Beauty

[Hayfield]

fancy pantsy--I'm glad that you're enjoying your retirement too! Thanksgiving was late again this year, so we lost a week of shopping, decorating, etc. When I said that to my DS, he didn't get it but he shops on-line and sends the presents directly to our house, has them wrapped by the store too. My DD gave me her list and I got everything on line. She wants a gift card from Dunkin Donuts, she loves their coffee, so I'll get that next week. DH was a cashmere sweater. I told DH my gas logs for the fireplace was my present. I so enjoy turning the fire on with a remote.

[SleeplessinSD]

HAYFIELD after reading all your posts, I have to say I feel more awake and anxious to start the day. Love your energy. My New Years resolution is to get back exercising regularly and beginning a healthy diet. I feel very fortunate and blessed to not have any major health issues; I think it's good genes. My Mother was very active and healthy until she reached 90, then she developed heart issues which she passed away from. Wow, how great is it to not have changed much in 11years, be proud, you've earned it. Have fun decorating, I'm so glad I'm done....looks pretty good if I do say so myself! FANCY, so good to see your post. I'm glad you're feeling better. I know how you feel. After hosting Thanksgiving, all I wanted to do was 'nothing!" So much preparation and then being on your feet all day trying to be sure everyone is having a good time is just draining. It's times like that, I know I just don't have the energy I used to. Good luck with the rest of your shopping! Well, I need to do a few things around here before heading out to volunteer. As always, sending healing/good thoughts and prayers to all our friends in need. Waving to RetRN ( I love Christmas music; enjoy baking; sounds so yummy!), CINDY, MOCHAHONEY, KAT, H2be, HOOTY, CATWHISPERER, CorisMom, LOVES, SPAMMOM/PUDDLES/SHORELADY ((hugs)), DANKY and all our friends old and new....have a great, safe day everyone!

[Danky]

GOOD AFTERNOON HELEN, MOCHA, SHORELADY and ALL---- it is freezing here ( northern NJ) today and yesterday was a sweater outside day. I roasted a turkey yesterday ( nobody wants a leftover tofurky sandwich) and I have just been hacking it apart for the last 24 hrs. I'm not even sick of it yet ! I really thought I had completed my shopping but still managed to buy a bunch of "stuff" yesterday. I like a place called Norm Thompson and everything was 35% off with free shipping . I bought a beginners ukulele , with a life time guarantee, for one of the grands. The regular price with shipping was close to $100 and I paid $50. I found a few things that I just had to have...lol ! I promised myself that yesterday was the money spending cut-off. Now to get motivated to decorate...UGH ! ETA--- well I just broke my own promise. American Girl Doll is having a 1/2 price accessories sale....what could I do ?

[cindyinfl]

Good Afternoon friends. Where is the time going? December already, and Christmas will be here before we know it. Luckily, I did my Christmas shopping via Ebay during the summer, so now all I have to do is wrap. I will have 2 boxes that will need to be mailed, so I'd like to get that done by next week. Also, I want to address and send out a few cards. I know most people don't do that anymore, but that is no tradition that I will not give up! I do enjoy receiving cards too.

It is so nice & warm here today. 74 degrees and sunny, and goes down into the 50's at night. Bob says this is his idea of winter!

I went to the cardio doctor this morning for a defib adjustment. Can't tell any difference yet, but he said I should see a little increase in energy in a few days. I sure hope so- energy I need! I'm still not feeling "up to snuff", as my grandfather used to say.

Hope everyone is enjoying a great day. Take good care.

BBL,

Cindy

[Katcat1]

Hi Ladies,

I received some very bad news last night. My really good friend, her husband, has bladder cancer. She was taking her husband to the specialist today so I told her to call me when she has a chance after the dr. visit. I did some research on the Internet so I hope his cancer is in the very early stages as survival is 98%. I have been praying for him and hope he will be okay.

You just never know what life has in store for you so we all need to cherish every moment we have in good health.

I hope all you ladies feeling sick or recovering from an illness/surgery are feeling better today and get stronger every day.

Enjoy your Tuesday ladies. We had sun this morning and that was brief. By 10 am it has been overcast all day. Boo!

[h2be]

Hi everyone!

I was just about to start getting our Christmas envelopes with gift cards / cash ready for mailman, UPS, Fedex, newspaper boy, hairdresser, etc. Then it occurred to me that we don't get satisfactory delivery service anymore from anyone except the paper boy. We don't even know who our UPS man or woman is. Same goes for Fedex. And Mailman, too. I've seen different UPS drivers in the neighborhood, but whoever ours are, they run up the driveway, drop the packages in the driveway or right outside the garage doors, then literally run back to their trucks. Rain, snow or sleet. We've had packages buried under many inches of snow, soaked with rain & even driven over when they're left in the driveway! We always seem to have a different sub delivering mail. Lots of our mail is accidentally delivered to neighbors & we get lots of theirs, too. We never get some of our magazines & bills! So I'm wondering if I should still give these people gift envelopes? DH jokingly said that if they can't bother to ring the bell & wait for us to open the door, he wasn't about to run down the lawn after them to give them a Christmas gift.

[h2be]

Kat, I am so sorry to hear about your friend's husband. Sending prayers & positive thoughts!

[corismom1]

Finally things have settled down, sheets washed, towels washed & dried, dishes all done & put away, vacuuming completed, all is very hard to do with one working leg.

Anyway, Hayfield, we love NOLA. I would not go visit there in the Summer. We come back to NY for the Summer & Fall. Its so beastly hot & humid that it is unbearable. It's lovely in early or late Spring, my daughter was married in May. There is always so much to do, a great zoo, a great theatre, an aquarium, a WW11 museum and wonderful restaurants everywhere. Music abounds and you can just go down to the French Quarter ( daytime), grab a bite and just people watch. Lots of singers, musicians, actors, fortune tellers, etc. Friends love to visit us because it is so different and always fun!

I don't tip a lot of people during the Holidays. If they go above their job for me, I remember them in a monetary manner. My hair dresser comes to mind. I do not tip my garbage man for example. I feel that's his job!

Love to you all and extra heartfelt thoughts for Katcat's friend. It's so hard to be sick during the Holidays. Hope things get better and for all of us who are needing extra care right now, I will be thinking of you and praying for you all.

TTYL

[fancy pantsy]

good evening ladies.

my gf called today and invited me to the mall with her, so back i went today . good thing that i love xmas shopping.

my legs have really been bothering me a lot this last few weeks. i am not really sure what is going on with them (arthritis? bursitis? hip?) but it was painful enough these last couple of days that i called the doc and am going in tomorrow to start checking it out.

hayfield, it was so very interesting to hear that you bumped into your ds old schoolmate and that he recognized you! very cool. and what wonderful news you have been given by your trainer. i have every confidence that you will make it thru the holidays just fine.

helen, i will be keeping my fingers crossed for you that you are able to have success with your new years resolution. here's to a healthy new year for you (and for all of us, for that matter!)

danky, i so enjoyed that tale you shared with us about your thanksgiving (with condolences about your dh). happy news that you have cooked yourself a real turkey! (lol)

hi cindy! so good to see you, and i have to say that i am so impressed that you did all your christmas shopping way back then. good for you. hope that your defib adjustment gives you some kind of energy boost.

kat, i am so sorry about your friend's dh. you are so right, we just never know what tomorrow might bring.

h2be, i can't even imagine giving out all those gift cards! i am hoping that you are able to somehow shorten that list. (well, that is, if you WANT to lol)

corismom, you are amazing ... getting all that done on one working leg. you just amaze me and are an inspiration.

hi to retrn, mocha, loves, hadaki, spammom and shorelady, puddles, and anyone else i have missed.

have a great rest of today.

[Danky]

Christmas tipping is something I too debate every year.....with one exception. A few years ago I had the opportunity to talk to the man who delivers my papers. He has to arrive at the warehouse at 3:00 a.m., haul around huge bundles, bag, sort and assemble the papers and provide delivery by 6:00a.m. He is an independent contractor and is paid around $300 per week before taxes and gas. He works 7 days a week , no vacations or days off and in fact he has delivered on-time, dry papers 7 days a week since he started in 2000. That's a work ethic that I personally don't witness much anymore. ETA----Thanks, FANCY......I miss him and mourn his loss more than I could ever describe. The sadness never lifts, the tears never stop but I promised him, moments before he stopped breathing, that I would not stop living. I never broke my word to him ,in over 40 years, and I won't now.