[Mari]

Hello,

How are you?


On Christmas my friend came over to help with my boxes of junk.
We got rid of some things. Hubby helped a little.
She's coming back later today. It looks like the two of us might be spending some time doing this. At least we made some progress.



M.

[Isis]

Last night we had people over for dinner. In the morning I had two tramadol 50 capsules by mistake - I'd forgotten that I already had one - boy, was I wired. Thanks to the times, I could use my energy to cook and cook I did. I actually had six different deserts. and of course your's truly had several helpings of each.

I used a lot of herbs, and tamarind and apple vinegar. I seasoned pineapple with mustard, poured rum into some, sherry into others, poached fish in wine - experimented to my heart's content.

It has been a long time since I actually made an entire meal for guests.
So yes, it was good to be able to.

I had to tell everybody about the accident with medication though as otherwise I'd have had many pairs of eyes observing my behaviour for the next few days.

[waves]

Dear Mari, Glad to hear you are making headway working on the stuff in your apartment. That sounds like a wonderful "Christmas present" on behalf of your friend, too, even if you don't "do" Christmas.

Hopefully your home environment soon will become more conducive to peace of mind, rest and relaxation. Definitely a good way to start a year.

Your post sounded pretty good Mari but then one can sound good in a post if one tries. I hope you are feeling at least as good as your post sounded, if not better.

Isis your dinner sounded yummy. Maybe i should get a script for tramadol.

((( Steve ))) I am so sorry you had to spend Christmas alone and without internet to boot. I realize New Year's is not as special as Christmas... but still, I hope that New Years goes better for you.

Everyone, I hope you all had a safe and happy time at Christmas.

------------------

My Christmas was good. Quiet, simple, but good. Dad did not totally boycott Christmas even though in many ways he did. I could not find what I wanted for him but i had a home-made gift for the home that i had him unwrap, and i also contributed to buying a couple bottles wine for special foods, which is an aspect he appreciates. Mom had also a spur of the moment gift for the "home" that i also assigned to him to unwrap. so he had his work cut out for him, unwrapping-wise anyway. hehe, (i think it is nice if everyone has something to unwrap - didn't want to have him just there watching mom and i unwrapping. And he was the first to see my home gift and was very surprised and also liked it, which was cool.) He also gave me something that was not a wrapped gift per se but very useful and much appreciated, and a surprise. I really did not expect anything at all after his statements about not giving anything or wanting anything. Mom and i exchanged gifts which was fun.

i also had fun wrapping Christmas Eve ... with great caution between parental appearances there. I was late due to mom's illness and being so active in the day that i was sleeping at night... usually i am up at night and that is my "alone time" and also when i do things like... wrap stuff at Christmas, lol.

~ waves ~

[bizi]

Mari, am glad that you have your girl friend to help you!
We need people in our lives to help us.
Isis, glad that you were able to cook up a storm! sounds like you enjoyed yourself!
waves, so happy to hear that your dad participated in your chrstmas, I am sure the wine was appreciated!
It is quiet here, jeff is out of town until tuesday, I have a cat in my lap and the other 2 are close by. Life is very good.
We have a pet sitter come by every day when we are gone she plays with them a bit but they seem to be really happy when we finally get home.
My house is a mess with christmas things about and unpacking to do, with subsequent laundry that ensues....I moved my post to a new thread to explain our trip.
bizi

[waves]

Dear Bizi,

thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us... it all sounds deliriously exciting. i really enjoyed reading! i am glad you got to go with your friend Chere since Jeff is not into cruising. Hey, it may be once in a lifetime but you did it - once!

Now you have all the memories to enjoy... and pictures or postcards and the mementos you brought back.

That was surely an action-packed experience too. If there are things you want to remember in specific detail, i encourage you to write for yourself (or for us, or both) some sort of account... like journal entries or something - maybe bits at a time, but don't wait too long. you will be amazed in 5, 10 years the little things that drop out of memory but that will be re-awakened if you read about them... like, OH YEAH...that!

I was shocked at what you said about the pay/hours on the cruiselines... i grew up in the midst of the tourist industry and to my knowledge the pay on the cruiseships was excellent ... perhaps it varies depending on the line... or on the type of position... or perhaps i misunderstood at the time... or things might have changed.

Well, anyway, welcome back!

~ waves ~

[Mari]

Hi,
Sleep is all wacky again.
I stayed out in the sun yesterday for 30 mins around noon. The sun kind of wiped me out.
Last night I slept from 8:30 pm until 9:30 am. I think I took a two or three hour "break" in the middle (I came on line at some point and posted.).
Body clock is off. (Until last night I had been sleeping in bits and pieces and mostly in day time.)

So I got some rest but now I feel sluggish and yucky and other stuff.

I might go to the gym to get myself moving. But I have to make a phone call and feel too out of it to get on the phone.
And I wish I knew what time my friend was coming over.

I don't think I am making sense.

M.

[Mari]

Originally Posted by bizi

It is quiet here, jeff is out of town until tuesday, I have a cat in my lap and the other 2 are close by. Life is very good.

Dear Bizi,
I hope that you can enjoy your time until he gets back.
M.

[Dmom3005]

Hi all

Christmas day with all the kids and grandkids at my house was very nice.
My husband though needs to find a way to relax and learn to do the things
that need to be done earlier so that he isn't rushing at the last minute.

He gets so upset and just spends so much time being mad like at anyone
here. Its getting to the point I'd like to move Derrick into his own place
a week or two before a celebration so he doesn't have to listen to his
dad too.

I wasn't sure if we were going to survive this year or not. But we did and
it was pretty good. But I do seem to have one big problem, between the
two ladies that my son's have chosen. And there just doesn't seem to be
a solution. SO I've got to work this one out. I had asked the one I get along
with the most to hand out stockings. And she was doing just fine. And
had to all the kids, and was just handing the other daughter in law and
son's stockings to Jessica. And I'm not exactly sure what Jessica said, to her
but it wasn't nice or pretty. So Sabrina kept her cool here.

But just as soon as the presents had been unwrapped she had her family
all in coats and out the door. I didn't realize till later, it wasn't because Will
had lost his only diaper, but because of what Jessica had said.

So now I hear yesterday at my mom's just as they are leaving, I'm not ever
coming back to your house. And I still have to deal with this. It just
wasn't the right time.

I was sick at my mom's yesterday, and it wasn't a good day for me.
But my grandkids, and son and daughter in law that were there had a ball.
So did Derrick and my husband.

Today I'm alone, Husband and Derrick are out having lunch and a movie.

So I'll rest. Derrick and I are going shopping tomorrow and then his dad
and him are taking off on a trip later in the week.

Donna

[Mari]

Dear Isis,

You put together quite a meal!
I hope that the guests were in awe.
Maybe the good mood will stay around for a while.

=-

Dear Waves,

That sounds like a good Christmas.
Is your mother doing well?
Does your family do both Christmas and Christmas Eve?
I have some relatives from your part of the world and
that is what I remember about their american versions of the holiday.


M.

[Dmom3005]

Isis

I loved your story of your cooking too by the way. I also believe
that sometimes there is a reason for our mistakes.

Waves
I believe that you sometimes make your own miracles.
Or in your case a christmas surprise, that had surpirses
for you all.

I loved your holday, I really enjoy reading.

donna