Some Sort of a Catch Up....

Well, Saturday, we went to Columbia for our Christmas with Mom and my Sister and her family.  We ate at A1 Asian or something like that.  

 Over all, the stress of the season was coming down hard, like it usually does about this time.  So I had to laugh at the irony of the sign above found in the restaurant. I needed it right about then. 

George ordered us some hot tea.  

After dinner we went to my Sister's house to open gifts and eat dessert.  

I love Sheba, such a sweetie.  So glad she can come indoors but she has to stay in her bed if she does.  She is a cutie pie and so sweet.  She immediately rolled over for me to pet her tummy.  As if she knows I'm the queen of petting dog tummies.  

Evidently, I speak dog...unspeakingly.   I love her!

My sister's tree is pretty.  We got to see their new house, which is just gorgeous.  

 We opened gifts, Alabama game in background lol and headed back.  I tried to sleep but didn't sleep well at all.  I missed my own bed.  We were going to get up and head home after coffee, but Mom insisted on cooking so we ate breakfast and then headed back home.

At home I was able to get some things done today.  Started on laundry as always, took a shower, began collecting Christmas decor - ready for packing, put up gifts, gathered Christmas boxes, bags, and threw away trash etc.  Unpacked from Columbia.  Went to the grocery, took care of doggies and so forth.  I have changed the guest bedroom sheets.  Still need to change our sheets and will do that here in a minute and may go to bed early so I can get up early.

I snapped some pics of some of my Christmas pressies!  It's not all of them.  Some of the food items and wine and have already been put up. And gift cards.  

The much coveted Winter Spice Mix...

George wanted to buy me the necklace earrings set by the jewelry lady here in our area.  I knew how much it was since I was there so he left the price on.  lol  She does work with stones.  I got my sister one too.  But George bought this for me.  

Well, I just fell asleep doing this blog entry, not sleeping well last night, so I'm going to go change the sheets and hit the hay!

George is off tomorrow with a planned day of a few things to do, and I have to work. 
Anyway later............

Also did a private blog entry earlier.

Nite Nite

Working and Still Christmas-ing!

Got my Cracker Barrel salad yesterday using a gift card.  Also bought my assistant's lunch as I asked her if I bought her lunch would she be willing to go pick it up for us.  It has been a very focused two days - or as much as I can focus with so much going on.  Was at work from dark:30 to dark:30 yesterday, aka 6 to 5.  This was why no blog yesterday.  I worked instead.  I don't really like working over in the winter b/c it scares me to stay when everyone else has left.  I guess it is a false sense of security coming in - in the mornings - like criminals won't be there then - but you know people are starting to arrive here and there at least. 

Then at 5 I headed home to meet up with George and head to his sister's house who had made a wonderful Christmas dinner for us.  Look at this appetizer of brie and little weini's.  It was all baked together into a sunshine.

She had a cute a little plate to put it on but we all decided "no let's just dig in it as it is".  ;-) And it was heavenly.  I loved what the poppy seeds and sesame seeds added to it.  It's made with pie crusts.  I think one on the bottom and one on the top.  And you wrap the pigs in blankets - I guess you cut the dough and wrap them at the sides. I have no idea but it was so cute.

Here is the Christmas tree and beautiful living room area. 

And the dining area.

And a pic I captured after our gift swap.  Seemed appropriate for coffee at Christmastime! We had a lovely time and was able to chat and enjoy ourselves.  They gave us too much!  We had a wine for dinner that I really liked and raved over and guess what?  It just happened to be one of my gifts that I opened - the same wine.  

Dinner was a honey baked ham.  And baked Brussel sprouts and navy beans and cranberry. We opened gifts and then had dessert. And for dessert we had brownies and peppermint ice cream and coffee.  LOVED it ALL!  

Around 9:30 or so as the yawns kept coming, I told George we ought to head home.  We took the dogs out and crashed.  Even George crashed.  I woke up at 4:30 but I heard the nudging of the Spirit (God's spirit He gave each of us who believe) tell me "No you go back to sleep, you need more rest."  So I obeyed.  Slept until almost 7.  We both got up and took doggies out and I fixed coffee and fed the dogs.  

Then decided I better blog b/c we are busy today and it'll be later tomorrow before I can blog again. But we do have plans for our Christmas with Mom and my sister and we'll be doing that today and spending some more time with Mom.  

I'm wanting to have some time to put my gifts up from Christmas but since Christmas we've been working and no time to do so and gone a lot this weekend.  So it'll have to be New Year's Day.  We have been invited to a NYE party but with this acquisition making me work long hours and everything else - I really need some quiet time at home if we can get it.  I have much to do around here as well.  I will get very cranky if I don't get time to do what I need to do.  

Also need to start prepping for Phoenix as I fly out with friends for that on the 8th for NYKO.  Getting excited about that as it draws near. 

So all that said, I need to go and try to get my house in some kind of order, do laundry, prep for next week some, and try to line up my gifts so I can take a pic for the blog.  You will be surprised.  

What did I get George, Sybil asked?  Let's see if I can remember: 

A rare Beatles collection. 

Shorts - several pair

Shirts - about 3 that he can wear to work

A bottle of Scotch that is his favorite

A bottle of Sloe Gin 

A t-shirt with the Star Trek Crew crossing Abbey Road. lol

Several different and pricey beers that he would not ordinarily buy himself. 

A man's attache case for his magazines, books, lists to go (He uses a box, lol)

A collapsible cooler to keep in the car - then we can buy cheese, meats etc while we are out.

Coffee

Magazines

Stocking Stuffers: Hershey's Dark Chocolate, little miniature liquors, altoids, etc.

All Clad skillet pans (2 sizes)

There may be more, but I can't think of them now.  I will show you what all I got in pictures.  However, gift cards won't be shown as they are already in my purse, lol. Some of the jewelry is already being worn and so as time passes, if I don't hurry and get the pics taken, they will be used and in their places already.  

Anyway we are still in Christmas mode.  Trying to figure out NYEve.  And I'm looking forward to New Year's Day so I can get the gifts put up, Christmas put up, clean the house, and so forth.  I want NYEve as well if we can be home to get a few things done.  But I will go with the flow, whatever we need to do.  Then it will be "birthdaying" time for me on Jan 3rd.  We have a special dinner reservation going!

I'm excited about the New Year.  We have to figure out when to go to the store for Pete's sake!  I have a list a mile long.  Mostly we need household items such as cleaning items, paper items, and dog treats and some personal items like toothpaste.  Walmart and Target are just out of everything on line.  Target substituted a delivery item for a pick up item on two things and that did not sit well with me.  So I am "voting" against them by getting my items from Kroger instead.  My guess is they spend a lot of money on inventory for Christmas and don't backstop the main items in the warehouses and so you have to go to the store to get things instead at the time of year you don't really want to be there.  ::sigh:: So if I'm having to go then I'm giving Kroger the business as I'll be in there anyway.  Once their inventories are over with they will begin stocking again.  But I am a little irritated that they don't stock what we need.  For the last year I have tried to order toilet paper in regular size rolls.  I finally gave up and had to start ordering double rolls.  And now they want you to order the Mega Rolls.  They don't fit our holders.  I mean what is next? The "Bigger than your Bathroom Monster size" roll?  We'll have to install our toilet paper holders from the ceiling under a major beam for support? I guess that is their way of increasing the price per sq inch w/o you realizing it.  You think it's just b/c the size is bigger but the price is bigger too in bigger proportions.  I'm just so over it.  So I am having to switch to getting that at Kroger.  Oh you can buy the reg and double rolls - but you have to buy so much of it at once that you'd have to have it's own warehouse at home to stock it.  lol So my vote goes to Kroger ongoing for that.  If they don't stock the product for me, they will lose my business! 

Well, off to get things done around here for the 3 hours and 45 min that I have - less if you count shower time.  Maybe I can get something done and it'll start with laundry. 

I guess this is the After Christmas crunch if you can call it that.  Only we are indeed still Christmasing through tomorrow morning or so.

Have a great weekend!

   

Christmas Day and Apple Watch

Our tree packed with presents underneath.  Always so exciting!  Love to watch people open.  Love to open them myself!  A wrapped package is so exciting and inviting.  I even love the mess after and sorting paper for trash, bows to keep, stacking the boxes and folding the sacks.  lol

Here's Rockin' Santa wrapped with lights. 

Froggy Christmas

Reindeer Centerpieces

Cody and Katy doing their stockings.  We love the stocking time! 

The animals love their Georgie!

And their Nana, who is drinking pure orange juice, for the record - not wine or the mimosa that Katy and I had. 

Mom's dog, Ms. Fancy Lou.  She was so cute and sweet.  And she was very good.  She loved being with the other dogs and watching them.  They all got along fine.  Aren't her paws cute?  Ms. Fancy gets her own hamburgers, so her waist is a little like the rest of ours!  lol

I think Mom had a good time.  She was ready to get out of her house a bit.  I hope she enjoyed it enough to come spend a long weekend with us sometime.  It takes a lot to get someone out of their element for a few days.  So I'm so glad that she came.  It thrilled my heart, and in some respects even healed my heart.  We had a good time but on Christmas Day she was getting sick with a cold and didn't feel good.  I hated that she got sick at our house as it makes it look like we didn't take care of her.  She said it was coming on before she got here.  But she is back home now.  I took her back on Christmas Day.  I think she was ready to get back home. 

And Even More doggies hanging with George.

As usual, our Christmas food table grew and grew.  The kids (Katy and Cody) wanted a snack table and wanted to graze.  We had sushi, salmon, shrimp, salsa and chips, spinach dip and crackers, cheese, sausage balls, a pickle tray, Hot Chicken bites & ranch, and prime rib and biscuits.  And there is me in the reflection.

Peacefully sleeping, my Tugie - who found her a soft spot to curl up and sleep hard.  Love her.  

 Christmas is not Christmas without little dog mischief-ing and developing green polka dotted beards out of Christmas paper.  She was clueless. lol

Cody and Katy and their little family.

I drank water during cleanse day out of my "Don't quit your Daydream" mug.  It's perfect to house a big cup of water for sipping at your desk all day (was from my Secret Santa, Teresa, at work - Bless Her). 

And for the record, I WON'T forget my Daydream.  

I'm having a ball with my Apple Watch.  Patiently waited.  And it is helping me in so many ways to improve the quality of my life.  Having though it was really a selfish thing of me to want one as my phone does a lot of the same thing - but when something becomes part of you - it's just more convenient.  

I'd asked a lot of folks what they liked about theirs and they always loved it and had a hard time describing why.  I get it.  I'll try though. 

These are not in order of importance but as I thought of them.  Hold on let me get more coffee.  lol

1.  It was incredibly easy to set up.  Now I haven't set up a LOT of apps.  I really decided I didn't need to, after all the phone is always nearby.  I did not get cell service.  It is just on bluetooth as my phone is always with me.  So no need to have it active with cell service. 

2.  It helps me remember to breathe which is extremely important for stress and anxiety release. It has a really cool breathe app and it will give you reminders periodically to stop for a minute to breathe.  

3.  It keeps up with my heart rate and that is allowing me to see inside rhythms- literally - to what is going on with my body and I can now SEE the results of walking and I will get to SEE the results of my heart rate going down as I improve and it has to work less to keep my body going.  I'm looking forward to watching the numbers change.  It gives me a goal.  

4.  It has a target goal of sorts to stand, to move around, and to exercise.  I did great yesterday on all three as I went walking for over a mile at lunch yesterday.  

5.  I love having the events on my wrist - although I don't have any today as everyone is out so no meetings, lol.  

6.  Love the reminders being there.  Because on my phone, I don't always look at my reminders for some reason even when I get a notification - it comes and goes, but this is always there to see all through the day.  

7.  I love the "moon" stages.  You can pick what you want to be where on this screen and you can choose from a variety of things, but I was sure to have the moon stage on mine as I'm always intrigued with how the full moon effects life. 

8.  I love seeing the current temp and the range of temps. 

9.  Being the weather person that I am, I love having "the wind" on there, lol.  

10.  I was so surprised to get a call on my phone yesterday.  I didn't miss it or have to look for my phone on my desk - it was right there on my arm and I answered. 

11.  It's easier to remind my self of things 

12.  It's easy to send a text via Siri.  Why didn't I do that with my phone?  lol  

Anyway I'm sure there are lots of things later that I'll think of but that is a start. 

Yesterday was back at work and onboarding the Oregon Plant takes front row and center.  I'm very behind but have faith we can do this!  

Oh how exciting! 

Lots of things still on the calendar.  

Christmas with George's sister and my BIL.  This makes me happy that we can do a special Christmas together.  I'm happy we are closer and now that our kiddos are gone we can get together.  We are also going out to celebrate my birthday in January!  That is something we started doing is going out for our birthdays together.  Always enjoy it.  Sometimes we get together --just because!  

We also have Christmas in Columbia as well coming up.  Then New Years.  I work on on NYE but George is off.  Then the Phoenix trip is around the corner.  I'm getting excited.  

Matter of fact, I did some training online last night regarding some things that are going on right now. 

I'll be posting this in my FB feed today.  And of course you all know that if you are interested in this at all you can let me know by sending an email to me at (I'm going to write this in a weird way so spammers don't get it.......)

Back      Porch      Writer   AT   AOL  DOT Com  ---you know what to do!  

Whether you just want to be friends on FB, or have a look see in our Private Facebook Group - just email me and let me know.  

I did a big order last night.  I had $200 in free product b/c I finished a challenge.  All you have to do is turn in a photo of yourself and current weight and then when the time frame is over submit another photo, and end weight, and how you think the plan has helped you.  And then you get free products.  How cool is that? 

I talked with George about the ongoing schedule and need for time to work on the business.  I'm changing cleanse day to Tuesday and also will do the team meetings on Zoom on Tues nights to stay connected.  It's really important.  That way I'm only removing myself from ONE weeknight instead of two as far as dinner and family time is concerned.  And I told him I need a power hour every night to be able to connect with folks.  So I'm starting to get my game plan going.

Anyway, I need to go and get into work.  Ya'll take care!  

Christmas Eve and Birthdayin!

Well, here is my Christmas Eve post.  I'm a day behind. It's been hard to get blog time going with a lot going on.  But we've enjoyed ourselves.  I wasn't planning on blogging this morning as I snoozed, but here I am and will try to hurry it through so I can get ready and get out the door. 

On Christmas Eve we did "Birthdayin" with Cody and Katy.  That meant this time that I had gifts to open from them as they won't be here for my actual birthday.  

I got perfume and some Pioneer Woman bowls.  

Katy opened her gifts in front of the "fire" lol. 

 Cody's gifts were wrapped in "deer huntin" paper, lol.

He was thrilled with his Xbox and was not expecting it. 

Then we headed out for some Hattie B's hot chicken.  Mom told me to order for her.  And I went to order her the regular chicken and she said "no I like a little heat" so I got her mild.  I didn't like this pic below as it made me look fat.  "Big Furry" is huge but comfortable so I decided I didn't care.  I did have to go home and weigh though and since thanksgiving and all the holiday parties and Christmasing - I've only gained 5 lbs.  Thank goodness.  I can knock that back down pretty quick.  Probably in one cleanse day - maybe two.  So I felt better after I weighed.  Then I decided I could post it. 

We went to Sam's for Christmas day Sushi and a few other things.  George was determined to have Sushi from there.  I don't like to go there anymore.  The "clientele" has changed dramatically.  It's no longer a special place.  It's turned into the land of Soddom and Gomorrah like a few other places around town.  It doesn't take long for places to go South, when people get a hold of it and crime worlds takes over.  It is just so sad.  

I fixed Irish Stew for dinner.  It took forever b/c of all the chopping.  I guess I should have chopped the day before but it seemed pointless to pull everything out twice.  

It was good.  We were all still full from the chicken earlier but this was heartwarming and a late dinner too.  

We enjoyed the fireplace the last few days - even if it was on TV.  

Well, more tomorrow or as I have time.  I'll cover Christmas Day.  I show pics of gifts as well.   There were a few surprises.  No RV.  I wasn't expecting that of course.  But I didn't mind teasing the family.  The day I do get my RV is going to be some kind of wonderful.  I'm not sure if I will scream, cry, give happy moans amidst silent prayers, or just faint.  

I can assure you it will be after a lot of hard work and persistence.  But you start somewhere.  And we'll be going to an RV show the end of January.  George keeps bringing it up so I appreciate the fact that he is allowing me to dream.  And that will be a big focus for me next year and trying to bring that all into alignment as well as try to be better at putting God first and doing His will.  

Anyway, I am trying not to think of the fact that I normally have this day off to play after all the hoopla.  :-(   But that's ok.  George is working too.  Anyway it was probably better for me to take off Friday than today.  Gonna be crazy I think this week and next.  As long as everyone is patient all will be fine but there is going to be way more work than people to handle it from now on - it was already that way.  I hate having to tell people "I'm sorry I've not had time to do your thing yet".  I don't like saying it and no one likes to hear it. But I think we'll all have to get used to it til we get some mercy and have some help, lol.  Patience with a capital P is the name of the new game.  Because we were already  behind.  It is what it is.  We have to try to stay positive.  I know it's hard when everyone is pressing for things right now.  But we won't be able to give it all "right now".  We can only do so much in short amount of time, prioritized and the rest sits and rots if it is not urgent, lol.

Ya'll have a good day. 

Christmas Eating and Making our Texas Video

Country Ham, Eggs, Biscuits

We enjoyed our country ham and biscuits.   I added black strap molasses to mine.  In a big way, as it was not as thick as I had anticipated and a lot came out of the jar, lol.   This was Texas molasses, or at least that is where I bought it. 

I don't know when I've had a more relaxing Christmas.  We have always been traveling and on the go.  So this has been nice to have time to actually enjoy being off.  It's amazing.  Usually when I'm off I'm walking around the house doing things but most of it was already done last week.  I am doing a bit of laundry though in the morning.  And help keep the dishes up.  I have morning duty with the dogs and it is interesting getting them all 5 out the door and fed.  They all have to be fed at the same time, lol.  If one dog gets up later than another it's pandemonium.  

Throughout the day we take them out several times.  If it's just me, I will try to take 2 or 3 at once.  But it works best if two of us can do it.  I did have 4 this morning as Mom took fancy.  We offer to take Fancy out but Mom insists on helping.  She can help as long as she stays on the porch.  

Tugie loves to sit in Nana's lap along with Fancy so Mom sits all day with two poodles in her lap.  lol  But here Tugie is sleeping in her bed.  I took a pic so you could see her new nautical Lobster shirt.  

Tugie in her Lobster shirt

George fixed an excellent prime rib dinner last night.  It's my turn to cook tonight and I'm cooking an Irish Pork Stew.  

Prime Rib dinner

 Here is the table.  It is NOT grand and glorious.  My little decor is just that..... "little" but it means a lot to be able to see the person across the way.  I will have to work on a more scenic and dramatic display next year.  After being at Aunt Gwen's house, my decor is puny, lol.  Hers was beautiful.  I just discovered you can see Mom in the mirror below.

Christmas Table

 We opened our bottle of Arrington "Antebellum".  I will have to get another bottle sometime.  I was more in the mood to drink tea last night.  But I did get some of it.

The reindeer decor

All day yesterday b/w breakfast and dinner, I worked on a video and editing and voice overs and such.  Trying to practice.  Maybe one day we'll build our brand and have our own RV report, lol.  I considered doing videos in place of blogging and doing it once a week,  but the video would take about as long to put together as a week's worth of blogging.  And that won't work.  lol

I enjoyed working on this video though of our trip to Texas.  I can tell that I'm going to want more bells and whistles than the windows video editor on my laptop.  It did pretty good though but it crashed a few times.  And the audio over the music was hard to do - sometimes you can hardly hear it.

Anyway here you go.   If you liked it, give me a thumbs up on You Tube!






We will get to spend part of the day with Katy and Cody, as we do their birthday brunch today and they get to eat "Hot Chicken". 

I need to go!  Ya'll have a good Christmas Eve!