2007 CHRISTMAS DAY..BLAIRS

Wendell and I took our gifts up for the kids today and before I had to go to work. We had a wonderful time.. great food .. delicious desserts.. and fun.

Joyce asked for the Littlest Pet Shop.. and that is what we got her. It's cute.

David liked it too..

Thanks Paul and Amy for the great fellowship.. and all the fun. Wish we could have stayed a little longer.

Daniel had a truckload of Star Wars characters

David liked the race track..

Paul had special Legos and made this boat and more..

Christmas Day

MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO ALL MY BLOGGER FRIENDS.

It's Christmas day.. finally it's arrived. It's also another day of gainful employment for me. I have to work today. After days of pure silence and quietude on my unit, last night I was slammed royally. I believe I had 7 admissions when all were counted. They came fast and furious. It was so hard to keep up. You may not agree with me, but I can tell you that the full moon has a certain amount of control over these days. Last night after having almost no babies at the hospital, the labor room suddenly took a surge and was overflowing with women in labor. I look at it as job security..at least for the next 38 days.
Yesterday Wendell and I had our own little Christmas and exchanged our gifts for each other. I was so thrilled to receive a warm and soft robe.. something I've wanted and really needed for some time. I have one, but when it's in the wash, I have none. Now I have 2. This one is soft pink and fleecy. Oh.. it's so lovely!!! My other package held a pair of fleece lined suede slippers. Oh.. boy! My feet are toasty this morning. I could wear these to work, they are that comfortable. They feel like I'm walking on 2" of supportive foam. Oh... lovely! Thank you dear hubby for these wonderful gifts!
I got him lounging pajamas..flannel. They fit him except for the length which will have to be altered. I also gave him 2 new long sleeved shirts and one short sleeved dress shirt. He had them on this morning.. one new shirt and the pjs.
We both needed some warm clothing. It's cold out~ 30 degrees.. not a flake of snow however. Not really a white Christmas.
Today we are headed for the grandchildren's home for another round of gift-giving. I can hardly wait! I have my name in for downsizing at work. I wonder if they will be able to give me even 4 hours off. I'd surely love that. So... now it's time for me to hit the shower and get dressed.
Have a super happy day.. Peace, love, and health to you all.

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE

I would hope everyone is done with their holiday shopping. It's so crazy out there on the roads during the holidays. As for us, we are done with all of it. No more. We didn't overspend, and have a healthy bank balance for this month. Of course, not all the bills are paid, but they will be in a few days.
It's Christmas eve.. Oh.. the best night of the year... maybe. I think all the anticipation of what is in the packages for everyone is such a delight. I love stretching out Christmas.. a few gifts given here and there.. before the actual day.. and then opening gifts on the day... fun time!

I was thinking this morning about my favorite Christmas as a child. I remember hanging my sock (the biggest one I could find) on the front door at the little house on 7th Street Road. Then waking up the next day to find Tiny Tears, a doll I'd longed for -for months! Tiny Tears cried real tears.. well, water, but who cared? They LOOKED like real tears. Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to her? I know many many years later she was used in a Christmas pagent as the baby Jesus. After that, she was lost.. I guess having my own real babies over those years kind of took my attention away from her.
I can remember stockings filled with a huge orange, apple or both.. nuts you had to crack and open and a few little pieces of candy. Maybe a small token / gift too. No matter, the stocking was always full the next day.
Wonderful warm memories.. packages wrapped in white tissue paper.. that was Mom's specialty. Tied up with a festive thin ribbon.. ah... good memories..
Traditionally, Dad never got the tree until Christmas eve.. and it was set up without my help. Wise choice I'd think. And the tree was always taken down on NY day. Another wise choice as they were always live trees and could have been a real fire hazard.
There were 4 of us children.. Bill, Jane, Charlie and me.. each of us got at least one thing that we desired as long as it was affordable, and then the usual underwear, sox and stuff like that.
Not a lot by today's standards, but enough and plenty for us.
I also remember going to the UP church Christmas party and Santa giving us a small box of chocolates.. wow.. neat! As a child this reinforced the belief in Santa and that he was somehow connected to the church. I suppose that's where I got the idea that we would not do that to our children. You can't teach false doctrine to children and then tell them Jesus died for them and have them believe it. The miracles Jesus performed in scripture become "magic" rather than real life and true. It is the same with Easter and the bunny. As a child, I was sure there was a connection in my Bible.. just couldn't find it. I suppose I was the only child reading scripture looking for proof of Santa being in there.. and the bunny too. Couldn't find it, but I knew it was there.. the church supported it, so it had to be. I was fooled, but my children would not be.
They would know the truth from the beginning.. and the focus would NOT be on Santa or bunnies or whatever horrors others teach their children that they think is scriptural.
Alas, schools teach about Santa and bunnies.. good point for home schooling.
Oh.. I'd better get off my soapbox.. I'm needing more coffee and then I'm going back to my warm cozy bed for a few more hours of sleep before I have to go to work today.
And...uh... don't forget to hang up your stocking?

2007 Christmas at Vulhops

The whole local family gathered together this afternoon at Vulhops for a Christmas dinner. Lots of great food and good fellowship..

David

I didn't do so well with getting a good shot of Joyce and Annabelle in their red dresses... but here's what I got anyway.

Joyce

The V's got a PS2 as a gift to each other. The Z's bought one some time ago and had this sort of karaoke program.. Here's Mandy trying to sing along..

The children and some adults too got gifts tonite. Wendell and I are holding ours until Christmas Day when we will go to visit them and take their gifts to them at that time.

Daniel and Paul 3 got their first REAL toolboxes and some tools to go in it. They seemed delighted. I didn't get pictures of all the gifts they got. Things happened so fast and that's one thing I'm not.. fast. Besides, my camera needed batteries and I finally ran out of space on my disk. UGH! The timing was not good.

One of Joyce's gifts was a Victorian looking nightlight. Cute!

David can really play dress up with this engineer costume.. He loved it!

Paul3 and Wendell just chatting

Annabelle with her little doll whose face lights up

New toys for Annabelle.. She didn't understand yet about opening packages.
She'll be good at it by next Christmas!

Amy

The food was wonderful! And plentiful too.. Everyone got a chance to take home whatever they wanted. So yummy!!

Vulhops little tree and some of the gifts under it.. Thanks Keith and JJ for the great fun and food today. We all enjoyed ourselves to the 'enth !

UGLY ORNAMENT CONTEST

We have adopted the Ugly Ornament Contest from Keith's family.. It's a hoot. For $2 per ornament, one can enter their purchase. It can't be home made and must have the price tag on it. Then all the guests vote their choice on a ballot for the Ugliest and the Cutest..

John was the big winner this year with his "pine cone"
He looks happy eh?

Here's a close up of John's winner.. I thought it was sort of cute.

Keith's owl made it for Cutest at nearly 100%. He said it looked ugly on the shelf at the store, but really, it was a darling owl

This was my pitiful entry. It should have won.. it did get 2nd place. I think the contest was rigged. I placed my ornament carefully in front beside the ugly/cute pig, and when the voting was over, I noticed it was replaced on the back of the tree where it couldn't be seen easily.

Here is the official UO tree with all the entries..Behind the tree are some entries from other years.

I had a good night's sleep and am up and dressed and ready for church today. Hooray!! Finally!!
No ice, but there are many advisories for strong winds this morning. This is something I can deal with without too much discomfort.
Speaking of discomfort, I am doing well with the shoulder rotator cuff problem. For some reason, it isn't hurting like it did initially. Amazing for that type of injury. Of course, I'm not testing it out much. I don't lift heavy packages.. and I'm careful when I reach for anything.
Amen.
Well.. today is our family Christmas dinner at Vulhops. We shall meet after church today with each of us bringing something to offer to the meal. It won't be a regular meal, but more like "grazing" and enjoying the fellowship of our family.
Mandy and I were up late last night finishing up the last of the preparations for the things we are taking today. Vegetable pizza.. and packing the cookies in tins. The shrimp is in the refrigerator still frozen, but will be just right by the time we get to our destination. We have meat and cheese trays to arrange yet, and one big veggie tray. YUMMY!!!! Oh, and the olive and pickles.. we can't forget those!
So glad Paul got the family van running again. It's gotta be really hard to go anywhere when you have 5 children and one disabled vehicle. Atta boy, Paul!!
It was so quiet at work last night you could hear a pin drop were it not for the beautiful music coming from my little CD player. I find not being busy makes me so tired. I have to sit at a desk and answer the phone.. few orders and NO admits. WOW!! Some kind of record going on here I think. I was the only secretary as is the case on all my weekends. The other secretary works from 7a to 7p, and I show up at 3p till 11:30p. Yesterday it was so quiet she left at 3pm when I arrived. Good for her! Our census is really down.
So.. I finally got the go ahead to leave early last night.. at 10:45pm.. well... every little bit helps. I really wanted to go home at 7pm.. but you take what is offered.
Time to get on my way..

Merry Christmas bloggers.

It's quiet. It's not quite 4am and I'm awake. I went to bed a little over 4hrs ago.. I woke up with my CPAP hissing loudly at me.. and with the desire for a hot cup of coffee. I may just have to make a pot.
Yesterday, true to prediction, I was so sore I could bearly walk. I took all the pain meds and muscle relaxers my body would tolerate and went to work. I was so tired .. drowsy all night, though none of the meds I took are the type that make one drowsy. But it all caught up with me and all evening long I felt like I could drop like a fly. It was quiet on my department all evening. NOT ONE ADMISSION.. that has to be some kind of record. Of course we are coming up on Christmas.. that could be why. Normally we would get a huge amount of patients from nursing homes at this time of year. Hmmm I wonder if there is a full moon? It was truly a 'silent night'.
Today I'm sore, but not as bad as yesterday..or maybe I haven't moved enough to know..??
Whatever, it's not as bad I'm sure. That's the way it should be.
I came home 1 1/2 hr early last night. I'm hoping for a half shift tonite so I can do some baking tonite too.
I think I'll go make some coffee..Stay warm..dry.. and greet everyone with a big smile.

I'm a bit stoved up tonite. I took a fall at the office this morning on the ice. It looked like a wet spot and I avoided any snow or ice that was obvious.. but I lost my footing on the black ice and went down on my face. Oh.. how embarrassing. Just as I fell, one of the men who works upstairs in the office was pulling in, stopped his car, got out and helped me up. All the little tractors I'd worked so hard on this morning for the girls in the office were in pieces all over the walkway. Totally destroyed. The doctor's tin had a big gouge in the side where I fell on it, but the tractors were okay inside.
I think I'm okay..but I'm very very sore at the moment. Mostly my arms that took the brunt of my weight. Strangely enough, my shoulders aren't any sorer than they were when I left home this morning. My back is pretty sore though..but I'll try a pain patch and take some medication before bed tonite.
I called Wendell right away and he brought me some clean clothes..I changed before my first patient arrived at 9am.
It was a good office day. All infusions were started on a first try except one.. one that is normally an easy start. I still don't know why I couldn't get it in that big vein. I got it on the 2nd try and then the rest of the day was a breeze. All patients did very well.
I started out tonite making chicken soup. It just feels like a soup night. But as I added ingredients along the way, I decided to make dumplings too.. and now it's more like chicken stew with dumplings.. but let me tell you it's most delicious.
So that's my tale of woe for the day.. I'm fine, patients did well, and I'm going to leave it at that.

It'll soon be time for me to leave for the office.. my favorite place of employment. 43 days left at the hospital though, and that also gives me great joy. I've spent enough years there. It's someone else's turn to do my job. ((((smile))))

It's cold out .. 27 degrees, but only a 10% chance of precipitation, so I think I'm pretty safe. Of course, there could be surprises, but for now.. nothing.
I finished a small craft for my co-workers and doctor employer for today. It's little tractors made with Rolos .. kinda cute. I always try to take something small in for everyone. I think last Christmas I took in brownies.. yummy. I got a nasty blister from the burn from the glue gun. I shouldn't handle stuff like that at 5am.. oh, no no no...

I have 2 favorite things to do around this time of year.. One is to go to a train display with the grandkids and the other is to go to Hartwood Acres to see the light display. Fabulous! It's hard for us to get these things scheduled, but we shall attempt it. Wendell has already promised me a trip to Hartwood. Maybe NY eve?

It's almost 7am and I need to get my face on and teeth brushed and flossed for the day. It takes me only a few minutes, but I feel so much better once these things are accomplished.

Have a wonderful day bloggers!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!

I seem to have had a little bug in the last 24 hrs. Yuck. Wouldn't you know it would be on my days off?! Well, actually I prefer it that way so I don't have to take extra time off work.. only 44 days to go and in a couple of hours it'll be 43. Thankfully I'm feeling a lot better now and ready to tackle the office in the early morning.
It'll soon be 5 days till Christmas too.. When I was a child, time felt like it stood still waiting for that day. Today these days go by all too quickly. I try to remember moments with my family. They are the most beautiful gift. And then friends too.. most wonderful !
At this moment, I should be in bed sleeping. I have the most beautiful piano music playing all night long on the computer. It was a gift from my friends in Maryland several years ago..The O'Neill Brothers. Everyone who hears the music (I take it to work with me too) comments on how soothing it is. I like to go to sleep with it softly in the background.

God bless you all..

Just 7 days till Christmas.. oh.. fun!!!! Christmas is such a fun time of year if you do your shopping early and don't have to fight the crowds. I must say, there are a lot of shoppers out there.. The economy must be really good.
I went shopping today. I keep promising myself I won't go back into one major chain store, but I keep doing it. DUH! Some people never learn!
I got to watch a couple movies the other night.. Ratatoulle and Christmas Vacation. I did a lot of laughing. I need that about this time every year.
I'm scheduled to work Christmas eve and the day. UGH.. I'll spend a little time with the Blair grandkids on the day.. take them their gifts.. and then leave for work from there.

It's cold.. I'm cold. The temperatures are hanging in the low 30s for the most part. But it's still cold. Brrrrrrr.. No snow or ice makes me smile however.

Today I made 9 certificates for the grandchildren enrolling them in the 2008 Treat of the Month. I have been doing this for at least 3 years now, and it's a lot of fun. I included the babies this year anyway, even though Annabelle and Eli weren't born till January and March.
A piece of candy, stick of gum, or perhaps a new tee shirt? Rattles and chew toys for the babies. Just a remembrance monthly from their grandma. It usually involves a trip to the dollar store for a few items .. then a box for the NY kids and I give the local kids theirs the next time I see them. It's a fun thing to do.. they look forward to it and so do I.
AND.. it will be something to talk about when I'm gone from this world.. hehehe

Boy.. I'm hungry for strawberries.. fresh ones.. like the ones we bought along the roadside when we were in California.. ooooooo I can almost taste them now... yummy! Wish we could get them this time of year, but the only place that has them is the designer fruit place -Edible Arrangements. Fabulous fruit! Pricey, but always fresh and delicious!
I think I'd go for the bigger one if I were buying. Alas.. I don't think the budget will hold that. Besides, they won't deliver here.. perhaps at Vulhops?
Oh, well.. there is always spring to look forward to.. and 45 days from now, I shall be free as a bird! Sorta kinda..

I seem to be meandering all over the place here.. perhaps it's time for me to get ready for bed.
I'm off again tomorrow.. hooray! and have a few things to accomplish.. then whatever ......

Pray for our family.. a 6 cylinder van that is only working on 5.. not enough to carry a Mom and 5 little children..
Remember Barb.. pray for her healing.. (post stroke)..
Thank the Lord for all the wonderful things he's given you... family, home, food, and friends

YET ANOTHER ADVISORY

Seems like we are going from one advisory to another without a break. This has been one of those weekends! We have an inch of snow. There was ice on the porch this morning and now rain...
There is a wind advisory out that says gusts will cause debris to fly... hmmmmm
The temperature is hovering over freezing.

Gotta get some coffee..

MORE WEATHER STUFF

Yes.. this storm came from the east.. a sure sign of a nasty one. We still have our 1" of snow, but the precipitation is changing to sleet now. Mandy just left for work.. keep her in prayer for safe keeping, please. She said it seemed to be more rainy than snow, but the flakes are still there.. just really heavy- sleet likely. The temperature is 29, so it'll freeze on the roadways too. With no school buses tomorrow, the road crews won't be as vigilant as they would be otherwise.
The weather advisory says there is a heavy band of snow in Butler that isn't moving.. uh-oh.. they predict 3-5" by morning with bad road conditions. So thankful I don't have to work this weekend.
I think I'll go make a cup of hot tea..mmmmmmmm

THE STORM HAS MOVED IN...

At 2:30pm today, the big snowstorm moved in.. already, in one hour, we have about an inch of snow on the picnic table...my most reliable gauge.
It's been toasty inside.. cold outside. I made a cherry pie, and am making lasagne for Wendell..
Keeping the kitchen nice and warm..
We may have to watch my favorite Christmas movie this afternoon if things keep up..
Have a great day.. I'll keep you all posted.

96 DAYS...

No.. I didn't add days to my retirement schedule.. I'm still retiring in 48 days.. but in 48 days after that, SPRING arrives!! Can't wait to see flowers growing again.. all over! For now, I'll just be content to look at pictures I took last year.. they were extraordinary.

Today there is a winter advisory.. I'm not gainfully employed, but have chosen to stay at home today and keep warm. Wendell went out to pick up some Angel Food, but should be back before the winter storm hits this afternoon. Pray the storm will hit us lightly, that we can attend worship tomorrow. I miss it so much, and long to return.

I have much to do.. I'm gonna put a Christmas CD in the player and listen to uplifting music while I clean up the kitchen. Ahhhh..

Have a wonderful day

Happiness is....

Just exercising the power of positive thinking here.. hehehehe
Believe it or not, I feel better just looking at the flowers and having the thought of spring coming soon.. (not soon enough to suit me)

Happiness is knowing that spring follows winter every year.

I've finally hit the 40s ! WOOHOO!!!! Day by day.. biding my time.. gotta get through Christmas and New Years.. so close.. I just can't help smiling..

Happiness is knowing there is retirement within reach.

There is yet another winter weather advisory out this morning. Last night the advisories all warned of flash flooding. This morning my inbox is full of winter weather advisories for this weekend. Oh, no... not again! It's to hit Saturday and peak Sabbath morning with freezing rain again..ice.. and possible snow accumulations.. That's winter for you. Wendy says they had 8-10" last night and it was still snowing. Well, I guess there are some things to be thankful for..

Happiness is a mild winter with little snow and NO ice.

Happiness is Christmas morning with children and the ones you love most.