G'day everyone,

Unbelievable that this will be the last thread for the year!

Sounds like everyone is fairly well organised for Christmas and Lily is probably already on her way to where she will spend Christmas.
Lily the updated collage was rejected from your yahoo email address, if you would like it, please email me [email protected], and I will forward it to you to a nominated email address that will not reject it.

The lead up to Christmas here has been incredibly hot but it promises to be around 25 degrees on Christmas Day which is just perfect.
Even with airconditioning, it is not much fun having a very hot Christmas Day.

For all of you who are waiting for the 'right' photo to send me for an updated collage, don't underestimate my powers of enhancement
Having said that, I haven't updated mine yet either, my excuse is that I take all the photos and therefore I have none of myself!!!

Hope you are all enjoying the lead up to Christmas.


Cheers
Maria

Trudy you would have received my email as to why I think that happened.

Every photo I receive will look great once I am finished with it of course I would not share it until it is approved of by the individual person.

I have been cleaning my house all day, I have a break every hour or so and come and sit at my computer for a rest

Hard to believe the contrast in temperatures as I am sitting here in shorts and a singlet top (not an attractive look but I am not expecting visitors!)

See you tomorrow all,

Cheers
Maria

Well we made it. Just thought I would check in. Warmer here than at home.
Gonna be busy cooking for Christmas and a few Family parties we have to go to.
See ya next week!

Maria: Trudy is correct. You must have something wrong in my address. I sent you a email. Please correct it as I am getting all the forwards from you that do have my correct email address in them.

Oh and Yes Trudy I did get it Thank you!

Merry Christmas ALL!

Hi all: We are having cool weather here. There is a possibility of frost in some areas not far from us.

I'm happy to report that DH has finally received his new teeth. He now has a nice smile. And he is learning to eat all over again. Just in time to enjoy Christmas dinner. :

It is nice to be able to have some time to relax, before I have to start on the music for the spring show.

I hope that Christmas will be a special day for each one of you.

Ann

G'day everyone,

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I am fairly well organised

What an eventful year it has been for everyone....Peggy and myself became grandmothers...Slavika's year ended on a high with her dh being well again....Karen got Sprout and was able to spend sometime with her father...Lily went to Hawaii...Ann has been her usual busy self throughout the year...Gloria joined us...Glenda's year ended on a high note by telling us that she has never felt happier...and of course Trudy became a grandmother again to a beautiful little baby boy!

Life is good!

To everyone a Wonderful Christmas and a very Happy and Healthy New Year.

Here is to another year of posting

Cheers
Maria

Lily I am pretty thick, I have finally discovered where I went wrong with your email address

Hi gals
Thought I would come and wish all of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS I hope is good to you, and you get lots of lovely . and don't and too much..
Tomorrow I have to get this house cleaned up. Friday is my day for family and I will devote the morning & afternoon getting things ready. My DD and baby should be home by now. She said that they will be over on Christmas Eve. I had wondered if she would be feeling good enough to go out, but she thinks it will be okay. If not, I have the food and can travel with it.

This year has gone by so quickly, I can't believe we are nearing the end of of 2005. I guess we will all by busy for the coming days.
Bye for now..

I came back to say that Maria really summed it up very nicely.

My Message: Slavika started this thread who knows when. But I will Never forget.
I want to thank you. We have gone from Tree Skirts to major illness.

We have supported all who joined and stayed. We have been Friends from the beginning.

My wish to you Slavika , Hubby And family: Enjoy your trip to the fullest. Cherish all the memories you can. This year is for you and Hubby. Enjoy. I so wish the best for your family.

We have stuck together thru thick and thin. We care. We are friends


Love ya all

Lily: I echo your sentiments, and Trudy too. I know some of you have been together before I joined the group, but we have all become true friends over the years, and now we have another true friend - Gloria.

somewhere along the way I missed that the new baby had arrived, Trudy. congratulations to you all, and won't it be wonderful to have him there for Christmas. baby.

I am sitting here waiting for a call to go and pick up our car. I went to the garage yesterday to make an appointment for next week, as it was making strange noises, and getting worse. The service man said let me take a look, and three 1/2 hrs later, as it is still up on the rack, he told me it wouldn't be fixed until today. They had to get the parts. New axle bearings and possible a new axle. We do have an extended warantee, and he assures me it will be covered except for the deductible. So we have a loaner car. A good thing, as DH had to make a trip to the dentist to have a sore spot taken care of.

Merry Christmas.

to all and may 2006 be a banner year for us all. Ann

Well the big day is over and I am still stuffed. We weren't sure what we would be doing if the baby wasn't released from the hospital. He did come home late Saturday. We went over yesterday. He is feeling good-still has a cough. It ended up not being pneumonia but RSV-respiratory something virus. He got one of those tunnel things that you crawl through and had fun with that plus tons of other stuff.

Maria I will find something for you to make me look 20 again. LOL I just had my Brown County film developed at Sam's and it is online. Somehow I was there and now can't get back to it. I will keep trying-I am on a few of them.

Trudy what a wonderful Christmas present with the birth of a new little grandson. I hope they are all doing well.

Slavika soon you will be in Hawaii. I know you can't wait and I can't wait for you.

Glenda your little granddaughter is beautiful and so is her mom. I loved those pictures. Hope you are enjoying your vacation. Some magazine I looked at last week had a little article on OS and Stillwater. I can't remember where I saw it.

Ann glad that the dh has his new teeth. Is he getting adjusted to them?

Karen did Sprout get some Christmas treats in his stocking?

Gloria I am glad that you joined us. I think you are getting some snow now-at least that is what the weatherman just showed on tv. A white Christmas. We had rain and more rain.

Lily I got tickets for a wine cruise next Oct when Tallstacks is here again. I am looking forward to that. Enjoy your holiday vacation.

When do you all take down your decorations?

Things have finally quieted down. Christmas Eve we spent at DD#2 which was a combination Christmas Eve and Birthday celebration Sean turned 14 on the 24th. He is so big....about 5'8" and a men's medium and the deep voice to go with it. As we drove up to the house I saw a blond young lady walk in the door and she had hair down to the middle of her back....surprise it was Kerri, 11 1/2, and it was the first time I had seen her with her hair down, she usually wears it in a pony tail. It seems she is growing it to eventually have it cut and donate it to children who are going thru chemo and have lost their hair.

Yesterday we had dinner with DD#1 and her 2 boys and then when she had to leave to visit her in-laws we again dropped in at Sean & Kerri's to see what they had received from 'Santa'.

Spoke with the other 2 kids and in Raleigh the 4 yr old did not want to leave her toys to speak with us. Understandable! Nick, 9, did get on the phone and thanked us for his gifts and tried to explain all he got. What a list.

DD3# also called and all their were having a great time. They will travel to NH and visit his father today. I think they will say a couple of days. FIL is a widower and lives alone. His daughter lives in Washington State.

Today was a regular day and I did the usual wash etc. Tomorrow I hope to get to BJ's which is like Cosco and return a cookbook I got that I had already. Wednesday will be Commissary day and I hope it doesn't rain. Hate driving in the rain.

Peggy I am glad your grandson came home from the hospital. When your that young you spring back to normal more rapidly and I am sure he is on meds that will speed him on the way.

We will take down the decorations next weekend.

Quick story....DD#1, the OR Nurse was working Saturday and at some point there was a break in the OR schedule so all the doctors called her son, Sean, and sang Happy Birthday to him over the speaker phone. All I could think of was what if some patient just woke up at that point and heard that....I'm sure he would be wondering what was going on. It was a nice guesture that they did call and give him their good wishes.

Hope every had a wonderful Christmas day and are well on their way to recovering from the festivities.

Gloria

G'day everyone,

We had a nice Christmas though I really feel it is getting too much doing all the cooking and having dd and her husband staying. I love them dearly but they are so untidy, stuff is left all over the house and I am constantly picking up after them.
DD has been quite difficult to get on with since they arrived here, she has 'morning sickness' 24 hours a day I know that must be hard to cope with however it didn't stop her going to sales this morning!
They are leaving again on Friday and it will be nice to have the house back to ourselves again and not having to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner!!!
Matilda is getting a bit that she does not like strangers, of course she has never seen dd and her husband other then when she was a few weeks old. She just wants to cling to her parents or to me which is also causing a bit of tension.
The very hot weather has also not helped everyone's mood!

Gloria sounds like you had a busy Christmas, going to your 3 daughters. What is a 'Commisery' day????

Peggy I hope you find the link where your photos are on display....thank goodness your little grandson is OK again.

Ann hope you car is back running again like it should. Mechanical repairs are not cheap...almost as dear as dentists!

Slavika, Trudy, Karen, Glenda and Lily hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas day.
I am just exhausted, stuffed with all the rubbish that was on offer and cannot wait to get back to normality!

We are off down the coast to stay with friends for New Year's Eve. It will just be a relaxed night and I am looking forward to it.

Cheers
Maria

Maria: Oops, I spelled that word wrong It is the Air Base Commisary! And looking at that word again I am not sure that is the correct spelling. It is too early and my brain is not in gear. It is the grocery store at Bedford Air Base. As DH is a retired member of the Air Force we are eligible for shopping at the base. Some times it is a break in prices but you have to know the prices at outside stores, for comparison. We try to get there once a month or at least every 6 weeks. It is about 1 hour away and travel is on a very busy highway. If we go early in the AM it is better because we are going against the most heavy traffic. We will be going on Thursday and I am getting my list together. I usually get canned goods, paper goods, and meats. There is no tax on products purchased there and that helps. Got to go. Have a great day. Gloria

Gloria: Sure sounds like you had a Busy Christmas!

Peggy Im so glad the grandson is ok. Ohhhhhh the wine cruise! I wanna go! Sounds like fun!

Maria: Have a good New Years!

Ann: That might cost a pretty penny if that is what is wrong with the car.

Well it wasnt a good Christmas. My DH Mom has a servere case of Arthisis (?)
I think the family is not aware of the pain she is in. Or something. Anyways I cooked the Christmas Dinner and No one would help me! His Sisters just sat around and had a grand old time. Wasnt to happy when we left. I guess its cuz I come from a Family of helpers. They have helped in the past not alot but some so I dont know what was going on.

Anyways spent Alllllllll day cleaning my house good and taking down Christmas Decorations. Still have my Kitchen to do. Then maybe I can play some But I wanted to get some closets cleaned out while I was home this week. Found lots to get rid of Made some room to