the most wonderful time....of the year!

I made one single batch of these, just three cups of flour. I used to TRIPLE it, and make them two or three times a season. My kids don't eat many cookies anymore, they just don't. Half of them are unfrosted, and going with me to junior Activity Club tonight, where Emily and I will frost them with the 3 and 4 year olds in our group. There will probably be between 2 and five kids there altogether, and yes, the poor kids wear masks. I have sprinkles and candies for the tops, and the makings for the frosting. We'll give them each their own little plate with all the fixings, they can frost, then eat, then around. Em will get out the guitar, we'll sing some children's songs, then...they'll go home. I'll be dropping Char and Cam off at their friend's house to do some dance practice, then pick them up after A.C. I went out and about today, all by myself. I had some Kohl's orders to pick up. They give five bucks Kohl's cash for every order you pick up, it adds up. I also went into the grocery store quick, for seltzers, eggs, pepperoni, cereal, toilet paper, and disinfectant spray. A quick stop at the bank, then oh heck the dollar store, since I was alone and could browse, dawdle and wander,(I needed more wrapping paper...a dollar a roll!) then a coffee from my favorite local place, and ahhh, home. Home to bake those cookies, and wrap some gifts. Dinner: I put a stick of butter, some cumin, five pounds of cubed chicken breast, and some butter chicken sauce in the crockpot this morning. I made a pan of rice, and brought fresh Italian bread from the store. I skipped the rice and the bread, but the chicken was really yummy. I like to have dinner done early on the days the girls go to in-person school, so we can have a more relaxed and cozy dinner. They don't like school much these days, with the social distancing and absence of mingling. Anyway. Time for me to get moving, bye for now!!!

....gettin' jingly here!

Just a little trip to Lowe's and Walmart with four of the girls...I got some of those peel and stick tiles for behind the new bathroom sink, which yay, has been installed, thank you Paul!. The faucet is so nice! The old sink had the laminated wood side splash, this new one only has a backslpash, so the wall next to it is all ripped up, rough looking. I need to cover it up with more than paint, so new project, yay! I also bought four brackets. The white ones were the cheapest, so a dash of dollar store spray paint, and now they're black. Paul cut the boards for the shelves, now I have to sand them and put them up.

The tree....it's not picture perfect, but I like big lumpy trees. No one can say it looks fake, that's for sure.

It's a dark rainy day, so cozy. I have to bring Miss Camille to physical therapy this afternoon, and have things to pick up at Kohl's, but I'm not going there today.

Sunny is SO tired.

The both of them are lazy couch hogs.

I started wrapping presents. Camille helped me a bit last night. I am mostly done shopping, phew.

I put in a Kohl's order this morning. They have some decent deals, with an extra 10 dollars off a fifty dollar purchase, and 20 percent off, and I had 30 in Kohl's cash. I do store pick up when they don't have free shipping. I won't say what I got, but it was a great deal, lots of stuff for just over fifty dollars, and now I have 15 more in Kohl's cash.

I have a few more things to get, but am almost done. I tried to keep it to one thing for each of the older kids, and for each spouse, but have gotten a wee bit more than that. The younger kids here get more, of course, but now that they're too old for toys, and I cannot pick out the right clothes, it's more challenging. I still need something special for Cam, and maybe for Sonja. We had a relaxing afternoon yesterday. The only things we bought in Walmart were cilantro, a green pepper, two tomatoes, and chocolate marshmallow ice cream. We threw around the idea of eating out somewhere, or picking something up, but decided we could make good food at home. Paul and Jonathan were out hunting, so it was just the five of us. I marinated the chicken quick, then Evelyn grilled it. I chopped the pepper, Sonja made jasmine rice, then I chopped tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro and Camille seasoned it up with a bit of salt, garlic, and olive oil. We had rice bowls, the grilled chicken was SO GOOD. I finished the last of the sugar free apple pie. The crust my all butter pie crust, with regular white flour, not healthy at all, but the filling was just apples with a bit of stevia and cinnamon. I do not believe anyone else tried it, so that means that Thanksgiving, and the following three days I ate an entire pie. So don't feel sorry for me when I moan about my weight. I usually don't eat things like that, and now that it's gone, it can stop nagging at me to eat it. It would be like, "I'm still in here, yes, there is pie left, come get me!". Anyway, I'm getting excited about Christmas. Now I have to sort through what I bought and get it wrapped. We are having a special Christmas thing for the kids, our kids picked names from church, and we have those gifts to get. The girls will be having a special gathering and will need some gifts for that. Jon will do something with the boys, and need a gift. Aaron, Abigail, and Margaret all have December birthdays...so I'm never "done". I have not experienced at total "don't know what to do with myself" moment yet.

thank you, thank you, thank you!

The tree is standing up again! Emily and Grace helped me, but it wasn't steady. Paul shimmied some boards into the tree stand, then used fishing line to anchor it to the wall. Phew. It's not the most beautiful tree in the world, but it's big and sparkly. I'm not the biggest fan of white lights, I like all the colors, but the girls are most outspoken about this, so what the heck, right?

Emily, Grace, and I went out and about just a little yesterday. I got a few Christmas gifts, and something for me: a three pack of "readers", reading glasses, for eight dollars. Now I can be careless with my glasses again, until I'm down to the last pair. We had ham, mashed potatoes, applesauce supreme (a jar of unsweetened applesauce with six huge apples, peeled and sliced, plopped on top with sugar and cinnamon, baked), roasted asparagus and Brussel sprouts, Hawaiian rolls for dinner, then leftover pie for dessert. These are strange times indeed. This is my blog, for crying out loud, I've been writing here day after day for over 13 years, but now...I almost don't know what to write. The biggest part of my life, being with family, has been almost criminalized. I can't put up a pic with 14 people enjoying dinner, or mention the grandkids always wanting the same toy, or ramble on about our Christmas plans. No, I don't think someone is going to read it and call the cops, but. These are strange times though. I wonder if we should stop testing school kids for the virus, and instead test those who want to be with their friends and loved ones who are hospitalized or in nursing homes. Dying alone, being alone when you're sick and scared, or just being old and alone is CRIMINAL. It is WRONG. There has to be a way to end it! I'm going to end my rant for now, because I have things to do, because I'm actually going to...um, hold on to your hats, friends, I'm going to church. Actual, in person, with singing and happiness and thankfulness, church. mmm hmmm. It's within the law, at this time, because we are allowed 50% occupancy, and our building is huge. We do wear masks, and families sit together, so we do practice social distancing.

and the tree came tumbling down!

It's a beautiful tree, less so now that it's on it's side.

This year, Miss Sonja K., Miss Charlotte Claire, and Miss Camille Anaya, 18, 14, and 13, went and cut down the Christmas tree all by themselves. I was impressed. Miss Char cut it, actually, they all dragged it to the truck. We live out in the country, so was a twenty dollar cut-your-own tree. (Paul had gone hunting, then came home and actually installed the sink top in our bathroom, and the faucet...but the drain didn't fit just right and it leaked, had to be caulked, ect., so we can't use it yet, but it looks so nice...needs work on the edges where the old sink top was, but I'll get to it one of these days...)(Sam and Jonathan went to get a few Black Friday deals, and I was here with Grace) Anyway...this fine morning, Paul and Jon got up dark and early to go hunting, the girls went up to spend the night at Evelyn's, and here I am. I got up at seven, thanks to two very bad labradors barking at things that are none of their business, aka the neighbors across the street, or maybe a bunny in the yard. In any case, I got up and let them out, put on the water for coffee, glanced into the living room, and oh my dear, that huge tree is on it's side. It's still like that. I tried to pick it up, and couldn't manage, needs another hand. The water has spilled out, things broke, it's a mess.

Oh dear.

And it looked SO NICE!

Aunt Camille with Grant...

Anya with her baby cousin Tennyson.

Uncle Jonny with little Tennyson.

The bird...a turkey raised by one of our friends, totally fresh and organic. 24 pounds of yum.

Elise with baby Tennyson...

Grant and cousin Ophelia... Lydia and Ophelia visited here yesterday for a bit. Lyd came and sat with me and I asked her what she wants for Christmas...she wanted a doll like Anya got for her birthday, so we looked at them online, and I let her choose one, and and outfit. It was great fun, and so what if she knows what she's getting for Christmas? Anyway, I didn't go out of the house yesterday except in the evening to Emily's house for a small wine tasting from their collection of Finger Lakes, Niagara, and Erie region wines...I only had sips, because I had to drive... Today, I might go out and about and finish up my Christmas shopping.

thankfulness in times of covid...

Is it just a tiny bit ironic that here in central NY state, there is a limit to gathering size in our homes, yet tomorrow, Black Friday shopping! Ah well. For most people, we're just trying to navigate this whole thing, we went truths, not politics, and freedom to assess the risks ourselves. Here's something cute for you:

Grant and Wulf, two two-year olds, sweet and spunky. Yesterday was pie day. Four apple, and four pumpkin...

Six other pies will be joining these, including pecan, chocolate, and lemon meringue, and the new ones Margaret is trying, the chocolate granola pies, like pecan pies.

I don't know why it tickles me so when doggies and kitties are good friends. Maybe they love me, maybe they just like me 'cause I'm warm and squishy, but they certainly are cuddly. So, sadly we've cancelled our trip next week to see Kathryn and Darius and little Achilles, in Oregon. Mariel and I mulled and discussed, deliberated and prayed, and decided at just about the same time that neither of us felt it was the right thing to do right now. Our state mandates testing before returning to NY, and we were only going for a weekend. That would mean one of our precious days there spent in line somewhere trying to get a test, in an unfamiliar place (Salem). Then quarantining for three days and getting another test when we get home. With the long lines, ect., and being the holidays, it just sounded difficult...and poor Kathryn, I feel awful. I miss her so much, and was SO looking forward to going out there. Jonathan, however, is flying out there for a ten day visit. It's worth him getting tested and all if he's going for so long.

This is the little branch Evelyn and I spray painted...isn't it cute?

I woke up bright and early, or rather DARK and early. Paul and Jonathan headed out to the woods before five, to have time to get into their tree stands and get ready for all those big bucks. I hope, for their sakes, that they get something. I don't really love venison, nor do I like the deer hanging in the tree, nor the cutting and wrapping, but I can live with it, and be thankful for meat in the freezer. Paul didn't do these things for years and years while we were so busy with babies and toddlers and small children, but a few years ago, he resumed hunting. He just loves it. Here's what I love: waking up, getting dressed, letting the dogs out, putting on the kettle, letting dogs back in, wiping their paws and giving them a treat, feeding the cats, making the coffee, taking my laptop, and...yeah, getting back into the warm bed. I LOVE it. The house is quiet, and my room is everything I ever dreamed of. Clean, spacious, freshly painted, I just love love love it. I do have a stack of Christmas gifts in here now, and a shelf that needs to be hung up in the almost-done bathroom, and the boxes of flooring for the bathroom...the sink top and new faucet are in the hallway, waiting for installation. Anyway. Thankfulness is an amazing thing, a balm, healing, refreshing. It's easy to be thankful when things are going well, but much more challenging when the trials come. Even the smallest irritations can lead to complaining, and my aim in life is to be open to what God is working...so that I don't just keep quiet and hide my frustrations, but let go of them completely, trust that God causes ALL things to work together for my best! Sin is not to rule over us! It causes strife and hurt! I am very very thankful that we can have peace, true peace. Today, we are going to have a Thankfulness Board, and write down what we're thankful for. It's so encouraging. I am thankful that God has had mercy on me. He's given me so much, and continued to work in me, despite how stubborn I've been. I hope you all have a good day, whether you choose to stay home and keep it simple, or if you gather with a bit more family or friends. Oh, and also, I am thankful for the friends I've made here!

if only, if only...

...I won't incriminate myself here on the blog. I'll never say that Sam and Grace and little Grant are coming from GASP: Virginia. Because we all know that the virus scampers across those state lines like nobody's business. That a recent test that rendered one of them negative would not help in the defense, we are only allowed ten per house here in NY state. Six of us live here, so they COULD actually come here... I will tell you this though, if the police stopped in this evening, they might find four pumpkin pies, three apple pies, and two chocolate pies. (Mariel is making lemon meringue, Ashley also chocolate, Margaret caramel granola, Grace, if she were here, ha, two pecan...) Yes, I am a huge pig, officer, is that illegal, I would say.

We got Olaf out yesterday. This is the first year that I can recall getting so many Christmas things out so early.

...the beautiful "cookies" crossstitch from Grandma...(a lazy pic, taken from my chair...) I decided, because my chair is extra comfy this fine morning, that I will take pics of the decorations just here and there, to have something nice to put on the blog, not all in one chunk. So decorating early: the girls really wanted to. This is such a strange time to grow up in, and I try to do as many fun things as possible, to make life pleasant for them. Wait, I've always tried to do that with all of my kids, ha. But even more so now, they don't have much else. Our school IS open for, two days a week for in-person. Camille plays the clarinet, she loves being in band, even if it's individual instruction. She also practices with Emily and a few of her friends. Emily and Abigail came over the other night to do a barre workout with me. I was terrible at it, out of shape, but it did give me hope and inspiration, I loved how I felt after, that good after-workout feeling...

Inspired to do it again, but oops, I haven't yet. Right now, I have to get up and sweep and mop, then start on the pies. Camille assisted me in making 14 crusts yesterday, which are actually balls of dough in the refrigerator, waiting for the rolling pin. (apple pies have double crusts...hence so many) If Sam and Grace were to come for Thanksgiving, they might be coming here today to spend the day while we make pies...wouldn't that be nice? One reader, a bit ago, wondered if Americans were "cavalier" about the virus. I cannot speak for all Americans, but I am not. I might come off as flippant and uncaring, but believe me, I read and weigh options, try to make good decisions, based on science, and not just what the government says. I do have a blogging friend who is suffering greatly right now, as her dear beloved husband is being transferred to hospice...they are 70 years old, and both contracted Covid...she healed up, he was hospitalized. She thought he was healing up and being moved to a step down facility, but he went in the other direction, and it's heartbreaking. The separation, the not being able to hold and comfort each other, the loneliness, and only 70 years old, for crying out loud. It is awful. But we do have to live, and things like depression are very real. We need to encourage each other, for us, being together as a family is like medicine. We aren't drinking and carrying on, no, we are playing with the kids and practicing patience, living what we know is right, encouraging each other to be hopeful and trust in God. It's good and pure and we are very thankful for it. "Oh now I can't wait to get out of this comfy chair and start sweeping and mopping," said no one ever. At least not ME.

how dare you!

I bet these babies are on clearance these days. Well, a long time ago, when our house was full to the brim with children, big and small, our Benjy, my little Benjamin Bunny, was off to war. His time in Afghanistan as an Army medic was rough. He saw some things, he came home "safe", and we are thankful for that. This pic was taken around Thanksgiving, right before he returned. His home then was near his base in Washington state, clear across the country, so the kids didn't get to see him for a long time, but Paul and I flew out to see him when he arrived there. Anyway, the kids voted that they were all most thankful that Benjamin was coming home safely.

What a motley crew, right? Joe with the guitar, Sonja with cat, Mariel holding Miss Camille, Abigail holding Charlotte Claire...our house used to be a pretty busy home. Now, it's generally quieter, except when the older ones all come over, with grandkids too.

We did some decorating, and I love it. Maybe later I'll go around and take some pics, but right now Camille is waiting for me, we are going out and about. We need to return some library books, and get some more, return 5 cent cans, and get a few things from the store.