Thursday, December 31, 2009
Happy New Year and a little tease
Happy New Year to you all! I am now starting into my 6th year of posting on this blog although my focus with it sure has changed over those years. I guess right now I really don't have a focus with it but just post every once in a while when I have something to post about.
Other than wishing a Happy New Year to you, I am going to put in a little tease in the way of a photo of something that I just bought, although I won't get it for another week or so. More on this later:
Photo is from the Urban Mover web site, the manufacturer in England.
Other than wishing a Happy New Year to you, I am going to put in a little tease in the way of a photo of something that I just bought, although I won't get it for another week or so. More on this later:
Photo is from the Urban Mover web site, the manufacturer in England.
Labels: eBikes, Events, Photos
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My Christmas shopping is finished!
I think that I am finished with my Christmas shopping. I'm not going to talk here about what I bought as I know some of those I buy for do at least occasionally read my blog, but I think it was a fairly easy year for me. Annie used to do most of the picking out of gifts for the grand kids especially and I'll be the first to admit that I have little idea what a 9 year old (or those a bit older) want for gifts. There are some safe things, like video games or Webkinz that sound good but which ones to buy? What do they already have? I am not a fan of buying the kids gift certificates but I almost think they make more sense than striking out blind trying to find things they will like but don't already have. I didn't have to resort to this. More on this later (after Christmas.)
We have already had our Christmas party here in the park where we live. It was last Tuesday night and it was good. The ladies who put it together outdid themselves. Here is a photo showing how the Mirror Room was arraigned:
There were eight tables of eight, with a host or hostess for each table. Pat was the hostess for Table 6 which is the one in the foreground of the photo. The host/hostess did their own table settings and table decorating. Everyone paid $4 each and the park owners contributed $50 toward food, so ham and scalloped potatoes were provided, along with sparkling cider, coffee, etc. Everyone also brought a side dish so there was plenty of food for all. Like most parties in our senior park, it wrapped up fairly early but was fun for all who attended.
Speaking of our park and Christmas, this year many here seem to be really going out to decorate and light their houses. I plan to take some night photos of the area and will try to post some here later. I think the new LED lights have helped a lot- they are inexpensive to buy and operate and are long lasting. We don't have the snow that we had last year but as far as I'm concerned, snow isn't necessary to enjoy the holiday displays. We like to use real Christmas trees and they can't be up inside for too long so ours won't go up until Saturday. I love the smell of those real trees.
We have already had our Christmas party here in the park where we live. It was last Tuesday night and it was good. The ladies who put it together outdid themselves. Here is a photo showing how the Mirror Room was arraigned:
There were eight tables of eight, with a host or hostess for each table. Pat was the hostess for Table 6 which is the one in the foreground of the photo. The host/hostess did their own table settings and table decorating. Everyone paid $4 each and the park owners contributed $50 toward food, so ham and scalloped potatoes were provided, along with sparkling cider, coffee, etc. Everyone also brought a side dish so there was plenty of food for all. Like most parties in our senior park, it wrapped up fairly early but was fun for all who attended.
Speaking of our park and Christmas, this year many here seem to be really going out to decorate and light their houses. I plan to take some night photos of the area and will try to post some here later. I think the new LED lights have helped a lot- they are inexpensive to buy and operate and are long lasting. We don't have the snow that we had last year but as far as I'm concerned, snow isn't necessary to enjoy the holiday displays. We like to use real Christmas trees and they can't be up inside for too long so ours won't go up until Saturday. I love the smell of those real trees.
Labels: Christmas, Events, Pat and I, Photos
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Thanksgiving, Black Friday and all
Wow, we are already a week into the month of December! That doesn't seem possible. Although since I am not fond of winter I'll be glad when the weather improves and we start getting more daylight hours. But right now, we are in for some cold times. Tonight in Mt. Vernon it is predicted to get down to 27 degrees and tomorrow's high only 30. Those brutal temperatures are things that we are not used to.
Thanksgiving this year was good for us. We enjoyed two separate dinners, one on the Monday before and the other actually on Thanksgiving Day. The first was at the home of my youngest son and held that day due to the fact that he had to work on the actual holiday. The other was at Pat's youngest daughter's home. Both were good.
The day after Thanksgiving Day has been known for some years now as "Black Friday" because it is supposedly the day in the year when retail business' turn a good profit (a day definitely with the books "in the black") and start the run to Christmas which for some is the busiest season of the year. A couple of times in the past I participated in those early morning (middle of the night?) sale starts but this year I slept in. I drug myself out of bed about the usual time and arrived at Best Buy at the crack of 08:15. Pat did even better, arriving at Fred Meyer about 10:30. But, we both got what we were after at those special prices for the day.
Since then I have bought some more gift things online but didn't participate in the so called Cyber-Monday sales as I didn't see anything that really struck me as needing enough to turn loose my credit card number. I have been able to buy things far enough ahead of Christmas to take advantage of free shipping on most items. That is the big bugaboo for me with online buying. I hate to pay shipping charges and on small things the shipping can be as much or more than the cost of the item you have bought. That is especially a problem with eBay purchases.
I have been kind of holding back on purchases for myself. I keep hearing from She Who Should Be Obeyed that I do that too often, thus making it hard for others to buy gifts for me. So, I am still holding out in my torn, holey gloves, even in these brutally cold temperatures, as some of us walk for exercise three times a week to the hospital for coffee in the cafeteria, then back home. Now only three weeks to go.
Thanksgiving this year was good for us. We enjoyed two separate dinners, one on the Monday before and the other actually on Thanksgiving Day. The first was at the home of my youngest son and held that day due to the fact that he had to work on the actual holiday. The other was at Pat's youngest daughter's home. Both were good.
The day after Thanksgiving Day has been known for some years now as "Black Friday" because it is supposedly the day in the year when retail business' turn a good profit (a day definitely with the books "in the black") and start the run to Christmas which for some is the busiest season of the year. A couple of times in the past I participated in those early morning (middle of the night?) sale starts but this year I slept in. I drug myself out of bed about the usual time and arrived at Best Buy at the crack of 08:15. Pat did even better, arriving at Fred Meyer about 10:30. But, we both got what we were after at those special prices for the day.
Since then I have bought some more gift things online but didn't participate in the so called Cyber-Monday sales as I didn't see anything that really struck me as needing enough to turn loose my credit card number. I have been able to buy things far enough ahead of Christmas to take advantage of free shipping on most items. That is the big bugaboo for me with online buying. I hate to pay shipping charges and on small things the shipping can be as much or more than the cost of the item you have bought. That is especially a problem with eBay purchases.
I have been kind of holding back on purchases for myself. I keep hearing from She Who Should Be Obeyed that I do that too often, thus making it hard for others to buy gifts for me. So, I am still holding out in my torn, holey gloves, even in these brutally cold temperatures, as some of us walk for exercise three times a week to the hospital for coffee in the cafeteria, then back home. Now only three weeks to go.
Labels: Christmas, Family, Holidays, Weather
