Christmas

Does it look like Christmas at your house? It does at mine! I've just about got all the decorations up and boxes put away. Barb was here for the Thanksgiving weekend and helped a lot. I had the tree up when she got here on Wednesday night and on Thursday morning before she left to go to her dad's, she strung the top strings of lights. I could have done it, but it goes faster with younger feet!! We had the usual problems -- strings of lights that didn't work -- well they went into the wastebasket and new strings were put on. Turned out pretty well too. I can no longer get a Hallmark Christmas ball so settled for the dated wreath. I think I like it as well as the balls.

Since 1973 I have bought a dated, glass, year ball from Hallmark. According to the lady at the local Hallmark store they've discontinued making the dated year ball. Guess I can live with that. I'm happy with this ornament. I was also able to put my Estes Park ornaments (all snowmen) that I bought at the Spruce House when we were out there on vacation. They look great!!

It takes me forever to get my tree together. I have 800 lights on it this year, and probably at least 350 ornaments! Takes a while to get those all in the right place. Barb was a big help. She does a great job.

The cold weather is certainly here. I haven't even stuck my head out the door today. Nice to see the sun shining! Think we all got spoiled with all the great weather we've had. We were lucky and didn't get any of that snow and ice that was around the area Friday. Our southern Head Start classrooms were closed due to the bad weather. That stuff can stay away from here. I don't do well on ice and neither does my car!!

Last time I wrote I tried to get a picture of Jim & Mandy to post and it wouldn't, well . . . here it is! That was the night Jim gave us the good news about his new job. He's very excited about it.

Barb weatherized my windows for me when she was here for Thanksgiving. Today I was going to open the blinds in my spare bedroom and found that we weatherized the wand for the shades! Guess I didn't really want to open the blinds anyway!!

I finally got two of my scarpbooking projects finished. I went back through the journaling and found some errors so made those changes and am now ready to wrap them and put them under the tree. Thought I was going to do some wrapping today, but I'm kinda poopin' out already and imagine they aren't going to go anywhere until I get them done!!

I've spent a lot of time in the Des Moines area the past month. I'm heading down that way again this week. I have a workshop/meeting to attend on Thursday. I'm driving down on Wednesday (during the day) and spending the night at Barb's. She has Thursday off so hopefully after my meeting is over we can do something together. I'm spending the weekend down there. Unless something real exciting would be happening in Dubuque and I don't think there's anything planned!!! Barb has a get-together with some of her Wartburg friends scheduled for Friday night so I think Jim and I are going to try and do some shopping for Mandy! The plan is to stay the weekend, but Barbie is working and Jim and Mandy are busy with their projects so .. . . guess we'll just see what happens!! I've spent more time with my kids lately than I have in a year!!!

Well, I'm hungry! Think I'll go rustle up something to eat and try and finish a couple of other projects I started today.

Hope this finds all well. My friend that's so ill has returned to Dubuque. He's in the hospital at the present time. Currently only family are visitors. He's sitting up, talking some and I think glad to be back in Dubuque. Hopefully soon I'll get a chance to spend some time with him. I'm just glad he's back in God's country and recovering. Thank you to all who said extra prayers for his recovery! It worked!!!

You all have a good week. Catch you later . . . .