Hoarding!!

I'm putting up more Christmas things and watching (listening & peeking) to Buried Alive: Hoarding. Am I a hoarder?? I've actually decided to get rid of some of my Christmas decorations. They're old, really old, and I haven't used them for a number of years. I cleaned out the storage part of my entertainment center yesterday and found tons of cassette tapes and some VHS tapes (some not even used) and they're all going. I better get some boxes from work and get this stuff out of here. I think I'll save the Christmas cassettes to take to work and play there. I still have a tape player at work!!! Is this progress?

Actually I feel kinda good about doing some of the cleaning out and rearranging. Probably should have done some of this before, but you do what you do when you have the time. I want my place Christmas ready by this coming weekend. I don't have anything special planned or anything, I just want everything to look nice, keep it that way and be able to work on some projects that I have waiting for me. I always feel like I should have everything cleaned up before I work on my pet projects. My thinking on that should probably change too!

I haven't watched the news or weather since my Thanksgiving break began. I better pay attention tonight as I'll know what to wear to work tomorrow. I have to do fingerprinting tomorrow at our Maquoketa Head Start Center. That should take care of my morning. Thursday I have a Planners Meeting in Des Moines. I was hoping to be able to stay down there for the weekend but my boss is out of the office until Friday and we have a board packet to get out. Guess I'll have to spend a different weekend with my kiddos!!

It's also time to collect everything I've bought and do some wrapping and then figure out what I have to buy yet. After all I still have over 25 days until the holiday!! I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of the year. I just wished I was a better organized person. There's probably still hope!!

Enough for today. When I started this blog I had read something about a blog being where you should put down your thoughts, etc. so that you remember what you did when. Guess I've kinda gotten away from that, but I'm going to start doing more of it in the coming year.

It's Saturday!

Now isn't that an original thought . . . it's Saturday. It certainly is! It's Saturday, November 27th and 8:10 in the morning. What in the heck am I doing up at this hour?? I have no clue other than the fact that I couldn't get back to sleep once the alarm went off. Habit!

I'm sitting in my living room, the CD changer is playing some of my favorite Christmas songs and I'm looking at my snowman village on top of my entertainment center. Doesn't look too bad. I collect snowmen so have all sizes, types, colors, etc. They're not all up there but a lot of them are. I even lit a couple of candles already!

I should be working on my other tree and getting some of these boxes organized, but nope, I'm just sitting here being lazy. I laid in bed this morning and decided where I was going to put some of my stuff and since I didn't write it down I've already forgotten! Duh!!! Oh well, I'm sure I'll find a place for everything, I usually do.

I have a friend stopping by today to pick up my 'old' tree. Her son and daughter-in-law would like it so . . . guess I better remember that so I hang out around here until they come.

Instead of talking about it, I better get to it. Have a great weekend!

Christmas is Upon Us!

I definitely am getting old . . . where did 2010 go? We have 5 weeks before Christmas and 6 before this year is over. It went pretty darn fast for me, what about you?

Had a great Thanksgiving. Hope all of you did too. Barb came up to see her dad and spent Thursday afternoon with me. I bought a new Christmas tree this year and had the majority of it put together when she got here, but she was a big help in finishing off the top and putting on the garland and beads. I bought a pre-lit tree. It took me a couple of days to get my old one together and then string the lights. And of course I always had one or two strings of lights not work! Sometimes after they were on the tree. I got a 7 foot, pre-lit tree. I can't believe the difference in size. My old one (which was a beautiful tree) had a circumstance of about 5 feet, this one has one of 3 feet plus. Fits into any place I want it real nice. I couldn't get all my ornaments up but I picked out my favorites and got them on the tree. I haven't figured out what to do with the top yet, so we ended up with a big red bow. It isn't my angel but will do for right now.

I made the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We had turkey, potatoes, gravey, corn, cranberries, hot rolls, relish and choclate pudding for dessert. Barbie doesn't like pumpkin so I made something chocolate! Actually we had pudding pops with whipped topping!! But it served it's purpose. Dressing isn't one of Barb's favorites so I didn't make any of that either. Actually I was going to make pumpkin bars but got up Thursday morning and discovered I didn't have enough sugar -- thank goodness for Walgreen. They had everything I needed. I had started decorating my tree on Wednesday night and for the life of me couldn't find any hooks for the ornaments. i got enough now for a few years, if I remember where I put them. I'm sure as I go through the boxes of other things I'll find them. I also have a 'JOY' tree to put up yet. Should get that done today, I hope!!

Mandy called yesterday morning to let me know what they were doing. It was so good to hear her voice and find out where everyone was going. They're in the Omaha area for the holiday. I'm sure they're having a great time. I'm anxious to see Charlotte again. She's just changing constantly right now and I just love being with her and watching her grow!! What a beautiful child God gave Jim & Mandy.

I should be doing something other than sitting here inputting into my computer but as usual, I'm tired. Barb worked on my neck a bit last night before she left. It felt great but today it's sore. But I figured it would be! She has the most talented fingers/hands. I obviously pulled some muscles in my right shoulder and Dr. Barb helped fixed it. I think heat sounds pretty good right now too. Last year for Christmas Barb got me one of those cherry-pit bags that you can freeze or heat and they're wonderful. I take mine to work with me every once in a while.

I have a meeting in Des Moines Thursday and was hoping to see my children, but it sounds like I have to be back in Dubuque on Friday morning. My boss is out all week and will return on Friday also. We have a board packet to get out! Yipee!! Oh well, next time. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I won't have to worry myself about slick roads. Normally I can handle snow but anything with ice scares the heck out of me (except ice cubes in my soda)!!

I have some Christmas projects I'm working on. I should probably get at that too today. I love long weekends, now if I would just get off my butt and get to work.

I probably should take my own advice and do just that. GET TO WORK! Here's hoping everyone that got up before the crack of dawn got what they wanted, that everyone has a great weekend and gets everything done that they want to!

Take care out there.

November is here!

Has this year gone fast or what? I can't believe it's the first of November already!!! No matter where you go Christmas things are up already. I know that I have to buy a new Christmas tree for my living room. I'm looking for a pre-lit slim-line tree (7 1/2 feet). I can find all kinds of 7 1/2 trees but not with multi-colored lights. Hopefully I'll find something one of these days. I do have a 5 foot one but it's my JOY tree and fits so nicely in the corner in my hallway. I guess if push comes to shove I can used that one but I would rather have a bigger one for the living room.

I'm working on Christmas gifts. I'm hoping to sell a few books at the shoppe for the holidays. I need to get my butt out there one of these days and check out what's happening to my table. Betsy and I want to get out there soon also and do a little holiday decorating. She's so good at doing that stuff. Maybe I can pick some stuff up this weekend.

It's our craft fair weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. Leaving work early on Friday so that we don't get into Barb's at 1:00 a.m. like we've done some years. Beth also has to stay away from Casey's pizza. A couple years ago she got sick on one of our shopping weekends. Don't want that to happen again. Barbie has a home football game (ISU vs. Nebraska) to attend but will spend some of the day with us. I think we'll be able to find our way around Akeney! We're hoping for good weather. As long as it doesn't rain or snow (parish the thought). Should be fun. I know I'm really looking forward to it!!!

My Colts are on tonight so I best go watch them. Need to find something to eat too. Have a good week everyone!