Good morning ladies. I've been really busy with work and life. I decided to host family Christmas at my house, since my mom had Thanksgiving at hers. I think I'll 12-15 total. So now I've got to do the cleaning/decorating/planning, but the kids are here to help and it will force me into a holiday mood and make a better Christmas for them, so no regrets. I still have some gifts to get, but have been waiting for a great idea, and it hasn't arrived yet. I may go buy a case of wine and just hand out bottles. At least the kids are done. Work should slow down now as government folks take their leave for the holidays - I've still got lots to, but should be able to do it from home for the next couple of weeks, and that'll be very nice.
Trying to make the best choices I can for food, but the kids made cookies, and I had a lot of eggnog left from the office party, so the temptations have arrived. I've been using the eggnog in my coffee . It's from a local dairy and $10/bottle, so I'm not going to throw it out! I'm going to focus on packing in the vegetables wherever I can.
Jennifer, DD and I did the wreath laying at Arlington on Saturday and it is always a madhouse, but a very gratifying experience. I may try to convince the team to try a different location next year to avoid the crowds. That cemetery is very hilly and my knees are still recovering...
I know you'll be glad to get DS home, and hopefully things will work out great with your new DIL! Rose, I'm sure DD was upset, it's very sad when that happens, but very good that she came out of it okay! Beth, my parents are in charge of the meat for Christmas dinner. They are doing beef, but not sure if they're doing a tenderloin or rib roast. It'll be a treat! I've been avoiding buying beef lately due to cost. My grocery bill was a shocker too with baking supplies and and extra mouth at home. Muffin, I hear you - my house is big but it's old and all the rooms are very small which is less than ideal for entertaining. I'll have people in the dining room and at the kitchen table, and maybe a few around with tv trays, lol. I just try to remove all of the clutter and even move out a few pieces of furniture to make as much room as possible. Debbie, laid back Christmas sounds lovely, can I come spend it with you?
A quick check in from the train. Been running crazy and yup fell off the OP wagon big time. Still working on biting my tongue without putting a cookie in my mouth.
DIL is a sweet girl. Very polite and pretty quite although pleasant to talk to. Not like they spent much time with me. Now they are in Indiana visiting her parents. DS’s dad drove them to the airport this morning. Better him than me as another last minute flight change had them leaving out of Albany at 5:30 this morning. I’m sure he was not happy about that. Nor am I happy to learn DS may not come home until Christmas Eve. I had been looking forward to us celebrating Christmas on the 23rd as I am working from Christmas Eve until the 30th. He leaves on the 1st to head back to FL. Trying not to stress and be selfish but I am feeling pretty slighted.
Schmoodle having a house fulll on Christmas will be fun I did it my first Thanksgiving after I was divorced. My home was full of family and friends which was nice. Made the year of firsts a little easier to bear.
Pearlrose with the estimate so high, will the insurance company total DD’s car? Hope you enjoyed your dinner out.
Muffin I only have 1 full bath and VERY small bedrooms so I a relate. It will all work out
Debbie safe travels.
Beth one more day then vacation !!!!! You and the kids must be excited.
Decided to get my hair cut and colored after work. Haven’t been to the gym in almost two weeks. I am still not 100% but will go tomorrow as I need it. I had a really good routine going, but these past two weeks have drained me.
Hey chicks! I am now on vacation, although I did bring home work....there is always another pile of papers to grade. The good thing is I cleaned up and prepped my desk for the day back with the new assignments ready.
Food has been mixed. I can stick OP for breakfast and lunch but there are certainly treats around for after dinner. I made a cheesecake from Kalyn's site that disappeared so fast I may have to make another. Like Schmoodle I will try to go heavy on the veggies whenever possible and know that Jan 2 will be hard core P1.
Jennifer, I can understand feeling slighted but it is good DIL is so likeable.
Schmoodle, enjoy the company. Sounds like fun!
Pearlrose, what will DD do about the car? Is she able to fix it? Good luck getting the cookies out of the house. I had some brownies I was trying to avoid so I took them to school and passed them out.
Debbie, sounds like quite a schedule juggle!
Ruth, did you make it to Brockville?
Isa, hope you are getting things ready for your guests. Sounds like fun!
made it back from Glenwood after a detour because interstate was closed. Bought all my veggies to bring over so had to clean and put away. Now enroute to Walmart with sis. Don't need anything but ride along. Very cold here. Glad to hear from everyone always. Hoping 2018 is simpler.
Today is wfh and hoping that is very quiet, half of my co-workers took the day off so that should help . Have not been eating op and the scale is showing it, trying to my best to just maintain and start Phase 1 in January. DD2 is off work for 2 weeks, the Doc said she should not be lifting patients right now, luckily our job has short term disability that kicks in after 1 week so she will atleast get 60% of pay while out. The car is being repaired, insurance doesn't total cars much these days unless engine is messed up.
Jekel sorry that DS changed his date he is coming back but at least you will get to spend time with him before he has to go back
Beth enjoy your break, still haven't gotten the cookies out of this house yet we are going to finish today (I hope)
Debbie glad you made it back safely from Glenwood
Schmoodle so nice that you will get to have family around for Christmas
Isa enjoy your family while they are visiting
Ruth hope you and Bruce are hanging in there and were able to get your decorations up.
No school today so I am going to get a few groceries and then do some food prep for upcoming days. DS1 is supposed to be coming tomorrow but I am a little nervous about the weather. They are calling for the full gamut of rain/freezing rain/snow as the temperature swings up and down. I also need to do some cleaning.
Pearlrose, I am with you: I will try to use some sort of moderation in food choices for the next week (good luck with that!) and plan on P1 starting in January. SB is supposed to be a WOL with accommodations for reality, right?
Bruce's musician friend did arrive with his DD and Grandson who was a really neat teen, named Byron. ( He actually knew a lot about the poet Byron and never said "whatever' or used his phone even once.) We all had a good time but I can do without Gaelic songs, "fiddle" tunes and Scottish jokes for a wee while.
It ended up that Thursday was the "Big Shop Day', a blessing because we are now into two days of snow and freezing rain.
This afternoon I plan to get the last bits of wrapping done and firm up the party menu for the 24th. Tomorrow I will head to the next town for a few more odds and sods for the party, some Christmas "cheer" and pick up my annual diningroom table centrepiece in the antique silver vase - it belonged to my great grandmother and I only use it for Christmas and weddings. So nice to know we will be having a white Christmas - not always a guarantee around here. The Lake IS frozen solid so there may be a chance to skate in 2018 next the week. Once the hustle and bustle of the Day is over, we have nothing scheduled except the Mayor's NY Day levee, a command performance. n more often
I hope that everyone finds peace and joy for the rest of December with friends and family. I'll try to pop in more often in 2018!
Good morning its a soaker here but better than snow. Still do not know when DS is coming home. Had a long talk with myself last night and decided to end my pity party. LOL Good thing to because when I stepped on the scale I got another wake up call LOL. Today is my only day off and don’t really have much planned. I do have to pick up the food for work today but not until much later. Hoping the rain tapers off by then.
Back to work today and tomorrow. Tonight really are going to a church service with my sister. That will be nice. It's snowing here lightly I hope the roads don't get too bad up above.
I got a lot accomplished yesterday before Kirk got home. I have donate bad in not eaten much all day so we had supper early and just went to bed. Sometimes that's a good strategy for me.
And when I was at Walmart yesterday I picked up a black light which is supposed to detect pet urine. I had a feeling that the gal who stayed here when we went to Alaska had left Kelly for too long. Sure enough, in the dark this morning I can see all the spots. Guess I need to put carpet cleaning on my list.
So much for the excitement here. LOL. Kirk's daughter flies in tomorrow night but will stay with the cousins until after Christmas. That means I have a few extra days to get things together.
Have a great Saturday everyone!
Today DS1 should be coming home; of course that means freezing rain changing to snow is in the forecast. I will be alternating between worry and saying prayers until I see him, hopefully around noon. This afternoon DS2 wants to go see the new Star Wars movie so that will be fun. Before then I will do a little cleaning and perhaps an exercise tape since I didn't do one yesterday.
Jennifer, my scale and I are not talking either. (well, it tried to talk to me this morning and I put my hands over my eyes lol) I am going to aim for lots of veggies and limit the treats. I suspect we are all going to be talking P1 in January. Enjoy your day off.
Debbie, yuck to carpet cleaning. We had light blue wall to wall carpeting when we first moved into this house. It NEVER looked clean even when I shampooed it. I like the hard wood much better. I should learn to go to bed early myself.
Here's to a good Saturday, chicks. Enjoy your day whatever it brings.
Woke up to our first snow of the year, when I went to bed it was just rain coming down. Today we are celebrating Christmas with DS and his GF, we are just going to a local restaurant and will give them their presents. We will do our own opening of presents on Christmas morning with DD2 coming over. Went grocery shopping yesterday and got a roast for Christmas day, so I am all set. We finished up all the baking last night now just need to deliver the goodies today.
Jekel :hugs: it has to be hard adjustment since you did not have time to adjust. I hope work is quiet for you all.
Beth sounds like you have a fun lined up
Debbie I love that black light I have one, I probably should use it on the new carpet to make sure there are no spots. Hope work goes quickly for you.
. It's from a local dairy and $10/bottle, so I'm not going to throw it out! I'm going to focus on packing in the vegetables wherever I can. 
I did it my first Thanksgiving after I was divorced. My home was full of family and friends which was nice. Made the year of firsts a little easier to bear.
