What Did You Do Today?

[DianaB]

Oh Betsi.....I'm soooo jealous!! That sounds like such a wonderful Christmas.......first with your family......and second......in PARIS!!! I know that you're going to have a wonderful time!! Take lots of pictures!!

I think that Glen's decided that he's going to see if the roll top desk will work for him. It takes up more room than what he has now so I guess we'll see. If it doesn't work then we'll probably sell it. It's just so big and takes up so much room.

I FINALLY found some curtains for our "new" room!! I'm so excited for them to come. I ended up going in a totally different direction with them than what I originally thought that I wanted. I now know what throw pillows I want and the direction that I'm decorating the rest of the room!! I'll get some pictures when I get everything together so I'm not telling details!!

How's everyone's Christmas decorating going? I haven't even started yet and I don't know when I'm going to even start!! Hopefully soon!!

Our school has a huge Christmas pageant every year with all of the grades involved over 2nd grade and it's tonight. Daya is an angel.....which is a priviledge to get! The twins are Readers.....where they read parts from the Bible. I forgot to mention that the pageant is based on Jesus' birth. And it's tonight so Glen and I will be going to that.

Tomorrow night we have a Christmas party at our Pastor's house with others from the church. Nothing on Friday unless it's keeping Karlie and Dean. Dae Lynn and Damon may go to Wichita to shop. Then on Saturday I have to go to play practice and then we have Kera's boyfriend, Jordan, spending the night after the Christmas dance at school. Whew!!! THEN on Sunday we're going to Feyn's church to watch his kids in their Christmas play......then on Sunday evening we put on the Christmas play with our kids!! So if I'm not on here much you'll know why!!! I'm looking forward to January!!!!

[gja1000]

Hi everyone, sorry I've been absent. Busy week finishing up at school for the semester.

Oh Betsi, I know you'll be so happy to see your kids! I may get to go to Paris this summer. A friend and I are talking about going to Europe this summer. It's not definite yet, but maybe!

Diana, SO MANY CHRISTMAS PLAYS!!! Lol! I know you'll have fun!

My two closest girlfriends and I went out to dinner tonight and exchanged our Christmas gifts. We always have a good time.

I'm almost done with shopping, just need a few more stocking stuffers and I'll b done. Yay!

[judy]

How wonderful Betsi! This sounds like a really fun vacation, and, of course, you will see the family! Good luck packing, and take lots of pix!!!! I want to see the grandkids!

Mine still don't know what they want for Christmas! At this point, they are getting money because I think that it is too late to buy them anything. There is no shopping here, and I doubt if I will get anything I order online in time. I do have to pick up small gifts for them, but that is pretty easy. Hair and nail stuff for the girls, candy for Brandon, and they are all available at the dollar store.

I made my own Christmas cards, and will print them out this weekend. I have a lot of cash gifts to give. I enjoy gifting the people who are so helpful all year, like the guy who collects the garbage, my hair dresser, the maintenance people here, etc.

Janet, I am sorry you are having such a difficult time. I always keep you in my prayers.

[Janet]

Appreciate the prayers Judy, more than you know. I'm okay...I'm one tough old lady for sure, until something like the tragedy in Conn. happens. I cried all morning for those babies and all affected.

[judy]

Sometimes there are no words....only tears.

[judy]

I ended up just staying in all weekend. I was so saddened by the events of Friday, I just didn't have the oomph to go out.

Jessie had a talk with the kids, and they are frightened. I do not know what she should say to them. When she was young, I didn't put the news on TV, but with the social media now, that wouldn't matter anyway.

[DianaB]

I'm just posting to say that I'm here. I'm having an awful day today and I don't really feel like saying much right now. I'll be back soon. I will say that Damon has asked Dae Lynn for a divorce. I'll talk more about it later.

[gja1000]

Oh Diana, I'm so sorry they are having trouble again. Be strong, this is such a bad time of the year for problems. Check in when you can.

[judy]

Diana, I am so sorry! I will keep you all in my prayers.

[Janet]

Oh no....I'm so sorry for this to be happening and so close to the holidays. Praying Dae Lynn is handling it okay and is now ready to move on. She doesn't deserve this.


Still not much going on here. I did finally get our 4 ft pre-lit Christmas tree down from the attic last night, but haven't put it up yet...lol. Ricky and I both thought it would be too much of a hassle with the cats so we are not going to decorate it....lol. It will still be pretty with the lights.

Little upset with the spouse (not so unusual), he bought a gun safe. I know it will be safer to have the guns in there, but he doesn't need that many guns to begin with. I thought he should keep it locked in the garage, but he's planning on putting it in his room. It weighs 400 lbs. I'm not happy about it, but I'm a little afraid to say much. He is in that Cowboy Shooters club, but I still don't think he needs that many guns. It's also upsetting since I've been struggling to pay bills at times, that he has the money to buy the guns and the safe. Oh well....enough of that...same ole same ole.

I have most everything bought for Ricky for Christmas. Tomorrow is his birthday and he always requests an Eclair cake, so of course I'll make him one. They are so easy and sooo good.

I've gained back some of my weight...not happy about that, but will try again once the holidays are over. Don't know why I keep overeating and eating the bad foods, except for the fact I love to eat!

[judy]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICKY!!!


I know you don't want him spending the money, but I think a gun safe is an excellent idea! With so many shootings of innocent people lately, the guns are locked away. If anyone broke in, they could not get their hands on guns. Rick is a responsible person, but, as we know all too well, there are too many out there who might know he is an avid gun collector and try to get their hands on his guns!

[gja1000]

I was checking back today to see if Diana had updated the situation with Dae Lynn and Damon. I feel so sorry for her, I wish it weren't happening.

Janet, Gary was the same way, he had waaaaaaaay tooooooo many guns. We were fortunate to have the money to buy them, but still it is ridiculous how many he had. I still have them except for a couple I have given away to Bryan and Gary's best friend. I have a big gun safe in my bedroom too. If you keep a safe in a place that isn't heated and cooled like the garage, you have to keep a dehumidifier in the safe or the guns will rust because they will sweat with the temperature changes. Rick probably knows that so it's best he keeps the safe in the house. I keep one of those pretty foldy screen things around the safe so you can't see it when you walk into the bedroom. I put all my important papers in there and I put my jewelry in when I travel.

I have felt funky today, not sick just funky. I didn't go into school, I can work from home this week because there's not much going on. So really I've been cooking and knitting more than working. LOL!

I've been getting some of Gary's hand tools gathered up to take to his sons after Christmas. I think that might be contributing to my funky mood. Gary had TEN of everything and he had EVERY tool known to man. Well, that is an exaggeration but he had A LOT of tools. So I am trying to get together as many of the hand tools as I can and still keep the things I might need or Bryan might need if he does something around the house for me. But there are GOBS of things that no one but a master carpenter would use, so there are LOTS of things to gather up. Both Gary's sons are in, or have been in, the house remodeling business, so they can use the tools or sell them or whatever.

IT IS 82 FREAKING DEGREES HERE RIGHT NOW!!! I've been making bread and I AM HOT! Thankfully, there is a cold front coming in tonight and it will only be in the 50's tomorrow . We have had such up and down weather!!! My tomatoes are almost all ripe, I only have a few more green ones on the vines and I'm going to bring them in tomorrow morning as it's supposed to freeze tomorrow night. I put a blanket over them with a light bulb last week when it was cold, but I'm done with that so they are all coming in tomorrow, green or not.

[Lindsey]

I have not been back to check in for a while! I have been keeping up with you all though.

Diana, I just want to say I'm so sorry for Dae Lynn and Damon.

Janet, I think a gun safe is a great idea too. Here, it is illegal to have any guns in your house NOT in a locked safe. My dad has two rifles (and is getting one more for Christmas - my brother's friend goes hunting with my family and my dad is the type of guy who always lends out his new things and uses his old one!), and they are locked in a safe at all times in the house. I feel so awful about what happened down there last week One of the little girls recently moved there from Winnipeg so that has been big news here too. One thing that has been glaringly evident from reading forums and comments on news stories, is that the whole view of guns in general is one huge difference between many Americans and most Canadians. So I definitely have my own views on that, but I will keep it to myself!

I have been so busy. Since we started working with the exchange students, it feels like we have no spare time. I guess we started right when monthly reports were due so we had most evenings used up with interviews and reports and trying to help them work through issues. It's just been plain busy, and I am much more emotionally invested in them than I thought I would be.

I can't believe it is less than a week until Christmas! I didn't wrap presents until Sunday night, which is pretty late for me! Tomorrow night I still have the house to clean, and Friday night Scott's sister and her family are staying the night on their way home. We will be heading to Scott's parents' house on Saturday morning. Friday night I am also making a cheese ball and spinach dip to take down for appetizers over the weekend!

Hopefully we can come home on the 26th or 27th. We don't have to be back at work until the 2nd, and we just got our building permit in the mail today so I hope we can get a good start on our laundry room!!

[Janet]

I'm not upset about the safe in general, I think all guns should be in a safe. I'm upset because he's not a 'collector'. He just wants them because his cowboy friends have them. I'm not going to say exactly how many he has, but I will say,it's absolutely ridiculous. I have one handgun and my dads 410 shotgun. I don't need more than that. He doesn't need more than two either....it's dangerous and irresponsible, only one can be shot at a time. A trigger lock would work, plus he already has a safe that a couple handguns fit in. He doesn't need more guns.




Just wanted to clarify.....Rick is too irresponsible....not everyone.

[judy]

Can't say I blame you, Janet. If you are having trouble, as we all are, keeping up with the bills, Rick should be your partner in this. If he can afford guns and gun safes and other "man toys,' you shouldn't give him supper! (unless he provides you with a deer or two that he got by hunting)!

I just like the idea of a gun safe, and responsible gun owners.