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Cold and snowy?

Category: Holidays | Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 3:49 am

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It's cold and snowy somewhere but not here. Wannabe had some snow but she said the wind blew it away. It was windy here the last couple of days but today it was pretty nice. It was 64 degrees and sunny. It should be nice for the weekend and then it says rain on Christmas Eve and Christmas. Still, it's not snow and that makes me happy.
I spent the first couple of weeks in December making cookies. I do this every year. When I had three growing boys at home, they didn't last long but now that it's just dr and I they just set there looking at me so I have to eat them. Being a diabetic I surely don't need cookies. So, I give them to anyone who even faintly looks like they need a cookie. I didn't make as many as usual this year. I took cookies to the Writer's Guild party. When people were collecting their bowls and plates as they were leaving they tried to give me back the leftovers. I told them, "sorry, I'm not taking home leftovers." So they divided them among themselves. I made two buckets of cookies for the lady next door. She has six grandchildren that she wanted to help decorate cookies. I told her I would make the cookies as their Christmas present and she could help them decorate them. I made cut out sugar cookies and cut out gingerbread cookies. They decorated them last weekend. Today, I was outside and one of the little boys came to the fence carrying a small poinsettia and handed it to me and told me, "Thank you for the cookies." I ask if they were all frosted and he said yes. I asked if they were all eaten. He said no. I asked which he liked best, the white ones or the brown ones. He said he liked the brown ones. I told him they were my favorite, too. Of course, I eat mine without frosting. I remember making gingerbread boys and frosting and decorating for each of the boys to take to their school parties just before Christmas. I made about 35 for each boy. Good thing I liked baking. I was working then, too. We hadn't done Christmas shopping until this week. I made shopping bags, aprons and such for presents but hadn't really gone shopping. Wednesday we left early and spent the whole day in Bryan/College Station, just walking around looking at things. We were tired and hadn't actually bought anything but groceries. Yesterday we were tired but went into town and bought a couple of things for each other and ended up giving them to each other when we got home. Today, we ran a few errands and went and did some looking in Huntsville and did buy some things that we can wrap. Since we were both shopping together we will know what is in the packages but after 51 years it's hard to surprise each other anyway.
I found some seeds at Tractor Supply so bought some seeds for swiss chard so I can replant my fall garden. I dug it all up on Tuesday when it was so nice outside. I still have lettuce and I found two swiss chard plants and one carrot. There are two pea plants blooming if the cold hasn't gotten to them yet. The red cabbage is growing but not very fast. If I can get them planted soon they might have a chance to grow and get some rain on Christmas Eve and Christmas. I was going to buy a bird feeder but bird seed is a big high for my budget. I do keep them in water and they will have to forage for food in the woods here. Anyway, we do NOT have snow and the Christmas shopping is probably done for the year. Next major event is on January 2nd which is my birthday. I'll be 72 years old. That's probably too many candles for a cake but I don't eat cake either so that's okay.
Enjoy your Christmas and have a really great New Year.
dooley

Last edited: Sat Dec 22, 2012 9:28 pm

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Lackadaisical!

Category: Daily Happenings | Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 4:04 am

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I've been noticing that it's been August since I wrote a blog on here. I guess I've been a little lackadaisical in posting lately. I guess most of you know that I had a mastectomy in June, 2011. Then, I went through test after test and scans and doctor's appointments. It really seemed like I was going to the doctor or the medical center every couple of weeks. That only happened June through October, 2011. Then, it slacked off. I have a medication that I take every day and it has side effects that cover both sides of two pages. But, it sent the cancer into remission so I can't complain about it too much. The scans I had in September showed no signs of the cancer. But, I still have to take the medication and have more scans in June, 2013. But, I don't have the energy that I did before the surgery and some days I get up and just don't do anything. That's why I try to sew every day or do something in the yard. The doctor said do something outside everyday but it was hard to do in the summer when it was so hot and we've had a couple of cold spells where I couldn't go outside. The doctor said the medication would cause joint pain and she was right about that. The primary care doctor said, "No pain medication, when it gets bad get up and walk." He is right and I didn't want the pain medication anyway. What I asked was for an alternative to it. So, sometimes in the night I'm up walking around the house. Especially on damp gray days. I do try to do things outside. I planted a fall garden, but the grasshoppers ate most of it as soon as it came up. I'm hoping that the three nights down to 20 degrees took care of the grasshoppers. The peas are blooming but I notice that those black caterpillars are eating the leaves. I pick them off and toss them over the fence, but they probably get back before I get inside. The only thing doing really well is the lettuce. I have three different kind and they are all doing great. Fresh lettuce for salad. I do wish tomatoes were a cool weather crop. I want to try to get out and hoe up the other beds and replant some stuff. I started to buy some seed for swiss chard the other day but the line was so long that I put it back. Maybe after the Christmas rush I will try again. My rosemary bush is really growing. I planted it a couple of years ago when we moved here. It was in one of those gallon size pots. It is now about four feet high and spreads out about five feet. I pulled some off to use at Thanksgiving and put some in a vase in the house. I wish it were in the yard instead of the garden area. When we lived in Arizona I had it by the back door. It grew so big it blocked the driveway. I cut it and dr took it to the flea market. Chance used to rub up against it and then turn around and smell it. She loved the smell of it. Maybe I should pull of a bit and rub it on her so she can smell it. She is ten years old now. I really can't believe we've had her ten years on December 23rd. She was so small that she fit in my hand. She loved to crawl up and sleep with her head under my chin. She can't sit in my lap any more. She's long and she's heavy, not fat though. She comes and lays under my legs some nights. She was here but she went out a bit ago.
She didn't like the heat this summer so she wanted to stay inside all of the time. Now, she wants to be outside all of the time unless it's raining or really windy. We put a rug on the front deck for her. Brian build her a bed on the back deck and I made a cushion for it. She stayed out during that cold period so I covered her with an old blanket. She loves it.
Am I ready for Christmas? Well, I guess I mostly am. We didn't do much shopping. I have to mail most things so I'll do that in January when things settle down some. The kids know I'm always late. My mom and dad used to have Christmas in March when I'd get around to sending their gifts. I do have the house decorated somewhat. I put up the little bear tree. I took some pictures but haven't loaded them to here yet. I've made some cookies but took most of them to a Writer's Guild party. We go to the Writer's Guild meeting every third Tuesday except in summer and this past summer we even met at a local restaurant every month to keep in touch. I'll try to post more often and write my blog monthly again. I can't let myself get bogged down, doing nothing. Take care and Merry Christmas everyone.

dooley

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