Two Days Until Christmas

I decided this morning that whatever I haven't already done that was on my To Do List will have to wait for another year. I think it's time to draw the line on what is enough. We tend to try to make the best for our friends and family even at the risk of neglecting ourselves and our everyday rituals. I think it's time to say enough. I have baked enough, I have shopped enough, I have fretted and worried and run around enough. Now it is time to enjoy what this holiday is all about. We will visit with friends this year and not see any family for Christmas. The friends we are spending the holiday with won't be with their families either so we decided to have our own little potluck holiday. We are contributing a prime rib we've been saving for a special occasion. I will most likely prepare a side dish or dessert to go with it. I am both sad that I won't be with family again this year but also grateful for the newfound friends in our town who have become blessings in our lives. I am praying that my family (my brothers in particular) will set their computers up with webcams so we can visit face to face on a regular basis. We all live in different states and I feel it is very important that we come together regularly to share what we're doing and just to touch base with each other. We never know when one of us is going to be called up to go home to our Father and I don't want to look back and say " I wish we had spoken to one another more often" I wish you all a very Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah. Thank you to all who have been kind enough to leave me comments and I hope we can continue on in the future sharing our lives by way of this forum. Blessings to you all....

Three Days Until Christmas

Well, we are getting down to the wire now. Last minute time. The grocery stores and the malls should be packed with people stocking up on food for the special day and last minute gifts as well. I need to do the grocery thing myself. I think the best time to go to the market before a big holiday is around 8am. Plenty of parking and everyone is still in a good mood. I do have 2 more cookies I want to bake. I don't know why as we aren't really eating them. But they will be enjoyed by friends and neighbors (I hope). I am going to bake Russian Tea Cakes and English Shortbread. These are two of my favorites. I also have some Amish Friendship Bread to make today. I was given the starter and a loaf from a friend about 10 days ago and now I need to make some loaves and bag the starter and hand them out to 4 people to carry on the tradition. It actually was the best tasting friendship bread I ever had. It was so moist and was more like a pudding cake. Very yummy. I had to stick it in the freezer. My freezer is beginning to be a catch all for things I love but can't eat in time for them not to spoil. I was given some giant english muffins from a friend in another state. The company she ordered them from specialize in these muffins and jams and breakfast foods. Well, english muffins are pretty hard to eat right now so, I popped them in the freezer too. Our cold weather isn't below freezing anymore so now we have rain. Well, I need to get busy so until next time.........keep calm and keep smiling and wish everyone you meet Happy Holidays......

5 Days until Christmas

Okay, here is the picture I took yesterday of our snow. The weather was supposed to be even worse last night and today. Well, that didn't happen. In fact, the snow is pretty much gone. There are a few patches here and there. But the sun came out and that was the end of that. It sure looked pretty while it lasted. Today I have got to get those cookies mailed off the to grandkids. I have them all in Christmas tins and in boxes all ready to go. Then I need to buy a few items at the market. I should probably wait on that until very early Monday morning. I know the stores are going to be packed with last minute shoppers this weekend. I had a hard time with my band yesterday. I don't know why but I was stuck all day. I couldn't get anything down it seemed. I drank protein drinks to make sure I got my nourishment. I am hoping it will be better today. It seems like everytime the weather changes I get tighter. I also need to clean the house good. I have been neglecting it other than picking up for the last week or so. I find it hard to really clean with hubby around. I need to send him off to the store or somewhere. Since he doesn't just jump in there and help he needs to get lost for a while. LOL. It sure would be nice to have a white Christmas. I haven't had one since I was a kid. I hope everyone is done with their shopping and wrapping, etc. I was thinking of a couple of more cookie I would like to bake to give to neighbors and friends. English shortbread and russian tea cakes. Yum!! I may or may not do those today. Depends on what else I get done. Have a great Saturday everyone........................

Baking Day Mishap

Okay so yesterday I was baking and had my first attempt at gingerbread cookies. I was successful making one "boy" the dough kept sticking to the counter and I couldn't get it off without ruining the "boys" I was very frustrated. I put the dough back in the freezer for quick cooling and tried again on my stone counter thinking it would be cooler and work better. Not!! After trying again I decided I would make slice and bake cookies and that worked just fine. I was a little disappointed since I wanted to decorate my little "guys" but they made the house smell devine and they taste really good. My baking is ready to send to the grandkids. I hope they don't look at my flat gingerbread cookies and think "What the????" I thought of putting faces on them with the frosting I bought but I don't know. Oh we also got more snow last night and this time there is more of it. Here is a pic. Well, I have never tried to put in a second picture and I just realized I don't know how. It keeps putting my picture at the top of the post. Oh well. It is still snowing so maybe later I will have more to show off. Have a Merry day everyone!

Seven Days until Christmas

Here's a picture I snapped a couple of days ago. There wasn't a lot of snow but it usually doesn't last more than a day here because it isn't cold enough and the rain washes it away. This time we have had some really cold weather and the freeze lasted a few days. I thought it looked so pretty. Anyhow, it's raining now so it's all gone. But they are predicting more snow for today and tomorrow but we'll see. I made my Chex Mix recipe yesterday. It makes a huge amount. I also made gingerbread and I just have to roll out the dough and cut the gingerbread boys. I've never made it before so I am looking forward to that. Next I am making Snickerdoodles. My oldest grandson and I made them when he was little and he said the word so cute. I don't know if he will remember making them but I thought of him so I decided to make them. I may make a couple of more things too before I send them off to the boys. Whatever is left I'll give to my neighbors. I don't want this stuff laying around here calling my name to try just one. I am very weak when it comes to cookies. And they go down so easily with the lapband. And hubby doesn't need them, what with his diabetes. So off they go. I hope you are all ready for Christmas.

8 Days until Christmas

Well, these last couple of days have been pretty busy. We've had a freeze and more snow is in the forecast for today and tomorrow. I am going to start some baking today. I plan to send baking care packages to my grandsons. Since their mother isn't here and they are missing her I figured some cookies and loving goodies from Grandma might soothe their souls.
I managed to lose another pound this week. I am averaging one a week. If I lose 2 pounds one week, the next week I don't lose. So it all averages out. I am so grateful to have had this surgery. I think back to last year and I was feeling so badly. So unhappy with my weight and having nothing to wear. Everything I would try on in stores looked frumpy or just plain awful. Now if I do go shopping for something to wear, (which I am trying to wait on) I can find something in the misses sizes and not only does it fit, it looks pretty good. I think the changes in me are are more than physical. Inside I am feeling so blessed and proud of myself for getting to the gym daily. I feel so much stronger and my general well being is so improved. Okay, enough of my pumping myself up.
I hope everyone in blogland is enjoying the season and starting to feel the spirit of Christmas now. Have a good day.

Ten Days til Chrismas

Well, last night when I went to bed I noticed it was snowing again. It looks so pretty out there. I am anxious to see what it looks like in the daylight. It's pretty cold out there and even inside it is pretty chilly. I have the thermostat set to 60 for night time and it doesn't usually come on until around 7am. So I am sitting under a quilt with Chloe laying under it and up against my leg. She is toasty warm. Our church program ended last night and it was mighty cold out there. We had the heater in the motorhome going so we could go in there to warm up from time to time. On Friday night it snowed a little and it was enough to collapse our screen room. Many of the poles that held it up were bent when we picked it up. Don't know if we can get replacements but we'll try. We had approximately 550 cars come by to see the program. Not bad for a small town. Today I have to finish my Christmas cards. They are done I just need to enclose a few pictures and put stamps on them. I also want to make some chex mix and cookies so I can send them to my grandsons. They won't have their mother with them this Christmas so I'll try to send some love in the form of food. LOL
Hubby is doing really well with his eating and even has stopped drinking his regular sodas. He doesn't like the diet version (yet) so I bought some sugar free Kool Aid for him and he likes that. He doesn't care for iced tea or that would be another option. But he has lost over 10 pounds so far. I am proud of him.
As soon as it becomes light outside I am going to take some pictures. We don't usually get snow here in the western part of the state. Maybe once a year and only a few inches and then it will change to rain and the snow is gone in a day or two. But they are forcasting freezing temperatures for the week so it might stick around a while.