Almost Christmas!

 I am off 2 days in a row, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I am very excited.  I haven't had more than Sunday off since mid October!  Then I work Sat and am off Sunday.  

I am so lucky that DH went to Aldi's today for our Christmas Day dinner.  We are going to have roast pork loin and potatoes and carrots.  I am going to roast some broccoli in the over too.  We are just going to stop by and give his folks a little something for Christmas - I got them a basket of goodies to eat.  Just favorite treats and snacks, I am also going to make cookies tomorrow.  Other than that, just DH and I.  

A close family member that got covid and died in 3 weeks made me convinced more than ever that we need to be very careful around DH folks - they are 84 and 85.  Our family member on my side that passed away was a very healthy and active 81 year old, with no underlying health problems.  So, no chances for us.

Tonight after work, i am going to make a healthy batch of brownies (got the Paleo Sweets cookbook earlier this year).  For me to watch my sugar (trying to lose this 15 I have gained since "retiring" and keep DH sugar low - as he is diabetic).  And I have a casserole I threw together today that we will have tonight.  Tomorrow, we will eat pretty clean, so we can enjoy a couple of cookies.  DH also got us a bit of fruit, so we can feel like that is a treat too.  I have been juicing about 2 bunches of celery a week, and it is not too bad at all!

I hope everyone out there has a wonderful Christmas.  It might not resemble Christmases we are used to, or envisioned for ourselves and our families, but sometimes that happens.  Blessings I wish on you all out there!

Christmas 2019 over, readyfor new decade!

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Warm, got up to 68 degrees!  We drove an hour for dinner with my sister and her family.  Took the convertible.  Had a nice lunch.  Drove home to check the dogs and then enjoyed another drive to DH cousin.  They served a nice dinner also, I just took some cookies and candy I made.  People really seem to enjoy home made goodies and so I enjoy that tradition.

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas.  So much negative in the world, petty arguments, superficial social media, negative media and corrupt politicians and agenda serving media, greedy coporate policies.  I enjoyed church service with my friend last Saturday and midnight mass in my own town.  I am vowing to take time to touch base and focus on my spiritual journey and take time to enhance my mental state of mind and recalibrate when things are bothering me and I just plunge on ahead and ignore when I should be listening to myself more.  The world seems crazier and crazier, all I can control is my part of it.  How I interact with the world and what I reflect.

I love this time of year when we reflect on the last year and think what we want to do going forward.  And now that I am not working, I mean to really relish this process.  From my house to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year...Happy New Decade!

Two of my cute doggies.

Merry Christmas

Have been pretty busy celebrating Christmas with families.  I am tired and ready for it to be over, but in a good way.  Between baking and helping my inlaws serve 2 meals, and having a nephew overnight, I am having some sore back and feel like I need to start my diet tomorrow!  I did manage to walk Sunday and Monday.  Today I did a mini yoga session on my own.  I think I will take a day off walking to rest my back.  Oh, we also raked leaves Sunday.

Last night we had dinner with my sister and her family.  Today I am hosting DH family.  Tomorrow should be pretty relaxing.  I feel the abundance in my life.

I hope all of you are spending your holiday with someone you love, or at least holding memories close.  I feel sad my DGM dear grandmother is probably spending her day alone, at least with her fellow residents.  My aunt was in the hospital with the flu the one grandchild besides me would would be there I guess he is sick too.

Sometimes our memories are all we have.  Sometimes we have to reach out to friends for companionship.  I know I have dwelt on these things much throughout my life.  I have learned to have a day to day relationship to God.  That is all I will need as I grow old, God wiling.
Let there be peace and gratitude in your hearts everyday, not just day.

Post Thanksgiving

I just love Thanksgiving, because it is all about getting with family and thinking of our blessings.  It is not as stressful and the expectations as high as Christmas.  I seem to have more conflicted memories and sadness associated with Christmas, mostly because of the people who I miss who have passed before me and because I am sad that I don't have children.  I would have made an awesome grandma.

We had a great Thanksgiving.  We went to the facility where my grandmother (DG) lives and had a lovely lunch with her and my aunt (PA).  Then we drove to our retirement house (RH) and got there about 6:30 and unloaded the car and went and said hello to DH parents.  We went to football game the next day with my sister, it was so much fun!  Then Sat we hung out with DH family.  There are not a lot of children in DH family, just 2 nieces and 2 nephews.  The 2 nieces were there, so that was fun spending time with some young people. 

We had too much food and so many laughs.  We took some photos.  We had a great time.  I am so lucky to have married into such a wonderful family.  I hope you are having a wonderful Cyber Monday.  The only things I bought for black Friday and Cyber Monday were things I needed for the house (a Pampered Chef order and literally a Walmart supplies order).  I have mostly finished what limited shopping I do for the holidays.  My DH retirement gift I bought him we agreed no more Christmas gifts for a few years! 

I did pick out pieces of estate jewelry (more on that later).  I brought home a few leather pieces from my Sister In Law's MIL estate to help sell on line.  I sold a couple more things and so that is good to get anything moved out.  That's about all for today!