December 23, 2008

• What Happened to “Monday’s Plan of Attack”???

  How does that phrase go?  The one about, “the best laid plans”???????

  My mind tormented me yesterday and once I figured out WHY, I changed my priority list (lists?!).  I’m sure I made the right decision. 

  First of all, we woke up to THIS
  
  this morning. 

  In a nutshell, it’s cold!  AND, the winds are HORRIBLE!  They drive the cold air right through you.  You can ask Sampson!  I let him out this morning and there was no messing around with sniffing fence posts.  He did what he had to do and was back at the door in a flash!  I opened the door and a cold blast of air rushed in, making Chirper squint his eyes; like, “Eeeew!  That’s AWWWful.”

  THIS was on my kitchen bar waiting for me this morning.
  
  What??? . . .  Cherylyn didn’t bake yesterday????!!!!! 

  Nope!  She didn’t. 

  I DID light a fire yesterday AND again this morning; plus, turned on the lights to make the house feel warmer today.  It’s cloudy and darkish outside.

  This morning’s fire                                                           and my formal living room/dining room area.
   

  After I warm up, I’ll start the baking.

  Yesterday plagued me with feelings of “something is wrong” – ever have those moments? 

  I got quiet and tried to figure out what was bothering me.  I decided I needed to finish wrapping the few gifts I had left.  Mainly, things each child is giving the other children.  I had to ask myself if I would feel better with baked goods in the kitchen and the wrapping chore undone (yes, the older I get the more of a chore it becomes – it used to be a favorite thing to do – but, not anymore!!!); OR, would I feel better with the gifts securely wrapped and cookies baked on another day?  Which was more important???  Wrapped gifts were definitely more important than cookies.  That alleviated the tension I felt inside.

  I’m SO glad I chose to wrap gifts.  It took much longer than I expected, AND, bending over the bed put a crick in my back like you wouldn’t believe.  I figured 6 gifts for the girls – two gifts from a sister to two sisters.  BUT, Rissy’s crayons had to be wrapped separately from the coloring books she was giving – so that made 8 gifts to wrap.  THEN, I had 2 gifts for Jesse – one from me and one from the girls.  Oops!  Forgot about Stephanie’s gifts – add 4 more gifts – one in a gift bag.  Then, a straggler gift for JanaLyn.  The kind of shape that can’t be wrapped, SHOULD have a gift bag, but was wrapped anyway – ugly as it is!!!  Mind you, NOTHING has bows or ribbons yet – just paper.

  My closet shelf – hiding Jesse’s gifts                                  Behind my dresses on the floor – sister’s gifts
  

  Stephanie’s gifts “out in the open” -  because she doesn’t live here!! LOL!!!
  

  I discovered when you close our bedroom door and stand by the bed, the heat comes full blast from the four ceiling vents we had installed with our new heat & air system.  Talk about burning up!  It was back breaking sweat work.  I used to take lots of time decorating with wired ribbon, candy canes, sprigs of holly or pine cones, etc.  I expect this year will be the lick and stick bows!  Not exactly “lick” – but peel and stick is more like it!

  I’M DOUBLY GLAD I DIDN’T PUT OFF THAT *CHORE* UNTIL TODAY.  I had thought I had much less to wrap and would have been stressed at the amount that really was left to wrap, if I had waited until today.  I will also *doubly* enjoy baking today, because it’s all we have left to do  (happy, happy face!!!),

  except for Rissy’s laundry.
  
  Yesterday I did all three of the girl’s laundry – well, almost.  I have two loads of Rissy’s to wash and wet whites in the washer that need to dry.  My washer is groaning more and more each day.  Please Lord, let the washer live!

  All I have to do is get dressed and we’ll be ready to start baking. 

  I took a bath last night, after Jesse went to bed.  I didn’t make the water warm enough to offset the cold tub (we have a HUGE window over the tub – brrrrr!), but didn’t want to run the water longer than necessary, because Jesse was asleep.  He was beat.  He’s working at a slow pawn shop, they have no heat (yeah, I won’t go into that . . . but it DOES make for one unhappy camper!) and his mother was put back in the hospital yesterday.  More e-coli in her urine.  She was so disappointed.  Two of her sisters are coming here tomorrow or late today.  He told me this morning that his mom asked if we could have her sisters over for dinner one night.  Of course, I don’t mind.  He said not necessarily ON the 24th or 25th.  My only concern was having enough food on those 2 days.  I can always change things around and make extra food, but I need to know what to take out of the freezer.  I imagine grocery stores will be closing early on the 24th.

  The girls are up early (I hear arguing in the kitchen) and ready to get at the cookie baking!  Me too!  The sooner I start, the sooner I can sit down!

  It will be WONDERFUL if, tomorrow, I have time to sit and read to the girls!  Relax for a change.  I’ve simplified EVERYTHING this year to make it easier on myself.  Rissy is a good helper, but it’s MY brain that makes the lists and lists and MORE lists of things to do!!!  I’m making cranberry chicken over rice on the 24th and have a brisket (seasoned, baked, and sliced) that needs only heating up on the 25th.  I’ll make a potato salad, deviled eggs, and baked beans to go with the brisket.  THEN sit!  I might even made the potato salad today, since I’ll be in the kitchen anyway.

  Speaking of lists . . . Chirper got his paws on a pen yesterday and we laughed until we had tears.  He looked like he was trying to write in the air or make “lists” like Rissy and Momma had been doing!!!!
      
  Oops!  He dropped it!  I guess God didn’t intend for cats to write and make lists! 
  
  
   
  Today’s To Do List:
  *  Put on dress (over sweat pants!) & do hair, and grab some breakfast for myself and the pets
  *  Bake, bake, and bake – until I drop!
  *  Choose something simple for dinner and take meat from freezer
  *  Finish laundry
  *  Draw lots for who has to go to the mailbox at the end of the driveway for today’s mail!!!!!

  Be blessed  ~

  • 10:59 am
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