Category: Holidays

When I got up this morning I threw on my clothes and started the arduous process of taking down the tree. Here’s the funny part. It took me three days to put it all up and 4 hours to take it all down!

Hubby was watching TV and reading the newspaper, and I was listening to my MP3 Player. I danced around the tree doing the first of the 5 parts of tree demolition required.

1.) Tinsel removal.

Okay, I know you guys are going to laugh and some will call me cheap (I prefer the term frugal) but when I remove the tinsel, I save it. I’ve had the tinsel I use for over 20 years! Each year I put it on, and then at the end of the season, I take it off and put it in a ziploc bag until next year.

2.) Then the garlands come off. Round, and round, and round, I go. I may actually break down next year and get some new garlands, as the current one(s) are broken all around. So, I sort of piece meal the garland around the tree.

3.) Then it’s time for the ornaments. One by one they come off. Then I wrap them in tissue paper, filling a special box until each and every one  of my beloved ornaments are safely tucked in for yet another year.

I always feel sad about this because I love so many of those little gems. I recall the places I have been and the circumstances around it’s acquisition.

4.) The lights are next. Not just regular lights, but the bubble lights that Hubby loves so much. Those must be carefully re-boxed so they do not break. This year I will need to hunt down some replacement bulbs.

5.) Once the lights are off, Then I start un-making the tree and packing the ‘limbs’ into a box. This is also a row upon row process, but with music in my ears I got that tree down in no time.

Later I will finish closing up boxes and then on Wednesday Hubby will pass these boxes up to me in the attic and I will drag them to their spot for another 11 months.

Another Christmas Come and gone!

You know, when it’s the Christmas season, I am all for getting the decorations out, and putting them up! I love it! Pretty sparkling lights, and tinsel and my little moving village with skaters! The first night that it is all done, I like to sit and turn off the regular lights and just enjoy the glow of the season.

Then Christmas comes, almost overnight, and then New Years, and then it’s time to take all this stuff down, and put it all away.

I started that practice on Saturday. I cleared the shelves, dusted and after wrapping the items I put the decorations in their special box until next year,

However, I couldn’t do it all. I left the village, the Christmas tree, and the mini dackel tree up. Tomorrow I will take two of those items and pack them up, and then do the tree on Monday.

Then, for another year it is over. Gosh it went so fast! I think next year I will put everything up the day after Thanksgiving.

1. How did you ring in the new year?

It started early, with my watching the Sydney, Australia fireworks online. I made special meals. Crab Quiche, and lamb chops. We had a nice bottle of bubbly that we split and as always, I shed a few tears.

2. What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2013?

Watching Miss Savannah grow! The last seven months have been the best! So I expect the next year will be even better!

3. Steven Spielberg is quoted as saying, “All of us every single year, we’re a different person. I don’t think we’re the same person all our lives.” What say you?

I hope that each year, as I grow and change, become a slightly better person. Recently, someone I love told me in a loving way, that I had a very annoying habit, they are right and now I need to work on that!

4. The Pantone color of the year for 2013 is emerald green. Like or dislike? Do you already own something this color? Will you add something in this shade to your home or wardrobe in 2013?

I am not a green person. It makes me look like the wicked witch of the west! My main color is blue. And nope, will not be adding this color to the house.

5. Speaking of emerald…what’s your favorite gemstone?

Black Opals. The ones I like are a dark blue with a shot of green going through them. These are mined in Australia!

Isn’t that beautiful?

6. Share a favorite book or movie from 2012.

The Descendents. Both the movie and the book! All I can say is wow! I am still shocked that George Clooney did not win Best Actor at the Oscars. He was incredible!

7. What is something you want to tell yourself at the start of this brand new year?

To think before I speak. It’s sad to say, but sometimes I speak and my brain is not engaged. Got to stop doing this!!!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

2013 I also plan to get back on the wagon with Weight Watchers. I have 5 months until Savannah’s birthday and so there is no excuse to be eating cake. Actually, I should just cut cake out of my diet, like I’m allergic or something! After all, I eat it and then I break out in fat! Tomorrow is the first Weight Watchers class since well before Christmas. I shudder at the thought of getting up on the scale!

January

We discovered that Mandy was having a girl!

February

We got out skiing

March

I got to swim with the dolphins!

April

The fruit trees blossomed early!

May

My first grandchild was born. Sweet Savannah Rose May 31, 2012!

June

The first few days we all hung out with Mandy and Savannah at the hospital!

July

I just knew, I was head over heels in love! I went down to see Mandy

and Savannah, every other week.

August

And Savannah grew and grew!

September

And so quickly, Savannah became a big girl, with interests!

October

We had an earthquake on October 16th. That blew my mind!

It’s the hardest, longest, jolt that I have ever felt! 4.5!

November

I celebrated my 54th birthday and I was lucky to be surrounded by family and friends!

December

Savannah’s First Christmas!

7 months old!

Happy New Year!!!

My phone rang before 8 o’clock this morning. It was my mother, who wanted to talk and talk and talk. She woke me, before I had a chance to visit the little ladies room or walk the dogs, so the five of us were all squirming around in bed! Finally I could stand it no longer, and I put the phone down and dashed to the bathroom!

Then I explained that the dogs were next and I had to go. By then Hubby was awake and our day started far earlier than any of us had actually wanted it to.

When we pulled up the shades, and glanced outside we found 5-6 inches of snow! And, it was still snowing! And as I write now, it is still snowing.

I love snow, don’t get me wrong, but today I actually needed to do a few things.  I’ve decided to put it off until tomorrow when the weather will be better.

Meanwhile, Monday was laundry day, snuggling dackels day and watching the dachshunds plow through the snow day!

Fritz, Anneliese and Arnie.

Greta

Oh, how much fun it is to watch the dackels in the snow! Especially when it is deep enough so they get buried!

I still need to run some errands and buy the last few gifts for Christmas. Then I am done! Well, sort of. I still need to do cooking for Jack!

I woke on Saturday morning and told Hubby that today we had to go out and do a large shopping. Food, some gifts, and dog food.

So after we had breakfast, off we went to the stores. I’m not a big fan of shopping this time of year. The parking lots were packed, but for some reason, we got spaces close up every time! We also managed to get green arrows for right turns each time we came up to them! Talk about luck!

The day was long, and we got back after dark, to four dogs, who were a bit on the frantic side. We were out 15 minutes after their dinner time!

We put the food away, fed the pooches, chatted with B in Australia, and then I made a quick and easy dinner.

Truly, there are never enough hours in the days during Christmastime are there?

Busy, busy, busy! Which means I am feeling much, much, better!

I woke up today and immediately knew I was feeling better. I got up with gusto, made the coffee and walked the dogs. Yes, my body is getting back to normal.

Since I’d handed Hubby boxes filled with Christmas decorations yesterday, I took Monday nearly all day, to dust the shelves, take down the usual decorations and put up all my Christmas ones!

Nativity scenes

and my mini Christmas tree with it’s dackel ornaments.

I got out the big tree and spent 2 hours wrestling it together. Row upon row, I set it up. The tree is 20 years old and I’m almost ready to retire it to the recycling center. The newer ones are pre-lit and easier to assemble. Oh well, I am too cheap to do that.

Hubby thinks I am a bit mad for setting up all the decorations if we aren’t entertaining anyone for the holidays. I told him I am doing this for us! Period!

Ah, the joy of Christmas!

One thing you can do when you’ve got a cold is write. I put my lap desk on my knees and addressed envelopes, put stamps on them and our cute cut out return address labels. I finished all the cards, and on Monday I will mail them!

We had a crisis of printer ink. We discovered that the cheap refills really are a giant rip off. So next time, we will get the official Canon Cartridges, and the official Hewlett Packard. Both machines work well. The Hewlett Packard is 12 years old and the Canon is 2 years old. The Canon is faster, but the Hewlett Packard sure does a nice job!

Our colds are getting better, but we both have led quiet existences. We have watched a few movies, on the satellite channels, and then a couple of shows on Amazon Prime. The best show there was a show on how they train service dogs, and how to some extent they allow the dog to select the person they will be paired with. That was a great show!

I think tomorrow I will bring down our tree and put the light on. Part of me would love to go out and get a pre-lit artificial tree so I do not have to wrestle with the lights. They’re not too expensive, but since my tree still fits the bill otherwise, we’ll just make that work.

Tomorrow I definitely need to do some laundry and perhaps a little ironing. We will see.

Have a great Sunday Everyone!