On to the Christmas season

We enjoyed our Thanksgiving and now it's on to Christmas.  It took me a while playing with the image (and remembering how to post it to the blog header as well as changing the blog background) but I'm pleased to have posted a pic of my Christmas Village by The Prairie Schooler, on of my favorite things I've stitched.

I'm not much of a shopper.  I enjoy giving gifts but the hardest part for me it figuring out what people want or need;  mailing out complicates the matter too.  I wasn't brave enough to go shopping during the Black Friday weekend.  Besides I read or heard somewhere that it's questionable whether you really save any money that way.  That's my story now and I'm sticking to it.

DS is doing much better in his recovery from his surgery.  When he started complaining about being bored, I figured he'd turned the corner.  Our most recent dilemma was arguing over whether or not he should stick to his lifting restrictions upon his return to school today;  his backpack was twice his lifting weight limit.  Finally he agreed to do it my way, i.e. following doctor's orders.  I think he was actually happy to return to school today.

Yesterday I drove to a stitching buddy's house for a gtg with her and some other stitchers.  I love spending time with this group of women.  I couldn't take the model I'm stitching (top secret) so I started "Weary World" by Shakespeare's Peddler.  That one has been "haunting" me since it's release.  I finally broke down and ordered it and the threads and stitched a bit on it yesterday at the gtg.  It's an old fashioned looking sampler--right up my alley--and I'm already enjoying it.  I doubt that I'll finish it this year but will enjoy stitching it, especially after I finish the model and can devote more time to it.

It cooled down here significantly and today is an offical soup weather day.  I think I'll boil up the turkey carcass and make some turkey soup for dinner tonight.  It's always a plus when I've figured out the menu this early in the day.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's been a day in the kitchen.  I've baked 3 pies (2 pumpkin and 1 pecan), bread in the bread machine, and have a ham in the oven along with some homemade potatoes au gratin.  DS #2 is on his way home from college and since his birthday was last Saturday, we're having a little birthday dinner for him tonight complete with birthday cake and ice cream.

Between tonight and tomorrow's feast, we'll all be growning and holding our stomachs for sure.

Band is over but I've been pretty busy catching up and even had some other band events last Sat. with DS playing with his drumline and marching at the parade in our city's holiday kick-off event followed by chaperoning the band's masquerade party.  (I went as a bag lady, Buc band edition.)

DS #3 had a minor surgery yesterday so we've been home all day today.  He's doing better but not recovering as fast as he'd like (he's wanting to be back to 100%, lol!)  He's starting to get bored being stuck with me at home (always a good sign for someone recuperating from something) so if he feels ok later, I might give him the ok to go spend about an hour (quietly) with some friends tonight.

An observation:  It's amazing how much you can get done at home when you spend all day there...well, not exactly ALL day because I had a couple of quick errands...but ALmost all day.  Maybe I should do that more often.

There will just be 4 of us here for Thanksgiving.  Our DD will be flying to join my parents for Thanksgiving, our oldest DS will be staying in GA but will be enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with friends and then watching the UT/Texas A and M game with some Texas Exes.  Since they'll both be with people and we'll all be together next month, it will be fine.

I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving spending it with people you love.

Bittersweet time

Marching season has come to a close for another year.  While I welcome my "normal life" back, I'm already missing seeing the kids every day.  What an incredible group of young people!

I'm back to stitching in between trying to get the house back in order and finished a small freebie from The Drawn Thread for a block exchange in one of my groups.

Just checking in

DS's band's last marching contest is this Sat. in San Antonio, TX.  Our last regular season football game is tonight but we have the possiblity of "making" playoffs so there might be at least another game.

After that, my life will be back to "normal" (my version, anyway) and I should be back to having my regular stitching time.  I DID manage to finish a small model for CCN and am working on some ornaments now whenever I have the time and energy.

Also, DS had his Eagle Board of Review and is now offically an Eagle Scout.  We haven't even decided on a date for his Court of Honor let alone start preparing for it.  I'm thinking maybe this spring....