@Snowysmom, ‘too many tabs open in the brain’ is such a great way to describe how I feel much of the time, lol. Thanks for that, it helps keep it in perspective. I had to write out a long To Do list recently and during the day I think of things to add but then I forget what they were when I go to add them.
Scatterbrained, but not really, if that makes sense. I think we all just have a lot to keep track of and we try our best to do it (unlike some who can probably let a lot go). It’s nice to be with your family but I know it makes it feel scattered when staying at someone else’s house. This was actually the first year ever that I wasn’t stressed about the holiday and trying to get everything done on time, which was nice. And that was only because I’m not working right now. Work really tosses a wrench into the best laid plans! We did have a get together with my family delayed when we had to take DH into the ER unexpectedly one night, that was the only deviation, I think. (He’s fine.) We were stuck with a cake but I met up w my sister later for dinner. I also kept things really simple this year.
@Judique I’m with you, I have way to much XMas stuff, the thing was, we couldn’t get to most of it
(so much got jammed in other places during our renovations) so we stuck with the very basics and much of it is some new stuff we picked up more recently. I’d like to get out cellar cleaned out - again, as we technically did it last summer hiring some kids w a truck, but it’s still full - and put up some of those nice things I see advertised that go up against the wall and containers slide in, especially for all our holiday stuff. DH loves the idea, too. Trouble is we still have my mother’s whole bedroom set down there and lots of other furniture we can’t seem to get rid of. But back to the XMas stuff. Much of that is up in our attics and we have to clean those out too. Aiming for spring. I’m sure we’ll find stuff up there we haven’t seen in years. Will be a big project and may just need a dumpster. We also don’t have walk ups, it’s pull down stairs both in our main house and over in law, so we may need to hire the young ones again to go up there and pull things down. We’ll just have to do it when it’s not too hot or too cold up there.
Wishing everyone a nice Christmas. I had to run into Marshall’s last night to return something and the line for the registers was so long it snaked back way down into the first aisle! DH noted it was mostly men in line, lol. I remember growing up on XMas Eve in the afternoon my brother would say, “Come on, let’s go Christmas shopping!” and we’d go to to the big
Sears Roebuck on Mass Ave in Cambridge and run around there last minute trying to find gifts for people. Always kept a mental note about not doing that later on, haha. Looking around in Marshall’s there was still so much XMas stuff for sale it made me wonder what do they do with all this leftover stuff? I know it goes on sale but even then I think there’s too much! I do need to restock on bags and paper this year so I will hit some of those 50% off sales. It did make me a little sad to see how many trees and wreaths were still not sold in outside lots.
I visited my elderly friend recently and went back again last night to bring her a few things I thought she’d like. She cried when she opened them. Very little cost but made her so happy. She’d been telling me about her Scottish family history so I printed up a photo of her family name with crest and framed it (in a frame I already had that was extra from another project I did a year or two ago), and I found a water flask (stainless mug) with the same family crest printed on it so she could keep a drink next to her that stays nice and cold all night. She’d never seen one before. It’s hard as she still uses a land line and doesn’t use internet so she doesn’t get the whole
Amazon thing or anything like that. I tried to get her to think about it years back but realized a while ago it’s just never going to happen - she doesn’t have anyone to help her with the ins and outs of it day to day so it wouldn’t work. But these made her happy, so it made me happy. She showed us some old beloved family pics last night and DH is going to get the kits to hang them on her wall for her so she can see them all the time (as she ls largely bedridden now
), probably next week. I made a point this year of doing donations to the local food bank and animal shelter and did manage to actually get them done. In previous years we gave children’s gifts to the local drop offs but this year I thought the others were more needed.
We also did visit LaSalette Shrine this week. It was very beautiful all lit up and we said prayers in the church and lit some candles. Super cold and crowded, though - lines to get in seemed like a mile long in all directions. Food lines were crazy, too, and we were hungry. So we left and went to Denny’s, lol.
Enjoy your holidays, hugs to all.
Thank you all for your friendship and for keeping this going all these years.
The big boss at work sent out an email asking us to work on Jan 1 and 2 to get the year end close started. I figure I will work a few hours each day and then get a full day off later when I really want a day off. It is funny that Kenny thinks it is awful that he does that and Jeff thinks it is OK as long as I get time off later. My kids are truly the odd couple! LOL! I do have plans on Jan 2 but can fit in a few hours before lunch with my MA friend. 
That made me laugh, taz! I’d be with you! I hope tomorrow’s a better day though, you have a lot going on!
