Why is it that winter photos look so fantastic? I try to make them look grey and grim, but somehow everything looks all pretty. Julie, your wHine deck looks adorable! :)

Looks like tomorrow will be the day we venture forth to deliver Ms Phoebe to Auntie Woody. Tuesday and Wednesday's forecasts look grim. I sure hope our flight leaves Wednesday evening! I especially don't want our trip cut short this year- of all years.

Sue, I trust your response to your old friend will be perfect, whatever you decide. You are no longer the same person he knew, nor is he. You need a snowplow more than someone else's husband methinks!

I've been doing OK with all the supplements and small meals, but figuring out how many grains, legumes, etc throughout the day is still a fussy business, along with DH's meals. I expect that excellent meals at Sarah's will be hard to deal with for me, but I'll try. DH is working on all the gift boxes of chocolates and I told him to hide them in his study.

Deanne, your cardinal shot is gorgeous with the detail of feathers and snowflakes....but he looks fearsome and HUGE! Maybe 50 pounds or so? (joking!)

Off to the sit by the wood stove and throw the Kong to our one year old.

CHIRP!
'bug

PS: DH did NOT BBQ on the patio tonight!

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Ahh, Marie! Why not??? LOL

A twist on potato soup that I tried recently is a knock off recipe from Olive Garden's zuppa toscana. We really liked it.

'bug, I hope all goes smoothly with your canine delivery and your flight west. What a bother to fly in the winter.

Julie, great winter pictures. Here the snow is blowing too much to go outdoors, but our scenes are similar to yours.

Deanne, I understand completely about not wanting to decorate for such a short time. That's why my goal is always by Dec. 1 which didn't happen this year. I did put up a few less things. Awesome picture of the cardinal!

PM, the old postcard is neat. I noticed my mom had a Thanksgiving postcard displayed that was sent to my grandpa back in the 20's.

Chelone, you sound like you could write a book on getting along. Those are some really great basics. We are studying the christian aspect of marriage so I won't go into detail. It's an interesting group with a newly wed couple, a couple with 3 little kids, a couple in their 40's and a couple in their 60's.

V, we have you beat with -15 this a.m. Our church services were cancelled and I've not seen the snowplow go by yet.

I've had plenty of time to rest my back and it seems somewhat better.

Martie, I prefer your "green" picture ;o)

I've spent part of the weekend watching the DVD that I created with 2008 garden photos with much longing.

Later

Michelle

Lord have mercy, you all are so busy this week. I nenevr dreaned I'd be this late posting. The laptop with wireless has been on the fritze. I've sleeping, waking up when pain pills wer off and then sleep some more. Finally tonight dh gets the wireless going YIPPEE!
tHE idiot doctor was supposed to do a nerve block to relieve part of the pain when I got out of surgery. It didn't work. I thought I was going to die before they got approval for something strong enough to knock the edge off the pain. It was miserable. Thank god my pain management doc had prescribed the good stuff for when I got home.
I go back Tuesday to get a cast put on. That should be interesting. even getting to the bathroom is a huge ordeal. :(
I'll try to read tomorrow and have a clue what's going on. LOL

Nighty night

Well Jerri! what a nice treat to see you post. I've been wondering about you and figured you were pretty uncomfortable or you'd be right here yakking along with restaus chatterboxes. Normally I loathe people who tell you "cheer up, it could be worse", but I will mention that the worst is behind you and the discomfort will diminish with time. So hang in there and avail yourself of all the resources the pain doc. can provide. Hang tough.

Deanne, that shot of the cardinal is amazing. I can only imagine your excitement when you saw that perfect snowflake balanced on his face. Just beautiful! And I did laugh at 'bug's mention that he must weigh 50 lbs.. Wonder what Luke and Rahji would think of that? Your blind must look like an igloo this morning.

Michelle, I'm of the opinion that being married is rather a lot of work (kind of like having a dog). My spouse and I are really very solitary people, being alone features prominently on both of our "must have" lists. And it can mean that things requiring discussion can easily be put aside to fester nicely. We've arrived at the conclusion that "sayin' it out loud" is the best policy for us and that "bein' a good sport" makes the bumpy stretches of the marital road easier to travel, as well as providing some funny stories for posterity. Neither of us ever thought we'd marry. But here we are, irreverently soldiering on, performing alterations to the marital jacket so it not only fits but flatters. Whodathunkit? and who knows how long it will last? ;)

The snow scenes are pretty! I have another deckful of snow to relocate later this morning. The snow drifts and accumlates there and it looks to be about 24-30" deep at its worst. It's cold this morning (high teens) and the wind is howlin', so the wind chills are down in the sub-zero range, but that means the snow will probably not be very heavy. Rex did not waste much time deciding where to empty his bladder this morning. And I've been mining the catbox about 4 times/day (as soon as I clean it out another cat hops in to make a necessary deposit).

Julie, what a bummer about your vehicle! and I can only imagine how fast your hands got really cold and your mouth really dry when you thought about how easily the other people could have been seriously injured! I think the same way. The DOT was asking people to stay home and OFF the roads yesterday. I was happy to comply and the helpmeet was home by a bit after noon, I think. I love the shots of the wHine deck, somehow it doesn't quite have the allure it did in July/August, huh? (I have always loved those masks depicting the seasons). Does Ajax have to wear a sweater when he goes outdoors to do his business? TCS must be about beside himself now with the arrival of Santa only a few days away.

Sue, I'm impressed at your willingness to serve up "real information"! Wow, it was more than this nosebag expected but was lapped right up, nonetheless. You are quite a vixen, tormenting the dreams of a man wrestling with a mid-life crisis, lol. I've little doubt your no-nonsense, practical, long view of things will serve you well as you make the decision about whether or not to reply. I'm glad I'm not married to him! Good neighbors are wonderful, esp. those with snowblowers. ;)

I hooked up the new speakers yesterday, though to an old (c. 1985-6) Yamaha receiver only. I was too lazy to go up to the attic to locate the old CD player. For now, it's fine. I have "tunage" and can even preset a few stations. I've also cleaned the decoration debris from the Salon and have begun thinking about doing the grouting on the hearth (today/tomorrow/next day?). Barring any unforeseen difficulties, the stove should be in place and producing heat within a week.

I hope Phoebe's delivery to Camp Woody goes off without a hitch today and all the subsequent travel plans go off without a hitch. I very much want things to be easy for you and DH, 'bug. After the past 3 1/2 mos., you and your family really deserve some smooth sailing. :)

OK, gotta get motivatin'. Later!

If the house feels warm when I get up, that's a sign it's brutally cold outside. Warm is relative I know and so is cold. But the furnace must have been working hard last night as it was at least 60F in every room downstairs. 13F outside and eyeball freezing winds. Which is about as cold as it gets here and rare to get that low. Needless to say, the girls' dark sojourn to the potty area was swift and record setting.

If there is any upside to all to the weather pummeling the country, it must be that snowflake cardinal photo from Deanne!!! No superlatives strong enough for that one my friend. Perfect and beautiful and touching.

V, I wonder if optometrists, like retail stores, do 40% of their business in December. I dumped as much as I could there and then hit Sam's for OTC meds I'll probably never use (Would Claritin and Pepcid be good stocking stuffers?) Thinking a Blood Pressure monitor might clean up the remainder. All because I planned to do a dental implant and never found the time.

Speaking of Kathy - hope you've moved along to semi-solids and are feeling good for your trip up North! Jerri, good to hear from you, and hope things continue to improve. I see Michelle is on the disabled list now, sounds bad and might be worth a Dr's visit. Sometimes muscle relaxants can help back pain. What do I know?

Vacation! My big plans for today are to clean the frig and take Monty to a vet appointment to see what else we can do for his comfort. He's doing that circle of life thing where he's not reliably continent in the house, so after months of constant laundry and clean up I've resorted to putting him in Hope's upstairs crate when I can't watch him. Sad that Hope is now more well house trained than he is. Just a lot of things going on with him, but it's so much easier than it was with Katie in terms of decisions and age. She was so young, Monty is old so this is easier to accept.

Keep those snow photos coming!

Cynthia

What a lovely Monday morning...12 degrees and covered with ice out there. Oh, well. I was looking forward to a white Christmas, but I guess be careful what you wish for. DD's flight home was canceled last night and is rescheduled for this morning at 11am, she is missing a day of work. I am looking at the forecast for Wednesday, the day our DS will be traveling and it is not looking great either. Keeping my fingers crossed for all of us that have traveling in our Christmas plans.

I am so enjoying everyone's photos! I'm looking out the window but not feeling any urge to go take any photos [g], so thanks for all the snow shots. Love your DH's sled, Julie...Kathy...amazing amount of snow at BIL's house. Is that usual for them? Deanne, that cardinal photo is really amazing! Not only have I rarely seen an actual snowflake in a photo but wow, the detail on the feathers! Martie..Cornfield Park is looking quite peaceful in white. Those drifts are a tease G'bug...looking forward to lots more snow photos from your neck of the woods. Untouched and unsullied by car exhaust. :-)

Happy to see a post from you Jerri. Doesn't sound like fun yet. :-) Hope your recovery period will hurry it up, for you.

Julie...so glad no one was hurt in your car accident. Never a dull minute.

Michelle...your Mom knows the right things to save. :-) Glad you liked the Norman Rockwell..I have a couple more I will try to post later in the week.

I thought I might post a little longer post, but my browser is hanging and driving me crazy, wondering if the ice coating everything could be a problem. Now I see question marks inside diamonds in Kathy & Deanne's posts, anyone else? I think I will try later...

Hellos all around...

pm2

Good morning

Jerri - nice to see you post and thoughts going your way. Miserable that the nerve bloack didn't help but hope the meds do. Take care of yourself.

Snowy pictures are beautiful.

Deanne - the snowflake on the cardinal is incredible!! What an amazing thing to capture.

For the second day in a row all the surrounding school districts have called a snow day but we have to go in. It's not being at work that I mind (that I actually enjoy) but the drive getting there as we have drifts of blowing snow. I had a white knuckle drive home Friday in some of the worst visibility I've ever driven in and I'm dreading this morning's drive.

After school today I have invited a little girl I've worked with over the past few years. She has experienced too many of the things no child should have to live through (domestic violence, living in a car, incarcerated parents) but somehow keeps going with an admirable resilience. She is struggling right now and I've arranged to pick her up after school to come and make gingerbread houses with us here. It's the first time I've had anyone from our program here to the house but our social worker has worked with me to make it possible. Annie and David are excited about meeting her and playing with her. Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly.

Stay warm and safe

Mary

Some shots from the Compound:
(dig the glow from the Salon, you guys)
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And a reminder that all is well:
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Mary, I'm always amazed by the photos we see of African children who are "starving". Yes, it is true that many many of them are, but it is usually malnourished, not undernourished little ones we see. But back at home in North America, the little ones take no end of abuse and often from their very own parents and family members. The children in West Africa that I knew were ever so valued. I don't know why, but I never get over being shocked by cruelty to children, from infants through to teen years. Maybe it is my age, but I see more of it and it upsets me more as well. So I'm all for "acts of kindness" to people young and old, and thank you Mary for yours! (I'll add that I see some genuine caring more than I used to as well, so it is a big bag of emotions from me!)

I have a friend who teaches pre marriage lessons, she's a minister as well as a therapist. This is why I latched on to Michelle and Chelone's exchange as interesting. One book my friend uses in her work is The Five Love Languages - by Gary Chapman. I gave it a read and found some useful bits in it. It is Christian based, (which I can pretty much ignore), but I wonder sometimes at the chances of "kids" with their wedding date set, their gown and tux ordered, really benefiting from these words. From my 40 years of marriage point of view, I truly see some good ideas in the book, especially if both partners read it and discuss together.

I see that the plow has left tracks in the virgin snow. This morning involves packing up Phoebe's goods, then lunch, then a doctor's appointment, then a trip to Woody's, then a dinner near Toronto. Can all this be accomplished with me never sitting down please? I'm still in pain. I need Jerri's meds too.

OK, smooth sailing to all today. I hope the JOY has begun! Pause and meditate for at least five minutes to soak up the happy thoughts of the season. Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :)
'bug

Good morning all,

Well the world is covered in a pristine blanket of snow here like half of the country it seems. The Pacific Northwest is getting hammered with winter weather and I cringed when the news said they were getting ice storms and power outages. I feel their pain. We got almost two feet of snow since Friday and in fact it snowed straight through from Friday afternoon until Sunday night. Incredible! Im so pleased you like the Cardinal shot. I was so amazed when I opened that file on the computer I just sat and stared at it for five minutes or so. What an amazing thing. Bug, I lol when you said it looked like a 50 pound menacing Cardinal. I blew it up that size so you could see the snowflake clearly. Here is the image as it was taken
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And another of a Junco that I thought so sweet
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Mary your story of that little girl is heartbreaking. You always go above and beyond with helping people. I surely hope you give her some wonderful memories.

Jerri, so sorry about the pain you are in! I surely hope the pain meds do their job and your condition improves soon.

PM have you heard that the weather people are now thinking we will be getting rain on Christmas Day???? Good grief! I cant imagine that it will be enough to melt the blanket of snow we currently have so hopefully we will still have a White Christmas.

Cynthia, so sorry to hear about Monty. I hope the vet can do something for him to help the problem.

Chelone, I love the look of the compound in the snow storm with the Christmas greenery gracing the façade. Marvelous!!!!! ~~ Yes the blind is definitely looking like an igloo this AM. Ive got to go out and knock off the snow so it doesnt collapse.

Michelle, good grief! -15!!!! Yikes! ~~~ Glad to hear your back is feeling better. ~~ Interesting you were looking at your garden videos, I was going through my summer photo galleries the other day and like you longing for the green and color.

Bug, safe travels! ~~~ 50 pound Cardinal, LOL

Julie, great winter photos! I love the sled shot! ~~~ Terrible about that accident. So glad to hear no one was hurt.

Sue, good grief about the old boyfriend. I simply cannot believe hes married and sent you such a letter. Id give this one a WIDE, WIDE berth.

Kathy, I have a 150 gallon aquarium in the basement for the fishies. I do have a couple big fish, the largest is 12". The other big ones got eaten by the Heron this summer. ~~ Thanks for the info about the soup recipe. I do have that cookbook and will look it up.

Marian thats a shame about the people with the One Stop;.

Martie, great before and after shots but I do like the green one better!

OK time to water the plants, clean the aquarium, wrap presents and exercise. Have a great day all.
Deanne

Good Morning all. I feel much better this morning. Up until this point I've been either in pain or unconscious! DH is back at work today. He's been a wonderful caregiver while I've been home.
The furkids love us being home. As I glance around the room I see Tiffany, Hope, Ebony, Gracie, and Tiger happily napping. :)
I'm off to read the last couple of Idyll threads. Back in a bit. :)

Jerri

Here's what it is like in our laundry room today. A mix of things for sure!

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It's like someone painted ferns on your windows for you, GB! Icy ferns....

Saucy

Marie, your frost pics are lots prettier than mine:

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This was yesterday morning. I did not take pics this morning, but the windows may have been prettier. It was 2F !

It does look as if someone etched the ferns on the glass, Saucy! I love the punctuation mark of the clematis, your laundry room is much more interesting than mine (which is pretty full right now).

Snow has been relocated successfully. The entire driveway is clear, there is a path around the bahn, the doors are completely shovelled. And the freshly cleared deck is begging for a couple of chairs that can be turned to face the sun. Bundled up or with a nice car blanket over you it would be a very pleasant place to enjoy a glass of red wine.

The cats have been outdoors once today. They must feel as if they're in the Colliseum. Next move for me? clean the catbox, of course!

lllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooookkkkk c(that was Kensey typing!)
DH called and will be delivering a late lunch soon. I could get used to this. He's stopping by a favorite grill/diner that specializes in burgers. I'm having an old fashioned burger with onion rings. Yum!

DB called me from his work phone (a national pharmacy) and in his best disguised voice said they were concerned about the amount of pain medication being prescribed to me. Caller ID said it was the pharmacy chain that we use so I didn't know what to think for a minute. It was hilarious!

Oops, lunch has arrived.I'll be back soon

Jerri

I keep going to back to the photos. Deanne, the cardinal photo is incredible! I even like the sn** pictures. Don't hate me. ;)
Saucy, do you have any pix of your tuffa and leaf castings? I would love to see them. Please?
I am always amazed at the talent here. The gingerbread ornaments and felt ornaments are adorable. I know there are more to comment on, I'm sorry if I missed yours.
Kathy, how are you feeling? Yes, wine is an important part of any liquid diet!
We're not planning much of a holiday here, DH will go to his Mom's for lunch. I'm not sure if I'll go this year. Staying home sounds like a good option for me this year.
I hate to say it but I'm tired from just staying awake today. I think it takes a bit to feel normal again after surgery. Nap time here. TTYL

Jerri

Chelone! What the H-E-double hockey sticks were you doing outside in that weather!!!!???

Kathy: How's the mouth???

Happy travelling, 'Bug!

Jerri - I sure hope you feel better when the cast goes on, on Tuesday. At least you won't be accidentally moving in the wrong places and hurting....I remember being two weeks after bone surgery before getting a cast....Aren't DH's great??? (well, sometimes).

Deanned, the cardinal is stunning, but I really love the Junco. We sometimes get them here - they are so cute...

Cynthia, when we woke up yesterday our house wasn't warm. In fact, it was freezing. Our furnace had shut down and it was really cold! We called the gas company and the technician asked if the air intake was blocked with snow. I went out to check, and I knew the snow wasn't deep enough to block the pipe...but I found that water had crystalized in there during our recent warmer weather, and the pipe was blocked with ice! A few seconds with a coffee spoon and all was right with the world again. The furnace safety thing had shut it down so gas wouldn't be released into the house and kill us all....and sorry to read about the difficulties with Monty. Our pets are our babies who never grow up, so seeing them failing is never an easy place to be...

This is our living room fireplace mantle...it looks so calm and peaceful...I wish the same to you all!

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Cheers,

Julie

Greetings all -- I meant to check in yesterday after I spent all day getting lites and decorations Finally on tree -- Xmas has finally arrived at my house; the rest of the decs may stay in their boxes, but at least there are a few thrown about this year - so I collapsed instead on the sofa and arose today to do the first and last run to the mall and groceries for holiday dinner.

The mall was shockingly crowded and full; the Wms Sonoma store on my to-do list was wall to wall people -- what's with all the people buying? I wanted to say, hey, dont you know we cant afford this, LOL...? maybe everyone is doing a last fling or something.

I didnt have any spare time on Sat during the o-t expedition, and DC was incredibly snarly w/ tourist/pedestrian traffic, and trucks for events taking up lanes they shouldnt be in - not being in the best of moods to have to even go in to begin with, by the time, I got there, I just said "you're taking your life in your hands to talk to me" and stalked off to my computer to turn it on... he meekly emailed me "let me know when it's safe to talk" a few minutes later.... got him on notice I wasnt putting up w/ any more **** that day, LOL...

So I guess for splurging, I decided to do a standing rib roast for holiday meal this year and after the mall went off to find a roast that was NOT $100 (like it was at Whole Foods); fond memories of meals growing up and my Mom's traditional rib roast had me searching various stores for a reasonably priced "great" piece of meat... finally found at Wegmans - where the rest of the local world had apparently followed me from the mall to their store!!! After 35 mins circling for a parking spot, I growled some more and went in to be rewarded with a somewhat reasonable price -- and absolutely gorgeous butcher dept w/ loads of prime....

So, I am now home and may not officially leave this house for 4 or so days -- if the crowds/traffic persist around here. Whew.

But what, me whine... no Snow here!!!!!!!!!!!

I am loving the fantasy shots from the winter wonderlands -- I wish to never own a snowblower, official or not -- I usually shovel my front walks and stairs myself - here too there have never been energetic youngsters looking to make a buck....

Deanne -- that is absolutely the most gorgeous, perfect winter bird photo.... Im speechless.

Im glad to hear from Cynthia -- and Jerri -- glad to hear you finally got the right meds to get you over the pain hump -- sheesh -- poor you.

Im so jealous, V, of both your girls day out and your living Meyer lemon tree -- mine bit the dust from whatever pests are still ravaging my house plants; it's tough to find a good place to spray in the dead of winter - but is on the to-do list this vacation.

Like Cynthia, I've managed to get the holiday tablecloth on the table, but the rest of the house looks like a tornado ripped thru w/ debris strewn about. Tomorrow is triage day - cleaning and hiding debris. Weds is cooking day... I know I have a nap or two planned amongst it all somewhere....

Michelle -- take care of your back!! I hope you get some rest and R&R to relieve the inflammation -- I recall you'd hurt it before, last year, I think? and it's amazing how easily you can re-injure - as Sue will attest too....

Well, hopefully now that that is all out, I will and can relax, relax - just too much to do -- Deanne, buy Doug a little tabletop tree and park it somewhere for him to gaze at, heehee. I really did enjoy the fresh flowers you all spurred me to get last year - and there was some freedom in having no clean-up after the holiday - so relax and enjoy it this year. It's apparent you are getting lots of joy w/ your camera and the white weather - I hope you continue to be rewarded w/ more amazing shots.

Waving hi to everyone!
--Cindy

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It was a good year for growing moss, Jerri!

After the first of the year, I'll make the trek out to the garage and show you what little stock I have....I'm really going to have to get disciplined and crank out a set number of pieces per week to be ready for May.

Glad to "see" you in the forum - hope you have a speedy recovery.

Cindy, a rib roast sounds heavenly! You reminded me of the year my MIL had me out looking for a "spoon roast"...apparently it's something special that you have to ask the butcher for....I went from store to store, and every would be cook I queried had never heard of it...it wasn't even in the Joy of Cooking!

I found it at a mom and pop grocery.

Sue, I would not want to be in your shoes. I, too, am glad I am not his wife....I'm going to ask Nick how he feels about his first serious girlfriend....oh....he says she is me. I don't have to worry too much since he would never write seven pages, lol!

Deanne, can I share the snowflake picture with Sarah's class? Tomorrow is her class party and I put together a craft, snowflake suncatchers. I think they'd like to see a real snowflake on a cardinal!

Kathy, I laughed at your commentary on the prickly seat on the other thread. SunnyD calls that office chair "The Chit Chat Chair"....I'd say she's right on the money with that one, as everyone who plops down in it becomes long winded.

I've been in and out of here today, nodding my head and smiling along. The days are too short for the long to-do lists. I think the other room mother and I are back on track...it took some brown nosin' but I think I did good :)

I miss green.....

Saucy

Julie - I love your mantel and the other decorations you showed us ...

I realized after I posted that my silly expressions of frustrations didnt go w/ the no lines, no waiting thread spirit -- really, after getting out of the lines and waiting, we do have some spirit here in Virginia and we're starting to "dig" it!

(Ignore the crooked tree and the plastic that didnt get neatened up yet..)

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No snow! But the pediment is crying out for attention from Chelone.... once upon a time I did find time to fancy it up more than a wreath and ribbons, but this is an improvement over last year at least....

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Do u see the glowing eyes playing guard dog? it's not a rat.

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I took this pic a month ago when someone wanted to know what jacket Chloe wore outside... well, I am kind of "behind" in all things....

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I do know how to relax and am going in search of a shiraz I bought earlier today... I will hope for no more bad weather for everyone - it's about 20 degrees here, but I know that's practically like resort weather in comparison to other places.

--cindy

Wow Cindy! You've been holding out on us (but we know you've been busy!)....Chloe looks like she's smiling in that last shot!

I poked my head back in to ask about amaryllis....is the foliage supposed to stand up like a soldier, or flop, like, well, um.....

Mine leaves are floppy.

Saucy

Tendinitis flare-up here; typing v. painful...

Phoebe arrived ~ 5:30. Big Fuzz and Little Fuzz happy to see each other; all are content...

Saucy, My amaryllis leaves flop. I put a support around them, because I don't like the floppy look. :-)

Either is fine Saucy. As long as they're green. What sometimes happens is that they stand straight then 'flop' when they get longer and heavier. And sometimes the foliage emerges before the flower stalk, sometimes the stalk before the foliage.

Chloe face!!! You happy thing you. And Cindy, is that the new lower level in the last pic? It does look tropical. Tree and front door look wonderful!

Saucy and Julie thank you for the beautiful 'greens'. And Chelone, the whites and grays of winter are beautiful aren't they? Your window dressings are perfect.

I bundled up and finally made it to the liquor store. Monday night will now be my 'preferred' timing for that adventure. It was quiet, so I was able to read reviews and wander while I picked up what I planned and a few things to test out. If I buy a lot and the owner's there he gives me a discount. Tonight he even called his assistant out to carry the boxes to the car for me. Those little things are what make me go back to that store and not to the larger ones with wider aisles and better parking. I'm having champagne right now because I can.

At vet today, two dobermans arrived in the waiting room growling and snarling at my Mini monty (well he's small for a grey) who waggled his ears and tail in a friendly way but stayed attached to my knee like the good boy he is, while they strained at their leashes. I forgive 'one time' but not a second and this woman had no control over her dogs. So when they lunged and snarled again, I snarled back 'BACK OFF/DOWN'. One of them sat, the other started crying. Chelone: I hate PEOPLE.

Mary, that little girl is a survivor and having people like you in her life must mean a lot to her. I hope everyone had a fun afternoon.

Jerri, glad you've found your way to the PC and hope you continue to feel better. Kathy and her new gloves must be in Portland by now. Safe travels to GB!

Cynthia

Is it uncharitable to enjoy a fellow Idylls invalid-hood because they post more ? We had the Martie post-o-rama and now we have Jerri , meds and all . It looks like travel weather will be better tommorow than it has been for the last few days, both on this end and destination point. I got the un-dissloving stitches out today and my dentist was very happy with the healing progress so far- I still have a bit of swelling but that is normal and reducing daily.

Julie, I love the architectural detail on your fireplace, looks like a suitable spot for the indoor wine deck. It appears the outdoor one has definitely closed up shop for the season.

Cindy, my God that Chloe is so adorable, can you possibly ever be mad at her ? Even Chelone might find it difficult to administer the required beatings ! And I am so very taken with your entry ! We have nothing out there that looks like that, with the brick (bad for earthquakes) and the beautiful white moldings; its just wonderful. It took me a ridiculous amount of time to get across town today to go to the dentist, even though I took the Secret Back Way. My theory is that the peeps are out , but they are spending less.

Saucy, glad the room-mom issues are ironing out. Sometimes you have to throw people a bone and hope that it makes them a bit less hostile. Wonderful tufa pots ! Im very jealous. Lol , Chit Chat Chair. I often put my brief case on one and paper work on the other and they have to ask to sit down. Gives me the option of saying no !

No Portland till tomorrow Cynthia, but the gloves are in the packing prep area along with the hats and scarves. Will you divulge the Champagne brand for this evening ? Mumm, Gloria Ferrer , Chandon ? or the real French stuff ??

Deanne , I love that little Junco, they are one of my favorite birds-we have black headed Juncos here, but I have seen none this winter so far. Ours are always ground feeders.

Chelone, the Compound looks just as NE as can be to me. Just call off the white stuff before camp , ok ? And such coolness that you have a snowy owl ornament on your tree !

All for now, I need to do some prep chores ..

Wave to all

Kathy in Napa

`Woody sorry about the tendonitis flare up. Happy to hear Pheobe has arrived. One less worry for Bug.

Marie I hope there will be no delays of your flight and have good trip. The onesie is cute and I enjoyed reading your emails from Skylar.

Cindy, Chloe looks like the pamperd pooch she is on that pillow. Nice tree too. Enjoy your days off work.

Jerri, I hope you have a handle on the pain by now. Your brothers little joke was good.

Kathy, I'm glad you are flying instead of driving up to BILs. Have fun and I expect to see pictures of Mr. Baby. I imagine he is learning lots of new tricks.

Chelone the compound looks duly decorated for the holidays. Did you take any close ups of your handiwork?

Julie, I've enjoyed all the pictures you posted. You have some neat things. Sorry about your car. Glad you are safe. Good thing the furnace was an easy fix and that you were safe from fumes. Actually I think someone is watching out for you guys.

Marian, yours and Maries windows are really frosted. I made a experimental draft dodger for one window here to see if it worked. It did so I will be making more. Our double hung windows are leaking some air in the middle part. I gues the house has settled or something. They didn't used to.

Deanne , I can imagine how thrilled you were with that cardinal/snowflake picture. I've never seen anything like that. It's ok to skip the decorations for a change. Just enjoy the things you want to do. I have a small tabletop fiberoptic tree that I can just pull out of the box and plug in. Works for me.

Saucy, I enjoyed your gingerbread house making pictures. Any pictures of the snowflake suncatchers? Your last pictures didn't download all the way for me, but what I see looks nice and green.

Hi Denise and Pm2.

Cynthia, so good to hear from you and see pictures of greys again.

I know I've missed a lot of commenting from past threads. You guys have been busy. I've enjoyed reading.
Not much going on here. Sticking close to home, doing chores and playing guitar. I bought myself a mandolin too. Which is a whole new ballgame to learn.
I'm hoping Jan. won't be bitter cold all month. I need to get walking again. I'm packing on the pounds again from to little exercise.
Hey to Sue, Wendy, Babs, Drema and Honey.

Waving to Michelle and Eden too. Eden, did I miss pictures of your newly painted kitchen?

I know I will forget someone, like I just remembered Martie. So Hi Martie, tell Rich he did a great job on the wreath.
I liked your comparison pictures of the front view. Its hard to believe the green will come back again, isn't it.

If I missed someone it wasn't intentional. Everyone have a safe and Happy Holiday .
Norma

Quick one here, Saucy YES of course you can share the cardinal shot with whomever you'd like! I'm flattered you want to show anyone the picture!

Deanne

See, I forgot Mary for one. Mary I loved your felt heart ornaments and the mushroom. So neat. I also wanted to say how nice it is of Davids teacher to lend him such a nice guitar, and that David deserves it.
Thanks for sharing with that little girl. I hope you all had fun. Norma

Hi Norma! How great to hear from you . My DS was looking at getting a mandolin at one time. Will you have to take lessons? I love the sound.
Hope you can spend more time with us !

Kathy in Napa

Woody, we can commiserate together, my fibro flared up this eve. The weather is changing!

Jerri, so glad you have been 'repaired', and are on the mend.

Deanne, the 'huge' redbird with the perfect snowflake is outstanding! What a shot!!

More good reading, but I am going to prepare the stove for the night and hit the sack. My pain meds should kick in pretty soon....

Marian

I am just short of totally discombobulated this evening. Hide the car keys; I am tempted to drive to town, pick a random parking lot, scream "Towanda" at the top of my lungs and start ramming cars. Hormones are a wonderful thing - not. Driving to work this morning, I couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to burst into tears. Finally, later in the day I realized it was truly a monster case of PMS. Trust me, this was not on my Christmas list!

I managed to skip a whole bunch of posts by starting at Deanne's 2nd cardinal, so I am thoroughly confused. Except I do think I read that Jerri has a terrible drug problem! ;)

I'll wave hi to everyone and hope to find my brain tomorrow.

V

Isn't this thread picking up speed, I have the sensation of trying to hop on a moving train. [g]

The sun was out most of the day, but none of the icicles hanging from the roof melted yet. Not sure how much snow we have out there...maybe a foot and a half. Great for the sleeping gardens. Yes, I heard the forecast for rain on Christmas, Deanne. Oh well, maybe the forecast will change before then.

I finished my oven mitt to go with the matching pot holder. I had to laugh at how it came out. I ripped the seams and did over about four times. My first attempt at trying to do anything lined. It is harder than it looks, trying to get the lining to be the same size, and I made my own pattern with a grocery bag and I didn't really get the thumb right. I am giving it to our son and it may become a collector's piece, once I get better at doing them. [g] I'll try to post a photo tomorrow.

Chelone....I love that shot of the Salon looking so cozy in all that weather! You framed it nicely with the tree in the foreground. I am going to need another photo of the christmas decorations when the sun comes out. Very cute owl. I am trying to figure out how you took such a clear photo of a white ornament. Every photo of an ornament I take that has white on it, loses it's detail.

Mary...Always enjoy hearing about the opportunities you make to connect with kids that are having a rough time. Hope you had a great afternoon. Great for your own kids too, to have that opportunity.

Nice to see Norma...I would like to get walking more in the new year too. Happy Holidays. :-)

I have to agree with Kathy, Cindy, Chloe just couldn't be any cuter. How old is she? She looks like she doesn't weigh more than 2 pounds...lol. Very pretty doorway, I always liked brick and the trim around the door, lovely.

Woody...is it the cold weather causing your flare up? Not a great time for a flare up. Is there anything that helps it?

Saucy...I am impressed with your tuffa containers. I especially like the moss growing in the top photo. Did you have to send away for that?

Julie...I like your mantle and your collection of artwork. Where are all the rest of the stockings? Don't the adults get one?

Pretty frost on the windows. All but one of our windows are old and even with storms on, they must be pretty leaky because they are steaming up on the colder days, but no frost on them yet...lol. I'd rather have the frost then the steam.

Glad to see everyone in such holiday spirits. Mine is in a little bit of a dip but I'm hoping for a revival soon.

I'm sure I missed a lot...not for lack of interest, just energy. :-)

Good night... :-)
pm2

Just not fair...check it out. Click on the thumbnails.

I miss Phoebe!!!!
(But she probably doesn't care. She's on familiar turf...with treats!)

We're back from a wonderful dinner. DH played guitar and we all sat around the fire and sang carols.

TO BED!

Happy to be warm this morning!! Have no idea what the temp officially is but suffice to say "stopped cold" was exactly how I felt throwing stuff into the recycling.

Today is office gathering -- bowling then Cajun food, et al. Once a year of this is enough for me :-)

No words for that pic, Deanne. When will you do a calendar?

Happy to see Jerri popping in and shame on the nerve block doc for not having a standing order in place "just in case." Take advantage of the pampering, ignore your DS, and good for you to stay home this year.

I happen to like crooked trees, Cindy.

Mary -- You're giving that little girl the best present there is. Doubtful she's ever had this much attention while doing something FUN outside of school, and glad that Annie and David are excited, too. Have you heard from Joquin?

Saucy -- good idea to get a manufacturing plan and stick with it. Wouldn't it be horrible to run out of stuff and have people want more? Will you be taking custom orders as well? Can't wait to eventually meet your DS -- he's being raised right for sure!!

Norma, Kathy, Denise, 'bug, PM, Woody, Marian, Chelone - so fun to read! and on and on, have a wonderful day!!

Martie

I love the sound of a mandolin, Norma! I picked up a cheapie Bluegrass Christmas CD at the Dollar Store (a favorite of mine) and it's pretty good. Mandolin is featured prominently. Good for you to work on "your pickin'". How's Rebel holding up in the chilly weather?

Cindy, you have a pretty living room. The color reminds me of Saucy's kitchen and the Salon. I instantly noticed the way the swag has been accented with choux. I am a complete sucker for the formal touches on drapery work (figures, huh?). And Chloe on her Tiffany pillow sporting her sweater is priceless, though I like the glowing eyes of the watchrat nearly as much, lol. I also like the style of the shutters on your condo. Here, they're mostly the louvered variety, but the raised panel look is probably my favorite. Very, very pretty, nicely dressed up for the holidaze!

Woody, bummer about the tendonitis. At least you can read along, smile, nod... you know, the way we all do in our respective homes. Phoebe is lucky dog, but Misty is even luckier. :)

The only vegetation in this house is the tree. Except MAYBE an onion or potato trying to force some growth in their dark quarters under the kitchen counter. ;) Marian can carry the standard for me in that department.

Julie, I love the crown treatment of your fireplace, too. It's simple, but makes a nice bold statement, too. It's got me thinking about how to "fancy up" the chimney treatment in the Salon.

V., I think you should definitely go outdoors and scream at the top of your lungs. I'm all for theraputic screaming, or you could always take it out on the dogs, that's why we have 'em.

Mary, I thought of you and the little girl on and off yesterday. For the life of me, I will never understand how people can spare so little thought, time, consideration for children and animals (even dogs). I know it's not productive, but there are times I'd like to administer a "dope slap" and tell 'em to "smahten up!". I overheard one in a salon the other day while we were installing something. She was in the chair, getting some sort of complicated dye job to her already bleached hair. Evesdropping, I gleaned that she and her daughter have been sleeping on various couches since they had to move out of their apartment a few weeks ago. The little girl is worried that Santa won't be able to find her. I know the woman from a bakery where she worked the register until she walked out with no notice. I should think the money she was about to spend on her HAIR could have been more intelligently directed. I was appalled. But nothing surprises me much any more. What's that classic line from the movie "Parenthood"? you have to have a license to drive a car or catch a fish, but any braindead a--hole can have a kid. No kidding.

So Cynthia, what was the useless owner's reaction to your intervention with her Dobies? Lol.

Kathy, I wish you safe travelling and hope your visit is full of good laughs. It will be fun to see the changes in Mr. Baby... but don't overdo it with the pictures, OK? ;) Also good to know the healing is right on schedule, is pureed prime rib still a liklihood? Your preparation for your kitties cracked me up. My brother has a variety of similar "nests" for his trio on the off chance one or more is still out when he is going to be gone for a day/two.

I was thinking yesterday, Jerri, that the hamburger with onion rings (a favorite) sounded pretty good. By the time your casted you'll be all caught up with Idylls and will probably be on the computer non-stop. Which will be a lot of fun for us. I have a good friend (a nurse) who told me that every hour a patient is under general anesthesia requires the best part of a week's recovery. I'm not surprised you're wiped out, factor in the stress and pre-op. tension and you're due for a lot of napping. Laze on, GF.

Time to come up with a plan for the day. I'm thinking some more snow removal from the filon roof over the wood might be a good idea since they're now squeaking about a warm up and a half inch of rain. That will add to the weight of it nicely... why tempt fate?

Good morning

Martie - yes, we talk to Jaquain every few weeks and have sent a little Christmas parcel. He's not a big one for phone conversation but I can tell from his voice how thrilled he is when we call him.

Yesterday afternoon I arrived home with our little visitor and Annie had laid everything out on the table and whipped up a batch of frosting. Most touching for me was she had also brough her American Girl doll out from storage and wrapped it up to give to Victoria. The doll is still in perfect condition with its box. They are beutifully made though ridiculously expensive, and just what every little girl sets her heart on. The doll was very special to Annie so to part with her was no small act. I had to blink back my tears.

The gingerbread houses were messy and fun, then David took Victoria sledding and we finished the afternoon with a game of Life. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I hope memories of our time together will help get her through the tough times ahead over the holidays (vacations for these children are often no picnic).

Tonight we have a neighbourhood party where everyone has been invited to bring instruments and come sing. Annie is also going carolling with a group of her friends so one way or another it will be a musical evening. I'm totally bummed as on Sunday I cut the very top off my index finger (not possible to stitch back, just lots of bandages). It has finally stopped throbbing. I'm wondering if I can play 3 fingered?

Enjoy your festivities everyone!

Woody - hope tendonitus eases up and Jerri - feel better, GB - safe travel. Waves to all

Mary

Good morning all and a very cold morning it is. The thermometer was hovering around 2.3 when I came downstairs. Brrrrr.. Nothing compared to the cold the Michelle is having though. And Marian, I cant believe it got that cold in your neck of the woods. Amazing. Then of course, the warm up to rain tomorrow. Good grief! Doug and I are going to have to do some work on getting some of that snow off the roof. Im hoping we dont develop any ice dams. We did have some water damage last year. And winter has only just begun.

V. this too shall pass.. As I recall my worst PMS episodes used to happen around the shortest days of the year.

Cindy, love, love, love your pics! A beautiful tree! Love your door and wreath and that last pic of Chloe is precious.

Saucy, love the photos of your hypertufa!

Julie, lovely mantle shot.

Kathy and Bug, safe travels!

Bug the frost fern photographs are gorgeous!

Mary, OMG! I cant believe you lost the tip of your finger. Thats terrible. Ill bet when it heals youll be able to play just fine though it will probably take a bit of getting use to. So very sorry to hear that. ~~ What a wonderful thing Annie did with the doll! What a special and generous hearted thing for her to do! You must be so very proud of her.

Jerri glad to hear you are starting to feel better.

Norma how wonderful to hear from you!

PM how fun you are getting into sewing again. Thats terrific. Looking forward to seeing pics of the projects.

Martie, I actually did a bird calendar for Christmas gifts. Unfortunately the cardinal and snowflake shot which would have made the perfect December pic wasnt taken yet. Next year I guess! LOL

Chelone, yep, we are going to get that half inch of rain on top of this twenty inches of snow and its not going to be a pretty picture. I cant believe winter has only just BEGUN!

Allrighty, off to get something accomplished with this day!
Deanne

"Have I ever told you the difference between selling Christmas trees and being on the Shackleton expedition?", queried the helpmeet not 10 minutes ago.

"Why no, I don't believe you ever have."

"Shackleton's men got to keep their gloves on."

That, after telling me his "superior immune system has been keeping a rhino virus at bay for the past 3 days", thanks to repeated boosts from the squalid condition of our home. Lol. He cracks me right up.

enjoy reading about a great Chicago landscaper at the link below

and then sob a little because NPR has laid off Ketzel Levine...

V.

Hi everyone! Thanks for the mantle compliments. The people who built this house made the trim at the top of the living room windows. We like it, so when we had the fireplace put in, we had the carpenter come over and design it to match the rest of the room. When the room looks tidy and decent I will take photos of the rest of the trim (g(.

V: scream away. TCS and I have already had our holiday melt-down. Your turn!

PM2 - nope - only the little guy gets a stocking. Although I have beautiful hand knit ones with our names right in the design for the rest of us. Hmmmm, I'd forgotten those...Maybe I'll find them and display them on the banister...one more thing to add to my already long list today!

Saucy - I absolutely love the hypertufa. I have been meaning to try one - yours are wonderful and I love the moss.

'Bug, enjoy the peace! Your regimen seems to be working - you sound oodles better!

Chelone: superior immune system *LOL* I guess I should slack off a bit on the JulieJobs - for the sake of my family's health, of course!

Mary: OH! owowow! Shivers and goosebumps for you and your finger. BTW, your family must be the kindest one in the world.

Norma: A mandolin, how lovely! We sold ours when times were lean and have regretted it ever since. It was made by Martin.

Gee Deanne, if you ever do another bird calendar, can I buy one? Your feathery photos are amazing!

Just a couple of further photos of some of our holiday stuff.

These candles are in my kitchen window over the sink. They shine all the way across the park and the neighbours over there love them. They also look great when people are walking the path through the park from one street to the next...In the past couple of years I have left them there until Spring.

{{gwi:188474}}

And our tree from the outside - not a good photo but it looks great as people drive up the street - we face the oncoming traffic here.

{{gwi:188476}}

Cheers all!

Julie

Sluggee and procrastinator checking in - it's much better than cleaning - I seem to have caught a clean germ -- it's activated when one starts bringing out the equipment for heavy cleaning....appears the only treatment is to find frequent rationales for stopping and resting...

Saucy - I love love those tufa pots -- and how you planted them as well! is that a saxifraga in the middle of the first one? it always reminds me of a succulent.... so wonderful - I wished i lived closer so I could purchase some pots from you!!

Chloe thanks you for the compliments -- she's the resident house mouse and weighs all of 7 lbs but commands the roost - and yes, you can see why she's such a pampered pooch -- who could stay mad at such a face? plus she's funny -- just this a.m. she rolled around on the bed, got twisted up in a sheet and peeked out w/ just her face showing - w/ static flyaway hair poking in all directions - it was a laughing Kodak moment... they do keep us entertained, pets, dont they?

Mary, ouch - your finger must be throbbing like crazy -- but it sounds like you have had way too much going on to think of it too much - what a special day your family gave Victoria...

Kathy - my townhouse is a typical federal style for this area -- with lots of bricks, and various old style colors -- the neighborhood itself has loosened in the last few years as the homeowners association doesnt seem to watch re what folks repaint their homes as, but I do love brick -- and it's low maintenance in this area; I try not to worry about earthquakes..... now hurricanes might be something else.

Julie - those are lovely candles and so unusual; as we've said here before, there's nothing prettier than lited candles in windows; your tree is pretty too - I noticed that like me you like multi-color lites on the tree; I like the white lites, but still come back annually to don the multis onto my own tree much as admire everyone else's white lites.

Cynthia -- I hope you and Monty and all the rest of the pack enjoy a peaceful quiet Xmas. I imagine Monty doesnt notice too much if he's crated these days or not; he probably just enjoys the peace and quiet of being in your home. Funny you noticed the print on the chair - yep, that's the one that set the coastal/tropical theme in the family room; with yellow walls and a coral sofa, it's a pretty bright room - Im sure some would think gaudy, but I enjoy the brights and I think it finally came together pretty well.... six months later I still have not put anything back on the walls though -- I even hung the usual fireplace wreath on a door knob! See contemplating where/what to hang and it seems a shame to put a hole in the walls just yet..

Norma - you always amaze me with the new things and instruments you decide to take on -- how impressive -- just the thirst for new talents -- it's really neat. I seem to recall that a mandolin has a very deep sound? I bet it's lovely.

Hope V, Woody and others feel more "the thing" soon...

Im contemplating Chelone's concept that a dirty house might assist in boosting immune systems -- sounds like a good rationale to me!

-cindy

Morning all! I'm sporting my new red cast with stylish white trim. If only it were fur... ;)
I got in trouble for not keeping my foot high enough up. It's still way too swollen and is bleeding some. I have to nip the meds rumor in the bud. I have no problem at all with them. I just took more in fact. LOL
The PA suggested bringing in a sofa cushion to help with elevating my foot. It's wider so I can turn and move more without rearranging the world. It works great except for the cats napping all over it. There's no room for me, LOL

I wrote a nice long post last night about 2AM. I bumped the laptop and accidentally closed IE and lost the whole thing. I was so disappointed!!!!! The 5 second version:
Saucy - love the tufa planters and moss.
Woody, loved the Misty story and pics. As you know, abused critters have a special place for me. God bless you all for taking her in and helping her heal. (((Hugs)))
'Bug, have a safe trip. When are you traveling?
Mary, What the heck happened with your finger?! Ouch! How did I miss that story? :(
Chloe is just too cute for words!
Deanne,I want to buy a calendar if you order more. That would be so beautiful!
I know I missed a lot I wanted to comment on.

Jerri

Ten years from now I'll remember 'Ketzel Levine being laid off' as the sign of how BAD it really was. Like everything else, she'll emerge stronger.

I cleaned the frig. Sorry, no pictures. But it was worse than you could imagine and supports Chelone's theory of dirty homes building stronger immune systems. I am one of those who never ever gets sick. Last time I was sick was December of 2004, and in my fever induced state adopted Katie because she was my sweet foster at the time and seemed perfect to witness my death. (It was a bad cold, 'tis all.)

Mary, That's terrible news about your finger, egads that must have hurt, and I do hope you're still able to play tonight. On the positive side, it's good you didn't do it during Victoria's idyllic afternoon :-) Might have botched the occasion and the good memories. Annie's gesture touched my heart. You've raised lovely sensitive children.

V, Let me put forth another bogus theory on health. I never had PMS, but had a 12 year menopause. So my vacation induced logic would mean that you will have an easy menopause to look forward to.

Nice to see Norma popping in! I had to google 'mandolin' because I couldn't picture it. It's very pretty! (I know that's not what matters.)

Dannie is having her teeth cleaned today. She is such an anxious soul, I asked the front desk if it was possible for her to go first, as I know she would tremble and pant while waiting for hours. I dropped her off as late as I could - 8:50AM, but know they don't start surgeries until noon. She shouldn't even need a dental since she's on raw, but after two and a half years I could see some tartar on the molars and she had staining on the front, so it was time :-(

I like the succulents over your sink Julie!

Cindy, I took Monday off and napped and did little. Since you worked on Saturday, seems to me you would get today as total rest and may be up for the luxury of cleaning tomorrow. I know I'm more into 'the list' today. At 2:30 yesterday I laid down on the couch with book and as I dozed off saw Hope tossing one of my slippers in the air. The floor was covered in stuffies, but the slipper was preferred.

Hope everyone on the disabled list: Jerri, Marian, Woody, feels better soon! Kathy and Michelle back on track I think?

Cynthia (Mulling my next holiday cleaning project - and there are unlimited options to choose from.)

I'm on the final load of laundry and have rounded the stairwell and am headed for the bathroom and the boudoir with the vacuum cleaner. Every corner has contained a tumbleweed of dog and cat hair. I've reached the conclusion that it probably hasn't been vacuumed since just before Thanksgiving, lol. Suffice it to say anyone with a pet or dust allergy would succumb within minutes in my house. :) Is vacuuming a JulieJob or are JulieJobs "fussier" and less obvious than that? My goal is to have everything cleaned by tonight. And I'm clearly procrastinating.

I want to hear more about the fing-y, Mary.

Time to see which cats want to be let back in and then torment them with the vacuum cleaner. ;)

V's lemon sables are chilling in the fridge, the pork is nearly ready for the tamales I'll get to either later today or tomorrow, but all supplies have been bought, e.g. masa, California chilis (milder). Last transcript is open on the puter and waiting attention. I delivered some of the paperwhite vases to neighbors last night and wished I'd bought more bulbs. The local Art Theater is showing A Christmas Tale with Catherine Deneuve and tonight is the last chance I get to go, so I just might if I can rip a chunk of time out of the remains of the day.

I've taken a survey: What if I only get around to baking one kind of Christmas cookie this year? (besides V's lemon sables) Molasses crinkles was the hands-down winner.

A quick flyby and season's greetings to all in case I don't make it back. Cindy, love your festive home. Nice to see Jerri on the mend, enjoying the meds ;) Mary, your poor finger, nothing throbs like a hurt digit. I need to google hypertufa, that's totally off my radar as to what's involved, but beautiful work, Saucy. Glad to hear Phoebe has arrived safely, but ouch, Woody, hope that tendinitis moves on quickly. Smooth traveling to all those leaving home.

So very, very nice to read all the contributions. It rained lightly yesterday, more forecast tomorrow. I was in V's mood yesterday after a child custody dispute job (wanted to hug the mom and hit the attorney but the impartiality demanded by my license precludes such behavior), but today is a simply glorious day. Deanne, I've showed the boys your cardinal photo, and the jaws are on the floor here. One in a million!

Pm2, I want to see the oven mitt. I should use one. I am always burning my hands on the oven. Its just easier to grab a pot holder for me. I do use a heavy leather glove for the wood stove though because I 've had some bad burns with that.

Ah V. I feel your pain. Or at least I used to. DS said It was definitely a stay out of the way of his wife day at his house on Sat. I think I missed saying hi to you in my post too. Did you make the trip in to the city with the girls?

Chelone, I wonder if its the same Bluegrass Christmas cd that my SIL sent me. We have played it a lot. Rebel is staying in a lot. It's funny to watch him when he goes out to take care of business and get a drink . The ponds are freezing over and he has to go around by the falls to get a drink. He checks the edges all along the way for a spot to drink.
I have been watching the ponds carefully in case I have to take the pumps out. It was so cold I was afraid the falls would freeze. It warmed up enough to rain today so they will be ok for now.

Kathy, I'm just tinkering with the mandolin on my own for now. That's what I have done with the guitar. If it doesn't go well I may do some lessons. There are a lot of good books and DVDs to help out. I've always learned things better at my own pace and by trial and error.

Mary, how sweet of Annie to give her doll to Victoria.
Geesh, be more careful with those fingers. I did that with the scissors once.
The tips of my left hand fingers are so calloused now from playing, I have hardly any feeling in them. I read that a mandolin is tuned like a violin so the music is simlar.

Ah Julie I bet that mandolin was a nice one. I really like those candles in the kitchen window . I would leave them out too. Also like the pots of succulents.

LOL Cindy, I just get bored easy. I've always wanted to play music but never had the time that I do now. Getting older does have a couple of benefits. Like time, and no PMS. Not that I don't have my crabby days.

DH is off to a xmas lunch. I elected not to go. Just finished cleaning. Now I just need to think about getting some groceries in.
And Rebel wants out. Hate to let him out with the rain, but I guess I will and have the towel ready when he comes back.

Later Norma

One load of laundry done, the cat sitters are organized, 35 minutes on the treadmill done, dinner thawing, and more packing to tend to. DH is napping.

Our mandolin was a gift from my boyfriend (now DH) when we were wandering about in Paris before saying goodbye after our 2 years in the Peace Corps. It is very pretty, but I didn't master more than 3 chords in order to play one particular song. (Don't even remember which song!) The wood has split in the back, so now it is a decoration only. I somehow can't throw it away...

Tomorrow is haircut day and figuring out how to get to the airport in snow mixed with rain. Am I excited to see my gang? Naaaaw. ;)