Well I'll just mosey over and see who's there.

Barb

What a shame you weren't able to go to Ashville.   It's so beautiful in that area!  I was there in the Spring time, when I was in High School.

 

Hope you're feeling better soon

       You'll be in my prayers tonight Etta.

Here's what I did this morning...Composed my Christmas letter.  Needless to say, my cards will be late again this year.

 

Merry Christmas morning to everyone!   I’m sitting here in the quiet listening to Christmas music with the wood stove roaring and sipping coffee and composing my late Christmas message.  Don’s snoring in his chair ‘reading the paper�?thru his eyelids, I must say!  For the first time in 15 years all our oldsters are spending two to three days with their families so we have this big house all to ourselves.  We celebrated by having a leisurely breakfast in bed this morning and then taking a morning nap.  Oh, the decadence!<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

This last year has not been an easy one for us as Don an I both have had some serious health problems but I’m recovered now and Don seems to be getting better and getting his strength back.   I can tell he feels much better  because he is reverting to his grumpy ways and isn’t the nice angelic man he was when he thought he was near death.  Facing death sure changes the way you live life�?Oh, yes it does!!!!   <o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

 I had to have a hip replaced in July after much diddling around with different doctors insisting I needed surgery on my spine.   I finally went to my Nurse Practitioner and told her none of the high mucketty-muck docs were listening to me and please send me to a local orthopedic surgeon.  Once I saw him I was scheduled within 5 minutes.  My wonderful sister, Christine came from <st1:State><st1:place>Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> and stayed with us for a week after my surgery and took care of me, Don and our care home.  We couldn’t have survived without her help.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

We also lost our beloved ancient poodle we rescued several years ago.  Lolly was found to have a bad heart when we first got her.  But she was queen of the house and my heart and my constant companion until the end.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

We will celebrate Christmas with a brunch on Sunday as Shelley works until then.  I’m glad I have these extra few days as I’m frantically working on a flannel king-sized quilt for her and it probably won’t be complete until Saturday evening.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

We wish all of you peace, happiness, and continued low gas prices in the coming year.<o:p></o:p>

Don and I went Christmas shopping today as our Christmas celebration is scheduled for Sunday....All the yummy Christmas chocolates were 70% off!  Got plenty for stocking stuffers and to have a few candy dishes sitting around the rooms. I was able to both Don and shelley great swaeters at 70% off also.  We went to Ace Hardware and I got two more LED light sets and those were 80% off.

 

We did our grocery shopping for our Christmas Brunch and then I had to stop at the Eye Doc. Seems I bumped my favorite eye glasses off my desk yesterday and Zoey adjusted(?) the frames for me!  Totally mangled them she did! One lenses is okay...If I used a monocle I'd be in style, but the frames are beyond recognition or repair!  Luckily, I have several stylish frames in reserve, so it'll only cost me for the lenses, and I always have a back-up pair handy. 

 

It was sunny when we left at noon, and was just starting to rain around three when we got home, so our timing was perfect.

 

di

What a frugal way to do Christmas--after the fact    I'd be tempted to make that a tradition.

 

Mr. Phoebe was here for Christmas.  He took the day off, the 24th (they were given afternoon off, but since he'd just put in 20hours in one day on a business trip a few days earlier, his boss told him take the day off  He went grocery shopping on the way down and now I have a refrigerator stuffed with things that weren't even on my list!   Big bags of apples, grapes and peanuts for the birds, too.

 

I made a HUGE pot of chili and we had chili nachos Christmas eve.  Christmas day he split some of my wood, until it started pouring rain. We had some "snacky" stuff for lunch, including a smoked salmon spread which I made up the recip for as I went along (and it turned out mighty good, if I do say so myself  )I baked a ham and scalloped potatoes in my neighbor's oven, since my oven element is dead and we couldn't get a new one.   This morning he had to leave early to make it home, change clothes and get to a 2:00 meeting at work, so he put a "bypass fix" on mycracked water pipe, and it'll be ok this way until spring.  I've only had water for a few minutes a day, for..hm.m....about 10 days?  so catching up on laundry, dishwasher, and a SHOWER!

 

Phoebe sure enjoyed having him here.  Last night she crawled off her cage, waddled across the floor, crawled right up onto his chest and started trying to feed him.

 

He gave me one of those nifty little portable hard drive thingies, so I can save all my birdie pictures and movies and not lose them

 

Our snow is fianally all gone, and back to cold, miserable, heavy rain and temps about 35.

 

 

*recipe    My keyboard is sticking again.

I love reading everyone's holiday stories.

 

This evening was our family Christmas party, and we had 30 people here.  It was just great.  All the kids were on their best party behavior, and even the 2 "babies" (Ava, 13 months; Austin, 17 months) were great.

 

Anyhow, as people were leaving, we were outside in the driveway (and BTW, it was 64 today) and the coyotes across the street started howling.  It sounded like a real large pack of them, and everyone's hair stood on end.  It was so scary, and they were pretty close.  A couple of people weren't used to wildlife that close, and they didn't linger in the driveway.

 

Fun day altogether.  Tomorrow I'm loafing all day. 

 

Barb

We hit a record high for this date today. 81 degrees officially. Weather is very humid and tornadoey feeling. Supposed to drop to 30 tomorrow night.

 

I ate too many foods with sodium yesterday and was so sick last night. Couldn't lie down for the fluid built up in my lungs. Scared me. Thought I may have to go back to the hospital on that terrible machine. I sat up all nght watching Animal Planet and shedding some whiny tears. Poor me. I may make a big sign. NO SODIUM FOR ANNIE.

Better today but ankles still very swollen so my lungs still have some fluid, too.

This is the first year since I was a child that I did not send out a single Christmas card. Felt too sick for so long and handwriting is still way too shaky to be legible.

Annie

So glad you got some good bargins Di at the after Christmas sales.  That is great you have your water back to normal Sherri.  I think that coyotes sound cool Barb, at least at a distance.  I'm sorry that you ate too much sodium and felt so sick afterwards Annie.  We had a good Christmas here.  Kathy

Our Christmas was very nice even with the dry turkey and the awful dressing( used a new recipe). Our family is getting smaller because of  the passing of some and it is wonderful to have everyone together. Our grandaughter Isabella made Christmas an event this year, as she was old enough to really enjoy her presents ( almost 3 yrs. old). It sounds as if every one had a wonderful one also.

  Annie, take care of yourself and hoping that you are feeling better! Deb

Hopes up and hopes dashed today...but all to the best in actuality. 

 

 I haven't been able to reach daughter Sarah and Family by phone since Christmas day.  Ususally they come up here and spend the week between Christmas and New Years with us, but we didn't plan that for this year as Don really isn't up to dealing with a bunch for extra people plus their individual idiocyncries :The teen-ager Ben with sassy teen ager mouth and slothful attitude. 14 yr. old autistic Gage. 24 year old Tommy who is a vegetarian and is a pain in the butt about it at meal times...makes you wish he's choke to death on his spinach salad.  25 year old skinny as a rail Laura who spouts off calorie counts on everything she puts on her plate.

 

I finally reached Sarah on her cell phone and they are heading to my ex's in Arizona to do some electric work on a new home the ex and his wife bought there.  The ex and his wife eat out or order-in all meals all the time so meal times will be easy for them.

 

di

 

So I'm saved from the meal monsters!  But I would have loved to see Sarah and Tom and the kids for a short visit( or a long one) as long as I wasn't responsible for cooking their crazy meals.