Tis the Season...........

Yep.  It's here.  In full swing.  So far, so good.  We're off to a good start.

Sunday after Thanksgiving, we took daughter home and proceeded to do the Christmas shopping.  I know! Right?!  Got 98% of it done; just a few small things to pick up.  That'll be in 2 weeks when I go to daughter's for the weekend.  We decorate her apartment, take her Christmas shopping and we manage to go out for a breakfast one day, and a dinner the next.  Just her and I.  This year, dinner will be at "Olive Garden".  It just opened as a new restaurant in October, a few miles from her home.  I absolutely love "Olive Garden"! 

Last Monday I wrapped all the gifts.  And I've been working on crocheting slipper boots for gifts.  8 pairs on done; 4 more to go.  But maybe more.  I'm thinking 4 more pair for the guys who never had them and 4 more pair for daughter and granddaughter who seem to have come back into the "fold" recently.  My daughter removed herself from the family over 2 years ago.  We've had no contact whatsoever.  Until last month.  Christmas miracle? We'll see what this month brings.

Said granddaughter has joined the National Guard.  She graduates high school this coming summer.  But she's all signed up.  Last week she took all the aptitude tests, agility tests and a physical.  She passed all with flying colors.  And was promptly inducted into the Guard on Friday.  She leaves for Basic Training at the end of July...for 36 weeks!  Hopefully we'll have a couple of months to spend time with her.  I know our daughter is going to be lost without her.  Maybe that, too, will bring us close again.

Today I start baking.  Breads first; 3 different kinds; 9 loaves each.  They are part of the Christmas gifts to the kids.  I planned to start decorating the house today.  That might be put off til tomorrow.  There are bills to pay today....on the internet......and that's no fast endeavor.  Technology!.....pffttt.  And laundry to do.

So, breads today and tomorrow.  BH wants to go to the casino on Thursday.  We'll see.  I know he feels like he's been cooped up, too much helter-skelter been going on, too many mundane chores.  He needs a break.  He's also been fighting some kind of gunk in his throat for a couple of weeks.  Sounds like it might be traveling to his chest.  I'm going to have to keep on eye and ear on this.  I worry about  how pneumonia settles in without too much of a warning for people of his age.  I might have to hog-tie him to get him to the Doctor.  He gets quite beligerent when I suggest it.

Sunday, the outside temp was almost 50.  So I took adavantage of the day and decorated the deck and railing......boughs and lights and the wreath. Son came up to work on his car; BH wangled him into climbing up on the roof to clean out the stove pipes.  First time. For son, not cleaning the pipes.  He did A-Ok.  Despite the fact that he's afraid of heights!  But he said it would be ok, being that it's a relatively flat roof.

Cleaned the house yesterday.  This Saturday I should be able to start baking the cookies.  Decided to cut down on the varieties this year.  Only 4 or 5 instead of 8 or 10.  The price of baking supplies has gone through the roof!  It seems as bad as the gas prices!  What the hell is up with that?

Oh geezzz.......I gotta get the Christmas CD's out.  Nothing like playing Christmas music while baking and decorating.  It truly soothes the savage breast.

Well.....onward and upward.  Hope the Spirit is beginning to overtake you all, and that all your plans and work, preparing for Christmas, move along peacefully and smoothly.

Carry on.