Corner of 1st and Main St Cafe' 2024

Thank you Elizabeth for the lovely vintage card I received yesterday. As we didn't do any decorations this year with all that is going on with DH's back cards are the only Christmasy thing here.

We had a miracle yesterday. I sent an email to the surgeon telling him exactly what was going on with DH and how he had gotten worse since their call last week. They had scheduled him for a January 18 surgery but I truly didn't know how he could make it that long. He is declining daily. I also had messages with Lisa over the weekend and she also texted him Monday to explain more of the situation. Then yesterday I got a message from the scheduler - we are moved up to December 21! Four weeks earlier. So I spent the afternoon getting a flight and shuttle for my daughter to come out for 9 days to first stay with the dog while we are down in the valley for probably 4 nights, and then to help with her dad. She will be here for Christmas but it will certainly be low key. We will probably be coming home on December 24. Then call to the hospital for hotel recommendations. Called two places and have us booked for a Best Western across the street from the hospital. Got my friend that owns the hot tub store to agree to two separate filter cleanings that they normally don't do anymore and a service call the first of January to change out filters and check everything. The hot tub is not in my domain! I have had to move some appointments for him and deal with paperwork from the surgeon's office as he mentally cannot deal with anything like that. I have a list going of things to do before then but am feeling in pretty good shape. It was just such a relief getting that earlier date.

DH is back to bed so I am in charge of dealing with our yard guy today. Another thing that was not in my domain! So I have bottled waters chilling for him in the outdoor kitchen and just pulled some cookies out of the oven for his snack. And since I am doing some cookies I decided to go ahead and do some Christmas cookie platters. Need to figure out which recipes and make a grocery run. Then I can deliver to my hair cut gal and facial gal along with a floating canvas when I have an appointment tomorrow and leave a note for our sweet mail lady to come to the door and get her bag and cookies. Have a canvas for gal at post office so I think it will be delivery day tomorrow. A few trays for close neighbors so cookie day!

Erin

Erin, I'm so happy to hear that your DH has an earlier date for his surgery. And happy to hear that your daughter will be arriving soon to help out, you have a lot to get done but remember not to run yourself down. I'm sure there are things that can wait for a while. Still keep you both in my prayers that everything goes well.

I'm off to do a Walmart pick up and then the supermarket...but it's a cold morning here in GA and I don't like cold so not moving too fast LOL.

Enjoy your day everyone

Elizabeth I saw that! We're a pretty chatty bunch around here and there are only 3K posts allowed on a thread any more. It is convenient though to have the thread run annually, so it's all good! BTW, did you get snow yesterday?

Erin thanks for starting us off! I'm so glad to hear that you were able to get your DH's surgery moved up a month! And, you've done such a great job advocating for him. I know he appreciates everything you are doing to keep the household running smoothly while he is down. Also glad to hear that your daughter can come and help you out. What a blessing that will be. The holiday maybe low key, but at least you will be spending it with loved ones.

Jessica I took a peek at your Christmas and Hanukkah photo's and it looks like you had a great time! So glad to hear that your thoughtful gifts were appreciated too. I'll have to check out the Rick and Morty, Build a Doll. Can you share a link to it? My friend Rik just loves Rick and Morty! LOL

I've spent the morning wrapping gifts. How did I end up with so many gifts while I'm on a budget. Also spending the day doing laundry.

Hope everyone is having a good day

Elizabeth OMW the bag of old jewelry is going to come in so handy on all my upcoming MM projects! I haven't sat down with the bag to see what's all in it yet, but there looks to be quite a lot of cool stuff in it. Lis recently inspired me to do a Mardi Gras Mask, which I'm going to start right after Christmas and hopefully finish before the New Year. I'm sure to find some wonderful beaded embellishments in my neighbors gift!

I've made great headway on this mornings chores. Guest bed down and packed away; Craftroom is back to normal; Called my neighbor (she unfortunately has a flu bug), so I can't drop there today; Sheets all in the dryer; DH took a truck load of items down to the thrift store and stowed a few extra things in the shed for me; He also hung a few pictures for me; Cookie baking goodies are all staged and ready to be whipped up! The high today is supposed to be near 80 degrees, so I've got all doors and windows opened for some fresh air. Well my cookies aren't going to bake themselves! So, I'm off to the kitchen ...

Went to bed at 11:30pm and was up again at 3:30am again! I hope this doesn't become a regular thing. Since I couldn't go visit my neighbor yesterday, I held off making cookies. I'll bake them off later today or tomorrow and drop some on her porch. Today I'm dedicating my time to unpacking my new PC and setting it up. Fingers crossed that it is okay! I've still got three Christmas cards to make also, need to get those done and into the mail as well. I've also got about 5 birthdays this month and my birthday card stash is pretty depleted. So, I need to make a few more birthday cards as well. Today DH goes shopping, so I need to make a grocery list of all the goodies I need for Saturday's Holiday Brunch with my gf's and their DH's. Shoot that reminds me, I need to run over to Home Goods and get a little gift for my gf's! Hum...looks like it's going to be a busy day. Then Friday, we are off to visit my DGGD and see all the kids.

Debbie did you get all your gifts wrapped up yesterday? DH still has to wrap all mine. I've only got 3 more to wrap. I'm sure that will keep until next week though. What's on your agenda for today?

Lisa I hope you get to spend the weekend playing with the little one!

Time for more coffee...Enjoy the day!

Dawna, hope that PC is in good condition and works for you.

Erin, fingers crossed for your husband. Hope all goes well and he's up and moving again.

It's a beautiful sunny day but brrrr it's cold. Going to open all the blinds with the hope that the sun warms the inside of my house up. I refuse to turn the heat up any further. Every time that electric bill comes in I think of all the things I could have bought with that money.

Found the new thread and throwing my hat in the ring.

Gorgeous morning, but a chilly 10*. Sun is shining through the snowy pines as light flurries of snow falls, makes a magical morning as I sit on the porch with coffee.

Erin, bless you with all the arrangements. So happy to hear surgery for DH has been moved up. As Dawna said you have done a tremendous job advocating for your DH. I hope everything falls into place and goes smoothly for you both. Having your daughter at the house will be a peace of mind while you're at the hotel.

Seems daily, gifts for Christmas are arriving and the pile is growing. Need to get busy with wrapping. Hopefully, we'll get our Christmas tree this weekend and I'll be able to finish the wrapping, place gifts under the tree and finish other Christmas decorations.

So happy I finally have a chance to drop in the new place :). Dawna thanks for being such a wonderful host.

Erin happy your DH has an earlier schedule with the surgeon. Hopefully all the pain will soon be behind him.

I am getting over a cold I picked up over Thanksgiving and trying to get the house ready for more guests. I was frustrated as both were last minute revelations (though I'm sure DH knew much sooner than he let me know) so I was hustling while not feeling great. My SIL was suppose to arrive Monday and be here for two days. She came in late Tuesday, stayed in a hotel and we saw her for an hour yesterday before she left. My husbands friend from England arrives today and will be here til Sunday. I still have lots to do but I am no longer in a time crunch so I am slowing down and taking my time finishing up whatever still needs to be done. My only rush is to get out my Christmas cards. BTW I have received a card from Kelly, Laura and Dawna. Thank you ladies for thinking of me.

Hey Debbie want to wrap my gifts too? I always seem to wait til the last minute to do that and usually rushing to do it 2-3 days before Christmas. I even have all the gifts purchased except one and I have to go to the store to hand pick that one so that is a project for next week.

Off to get dressed so I can take Roxy for a walk, she is at my feet ever hopeful I will hurry up.

Have a great day,

Norma

It's pretty foggy out this morning, but sunshine is promised for the day. I had a rough day yesterday, just couldn't get myself motivated to do much of anything, like unpack my PC. Then, when I least expected it, my Secret Santa box showed up and brighten my day! I haven't weighed myself in almost two weeks, and I was a bit worried about gaining weight over the holiday season. To my shock this morning, I stepped on the scale and lost another 5lbs! I've been pretty good, only cheating now and then, so I'm a very happy camper. Today I need to bake off my Toll House cookies for brunch this weekend. I'm still trying to figure out the brunch menu, but it looks like ham and cheese quiche, fruit platter, mimosas, and desert. I had DH pick up a few other breakfast items (pancake mix, sausage and bacon), just unsure about having too many leftovers. I'll call my gf's this morning to see if the guys all like quiche, if so, then I'll forego the extras.

Debbie sounds like you had a very productive day, getting 98% of your wrapping done! I know how good it feels to check that off the list! lol Sounds like you've spoiled yourself this season with the "one for you, two for me" trick. Don't be hard on yourself, you deserve every bit of that holiday shopping joy! Please don't let the house temps drop to low, we need you heathy this holiday!

Jody welcome to the Cafe'! It's so nice to have you drop by. Feel free to pop in anytime! Wowzer 10 degrees and your sitting outside on the porch? Burrr....I'd be frozen to the bone. This Cali girl doesn't do those kind of temps! lol I know you run a campground, but is your home also up in the mountains? I love the mountains, but it's been way to long since I last visited them. I'm more of a beach person. Have fun decorating this weekend.

Hey Norma, you're welcome and thank you for the nice compliment, that's so sweet. Sorry to hear that you've been under the weather. Having to hustle to get everything done for company, especially when you're not feeling well, is pretty taxing. I hope you get to feeling better and can relax with your company this weekend.

Sorry I haven't been out to the gallery's this week, I hope to catch up next week. Well DH is finally up and I need another cup of coffee, so it's time to get a move on. Enjoy the day dear friends!

Debbie wow what a great tradition your family has! And, you've got gads of family. No wonder you draw names for the gift exchange! lol My family consists of me and my sister, SIL's, BIL, my daughters, grandkids and great granddaughter and a few cousins that live nearby. There are two Christmas traditions that my mom started back in the 1960's. The first is gathering the family together for a Christmas Eve party. Back then there were about 40 of us, and we'd all cram into our little 900sf house, everyone would bring their favorite dish and the spiked holiday punch was always a huge hit. The second tradition, took place during the party. My sister and I would repeatedly pester my mom to please let us open just one gift. She would always brush us off, with her "maybe later" response. As bedtime neared, we'd pester her again and she would finally give in with the caveat that she got to pick out the gifts. Sure we'd say! We were always thrilled! Each year throughout my lifetime, the gift was always the same, a new pair of PJ's along with a small toy. Her motivation for this tradition ensured that my sister and I were always dressed in new PJ's for Christmas morning pictures. Because Lord knows we had enough ratty PJ's to choose from! lol After my DD's were born (1974) I adopted her PJ tradition, and with my mom's passing in 1998, I started hosting our families Christmas Eve party. To this day, I'm still gifting new PJ's for my daughters and they love it. They too have carried on their grandmothers PJ tradition with their children. So, I guess I've been hosting our Christmas Eve party for 25 years now and our PJ tradition for about 40 years! Like you said, where has all the time gone?

So our family was always scattered as long as I can remember, hence no big family traditions. We did of course have traditions in our household growing up like staying up very late and helping cook Christmas dinner with our mama (my mama was the best cook), getting a new outfit to wear on Christmas day and before any present could be open at all we would gather together and our mama would led us in prayer so we never forgot what the real reason for Christmas was. This is something I started with my husband when we got married and we did as a family when Anitra was born. It is still something we do til this day for every Christmas. We wake up early, hold hands and say our prayer before we start our day each Christmas. There are other little things I do with my family, certain gifts, foods and ornaments but I already feel like I've told my life story LOL...thanks for sharing part of yours too, it's really a blessing. I would have loved for all of us to be in one place at the same time, now we have all gotten older, lost so many of us and we are still all scattered. And I still miss my mama every single day and hope she's proud of the person I've become.

Love hearing everyone's ways to celebrate. Christmas for us is quiet. Ad it's only my DH, and youngest daughter. Our 5 other children are grown with young families of their own. I was the one who had Christmas Day for all the kids and their spouses before moving north away from family. I do miss hosting, but don't miss the stress that goes along with it. Most of all I miss my grandkids, watching their excitement. We see family on Thanksgiving and on Easter, other than visiting back and forth occasionally. Winter traveling isn't my cup of tea. I don't mind the snow, it's the semis on the highway I don't care for in bad weather. And I hate family traveling north if there's bad weather. A major one of my pet peeves.

We got our tree! Tonight's plan is to rearrange the living room to fit the tree. Christmas music on, and whipping up a batch of cookies will round out the night of decorating the tree.

Tomorrow I'll start wrapping gifts. I hope our young cat behaves himself. He was good last year, even though he was a kitten. Now that we know him better... I'll be surprised if we don't have to tether the tree to the wall.

I took David to my Synagogue last night for a Hanukkah service. He liked it and he was welcomed. I just got back from a Hanukkah party with my Synagogue. I'm tired.

Dawna, I love your PJ tradition. I wanted to start that with my kids but for some reason, it just never got going. My immediate family tradition with my siblings is something my dad stared when we all started families of our own. He would have his famous eggnog ready for us the minute we walked in the door. The eggnog consisted of whiskey and vanilla ice cream. Dang it was good. lol

Tena, since I have so many cousins, there are many that are out of state also. They try to make it in for the party but not everyone can make it. Especially those that live in Texas. It's just too far away. There were quite a few years when we were living in North Carolina that we weren't able to make the party either. Driving those mountain roads in the winter are always a hit and miss on the weather. I didn't realize you have such a huge family. Eight siblings, Wow. I only have five and that to me was a lot growing up. What part of Germany was your husband stationed in. I was a military brat growing up. I was born in Stuttgart Germany.

JoJo, I'm with you, I'm starting to hate the highway driving because of all the semi trucks. Lord, they take up our highways. I do my best to stay away from their blind spots so no way do I ever drive side by side with a semi truck.

Jessica, I didn't know there was a Rick and Morty build a bear. I really need to check that out. Hmm, sounds interesting.

Terry, your nerf gun shoot out sounds like fun. Nothing like wearing the kids out so they are more settled when they come back inside. And kuddo's to you for moving 2 hours away and not having to deal with the mess of hosting. Smart move on your part. 36 people are a lot to host. We have a total of 40 including the little ones but my brothers family lives in TN so that's minus 11 people. Needless to say the house gets packed.

Anymore traditions out there? Would love to hear them.

It's Holiday Brunch Day! Glad I'm up early as there's lots to get done before my guests arrive. I did get my cookies baked off yesterday and DH cut up all the ham and cheese so putting my quiches together this morning will be easy peasy. I still need to set the table, grab a shower, and prep the fruit plater. DH is my sous chef, so he'll help with the fruit. But, we don't gather until 11am, so there's plenty of time to take care of all the last minute prep.

Tena I loved hearing about your life story. Eight siblings, that's a big family. Military spouses make so many sacrifices, thank you so much for your service. I'll bet that you've seen a lot of wonderful places while your DH was stationed in the military. What were some of your favorite places to live? I also loved hearing about how you and DH stay mindful of the true meaning of Christmas. Very inspirational. And, I miss my mom and dad everyday too. It's just not the same without them.

Lisa are you getting all set for the holidays? Did you get to spend time with your grandbaby this weekend?

Jody welcome to the Cafe'! So glad to hear that you got your tree! I hope you had a lot of fun decorating it yesterday. I really wish I could do a fresh tree, but the last one we got about 4 years ago, nearly put my husband down for the count. So we invested in a faux tree the next year. My cat Sparky was just a kitten that first year, but that little "fur brain" broke down every branch in the tree and we had to toss it after it's first use. We replaced it, but he was still very rambunctious the second year. This year, his 3rd Christmas, he's really been an angel around it and all the decorations. I am so relieved that he has calmed down a bit. What's your kitties name? We've got lots of pets between us around here.

Terry welcome to the cafe'! Thanks so much for the congrats on my weight loss. I held off baking my cookies until the last minute, as DH and I both are losing weight, and the temptation to snack on sweets is real! lol Like you, I was just trying to get through the holidays without gaining, so the loss really took me by surprise. I had to buy a new pair of jeans this past week, so I'm officially down three dress sizes now. Woot woot! I love mimosas and quiche too, a favorite at our house. I also love Chex mix, but I haven't made it in years. Sounds so yummy! Are you all set for the holidays? Will you be crafting anything this week?

Time to make the rounds and pour another cup of coffee. Enjoy your day everyone!

We were station in Berlin, Germany before the wall came down. I remember crying like a baby when hubby got those orders. I didn't want to leave GA or my mama LOL but I absolutely loved Berlin (everything except the cold and snow). And haven't stopped traveling since. I got to travel a lot while living in Germany... Amsterdam, London and other cities in Germany. Garmish, Germany was my favorite. But I never went to East Berlin while I was there. I always wanted to go back after the wall came down but so far never have. We have lived in many places like Colorado, Detroit, Hawaii, Louisiana, GA. Some for just under two years but most for at least 3 yrs. Hawaii was a long duty station, 4 yrs but it wasn't all paradise and I couldn't wait to get off the island and will never go back not even for a vacation. Military life wasn't always easy but we made it through. I always told my hubby if I had it to do over, I would marry him again but he would have to have a different job, I personally wouldn't do the army life again. But so many things have changed and I hope the families are finding military life a little easier these days. I wish there were things like cell phones and facetime when hubby was in. That would have made a lot of things easier for us.

Tena a prayer to start Christmas Day is a beautiful tradition!

Dawna I love the PJ's tradition!

I sent off DH and his friend to lunch without me. They are oil field friends and that's what they talk about and I am tired about hearing of drilling and rigs and drill pipe and people who don't know what they are doing....so I begged off this lunch (they are meeting another oil field friend!) so I could get some much needed alone time.

Have a great week

Norma

Tena, wow that's a lot of traveling. I remember when I was a teenager my dad was about to be stationed near Korea. My mom was done traveling and told him he was going without her and that she was staying put with the kids and that she'd be here when he got home. That's when he changed what he was doing in the army and decided to become a recruiter. After that, we stayed put in Cincinnati. He put in 21 years service.

Elizabeth, Lord, 12 siblings. Can you imagine growing up with 12 siblings. I found living with 5 siblings to be crazy at times. And your dad was one of 9. Was there no birth control back in the day with all of us coming from such large families.

Terry, those must have been tiny gifts to wrap for those stockings. I find tiny gifts very hard to wrap and prefer to just shove them inside a gift bag, or perhaps a stocking unwrapped. But I sure did love those gold foiled chocolate coins. Do they still make those?

My checkbook is not looking pretty right now. Seems all those gifts I made online have caught up with me. Every time I look at my bank account online, someone else has taken my money. I sure hope I'm all caught up now cause I don't get paid for another week and a half. Time to tighten my purse strings.

I think I'm going to take today to finish getting my cards together that still need to be mailed before it's suddenly Christmas and too late. It's a slow process....make the card, address the card, add a stamp then run to the Post Office and hope it gets there without messing up their machine that it's not suppose to go thru because I write non machinable on it and add extra postage.

I would like to thank everyone that has sent me a card. I have received from the following people.

Jessica, Kelly, Elizabeth, Dawna, Laura, Norma, Tena, and Erin. And Erin, I had to laugh when I received your card because the one I made for you, I also used a snowman. It's like our minds were in sync. lol Each and every card is so beautiful and shows your unique style of creating. If you hadn't signed your names on the cards I would have still known who they came from.

I have a busy day today so once I finish my 2nd cup of coffee, I need to get my tush in gear. My sisters are coming over today for our annual gift exchange so I need to clean up the house a bit and get dinner prepared. Oh, and a shower. I'm in desperate need of a shower. I also need to deliver the next group of cards to the post office's mail box so they're received before Christmas. The next batch will include friends from all the different states I've lived in over the years. I haven't sent out cards since 2012 so I have a lot of catching up to do.