sounds like everyone had a great xmas and boxing day vacay

bushlady, you're a better woman than i.... i've NEVER cooked a turkey. for the last 2 yrs i went out to an all you can eat restaurant on thanksgiving. instead of turkey, i ate steak (i only eat steak about 2-4 x/yr)

karen and carol, glad you weren't miserable the whole day. i still miss my dm, df and dgp's on holidays

diana, i find it hard to believe that there is still much of anything left in your house. it must have been packed when you started

tue i read for 2hrs, knitted for 40 min while listening to tapes, ran an errand (bj's grocery/coupon run.... i broke down on the way home, but had 3 lovely men help me get the car restarted and 1 followed me home to make sure i made it)
i decided to spend 45 min on my yrs worth of b/d cards instead of cleaning. they're all ready for just a stamp. i also opened an xmas present and mailed a t/y note

mary

Good for you Karen! Got to stick to your guns with the help from DH!

I totally understand about spending time alone with Nan, and then you came home to celebrate, as Nan would want it! Glad you all were able to do that.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Things are getting done, but not fast enough for me! Have to remember my babysteps!

Karen, it pays to get them trained young. After 41 years I am finally smartening up and getting DH to help more. He was always good with the man stuff, looking after cars, getting wood in and such, but avoided the kitchen. But lately he has taken up emptying the dishwasher, and has even started to learn simple food preparation other than opening a can of beans and stirring them on the stove with one of the best table knives!

Mary, I look on cooking a turkey as an experience on a level worse than going to the dentist and suchlike! I only get a 10-12lb one and that is heavy enough to heft into an oven. How do people manage with one twice the size? I am never happier than when I have finally finished the tedious task of stripping the meat off the carcase later on and getting the bones turned into broth for soup. I think you have to be either crazy or have a love of cooking to enjoy the turkey thing! But I am thankful that we have food to cook while so many have not.

You were fortunate, Mary, to have all those guys eager to help with your car. You must be quite the guy magnet! : )

Well, Diana, it is after 10.15 am and I am still not dressed yet, just relaxing after breakfast and periodically glancing out of the window at the lovely snow scene. There will be no serious work today, just meals and puttering when I feel like it. I might take to the sewing machine and do some mending of jeans, which I will enjoy. Besides, the sewing machine is far from the "munchies", which scream out "eat me" all the time!

Mary
I missed your posting about the car breaking down! That was so nice of the men (3 no less!) to even make sure you got home safely.

I like to change out my decorations thru out the year, pictures, etc. So consequently I had a lot of different things that I stored and coudn't part with. I wasn't full to the brim in the house, it was all contained, but what I am thinking is I can change just a few things out, not the entire house! Putting up less will give me a change, but do not need to go overboard!

Same with the various holidays. Just one or two little items would be sufficient.

yes the men in va beach are GREAT!

i read for an hr wed and took the car in. it needed a new alternator - 355.00 ouch! i also knitted for about 20 min

mary

Diana, I put away some items before we left Canada and since coming back, I have been reluctant to put them back! I had given away house plants, too, and I haven't replaced them so far. I might have to make some decisions re. some ornaments, vases, which are tucked away. They are not a storage problem but the GONer in me says that they should either be used or donated. No hurry for this yet as there are far more urgent areas, like the drawer full of greeting cards and goodness knows what else, in our "office"!

I too need to join the discussion of decor change out for seasonal and holidays themes. It was fun and I looked forward to the rotations but a condo on four levels isn't as malleable as a house, it resists change-out. DH flatly refuses to move furniture from one level to another, DSs are away at university and with so many 'snowbird' friends I've lost enthusiasm for decorating and entertaining. I've started re-gifting, selling, donating and trashing the stash with a desire to reduce by half.

December Goals:

Participate in Community Events:
*craft/trade show DONE
*parent training DONE
*music at the mall
*sleigh rides
*make bake sale items

Hobbies:
*bookmobile
*scrapbook wkend
*xstitch
*make cards PROGRESS

Health/Fitness:
*have girls try on skates
*get new skates (probably) for at least one girl
*KUB DONE

Girls' activities:
*Concert
*gymnastics
*4H
*girl scouts
*teacher gifts

Friends:
*cookie exchange
*Fri lunches
*send cards
*several bdays
*call

Family:
*get gifts
*extended family dinner/gift exchange (SAT)
*DNs' bdays
*goodie trays

Cmas Holidays
*make plans

Mostly reached my goals for this month... just some more cards to make and would like to call a couple of friends... I won't get to the xstitch ~ there's always next month

I am trying to knock down my to do list. I have 70 items left and I think I can get 30 more off by the time the girls go back to school. that's 6 a day. So far I've gotten 4 pretty much done...

Good for you Maureen! You are doing far better than I!

~~~~~~~~
Miss Goner party gal this week. Lunch on Monday, dinner last night, luncheon today and a party at a neighbor's tomorrow night.
That is it for now.


Cyd and Bushlady:
Glad to hear we are all thinking alike. I like the changes, but less can be good too.

thu i took myself out to dinner, did 3 b/s in both bathrooms, and knitted for about 30 min

mary