TWAS THE DAY BEFORE THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS

We've gone through five different kinds of cookies already.  Not to mention fruit, candy and the cutest donuts ever ... Krispy Kreme miniatures.  I have no idea how my sister finds the most wonderful edibles.  We no longer exchanges gifts so she says it is a "family" gift.  She sent a box of Enstrom almond toffee and my oh my it is the best on earth.  Jesse loves toffee and put's Heath bits on his ice cream every night.  One bite of this Enstrom stuff has me hiding it in the back of the fridge.  Children NOT allowed.

(Yes, I ate that tiny glazed one in the third row)

We've received more Christmas cards this year than in the past.  I let the boys open them and if there is a photo, I tell them the story.  And it's always nice to hear from my dentist and insurance agent.  (Just got my teeth cleaned this morning!). My friend in Maui who I accompanied to Oahu for a lung biopsy (when I volunteered at Na Hoaloha serving the elderly) just sent the most beautiful Jacqui Lawson card.  My return email was instantaneous.  She responded that YES she is still living alone in her 3 story home that has 43 steps to master to go get her mail.  Unfortunately, the cancer metastasized to her brain but has been halted by radiation.  I think she is 88 ... still driving!

I picked up a Honey Baked ham and turkey which is my new tradition.  I always get the bone-in style so we can make soup.  Usually pea soup but I may try black bean soup this year.  Or potato.  It's the soup time of the year.

Kate found the PERFECT job (for her) ... at a local native plant nursery.  Outdoors rain or shine.  Playing in the dirt and starting new plants.  She has found camaraderie with other plant snobs who sneer at lawns and ivy and annuals.  Jesse is wanting to return to being a server at a high end restaurant, but after listening to NPR today and the fast spreading Omicron that blasts through vaccines and booster, as well as learning that there is a new flu strain arriving that is NOT covered by our latest flu shot, I just can't have him getting exposed on a daily basis.  He will continue to be the House Husband extraordinaire.

 

WINTER SOLSTICE

My little thugs!

 

DELIGHTFUL DECOR

The tree and the stories behind each ornament

The master decorators hard at work!

Yes, the boys each wanted a crocodile cookie

My Mom made these stick pony ornaments when Kate was riding

I bought these when I was pregnant with Kate

My girl

My night stand.  

Battery powered candles that go on 

at 5pm and off at 11pm.

 

CANDY CANES and CHRISTMAS COOKIES

The Christmas Season has begun.

Kate is baking cookies every other day and I made a batch of Christmas Crack (it IS addictive) as well as half a batch of white chocolate chip with macadamia nuts cookies.  Inside and outside are both decorated to the hilt.  Despite the emotionally rough year, holiday happiness has arrived.  Tonight they decorate sugar cookies. A Christmas favorite.  One year, while I was in Maui, they were pretty broke and spending $$ on childcare and working too much ... I had a friend make sugar cookies AND four colors of frosting and sprinkles and deliver so that could continue that tradition.  Best Christmas gift I have ever given.

(Kate made those three branch balls)

There are still a few people who send Christmas cards and the boys love asking questions about the sender and finding a place on the fridge to display them.

Saturday morning was Grandma heaven with both boys in my bed for over an hour, laughing and the two of them using my phone and my computer and two iPads playing Roblox against each other.  I browsed through an old cookbook (a favorite hobby) and am inspired to expand their tastebuds.

The littles got their first Covid vaccine and Deacon put his sticker on my fridge.  He had blacked out the wording so it said "I got Covid today".  Hysterical if you're in second grade.  I'm getting my booster on Dec 30, they get vax 2 on Jan 8.

I was interviewed by Paula Span (NYT columnist The New Old Age) about telemedicine and my name got mentioned!!  A "tele-health partisan!"  She was a fabulous interviewer.  I had a televisit that morning with colonoscopy Dr just a "get to know you kind of thing" with questions that weren't on the form.  The office started doing them via internet when Covid hit the scene but they had so many compliments they are keeping it up.

  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/11/health/telehealth-medicare-covid.html

More good news ... I just purchased Miss Jessies Pillow Soft Curls to put on my semi curly hair.  Everything I have used in the past has been blown off my shelf.  No more crunchy hair, waiting for it to dry and using a hair pick to separate.  This cream left my hair so soft and more natural looking.  Someone is always improving the original mouse trap!

I had my eyelashes tinted so I could skip mascara.  Probably won't do it again.  I don't think it's going to last very long as grey lashes are so coarse.  Plus my natural lashes are short and skimpy so I normally just layer on the mascara so the look longer and thicker.

That's it for today!

NEVERMORE

 Having one of those days ...

GEEKED OUT GRANDMA

So many friends have hobbies.  My sister-in-law makes several quilts a year.  Others knit, cross stitch or crochet.  My sister is a fabulous cook and tries many ethnic kinds of food, mostly vegetarian.  They garden.  Some do photography.  Hiking.  Biking.  You know, actual real world hobbies.

Me?  I've tried all of the above but nothing sticks.  My hobbies are email, blogging, texting, social media, phone calls and volunteering. Now that I've written the words ... I do have a hobby!  Computers.  (I do need to add something physical to this but so far all I do is talk about it).

Discovering new software is thrilling to me.  Currently, I am learning Canva, an online design program that I use for my volunteer job with the food pantry.  To help me learn, I do many of my Facebook posts using Canva.  After a few projects, I upgraded from the free version to have more versatility.  I feel so creative.  Also on my learning curve are Instagram, Twitter and NextDoor.

For more fun, I play Words with Friends with family, friends and new challengers.  Search is a game where you try to find words with a page full of letters ... horizontal, vertical, at an angle and from top to bottom or bottom to top.  My Mom got me started with word games!  (Thanks Mom).

I may even become famous because of my hobby.  This past week I was interviewed by Paula Span, NYT columnist who writes "The New Old Age" column.  She had a post on FB asking if any of us "over 60" peeps if we have had any medical virtual visits and what we liked or didn't like.  I had just had one that morning (initial visit with Doc who will be doing my colonoscopy) so I responded.

Thanks for stopping by and reading!

THE SUFFERING IS OVER

My older brother passed away December 1.  

The Doctors convinced his wife to put him on Do Not Resuscitate on Monday.  He would seem to make improvement for a day or two and then he would be worse.  He's been in ICU since June 28.

Two days later his body went into septic shock.  His wife asked them to try dialysis again but they would not.  

It was his time to go.