nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,779 
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Post by nylene on Dec 1, 2019 3:48:54 GMT
This challenge is for those who scrap slowly and need encouragement to keep scrapping all month or those who want a little encouragement to continue scrapping. It is great for those new to Challenges and is a fun place to come chat with other Pokey scrappers. 1. Post a layout each week, or four layouts per month. These can be posted in the thread or in the gallery. If you post in the gallery, be sure to come to the thread and tell us you posted and tell us the name of the layout so we can find it. You can copy the URL from the gallery and paste it directly into your thread for a link. 2. This challenge can be combined with any other challenges and can be paper, digital or hybrid scrapping. These can be cards, layouts or altered items or any other creative projects. 3. Please comment on the work of others on the thread as your time allows. We all love comments on our layouts. 4. Have fun with this! This should be a "no pressure" challenge. Just post what you finish whether it is one layout or more than four. Come chat with the group as time permits. We love to welcome new members . If you are doing the Team Challenges, this challenge is worth one point for each page when you complete all 4. So that's 4 points for completing the Pokey Pea Challenge.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions. |
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nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,779
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Post by nylene on Dec 1, 2019 3:56:51 GMT
We are now safely home from the funeral. There were 6 accidents and a winter storm warning on the freeway last night so we didn't make it for the viewing. We left early this morning and took it slowly and carefully. Coming home tonight the freeway was closed in both directions due to tanker rollovers. It took 3 detours because of surface road accidents, to get us safely home. We are all exhausted.
It was snowy and ugly as the funeral started, but by the time we went to the cemetery the snow had stopped and we had beautiful blue skies. Cold, but beautiful. It was a very nice service.
I hope you are all well and tucked in warmly tonight.
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Post by grammadee on Dec 1, 2019 4:06:44 GMT
Oh nylene, I am glad you are home safe! Please get some rest. |
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joyfulnana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,043
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Post by joyfulnana on Dec 1, 2019 17:11:37 GMT
Oh nylene - big hugs to you! I'm so sorry for your loss. And what an ordeal going to the funeral and back! I'm glad you made it home safely, with no incident except the detours. We lucked out as far as weather went. Just some rain and crazy winds. It was 60's and sunny yesterday. In the 30's with little spits of very light snow this morning. grammadee you are itching to get started on December and I can't even wrap my mind around the fact that it here! I am not mentally prepared for this season at all! JYC starts today and I'm not mentally prepared for that either lol. It's been a busy weekend, with dinner Thursday evening, seeing my son and mom on Friday. They are an hour away from me and I was just heading back when DS1 called asking if I was home because Rudy wanted to come hang out lol. So they spent Friday evening here. And Rudy was back yesterday to stay the night. Got some shopping done on black Friday - online scrappy shopping only lol. I have my cards started and need to finish today so I can get them in the mail. I need another 4 days off work, this long weekend went way too fast! So no decorations out yet, or even brought up from storage, maybe later in the week I can get to that. Tomorrow will be crazy at work. Our customers definitely make us pay for taking holidays off lol. @elaynef I'm glad you had a great time with the grands and are home safe and sound! Hope everyone is full from great food and family and enjoying this Sunday! |
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Post by grammadee on Dec 1, 2019 18:05:26 GMT
Not as energetic today,  , but I have done some set up for tasks I need to finish. Printed my family & friends address list, and labels for the packages I had almost ready to mail by last night. Also printed a 2020 calendar month by month so I can write in our family's special dates. I find it easier when I write those events into my family calendars if I have them listed first in their proper place on the correct year's pages. Won't need them until my calendar pages get back from the printer, but hoping to get some little things done. I have the top of one china cabinet decorated for Christmas, and the stuff that WAS up there packed away ready to go downstairs. Started on another one, but ran out of energy. Have learned the hard way that when my body &/or mind yell "UNCLE!" it is time to stop and rest. I can "lose" half a day if I stop in time. If I don't, then it may be much longer... I don't have to go to work outside my home, so I can come back to the decorating another day this upcoming week. The trick is to find a time when dh is going to be out of the house for a few hours. He is a creature of habit, and any change is tough for him, so he does NOT enjoy the process, and that saps MY energy. Linda, I hope you and your family had a quiet weekend, and that having them close has helped you deal with your loss. (((((HUGS))))) to you all as you step into the first December without your Mum. Glad you got to see both your sons this holiday, joyfulnana , and it is sweet that Rudy wanted to spend time with you. In my rifling through Christmas decorations, I unearthed the Christmas movie DVD's so now I want to watch them all. Maybe I will curl up with one or two of those this afternoon. The only thing that would make that better would be a little dgs to curl up WITH, but that's not going to happen this week. Is it nap time yet?... |
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Post by LisaDV on Dec 1, 2019 20:09:23 GMT
nylene, I’m so sorry for the loss of your loved one. I’m very glad you are home safe with that weather. @elaynef, laughing at your dh wanting to buy a kite and hoping your travels went well and safely. Linda, please don’t feel you need to respond individually to anything, but I do hope you will check in and let us know how you are doing. Let us know when in January you are traveling and how you are getting there, just so we can send extra prayers or wishes your way. joyfulnana, I’m so sorry about the rift in your family and hopefully with time it can heal. kellyr21, did you and Ron go to your in-laws for Thanksgiving? grammadee, will your December be as busy as your November? Busier? When will your dh get his new cpap? I’m sure that will make a difference. When’s your colonoscopy? I was thinking it was this month. DD is now sling free. She can move freely but no weight or holding anything until we go back mid-December. She slept in her own bed last night. She held off sleeping there after getting the news on Tuesday so that Grandpa and Pat (his wife) could have her room over Thanksgiving. She has her own bathroom so I thought that would be nice for them. We went out to the next town over tree lighting and holiday parade last night. Lots of fun even in the cold. It was our first time at such an event and the town has a very small-town cute feel (kind of Gilmore Girl-esque) which added to my enjoyment. We also dug out all the Christmas boxes. Today we were supposed to do our tree, but quite frankly we are all looking forward to a lazy day. I took the opportunity to order some of the Christmas gifts. I must wait for cyber Monday for another round of shopping. And I have to hit the stores for a few things (especially the boots and hat/gloves for the giving tree recipient). It’s hard to tell if boots and gloves/hat will be warm without seeing them for me. Otherwise I’m almost done. Love online shopping. Tomorrow will start another round of cleaning the house and I’ll start going through those Christmas boxes. I’ll have to go to MIL’s. She’s out of rehab and at home. Got out Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We were happy she’d be home for Thanksgiving. So I’ll need to schedule a day to go there as well and drop off some frozen meals for them or send them with DH and he can go after work (he’s already half way there when he’s at work). I'm off to do ....nothing. And it's going to be great. Gotta love puttering around with a little of this and then a little of that with no plan.
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Post by Linda on Dec 1, 2019 20:34:23 GMT
nylene - I'm so sorry for your loss. So glad that you made it to and from the funeral safely- now rest up. joyfulnana - that does sound like a busy weekend but fun as well - glad you had Rudy time grammadee - you are so busy and organised! Thank you for the the hugs and thoughts LisaDV - thanks to you as well. Glad that your DD is sling-free. you're always so busy as well. DH is driving DD back to college for finals week - traffic was moving at a speedy 29 mph so the 3hr each way drive is going rather slowly. I enjoyed having both girls home for Thanksgiving week - we went to friends on Thursday and I cooked turkey on Friday. My sister is still working on mum's house - she and her husband are going over on weekends and texting me when there are decisions to make. They took another truckload of trash out of there yesterday. So ar only two rooms have had their first going through. It's really quite the project. I did get my big November project finished - I didn't think I would between the two trips and everything else but I pulled it off and wrote 50,000 words in November for NaNoWriMo - it's not a novel (I'm a rebel) but it's a writeup of one of the family genealogy lines. I'm almost done and am at 56,000 words now. Hoping to finish it tonight and then edit it and get it printed for Christmas for my sister and my kids. I need to start my big December projects though - sewing advent ornaments (24 of them - well actually 28 in all but this year we only need 24) and doing a DD. I'm of two minds on the DD - this is the first Christmas since 2014 that all my kids will be here for Christmas and who knows if that'll happen again soon so I would like to do the DD but I'm so NOT in the Christmas spirit...DS has missed Christmas though living in Japan for 3 years where it isn't a big deal so it's important that we do all the traditions.
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Deleted
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Nov 22, 2024 9:58:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2019 1:38:21 GMT
We are now safely home from the funeral. There were 6 accidents and a winter storm warning on the freeway last night so we didn't make it for the viewing. We left early this morning and took it slowly and carefully. Coming home tonight the freeway was closed in both directions due to tanker rollovers. It took 3 detours because of surface road accidents, to get us safely home. We are all exhausted. It was snowy and ugly as the funeral started, but by the time we went to the cemetery the snow had stopped and we had beautiful blue skies. Cold, but beautiful. It was a very nice service. I hope you are all well and tucked in warmly tonight. So glad you got home safely and hope you are getting some rest. It sounds like we all could use a little of that!
We had mostly good weather on our trip. We did have some 70 mph winds in Canadian, Texas and we were a little worried about wildfires, but they turned out not to be close to us and we also avoided snow and sleet, but barely. It hit Amarillo about an hour after we got through there.
If you know Hank, the Cowdog, he lives near there and his ranch burned a couple of years ago and many cowboys, horses and cattle were tragically lost in a wildfire.
DD took this pic of us after we got the boys back home and texted it to her sisters. Granny and Papa playing on their phones and ignoring the family. The truth was, we were worried about the weather as we still had 200 miles until home.and checking that! You know West Texas, where we lives comes to a full stop any time there is winter weather.
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nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,779
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Post by nylene on Dec 3, 2019 1:41:33 GMT
@elaynef , that photo is precious. So many memories being made together. I'm glad you didn't have to worry about bad weather. Three of our nieces flew in for the funeral from Washington, D.C., Colorado and Texas. It was wonderful having them here, but we were worried about the weather in each of those airports. Linda , it sounds like you have a great system going in deciding on things from your mother's home. That's a big job. I'm glad you can help from a distance. Hugs to you and family. It's hard to lose loved ones near holidays. LisaDV , I'm glad DD is doing better. When will she be able to do some rehab on her shoulder? I'm sure she feels freed from the sling/brace. That holiday parade sounds wonderful. It seems like a very cold time for a parade, however. Can you tell I'm always COLD? Glad that you had a nice Thanksgiving. joyfulnana , who could ask for more than being able to see both of your boys, your mother and especially your little Rudy. Christmas will be so much fun with him this year. That's such a fun age. grammadee , your calendar organization is wonderful! I'm sure your family loves getting those calendars each year. Your scrapping makes them so special and made for each of the families and their interests. I love that. kellyr21 , how was Thanksgiving at your home this year? I hope you got to see both sets of parents. I talked to Angie yesterday and she wanted me to tell you hello. We were all set to bring up the Christmas decor right after Thanksgiving dinner. But with the house filled with extra people, that was not going to happen. Now that everyone is headed home I am anxious to get it out. I'm having a perm tomorrow morning, but may begin when I get home. Our snow has stopped but our freeway was closed down again today because of accidents. People have to relearn how to drive on ice every year. I was glad I didn't need to use the freeway. We just have one big corridor through Utah and when it is down, there are very few surface roads that follow that route. Waving at all our Pokeys! msliz, I finished your card today and it will go out tomorrow. I hope to get the Canadians' cards in the mail tomorrow too. The rest will follow shortly. |
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Post by grammadee on Dec 4, 2019 18:49:46 GMT
Good Wednesday morning, Pokeys! I am in need of some of LisaDV's efficient lists! I am wrapping today. Have three packages ready to go to my brothers' families when I am in town tomorrow. Need to have gifts for six other people into the mail by Monday. And gifts for eleven more into the vehicle to be delivered to the Calgary area when I drive down on Tuesday. Had been putting this off, but actually got most of them done this morning. Except there are always a few small things--stocking stuffers, really--I always *think* I am going to pick up during October/November, but don't get them all. Still need to pick up the calendar pages from the printers' and finish them all before I leave as well. Tomorrow, I need to drive into town for my hair appointment, so I will pop my brothers' packages in the mail, pick up the calendar pages, and buy the missing small items then. Also need to pick up some crushed pecans for some gluten free cookies I still want to bake (hopefully on Friday). Yesterday I cooked up the pumpkins that had been ripening in our basement since September, and the pulp has been draining, ready for me to do something with it, but I think I will just mash it and freeze it for baking later. We had lost all of the snow that fell in October and November during a week of warm weather, but the ground is covered again in snow and it seems to be sticking around. Love the way it looks, and how it brightens up the landscape, but don't love to drive in it. Hope your trip to the hairdresser was uneventful, nylene, and that you got to put up your tree. Mine is still minus the streamers I need to add before I go, but I turn on the lights every day and it makes me happy. We have some holiday activities planned for over the weekend. Friday evening is the Christmas supper at the church, Saturday justjac and hubby will be here for supper, and Sunday is another Seniors' Christmas meal. I sometimes feel like the various charity groups all want to fatten us up like Christmas geese! It is nice for the shut ins, and the people who live at the Seniors' Lodge and in long term care, but they always invite a bunch of us "seniors in training" to attend as well. It is a nice gesture, and it's good to sit and chat with the others who attend. Hoping you are all warm and safe and enjoying the pre Christmas season. I have enjoyed reading all the little stories posted by the people working on December Dailies in sleepingbooty's MEGA thread. I hope to scrap sometime this month, take on some of the December challenges, but time does not appear to be opening up for me to do that just yet. Need to make two bd cards and a Christmas card yet this week, but that looks like all I will manage. TTYL |
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kellyr21
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,002
Location: California
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Post by kellyr21 on Dec 6, 2019 1:01:19 GMT
Happy Thursday! Hope you all are well today. My dh and I rested over the Thanksgiving weekend. After this surgery we have both need time to heal and recover. Even my dh has been pooped out. After my surgery, when he got back to work it is one of there busy seasons. So it has been almost non-stop until Thanksgiving. He finally got a rest. After this week, all the craziness slows down and we can get back to our normal routines, I hope! LOL! Dr. says I am good to get back to full activities now. So I am hoping to get more exercise in. Yippee! Two weekends ago, we went to my in-laws church anniversary banquet. We got all dressed up and went. We had a nice time with the family and church friends. Next weekend, we will be going to my dh's job Christmas party. I am all ready for it. I got my dress and shoes. It will be at Disneyland's hotel. So we are excited to go. nylene- Prayers are with you and hope you are hanging in there. This year has been a tough one for most of us. Maybe 2020 will be better and more joyful. Please tell your dd I said hello too. Is she into crafting these days? We didn't spend the holiday with our loved ones but maybe Christmas we will be up to it. @elaynef- Glad you had a fun trip! LisaDV- I love online shopping too. So convenient and I got some good deals on the Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday. Still getting familiar with Amazon but that next shipping is AMAZING!!! Love that! Glad your dd is better. Waving hi to all you ladies. I am still trying to catch on all your posts here. Going back to read what you all have been doing. Take care! |
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joyfulnana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,043
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Post by joyfulnana on Dec 6, 2019 13:40:26 GMT
Happy Friday! I love that photo of you @elaynef! Glad you managed to avoid the bad weather! We didn't really get hit by any of the Thanksgiving weather that was going on all over the country. nylene grammadee did you get your Christmas decor up and finished? I haven't even started yet lol LisaDV so happy to hear DD is feeling better! I'm sure she was happy to be back in her own bed too! I love online shopping and that's really the only way I shop anymore. Especially this time of year! Between that and grocery pick up I'm never in the stores anymore lol. kellyr21 I've been thinking of you and wondering how you were doing. That's awesome that you are cleared for all activities and are feeling more like yourself! The Christmas party at the Disney hotel sounds fun! linda I hope things get easier for you soon, as far as getting your mum's house cleaned out and all the December activities you have on your plate. Has anyone heard from patin? She's been on my mind lately for some reason. I am just not in the holiday spirit at all this year I've done no shopping yet, no tree up yet, when there is so little time between Thanksgiving and Christmas left now it doesn't help lol. It's also been in the upper 50's and even 60's this week! Shopping and baking are on my list for the weekend. I think part of my bah humbugs are because Christmas is going to be very different this year with DS moved out, but I'll figure it out lol. I think we are going to be doing Christmas at his place this year. Dinner will be at mine of course lol. My cards will be going out next week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! |
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Post by Linda on Dec 9, 2019 4:01:05 GMT
joyfulnana - sorry about the lack of Christmas spirit - I'm not feeling it this year either and the warm weather isn't helping here either - 80/82 the next two days kellyr21 - glad to hear you're feeling more yourself and have been cleared for activities - yay! grammadee - you sound busy as always. How is the decorating going? nylene - it was so nice of you to open up your house like that. Have you managed to get decorated yet? sweet photo @elaynef I'm feeling overwhelmed - I'm constantly busy and falling further and further behind. I've made the first 8 ornaments for our Jesse tree (and today is day 8 so...there's that but I didn't get it finished until just now instead of by dinner when we usually do the reading and hang it). Managed St Nicholas Day - kids got a chocolate orange, chocolate coins, a candy cane, and an ornament in their shoes - that was Friday morning. Dh's Company party was Friday night - nice to have an evening out but I always feel so frumpy compared to the other women and it's never quiet enough to have an actual conversation. DH drove down to Orlando again on Saturday to pick up D19 and I tried to catch up on some of the housework. Today was CCD for DD13 and Mass and grocery shopping and I had to bake cookies for Advent and then the day was over ....DS27 facetimed in for our Advent ceremony though (last week DD19 and DS both did - she was home this week). We light the candle, pray, read Christmas stories and poems, sing carols and eat cookies and drink hot cocoa or cider. I haven't bought any presents - I don't even have any ideas...I haven't gotten cards written never mind mailed...about half of our nativities are up - we'll wait for DS to come home for the tree. I have 17 bags and boxes of photos, photo albums, and family memorabilia scattered around my family room - I have a new bookcase arriving Wednesday to hopefully corral them a bit - but they all need scanning and sorting and sharing. I have a box full of handwritten memories (about 8" worth of papers) that I've been typing up because I'm the only one who can read my mum's handwriting - so far I've typed up 25 documents worth and that's maybe a 1/10th of them. I love that she wrote all these for us but I wish she had shared them with us while she was still here. And part of me resents that she left me and my sister SO much stuff to sort through and deal with. My dd19 said she wants me to write up my memories and DD13 wants to know when I'll get back to scrapbooking and DS27 suggested I photograph stuff around the house that has memories or was inherited...and I feel like it's going to be years before I get through mum's stuff never mind make any progress on my own...
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Post by grammadee on Dec 9, 2019 5:37:14 GMT
(((((HUGS))))) Linda. Please be kind to yourself while you heal from your mum's loss. I have a couple of suggestions, but feel free to throw them out the window b/c obviously no one but you is in your shoes right now. 1. Decide what is really important to YOU right now. Keeping up with Advent traditions? Do that. Getting the clutter from your mum's house in some sort of storage until after Christmas when you have more time for it? Go for it. Just taking a moment to breathe? Then let the rest go, feel your loss, and accept where you are right now. 2. Ask for help. This is the single most important lesson I learned 25 years ago when diagnosed with Cancer. I needed to ask my kids for help. And guess what? They learned how to do a lot of things for themselves and for other people. It sounds like you are doing a lot of things for a lot of people right now. Get them involved so you don't have to do it all. If ds27 wants photos of stuff in your house that has significance for the family, let him take those photos while he is home at Christmas. While he is at it, he can interview you, ask about the history and stories behind the things in the pictures. AND THEN HE CAN WRITE THEM DOWN AND SHARE THE STORIES WITH THE PICTURES TO YOU AND HIS SIBLINGS. DD19 wants to know about YOUR stories? Get her to do the same. You can tell the stories while you are doing something else--cookie baking, making ornaments, putting your mum's stuff away. AND SHE CAN WRITE DOWN THE STORIES AND SHARE THEM WTIH YOU AND HER SIBLINGS. DD12 wants you to scrapbook again? Maybe she can take the photos she wants you to scrap. And let the three of them decide how they will get the photos and stories printed for you. And maybe she can fix some meals, wash some dishes, set out some ornaments while you scrap her photos. If they each do their part with the photos and stories, when you DO have time to scrapbook the job will be a little less daunting b/c so many things will be done ahead of time. 3. Accept that dealing with your mum's things and photos and stories will take TIME. And give yourself credit for what you are able to accomplish when you get a little of it done. If it weighs on you, maybe decide that in the new year you will set aside a day a week (or some other segment of time) to work through it. Then keep that appointment each week. Some weeks you will accomplish an incredible amount. Other weeks you may just sit and cry over the old memories, good and not so good. But every week you will have an appointment with your mum and with yourself. |
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Post by Linda on Dec 9, 2019 12:02:11 GMT
Thank you grammadee - those are good suggestions. 1. Advent is important to me - and to my children. With DS coming home for Christmas for the first time in 5 years - this Christmas is supposed to be special - he didn't really get to celebrate much the years he missed between boot camp and being in Japan where it isn't really a thing. And Christmas was a big deal to my mum - her favourite holiday. I think baking is going by the wayside - between still not having a working stove/oven and everything else - if the kids want to bake, they can bake. (everything takes longer in the electric roaster). 2. Good ideas on getting the children to help - DS is always helpful when he's home, DD19 has stepped up a bit this vacation but is better at good intentions than follow-through and DD13 is busy with school, basketball, and makeup homework (she missed 4/5 days last week) an having her help often is MORE work for me, lol. 3. Yes - this is the hardest part. I'm really feeling the passage of time...my Dad was only 64 when he passed 30 years ago - I'm 49 so that's only 15 more years to do all the things. [and yes mum was 83 and so was her mum which would give me 34 years but...]. And of course with my sister working on the house, I feel like I need to be doing my part here - and she's like an energiser bunny - she works fulltime and still manages to do more in a day than I do (or at least it feels that way). |
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Post by LisaDV on Dec 9, 2019 17:30:09 GMT
Linda, (((HUGS)))! My heart goes out to you. This is definitely a time of year when everyone gets overwhelmed and you have that much more that you are dealing with right now. So Deep Breath! All of grammadee's advice is so right on. When we get overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we have to do, DH likes to say "how do you eat an elephant?"..."one bite at a time". It reminds us that it doesn't all have to be done this second. But we also have a habit of thinking the task is so big, that we just put off the whole thing. So it also reminds us to take the tasks and break them down into smaller pieces, which is really 1 & 3 of Dee's list above. What's important right now? Make that a priority. For larger tasks or multiple tasks, break it down. Maybe I choose 15 minutes a day on Task 1, but reserve one day a month for task 2 and DH is there to help (maybe we enlist the kids), Task 3 gets moved off the radar, Task 4 gets 30 minutes every week, etc. Right now, it sounds like Advent & Christmas for you. Put away your mom's memorabilia until next year, and all of your personal want to do's. You can choose a path to get you through those tasks next year or put away everything but 1 item to work on in small amounts. You may just need to let yourself grieve. Next year, set up your plan for doing those tasks, you may or may not enlist the help of the kids or your DH, as you see fit. Most of all, be gentle with yourself! Be fluid, you may have that list of tasks and your plan, but if something comes up, it's more important to be present with your family. When our time comes and we're no longer with them, it would be nice if they had those special stories written down and all that, but the thing they will carry with them is you being there. As to your sister being an energiser bunny. Remember we all grieve in different ways and have different ways of coping. You can't compare yourself to anyone else. You are beautiful and awesome and amazing and different than anyone else! Sending you lots of hugs and saying a prayer for your strength and peace.
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nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,779
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Post by nylene on Dec 9, 2019 22:24:41 GMT
Oh, sweet Linda, my heart grieves with you. As I was reading your post, the things shared by grammadee and LisaDV were going through my mind. I was so glad they expressed them. I know you are feeling a lot of stress and pressure, but take it slowly. Let yourself feel the Spirit of Christmas even if all the physical trappings usually present are not going to happen. This year can't be the same as every year because of the loss of your mother. Take your time and let it all wash over you. Enjoy having the children at home. I wish I could come help you with something! kellyr21, I am glad you are released to return to your regular routine. I hope getting ready for Christmas will bring you joy. Are you making things for Ron's colleages at work again? I hope you are making your Christmas cards/albums for your parents. I would love the see the finished projects. Hugs to you. joyfulnana, I hope that Christmas excitement hits you soon. I'm sure having Rudy around will do that. Shopping NEVER gives me Christmas spirit, it just gives me stress. Luckily that part is done, but it's the decorating that is not getting done around here. Has Rudy been to visit Santa? I don't know why things are so busy. I still do not have anything up for Christmas. Steve carried up the tabletop I use for the Village, but I have lots to do before I can set it up. I have spent the last two days going through all my Christmas stories. Years ago (in the 90's) I made Christmas books of stories for all of the men DH worked with in the Bishopric. One sweet man has contacted me every year or two to ask if I have added new stories. He has brought us a few over the years. He passed away this summer and his sweet wife wants to keep the tradition. I borrowed all her stories and have spent 2 days figuring out what I have that she doesn't and copying or typing them up.. I'm happy to do it for her. I just wish I had started earlier in the year. One of our Christmas traditions is to read a Christmas story each night in December. With just the 2 of us, sometimes we read 4 or 5. LOL I need to get back to work. My Christmas cards are not addressing themselves! |
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Post by grammadee on Dec 10, 2019 4:38:13 GMT
Hello again, Pokeys. Hoping everyone is taking a little time for themselves in this crazy busy season. When people ask "Are you all ready for Christmas?" I tell them "Christmas will come whether I am ready or not". Seems like every year the same tasks take longer. I try to enjoy the little moments and let a lot of the "should's" slide when time gets short. We had a busy weekend: supper out on Friday and Sunday at various community centres, supper in followed by some card playing with justjac and hubby on Saturday. Sunday evening we attended the cantata put on by a group of local churches. Today I got a bunch of wrapped packages out of here. Took a couple of boxes to the post office to send to ds's family in BC. Put the rest of the holiday cards in the mail while I was there. And packed up the SUV with gifts for two ds's and their families in the Calgary area. Also put some trays of baked goodies together for those families and for a pot luck dh will be attending while I am gone. Tomorrow I make the drive and will be down there until next Monday. So far, I know that there will be lots of hockey on the agenda, a birthday party, and the task of putting together a gingerbread house. Lincoln (aged almost 8) called to make sure I bring cookies, and that I pick up some extra candies for that house. (He thinks we need "a million"). Suddenly I realized this evening that I will have a couple of days to fill when the boys are in school, so I am collecting enough scrappy stuff to maybe put together a few pages. Not sure if that will happen, but if it does it will be the first pages this month! Okay, off to bed. Need to rest up for my adventures. |
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Post by LisaDV on Dec 10, 2019 14:44:06 GMT
Safe travels, grammadee ! Enjoy your visits. nylene , we are late this year as well with decorating. We usually get our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year, we just had Sunday free and I really needed a mental health day. We finally did some decorating on Saturday and Sunday, but we decided the village would go on top of the kitchen cabinets this year. Opened the Christmas village bins to find that the movers took the top layer of village buildings out of the rubbermaid box. This means that part of our village is in other boxes in the detached garage. ugh. I think we still have enough to put up around the kitchen, but I thought we'd put some downstairs too. Oh, well, next year. Because we shouldn't sweat the small stuff and decoration is small stuff. Now those Christmas stories sound like a meaningful and lovely tradition I wouldn't want to skimp on. kellyr21 , you should have asked the doctor to not release you until after the holidays and saved yourself from all the holiday madness.  JK. I'm glad you were released to full. I hope you are still doing a slow ramp up to normal though. @elaynef , that's an awesome pic. Are you ready for Christmas? or are you ready to go travel again? joyfulnana , I'm sorry that the holiday spirit hasn't hit you yet. I'm sure it's tough with your ds now in his own place. Did you get any baking done this past weekend? Rudy would be a very good helper to get that task completed, well, maybe not for completion, but he'd definitely lift your spirits.
Linda, just sending you lots of love and letting you know you are not far from my thoughts right now. I started my Christmas cards on Saturday, but DD was feeling better and wanting activity, so we put up the fake tree and some lights and made a couple of cookies. I worked more on them yesterday, staying up until midnight. I love the look of nylene and gramma 's paper piecings, so I thought I'd do a really simple one for my cards this year. I, now, remember why I don't really paper piece.  I will finish them today and take them to the post office tomorrow.
Off to wake the kids, do some chores and get those cards finished.
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Post by LisaDV on Dec 10, 2019 14:45:19 GMT
Linda, my fil & his wife go to FL every winter and are in Fort Meyer. Is that close to you? I know nothing about FL which is sad.
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Post by Linda on Dec 10, 2019 16:05:14 GMT
LisaDV - Fort Myers is about 5 hours south of me. I'm north central Florida. Much warmer in the winter down south than it is here. Good luck with the cards - I made a bunch during Cardtober but haven't managed to write any out yet - I'm Catholic so we're still in Advent so maybe I'll get them done during the 12 days of Christmas, we'll see. grammadee - busy busy indeed -it's nice that you're getting to visit family and bring homebaked goodies. Safe travels Thank you nylene. Your Christmas stories sound very special - but yes, quite a bit of work at an already busy season. I spent yesterday sewing advent ornaments and got days 10-20 finished. That was about all I accomplished other than dishes, laundry, and getting the bins to the kerb. We drove into the city (about 90min) for dinner. DS is on detachment there for a few days - they drove down yesterday and he had the evening off. So we all went to Cracker Barrell with him - the girls were thrilled to see him and spend a little time with them. Made for a late night by the time we drove home, DD13 didn't make it to bed until after 11. She was supposed to have a basketball game yesterday but I emailed coach to let her know why she wouldn't be there - coach said family trumps basketball which made me happy - not all coaches are like that. Sewing more ornaments today. DD13 has a game this evening so we'll go to it. Going to see if DD19 will put up the rest of the nativities today.
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Post by Linda on Dec 11, 2019 17:39:50 GMT
ALL the Jesse tree ornaments are DONE - all 31 of them! So I can cross that off my list and pick something else to focus on. DH is home sick today.
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nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,779
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Post by nylene on Dec 11, 2019 18:01:37 GMT
Linda, I would love to see a photo of your stitched ornaments if you would like to share.
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kellyr21
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,002
Location: California
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Post by kellyr21 on Dec 11, 2019 22:05:36 GMT
Happy Wednesday! Hope you all are doing well this week. I am feeling better each week but still sluggish. So just embracing it and taking my time. We had a nice weekend and did a little shopping. We went to Kirkland's home store. They have such pretty things. I got a small Christmas tree and paid $9.00!!! Great sales there now. My dh got some beautiful ornaments there too for his job's party today. They were a big hit. Normally he gets drug store ornaments for the party which is fine but this time thanks to me, he got his ornament game up a few levels. LOL! 
nylene - I haven't had much creative juices since my surgery but yesterday I did get inspired when I saw some of my Christmas supplies from last year. You are so busy and so sweet to help your friend. Thanks for my card. I love it!!!!
grammadee - Safe travels to you. How is your little doggy doing these days? So cute! Thanks for the card, too. SO kind of you to include me.
LisaDV - "you should have asked the doctor to not release you until after the holidays and saved yourself from all the holiday madness."
LOL! That would of been a great idea because this time of the year is so crazy. LOL! But I am glad to be cleared just for peace of mind. Such a relief to know all is well but still taking it slow.
Sending a hug to linda . Take it easy too.
Waving hello to you other peas like joyfulnana @elaynef msliz justjac !!
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Post by Linda on Dec 11, 2019 23:39:30 GMT
nylene - I don't have a picture of all 31 but here's one with 5 of them - they're for a Jesse tree so different symbols representing New Testament people (plus a couple at the end that represent the Nativity). There's wheat for Ruth and Boaz, Tablets for Moses, a horn for Joshua...  kellyr21 - definitely take it easy and let yourself get back to full speed slowly.
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nylene
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,779
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Post by nylene on Dec 12, 2019 17:25:29 GMT
Linda , I love your ornaments. Do you design your own symbols? All the hand stitching around the edges as well as the designs must have taken a lot of time. I hope that the working by hand was therapeutic for you. I know that busying my hands is good for me. I am impressed that you have finished them all. Thanks for sharing them. kellyr21 , congrats on the new Christmas tree. I'm glad you found great ornaments too. I hope your creative juices get going as you begin to feel better. Hugs, to you dear friend. LisaDV , did you finally get your Village back together? Putting them on top of the kitchen cupboards sounds really pretty. When we remodeled we filled that space with more cabinets so I lost that decorating space. LOL, that's probably a good thing for me. It was always dusty. grammadee , how are your adventures going? ARe you getting some scrappy things done? I have a page partially finished. Sometimes I need a break from addressing and writing Christmas cards. Be careful in your travels. Your Christmas card is gorgeous! Thank you!
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Post by Linda on Dec 12, 2019 18:25:36 GMT
nylene - thank you. No, I bought a pattern from Etsy for the symbols but yes, hand stitching took time (as did the cutting out - I need better (smaller) scissors for that) but it was good to have something to do and good to get it finished and feel accomplished. I managed to make the title page for my DD today and order some photos for week 1. My new bookcase arrived yesterday and DH put it together so all the photo albums from my mum's house are out of boxes and on the shelves. I also ordered 6 project boxes (9x12 ish and about 3-4" deep) and filled those with loose photos and photo envelopes. I still have two bags of photo envelopes that still need a spot but that'll be another day. And I'm trying to figure out a place for yet another bookcase as I'll pick up all the slides and photo boxes in January and they'll need a home.... Inventoried the hand-written memories - I've typed up 26, there 80 more plus some random loose pages I'm hoping to match up along the way plus 4 partial notebooks with more handwritten memories...some of these stories I've heard before but not all by any means and she wrote just like she talked - rambling and getting off track and sentence fragments...I can hear her voice as I type. We got the quote and the mock-up for the engraving today - her cremains were buried in her parent's grave and they'll engrave her info onto their stone. When Dad died, mum had his cremains sent back to England and he's buried with his maternal grandparents. It seems a bit odd to have them separated but she wouldn't have wanted to be buried in England (and anyway Dad is in an Anglican churchyard and Mum was Catholic - she's in a Catholic cemetery now).
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Post by grammadee on Dec 12, 2019 22:38:29 GMT
Linda you have accomplished a LOT! I hope you can relax a bit now. And I hope that typing those memories, hearing your mums voice in your head will bring you some peace. Those ornaments are lovely. What is a Jesse tree? Do you need to make new ornaments each year? kellyr21 I am glad you are beginning to get your home decorated and that you got to go shopping. Thanks for asking about Kandi. She has settled in nicely, and is spending most days running free in the yard with our older dog. LisaDV I think that figuring out where everything is is the most frustrating thing about moving. Did you get some of the village set out on top of your counter? I didn’t set out my village this year. Switched it out for my angel collection on top of the China cabinet. Glad you are getting some pages and cards done, nylene. I did some scrapping today, started 7 pages, but got only one page completely finished. I had packed my scrappy stuff in a hurry, and it seems every page is missing at least one element I will need to add at home. But it won’t take long once I have everything at my fingertips. The teens went through the scrapbook I brought with me, and have promised some pics to go on some other pages. I will need to make sure I have all their sports pages done before I come next time. Had to pick one little guy up from school early today. He has a cough, and it sometimes leads to gagging. Doesn’t help that he lost a tooth last night, so I am sure his mouth does not taste the best. Gave him a half chewable Tylenol and some ice and sent him to bed when we got home. He is now assuring me, “i’m Better” but that is b/c he wants to attend a birthday party. Tomorrow my dgd wants me to watch her in a swim meet, and dgs (aged 16) has a hockey game right after school, but won’t be able to go if this guy is still under the weather. Okay. Gotta go clean up my scrapping mess...
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Post by Linda on Dec 13, 2019 2:51:13 GMT
grammadee -it was an accomplished feeling day - I like those I am enjoying typing the memories - they are such a gift. Jesse tree - goes through the Old Testament preparing for Christmas...kind of following the family tree of Jesus and showing all the main people/events that lead up to the Nativity. Each day of Advent has an ornament and matching scripture verse. In past years we've done ornaments the kids coloured or a pink and purple (Advent colours) paper chain with the verses but now they are older, I decided to make a permanent set of ornaments we can re-use year to year - they are all too old to be interested in colouring them - but that gave them something to do while listening to the reading when they were young. I did a Lent version this year for the first time -it went through Jesus' life from Nativity to Resurection and I made ornaments for each of the days of Lent. Hope your grandson is feeling better. Glad you got to scrap even if you couldn't finish the pages
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joyfulnana
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,043
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Post by joyfulnana on Dec 13, 2019 12:25:33 GMT
linda ((((HUGS)))) you've been in my thoughts, I think grammadee offered some good suggestions, and I'm glad you completed one thing on your list and are feeling a wee bit better about things. Be kind to yourself, you have so much going on and there is only one of you. I love those ornaments! We had some similar hand stitched ornaments on the tree when I was growing up. I hope hearing your mum's voice while typing her stories is bringing you comfort. I'm so glad you are getting time with DS, I know how much you've missed him. I'm 58 and my mortality is on my mind more often than I would care to admit. The women in my mom's family live to mid 80's so I hope I have 30 years left. kellyr21 I'm happy you are getting out and omg what a deal on that tree!! I had to lol at your husbands ornament game being leveled up lol. That's cool they were a hit. nylene I got your beautiful card! Thank you! Did you get your Christmas decorating done? I don't usually mind the shopping if I have good ideas for gifts, but this year I have no ideas. Reading Christmas stories sounds like a very special tradition and you're so sweet to type up the stories for the widow. grammadee I seriously don't know how you do it all. I would say YOU are an energizer bunny lol. And of course DGS felt better lol. Kids crack me up lol. And you fit scrapping into it too! Sorry you didn't have what you needed to finish the pages you started. That is the story of me at crops, always missing something to finish the page. I've been thinking about Kandi and meaning to ask about her, that's awesome that she's doing well and I'm sure you and DH enjoy her. LisaDV You're killing me with the "fake tree" I sense some animosity towards it  It's so good to hear that DD is feeling better and up to activity. Bummer that your decorations are scattered. I've finally started shopping and just got under the wire for picking up some things online, but the rest of the shopping will be done in the actual stores and I'm dreading that.  Decorations are brought up but not out and baking commences this weekend. I was going to bake Saturday and shop Sunday but looking at the forecast for the weekend we are expecting snow Sunday (and the Chiefs are at home this weekend) so I will be flipping those days. I got DS and Rudy matching PJs and Christmas Eve they will come here for dinner and stockings and PJs. Then I will go there for Christmas morning. I took the week between Christmas and New Year off which I don't usually do. I'm really glad I did considering how slow I've been to get with it this season. I have a few more cards to get finished for family and then will have to clear my table for baking. I moved my scrap space to the dining room so I can watch TV while I scrap. I'm still deciding if I want to leave it there or move it - again lol. I hope everyone is getting a bit down time here and there!
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, but I have done some set up for tasks I need to finish. Printed my family & friends address list, and labels for the packages I had almost ready to mail by last night. Also printed a 2020 calendar month by month so I can write in our family's special dates. I find it easier when I write those events into my family calendars if I have them listed first in their proper place on the correct year's pages. Won't need them until my calendar pages get back from the printer, but hoping to get some little things done.
JK. I'm glad you were released to full. I hope you are still doing a slow ramp up to normal though.
I will finish them today and take them to the post office tomorrow.