How's Christmas so far???
#8
  Re: (...)
Okay, time for me to calm down a bit. Thought I had this year under control. I make a lot of my gifts, sewing and cooking. Taking it as easy as I can, determined not to repeat the last 25 yrs of trying to do it all. Shopping done, sewing done, thought I'd start on cookies this PM. Still have all that baking and candy making to do. Well, I was headed to the grocery store for the final big shop, and realized I was only 20 min away from the mall (Manchester, NH). The Picky One was finishing up biz in Portsmouth, but he needed to get gift cards for daughter in Manchester. I thought I'd be nice for a change and offered to get them.

That was a mistake.

Once I pulled into the mall, it took me 20 min to get around all the blockades and find a place to park. Ok, expected that. 1/2 hr in mall, gift cards purchased. Got into my car at 4:20. Actually left the mall parking lot at 5:43. One hour, 23 minutes in the **** parking lot.

Still had to get groceries, so all in all, the afternoon was shot and I didn't get any baking done.

And to top it all off, while I was trying to be the nice guy and save the PO time, he was having a "Holiday Drink" with his partner.

Yikes.

Told him if he wanted a clean house this weekend, he'd have to do it himself. I'm up at 4:30, in bed at 1:00, I swear I have nothing but caffeine (and some nice chardonnay) running through my veins.

(Other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?)

Hope you are all on schedule. I'm beginning to understand why people buy most of their gifts.

Okay, vent is over. Thanks for listening!

PJ
PJ
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#9
  Re: How's Christmas so far??? by pjcooks (Okay, time for me to...)
Bless your little heart!

People are nutty in parking lots. We actually saw a man jump out of a car and stand in a parking space that another car was trying to pull into. We were behind the car that was 1st in line. I didn't know if the man was going to get run over or if it would end in fisticuffs.

An Angel stepped in and as luck would have it another parking place opened up right next to the one that we had been watching (since we were stuck behind them).

The guy who had been blocking the spot, shrugged and laughingly said, "funny how things work out".

Not in a very Christmas spirit, I was ready to punch him out. This standoff lasted for a very long time and everyone was extremely angry. They blocked traffic for a long time.
Jan

Please spay and neuter your pets.
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#10
  Re: Re: How's Christmas so far??? by Half_Baked (Bless your little he...)
PJ, I know this will sound like the vague reminiscings of an old woman, but...enjoy the hecticness also, 'cause when all the kids are gone, there is a big hole in your life that you think you might not miss, but you will. I can still remember a couple of days before Christmas one year, sitting on the couch, kids in bed, a glass of Kaluha in hand, tears running down my face thinking how totally exhausted I was and WHY did I put myself thru all this crap...till Christmas Eve arrived and all the festivities began. Then I knew why I did - the family loved Christmas.

Wait till you join the ranks of bluehairs who expend all the energy on decorating their front yards and houses...we joined this year. It's the first year anyone has driven by a house I lived in to see the decorations.

And...I still have stirrings of "I ought to be doing something" every August and I haven't had to outfit kids for school in 20 years!!

So, knockers up, enjoy your glass of wine and think how happy your family is going to be! (and you too!)
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#11
  Re: Re: How's Christmas so far??? by cjs (PJ, I know this will...)
[blockquote]Quote:

PJ, I know this will sound like the vague reminiscings of an old woman, but...enjoy the hecticness also, 'cause when all the kids are gone, there is a big hole in your life that you think you might not miss, but you will. I can still remember a couple of days before Christmas one year, sitting on the couch, kids in bed, a glass of Kaluha in hand, tears running down my face thinking how totally exhausted I was and WHY did I put myself thru all this crap...till Christmas Eve arrived and all the festivities began. Then I knew why I did - the family loved Christmas. [blockquote]Quote:



Truer words were never spoken.

I don't know how in the world I got all this mess with quotes.
Jan

Please spay and neuter your pets.
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#12
  Re: Re: How's Christmas so far??? by cjs (PJ, I know this will...)
Jean and Jan,

You're both right. I've calmed down now and can laugh about it!

When my children were small (1,2 and 4) I was having the usual busy life a stay at home Mom would have, as well as helping to run the home biz and babysitting 3 yr old nephew. (4 boys !) My ex husband gave me the best advice then: This time won't last, you'll never get it back-and I took it to heart. It made me appreciate those times, and I was so lucky to be able to stay at home.

I thank you both for the reminder, I guess I'm one of those who needs to be reeled in now and again!

Hope your holidays are great!
PJ
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#13
  Re: How's Christmas so far??? by pjcooks (Okay, time for me to...)
I'm like you. Every year I swear I'm not going to put myself through this - and I put myself through considerably less than you do. In 1982 we moved from Caracas, Venezuela to Panama City, Panama and all our Christmas ornaments were stolen. Our kids were 5 and 6 so the first year we got a very small tree, one string of lights and maybe a dozen ornaments. In l983, I said to my husband, we've got to have a decent tree for the kids so I've a proposition for you - I'm either going to spend a couple of hundred bucks (25 years ago this was real money - hell, it's still real money) replacing the ornaments which were stolen - or I'll take the same couple of hundred bucks and throw a pary and ask people to bring an ornament for the tree. This party was such a huge success that we have had one every year since l983 (except for one year sometime in the 90s). But it's alot of work. This year I spent the entire party in the kitchen. I refuse to abandon the party, but I need to hire some kitchen help for the evening.

We gave that party (30 attendees) on the 19th - then 3 kids arrived on the 23rd and Christmas dinner on the 25th. I'm pooped.
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#14
  Re: Re: How's Christmas so far??? by lxxf (I'm like you. Every...)
That party sounds like such a great idea! Too bad you spent all your time in the kitchen but I've done that, too. Sounds like you need to put your feet up and relax now, it's the 27th and we deserve it!!

PJ
PJ
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