Blessings

It's hard to believe but I do think I have all my Christmas shopping done and gifts wrapped.

 This is a new thing for me. 

Our, (my) home has always been overrun with wrapping paper, gift cards, tags, ribbons, scotch tape and scissors. (It was typical of me to lose the scotch tape and scissors, plus the pen I needed to use for the tags.) I only had that problem for a short while thanks to internet shopping; it saved the day.

The internet shopping  was mostly for my daughter and her family who won't be with us. (that. . . I really feel bad about, but accept it.) I had their presents sent to St. Louis which is where they'll be for Christmas this year.   Thanks Jane and Scott for being there on that end.

 I feel a little guilty though because they're not wrapped.  I could've had the stores giftwrap the presents, BUT-  I used the money needed to wrap them and bought other gifts.  Some companies charged you $5.99 a gift, and you couldn't say - put two in one package because they're for the same person! Next year I'll try to be more savvy. I do have a Christmas club and perhaps I'll just put more money into it for store-wrapping!   I really was into the spirit but didn't think about the gift wrapping.  A saving grace - all the packages are labeled who they're for, on the outside . So they don't need to be opened except by the receiver.

On a serious note:  I've heard about packages being stolen that are left outside of homes.  Hope that isn't the case with mine. Egad.  Just another worry to have in this day and age.

 Good Lord. Life can be made unpleasant by worrying.   From here on in, I'll write about what I'm thankful for. Excuse the English.  (From here on in)

                                   ****************************************

In Chicago,  I have a lovely daughter and son-in-law with two beautiful children and are expecting a third.  Nancy will have  a baby boy in February.  That's a wonderful gift.

 Plus I have a son and daughter-in-law here in Florida living 45 minutes south of us. They have a beautiful apartment.   They're both working.  They have lots of church friends nearby.  Another wonderful gift.  We had thought Epril would be working Christmas Day, so we invited them here yesterday for a steak dinner, and an evening out with  Uncle Bob and us to see The Christmas Carol at Venice Theatre.   We heard last night that Epril will be off Christmas Eve and they'll be joining us at Bob's son, Jon's house in Sarasota.  That's another gift!

 And of course I have my wonderful husband, Paul, who gives me such pleasure all the time and for whom I'm always grateful.

 My brother Bob who lives kitty-corner to me - is doing so well healthwise.  He's still recuperating from his heart operation, but he is doing so marvelously..  It does my heart good (good pun, I had to laugh as I wrote that) to see him getting his strength back.  We do enjoy and love him being nearby.

   My cousins Alice and Carol are close and I see them every Wednesday for Bible Study at Alice's home.  That is another thing.  Alice is a gifted speaker and everyone likes to listen to her.   There were 19 ladies at her house last time I was there. 

Paul's family total twenty.  This includes all five of the siblings, spouses, and our grandchildren.  This is a special blessing to me who came from a small family.  It is so wonderful to be around all of them.  Especially to watch the ten grandchildren grow.  They're all teenagers, or older, except for Ida who is in fourth grade.  And she's as tall as me!  (Now this is a tall family. and I'm only five foot!)     But we are blessed: We will see  Sharon's family from NYS and Greg's from right here in Gainesville, Fla.   This Christmas, we'll miss three families: The Corning relatives, Jeff's family, and Brenda's in California.  It's Brenda's year to be with her in-laws same as Nancy. 

BTW Brenda had her 50th birthday yesterday (Saturday) and spent it hosting a Bunco party!  Paul called her and her company had just started arriving, so he made his wishes brief.  But she had an exciting time planned.  Congratulations Brenda!  Jeff's son DJ who got his bachelor's degree in May, is taking a year off from school before continuing on.  He's presently working in Colorado for the winter months at a ski resort.  Dorothy, Jeff and Alaina are planning to visit him the first part of January.  (He has to work Christmas of course.)

 We'll also miss Lue, Paul's sister-in-law, who will be with her family.  We're hoping to have her visit us here in Fla. some time in the next three months with her friend Ruth.   If Lue needs a little persuading,  we're up to it!  We'll also miss our good friends, Marcia and Hal, in NC.  We don't see them at Christmas, but hope they'll visit.

I didn't send out a Christmas letter this year.  I did a lot of thinking about it.   Although we were busy, we didn't do any earth-shattering things.   Except for a cruise in February.  I mentioned it to Bob and Paul  and they said - if people don't know what you're doing, that's because they're not reading your blog.  They're right.  So - I'm just sending out regular cards with a note in each to those cards we get that are forwarded from our NYS mail.  Maybe I'll just put my blog address in the cards.  Good idea.  I'm glad I thought of it.  A little late for some, but not for all. 

Guess that's all from Circlewoods.  How're things goin' in your neck o the woods?  I bet you're blessed too!

Seasoning, Holiday Style.

I don't know about you, but the Holiday Season is here at the Woods edge.  I think our Circle has the best outdoor Christmas lights.  But then, I would say that.  (There's some truth in it.  Lots of Snowbirds don't arrive til after Christmas. But we're a pretty full circle that clearly like to decorate! ) 

This year I'm letting my fingers do the walking - via the new yellow pages aka the Internet.  I found  great selections of anything I wanted to get, but  that made the decision difficult on some items.   Sale prices and free shipping helped me choose.    

Paul and I finally made it down to the pool yesterday for the third time this season.  We've been here since November 4-5? Not sure exactly when.  The time goes by so quickly when you're so busy.

 After Epril and Bill left, Paul painted the room, I ordered new mattresses, box springs and frames.  We took down the old drapes and curtains.  I washed the curtains and took the drapes to the cleaners.  We just got them back today.  It cost an arm and a leg to get them cleaned, but considerably less than new ones.  We let Epril and Bill have the bedroom suite.  So we're looking at thrift shops and furniture stores for a set for us.  Haven't found exactly what we want, but we will. 

I do have a few things to wrap here and send up to Nancy, Dan and the kids.  They'll all going to St.Louis, where they'll be spending Christmas this year.  It's funny to send some to Baby Molden, because we don't know his name.  They have a tradition of telling the child his birth name first, and then the rest of the family get to know.  Middle of February is the due date.

I haven't begun my Christmas letter yet.  But I'm thinking about it and that's the first step. 

 You can tell it's the middle of the Christmas season. All the festivities are starting.  Eating out lots!
Wait til you read about all of it. . . .

Wednesday, Alice had Bible Study, and afterwards,  the ladies  had a pot-luck luncheon at her house.   There were 19 of us, and Alice could seat everyone - She had two card tables, her dining room table, and four stools at the  breakfast bar set up.  Afterwards Carol, Alice and I had a time to chat.  I feel so lucky to have them close by.  We've always been close.  I consider them sisters of mine.

Bob came with us to Punta Gorda Thursday and we took Bill and Epril out for lunch for her 26th birthday. Epril looked so pretty in a black and white sundress and black patent leather heels. I got her a birthday cake at Walmart and some candles, so after lunch we went back to their apartment and had cake and coffee in their TV room. Since we all wanted different kinds of coffee, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts on the way home and got some.

Last night, Friday night, we went to the Moose Club in Northport for their fish fry.  It was delicious, but I ate too much.   But thank goodness, I'm managing to eat sensibly in between these feasts.  It's gotten so that I enjoy eating right.  My nutritionist, upstate NY, helped me immensely in finding the right foods to make me feel good.  I keep a food diary.

Tonight Paul, I, Bob and Alice will be going to the Christmas dinner/dance at the clubhouse.  I peeked in yesterday when I was at the pool and it is decorated beautifully.  There are eleven round tables set up.  The food is catered and it's going to be  really good.

We went to Walmart today and got a new vacuum cleaner.  Our old one will go to Epril and Bill the next time they come by.  It's nice to have a place where we can send our  furniture and appliances that will be put to good use.  And be appreciated.  Their apartment is going to be very nice.  They have lots of plans for it.  Bill ordered a new TV and got a good buy for one.  It should be delivered soon.  I find that I wrote about the apartment floor plan in my last blog 

Epril was really worried about her family because her home town was in the middle of that horrible typhoon.   I don't blame her for being worried. It must be frightening to go through something like that. She said that the area of Mindanao that her family live in don't usually have any typhoons. In fact she cannot remember any in her lifetime. She had trouble sleeping the night before because she was so worried about them until she heard from them. They had been evacuated to higher ground.  Their house roof was damaged, but easily repaired.

We've been in contact with Sharon and Dave who are coming down to Florida on December 27th til January 3rd.  We're so excited that they're coming down.  They said that Charles (15) said he was more excited about coming down, than Christmas!  That's just great!

 They're renting a car and driving  to Noi and Greg's first, up in Gainesville.  We'll go up there and stay at a motel.  Then we'll all come back down here and Noi, Greg and the kids will stay at a motel down here. That means we'll all be together for the whole time.  We have room for guests, but not that many!   We did buy some air mattresses at Walmart this morning, so we'll have room for overflow if the kids want to stay together.

So as you can see - Christmas season moments have happened, are happening, and will happen.  As you're experiencing, I'm sure. 

So that's what's happenin' at the Woods edge.  (Please  noted the similarities between our Woods Edge and Circlewoods) This means I can end my posts the same way. So. . . .  It was meant to be.

How're things goin' in your neck o' the woods?