I Found It!

Last night after I blogged, I went downstairs and started putting away more things on the dining room table. I opened up a box to put some things in and it happened to be the box that had the snowman hat for the candy canes...so I arranged the candy canes and put it on the counter in the kitchen. I really need to think about filling the snowman cookie jar...I'm sure that the grandkids would be appreciative of me doing that...Woody would probably be appreciative too! Today has been a very productive day. I got up and got busy sewing and wrapping the gifts for AZ. Once they were all finished and wrapped, I put them in a box and sealed it up, addressed it, and then turned it over to Woody to take to the Post Office. So those presents should be AZ bound...a good feeling to have them on their way! I also got all the items on the dining room table put into boxes to be stored away till after Christmas. I have put a few more things on the table that still need to be done...like cover the pillows on the front porch with snowman fabric. I still have to place Christmas pillows here and there in the house, too. But at this point all that I plan to do this year is virtually done...EXCEPT for the big tree. Woody's accomplishments of the day started out with an early appointment with his surgeon to get that one last staple out. The doctor said that he had just gotten his glasses prescription changed...I'm not sure whether before or after missing that one staple! Woody worked for a good part of the afternoon writing our annual Christmas letter...with me proofing it. I think that it is as good as it is going to get for this year! Woody drove to the prayer room at church this evening. He still hasn't worked his way up to walking any great distance since his surgery...proud of him that he is still listening to his body and not trying to do too much too soon! Before coming in to blog, I had started cleaning up the mess that I made while making/wrapping presents...looks a bit like a tornado has passed through both the sewing room and our bedroom...guess I'll return to attempting to make both rooms a little more presentable (as in livable). Hmmmm maybe it is time for a cup of peppermint tea! 'Tis the Season!

Christmas Blog Time

I've got my Christmas mug filled with peppermint tea...all set to blog! (This shows that I found our Christmas mugs today.) I was going to play a Christmas CD while I blogged (found the Christmas CD's today, too), but realized that my CD player isn't plugged in and it means a trip around to the back of my sewing machine cabinet and have to get down on my hands and knees to plug it in...so that can wait for another day. Since I blogged on Saturday, my sewing machine has been humming quite a Christmas tune.

It has been embroidering away on Christmas ornaments and a few other Christmas items. I have to now get it back into a sewing machine mode so I can finish up a couple of things that I embroidered. I am working hard on getting the AZ package ready to mail. I have been looking for boxes to put things in so I can wrap them. I had wanted to get them mailed today, but didn't meet that goal. Woody's first "job" of the day was to call his surgeon's office and get another appointment. The surgeon missed one of the staples when he removed them last week. I happened to notice it when I was giving him a shot the other night. I will be so glad when I don't have to give him these shots any more..."just" five more...that means we are 2/3 finished with them. He got an appointment for in the morning. After getting the appointment he made orange pecans (yum!). He was making them for the youth Sunday School party for Wednesday. He took them last year and they were a big hit with the youth teachers. Later in the morning he went Life Care Center to have Bible study with Jeff. This afternoon he even went out and picked up a few sticks in the yard. He's slowly but surely returning to a lot of his usual activities...though he does admit that he hasn't stopped hurting yet. I sewed most of the morning. Then this afternoon I worked some more on the Christmas decorating. I finished the mantel in the family room and got rid of the boxes and tissue. Then I got boxes and tissue off the kitchen table and put what I wanted on the table for a "centerpiece." Just before blogging I saw that there was still a box on the counter...the Christmas cookie jar. I put that out and put away the everyday one. All is done in the kitchen that I plan to do...except...for the snowman hat that I put candy canes in...and I haven't come across it yet. I even have the candy canes bought and I know that grandchildren will be disappointed if I don't find that "magical" hat to put them in! I have been attacking all the everyday decorations that have accumulated on the dining room table...putting them in boxes that I have taken Christmas from. The table is still pretty full even though I have put quite a lot away...at least I have started on that. I have left out empty boxes so I can put these things in. Once I have them all stored away, then it will be time to have the tree dragged down so I can create the next "mess!" Besides my Christmas tea, I now have on my Christmas music. While the second picture downloaded, I realized that I could reach the plug from this side of the sewing machine cabinet and only had to lean over in my chair not get down on my hands and knees...so now Bing Crosby is crooning Christmas tunes...must be Christmas...Christmas mug of tea...Christmas music...yup! 'Tis the Season! Well back to my sewing so I can get AZ package off in time for it to get there before Christmas!

Progress? (Can You Be Fooled?)

These are some of the areas of the house that are starting to take on a semblance of order. BUT if you step back or turn around the following is what you would see:

It WILL all come together!! (I keep repeating to myself!) Today's major project for me was to make Bragg's barbecue...a lot of hours of simmering, skimming,etc...a very tiring process...thus after it was finished I found my chair and snoozed for a while this afternoon. Then I had to go down and face the clean up! The dishwasher is now going and the dishes that needed to be done by hand are done and the stove and counters are wiped off. What a job...but it is super delicious. We enjoyed barbecue sandwiches for supper. Woody ran errands this morning...WalMart grocery shopping included. He has watched football this afternoon and evening (as can be seen if you look at the edge of the picture of our fireplace decorating mess. I still haven't gotten my sewing machine cranked up...maybe in a little while...or at least by tomorrow. My back is objecting to the decorating and cooking so maybe it will enjoy resting in my sewing chair, though the recliner is sort of calling my name! All tonight's blog words can be summed up in three words: 'Tis the Season!

Out of Chaos?

I am hoping that something good comes out of the chaos that I have managed to create today. Isaac helped me a lot. He is quite a little trouper...he loves getting into the boxes to see what special Christmas decoration each contains. I think that it is like opening presents to him! He exclaims over each one...either that he loves it or that he remembers it or... He has gone up and down the stairs with me multiple times. He always wants to carry something down...that isn't too heavy...or...too breakable! We have found most of the Byer's Carolers...a few are still hiding in the Christmas closet. We have unearthed some of the trees and snowmen that will reside on the fireplace mantel in the family room. I have pretty much decided that I'm not going to do as much decorating as I have in the past so lots of items are going to remain in their boxes and be placed back in the Christmas closet for another year. I was hoping to work on the decorating this morning and then work on making some more Christmas ornaments this afternoon...but a nap beckoned me in the afternoon. I told Woody that I hadn't recovered from his surgery yet. He said that he hadn't either! He said that he was feeling about the same today. Considering the circumstances of his surgery, I think that he is doing very well. He did need to run an errand this afternoon, so on the way home I asked him to stop at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for me. After I blog, I am going to unpack a couple more decorations--trying to get a box light enough for me to carry downstairs. Then I plan to stay in my sewing room for a while this evening. I still have some ornaments that need to be made. My aim is to get the ones that I need for my family in Arizona finished so I can get their gifts wrapped and then boxed up and in the mail...Christmas is getting closer even as I type! 'Tis the Season!

Start of Christmas Festivities

Woody and I have just returned from our church's annual Deacon/Widow Banquet. Such a nice evening with a roomful of friends...lots of good food, too plus very good entertainment. I had school with Joseph and Isaac this morning. Then Erin and I got busy clearing table tops, etc...making way for Christmas regalia. Isaac came over and helped too. He carried things for us and also did some of the vacuuming. We needed to clear table tops, the mantel, etc. so when we get into the Christmas decorations we can start putting them out. We also moved furniture around in the living room to make room for the tree. So I guess you can say that we are underway with the decorating...though right now it just looks like one big mess! Erin woke up with very low blood sugar levels...once again...not as low as Tuesday or yesterday...but still low. We realized that she was getting low on test strips...which she has to have to be able to check her blood prior to meals...before bed and also when she is in high or low times...we had used a lot of strips this week since she ranged all over the place in her blood sugar readings. Anyway, Melany decided that she would come pick her up this evening after she finished teaching her college night class. Melany was here when we got home from the banquet. So once again Woody and I are empty nesters! Woody continues to get stronger. When he got home and sat down in his recliner, he did say that he didn't feel like moving for a while. It is pretty chilly outside on our return...felt pretty good to walk into our warm house. I guess we are settled in for a "long winter's nap."

Wishful Thinking/Dreaming

Found this picture from two years ago...wishing that it was one that I took today! Today we have done no decorating. Erin started out low (not as scary low as yesterday...but it took a while to get her back up)then she went high for a good part of the afternoon and now she is right where she should be...which may or may not be good for overnight! While this was happening I spent time between my sewing room and Erin's bedroom...sewing and checking on her. I can say that tonight I am within a snap-and-a half of being finished with my blouse. Woody went to the grocery store today...I knew that he would once the doctor gave him the okay to drive. He did allow Erin to bring the groceries in from the car when he got home and then I put them away. He spent a good portion of the afternoon snoozing. He seems to be getting around better each day. Now if he will just not overdo over the next few weeks of healing! Erin and I made French Market Soup today...so now there is a choice of soups...of course not much of a choice for one since one of us (not Woody or me) won't eat beans. Erin and I are hoping to get some decorating done tomorrow...hmmmmmmm...wonder if that will happen!?! I don't think that I will hold my breath!

Soggy Arrival

December has come in on a rather soggy note...Rain! Rain! and more RAIN! Our rainfall over the last two days must measure up in the inches. My start to this first day of December was a bit scary. I went down to wake up Erin and I knew that she was in trouble due to her response or lack there of. Her blood sugar level (she's a type-1 diabetic) had dropped dangerously low during the night. It took a while, but juice and a couple of tastes of honey got her brought back to reality...but really scary. The last time that she went to her diabetes doctor the settings on her insulin pump were changed and those changes seem to have messed up things rather royally. She had gotten really low last week at her house and also when she was visiting her other grandparents. Guess insulin amounts need to be adjusted big time...especially in her overnight amounts. I got her over the hump and back to reality just in time to head out the door to drive Woody to his appointment with the surgeon to have the staples removed. The wait for that appointment seemed rather long. By the time we got home it was time for lunch. Then it was time for Erin and me to make turkey soup for tonight's supper. By the time we got through with making that, I needed to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Woody. Then it was time to take the garbage out. Then I did manage to sit down and rest for a few minutes before it was time for our supper. Not a day to get much done in the way of Christmas decorating...did get the wreath on the front door...total amount of decorating that we did today. At this rate we might be decorated by Christmas 2016! Woody got released from the doctor today...just told that when he does something and it hurts...that he needs to back off. The staples are out and I guess he is healing nicely. He can get back behind the wheel of the car when he feels up to it. The doc said that he won't be totally healed for six weeks...so he has a ways to go. But I can definitely see that he is improving daily. I haven't had much time for sewing today either. I did do a little more last night. I think that as soon as I finish blogging I am going to hem my blouse...maybe it will be done in time to wear to the Deacon/Widow Banquet Thursday night. After the hem I still have the sleeves hem facings and then have to sew on snap closures. Erin is writing away on a story of fantasy/sci fi...she is very creative both with her writing and drawing abilities...at the moment she is in writing mode...she can't get her ideas written down fast enough for the speed that they come into her brain! She is very enthusiastic about the current story she is writing and has shared about it with both Goosey (Woody) and me (often she just writes and doesn't share). Well, off to hopefully hem my blouse AND have an uneventful night and morning tomorrow! (Of course I still have to face that dreaded blood thinner shot that I have to give to Woody in a little more than an hour...10 more to go (she says with a cringe)!)