Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It's -13.....................


Good morning! And how is it in your neck of the woods?
We have been in a deep freeze for - oh - about 5 days now?! The weather man on the news yesterday said the temps won't moderate for the rest of this month. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Well, things have been in a flurry here since after Thanksgiving, trying to get things done for Christmas. Although, the tree is not up yet, the house is not decorated and the cookies are not baked. BUT ----- all the gifts are wrapped, all the breads baked and candy made.
So if all the gifts are wrapped, that means I've finished making them, right? You betcha!!
***16 pairs of slipper socks, crocheted.
***a 16x14 frame matted, by me, (yay!!) and son's essay and picture with grandpa in two separate openings. Looks very good!
***pictures of great grandsons with grandpa cropped, printed and framed.
***picture of daughter with grandpa cropped, printed and framed.
***2 snowman plaster pieces hand painted and affixed with lights - done.
***DVD's of Mom and Pop's 50th wedding anniversary have a cover picture of them dancing - to be given to our kids.
***5 cotton dish cloths, each knitted in a different pattern
***Christmas cards written out and mailed as of yesterday
***boxes of decorations have been brought over from storage and are sitting in the utility room (hey, this is an accomplishment!)
***Christmas buffet menu written up.
***Cookie recipes have been gathered and ready
***Nuts have all been chopped (1# each almond, pecan and walnut) and graham crackers have been pulverized ("Hello Dolly" bars - son in NY's favorite)
I call that progress, baby. Things are just humming along. Of course, there's a little glitch every so often - there's always a glitch, isn't there?
BH has been staying up these past 2 nights til about 2 a.m to make sure the water pipes don't freeze. But of course, we got up at 6 a.m yesterday to ---frozen water pipes. Thank goodness he knows the exact spot where it freezes. 15 minutes with the hair dryer and we're back in business.
Last night was I told him I'll get up early, being I don't work today. So I set the alarm for 5. Water pipes ok. Of course, it's too early to run the KitchenAid mixer, so I'm waiting for the butter to soften and when I'm finished writing this I will make the pan of "Dolly's" (no mixer needed).
All the projects did give me their own glitches occassionally. Caused me to smack my forehead a dozen times and let out a few cuss words. Some unwrapping and re-wrapping; some re-strategizing and a lot of re-printing of pictures.
Ah, but all is done now.
Also made it to daughter's last week. Spent the night. We decorated her apartment and went Christmas shopping. So she has that all done, too.
So the plan is cookie baking for the next 3 days, boxing of gifts and mailing them out on Friday and then decorating the house on the weekend, including putting up the tree. This should not be a problem - it's a 3 foot artificial with fiber optic lights. I love this tree. I do miss not being able to put up a real tree anymore especially since all the hand made ornaments cannot be used. But a lack of room in the house and the fact that for 1 or 2 days during the holidays that we have any company coming, it's not worth the time and mess. I'm sorry.
And we won't be going to visit the kids in the Cities because we're 3 hours away, we'd have to stay overnight and or go back to New York to see the rest of the family because ------- the water pipes will freeze. This is what happens when you have only a wood stove as your source of heat. But BH keeps reminding me that we save over $1,000 a year on heating costs. Well, ------ok----------I guess.
Well, here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and the best of New Year's to come! May you be safe, warm and happy! God bless.

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