wait for photos of the village.

Debbie, have you ever read the kids' book Go Dog Go? There's a part at the end where all the dogs are having a party in a tree. Your day made me think of that!

Kierie, how exciting to get a signed copy of a book! You'll have to let us know how it is when you've read it!

Cat, have a great time at the cooking demo!

Rose, hope tonight's play goes as well as last night's and that the work goes quickly once you get there!

Been MIA for a couple days- sorry about that! too much going on! You will be proud to know that I am doing great and will continue to do so but I will be gone prob tomorrow as well. big dinner party tomorrow here so tonight and tomorrow morning will be spent getting everything tidy and cleaning!

Hope all is well! I will try to catch up with personals monday!

OOH- and I am down 9lbs since dec 1~! thats 1 lb away from my december goal! however that doesn't mean I will start slacking!

Auston obviously hasn't taken been informed that you are only supposed to be sick during the week -- not the weekend! He got sent home from school yesterday throwing up and with a fever. Today was supposed to have been his 6th birthday party. We postponed the party to next Saturday. Hopefully he and the weather will both be better. It was cold and rainy here, too. But not as cold as it is at Cyndi's. 14.6??? Sheesh!!!

Debbie, Sparkit would love a doggie party. I bet he would act like a gentleman, too.

Good morning and join me for coffee. It's 20ºF out there - about normal for this time of year.

The wrapping is done! Now I need to tag and ribbon stuff and pack it for shipping tomorrow. No decorating happened yesterday because I cannot find the third leg for my wee tree. It was lost last year and didn't appear miraculously this year. I may just go and buy a new tree today after Church.

I ended up skipping the concert last night - home just seemed too cozy to leave. Disney and Jazz cuddled with me on the couch and we watched "It's A Wonderful Life". I can't believe I've never seen that film! The Grinch is on tomorrow night which is another must to stoke up my Christmas spirit.

Disney has a raw spot on her elbow that concerns me a bit. I bandaged it yesterday and she's not licking it anymore but a trip to the vet is in order on Monday. I sure don't want a sick dog around here over Christmas. Or ever for that matter! I'll be away from Wednesday afternoon until Friday afternoon and the furries will be at the kennel so I'd like it starting to clear before then.

Have a super Sunday. Do stop for a cup of tea or coffee and catch your breath.