December Thread

[HariAJFan]

Hello Friends. I'm still kicking but been Christmas shopping & doing a million things. Need to catch up on reading & promise to post again as soon as I can.

Love to All.

[AJSCALIFFAN]

Now that the semester is over I have all the Christmas stuff to get done in less than 2 weeks.  Only got a little shopping done the other day.  Don't know how I'll get it all done, but what doesn't get done, oh well.  It's been cold, rainy and windy here but it's suppose to get nice after a couple more days.  We really need the rain here in CA so I won't complain much.  Hope everyone is staying warm and dry.  I see where the really cold storm we had last week has been causing trouble all across the country.  The winds with that storm were horrible.  This one isn't so bad, just light winds so far.  I hope the weather man is correct since I have clients this week. 

Happy birthday to those that had them this week.  I'm not even going to try and respond to individual posts with not being in the "loop" the past few weeks, but I do try and read the board every couple days.

Stay safe everyone.

[AnitaMartina]

Elaine and Nelle, thank you for your wishes.  We had a nice night out.  The movie Blind Side was excellent.

[nelle]

Harriet and Terry  remember one day at a time.    Take Care   nelle

Anita  Your welcome and I am glad you and your Husband Had a nice time and that the movie was great.  Take Care  nelle

[caz]

JUST WANTED TO POP IN AND WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

[AlanfanBecky]

Hello to all.  Wishing you all peace during this holiday season.  It can become very stressful but don't let it get to you.
Been trying to get things done around here.  Hubby is laid off his job so he has been very helpful and even decorated the tree and house all by himself!  He started the cookie baking and I made the fudge today.  (Hopefully I can stay out of it and save it for the family!)  I'm finishing up my Christmas cards this afternoon.  (missing the platinum exchange though.  :-(
We still have some shopping to do but my 3 teen age granddaughters never gave us a wish list which is making it a little difficult.  It will get done though!  Stay warm and have a great week y'all.

[AnitaMartina]

Hello to all.  It is a wet and damp tonight.   Rain, Rain, Rain.  All that snow we had, there won't be much left.  We had horrible news in our town this morning. A historical 140 year Anglican church was burnt down this morning.  They believe it was arson.  They found gasoline canisters around the church.  Why would anyone do such a thing.  In the past, stain glass windows got broken.  There signs outside the church got damaged.  Also, in the church they had around 100 food bags to give to the needy families, that got distroyed in the fire.  The nice thing about it, everyone in the neighbourhood, Salvation Army and others donated food bags so they would still be able to give this to the families. 

Well, I better get going and make some garlic cheese balls for my husband to take to work tomorrow.  The guys he works with, look forward to this every year.

[HariAJFan]

Hello Friends- finally caught up on the reading. This is a busy time of year but we have a lot to celebrate.

Jeri- So sorry you lost your beloved Mom. Hugs. GA has a lot of Swine Flu.

Dizzy- Envious of you.Love to go to Nashville.

Gwen- Love Let it be Christmas & Honky Tonk Christmas too.

Ismelter- My cousin in Detroit has told me about all the snow in Michigan. Be careful & be safe.

Kathy- Shopping done here too. Now can stay home & do the rest.

Jinx-Hope your hubby had a nice birthday.

Elaine & Jinx-Definitely will get the DVD of The Blind Side.

Terry- Been out of the loop too & trying to catch up tonight. I know how busy you must be. Hugs.

Nelle-Shopping & standing in line at the post office is behind me. Now just need to wrap & decorate.

Becky- Your hubby sounds like a keeper. Hope he finds a job.

AnitaMartina- Don't understand the arson of churches either. How sad.

Merry Christmas to All.

[Canadiangirl]

Terry sorry to hear your having bad weather
there.
Caz wishing you all the best for the Christmas
holidays.
Anita sorry to hear about the church.I never
understand why people destroy things.
Harriet glad you have your shopping all done.
Had a busy day yesterday.Got all my shopping
done now I need to wrap the gifts for Teresa Jay
and the girls.We are having a early Christmas on
Sunday as they leave for Cuba on the 22.We had
three inches of snow last night(YUK)
Elaine

[AnitaMartina]

Elaine, we usually celebrate Christmas with my siblings and families  a week before Christmas.  But this year my brother wants to celebrate it Christmas Day.  So we all had to change our plans a little bit.

I am done buying all my presents, now I have started wrapping.  I had fun wrapping a gift for my husband last night.  I bought him two goalie hockey sticks (two for the price of one sale).  So I had to find a box big enough for them because I do not want him to know what he is getting.  I found a box in our basement about the size of a queen mattress.  Therefore, I can hide it under the bed in our spare bedroom.  But of course, when I got it upstairs it would not fit under the bed because of where the wheels are located under the bed.  So what I had to do, after I wrapped the sticks in the box, is take off the comforter and sheets and laid it on top of the mattress and put all the bed sheets and comforter back on and then put some stuff on the bed.  YOu can't tell anything is there, so I hope he doesn't go snooping.  When I bring that down on Christmas day, he is sure going to look surprised.  He will wonder what did I buy?  He is usually the one that surprises me.

Elaine, I am glad you are getting the snow.  We haven't had any since last week and some of it has gone away.  It is suppose to get really cold tonight.

[katluvsaj]

It's been really cold here.  Barely getting into the 20's during the days.
Only three more day of work and I'm on vacation for two weeks!!!   WOOHOO!!   I should be ready for Christmas with the extra time next week.   Of course, I'll work myself silly next week with wrapping, baking and cooking my usual Italilan feast.  It's not so bad when you don't have to fit it around work, though.

[luvthataj]

HI FRIENDS, I AM ASHAMED TO HAVE BEEN "ABSENT" FOR SO LONG, CAN'T BEGIN TO CATCH UP NOW.  I SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR KIND BIRTHDAY MESSAGES (MY 78TH!!).  I WANT TO TAKE THIS CHANCE TO WISH YOU ALL, EACH AND EVERY ONE A WARM, WONDERFUL, JOYOUS CHRISTMAS, AND FOR ALL OF US , A HAPPY AND KIND NEW YEAR.  LITTLE DIFICULT THIS CHRISTMAS FOR OUR FAMILY TO REALLY GET THE "MERRY" UP TO SPEED, WITH THE TRAGIC DEATH OF MY NIECE'S SON.  BUT WE WILL SUPPORT AND COMFORT AND LOVE MY DARLING NIECE THROUGH THIS.  ITS WHAT FAMILIES DO, AM I RIGHT?  SHE HAS A VALIANT SPIRIT, I KNOW THAT.  I PRAY THAT ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE FACED AND ARE FACING SOME DIFFICULTIES, THAT THE PATH WILL BE SMOOTHED FOR ALL.
I PLAYED THE DVD OF ALAN'S "LET IT BE CHRISTMAS" SHOW FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON.  (THANK YOU AGAIN, DEAR FRIEND THAT MADE IT FOR ME!).  IT IS THE BEST OF THEM ALL, THOUGH THE GIRLS ARE NOW GROWN UP, IT IS SUCH A SWEET SHOW.  ALWAYS WARMS MY HEART.  THATS WHAT ALAN DOES MORE THAN ANY OTHER ENTERTAINER, HE WARMS MY HEART, AND MAKES ME SMILE..

HAD A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL VISIT A WEEK AGO WHEN MY SON CURT HIS WIFE KIM, AND THER TWO BOYS, JAKE AND WILL, SON TODD FROM S.D., AND SON DOUG FROM L.A. ALL CONVERGED HERE TO TAKE ME TO THE CARDINAL/VIKING GAME AND STAY A FEW DAYS AFTER.  VIKINGS PLAYED MISERABLY, BUT WE WERE ALL THERE DECKED OUT IN OUR PURPLE REGALIA. VIKES JUST HAD AN "OFF DAY", WE CAME BACK LIKE THE TEAM THEY ARE LAST SUNDAY.
THE BOYS FIXED A FEW MINOR THINGS FOR ME AROUND THE CONDO, WE LAUGHED AND JUST HAD A JOY-FILLED TIME.  THEY CAME IN A HURRICANE OF FUN, AND LEFT A "HOLE" IN MY TIME SINCE!  DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR ME?  THEY HAVE ARRANGED TO HAVE MY NAME ENGRAVED ON THE ETCHED GLASS "PANELS OF TRADITION"  OF THE MINNESOTA TWINS THAT WILL BE AT THE NEW BALLPARK OPENING THIS SEASON IN MINNEAPOLIS.  NOW IS THAT "COOL" OR WHAT??  BOY, DON'T I JUST THINK I'M "ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS"!!  AS MOST OF YOU KNOW BY NOW, I AM A BASEBALL LOVER, BUT ESPECIALLY MY HOME TOWN BOYS, MY MINNESOTA TWINS.
WELL, THIS THING IS ROLLING DOWN ON ME AGAIN, SO I CAN'T SEE WHAT I'M TYPING, DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAY THAT HAPPENS??  IT ONLY HAPPENS ON THIS WEB SITE!

BE WELL ,STAY WARM, AND BLESSINGS ON EACH AND ALL OF YOU,

jean-az/allALANalways

[HariAJFan]

Jean-AZ it is so good to see you post. Glad to hear you are giving your niece the support & encouragement she needs.
Having your name engraved-Wow! That's wonderful & coming from a fellow baseball fan I know what it means to you.

Kathy- Glad you're getting some time off.

AnitaMartina- we have finished shopping & wrapping, now getting ready to decorate.

Elaine- What a coincidence. We are having Christmas on the 20th too at my sister's house.

[AnitaMartina]

Jean-az -  That's what family and friends do, is help you through tough times.  I am glad you had a great time with your sons.  It was very nice for them to have your name etched on the glass panel.  I am waiting for the DVD to be sent to me by Gayle.  I have not seen that Christmas special of Alan.  I am looking forward to it.

Kathy - counting the days to vacation?  I hope you have a great two weeks.  I work tomorrow , I am off Friday. Then I work Monday to Thursday morning next week.  Then I do not have to go back to work until Jan. 4th.

Harriet - Have fun decorating.  I love doing that.  I put on my Christmas music when I am doing it.  I hate putting everything away because than the house looks bare.  Have a nice Christmas on Sunday.

Elaine - I hope you have a good Christmas with the family this Sunday.


We had a little dusting of snow again today.  I will be doing more wrapping tonight.  My work group, we are going out for our Christmas luncheon tomorrow.  There is about 40 of us.  We go about 1:30 and we don't have to go back to work afterwards.  Yee Haw. We always have a good time. 

Everyone have a good evening.

[Luckylady44]

Good Morning All!  Before I forget, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each one.

Jean-AZ, that is so neat that your sons had your name etched on the glass panel for the new stadium.  What a surprise for you and so thoughtful of them.  My SIL is a "Vikings" fan and when I visited MN about 5 years ago or so, our hotel was within walking distance of the old stadium.  I took a couple of pictures for him from the room! 

Terry, congratulations on finishing another semester.  Good for you.

I've gotten my Christmas shopping done and had ordered a couple gifts on line.  One item was from the Grand 'Ole Opry for my son, a rhinestone guitar strap.  It arrived yesterday and it was not rhinestoned at all!  I'm gonna call them today, I almost hate to give it to my son.  He's hard to buy for.  Maybe I'll buy him a gift certificate for the movie theater, he loves to go to the movies.

I'm trying not to get to melancholy over the holidays.  I have several family members who died in December and this is the time of year of sweet memories and it saddens me to think that they are gone from this life.  One day we will all be reunited and that's what keeps my spirits up.

As far as I know, my daughters will be coming in for the holidays, Karen from TN the 23 and Angela from NC after Christmas.  So we will have a busy time.  I'm taking it one day at a time.  I've planned some of the meals and slowly getting all that together.

Our church is having a Christmas Play Sunday night and I have a speaking part in the cast.  Hope I can remember my lines.  The choir has done a beautiful job with the music. 

Harriet, I think we will be having some winter weather this weekend.

Anita, sorry to hear about your church. 

Elaine, give my love to your family on Sunday.  I know Teresa will enjoy Cuba again.  You couldn't go this year?  I'll take care of Georgie, just drop him off on your way!  Would love to be able to be further south.  It has been cold here.  31 deg this morning with a high of 48 deg. today.  Brrrrrr!  Just heard the forecast for tomorrow is l-2" snow/sleet! 

Hello to all I've missed .......