Afters

We had a very nice Christmas, not because of the gifts, but for the peace of having all four of us sit down to a great meal, with no one rushing off to do something else.  Yesterday it was back to work (for son and daughter) and back to the routine of laundry, grocery shopping, etc. for us.  I have been playing with my toy, a KitchenAid mixer, I have ordered a cookbook (which I really don't need) that uses the mixer, which apparently can do anything except get up and dance, I guess.  It is (of course) bright red.  And very heavy.

I did finally get the cards done, on Christmas day in fact.  Anyone who knows me would be unsurprised I am sure.  Meanwhile we received 2 cards, not counting those from politicians.  I guess few people do the Christmas card thing anymore.  It's OK.

We lost one of our barn cats today, she was around 17, and died in her sleep right where she always lies.  It wasn't unexpected, she had been ranging around the neighborhood for the last weeks or so, totally unlike her usual habit of staying right in the garage or the barn (less so).  I was afraid she would just disappear and we would never find her, but this is better.  Her name was White.

We didn't have any snow for the holiday, but last night there was a rip-snorting wind storm.  The house cats all hid (in their usual places) until things quieted down around midnight.   I'm not so brave in a windstorm myself; a holdover from growing up in Hurricane Alley.  In the morning we can see a ton of branches down that will have to be piled up for the next brushy fire.  Some of the neighbors were out with their chain saws, do you suppose they were Christmas gifts? 

Back to dinner prep, hope everyone out there has a safe holiday Thursday night.
Thought for the day:  "I suffer from Compulsive Indecisive Disorder.  I don't know what I want but I know that I want it now!"

Almost there

All of the gifts have arrived (the ones I and DH bought) and they are wrapped even and then under the tree.  It looks very festive.  The only gift that has not come yet is an office chair for our son.  If it comes before the projected delivery date of Dec. 28th I will be very happy, but if not, then so be it, we can get it later.

We also gave folding green to various people and to the red kettle ringers.  We donate it all at once instead of a dollar here, and fiver there, etc.  There aren't as many kettles this year, fewer volunteers I guess.

We have received no Christmas cards yet, unless you count the one from Rosalyn and Jimmie Carter. I think it was seeking donations to Habitat for Humanity, but there are far more good organizations (and I include this) than there is money to spread around.  I'll work on sending our cards out this weekend, all 8 of them.  I write notes in all of them, which is why it takes a fairly long time.

Thought for the day:  "Merry Christmas!"

P.S.  It's snowing...

Hello Santa

Well, not entirely, yet, but I am getting there.  If UPS and FedEx come through for me, we have all the shopping done.  Today we went by Belk's (Large-ish department store) to get electric blankets for R and C, but they only had them in queen and King sizes, no Twin ones at all.  So I came home and ordered them on-line.  I'm willing to support local (sort of) merchants, but if they can't restock quickly at this time of year, it is no wonder that people resort to online buying.  I wish I could have felt the ones I ended up ordering, but I just ordered a well known brand, and hope for the best.

It was 71 here today before the rain started, this on Dec. 14th!  Will we have a winter at all this year? I guess if I had my druthers it would be for snow on Dec 24th and gone by Dec 26th.  Just enough to have a white Christmas.  But we shall see.

I am writing this on my MacBook Air, and the keys are really small.  But that is no excuse for this to auto-correct my spelling every other word.  I liked it better when the questionable words were underscored and then you corrected them after you were done with the paper.  It is especially annoying when it wants (if you can say an inanimate object wants anything) to change the word entirely to another word.  I can remember when (here we go...) cash registers just added up the total, whereas now they calculate the amount of change to give back too.  This is because the checkers couldn't count from the amount due how much change was due.  Like, the total came to 16.50 and they handed you a $20, you would count, here are two quarters, that's $17, and then 3 singles, and that equals $20.  Hand the customer $3.50 and you were done.  Now the registers show the change due, and what with coupons, specials, credit cards, and so on, is it any wonder the checkers have job related stress?  When I manned a register, we had to make up any shortfall out of our own money, which certainly gave us the incentive to get it right.  Granted, it isn't rocket science, but now we have self-checkout lines at the grocery store, so checkers aren't needed at all.  I never use the self-serve, I feel like I am cheating someone out of a job.

Enough grimness.

The house cats have been amazingly well behaved with the decorations, etc.  not even a single ornament batted off the tree.  So far.  No one felt much like doing the decorating, but we all  plugged at it a bit at a time until it was done.  Now it looks quite festive.  Only 11 more days.

I will be 65 in January, and thus obligated to begin Medicare.  I have gotten a ton of mail offering medigap insurance, which I don't need or want.  Straight into the trash.  Sometimes I wish for a trashcan right at the curb, to save having to carry it inside and fill up the trash can in  here.  I really don't need the daily reminders of my "coming of age" this time, either.

Thought for the day:  "Support the economy -- buy a congressman!"

It's beginning to look like a lot like....

Christmas.  I enjoy the day itself, seeing how much everyone is pleased with what I picked out, eating lots of yummy foods.  What I hate is shopping for Christmas, even when done on-line.  I depend on catalogs, mostly, and ask the family to pick out something they would like.  This is not foolproof; last year I bought DD a cute cat hoodie and a poncho, neither of which have seen the light of day since, but she picked them out, so I am not at fault...

We re-arranged the living and dining rooms, moved big stuff to the storage room, and now have a nicer place for our tree.  Also I bought five new house plants, about 10 of mine have died over the last 2 years, and the plant stands were looking mighty bare.  I got young, small, plants that I am familiar with, so hopefully that will mitigate the fact that they are starting in the late fall instead of the spring. I'll post a photo when I get the camera out, in the daylight (it is now nearly dark).  I'd like to do a "before" and an "after" of the dining room, once the plants have matured somewhat.

I have been using the MacBook 13.3 that is being replaced by this MacBook Air.  I try to ignore the horrible smell that it has, popularly known as bad BO.  There are pages of sites on line discussing the cause, how to fix, how NOT to fix, and general support for those of us who have these smelly items.  It is the keyboard that stinks, and not the battery or the case.  If I used it in a public place I am sure I would be asked to leave.  Either that, or prominently display a sign that says "IT ISN'T ME!"  My husband walked past me while I was typing and said how he just took a shower but now he stinks.  I told him it is the MacBook, and he just rolled his eyes.

The temp here is in the 30s, the horses are in the barn, mainly because the recent rains have made the outside footing too slippery for these geriatric beasts.  No blankets yet, it is still too warm for heavy blankies.  Maybe next week.

Last words (for today):  "If God had wanted me to touch my toes, He would have put them on my thighs."