What's New Monday Edition

It is good to see you again Cindy.

Not much going on. I am taking a break from wrapping gifts.

Keep warm
Annette

Hi Cindy,

So sorry about the sleeplessness....always makes for a bad day following.

High drama at the susandoeshair house. I told you last week my dear Tess has to have surgery tomorrow so we're all worried and anxious to have that done. Now her mom is in the hospital 2 hours away. I'd like to say "poor woman" but she's 63 and a drug addict. The police found her on the floor when they were called to a domestic dispute between her addict brother and her dealer ex-husband. Both of them are in jail, she's in ICU waiting for the daughters to have the Court declare her incompetent, she's been evicted from her apartment and they kids took away her car. I guess there's little wonder that Tess prefers to be with us and our boringness!

Yesterday I spent ALL day cooking. I have to work late two nights this week and have support group on Thursday. Wanted to get some things made up for Jeff and Tess so they don't have to worry about that, but again, they're vegetarians so every thing I cook either has to be made separate for them or we eat vegetarian too. So, I made: two different pots of un-fried refried beans, a breakfast casserole (we'll split that) vegetarian chili, steel cut oats and chicken noodle soup (made with phony chicken and vegetarian chicken stock (I know, I know). While that was going I managed to get all the laundry done, and  the Bella shelves restocked with supplies.  I'm ready for a day off!!!!

Alas, today is just as busy, but in a good way. Might be able to finish up some Christmas shopping while I'm in town with Tess for her pre-op appointment.

Ok, girls and boys. Gotta get at it. See ya!

Good morning to you, Cindy and my other family. It is good to see again, Cindy and wonderful to see you starting today's thread.

Bill is working days today. His boss has a meeting in Chicago. The new company that bought out the company that Bill worked for is really getting rid of people. The day before Thanksgiving one of the guys that Bill works with got fired and then last week the territory manager got it. Today his supervisor has a meeting and Chicago is the offices of the new company. Some at the coke plant told Bill about the manager getting it and then they told him that she was next. That is why when she told Bill he had to work for her we figured it was that. We have to wait and see. Then the people at the coke plant told Bill that he just might be the new supervisor at the coke plant with the company. I am keeping prayers going up and fingers and toes crossed for it to happen. As far as I am concerned all three of them were useless and just as shady as the next one of them. They all worked together and for the last two mentioned work was not a big word for them. If you know what I mean. If he gets the supervisor job he would make more money, better insurance, sick and personal days and I am not sure about anything else. I shall keep you all posted.

Bill and I went to a really nice concert last night. Yesterday at church Pastor said that I looked "crabby". I told him that I was crabby Saturday night and this morning and it looked like it was going to be the same for Sunday night too. He told me that he had a couple of tickets for the concert and would we go if he gave them to me. I told him yes and so he gave them to me. It was a light jazz group and they were good. Bill loves all kinds of music and so I knew that he would like them. Me on the other hand have never been a follower of jazz but boy are they good. So many of the group are famous and have worked with a lot of famous people. It was so nice and I got to meet a lot of wonderful people too. So it ended up being a good night for sure. I think the crabbiness is gone now.

I have a meeting this morning with Pastor. I have to speak with him about the problem he has with second guessing himself. He is doing that all the time and when he gives the Administrative Assistant something like the bulletin for Sunday she gets it going and then he wants to change it and then gives it to her again and then wants to change something again. Most of the time it is just a slight change of one word. That just has to stop. Jeri, the admin is just about ready to tear her hair out. She had about 2 hours overtime last week alone and she isn't putting in her OT. Something has to stop with that. That is where the Pastor/Staff part of my job as chairperson of the committee falls. I have learned thru this past 3 years that it isn't as hard as I thought it would be to do this. But I still dread it.

Misty is now playing with the Christmas tree. She is just having a good time. I just told her to get out of the tree and she did then I heard some noise and she just ran off into the bedroom. She is a little  that is for darn sure. Last night we tried to find her and she wouldn't come out. Bill got to wondering if she got out. I told him that I didn't think so but he was going nuts looking for her. Finally he found her in my closet and she was SOUND to sleep. She was just blinking and looking around when he brought her out to show her to me. I was so happy that she was found. We were looking for her and calling her for about 15 or 20 minutes. I was getting concerned too. I didn't thinks she got out but I was wondering if she had died. One never knows from one day to the next what is going to happen.

It is cold here again. The temp is 24 but it feels so cold. It is suppose to keep getting warmer and then it is suppose to rain and then freeze. Oh joy what fun winter is. I can't stand it when it starts with the freezing rain but snow I can take better. We have our fair share of ice storms and they can leave and never come back that is for darn sure. I understand just what Margo said about the weather. It is the same around here. Just wait 5 minutes (and sometimes it is less time than that!) if you want different weather. That comes in winter, spring, summer and fall around the likes of NW Indiana. The lake effect snow is horrendous too. There is times that we shovel the whole Lake Michigan out of our front yard. Trust me that Lake Michigan can make a lot of snow!!! I live about 2 miles from the shores and it can be beautiful and then turn ugly in the weather changes. Even in the summer when there is so many drownings. Last summer there was about 7 of them I believe. So many young people drown since they have the habit of not following the signs when they tell you it is unsafe to swim.

Well, I better get going Misty is at the tree again and she is getting in trouble lift and right. I am just going to have to get after her yet AGAIN! Oh the joys of having a devil kitty!!!

I am sending love and hugs to all along with special prayers going up too. Daylight is just starting to happen. The sky is lightening up and it will be another bright day again. At least I hope so~even if we don't see the sun today. You can live in sunlight even with out the sun.

Morning everyone.......Second Monday of the month is "yuck" for me!!!  We have a council meeting tonight so it will be a loooonggg day.  Lots of melodrama for tonight I am afraid.  Small towns are great to an extent, but then there are these times where, because it is a small town, people just have a hard time sticking to rules and saying NO! 

I will be calling my DR's office today to see if they have sent my ap into the insurance company yet.  I sure hope so.

Yesterday we had my parents over for lunch, they will be leaving for AZ the first of January so I like to spend as much time as possible with them.  Neither of them is in the best of health.....dad is 83 and mom is 73 so you just never know!!  After lunch I wrapped gifts and Steve washed his truck and got ready for today at work....he drives a semi.  After that we went to our daughter's house to watch a video of the Christmas program our grandson was in.  He had a blas****ching himself (he is 6).  Came home and sat in my chair.........should have done some more housework, but oh well!

Well, need to get ready for work......melodrama andd all!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Hugs..........vickie

Morning Cindy and all,

We had our Indiana Board Ornament Exchange at our house on Saturday.  It was so nice even though we had snow which kept people from coming.  Instead of the 50-60 we were planning on, we had about 35.  Still plenty and the food was good.   Everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Always worry when some of them drove 2 1/2 hours to attend and some had to deal with closed roads.

Looks like the results of my spinal injection were short lived.  It was great for a couple days but the intense pain is back.  It's not back quite as bad and I can still get up without pushing off on something.  I have a follow-up with spine doctor on Thursday, so we'll see what's next.

Brenda and I had the honor of doing the Advent reading and lighting the Advent candle at church yesterday.  We've only been going to this church for a few months but everyone is so nice and really make us feel like a part of the family (similar to you OFFers).  Last Sunday Brenda made the refreshments for the fellowship time, and they're still talking about them.  When the Pastor announced us for the reading, he mentioned about the delicious treats Brenda made and said, "they were all sugar-free, too."  When we helped decorate the church last week, he found out about our WLS and he was blown away.  I love getting that type of response from people that didn't know the "fat" us.

We're really getting excited about our Christmas vacation.  We're leaving for Brenda's parents house on the 19th.  I'm not normally this excited, but we're planning on seeing Nan while we're there.  We had such a good time getting to know her in Frankenmuth and can't wait to see her again.

Well, this work isn't getting done by itself so I better get busy.  Hope everyone is staying warm.

Floyd

Floyd most of the time these shots dont give lasting pain relief untill the 3 one...you have to have 3 of them no more than 2 weeks apart. my hubby takes  them and by the time he ges his thirdone they are built up enough that it gives him about 60percent relief for about a year....sometimes 10 months or so.

 

floyd you MUST wave at my mom as you drive down 10 toward baldwin--lakola road intersects west of 131 at the top of a small hill --wave to the north!!!!! her name is evelyn!

we might be moving up there but don't tell anybody!! haven't sold michael (or the house!) or my kids on it yet .....sssshhhh!!!--nan would be a plus to that move! hug her for me!

Wave as you go by me too ... I'll probably be working. Have a nice Christmas. The shots do take some time to work. My brother's took some time ... mine worked pretty quickly but then I didn't go in there in intense pain (like my brother did ... he couldn't move his hand because of the pain in his upper back ... he's much better now because of the shots). I continue to get mine every three months, so I haven't had any problems, except for the time I stressed out.

morning cindy!!! nice to see you again!!! morning OFF family...

well its cold here today...BRRRR 23 and wind chill 11...BRRRRRR calling for rain later tonight sleet/snow mix?? YUCK!!!!!! would rather put up with the snow!!! had some sonw yesterday and had a few drifts that were about 6-8 inches deep...big deal but still this was the most snow so far for me here....the wind yesterday was SO cold!!!! went right through you!!! BRRRRR

well john is doing better but i am sure he will have a huge breakdown when the funeral is done. we are here for him. poor guy is so lost right now.

last news on gary is he is having good days and bad days...got the staples out friday i believe and his color was ruddy my sister said. sooooo thats all i know right now other than he might end up staying at this nursing home rest of his life if he doesn't improve any more.

ricks leg is bothering him big time this past weekend...he slept all day and night saturday and felt a little better sunday but is still hurting. he went to work today in such pain...just wish his boss would get those insurance papers sent in!!!!!! sighs...

we are so broke this week with rick being shorted a days pay...but we will manage. not much here for good protein food but atleast we won't starve!! i will NOT take money out of the bank because its for rent and other bills. i will NOT fall behind in our bills like his mom and step dad are!!!!! no way in hell will i let that happen!!!!

had a man in the food court yesterday and he mentioned to me that i wasn't my happy go lucky self...i told him i was tired i guess and was just plain worn out....and i would try to perk up...he said he understood...its that time of year the stress and all of the holiday gets to us at one time or another...i agreed. but i did cheer up for him and the rest of the customers. can't have a sad sack waiting on them....;)

the burn on my hand is healing really good. its all scabbed over now and looks good. i am sure i will have a scar of sorts though when healed.

need to get ricks christmas gifts wrapped soon. might do that tomorrow while he is at work...i am off tomorrow and wednesday so it will be a good time to do it. work today 1-6 then thursday 8-5 friday 1:30-10 and saturday 8-4:30. 36 hours this week!! woohooo!!! be a nice paycheck just before christmas!!!! still waiting to hear if i have that weekend off so i can go see my mom. saw gas for $1.54 this morning and ofcourse i didn't have any money with me...oh well i guess i have enough to last me til tomorrow morning. heck gas might be down even more hahaha not my luck!!!

well i rattled on long enough here so i will shut the trap for now. hope you all have a great day!!!

hugs

Cindy! It's so good to see you this morning. We "west coasties" just about have to post in the middle of the night to ever get a chance to be "first" don't we?  And good morning to the rest of my OFF friends. I think about you all often tho I don't seem to find time to post much anymore. Like Cindy and others even when I don't post I manage to find time to pop in and see what is going on in your lives.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our new home. With family coming home I have an added incentive to decorate this year. Hauled out ornaments that had not been up for several years. We had a small table top tree with mini ornaments for a few years. This year I have a full blown 7.5 foot tree. It has about 500 lights on it. I even salvaged a few of Nathan and Erin's "school made" ones that have seen better days. I'm sure those of you with grownup children remember these treasures from days gone by. Made with noodles dyed with food color and glued to handcut bells and Santas??? These are the most special to me.

Since the wind blows most of the time here on the hill we didn't do much outside. However, we replaced the 9 recessed flood lights across the front of the house with red and green party lights! They look great and we don't have to worry about them blowing away. Just regular lights. I wasn't sure if we could use them in place of the small flood lights but checked with a lighting place and they said no problem.  IF we manage to take good care of them they should last us at least a couple of years.  However. . . . now I need one of those extension thingies to get bulbs in and out. I should say Mike needs one. I don't do above the 3rd step on a ladder and Mike's hands are huge. I promised to get the light changer before we have to replace them after Christmas.

Hannah and Clara get adorable little Raggedy Ann's that a friend of Mike's wife made for them. I'm embroidering an "H" and a "C" on their aprons so they won't fight over them in a few months.

Clara now has two "uppers" and two "lowers". Hannah is behind with only the lowers.  Hannah crawls like she's in a race. Clara does the mililary crawl. You know the one, low to the ground, using her arms and elbows to pull her along! Won't have to worry about her getting any shrapnel! I tried to post new pics yesterday but for some reason couldn't "upload." I'll try again today.

Nothing much else. Get to go to Spokane to see
The Color Purple, musical version, on Thursday then up to Lake Chelan to visit my friend, Concie, with another friend until Saturday. Love Lake Chelan any time of year.

It's garbage day, better get the cans out.  You all have a good one.