Wednesday...mid-week happenings! What's yours?

Good morning, everyone!

Today is my "baby" Derek's birthday..he turned 33...wow..how did that happen??  Just 33 years ago, a nine pound baby in a great rush to be born, ten days early...even beat the doctor! Today he stands 6'4 and weighs a sturdy, solid 275..a mechanical engineer with his own business and also works as a BOUNCER at a local club and deals in scrap metal recycling, selling classic car parts and hauling heavy equipment in his spare time. So far, he has already had two birthday parties this week and more coming from what I've been told *s*.

I will be so glad when this Christmas season is over...I love Christmas but the crazy schedules just wreaks havoc...I need structure and the temptations are not usually easy to deal with.  I have to go out and buy myself a new bathing suit..the skirt now hangs to my knees! Then I can go back to my swimming 3X/week.

I got a call tonight from Quebec..another cousin died this week ....60 yrs old with cancer...it took him very abruptly.  Two family deaths in one week! I pray that this doesn't run in threes!

I just completed a compilation of snow-related cartoons...50 of them..., and created a cover title page- "The Lighter Side of Winter"...(the title borrowed from the old MAD Magazine's style) ...all burned on a CD for his birthday card.  It took me hours and hours to search and choose the funniest ones then transfer them to the CD...I am NOT techie..I am artsy-fartsy...so I was pretty proud to have completed this.

Oh..the reason for the topic of snow: Derek owns a snow-plow business with a fleet of dumptrucks, articulated V-plows and a monster front end loader, numerous small John Deere tractors and plows for sidewalks and several professional salters ...he clears large business plazas all winter long as well as residences that he contracts out. So he will truly smirk at the sarcasm and humour of these specially-selected cartoons.

I plan to stay home today to rest my legs and take my fluid pills again..I have to get this swelling down again...Friday us hectic,....two clients and shopping for my bathing suit..have I mentioned how I hate shopping? Oh..I also need to make turkey soup for Mom as well. Apparently Mom enjoyed another himemade turkey dinner from me for supper and ate it all again...woohoo! The food there IS so bland so that everyone can handle it and so Mom lost interest in eating... but I'm sure Mom enjoys the familiar spices and herbs that I use....so it looks like I'm Mom's "Chief Cook & Bottle Washer" from now on.

I gave one of my Art Therapy Mandala Colouring Books to the Head Nurse where Mom lives...she is very stressed and will find colouring these mandalas very relaxing.  We have been planning to introduce these "mandala colouring classes" to the residents...of course, I will create less complex ones for them. 

If this works, I can give a CD with all the mandala designs to any of the many Regional Nursing Homes to help calm & de-stress dementia patients and to relax the staff when under alot of stress.

Another "up-all-night" session for me...when I'm so focused, I forget the time as I worked on Derek's birthday project. Almost 5:30 am...best I get some sleep for a while.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Nancy B    : }

Good morning Nancy and others to follow!!!

Well I got into it with my youngest son last night. Why? Because he is with his wife again! She is nothing but TROUBLE and somehow they let her ass out of jail!!! And he is with her again!! He said he got a call the day before telling him his car was stolen and he needed to file a report. Well he called police and they wouldn't do anything he said. So yesterday he walked 4 hours in the freezing cold to look for his car!!! He said he tracked down the (I won't say the words he used here) people and found his car and then had to chase the person and almost had to beat his ass he said but he DID get his car back!!! That is good...but now he is back with that wife of his. The whole family will not even let her in their yard let alone in their homes yet he doesn't get it. My oldest son told me all this and I tried talking and now I see what he was talking about...it all falls on deaf ears!!! Younger son says he is giving her one more chance for her "F" ups!! Sighs... Since we have started talking again which with this son its been maybe about 3 weeks now she has sold his truck for crack, he has sold his $8,000 snowmobile for $1,500 so he could buy a car, she went to a fund raiser and took the checks and cashed them and was picked up by police and put in jail for that. She had his car and one of her "friends" had the car for her and somehow it was stolen (drug people)...also her daughter was taken away from her because of her being on crack. All this in the few weeks that I have been involved with my son. Now why doesn't he see that all this is not right?? He says she is all he has!! OMG!!!!!!!  I am sorry for unloading here but I have nowhere else to go with it all. You are my family here and support. Right now I am sorry I got in my son's life again. Maybe I should tell him I am done and want no part? I already told him maybe he liked to live dangerously but I didn't. He just doesn't get it at all.

Work was ok last night. It was what I expected...MESSY!! I cleaned most of the night. I can't believe how dirty the place was. OMG!!!! I mopped the floor and after that was nice and clean and almost time to close up a man wanted an ICEE. OK...went to take down the pop machine and what did I find all over the floor?? Spilled ICEE!!!! What a jerk that guy was!! He couldn't even tell me he spilled it all over the dam floor!!! Had to get the mop and clean floor again!!!  Just makes me wonder how some of these peoples homes look inside!!!

Well I better shut up all I am doing today is *****ing here...sorry.

Have a good day and I will try to have one also.

HUGS

Good Morning Everyone,

 We survived the week with a full house and the flu! So far I haven't had more than mild symptoms. Mike and I want to go see "True Grit" today so I hope it doesn't decide to hit at the theatre!

Snow is gone and it isn't half bad out for the end of December. However, another cold front is expected Friday with temps in single digits. Think I'll stock up on essentials so I can just hang out around the fireplace and read or sew.

I'm off the rest of the week then available for work 4 days before heading to southern California on Friday for a long weekend. Sure hope that it is sunny and warm while I am there. No idea what to take clotheswise as it will be jeans and coat weather when I leave here Friday morning.

I am not one to leave the decorations up until mid January. I stripped the house of the decor yesterday and Mike helped take down the lights and tree. Everything is stored and the house is clean and looks so much roomier without all of the holiday stuff scattered everywhere.

I went through the boxes as I was putting it away and gathered a Goodwill box of things that aren't special to me or in need of being tossed out. Need  to do the same thing with my closet.

My Christopher and Banks order arrived last week. Still can't believe that sale. I like to shop there so knew what sizes I needed. I bought 8 items, tops and jackets for less than $70.00! Only one jacket that I'm disappointed in. May try to sell it on Ebay or Craig's List. Should be able to get more than the $7.00 I paid for it!

Linda and Dorothy, I have been picturing Valley Forge with all of the snow. Don't you imagine it must be much like it was the winter Washington and his troups were there? Of course, George wasn't exactly roughing it was he? And the Brandywine River by the Wyeth Museum must be absolutely stunning with the river, the stone walls, and the trees.

I'm off to fold the last of the clean sheets. Put flannel sheets on today in anticipation of the cold front. You all have a good one and stay warm!

Gee, thanks Bev.. First time in probably 5 years I might have a date and you tell me I'll get a major yeast infection...:)  Yanno, there are some things in this life that are just blessings and appear at the right time. This might be one of them.

So glad to see you posting.  We are all so inspired by your persistance. 

I'm in awe of your life..... and I'm glad your daughter-in-law has come around.  I've got one just like her.... "nuff said'.

Janet