^ Yes I think the bus needs to stop at RM’s house.
Thanks to all for posting and for NM for asking about everyone. I miss you all when you don’t post although I understand the busy (and un-boring) lives you lead.
@NorthMinnesota – thanks for the accolades! I honestly don’t feel as if my stamina quotient is all that high, though; I seem to have a fair number of “slug” days. I enjoy taking photos but don’t have many on display. We’ve collected a fair amount of artwork over the years, and have more than we can currently hang. Our RI house has SO many windows there’s not much wall space for art.
@CountingDown - H and I are headed to NYC on Monday to celebrate OUR anniversary. I don’t know too many other couples who were married in December. Although it’s not the reason we chose December, we ended up saving $$ by doing so – no flowers/decorations needed in the church or at the reception site (a colonial inn) since both were decorated for Christmas.
@RochesterMom - Not much wedding planning here right now, either. Save the date cards will go out after the holidays. D’s dress has already come in, but it’s way too early for fittings. I’ll start looking for my dress after we get back from FL. We need a baker to provide pies and also the flowers. Your Christmas party menu is amazing!
@downtoearth - I’m sure the Pops will be bittersweet for you. The music is great – and hopefully you won’t be seated in front of a group including a 3 or 4 year old who never stopped asking questions through almost every piece …
@shawbridge - I meant to comment in my previous post – your wife’s birthday party sounded fabulous! I really, really think the bus needs to make the rounds and deliver us all to your next gathering. Or, we could come crash your stay on the houseboat … It took H and me about 2 minutes to decide between NYC and Boston when we were picking a location for our “experiment in urban living.” We ended up in/near Boston for just the reason you said – if we were going to live in NYC, we probably should have done it when we were much younger. As much as I love the city, I’m usually ready to leave after a couple days.
Edited to add: The bus should definitely stop at both shaw’s and RM’s!
@CBBBlinker, we had a Jewish wedding at a catering facility in PA in the third week of December. The proprietors were NOT happy when we asked them to take down the Christmas decorations! Why we picked that week boggles my mind – it’s also the week of my birthday. Should have planned that one better! 
Ahhh - thanks everyone. I just love to cook.
Finished up most of the Christmas shopping last night. Couple or gifts to order and then one more store I think to go to and I will be DONE which for me is a major event.
Checkin in with proof of life 
Good to hear from you all - love hearing details, boring or not
As strange as it sounds, usually do my posting while drinking coffee on deck before getting into the hot tub. I think these low sub-10 temps coupled with dome/physio shenanigans have cut into my forum time somewhat 
Thanks for asking, DTE. I’ve had a good run of days now since about Thanksgiving…little pain and no limping, and starting to feel okay bending down to pick things up, etc. Its been really wonderful.
Not ready for the hill in snow yet though…I tried a mini version of that in our laneway and hubby came down to rescue me and toppled garbage bin before I blew a knée again
The pool dome project was crazy and absorbing, but worth the investment and hassle…I love doing this morning physio on even the coldest days…it just helps me in so many ways start the day. My massage therapist says my tissue is the healthiest its been since the whole cipro-reaction.
So I actually think the combo of supplements I tried from the mayo sports clinic reference study combined with the aquatic physio made a big difference in getting sorted out. Its been 6 mos. now and some people report problems for a few years. Cautiously optimistic They’re doing a major study on those impacted by cipro reactions and I’ve decided I’m going to participate in the hopes they get some traction but also in the hopes someone digs more into the rat research that informed my supplement experiment.
Sat night is my annual closest pals xmas dinner I host. Was picking up my 5lb beef tenderloin last night and a few of the foodies that frequent my little indie market/butcher were riffing on inviting themselves to dinner while I was checking out (it was the price tag on the meat that got that convo going). A guy I know had just walked in and was eavesdropping and on my way out teased me that “not too mch pressure” on cooking a cut that expensive. Hope he hasn’t jinxed me but I’ll have to remember to keep the gin and tonics dialed down until the meat is safely roasted to perfection
Hope you all have fab pre-holiday weekends…and happy trails on the anniversary front.
And DTE, just hugs about your mom and sis. Missy, I too hate what all this is doing. Life’s too short for such nonsense.
Very nice to catch up on everyone.
We are going on our second snow/ice storm in less than a week.
Only 2-3 inches of snow and the entire city is slamming into each others car. Silly
school admin only put 2 snow days for the entire year in and they were used up so
did not even release the kids early. The huge surprise is that our weather folks have
predicted the snow down to the hour. So kids were on buses for 4 hours arriving home
at 7 in the evening. One slid down a hill and slammed into a couple of cars but no one was hurt.
More snow tomorrow. Did get out to the grocery today. H is sooooo bored that he is cooking.
Actually cooking. I think he is surprising himself. I am beginning to think that if I were not around
he would be just fine. Amazing how he has not complained about all of the goodies I have stockpiled
;). In the past he always though there was too much in the freezer or fridge. D is home and we are
all eating well.
While we know our neighbors and chat outside we do not usually socialize. I tried with one but her
life and way of living was way too princessy for me. She had all of the adjoining houses in for a
snow happy hour. It turned out to be a success. HA HA–she provided a small amount of cheese and
crackers and popcorn. I found an appetizer spanakopita in my freezer–needed and like.
H won the pool game that the guys played. Even he was quite surprised.
I have 17 orders from Amazon that were to arrive the last few days up to Monday.
Of course these are mainly separate orders as I am terrible about consolidating.
None are yet here. No garbage pick up for days. No newspaper. No mail.
Yes we are in “the hills” but you would think this is Siberia.
All of this is because we do not use the same salt that the East and Midwest uses…
mainly we use a type of salt gravel. Just great for windshields
#-o
Wow oregon, I hope they get things cleared up soon.
I woke up to freezing rain/sleet falling. Would normally be leaving for yoga in about 10 minutes, but not going out. My neighbor who owns a landscape business and has trucks out to salt posted on FB to stay home.
It’s supposed to be fine later in the day which is good because I have plans for dinner/theater with some women friends. We are going into the city to see Carousel which I have never seen performed on stage (love the music).
I was off yesterday and finished what little shopping I do. Mostly gifts for H, stocking stuffers and cards for family. We have had a tree up for a week, so H, S and I trimmed it last evening. We wont be putting up a second tree as will be visiting family. I admit that it really doesn’t seem very Christmas-y right now.
Early Christmas present last night: H & I saw Andrea Bocelli in concert. What an incredible voice. He did 4 encores!
Syracuse was a good trip, although it snowed about half a foot while I was there. I’m going back in three weeks for the second part of training. Syracuse in January - what could go wrong?
I’m working from home this week, and have a bunch to do before kids & their significant others show up. S’s last final is Thursday. D & her bf are coming Friday night. So by Friday I need to have beds made (I washed sheets after Thanksgiving but haven’t made the beds), apartment cleaned, groceries purchased, presents wrapped (a few still need to be purchased), etc.
H does not enjoy it when Xmas and New Year’s Day fall on Sunday. Service Saturday night and then again Sunday morning. Attendance is very low the next 2 Sundays.
H suggested we not do stockings this year. I think he forgot that over a year ago he moved all our Christmas stuff to storage and our stockings are there.
Hope everyone has a productive, healthy & safe week!
Ugh… My inlaws are driving me crazy. They sent out a Christmas letter that shared some very confidential information about H that we had told them several times was not to be talked about or shared. Can hardly believe they put it in the letter!!! To top it off they didn’t share the letter in our card but put in our Ds’. The girls called us while we were away this weekend and were extremely upset. I called mother inlaw and told her we were very upset and that they knew they shouldn’t have shared the info. MIL went crazy and wouldn’t talk about the letter but changed the subject and spewed what she perceived as slights over the years. When I calmly told her to stay on task and take responsibility she angrily said it was too late to do anything about it and then said they wouldn’t be coming for Christmas and hung up! I don’t mind that they won’t be there. 'Tis the season! 
Sorry to hear about that, NM. I wondered why she chose to put include private information in the first place. Now, she is embarrassed. There are a lot of folks who can’t accept responsibility and thus do what she did: attack back and cut off relations or try to take away something they think you want. Childish, but alas not uncommon.
Incidentally, the bus probably doesn’t want to stop at our house today. We’ve got two kids here. ShawD is recovering on the couch from getting 4 wisdom teeth pulled. ShawSon is sleeping in his room (it’s 2:35 pm) as he’s recovering from a very full quarter combined with sleep apnea.
Childish, indeed! She was like a two year old throwing a temper tantrum.
NM, how very awful! The fact that they did not put the letter in your card certainly makes
it appear that they knew that they were not suppose to share the information.
I hope that it is a good information for your H that he was not ready to share yet but in any event,
shame on them. Silverlining: they are not coming for the Holidays. How stressful if they change their minds now.
No mail, no garbage pick up, no Amazon deliveries. Yet our neighbor just drove away in his
front wheel car without chains or snow tires. I am feeling quite forgotten :(( .
D is starting to count how many times I bring it up…
We have been out and about for a few days now in the afternoons. Nights are still dicey.
Rains and 40 temps will soon take care of my woes.
Shaw, hope your kids feel better soon!
oregon…unfortunately it was confidential information that could have legal and financial implications.
I’m so sorry, NM. That’s really awful.
Oh NM that is really awful. Shame on your in laws for doing this and then not taking responsibility. I hope things tun out ok.
Nm, sending hugs. Any inkling as to what possessed her?
Has h confronted her at all?
In his shoes, I’d think twice about confiding in her.
While the silver lining may be they’re not coming for Christmas, I hope it doesn’t overshadow your festivities. Might be worth a private pow wow with them to see if she can accept responsibility and have everyone move on. It doesn’t sound like that’s her style but I always like to err on the side of caution because I think its hard for families to be estranged. Harder than they think at the time, and harder to make amends as time goes on and stubbornness sets in.
I say that as the wife of a man whose been estranged from his birth son for 12 years now, and for stupid reasons, in my opinion. Mch, with my encouragement, has tried to reach out, but it seems that (adult) kid’s heart can’t be healed…which is ironic, because said kid started the rift when he got involved in a very cultish religious group. I guess that’s what the kid of a preachers kid does to rebel The sad part is that said kid didn’t just lose access to his own father, who never had anything but his best interests at heart, but also his grandfather, who at 88, may not be with us long. McH’s father, who was a pastor, is especially sad and mad at the hypocrisy of it all.
In the maddest-about-it-all books is Mcson, who feels that in addition to having been denied a stepbrother, feels especially protective of McH, whose always been there for him when the chips are down and far more than his own father. Mcson has not been raised with any comprehension of the capacity of so-called religious quibbles used to rationalize behavior he considers “unchristian” aka inhumane to actually destroy families. From his perspective, its asinine.
From mine too, but I’ve seen this before, and I understand quite clearly how its easier to use the notion of God for ones own ends than to serve it
Oh, NM, how terrible! Have they ever done anything similar before? I would say that maybe MIL is slipping mentally, but she didn’t send you the letter, so she must have known you would not be pleased. What the heck???!!!
I have most of the shopping and wrapping done but need to think of what to feed everyone. We really don’t even know what meals Son and DIL will be joining us for. I just get so tired working such long hours.
Cq, I hear you about Sunday Christmas. Son will work 2-midnight on Christmas Eve (he does media at a church that we don’t attend), younger D will sing the 6 o’clock at my church, and H will sing 8 and 10 PM at his church ( he is paid, hence the two churches). Then H has to go back Sunday morning. I told him that I would go to his 8 pm service or his Sunday morning service but not both. I think 2 services in less than 12 hours is plenty. He disagrees. Ridiculous thing to “disagree” about.
Just reading to catch up. I’ve been down and out for a couple of days with vertigo. First time - would not want anyone to have this. Back at work today but being very careful with walking and moving slowly. Did drive in but avoided the expressway and did back roads to make sure that I didn’t have to move quickly.
So sorry NM - people regardless should be careful about sharing things. I even have my kids read the letter that I send to make sure that there is nothing in it that they disagree with prior to sending it out. Just want to maintain the good will.
Sounds like everyone is having terrible weather. We have been having some snow here. Today was a good day or I wouldn’t want to drive yet. Not a good time to be out of work was we are trying to nail down some specifics on the project that I’m working on.
I’m way behind on Xmas but now based on being sick it is what it is and I’ll get things done as they get done. Just is what it is. I don’t see how I can recover several days and well I don’t think I’ll be really up to completing a lot of things prior to Xmas at this time. Just not up to doing a lot of things right now. Just trying to get through the day.
I have to wrap and I did want to make a couple of cloth books for GD. That is still possible but we’ll see what I get done and what I don’t. My knitting things are probably not getting done. Just don’t have the stamina right now to get things done. Guess it will teach me to not wait until the last minute to get these things done!
Oh,no RM! I hope you recover quickly. Be kind to yourself and don’t worry about unfinished projects. Your family will understand. Sending recovery hugs and prayers.