New Year's Eve

We of course will be home tonight - we leave the roads to the partiers. But we probably will go for a drive today to enjoy the heat wave we are expecting today!

I just sent my brother, Larry an email because we heard they had snow in Phoenix yesterday! This weather is crazy all over this year.

Larry told me about an app called Evernote - I love it. Using Trip Advisor and Evernote I have been planning our tripto Florida. It has been so much fun reading the reviews on Trip Advisor to find things to do and places to eat and stay.

Hope your evening is filled with friends and good sense - do not forget to designate a driver.

Surprises

When I came home from work I expected a nice clean house because today was the day Stephanie cleans our house. But when I opened the door there was a wrapped gift from her. I opened it and it was a beautiful painting she painted for our bedroom. It is a fabulous beach scene. She knows how much I love paintings and this one will fit right in.

Then I walked in the living room and found that Pat had put the Christmas decorations away. Yeah! Can I say how happy that made me?

What a great day.

Last Christmas Celebration for 2010

It was a full house last night. It was fun to have everyone here - even Crystal stopped by for a minute - making it the first time in two years we were all together.

I have to say it is time to get back to "normal" - whatever normal is it better start. Too much food and drink lately!

I finally made an appointment to get a haircut - I always wait too long and go crazy the last few weeks because it is usually a holiday week and I won't call last minute and then my hair REALLY drives me crazy.

Just a dozen workdays left until I RETIRE!

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Ayva Stole the Show

We had Pat's family over for Christmas - Ayva stole the show! Being the only child she got to help everyone open their present. She had such fun. She found the stuffed animal dogs and Sweet William doll and then Great Great Grandma and Grandpa got her a set of horses she can brush their tales - she was so fun.

She kept going upstairs and peeking through the shelves on the way up - she kept calling Caroline NuNu and Robbie Bee and Sheala Gee it was a great night.

It was nice to have everyone here - we usually go to Pat's sisters so it was nice to have them all here.

Delightful Christmas Morning

Pat and I went to Detroit to have breakfast with my sister, Kathy and her son, Brandon. We drove to their house and sat and chatted a bit -we even Skyped to Egypt to talk with Bryant's family. Then we went downtown to the Westin and ate at the Boulevard Room. It was very enjoyable. Then Brandon took us on a tour of his production company - Star Factory -it has a recording studio and a dance studio. We got to hear music he has written, recorded and produced. He has several artists he is working with that have great talent.

We were so happy to see his work and hear his recordings.

It was such a nice Christmas Morning.

Merry Christmas

Good morning and Merry Christmas to everyone. We went visiting yesterday and got to see all the Conklins. It was such a nice visit. We went to church last evening and it was very beautiful - everything gold and white - even though we helped decorate we were so focused on getting our job done that I never noticed how beautiful everything looked together. The music was niceand the people were overjoyed to see each other.

I hope you have a wonderful day filled with family and friends.

Christmas Begins!

I love beginning our Christmas celebrations. I even like the light dusting of snow - it makes everything look fresh and clean. Tonight we are going to help decorate church. Pat went over yesterday to use a lift we borrowed from St. Helen's and he put up hooks in the ceiling to hang stars from that church bought last year at Pier 1for 75% off. I can't wait to see it.

Taco Night mmmmmm. . .

Jesse and Caroline invited us over for taco night -it was delicious food. Rice, beans, tacos and the most yummy salsa. And we got to play with the kiddos! What a nice night.

Caroline, Sheala and Robbie and I went shopping earlier in the day. We had a nice time.

Swan Creek Road Lightshow

We went out to Swan Creek Road to see the lightshow. Homeowners put music to Christmas lights and we decided to stop by tonight to see it. Our friends, BIll and Amy told us about it -but they had not seen it yet. It was so much fun they did a great job. You can park in Boehler.'s parking lot, too.

Nice evening

Such a nice evening – Our nephew, Michael was in town and we went out to dinner at Outback with him and his parents. We had such a nice time chatting – he will be on his way to spend time with his wife in Budapest – they are both looking forward to a beautiful Christmas together.

We actually got most of our Christmas shopping done yesterday – YEAH! A few things haven’t made it by mail yet, however, Amazon said it would be here before Christmas – and I love Amazon.

We have a very busy week next week – decorating at church, eye appointment, dentist appointment, Pat’s choir party, baking, – lots going on – but then I think it will quiet down for the rest of the holiday season.

Team Ra-Ras Kicks Breast Cancer - Susan G. Komen for the Cure Philadelph...

Every time someone views this video United Healthcare donates money to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer. Thanks for sharing Elise - even though it took me forever to find time to look at this.

Winter Weather

Wow – Winter hit with a slam dunk! We didn’t get it as bad as some places but 9 inches with blowing and drifting. The wind chill is -10 this morning and Pat went out and cleared the drive, scraped the windows and then drove me to work – what a nice guy!

Robbie called to say his JV Bowling Team took first place on Sunday in the playoffs. He bowled 177 – we are so proud of him.

It was really nice being snowed in yesterday. We went to church on Saturday so we never left the house. We got the Christmas decorations up and vegged out watching Hallmark and Lifetime schmooze all day – then CSI reruns – if that isn’t the opposite end of the spectrum.

shopping?

So some of the people at the craft show were buying for NEXT year. I have not even thought about Christmas! I think I will have to get serious this week!

Our lives are so busy we haven't been able to even find a time to celebrate Christmas with our own families. I think we all have to slow down a bit.

OK Maybe this week won't be crazy while we BEGIN shopping with all the other last minute shoppers. Maybe a prayer to Mom and Patsy - Master Shoppers of all times (you should have seen the buys they would come home with after the George Washington Day sales in downtown Saginaw back in the day where everything was. 22¢ or $2.22): I'm sure with the households filled with family they both did there share of last minute shopping!

So I'll whisper a prayer and get going today.

oops

The show was done at 3 today. I hope no one came after we were done! We had a very successful day and Robbie earned a good bit towards camp this summer.

I want to thank everyone for such a great craft show year. We met so many nice people - both buyers and sellers. We will start selling again in September. Thanks again.

Saturday Fundraiser

Do stop by at the Horizon Center on Saturday from 9 - 4. Robbie is helping me sell dishes with knives (a great Christmas gift). He is hoping to go to Cival Air Patrol camp this summer and this
will help fund that. Remember last year we raised money for Sheala to go to Boston -and as an update to that trip - - SHE LOVED IT.

Dinner with Olympia

At the last minute we invited Olympia over for dinner last night. It was Vince's birthday and we were so happy she could come over. I think it was the first time I cooked in ages. When I asked Pat to go to the store for potato soup and panini ingredients and then saw Olympia's email about stopping over for a minute I knew it was an impromptu dinner opportunity. We are so happy to have spent a quiet night talking at the kitchen table. Good friends, good soup, and a bottle of wine - is there anything better?

Altered Fingerprints

Well - I think I officially changed my thumbprint last night! I wrapped so many knives there is an indent in my thumb!

We sold so many dishes and knives in Clarkston that I had to wrap, wrap, wrap last night - I will be out of Christmas dishes by the 4:00 if I sell like I did yesterday. And I have one more show next weekend at Horizon!

I was praying to St. Anthony last night to find more dishes and we did - thank you, thank you, thank you. Now I have to start praying again to buy more for next weekend!

We are next to some really nice people - they sell metal fish bones! They are so cool - you hang them and they spin in the wind - some of them have chimes - some can go on the wall. They have lobsters and crabs and turtles - they even make their own sea glass and put those on the chimes - we really enjoyed talking with them yesterday - getting tips for our trip to Florida, too.

Gotta go - have to put those knives with the plates and pack them up to go back to Clarkston - don't forget that Grandy is still open today!

Grandy and Clarkston

Well - I worked at the Grandy Farm yesterday - it was a fun day - remember you have two more days to shop. One of my favorite items is still there - a woman named Tracy paints snowmen on different items - screens, chairs, buckets... The one I love is an old chair with a bucket on the seat with a snowman face painted on it - the bucket is filled with greens and it lights up and it all is wrapped in grapevines - $42!!!!! It is so precious - if I thought I could put it on my porch and it would be there the next day I would buy it - but instead I'm telling you about it - so go to Grandy's and tell them Mary Ellen sent you to buy Tracy's chair! (Peggy - I was thinking of you when I saw it!!!)

Also - Rene is there - I bought 8 jars of her Blackberry BBQ sauce - YUMMMM! I bought one last year and I just about cried when I realized I only bought one. She makes a delicious bacon wrapped chestnuts in that BBQ sauce and it is to die for.

Today we are on our way to Clarkston for a two day show at the High School - I can't wait to see everyone - hope to see you there!