Here Comes Christmas; Dec 1-15, 2011

Dec 1st I was in no hurry to get going. Off to the northwest, it looked like a 'blue Norther' was comin' in..of course it was 69 humid degrees so I didn’t think it would bring much snow! We reached our high for the day at about 7 AM – it was all down hill from there! December was off to a ‘nippy’ start and I was still fighting a horrible head cold or sinus/allergy thing, but I do each time I move so I guess I just need to stock up on meds ahead of time!

I did scalloped taters and ham for the Thursday nite Friendship supper. Over half were gone so I turned the left-overs into ham, potato, cheese soup. Aren’t crock pots wonderful!

The flock continues to flock. The tables at the pot luck suppers are getting full. The coconut cream pie lady is back and the Caesar salad lady is back! AND the carrot cake lady is back. I had to decide between coconut cream pie and carrot cake; settled on carrot cake!

Friday the park served breakfast for the Good Samaritan volunteers (a group in Rockport that does things for the needy.) Allison treats them to a breakfast just as a "thank you" for what they do. I volunteered for the fruit bowl bunch, so I took kiwi and bananas. The men do the biscuits, gravy, pancakes, scrambled egg part.

Rainy Friday but we are still about 12 inches behind in rainfall for the year and the prospect for next year doesn't look much better. The weatherman said, "if it ain't dead by now it will be by next summer." Thought that was a cheery thought for the holiday season! Know anyone that wants horses? They are practically giving them away at the livestock auctions; people just can't afford to feed them.

Blood sugar 135 in the AM after the pot luck; a little too much potato casserole, rice casserole, pasta casseroles! And Carrot cake!!

By Saturday, I still hadn’t decided if I was going to do decorations inside or outside. Bob and Gelene got here a couple of days ago. They always have a wonderful outside Christmas display. Many in the park do. It is really pretty in the evening when the lights come on.

Saturday breakfast in the club house is always a fun thing. Just nice to be served, not have to cook and do dishes! And there is always time for another cup of coffee and some good time with friends. I was still coughing and sneezing but this, too, shall pass (I hope!)

Caleb is doing is own thing! I just can't seem to get him house broken, but he is doing better and occasionally remembers to use Li'lBit's pee papers. He is doing better in the crate. Still whimpers and whines a little, but settles down. I was gone for over 2 hours the other day and my neighbor said she didn't hear him! And, about the only time he barks is when he sees Holly, the crazy cat! They still don't get along! Of course, Holly isn't willing to be friends, either! Oh, and he still carries on like I’m skinning him alive when we are outside and he sees another dog. There has got to be more puppy in this character than the vet thought!

Monday the winds picked up about 4 AM, cold front was a comin! Didn’t get out of the 50s all day. A couple warm dry days would definitely help this coughin’ & sneezin’!

Hadn’t seen a lot of Deryl & Elke. They were busy making ‘trailer runs’ back and forth from Louisiana. They do a really nice job renovating those FEMA trailers. But they were back in town for a day or so before heading out again so we met at Moon Dogs down on the beach. Had a good hamburger and sweet tator fries. Brought my fries home; I had pigged out on chips and dip before they brought the food!

My High School class is having our 50th reunion in June. I will be in Iowa for the summer so I’m thinking I might take the trailer over since it is a 3 day thing. Haven’t found any local pull-thru's and Horseshoe Pond only has electric hook ups. Still mulling it about in my brain! They have a shower house so they must have a water faucet somewhere! I can carry enough water for showers and flushing and just take a jug or two for coffee, etc. I'll decide when they get the plans more finalized for the reunion. I just don't want to drop $80+ a nite to stay in a motel! And, what to do with all the critters for 3 days.

42 degrees at wake up on Tuesday; didn’t get into the 30's (as predicted) over night. One more 'cold front' nite to go. Furnace is working and I still have propane.

Guess who was outside at 5AM Wednesday switching propane tanks! YUP! Woke up at 4:30 and it was COLD! Got up, kicked up the furnace. The blower come on; no heat! Tossed on some clothes and hit an outside windchill of 27 degrees! Came in and started the furnace, the coffee and put some crock pot candy (peanuts and almond bark.) Talk about a dumb move - I had to be at doc's office for fasting lab at 7:30…dumb! Dumb! dumb! Making candy before fasting lab! How Stupid!

3 dozen gingerbread and 2 dozen sugar cookies frosted and ready to go for the cookie tasting. We all make a cookies and instead of exchanging them (like most Christmas Cookie get-togethers) we set around and drink coffee and visit and taste a few. Then they are put in the refrig to have a selection for other events going on at the club house. Then, we resupply/supplement whatever is left and finish them off with cocoa the evening of caroling in the park. Rough life!

It made it all the way up to 43 degrees with a wind chill of 39! Guess I'm not far enough south! By the time it made it up to 49 sunny degrees, the wind had died down and I opened my front door. My house still smells like chocolate candy and cookies! I'll be on a sugar and caffeine high until sometime tomorrow, I'm sure.

Chilly nites – tea weather! Found a new fun tea at the grocery – Eggnog Tea by Biglow. It is spiced like egg nog but doesn't taste like egg or milk. It's whiskey! Takes me back to my drinkin' days, the warm feeling you could get in your nose/sinus from straight whiskey! Well, that 'warmth' in the nose/sinus - that's what it is with this tea!

Up and moving at 7 AM Thursday morning. Coffee's made, kids all fed and watered! But Tinga can’t come out until AFTER I've taken my meds. I set them in a little dish on my desk and she thinks they are hers! WRONG!

Only went down to 46, again the predicted freeze didn't come, but I was ready! I had filled a couple of jugs with water - just in case!

Got a call of Bobbie; she is in town from NM, going to spend a couple months here.
Lunch with Bobbie and Dan at Panjos. Had a great lunch - love to visit and eat! Didn't bring any of the pizza home, either - we sat there for so long drinking ice tea and visiting, all the time munching, the pizza just disappeared!

Stopped at WalMart and picked up some $5 poinsettias to decorate the front of the 5th wheel; it was time to take down the pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn!

Pot luck at 6PM. Plenty of desserts; just what I didn't need, but Jeanetta brought her home made cheese cake and I had to have some of that! YUMMY!

Nice morning Friday 56 degrees! Amazing how chilly 56 degrees can feel after a stretch of 70 degree weather and how 'balmy' it feels after 40 degree weather!
Yesterday’s pizza for lunch and potluck (with 2 desserts) left me with a 154 blood sugar. I can see it is time to make a trip to the fish market!

Need to catch the propane guy today. Hope he has his truck with the nozzle for filling the smaller tanks. His truck has been down for repairs and the one he has been driving only has the nozzle for the motor homes. Not a problem for me YET – still have a relatively full tank and I can haul my empty down to the station if I really get desperate!

Sunday and I miss the Sunday table at Johnnies! There are some things in my life that just cannot be replaced and her Sunday table is one of them!

Caleb and Holly are still feuding! But he is doing better about house breaking and I walked to the office building without putting him in his crate; still had a house to come home to, that is definitely an improvement. He wants to play with Li'lBit but she just doesn't play anymore. So now I have squeeky toys all over the place -- anything to keep him occupied! Li’lBit had her toys hidden all over the place and I think he has found everyone of them and piled them in the middle of the floor.

This is a strange December here in the park. I used to come down the Monday after Thanksgiving and the park was nearly full. There are still empty spaces; it seems so strange. I guess people aren't traveling with the price of fuel....of course, several aren't coming due to health problems (happens at this age, you know!) and some will be down after Christmas.

All summer long I copied casserole recipes so I'll have something different to make to take to the suppers. Everything is always potatoes, rice, noodles, pasta -- and my blood sugar is sky high the next day. So...thought I'd find something different. I've been taking steamed mixed vegetables (using different seasonings or a light sauce or just plain olive oil on them) and they are really going over. So, I'll just continue taking that.

Didn't crawl out of bed until nearly 8AM on the 12th! By the time I had the critters taken care of, it was time for meds and coffee - I still hadn’t gotten out of my jammies! Didn’t have anywhere to go so stayed in them most of the day! Felt GOOD! Finally got started on Christmas cards and a few decorations up.

Met Deryl & Elke at Jaliscos Monday evening. I love the combo plate! Can make about 3 meals out of it!

Time to get the Christmas grocery list ready – definitely have to get oysters (for stew) and fresh and dried mushrooms for cream of mushroom soup.

67 humid degrees Tuesday. Not a good air day. I did a quick breathing treatment and then went up to the coffee. Good thing I went - forgot I had told them I'd bake cookies for the caroling and hot chocolate nite! I'd better start gettin' it together and make a list – even forgot to sign up for Lady’s lunch on Friday!

Caleb is really a nuisance! He wants out all of the time. When I'm home it is in and out and in and out - of course, Li'lBit thinks that is wonderful. Li'lBit brought him the rest of her squeaky toys (the ones he hadn’t already found!) He’s not happy about it but he lets her eat first in the AM - it's just Holly that still has her feline nose in the air

8AM the 14th had my appointment with the doc about my labs. I was ready for my butt-chewin’! After a summer in Iowa and Thanksgiving at Johnnies – and I haven’t been hangin’ out at the fish market like usual, I was sure I’d be getting one! Lab was good, cholesterol was good, didn't loose any weight but didn't gain any either. That's it, see her again in 3 months! There is a big sign outside her clinic "accepting new patients." Wonder if that means her patients are dying off, I don’t consider that a good sign!

After the doc appointment, went into town to the UPS store and it wasn’t there. The space in the mall was EMPTY! Drove on down to The Mail Box to see who they used – ahhhh…UPS!

Back home by 9:45, 68 degrees, sunny. Worked some more on Christmas cards -- kinda hard to get in the mood with 70 degree sunny weather!

Pan fried chicken - didn't bread it, just browned and steamed in the fry pan. Put the meat and juices in the crock pot – added noodles later – good soup! Then it was nap time! Still fighting the stuffy nose/sinus – definitely allergies and the allergy meds zonk me! Caleb isn't much into this "nap" thing. Thinks he has to bring all of Li'lBit's squeeky toys up on the bed and then play with them…WRONG!

68 degrees, humid and dreary on Thursday the 15th. They keep predicting rain and all we get is dreary drizzle. Friendship supper night. Still taking steamed vegetables. As long as they go over, that’s what I’ll be taking.