I’ve put those words in writing so I can’t say I didn’t say it 🙂

I go back to work at 10 in the morning after being off for 5 days.  It has been a good 5 days, but tonight I’m actually bored.  You know the boredom where nothing makes you really happy.  Maybe restless is a better word. 

Been doing some xanga searching and found a couple of new friends…Phil brought pizza home from Hyvee for supper so i don’t even have a kitchen to clean up.

Guess I’ll just hang out and let my mind wander…..

Until next time…..

Kate and I got around at the crack of afternoon – actually 2:00, drove to Des Moines to do some shopping.  Jane got me some tangerine Fiesta ware to match what I already have.  She got me some bowls and big mugs – I decided that I wanted to expand the tangerine place settings so decided to make an exchange which I did…then the clerk (of course not knowing my addiction for dishes) told me that they are discontinuing the turquoise fiesta ware….OH KNOW.  Thank goodness there wasn’t much of an inventory left – but they were 50% off at Younkers so decided to go ahead and buy two dinner plates, two salad plates and two bowls.  On my way home, I was feeling quite piggish so offered either the yellow or blue fiestaware to Katy…she chose the yellow.  Now I feel better about my lack of control….we also discussed selling several of the cups and saucers…didn’t know whether to try ebay or Amazon.  I’ve never sold anything on either – she is going to give me a lesson tomorrow.  Any thoughts, anyone?

I ground my first coffee beans this morning.  Jeff told me I was going to have to just experiment with quantities…was kind of fun and I will have to say the coffee tasted excellent.  “He” and Kate bought me vanilla creme and eight o’clock breakfast blend beans yesterday when they went to Hyvee…for you non-iowans – Hyvee is the local grocery store chain where there is a smile in every aisle.

Kate has a friend coming over tonight to watch as many godfather movies as possible.  The first season of the Sopranos obviously has her hooked on bad boys.  I’ll retire to the upstairs TV – now that I have the wireless router hooked up – it doesn’t seem so bad to be up there by myself.  I’m sure there will be 3 doggies up there with me and a cat strutting around keeping everyone stirred up 🙂

Until next time……

So…the funniest story of the day that I totally forgot to share.  “He” was opening his gifts and opens the gift of a sweatshirt:

Keep in mind…we don’t have grandchildren 🙂  You probably know where this is going…anyway….he pauses..I look over at him and he is giving me the wierdest look…then he looks at Carl and Jane and Jenny looks around to see what it says…total silence in the room and then Jane says – CARL…DID YOU PICK UP THE WRONG SWEATSHIRT – IT IS SUPPOSED TO SAY GOLFER.  It took a minute while everyone caught their breath….  The thoughts going thru my head …. suprised that Jenny could keep a secret and then I was surprised that they wouldn’t tell us all together and then I was surprised that the potential grandpa, Carl would get the potential grandpa, Phil a “greatest” grandpa sweatshirt……After the release of tension in the air and the kids assured us that there were no grandchildren in our near future we laughed and laughed….

I took the Christmas decorations down today.  I normally do it on the day after Christmas….it is almost like 23:59 on Christmas night – it is time to move on.  I think because I put a lot of time and energy and thought and love into Christmas…when it is over it is such a let down that I just want life to get back to normal…ya…like anything in our lives is normal.  I also sat down to load Christmas pictures and the red and green on my xanga site was way too bright….I left it for awhile because I loved the red and green with the Christmas pictures…but when I came back to do some computer work, I decided it needed to be “un-bold” a bit….purple is actually becoming a favorite color… and I’m quite fond of aqua…I want so much to get started on an aqua afghan but vowed to do a different pattern other than the granny square …so a few hours of something unfamiliar are in my near future.  Being an uncultured crocheter, I’m going to call it the zig zag pattern.  I don’t hold my crochet hook the right away and tend to not really plan anything out – just what I like at the moment.  Haven’t really been disappointed in the colors of any I have done so it must be okay for me. 

He and Katy went to town to clean the trash out of her car and vacuum the floor when they can find it…I’m supposed to be ironing some curtains I’m going to send with her for the new house.  Just feeling at loose ends – there are really no time constraints this week as I don’t go back to work until Saturday…so… I guess I’ll quit babbling and do something so it doesn’t appear I just played with the computer all afternoon.

Until next time…….

Wanted to share some pictures of our Christmas day…this is the family…pictures don’t include Luke, Kate’s boyfriend; he spent the holidays with his family in New Jersey.  Also, I’m not in the pictures because 1) I never let “him” touch the camera; because 2) I hate to have my picture taken.

Katy, Him, Jenny and Ryan

Carl and Jane – Ryan’s parents and our dear friends

The third generation.  Avis – “His” mother in the recliner, my mother in the electric chair and mom’s sister – Aunt Frances sitting at the table.  Avis is 81, mom will be 90 in April and Aunt Frances will be 92 in June…lots of longevity, huh.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

It is cold – the wind is blowing across the countryside – blowing the snow into a frenzy.  The drifts on some gravel roads are impassable…secretly, I love the drifts when I get to drive Phil’s pickup by myself… Ronnie Milsap music on the radio, 4-wheel drive, lots of fresh snow blown into a beautiful drift 🙂 …………………….

I can’t even get mad because she looks so cute.  We have totally lost control in the “NO DOGS ON THE FURNITURE” rule. 

Do you suppose this is how the guy with the poker playing dogs got started.  We’ll probably come home one night and they will all be sitting on the kitchen chairs around the table smoking cigarettes and playing poker….divided up into teams, Billy and Marley vs the girls, Frannie and Sierra…

We went to Best Buy Tuesday morning and bought the kids a washer and dryer…I just couldn’t bear having them have to go to a laundromat one more time…especially in a new city they know nothing about…The joy, appreciation and delight on both of their faces made it all worthwhile.  Above is a picture of Phoenix (Luke’s main cat) and Zelda (Kate’s main cat and my grandcat).  Also included one of Kate’s collections – owls.  The apple didn’t fall far from the tree – she, also, loves “stuff”.

We had a nice trip out to Ohio.  We all really like Cuyahoga Falls.  Luke and Kate have a nice house on a quiet residential street…close to everything.  Luke’s mom came out from New Jersey so that was an added pleasure.  Katy came home with us – she has to work at the O.P. tomorrow and Friday night and then at the ice arena to sell tickets for the blackhawk’s game….then she’ll be coming to Newton for Christmas.  It was fun spending time with her even if it was the confines of a pickup truck 🙂

Catching up on email – must have been tiring at the Critter Sitter because the dogs are sacked out.  Bill Clinton has been laying on my desk and walking back and forth purring.

Until next time…..