Christmas Eve!

I can't believe it's Christmas Eve. Somehow it just doesn't feel like Christmas. We haven't had any snow this month. And I think that contributes to it. Our tree is all decorated and ready to open presents from friends and family after dinner this evening. And what is for dinner, you ask? Why the traditional hot dogs and sauerkraut! Plus salad, chips, etc. Then after we open the presents we'll settle down to watch White Christmas and nibble on Christmas cookies while sipping hot chocolate. :-)

And speaking of dinner, I need to go get things started. Jacquie will be home 6-ish! Oh and I forgot to share Jacquie's good news!!!! She took her driver's test on Friday and passed! Today was her first time driving herself to work. :-)

Christmas is Coming!!!!

Christmas 1970. Look at those fabulous Christmas presents I received! A brand new DeeDee doll, but still unable to give up the dirty dingy one. lol It's actually a Drowsy Doll and when you pulled her string she said a phrase. (And a few years ago my mom gave me another new DeeDee doll, cause the first two are long gone.) What else did I get that year? A plaid kitchen set - toaster, dishes and pots. Can you tell it was the 70s? lol We even had a cardboard fireplace! Ahhh, the good life! :-)

Earlier this week I found this delicious deal at Travelocity - a one week cruise around the Hawaiian Islands for $459 per person. And even better was tickets to Hawaii for only $408 round trip! Unfortunately it was for in January and Chris is just too busy at work to go. :-( A great big ugh. So, back to the drawing board in finding that special trip to take as a late 20th anniversary present. We have a few ideas - go to Cancun and stay at an all-inclusive resort. Go to Grand Cayman Islands and stay in a condo. Or go to Florida for a week. So, lots to think about and plan.

Last of the Christmas cards are going out today. That makes a total of 69 cards. And a large majority of them were homemade. The house is decorated. The yard is decorated. Nearly all of the presents are wrapped. Time to get caught up on cleaning and doing some scrolls. :-) Oh and bake some cookies. :-)

Ahhhh, it's 2 p.m. and I'm still in my pjs. Guess I should get dressed, do a few errands and make dinner. Take Aly back to school. Then I need to get caught up on emails! Way behind on those again. :-P

Okay, so the picture in the previous blog has nothing to do with what I wrote in my blog. I was looking for a fun, happy picture to brighten my day. :-) It made me smile, for a minute. Wish my friends lived closer or that I lived closer to them. Sucks that so many of us live so far from each other.

Enough of my whingeing. I think I will go crawl into bed and read my book.....

Dreary, Gray Day :-(

I just feelt he NEED for some sunshine. Definitely a blah day. I evenried shopping. That didn't help either. And I'm just having some trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. Blech. I think I need some time with friends. :-)

So, I keep thinking about what I need to do and it seems like there is so much!
~ fold last load of laundry
~ put away linens
~ put away my clothes
~ wrap presents
~ mail packages
~ vacuum living room
~ sweep and wash kitchen floor
~ sweep and wash dining room floor
~ vacuum laundry room carpet
~ gather up garbage for Chris
~ make dinner

And that's just what's on my list for things to do around the house today. Here's some of the things on my list to do sooner rather than later...
~ figure out baking projects for the holidays
~ paint two scrolls
~ doing sewing repairs on clothes
~ clean my office
~ tidy up Aly's room (we've been using it for a dumping ground)
~ shop for some last minute gifts
~ make some more holiday cards

And the list seems to go on and on and on.....

Blah

Blah

Blah

Anyone got any sunshine to share?

Another Flashback Picture

This picture is from around Christmas 1989. It might even be early January 1990. Aly is nearly 1 1/2 years old and Jacquie is about to turn 3 years old. That Christmas, McDonald's was selling three Christmas muppets - Miss Piggy, Kermit and Fozzie. They might have sold more, but that's all the girls ever got. We still have a "santa" hat from a Kermit kicking around - it was actually in the box of Polly Pocket box that Magnolia was playing with last weekend. :-) I crocheted the blanket on Jacquie's bed. I was very proud of that blanket. It had a large J made out of squares in the middle. Aly got a matching blanket a few months later with the letter A on it. Look at how little the girls look playing in the middle of a twin bed. *sigh* Now, Aly is almost 18 1/2 years old and Jacquie is about to turn 20!

Today was interesting. Drive to Rhode Island for Bridge Birthday. Visited with folks. Had dinner at Foxwoods with Dinsdale and Shiro. :-) Now we're home again and I need to stay awake long enough to go get Jacquie from work at midnight. I might start wrapping some presents. I have stuff that needs to go in the mail next week. Think I'll be-bop over to UPS to mail the packages instead of the post office.

I'm jealous - Heather, Keith and the kids were going out for oriental dinner, then going to see Happy Feet. I hope they ahve a good time! Jacquie and I might go see Happy Feet this week. :-) It looks like a fun movie.

Oh well, off to do some wrapping. Or maybe I'll play a little Sims2 first.......

Don't you Ever Wish...

...that you could stop time and get some jobs done?

It seems like there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done. And I wish that my office was twice it's size so that I could have my scrapbooking stuff and scribal supplies out at the same time. :-P Oh well.

This is a scrapbook page of pictures from Christmas 1988. That's me, Jacquie and Chirs in the top picture. The little baby is Aly. And that's my sister-in-law Debbie holding Aly in one of the pictures. Doesn't Jacquie look cute in her Christmas Cracker Crown? :-)

Tomorrow is going to be spent working on some scrolls. And getting up at least once an hour to do some housework. Laundry, the kitchen floor, etc. So much fun, I don't think I should keep all of it to myself. Anyone want to come have fun with me??? No? I didn't think so. lol Oh and I need to start wrapping presents. And gathering up the stuff that needs to get mailed. And find our stockings which have disappeared. They have to be around somewhere.

*yawn* I need to head to bed. I'm hoping for a nice lay in tomorrow......

"The song is ended, but the melody lingers on...." (Iriving Berlin)

My heart is sad this evening. I can't believe the news is true. Sarnac/Bobby is gone. Taken from this world way too young. As cliche as it may sound the world is a little dimmer today. Sarnac was in a word, Laughter. Whenever I have thought of Sarnac over the years the first thing I would think of is laughter. Sarnac telling jokes and his laugh. I remember the first time I got a chance to meet and chat with him. It was at an Ice Dragon and a bunch of us sat around telling jokes and stories. I remember Sarnac saying he was going to Hell for his jokes. There is no way dear brother that you have made that trip today. Your spirit was too full of love and honor to make that journey.

My heart is breaking for those who he has left behind. A wife and daughter. Family and friends.

You will be missed.