Nippy November

[SnoopyC]

Good morning...

Brrrrr, the temperature dropped again, it is so cold, but no snow!!! Where I used to live it is snowing, and snowing....so the cold is OK, with little to no snow. I bought a little norfolk pine for Christmas and it is so cute, with some red glittery ornaments. No lights but so what, just the right size. I am getting in the holiday mood, decorations, mocktails, food....

Pap, Happy BIrthday and hope your interview went well. Anxious to hear from you. What a great weekend you enjoyed! How nice.

Dill, where do you listen to audio books, do you walk around with ear buds in or do you have a place you sit down and listen? I want to get my dad something since he really can't read as his eyesight is shot. Jane Addams story is really interesting, but kind of dry. No time to go to the library, but I still have some books at home so will dip into those soon. Aren't fires in the fire place so cozy? We have enjoyed having some at our place, too.

Lav, I do not know what to say to you about Thanksgiving. I guess, just make your own fun. My kids have been difficult in the past and will probably do so in the future. The best policy is what you are doing. However, you should be honored for all you do. My opinion. It may turn out OK though, you never know. The cold weather is coming your way...

Cyn, I always have eggs, bread, oatmeal, fruit, so if people spend the night they can make what they want. Usually my husband insists on making pancakes, he loves to cook for his kids and friends. I just don't worry about it. Have food available, they can make what they want. However, some people are big babies. I say that in a loving way, and encourage you to continue to take care of yourself.

Have a terrific Tuesday and start thinking about December names. Dynamic, determined, dynamite (too violent) direct, .....

[Lavande]

Good morning friends

Tis the day after a very busy Monday! I ended up watching the boys yesterday & my daughter & granddaughter walked in unexpectedly! Busy, busy!!!
There is no doubt my DIL is in one of her funky mood swings. I have learned to stay the hell out of it & just wait.
I'm not worried about Thanksgiving, no big deal.

Papmom, you're as busy as ever!
I hear the snowstorm that's developing is going to dump on New England ~ sorry to hear that.
We are supposed to get some precipitation here starting tomorrow morning but it sounds like rain. We shall see

Cyn, you are psychic!
Last night as my DIL was finally leaving here after 10 pm she suddenly asks if I could come over at 8 am this morning. Before she could even finish her sentence I responded with NO, I HAVE PLANS FOR THE DAY! The shocked look on her face was a little bit of a gift. I know that sounds mean, it just felt like the right thing to do. My son apparently had told her he wouldn't be able to get home from work in time & the babysitter is busy ~ not my problem
I do have plans for today - to do what I want to do!
Stand your ground with everyone & be kind to yourself. Adults can & should take care of themselves & NOT be waited on, LOL

Dill, sounds like you had some busy time yourself! It is wonderful to be a part of our grandkids lives & I really would hate to miss all this. Makes me extra grateful to have a clear head & able body

Star, I hope I catch your holiday spirit soon! I generally try to get through this week before thinking about Christmas. Today is my son's birthday, Thursday is Thanksgiving & Friday my grandson's birthday!!!! After this week I will push on toward Christmas.

Determined December may be a good choice for next month's thread. I know I am determined to get through the holidays, the mood swings, the family grief & confusion over my brother-in-law without any damage. I find it safer to remain in a non-reactive, observation mode!!!!!

Have a great AF Tuesday everyone!

Lav

[dill]

Star, I listen to books a few different ways. My preferred way is on my Ipod. I use the ear buds mostly because I am usually up on my feet doing things (light housework or walking or crochet) while I'm listening. But If I am sitting still I like to play my ipod thru my ipod dock. It has speakers and I can listen without the earbuds. I have also used my Iphone app to download books. It also can work with my ipod dock and with earbuds. I usually get my books through the library. You should ask at your local library if they have a digital library and how to use it.

Lav, I too like the determination theme for December. I think lots of people are getting in the Christmas spirit because we've had the wintry weather so early. I've never thought about Christmas typically until after Thanksgiving. But this year I have already been out shopping!

Hi Papmom and Cyn.

[papmom3]

Hi All-sorry for the delay-busy busy! The interview went very well I believe. I felt very comfortable with the committee and the questions. The chair said I nailed a couple of them!! She probably shouldn't have said that LOL!! I'll find out after next week if I get to round 2. If I do, great, if not, OK too.
the last part of my birthday yesterday was the busiest. I worked out from 4 to 5:30, did laundry at my dads until after 8 then came home and cooked Guinness's veggies and portioned them out. It was very close to 10 before I could relax and by then dinner was out of the question so cereal it was!
Easy day at work-Conflict resolution workshop in the morning (how ironic!!) then just plugging away. Did all my errands tonite (no quilting class) because of the storm tomorrow. Rxs filled, food bought including fixings for green bean casserole for thursday.
We are going to get dumped on good and I'll have to drive home in the worst of it. I think the governor should declare a state of emergency tonite LOL!! A ton of people started their travel tonite and got caught in a 50 mile backup on the Pike due to a tractor trailer jacknife. No possible way to get off either if you were unlucky enough to be inbetween the 2 exits when it happened. I'm sure the secondary roads got clogged as well. not fun. Its going to be dicey traveling to western ma on Thursday. Snow is supposed to keep going through the morning and we're leaving at 11:30. The kids are all going in one car and adults in another. I'm not thrilled about that at all but we can't all fit in my sister's car. My rear tires need replacing so not a good idea for me to drive the jeep (plus I can only fit one person with all the crates in there). Probably going to stress about this untill we get there safe and sound!
Lav-good on ya girl for standing up to your DIL!! Hope you had a great day!!

Cyn-stay safe tomorrow!

Star-how awesome you are out of the snow belt now!!

Dill-how do you keep focused when listening to audiobooks? I always lose concentration and have to replay whole passages!

Sorry this is so quick but its late and I need my beauty sleep!

[SnoopyC]

Good morning friends...

Lav, you crack me up. Good for you taking care of yourself. I hate when people are moody, I always think it is something I have done! When the reality is they are just crabby and spread the crabbiness. Are you going to get nailed with snow?

Dill, I have an iphone and know how to download books to my computer, not my iphone. Hmmmm. I will have to ask at the library. I m in the car over an hour every day, that would be a good way to listen to books. But, I love the music here, too. Bigger cities have better radio stations.

Pap, glad your job interview went so well. You did your best, now it is out of your hands. Peace. You are one busy lady,and today so am I. So sorry to hear about the snow storm, that makes it so hard. We are supposed to have snow tonight, so I will be driving in it. But, and this will make you laugh, up to two inches. What? Why even mention it.

Have a great Wednesday. Happy Thanksgiving, I may not have computer access tomorrow.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends,

Just rain here so far with the promise of turning to snow later - we shall see!
I am going to push my butt out to Curves this morning while there is still the chance of driving without the crazy snow people, LOL.

Papmom, I sure hope you all have a decent road trip for your holiday!
Great news on the interview, hope all goes well for you.
My nephew & his wife living in your area often talk about traffic problems. They've just moved back to Marlborough so she has easier access to work & doctors for her MS treatment.

Star, I spent most of my life sucking up other people's problems & moods. What good did it do me? I ended up stressed, depressed & self-medicating with vast amounts of wine - not good! I finally learned my lesson, the hard way of course. I am a firm believer now that people are responsible for their own moods & I am keeping my boundary lines solid

Greetings Dill & Cyn! We haven't heard from Fly since she went on vacation, I think.

Wishing everyone a good AF Wednesday & Happy Thanksgiving!

Lav

[dill]

Lav, we haven't heard from Fly in a long time, but she did manage to check in after her vacation. I wonder what has happened to her. When she returned to the thread a few months ago she said she was rejoining us after a long hiatus not of her choosing. Remember she said she got shut out of the website for the longest time and didn't know why. I wonder if that has happened to her again?! I must say I wish I had been a fly on the wall when you told DIL you had other plans for the day! I bet she was shocked! Good for you tho. I told my son the kids could come over and spend the night any day this week except for Friday. He chose to leave them here last Sunday. It was the first night he had to himself in a really, really long time! His soon to be ex-wife still hasn't gotten it together. It's a sad thing to watch someone let everything go due to addiction. Very sad. I hate that my grandchildren have been having this to deal with in their young lives.

Star, I think it's a great idea to get your Dad set up to listen to audio books. You can play the phone and the ipod thru any sound system you have available by plugging them into the jack that is labelled "AUX". That stands for auxillary device. You just need a wire to connect them to each other. It doesn't have to be a USB, just a regular jack will do.

Papmom, safe travels my dear! Awesome on the interview!!! And I will admit, I do sometimes get distracted while listening to my books and have to "rewind". LOL! But I dearly love to listen to them while walking.

Cyn, hope you are having a nice holiday. It strikes me that you are doing really well on the issue of boundaries by letting go some of that care-taking. Boundaries and balance are a constant struggle!

Hope all have a good Thanksgiving. I personally love this holiday because it is all about gratitude. I know what we all are mutually grateful for! Enough said.

[papmom3]

Happy Thanksgiving my dear friends!! I am truly grateful for all of you!
Safe travels to anyone traveling tomorrow, enjoy the bounties offered to you and relax as much as you can. Others can take the load for you!
Our "nor easta" is somewhat of a dud, at least in my area. More sleet than snow. No idea if my brother's area is getting slammed or not. We'll find out tomorrow! Our school closed at 12:15 and it took me an hour to get home but an unexpected free afternoon is taken gratefully whenever it is offered! Of course, we were the only school in the area that didn't close at 6am this morning!!
Happy to be able to sleep late the next four mornings!!
:hug::heartbeat:

[Lavande]

This nor'easter is more of a pain in the butt than anything Papmom, LOL
We have a couple inches of very wet snow on the ground, it's currently 32 degrees & going down to 25 overnight. I imagine my walk over to the chicken house in the morning will be a slippery one. Beware of icy ground!!!!

Dill, I honestly want to be a help to my son & his family but I don't like feeling like the 'hired help'. At this point all I want is the same respect that I treat them with & a little gratitude would be nice. Glad your son has you to help with the kids :hug:

I wonder if I can get YB to actually do some talking tomorrow......he's real good at keeping everything locked up & that's not good.
Wishing everyone a comfy night. Got a nice fire going here & I just want to SIT!

[Lavande]

Good morning friends & Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Enjoy your day & be safe out on the roads

[dill]

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

I've been up since before dawn preparing for the feast. I'm grateful that it is just for 5. I don't feel too over-whelmed. I've scaled back on the number of side dishes too. And I'm doing it all without a hangover as in years past! What could be better?

Lav, I hear you on wanting to feel appreciated. I get the feeling your DIL takes you for granted. But you have described her as being rather self-centered and moody, so it's no surprise she might forget to show some appreciation and respect. My son is a mix. He takes some things for granted at times but over all he does appreciate what we do and he never fails to express his appreciation. That truly does go a long way in making our efforts worthwhile.

Cyn, Papmom, Star, and readers, enjoy this Thanksgiving and let's all try to keep the attitude of gratitude going not only today, but beyond. I am grateful to be living in my peaceful little corner of the the world. Very grateful for that. Grateful for not suffering war or religious persecution. Grateful for being born in this great country that was founded on the belief that we are meant to be free and that freedom is not granted by government or by leaders but is inherent to our nature and embodied in our constitution.

[Lavande]

Good morning friends - it's Black Friday!!!!
I do not participate in the shopping madness, hate malls anyway. I will sit down later & do some cyber shopping!!!

My turkey looked so nice when I took it out of the oven yesterday I took a picture of it & put it on Facebook, Ha Ha!
The moment we were sitting down to eat my son & his crew walked in, oh boy. They came over to eat dessert with us. Odd thing to do but we made the best of the situation. I gave EB his birthday gifts since we won't see him today. He suddenly seems so grown up at the age of 6!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving! I roasted sweet potatoes with pecans with coconut oil, organic coconut sugar & hemp seed. Also roasted brussel sprouts with onion, garlic & mushrooms - yum

Greetings Dill, Star, Papmom, Cyn & anyone stopping in today.
Have a great AF Friday!

Lav

[dill]

Hello Lav,

I am sitting here scratching my head over that one. Your son and DIL come over for dessert when they had made a firm decision to have their own Thanksgiving? I wonder if it had anything to do with you drawing that recent boundary, choosing to not step in and help out at a last minute request to keep the boys. Perhaps it spoke to them. Your meal sounds utterly delicious!

Hello Star, Cyn, Papmom and readers. I am enjoying a quiet Friday, putting things away and cleaning up after yesterday's celebration. It was a very nice one and my son made it more so by saying at the dinner table how thankful he was for all our support and for being given the chance to start a more or less new life for himself and his children. He has the attitude of gratitude that we all here understand the need and use for. Once again, I am grateful as well that he wanted the opportunity and seized on it to get himself back to living. It's been a little over a year since he went into treatment.

Paulywog, thank you for "liking" my post yesterday. That meant a lot to me.

I'm going to have to figure out how to "like" posts....

[papmom3]

Happy Black Friday everyone!! I too will NOT be participatigng in the shopping madness!! I saw on the news today that some people camped out in tents for 3 days just to be first in line when the stores opened either at 6pm yesterday or 12:01 this morning. I find that incredibly sad that they would choose shopping over being with their families enjoying a wonderful meal and being warm. These did not appear to be people who had no family or were camped out with their family. What has this country come to???

We had a lovely time at my Brother's. The drive was very nice-roads were clear although as we got closer it became evident how much more snow they got than we did. There were branches heavenly laden with snow leaning on the power lines. We saw about 6 utility trucks staged and ready to go at the general store on a main route. Luckily they did not lose power. We had their neighbor and good friend couple as well as a very good friend of my brother (who is a very lonely guy and has no family) join us plus my nephew's roommate who was very thankful to be included. His family lives in CA. After HS he moved back here with no car, job or place to live. He had gone to middle school with my nephew and they kept in touch when he moved west. He is a a very nice kid and really trying to make a go of it with no college degree. Of course the only job he can get is retail. Anyway, it was nice to share our family with all of them-14 of us in all! the turkey was huge, the sides delish and of course my sister out did her self again with the pies. I made the green bean casserole and it actually got finished up! Yay!! I made extra so i can enjoy leftovers LOL.
The dog also got involved in the festivities-stole a huge wedge of Brie right off the coffee table when no one was looking! They will be letting him out every half hour today (and probably last nite as well!) I'm sure. Luckily he did not succeed in getting the turkey!!

We celebrated birthdays too. My family chipped in and gave me a check to buy a new washer! It is my birthday/christmas gift from them. My washer finally bit the dust a month ago and I've been going to my dads. I'm excited but torn at the same time. I also need 2 new tires badly and I'm tempted to ask my family if I can use the money for them instead. I can then save up for a washer or at the very least finance it for a year. what do you think? Should I explain the tires are more of a priority? I don't want to seem ungrateful because I'm not but you can't finance tires!

Today I'm going to try to hit the laundry mat if I can find about 5 dollars in change. My poor dad has a nasty cold so I don't want to bother him. Then at 2 I'm going to an OH at a dog training center near by. They have a new space and I'm anxious to see if they can now hold agility trials there. Then at 6 I have a reeval at the gym. I'm looking forward to seeing the progress I've made. Busy friday! tomorrow I'm going to support my quilt shop and buy the material to make a super soft lap quilt for my friend who will be going through chemo soon. Her surgery is the 4th. Still not sure if its a lumpectomy or mastectomy. She says its only day surgery? If it was breast removal wouldn't they keep her for a few days?
Sunday is open. Clean the house, maybe do some sewing on the baby quilt. Almost done with that-just doing the quilting part and then the binding and done!

Lav-Isn't your house kind of far away for your son and DIL to just "drop in" for dessert? Especially without calling? what if you didn't have enough to go around? Hmmm... Your turkey did look very yummy and the sides sounded awesome! Glad it all worked out!

Dill-I just want to give your son a great big hug! He has come so far in a year (and we've all be there!) and he is well aware that he couldn't have been successful in this journey without you and your hubby. he will continue to be successful, I have no doubt. He can see clearly how much better life is without dependency and addiction. For that he is truly grateful as are we all. Blessing to you and your family!!

Star and Cyn-hope you will check in later!

Here is a funny pic of my nephew and his roommate after dinner-the caption on FB read: Turkey coma-kids these days have no stamina!!

Jay and Tyler.jpg

[paulywogg]

Well Dill it was an excellent post! hope you all had a peaceful holiday,i'm with Lav,no black friday for me