Fashion

[Bird mama]

Good Morning, the sun is shining and the temps feel a bit milder this morning.  I'm enjoying my coffee and watching Hopalong Cassidy in a movie called Bar 20 Rides Again. 

I'm trying to muster up some enthusiasm for grocery shopping.  So far, it's not working :-)

[KonaKat]

Bernie--It is a good thing I checked a second time before posting the thread as it wasn't started before I started my rambling. 

Here is what I planned to post:

Good morning, shopping friends. Today, we are getting an early start on "new year, new you" with the Garmin Activity and Sleep Tracker. This will be followed by "more to come" fitness devices, food, etc. I read the reviews on this at Amazon and found that they are excellent. Some reviews said the batteries were hard to find but they are available on Amazon.

It won't be long before we have winter clearance on clothing, etc. which are not greatly reduced by QVC. We will be looking at Spring merchandise while the snow flies or hopefully lack of snow despite the calendar or our geographical location.

The New Year is a time many make resolutions destined to be broken. Goal setting is important as it enables us to measure progress. It does not, however, require us to make them on the New Year. They can be made at any time, especially when the mind set is right.

Whether we make resolutions or not, the end of the year is a good time to look at where we stand now and decide if we  want to make changes, and then plan how to make those changes. Actions without a solid plan are destined to result in lack of great success.

I'm personally ready for the holiday hype to be over. Hopefully, you have all your Christmas shopping, baking, etc. done so that you can relax and enjoy the holiday whether you are spending it with family or friends or alone.

Have a great day. If you shop, shop wisely.

Bernie--I'm not watching Hopalong Cassidy but I am joining you in drinking my breakfast coffee....round two of it!! It is hard to muster up enthusiasm for grocery shopping. I had considered that for today also but like you, it is so comfy just sitting here.

[spix]

Morning, yep I'm up, read the paper, etc, now got to get in the shower & head out the door, have to go a County over for gas, etc, lower taxes & it's worth the short trip.

Will come home & get baking, doing some Ricotta Bread, similar to a stollen, really good, easier than making cookies but I will do some bar types, DD made some at her house & will bring them over so I can fill in the gift trays. Hoping she'll also do some wrapping.

Hope you're all enjoying your Sunday

[KonaKat]

Spix--Enjoy your day. I also make an effort to buy gas where it is the cheapest which means I try to fill up when in the city where gas is about 20 cents cheaper on the gallon. The baking sounds yummy! Enjoy!!

[Bird mama]

I'm having a stress free holiday season. 

My eldest niece is taking over the Christmas dinner celebration this year on Christmas Eve.  My contribution was money in an envelope in her mailbox yesterday for the ham :-)

My middle sister likes to bake so I will likely benefit with some cookies this holiday season :-)

I refuse to have my holiday season rushed. 

My father was right - time seems to go by faster with each passing year.  I find it's true working full time.  At the end of a week, I say, where did the time go?  I do think that some of it is perception on my part - when the days seem shorter because it gets dark earlier.

I've pretty much avoided the two shopping channels that I am able to receive with my trusty antenna (lol) since mid-September.

I didn't follow family tradition by getting my decorations up Thanksgiving weekend.  I focused on enjoying Thanksgiving weekend.  I may have been a week late by my Ma's standards, but the world did not stop spinning because of it.

My great nieces will receive toys from their parents and grandparents. I did take the time to select the perfect card for each child from Hallmark one day.  One trip to the bank and my shopping was done, lol.  The teller looked at me like I was a nut (my regular guys weren't there) when I said I need the money to look new or nearly new.  Now, these kids don't know new from old money - I'm like my Pa in that respect - don't like money gifts to look worn out.

I can't remember when I stopped giving gifts to my nieces.  I make up for that with the money gifts I give to their children.

I've always bought for my middle sister.  She's easy to shop for.  I did my wrapping of her presents on Friday when I had the day off.

My birds don't play with traditional bird toys.  Poppi doesn't play with toys period.  Grayson likes the rings off of milk bottles and likes to knock around empty toilet paper rolls (lol).

Presto plays with some plastic shapes I found in a craft kit.  One day I saw these and wondered, hmm they look lightweight, aren't a choking hazard, I wonder if she would like to play around with these.

As a matter of fact she's on my shoulder right now waiting for a toy. She carries them off into another room, drops them, I pick them up and we start it all over again.

Honestly, just having my old man Poppi with me another Christmas (this is his 10th) is gift enough for me.

[LindaLatte]

Good Morning/Afternoon!  Thanks for getting us started Jean and Bernie.  In contrast to predictions, it didn't make it to 70 degrees here yesterday, and it was cloudy all day.  Still pretty nice weather, and today the sun is out.  It is a bit windy, but I'll take our temperatures over the cold ones.

I can't say that this has been a holly, jolly Christmas season for me so far.  I did enjoy church this morning, but I won't be going back for the Christmas dinner on Friday.  To be truthful, DH has problems with eating (just getting the food to his mouth, mostly), and he isn't a fan of ham, etc.  I may (not at all sure) look for a ham steak or tiny, tiny ham for the two of us.  I did buy some yams.  Yesterday, I finally made my panettone.  DD has mailed my cookies and candy to me (this is the first time), so I think I will hold off on making any cookies.  Perhaps another dessert is in order.  I used to do a huge amount of Christmas baking, but it doesn't make sense these days.  

Sorry you didn't feel up to getting your hair done yesterday, Jean.  Hope that you are feeling better.

Interesting about the TSV.  I might consider it since I wear my pedometer all the time, but I was concerned about the size.  Even the "small" band is way bigger than my tiny wrist.  

I really enjoyed Hopalong Cassidy back in the day.  In fact, that is who I wanted to be rather than Dale Evans.  I don't think I understood the boy/girl thing or was just a bit of a tom boy when I was young.

Your ricotta bread sounds good, spix.  I make a  ricotta tart which is more like cheesecake with stuff in it.  LOL  I may make that this year or maybe not.  I used to make stollen every year, but....

I try to get "new" money for gifts as well, Bernie.  That doesn't seem too easy around here.  It was most accepted/done in the "old days".  

Waves to Kathleen, Arlene, twinny (extra hugs), snicks, Susan, Marijane, LindaR, Barbara, Charlene, pinky ann, Rosa, Karen, Gayle, and all of our posters and readers.

I am not big into making resolutions, but I know that I need to work on spending less time on the computer.  Some days are better than others, but I probably should try to set a goal that I can try and meet.  Good reminder Jean.

Off to the gym in a little while.  Hope everyone has a nice day!

Hugs,

Linda

[KonaKat]

Linda--It is quite understandable that this has not been the jolliest Christmas season for you. At the same time, I know you will find times of brightness. I am sure that you and DH will manage to have a great Christmas together.

Bernie--Time does seem to pass faster the older you get. When I renewed my car registration the other day, it just seemed like yesterdday that I had done it instead of a year.

I'm still fighting a sore throat so I've been using the day just to rest and read. I have no plans for Christmas other than to relax.

[FunkyHulaGirl]

Hi girls!  It's a chilly day out - just in the 50s - but it's supposed to get back into the 70s later this week although rain and thunderstorms are forecast for every day.  Last night it apparently got into the 20s, but I was fine.  Using the heater, well...as soon as I turn it on near me the kitties all pile on top of me so they're in the line of the hot air coming out, so I end up being TOO hot!

Bird, I had no idea that birds - apart from parrots - lived that long. My little gluttons are going through bird food as fast as I can put it out; I thought I'd fill the large feeder so it would last a few days but nope - they'll eat as much as I put in it, so for financial reasons I've been filling it just about half full every day. The little buggers don't seem to care for the corn that's in the mix - they just knock it on the ground.  I had ordered more of the cherry flavored mix from Amazon that they love, but it's been on backorder and they don't know if they're getting more in or not.

Oh, I remember Hoppalong Cassidy!  Also Gene Autry, Dale Evans, Davy Crockett...  LindaL, I was also a tomboy and wanted to be a cowBOY, not a cowgirl.  Of course, in today's messed-up world there are people who would have suggested I get "reassignment" surgery... (roll eyes)

Sorry to hear DH's problems seem to be getting worse.  Funny, but I never did care for "hot" ham - the only way I'll eat it is cold, boiled ham.

Jean, I'm with you on all the holiday hype being over.  Especially since they seem to start it earlier and earlier every year; it gets really old, really fast, and by the time Christmas Day arrives it's pretty much anti-climactic.

Gas has been between $1.62 (Speedway with loyalty card) and $1.69, although it's about 20-25¢ higher downtown. I bought a $50 gas card in Publix last month; every few weeks they have a promotion whereby you get a $50 gas card for $40 if you spend $50 or more.  It seems that the weeks they do that they don't have much on sale that I want or need (I only buy things on sale there, or items I can't get elsewhere, as most of my food shopping is done in Aldi because it's much cheaper), but I lucked out that time. I expect this card will last me at least until mid-January.

I guess I should get moving; I have baking to do, gifts to wrap, and packages ready to ship tomorrow. I don't feel like doing any of it, but don't have much choice...

Have a blessed day, everyone!

[Bird mama]

@FunkyHulaGirl

Arlene, People have asked me about the life expectancy of a sparrow.  My response usually is, I'll let you know when I find out.

Poppi's sister Peewee passed away Fourth of July weekend 2014.  She was 9 years, 9 days old.  On December 26th, her brother Poppi will be 10 years, 6 months.

I've heard pigeons live a long time - so I am hoping Grayson will live in his teens.

Presto is a female sparrow and I don't know if gender was a factor in losing Peewee first.  I guess I'll see.

[Bird mama]

@FunkyHulaGirl

In case you are interested, here is one of the first pictures taken of Poppi and Peewee as babies.  They were nearly one day old.  Peewee is on the left, Poppi is on the right.

They are in a basket and that's pieces of their formula that fell on the towels when DH was feeding them.