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Okay, so if you click on this link it will take you to the story in the Chicago paper. i tried to put it on as an attachment but couldn’t. I have clicked on the link and it takes me to the story so it works.
Never seen ones with all that snow on them like that. it’s cool. Let’s see if i can attach this link for the ONP story or not.
Hi Colleen,
Sounds like you had another good Christmas party. Is that the one in the basement of the funeral home? I guess the kids are getting older and now realize that you are their aunt or great aunt and not just the toy lady. How fun it is to watch them all grow up.
I’m glad that they have movers to help them when they have to move. That is a lot of work-even for young people. Did Stephen decide to stay in the army and make a career out of it? In an unstable job market that could be a good decision. I know many people stay in for that very reason.
I know a lot of young couples do not like to share the baby names with other people before the baby is actually born. They don’t like too many people weighing in with their ideas. I was lucky as Jenny talked with me about their choices and let me weigh in with my opinion which I think actually counted for something too.
The new restaurant has a pretty small menu right now. There is a sandwich menu and the dinner menu is mostly steaks with one chicken dish. I think they will expand it a bit with time.
We have a restaurant in the next town over which is the old jailhouse and courthouse so you can have dinner in the cells too. The bar in that restaurant is the one that they show in the movie Groundhog Day and the bell tower that he jumps out of is really on the Opera House there that we go to for plays and concerts. When they show the town square and the gazebo all that stuff is really there-just like in the movie.
What are you having for Christmas dinner? I think I am going with the prime rib and a small ham again this year as the little ones would rather have the ham. I also will be using that mac and cheese and sweet potato casserole from the Q I think. Also right now I am thinking make ahead mashed potatoes,baked beans, cucumbers and sour cream, and fruit salad. Plus I usually set out snacks while we open presents-not sure what those will be yet.
GailHi Adele,
I remember when a Catholic married a nonCatholic you had to promise to raise the children Catholic if you got married in the church. I think they still do that today. I don’t know if you sign a paper or not. That reminds me of something in our family. Even though Adam is not Catholic and he and Jenny didn’t get married in the church Jenny did have Kendall and Lachlan baptized Catholic. When Piper came along there was a new priest with a new set of rules who wanted the godparents to be able to prove that they were practicing Catholics which was impossible as Kim and Brent were to be her godparents and Kim was Pentecostal and Brent was baptized but not practicing. So now time has gone by and she has never been baptized because of those complications. I cannot understand why you would want to make it so difficult for parents to get their child baptized. If you truly had the child’s best interest at heart why would you not welcome them into the church whether the parents or godparents were practicing or not. It seems so anti what Christ would want. But i think it all comes down to dollars in the collection plate. Is that being jaded? However, even under the circumstances when I think about it I am still a little uncomfortable that she has not been baptized. At this point I would take a baptism in any religion. I know that is a bit superstitious but even though I disagree with many things the church does and don’t really practice the religion anymore I guess old habits and teachings die hard-and if anyone would ask me what religion I was I would still say Catholic. I know it shouldn’t bother me logically but it still does a little. Old beliefs die hard.
I think Gary couldn’t tell the difference because you are such a natural beauty. I know better than to ask Greg how I look. Why would I want the opinion of someone who has no fashion sense? I always say he would never notice if I came home from the beauty shop with bright purple hair and someday we are going to put that dye in and prove it. lol
We have had very warm weather too. So far I have not even broken out any of the Christmas sweaters-i have been wearing the Christmas tees instead. This is really my favorite time of year as I love all of my Christmas Quacker finery. I wear it all the way through January 6th-the feast of the Wisemen. Speaking of feasts isn’t it the Italians that do the seven fishes? Do you know what that entails? Plus do any other Nationalities do the oplatki around the table at Holidays. I really missed doing that all these many years so i ordered some from Amazon this year to have at the Christmas table. I know the Polish do it and I think the Lithuanians do it too-anyone else do something similar. An oplatki is like a big communion wafer. We used to each get a piece and you go around the table and each breaks off a piece of the other persons and wishes them good luck or happiness or whatever for the next year and then you eat the piece. It is like a communion wafer but it is a big rectangle. Last time I did that was at Greg’s parents house way back-I don’t think our kids even remember doing it so I am starting it up again. I am such a sentimental scmaltz. lol
I am glad that someone else’s house looks like the mall too with the lights and decor. I just about finished today-I still have some candles that I need to put batteries in and place around the house but all the major stuff is done. I also need to put the garland on the staircase railing (no I did not take yours.) Except I think i may substitute the garland this year with a light strand that I bought with the old fashioned looking large lights. I like to change some of the little things up from year to year so as not to get too boring with the decor. After everything was all done today i just sat in the family room and looked at all my sparkly lights. I don’t know why but I love that moment each year when everything is all in place and lit up. It gives me a feeling of such peace and joy like all is right with the world. Sometimes it really is the little things that count the most. I have a fiber optic Santa’s village, gingerbread house and poinsettia plant-when those things finally burn out I think they will be irreplacable as you just don’t see them anymore. It seems like about 10 years ago the fiber optic decorations were really popular and then they just faded away. You just don’t see them anymore. I also have a hand made ceramic tree, wreath and reindeer made by Greg’s Mom and two other ceramic trees that someone gave Greg’s Mom as a gift. Those are like family heirlooms now. A couple of years ago Greg broke one of the Christmas plates that his Mom made for me and i was so sad as those things are irreplaceable and even my husband the adhesive king could not put that particular Humpty Dumpty back together again.
GailHi Adele,
It will be interesting to hear how the meeting with Heather and Steph went. I wonder why she doesn’t want to come over for family events. Even though she says that you have no food that she can eat that’s not really the important stuff. You would think that she would want her kids to spend some time on holidays with their extended family. Plus I’m assuming that it is not a long drive or anything like that. It would be a different story if that were the case. It really seems to me that some people thrive from creating conflict. Which is so beyond my realm of operation as I am a peace keeper sometimes to my own detriment.
How was your dinner with your friends. We went out to dinner last night to a new restaurant that just opened recently in town. It is so fascinating as it is in the building where I worked for seven years before we had kids. The business shut down about two years after I left and the building sat abandoned for quite a few years. It is an old building probably built around 1870 or so. Well a local entrepreneur has been slowly refurbishing it over the past 10-15 years and now there are a couple of businesses in there. Plus they now have two banquet rooms and a chapel for weddings and parties. They have artists studios and hold a 4th Friday open house ten months out of the year for people to come in and have cocktails and appetizers and browse the art studios. We know the son in law of the guy who owns the building and he told us last 4th Friday they had 1100 people which for a town like ours is a huge amount. I am always amazed at this guys vision of taking an old dilapidated building and turning it into a vital thriving center for entertainment. It just thrills me to see it. Anyway, the new restaurant was pretty good so I hope they are able to make a go of it.
Time to finish up the decorations so i can move on to other things. I hope I get it all done today. I have Greg barbecuing ribs for dinner.
GailAdele,
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful words to Barbara. I knew you would have some insight and I was just at a loss for words. (Unbelievable-I know-lol) You had some good explanations for their behavior. I guess I was kind of flabbergasted as it all seemed like such a petty thing to do to your parents who are providing a roof over your head and many other goods and services like you said. I guess we all think our kids would do anything for us like we would for them-but sometimes things don’t play out that way and we just don’t understand. I think the young don’t really appreciate the idea of their parents having a limited source of income-they just don’t “get” it. I guess because we are in such different stages of our lives.
I’ll bet that Stephanie has that garland just draped over the railing at her house and is giggling up her sleeve every time that she hears that you are looking for it. lol Maybe you could call her or text her and tell her that you are coming over to pick up JJ for the day so he can help you put the ornaments on the tree. Just a thought. At least you would get to see him then. Do Stephanie’s sisters have any influence over her? Could they talk her into making some concessions for the sake of family peace? All I know is these estrangements can end up lasting forever and then nobody wins.
I did not know that there were over 65 flu shots. I wonder which one Greg got. I do know that his blood sugar was up last check up so he needs to start keeping an eye on that again. It’s such a struggle to try and keep that down. He’s lucky that he can usually keep it down with diet and exercise and then he gets lax and it creeps up again. It’s a vicious cycle. winters are harder for him as he is less active too.
I wonder come spring what he will do about the boat since Brent isn’t coming back. He hardly used it at all last year so it’s hardly worth paying the money to keep it docked on the lake to only use it a couple of times. He wanted a lake home so bad but i just don’t think that will be in the cards for us anymore-so we’ll see. I’m not much of a fishing companion and getting in and out of the boat is a bigger chore every year.
I’m hoping to get my decorating finished this weekend. We have no parties this year either. We’re just boring. I think I’ve asked this before and I’ve forgotten the answer. What is a Yankee swap again? You’ll probably have to tell me every year. lol
GailHi Colleen,
Wow the laser and surgery was a lot to go through to get the tattoo removed-she must have really wanted it gone. Now I’m thinking I suppose tattoo removal is not covered by insurance and it sounds like it could be costly. I agree-those tattoos will be saggy and wrinkly and not so attractive years from now but who thinks about stuff like that when they are 25. I know at that age I just thought I would be young and fit forever. Personally I am not crazy about the tattoos either but who listens to their mother about stuff like that. I guess I am just overly sensitive when someone makes judgements about people with tattoos though because of my own personal experience with my kids. I agree with Adele-25 or 30 years from now whoever has figured out a good way to remove the things will be a rich man or woman.
Well as I said I’m not totally surprised that Brent is thinking of staying in NM now. All I want is for him to find himself in a better place emotionally and if it takes him staying there so be it. I watched him struggle that first year and half or so-life for him was just kind of going through the motions and I just want him to find some sort of happiness and contentment and peace. If being out there is the best thing for him that’s the way it has to be. It is true about Stephen and Melissa-when you are in the army or any of the military you have to go where they send you. I guess he has been stationed in Missouri for quite a while now. I have no idea how or when they decide to move people around. Here’s a question-when they station you somewhere else does the army pay for you to move in terms of getting a truck and movers and such? That’s an interesting question. If Kim were still alive i could probably ask her since her Dad was in the Air Force and they lived all over.
I wonder if Danyielle will make it until the 12th. she probably looks so huge because she is tiny to begin with. We knew when Jenny’s kids were coming because they were all c sections. I didn’t know about the text message names. I read the other week that a lot of the real old fashioned names are coming back around again. Names seem to be cyclical. I did know about the name Saint as that was what Kim Kardashion and Kanye West named their new son. I understand that it was because Kim went through so much having the baby-so wouldn’t that make her the saint then? I thought I heard that she went through some procedure a few weeks before he was born to turn him around because he was breech. I didn’t know they even did that. Kendall was breech which was why all Jenny’s kids were c-sections but I suppose Kim K didn’t want the scar as it would show up in all her naked selfies. lol I never heard of a person taking as many pictures of them-self as Kim K does and yet she has followers galore who look at them all. I could care less what she and her crazy family does. Talk about a bunch of people getting rich from doing nothing. Only in America!
Boy we have had some warm weather so far this December. I hope we don’t get blasted later on. I think there’s an el nino or something right now causing the warm temps. Whatever it is I’ll take it!
GailHi Colleen,
It is fun to see the faces of the families when they walk into the ballroom and see it all decorated. When they are walking in all the firemen and the workers are all lined up and the families walk through the gauntlet off all these people clapping and cheering and high fiving. The expressions on their faces is total surprise. i will miss going but I’m glad someone else gets a chance. This particular charity was actually started by our friends Barb and Tim. She used to be a flight attendant for United and the first couple years we went to the airport for this but the logistics of getting all these people without tickets through security is a nightmare. After Barb was laid off from United she and Tim just started up their own charity which ended up being ONP and they changed the trip from going on an airplane to going on a train and every year it has grown from there-gotten more supporters and contributors. Every year they are able to service a larger amount of families.
I must admit our kids have tattoos. It certainly wasn’t my idea as I feel someday they might not want them anymore but they were adults when they got them. Jenny has a couple of little ones but Brent has lots of them all over. Actually Adam has quite a few too. This has taught me a lesson of not to judge people on their appearances. I would not want anyone to automatically pass judgement on my son or SIL because of the tattoos-as they are both good people. Another example of you cannot judge a book by it’s cover. I have learned that in the large scheme of things these cosmetic things like tattoos and piercings don’t tell anything about the quality of a person. I may not personally like them to look at but it doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the people who choose to have them. Sometimes it turns out to be just a fad but then of course you can’t get rid of the tattoos. I thought it was really hard to get rid of tattoos-your daughter was lucky that she was able to do that. Do they use lasers?
Well as of now Brent will not be moving back here. He applied for a new job in NM because he is seeing a new girl and now wants to stick around out there. I am not totally surprised by this. I kind of thought it may be coming. They may take a trip up here over the holidays just for a visit. I am not too disappointed. I just want him to be happy and have a stable job and be able to take care of himself. That’s what I want for Christmas, Santa.
Is it about another month until the baby comes? Can’t wait to find out what name they pick. I’ll bet you just can’t wait to see her and hold her. Is Owen ready to be a big brother? I wonder what he will think?
Gail -
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