Here she is!!

 Here she is with her "Summa cum laude" medal... getting ready to do her graduation walk!!  UMKC does a live stream so we will be watching!!

This is a hectic time of the year so Lilith's family celebration dinner will be in January!!

We sat through the WHOLE commencement program... via streaming....1.5 hours!!  UMKC's streaming showed and named each graduate  for all three areas.  Better view I'm sure than sitting in the Hy-Vee auditorium!! 

Non- grad stuff... 

Our turkey day dinner last night went well... Poor Bob was stuck with all the pots and pans etc!! In our house.. the cook doesn't have to do the dishes though she(?) does help put food etc away!!

I have waited for Bob to cook... but it hasn't happened yet.

What we've been waiting for.... turkey sandwiches! Best part of leftover turkey. 

 

Turkey time

 Our turkey thawed  yesterday so our turkey day became today. I did all the usual stuff... took out the gizzards and neck and started making stock for gravy. Cleaned out both cavities and got the roasting pan ready to go!!  Made a batch of cranberry sauce from scratch. 

It is in the oven!!   Foil to be removed in an hour...

Our daughter is feeling much better today  ... but will take it easy. Glad school is done for her till January. 

Pertussis?? Whooping cough??

 Well.. Blue Springs School District has a certified case of Pertussis... luckily my daughter doesn't teach in our school district.. But unluckily she has not had any of the DPT etc vaccine over the years. She proved to be highly allergic as a toddler and has used "herd immunity" to keep her self as safe as possible. Today is the last day before her winter break and has been masked at her school and with her CODE ( gifted program)  students.

I don't think the symptoms she reports indicate Pertussis. 

Bob decided to make today another laundry day ... I decided to start wrapping presents.

She doesn't have Pertussis ..hooray

 

 My Annalee reindeer!

 

 

 

sick before Christmas

Younger daughter has caught the bug running rampant in her school district. She is scheduled to test recommended students for the gifted program today.... so will finish that and head home. She thought she might keep it at bay by wearing a mask while teaching yesterday...but so such luck.

I have been de-cluttering a bit while getting more Christmas stuff down from the storage area ... Bob took it to the bin for our next pick up.

I put the Annalee reindeer ,sleigh, Santa and Mrs Claus up on the fireplace mantel..  the Annalee mice will go on the vintage radio upstairs in the hall tomorrow.

 

Getting closer

Another day closer ...woke early ( way too early) thinking about what to have on the table for everyone on Christmas day...so later , I made a batch of Mexican Wedding Bells..aka Russian Tea Cakes. These are a favorite of my daughters.

At the same time Bob hung some lights on our front steps..

Turkey is still thawing..lol...

All this was done to the sound of neighbors blowing their leaves. One would be done and another would start!! Bob must have caught the blowing bug... blew the deck and our front steps! 

Both daughters have caught the bug going around. One spent the whole day yesterday sleeping. The other went home as soon as her students went home.

I hope my feeling under the weather isn't the same bug !

 

Errands done for the day

Our errands are done for today...my prescriptions from Target, Bob's from CVS and groceries from Price Chopper!!

Our turkey is slowly thawing in the fridge. We all went out for Ophelia's Thanksgiving buffet saving me lots of work. But we would miss turkey sandwiches. I bought the smallest I could find and stuck it in our freezer... now  turkey time will be this coming weekend...providing it thaws. We can always wait a day or two!!

I'm working on our rum balls...toasted the nuts, turned the Nilla vanilla wafers into crumbs... added  dark corn syrup, rum, confectioner's sugar and melted butter. Rolled into balls and coated them with more confectioner's sugar. After they have been in the fridge for 48 hours (?)  maybe I'll dip some in chocolate.

Took a look at the turkey later today... yes it's thawing but leaking. We took it out.. cleaned the fridge's shelf up a bit and put it onto the roasting pan. More leaks will be contained!!

Haven't decided what's next for tomorrow... 

 

What's done?

I didn't think I had gotten much accomplished today...  but when I said that to my husband he disagreed! So rethought things..

I did got all our Christmas cards written and ready to mail tomorrow. I managed to hang the wreath on our front screen door! Rounded up all the things for my brother-in-law's box ( Bob packed, weighed and got the USPS click and ship label on and put it out for the mailman!) .... and the usual daily stuff.

Tomorrow means a trip to pick up my prescriptions  followed up with a grocery store run. Then in the afternoon I will be making a batch of rumballs!! Maybe I can convince Bob to hang lights and our "Happy Holidays" banner... It is supposed to get up into the 50's !! 

Maybe bring down all the Annalee deer and mice? Arrange the deer with their sleigh and the Claus's on the mantelpiece...  

Decorating...Saturday

Bob and I lugged more storage totes down from our storage area. Greenery is now up on the mantle , stairs and  railing up on the third floor landing. Wooden snowflakes we made  grace the curtain rod in the dining room.

We are supposed to get a warmer spike in the temperatures next week and Bob will be hanging the lights outside.

Then the tree will get decorated!! 

Our younger teacher daughter volunteered for an area robotics competition today. She had to be there at 7.30 this morning and finally went home after three. She was a judge in the presentation aspect of the competition.... and I think really enjoyed it. She was amazed at some of the groups.. especially one that developed an app .. something else for a group of fifth graders!!

Didn't post this last night.. but more done decorating today... plus laundry. Free pizza for dinner since I didn't feel like cooking!! 

 

 

 

Interesting Christmas shopping run

 Bob's Christmas list mentioned wanting a case for his guitar so I headed out ,by myself, to the guitar store in Independence... by myself... with the list describing his "wish". Well... the styore wasn't open and wouldn't be for an hour. I decided to spend that hour in a nearby Target.

That was ok... wandered about in the men's dept. ... where I was only minimally successful.

When the hour was up I headed back to the guitar store... where I was given a youngish store clerk to help.  We were not successful in finding one, so he decided to check the computer and see if there was one in the back. Nope! We decided to order one... it would arrive next week. Plenty of time. He took all my info and but the supplier would not ship one.. we guessed they were low in stock too.  Another clerk had been listening and said he had one... maybe used?? Out back ... Did I want that... at that point I said "yes"!  And I was given it for FREE !

Really wanted to tell Bob and did give him a chance to hear the whole thing but he chose not to... wanted to keep his present a secret. Made him promise to ask me to tell it after Christmas!! 

Another round robin trip

We have just returned from another round robin trip... Red Racks to drop off stuff, Michael's to pick up an online store pick up and then Price Chopper for my list and some impulse things! Put everything away and now to decide what comes next..

oh yes.. did check my emails and paid my credit card bill! 

Made a batch of giant ginger cookies... 

 

 Meatloaf, baked potatoes and a green salad for dinner...

Another busy day

 I have all sorts of Christmas goodies  to make planned. We'll see how much I accomplish!

Tonight I have our quilting/craft group meeting. Looking forward to it.. plus I finally can return the totes my friend's daughter brought all the mohair and fake fur in!! They are both in the craft/quilting group. 

That will empty out the living room!!

Didn't get as much made ad expected... but no problem. There is time left.  

Quilting/craft group was fun 

 

 

Busy Day

It's been a busy day...it started with our daughter picking up our senior adoptees gifts!

Then we brought down from the attic our Christmas tree, a huge Annalee Mouse,  our small tree  and all sorts of other "stuff". We moved the lamp that sits on Bob's Mother's oak table in the front window  so the tree could take its place!

Then I made my first batch of peppermint bark ( the whole dining room now smells of peppermint) . I then wanted to make a batch of shortbread cookies... Bob lugged the kitchen aid mixer from the pantry cabinet but the bowl and the attachments weren't with it.  We hunted all over and finally found them in the cabinets in the family room under the TV. I have no idea when we decided to do that!!

Made the cookies... currently they are cooling!!

So the Christmas box for my b-i-l in Rochester is getting there!  My younger daughter made him a batch of pfeffernusse to go in the box too.

Tomorrow means more baking... 

Off to the Post Office

 Six boxes are too many to leave on the front steps for our mailman to pick up... so we will be headed off to the PO later today!

I also need to go to Michael's to get a few things to finish up that last order.

Bob filled the bird feeders for the first time this winter and soon needed to refill them... looks like I will have to bring out the Birds of North America book to refresh my mind!

Our daughter will drop by to pick up our "bags" for our senior adoptees.. She will take them to Phoenix Family's office so that they can be delivered !!

 

More needed Price Chopper things

The online bear show is ending tomorrow. I have only order to finish so it is time to work on the Christmas "foodie" items! So off to Price Chopper we  went with my list of "needed" items... plus the weekend always means the end of the three day sale!

I came home with Italian pasta I found in a clearance cart, 8 cans of Progressive soup, candy canes, 3 lbs of butter ( on sale), a pair of socks with the rubber dots ( no slip) for our senior adoptee  and  regular list items!!  The store was busy and our cashier was delighted to have Bob be her bagger!! Bob came home with the first huge bag of bird seed for this winter!!

On our way home I told Bob some of the recipes I was planning to make. I think I may turn him into my assistant...

spent the rest of the day puttering around 

 Tried a new recipe for dinner... went over well

Another day of computer watching

All the sold bears and a cat have been boxed up... some already gone with the mailman.. More boxes to go tomorrow! There are three left.. will they be bought? The  show ends Monday evening, so it's possible.

A buyer liked my felt gingerbread ornaments but wasn't quick enough to purchase either box and so she emailed me with an order for six. Of all the felt I had... I only had red, white and rose colored left. She was ok with two of each...Now my felt supply is gone!

 

 

Sitting by the computer

 Here I sit at the computer waiting for the online bear show to open...

I spent some of the time adding more of my retiring bear maker friend's fabric to etsy. I am surrounded by the smell of moth balls ( I have been storing fabric in totes with mothballs). 

I am looking forward to giving my friend a check for the recent fabric sales !!

Looks like the mailman will have boxes to pick up on Monday !! Hooray!! 

 Bob and I have started bringing down the Christmas stuff totes... Tigger ( the orange cat) was delighted to get into the attic area and thought climbing up to the landing overlooking the lobby was great fun. I had visions of him falling since he's not as agile as he used to be. He got down when I turned off the landing lights!! 

Another one of those days

 I had an appointment to get my haircut today and Bob had errands to run .. since we have only one car, we combined things He dropped me off at the "salon"  and went off for his errands, He went to Habitat for Humanity, the gas station, the PO and then walked into the salon just as the stylist finished. Perfect timing.

We went to Aldi to pick up a few things plus a GC for one of our senior adoptees...

Then it was home where I found another sale at etsy. I've boxed that up , did the paperwork and it will be out to the mailman tomorrow!

BTW ..it was 15 F in the car!! It did get somewhat warmer... it's now 26F.

 

Crazy up and down temps

It looks like the snow will have a chance to melt today. It better ,since the temps drop again tomorrow... but then back up. So far no precipitation is forecast!!

Went for my annual eye exam yesterday at Discover only to find that it doesn't accept our Cigna Medicare. So I did a self-pay.. not too bad with the discount Discover applied. I have a year to figure out what do do. But the good part was nothing had changed and the glaucoma figures are stable and no problem. I don't even need new glasses.

Nothing like trying to get home with dilated eyes  and super sun! Luckily Bob had gone with me and drove!! Finally, by bedtime my eyes were back to normal.

Spent today just piddling around... finished up a few things... the online bear show starts Friday morning!! 

BUT SURPRISE... went to turn off the computer and get ready for bed when I found I had sold another 3 pieces of mohair on etsy for my retired 94 year old bear making friend! I boxed them up.. did the etsy paperwork and added a click and ship label for the PO. Hurray!!

turn off the computer and head for bed!! 

Winter

 On a bathroom visit this morning around 6 , there was no snow to be seen. At 7.30 everything had a light covering and it was still snowing. My daughters both had problems... one only made it 7 miles in 45 minutes and so decided to go home and would work from home. The other's 45 minute trip to her school was over an hour. Would her school district do an early closing? Around noon it was decided yes.. but the buses had such problems that the elementary schools still had students waiting for an extra hour.

Other school districts decided earlier and went virtual instead of trying to open physically.

Currently we have about 4 inches of snow... we went nowhere! But I did have "work" to do ... boxing up another piece of mohair from my etsy store and a bear from my online site!!

Daughter talked her way home  ( in the car) ... I think it helps when the way home is bad for one reason or another. We can all celebrate when she pulls into her driveway!

After dinner we turned on the fireplace again and settled into a night of streaming ending with an episode of "Great British Baking Show"

The snowplows haven't hit us yet (?) ... Bob is waiting till tomorrow to take out the trash bin ( will the trash men come?)  I have an eye doctor appointment tomorrow. What will things be like ? Will I have to cancel??