We're finally officially into winter now, the shortest day of the year is behind us and Christmas is 3 days away!! I have to go pick up the honey smoked ham tomorrow (yeah!! I found them here), buy a pound or so of chicken livers to make the broth base for the turkey gravy, have Bob and Christine over for egg nog, Janice for her annual martini (she's the friend with the broken upper arm bone and NOT a happy camper), and wrap one last present. The bird is thawing nicely in the downstairs fridge, we've got all the cokes and cranberry juice, Tony is picking up the dessert I ordered on the 24th for me, bless his heart. His wife is having the gang over Christmas eve this year, again, thank goodness! Two parties in a row in the same house is a bit much. So, it feels like we're all ready for the big day.
My parents were here for the usual Sunday dinner last night - stuck a big capon in the oven for that, and then we watched National Lampoon's Christmas movie, one of my faves. I love the scene with Chevy Chase stuck in the attic watching old home movies in that funny outfit. It was wonderful to hear my father laugh out loud during a couple of scenes. I don't think he'd ever seen that movie.
Do you guys have all the snow too? What a snowy and early winter this year. Gah. Mike and the band got snowed off the road again, this time in a small town outside Quebec City, on their way back here from the Maritimes. He'll be home tomorrow morning.
So what's on the agenda for the day? Lots of Christmas running around? What are the Christmas dinner menus at your house?
I'm all done shopping. In fact I was mostly done two weeks ago. No late running around in mobs of people for me.
So here's a story, I was at Target and overheard people talking about how they aren't really religious or anything but they couldn't decide which STAR to hang on their tree. You know, THE STAR that's a huge symbol of THE STAR that the wisemen used to get to Jesus.
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KaeEll, that's a lovely story about your father. I'm so glad he had a good belly laugh.
Your tree looks gorgeous, as does your table, and it sounds as though you have a lovely holiday planned, all the way around.
I, of course, am in my usual holiday crazy frame of mind. I am NOT bouncing back from all of the preparations and stress the way that I used to! NC-D and Loren arrive on Christmas Eve, AD is already here, and our son lives locally. I imagine that we'll also find time for our annual gingerbread house competition! Lots of laughs...
Brandon, that's a funny story!
We're going to have a small Christmas this year. With people losing their retirement, jobs, and homes, it somehow didn't feel quite right to go crazy with the shopping. Economists say that this is backwards thinking, but I don't know... Anyway, the entire family agreed on strict spending limits, so we all have rather short wishlists. I'm rather looking forward to a scaled-back celebration, to tell you the truth!
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Oh, Brandon, that star story is so sad when you think about it. Christmas has really turned into a secular thing now, hasn't it?
SHELLY!! She e mailed me this morning, has no internet access, only e mail. She arrived in Virginia and asked me to tell all of you hello and merry, happy holidays. I told her that we'd miss her presence here until she gets back.
Moore, I hear ya about bouncing back, lol. We're also making this holiday a scaled back one with fewer presents and nothing splashy. I hope this sentiment sticks around. Things had got so crazy years back, it's much nicer this way.
Laura, Nick's ex, was just here collecting her ski boots. She too is moving out to BC to attend University of Victoria in January. It was so wonderful to see her, and I realised that yet again I had made a strong attachment to a gf, in spite of my resolve never to do that again. I promised myself that I'd never do that until after the birth of a second child, lol. Oh well.
I'm working from home today, as school is out and the boys and girls club is closed for the entire freakin' week. Uggh. I don't know why they have to close the whole week. It would help if they were open today and tomorrow. I can understand the eve and day after. But now I have to work at home all week which is a big hassle, because I don't have the access to all the stuff I need at the office. Fax, printing, etc. Big, big hassle.
I'm about to head out to Walgreens (I still get a lunch break working at home, right? Teehee) to pick up some medication and see if they have a robot of some sort. If they do, I'll haul Jack over to the sis in laws for a few mintues and go back and get it.
Kae, wasn't Laura the one who went Down Under w/Nick?
Good to know Shelly arrived safe and sound!
A gingerbread house competition Moore? Who judges?
Yes, Jojo, Laura was the girl that was with Nick in OZ and they spent the year together there. But sometime shortly before Easter, something happened and they more or less broke up while still away even though they were still travelling companions. I got bits of the story but I'll never really know the whole thing. They have remained friends. I was really fond of the girl and it was so lovely to see her again. We hugged and almost broke into tears. I got the impression that she would like to get back together with Nick but I certainly couldn't say that I'd like that too, even though I would. You never know... Now I'm really sad thinking about it.
Jojo, it's really a good thing that you can at least work from home while Jack has no day care. Some companies would just tell you to find other arrangements and expect you to come into the office anyway. I'm sorry for the hassle but at least they didn't fire you! Ted's company has all but shut down until January 5. He'll pop in tomorrow but it's closed Thursday and Friday and all of next week. Too bad people can't stop having accidents during the holidays and give you a big break.
That's all I really want for Christmas, is for people to not have an accident for just one whole day!! Haha. I can dream. Most likely what will happen is that folks will not report their accidents until this weekend, and next Monday will be out of control.
Is Nick seeing anyone else right now? Is there a small, distant possibility he and Laura can work out and get back together?
A gingerbread house competition Moore? Who judges?
Oh, it's a HUGE deal, and lots of laughs.
My three kids, and my oldest daughter's boyfriend get gingerbread kits from A. C. Moore (craft store), and extra candy pieces. They also make extra icing, and spread everything out on the dining room table.
Jim and I are the judges.
The first year, AD had built a pretty good house, but the frosting didn't hold, and the entire thing collapsed minutes before the judging. She has very dry wit, and when Jim and I began to go around the table, she asked (very seriously), "Does structure count?"
Looking at her little pile of gingerbread, icing, and candy, Jim and I, and the other three, fell out on the floor!
We've had "Nuclear House", "History House" which was smashed immediately after viewing (thus, becoming "history"), traditional gingerbread houses, etc., etc.
I may have pictures of the first year, and someone (although no one ever forwarded them to me, the wretches) has pictures of last year's competition.
It's a hoot!
-- Edited by Moore ideas at 18:58, 2008-12-22
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"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
