No days like snow days...

This is the current view out my back door (9:40 p.m.)

Snow day #2 for tomorrow. Nice to be able to stay home during the storm, but we do have to make up every day at Head Start that we miss, so the decision to close doesn't happen lightly.

I missed my appointment in Lincoln this morning. I started to go, but turned around at Waco. I didn't think a mammogram was worth the risk. :o) Yes, it is rescheduled.

Christmas decorating is going slowly. I puttered on it a bit today, between playing with Photoshop and shopping online. Oh, and my nap. :o) Now that I know I won't be going to town tomorrow, I plan to get much of it finished tomorrow.

Here's a bit of what I got done today:

This window is from our old house and hangs on the living room wall. The big tree will go partially in front of it, but it will all go together nicely.

The small tree is the one with my snowflakes from Mom. Not the best photo, and I will retake it. I'm making a small photo album of Christmas decoration photos and why they're meaningful to me. Maybe then they'll be meaningful to my grandkids. . .

It's the holiday season...

My house is a wreck with toters everywhere, decorations spread out, and only one small tree set up so far. This is my snowflake tree with glass snowmen and the crocheted snowflakes Mom made for my birthday the summer before she passed away. Three more small trees and the big one to go.

This winter storm/blizzard thing coming tonight will put a wrench in my day tomorrow. I was scheduled to be in Lincoln at 8:30 in the morning, then some shopping after my appointment. We'll see... Perhaps it will be a snow day at home to decorate?

Greg got the lights up, I got the garland on the deck, and the house just sparkles outside. I love Christmas lights in the dark night.

Tonight's photo is of the twins seeing Santa for the first time while they were in Texas. No surprise about who is unhappy and who is okay. :o)

Fa la la la...

Busy day

What a lovely day we had - sun shining, warm temps, no wind.

Greg got lights on the front of the house, and the big wreath from Hannah's band fund-raiser up on the garage. I was busy in the kitchen so I didn't get to the garland on the front deck - hopefully the rain will hold off tomorrow and I can put that up. That always makes the front of the house look festive.

I also want to put the Christmas tree together this weekend. Once that is done, the decorating of the tree and house can be done a bit at a time over the week. I love having the house done up for the holidays!

I cooked up the turkey carcass today and got a couple gallons of nice stock. Once I picked the bones, I have enough meat for a couple of casserole or soup meals. Vegetables and salad greens for the week are prepped, frozen things are thawing, yet I have no idea what to have for supper tonight...

Tonita called this morning after Randy & Leslie left their house. They all had a great time over the holiday. Daniel emailed some wonderful photos of their time together. This one is all of them at a local tree farm they went to on Friday.

Wyatt made friends with their puppy, Lucy. Abbie had Grace glued to her hip all week. Garett was the only one who didn't mind sitting on Santa's lap.

I'll be glad when Randy, Leslie, and the kids are home - several times this week I've thought I'd stop by to see the kids, then remembered they were gone.

We enjoyed watching "Christmas with the Kranks" Thursday evening. One time when I have to say the movie was as good or better than the book. I also have the 2nd in the series of Oprah's 20th anniversary series. The first one made for an afternoon of sobbing, so I'll watch it when I have time to cry. :o)

I better go get some supper together, then we have "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" to watch tonight. Yep, another wild Saturday night!

The Day After

Thanksgiving was celebrated with a simple feast and good company (that means you, Aunt Jan!). :o) We enjoyed having Jan and Grandma here for the afternoon. I showed Grandma some pictures on my computer, then we played several rounds of Rummikub. Poor Grandma thought she might get in trouble for being away from the nursing home for so long. We told her if they tried to ground her, she should have them call us. :o) It was a nice afternoon and I enjoyed being part of 4 generations of women sitting at the table.

I don't know what today will bring. I took down all the autumn decorations last night and hopefully can talk Greg into helping me carry in the Christmas tree today. Of course, there is the Nebraska-Colorado football game we'll have to watch (will it be like a car wreck where you can't look away?). Maybe a visit with Debbie if Greg decides we need to go shopping.

I must point out that Jessica peeled the potatoes yesterday - the entire 5 pound bag. I had planned to, then had her do it. She felt slighted by my comment on yesterday's blog entry that I was off to peel potatoes. Is this better, Jessi?

Good morning this Thanksgiving day! First thing I was thankful for was sleeping until 5:30 - yesterday I was awake between 3 and 3:30 and finally got up about 4:30. Yawn!

It was a very busy week with work, and I didn't get to spend much time at home preparing for today's celebration. I'm thankful Greg had most of the week off work and took direction well. :o) This morning will be no-stress. The house is clean, the hardest of the food is prepared, and I have time to relax and enjoy the day.

We haven't heard from Jan and Bob since Monday, but Bob was starting chemo on Tuesday. It was such a relief to come home Monday night and find out they got to stay in Omaha.

It will be a busy weekend, but I'm going to make sure there is time to relax, too. I had hoped to get all of my Christmas decorating done, but I realized that was too much pressure and I'll be mad at myself when it doesn't happen. My evenings this next week are free, so I'll work on it a bit at a time.

Some of the stress in my life comes from the high expectations I put on myself, then when I'm not able to accomplish what I wanted in the timeframe I set, I beat myself up. I'm getting much better at breaking it down into smaller steps and leaving time for me in between.

Most of the stress in my life comes from my job. I don't know how to change that, so I just cope as well as I can. When you work with 9 other women, 47 children, their parents, step-parents, grandparents, siblings, and other assorted interested parties, there is no way to keep everyone happy all the time. . .

Okay, this was supposed to be a cheerful, having a great holiday post, so no more talk about work. The best thing about my job this weekend is two paid holidays. :o)

This morning's photo is of some of the old jars I keep above the cupboard that separates the kitchen and dining room. I've been trying to get some different kinds of photographs as I play with the camera.

I'm off to peel potatoes!

Family time

We went to Greg's parent's house for a pizza Thanksgiving supper last night. With the grandkids' work schedules, there's always a chance one of them won't be able to be there, but we managed to get them all together for supper on a Saturday. We wanted to spend some time as a family before Bob and Jan leave for Omaha tomorrow. We hope they'll be home in a few weeks and we can all be together again for Christmas.
This morning Greg and I went to church where we enjoyed visiting with people I consider to be part of our extended family. A small congregation, where everyone knows everyone else, and we all care about one another. Next week we'll all decorate the church for Christmas after worship - that's a tradition I enjoy.
Greg and I went to town after we ate the yummy brunch he cooked. I always prefer to grocery shop with him along. Today he was a bit goofy and that made shopping more fun. We stopped to see Randy's family before we left town, but they must've been napping... :o)
I spent a good part of the afternoon visiting with Greg's parents, then it was a tearful goodbye. Hopefully we'll be able to visit them in Omaha in as little as 10 days.
Tonight it was back with our church family for a soup supper. We enjoyed chatting and scarfing down really tasty chili.
The first thing many people say they are thankful for this time of year is their family. I have been so blessed - first to grow up in a large family with my parents, brothers and sister, a zillion cousins and aunts and uncles, and grandparents around, then to have developed true friendships with my siblings as an adult, to be part of an incredible marriage, to have raised really GOOD kids, and to truly feel like my in-laws are as much my family as any blood relative. Our community and church family are a bonus. It takes work to get along, no matter which relatives you're with, but it's worth it. In the end, the only thing that matters is the people you love and who love you...

The good things

Here it is, Saturday morning again! The week was long and tiring as I knew it would be before it started. I was very happy to see Friday afternoon arrive!

There were lots of good things this week, amongst the work that necessitated my evenings away from home. I got to spend time with Wyatt and the babies while Randy and Leslie had some time to themselves and dinner out. The photos this morning were taken that evening. Grace is showing off her teeth, Garett has squash all over his face, and Wyatt is enthralled by the photo album I have on my laptop.

Other good things this week: the dinner meeting I was supposed to be at on Tuesday evening was cancelled so I got some bonus time at home. The dinner meeting on Thursday night went really well and it felt good to go home without wondering HOW to run that meeting more efficiently and productively. The weather improved considerably! The several inches of snow we got on Tuesday will be gone by the end of today. I was hired to do some curriculum training for a statewide gathering of public school preschool teachers in March. And the best news this weekwas that Greg's dad's PET scan was good and he'll go to Omaha next week for a stem-cell transplant.

My weekend will be spent in preparation for Thanksgiving. It will be a small gathering at my house this year, just the four of us, Grandma Regier, and Aunt Jan. I'm cooking ahead as much as possible since I will have long work days Monday - Wednesday. Greg has the entire week off, though, and that will help. The cleaning lady came yesterday, so there won't be much to do for that except the usual daily chores.

Tonight we are gathering with Greg's family before his parents leave for Omaha on Monday. They'll be gone several weeks. Please keep them in your prayers during this time.

Tomorrow I am going to start decorating for Christmas! I know it's early, but I'm hosting all of my coworkers and my family the same weekend, and work will be crazy during December, so I need to get started. I'm in the holiday mood, so decorations around the house will be another good thing!

Argh!

We barely got to have Autumn, and now Winter has blasted it's way in. Oh, it'll tease us with some nice days here and there, but really it'll be waiting and watching, and then blast us again! The photo today is what I woke up to this morning. A pretty picture, until you add the wind that came later in the morning, and about 3 more inches of snow. Nasty weather!

Monday morning

Ah, back to work after a three-day weekend is always tough. Don't misunderstand - I love my job and feel we do important work, but the most productive part of my day is spent doing what someone else wants me to do.
No more whining - I'm fortunate to have a job and we enjoy things we couldn't otherwise. It's just going to be a long week...
The weekend was a balance of productivity and rest. Those pecan pies are in the freezer and we made up a batch of chili for the church soup supper next week. I say "we". All I did was brown the meat - Greg created the soup, and it is tasty. We dug the Christmas decorations out of the shed and put them in the garage. Now I can get to them as I need to without bothering anyone.
Our entertainment of choice for weekends is usually dinner and a movie, all in the comfort of our own home. This weekend it was Chinese take-out and "Kingdom of Heaven". I think the movie could have been really good, but we spent much of it confused about what was going on. A little more time to really explain who was who would have helped. The saving grace was Orlando Bloom. {Jessi and I can't wait for the next two "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. It doesn't get much better than Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in the same movie! :o) }

I suppose it is time to get ready for my day. . .

The just desserts of autumn...

Blustery. Wet. Gray. Ugh. A good day to curl up on the sofa and watch movies.
Or bake. Pecan pies are on the agenda for today, to join the pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer for Thanksgiving. We always have a basic meal of turkey, potatoes and gravy, etc., and end with a dessert buffet. My favorite is chocolate pecan pie. (That first bite makes my eyes roll up inside my head.) Chocolate pecan pie? you ask. Oh yes! Simply melt a cup of chocolate chips and add to your pecan pie batter. (Tonita just adds the unmelted chips and hers comes out gooey - mine comes out with hard little chips unless I melt them first.)
Another favorite is Fran's Chocolate Rum cake. Oh my.
I saw Paula Deen make a pumpkin pie using apple butter. I will try this next year since we already have the pumpkin cheesecake in the freezer.
As a rule, we don't have desserts at our house, except for special occasions. (Does PMS count as a special occasion?) When we do, it is most usually chocolate (the Regier in me insists!). Now and again the carrot cake from Chances R makes an appearance, and that even has nutritional value...
So what's your favorite?

photo i.d.

Okay Barb, I'll give it a shot - but I have it saved on my computer a lot larger so I can see it better. :o)

Front row on the ground: Rodney, Alan, Danny, Jody

Next row sitting on a bench: Me, Jenny(?), Kathy, Randy, Tonita, LeeAnn, Audrey

Mike, Debbie, Grandpa, Jay, little blonde girl I don't know (Joyce or DeeDee maybe?), Robbie, Tommy, Jacqui, Teresa, Grandma

Annette, Patty(?), you.

Or is it DeeDee next to me and the little blonde girl is Jenny?

Golly, I'd hate to have to list everyone who is missing, too! :o)

The memories...

So many of you let me know you're reading my blog - I appreciate it! I don't have profound things to say, but like Barb said, it's a great way to keep in touch with family.

I was thinking about my Adams cousins the other day. Such a huge family and it seemed to me we were together all the time - the noise in Grandma's house with 30 or 40 people in it must have been deafening, but I loved it. I love it now when I have my own house full of people - it takes me back in time a bit. Can you name everyone in this 1977 photo? It doesn't even have ALL of the cousins in it! :o)

Last night I was visiting with Katie on the phone, and we were discussing Grandma Regier's Corelle dishes. I remember when she got those dishes. She had enough plates for everyone, and when we gathered at her home, we all had a place at the table.

And does everyone remember the food at those family gatherings?! Grandma Adams had PILES of Christmas goodies - she must've baked for days. (No matter how good everyone else thought it was, I just didn't get into the divinity, though.) When Nick was born a week before Christmas, Grandma brought freshly baked date pinwheel cookies to me in the hospital. They were still warm... Oh, and Grandma made the best chicken and dumplings!

And I always thought it was a special treat at Grandma Regier's to have pluma mos (sp?) (plum pudding). We didn't get to have it every Christmas, and it's been many years since she made it, but I loved it. I remember learning to make New Year's cookies at her house, too. In the summer there was mulberry/rhubarb pie. We can't forget the sausage from her brother-in-law's butcher shop in Kansas that was served at Easter.

This is the time of year when I find myself often reminiscing about those family gatherings. How Grandma Adams would always forget to buy a Christmas gift for one lucky grandchild. I say lucky because that grandchild always got a dollar bill. I always wanted to be the lucky one, but never was. Guess that's okay, too. And Grandpa Regier would always make us say our "piece" that we had for the Sunday school Christmas program in front of everyone, then give us a fifty-cent piece. Here we are in 1974.

Yeah, I have good childhood memories. I am blessed to be part of so much family.

Seasons

I LOVE AUTUMN! The past couple of days have been perfect weather - sunny, warm without being hot, and dry. The trees around here are finally starting to turn and leaves are all over the ground everywhere. I'm not here during the day to see, but I'm sure those pesky squirrels are burying black walnuts in my backyard. I will pull up a hundred baby trees next Spring...
Rust-colored throws on the sofa and chair, my budding scarecrow collection, silk leaf garlands, gourds, mini pumpkins, a cinnamon spice candle melting on the warmer, a Thanksgiving menu half planned out on the dining room table. Those are the signs of the season inside my home.

This week my cousin Debbie emailed me some photos from Aunt Sherry's 70th birthday. She looked wonderful, but made me miss my mom. Hope she and Uncle Bill don't mind being on the internet. I have to post this photo Deb sent - it is wonderful.
Happy Birthday Aunt Sherry!
It was great to see a photo of her with all of her kids, too, making her celebration that much more special.



One more photo to post. (One day when Nick can help me I'm going to set up a photo blog...) This was taken a few weeks ago when Greg, Jessi, and I went shooting. Jessi wanted to be "Charlie's Angels". (HeeHee). I call this one "Jessi Angel".

That's it for tonight. Time to go make my lunch for tomorrow and run the dishwasher. The time change (another sign of the season) is still wreaking havoc on my sleep patterns. Yawn...

P.S.

If you're looking at my blog, would you please leave a comment? Just let me know if you're reading.
Thanks!

November already!

What a gorgeous day! Tomorrow will be even better! Jessi and I have to be in Lincoln for awhile tomorrow, but I should be home in time to plant some flower bulbs. I have a couple bags of tulips and some iris that Angela's mom gave me that I need to get taken care of. I've been waiting for the ground to cool off a bit, but I'm afraid to wait much longer... The "s" word is still not in our weather forecast, but we all know how fast that can happen in Nebraska.
We did not have many trick-or-treaters last night, but I'm putting up a photo of my favorite three. I bet you already know who they are. :o)
I love living in a small town where I knew all but 2 of the kids who came to my door, and they knew me. Wyatt was having fun answering the door until a large boy in a scary mask arrived. Good thing his mom was here. :o) He took off his ears shortly after coming in the house and wouldn't put them back on for pictures. Grace gnawed on them instead.
Grace has 3 teeth now, and Garett finally has one. I found it last night when he was chomping his gums - I can't keep my fingers away from checking for teeth! :o)
Better go see what I can scrounge up for supper - the chicken I was going to fix smelled a bit "funky" (hee hee, get it? "Funky chicken"?). Okay, I'm done.