I Had a Great Christmas - Did You?

Did you survive Christmas? Did Santa Claus bring you what you wanted? Santa was quite generous for me, and I now have the next season of "Midsommer Murders" and "Maigret" on DVD. Since we were completely unable to watch "Maigret" because of technical issues with the feed, I'm delighted and can hardly wait to dive into it without the broadcasting issues we had been experiencing. 

We really liked what we were able to see of 
Maigret, but the feed was horrific, so we weren't 
really able to enjoy it. Now we have the DVD, 
so we'll have the fun of watching without the 
issues of the feed. 

Today starts our four-day END OF THE YEAR SALE. It's a huge sale, and we'll get a lot of people through. It goes Friday and Saturday this week, and Monday and Tuesday next week. We'll have Wednesday and Thursday off next week again, and that will be totally delightful (and absolutely necessary). I'm already looking forward to it, even though we'll have to attempt to print out our year-end reports and get the various State and Federal year-end forms filed. So even though we won't be open for sales, we'll still be at the shop for several hours. 

Today starts our Four-Day End of the Year Sale - our 
biggest sale of the year. I'm hoping we get the sales 
numbers, I think we will. 

Chickie gave the small watercolor painting she had purchased for her Mom to Claire yesterday and she adored it. Claire texted me that she wants the second one in the set, and she'll be in today to buy it. So, I'll reserve it for her. It is a set of two, and I'm pleased that she wants the second piece. Our year-end sale is the best sale we have, so she'll be getting a good price too. 

I was a bit disappointed in holiday cards this year. I received about half of the number that I usually get, and my mantle looks a bit sparse. Still, there are at least two overseas cards that I usually get that I know were sent and are probably somewhere between here and there - LOL. I don't pull the cards down until after the New Year, so there's still time for some holiday cheer. 

Both DH and Chickie gave me gift cards from Barnes & 
Noble - a guaranteed happy gift for me - the perennial 
bookworm. LOL 

Looking at my desk (which really needs a good year-end cleaning), I see that Santa was kind enough to give me $70 in Barnes & Noble gift cards, so I'll make sure to load those up on my account for the next e-books I want to get in the series I'm reading down. Getting books always makes me smile - it's one of my happy things. As I said above, DH hit it out of the park with the "Midsomer Murders" and "Maigret" DVD's. He also got me two sets of running shorts, and will buy me a new set of running shoes when we can get to the mall together. I desperately need a new pair - my current ones are falling apart. All in all, I'm calling it a successful Christmas. DH got lots of things that he wanted, and some things he didn't know he wanted, (but he actually did) - LOL

I hope you also had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I'm heading to the shop for what I hope will be a very busy first day of our "After Christmas Four-Day Sale". Enjoy your Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

In Case You Missed the Memo ... LOL

In case you missed the memo ... Christmas is coming - LOL. I do hope you're ready for the holiday to come. I'm almost ready - not quite, but about as good as it can be. I'll be at the grocer tomorrow to get things I'll need for the next few days, but I have my lettuce, I have enough fruit for my breakfasts, and we've been eating down a huge ham, and have both a prime rib and a pork roast in the refrigerator waiting for me to cook them. I'm hoping I have all the ingredients I'll need on hand, because I'll have a quick trip to the grocer tomorrow and then, radio silence. 

This looks like a really cute book to read. It's a 
pop-up too. I didn't have books like this when 
I was a kid, but I know I had some Christmas 
books to read - all non-religious, of course. 

I don't feel as if I've gotten sufficient gifts for DH - it's always hard with his birthday being so close to the holiday. I have to apportion things between the two days, and I think his birthday always gets the short straw. But, I've done the best I can. After the holiday we dive into our after-Christmas sale and then I can concentrate on closing the business. I'm already super stressed about that, but there's nothing I can do about it. It has to be done, so it'll get done, and hopefully it will get done well. 

I'm hoping that hiring Travis to help with our 
store liquidation won't turn into a problem. I'm 
just hoping ... it's really all I can do. After the 
holiday is over, I can concentrate on getting this 
accomplished. The contracts have been signed 
and we've sent him a LOT of money. This better 
turn out good! 

There may well be some days upcoming when all of the posting you'll get from me is a quick acknowledgement that I'm still alive and kicking, and positive wishes for the day. I'm just taking this opportunity to warn you - I know some of my long-term friends worry if I'm not posting every day. I don't usually miss. But next year, at least the first half of the year, will be one of the most challenging times I'll have lived through, and there might be times when I'll miss a post, or they will be minimal. It's NOT because I don't care about everyone who reads these posts and comments (or doesn't comment - commenting is not a requirement after all - LOL). It will just be life getting in the way. 

Sometimes life gets in the way. And other times ... well 
life still gets in the way - LOL. Right now, my stress 
levels are through the roof, and I don't expect that to change 
for the next few months. I'm going to try and enjoy 
having two days off this week, and just take things 
one day at a time. 

Like right now - we have a leaking pipe in the floor just past the lower bathroom entrance. DH is going to tackle things today as much as he can, but I'll probably have to call in a plumber ... at Christmas time. I suspect my friend Jack has finally retired, or might even be deceased by now, but if DH can't fix things today, I might have to have a holiday visit or as quickly after the holiday as possible. *sigh* Household ownership ... it's always something or other - LOL. On that note, I'm off to the pool for my swim. I think I desperately need that today - LOL. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini! 

Today and Tomorrow and Then Radio Silence

I shouldn't be so rushed on a Monday morning, but I am. I have thoughts of the sale email that we've been tweaking in my head and I need to get that finalized and sent out for out after-Christmas sale. I have this and that, gifts and groceries, and a refrigerator full of food (for just the two of us - LOL). We have a ham and a prime rib. I guess I'll be cooking a bit - LOL. 

I've got a baked ham in the refrigerator. I think DH has 
already pulled off a piece or two (just to test the taste, 
you know? - LOL). 

I don't know if I'll have anything magnificent to say over the next few days, and I'm quite sure most of you will be busy with your own Holiday events and preparations, but I want to make sure to wish all of you a Good Solstice, a Happy Hanukkah, and a Blessed Christmas. If I missed any of you with the greetings, just pick your own and plug my name into it. I'm hoping for everything good for each and every one of you. 

I'll be cooking the Prime Rib on Christmas Day. It always 
makes me a bit nervous to cook such an expensive piece 
of meat, but really, they just cook themselves - LOL. 

I'll try to post tomorrow, it's a swimming day so I should be on schedule, but then I'm off on Wednesday and Thursday for the holidays and I won't be posting those two days. Enjoy, I'll be here tomorrow and then "radio silence" for two days of much needed holiday. Slava Ukraini. 

Just Checking In Today - It's Going To Be A Busy, Busy Day

I hope all of  you had a wonderful Christmas and had an opportunity to have some "down time". DH and I enjoyed a relaxed day, and yesterday (the 26th) we went shopping. DH needed another pair of pants and a few other clothing items, and he wanted me to get a few things also, so it was rather fun to be in a store without the massive Christmas pressure of the past month or so. 

Today, however, we're right back into the deep end with the first day of our year-end Four Day Sale. I'm hoping we'll have good sales numbers, we certainly could use the opportunity to end this VERY expensive year on a more positive note. It was a heck of a year all around, and adding the necessity of getting new phones purchased, installed and activated was almost impossible. Still, we succeeded. Nonetheless, I'll be happy to see the end of 2024 and will welcome 2025 - the FINAL year (not even a full year) of being in business. Whether DH and I will survive this next challenge still remains in the air. 

I've received simply lovely cards from many of you, my readers and long-distance friends. I love each and every one of them and they are decorating my mantle and making me joyous. My dear friend from Finland - your package arrived intact although the chocolate was broken in a few places. Of course broken chocolate is never a problem  - LOL. Thank you for the sweet gift! 

Tonight, having realized that I really didn't have much in the refrigerator to eat right now, I'll be throwing together a quick vegetable soup. I usually like to let those simmer for a while to really get the flavor deeply into the broth, but time will not be my friend for this, so it might just be tasty veggies but without a lot of seasoning in the broth. I might grab some bouillon to push the flavor profile up a bit. 

So that's the news today, and since I'm doing this quickly on my laptop at the shop instead of my main computer at home, there are no pictures today. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be back on a normal schedule. Have an excellent 27th of December and I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini. 

Oh! And my new mixer didn't fit where I wanted it to, but DH moved a few things around in the kitchen and it has a lovely home in the cabinet below my oven now. I can hardly wait to play with it. LOL

Thoughts About Christmas on this Christmas Eve - Happy Holidays to All of my Readers

Happy Christmas Eve, everyone. Now, I'm not Christian, but I appreciate the general feeling of goodwill and joy that permeates this season. I 'm not very Jewish either, although that's a bit closer to the way I was raised. My parents turned their backs on Gods and Goddesses after WWII, stating that any Deity that would allow that abomination was not one they could or would follow. They were possibly agnostic, but more atheist, I suspect. Dad was good, and if I wanted to experience what a church service was like, he would accompany me to whatever Church or Synagogue or whatever I wanted to attend, but Mom flat out refused. She never forgave God for allowing Hitler, and probably let him have "what for" if she met Him after she died. 

There are many, MANY religions throughout the 
world - the above is just a few of them. Mankind 
has always felt the need to acknowledge something 
greater than himself, but has never managed to 
come to an agreement of who/what that something 
actually is and how to communicate with it/him/her. 

I experimented with religion, actually studied it quite intensively for many years. Although there were many aspects of Christianity that I really liked, there was too much that had become warped - too much of that original "Love Thy Neighbors" that had been added to with exceptions and rules. That basic message of Christianity, as explained by Christ, was pretty damned good, and massively inclusive. It spoke to the downtrodden and the slaves of the Romans in Judea, and it spoke clearly, like a bell. And that bell has continued to sound through the centuries and the nations until it still rings today. 

The difficulty with religion is that there are always 
people out there who do NOT share your beliefs. 
That means they are less than you, or that you simply 
MUST try your best to make them see the "truth" as 
you see it. Nope. Not going to happen. Mankind is 
nothing if not stubborn. 

But mankind is a warlike species. We're territorial. We take land and beliefs and ideals expect everyone else to see how correct we are and how incorrect everyone else is. And, my friends near and far, that simply doesn't work on a broad scale. Religion can be warped to justify murder in too many cases. I prefer to keep my religion to myself - to walk the pathway that has been set out for me, to act with kindness when possible, to strike out to protect those I love when kindness fails. Will I be judged for my deeds? That's very hard to say. I am one part of cosmic dust that will return to this infinite Universe and if I'll be judged, I'll hope that I'll have those willing to sit in my corner while the scales are balanced and the forward road is opened for my passage. 

Even celebrating on Christmas Day is different, depending 
on your particular brand of Christianity. There simply is no 
agreement among all of us about who/what/where/when, etc 
for any specific deity, and really, it's the overall message 
that's more important, not the entity delivering the message. 
That message? PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO ALL. 

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. Many of you will be joyfully exchanging gifts and celebrating the birth of Christ. I wish you all a blessed day and one filled with happiness and family. I'll be cooking a "Roast Beast" and relaxing. I've got DH's chair filled with a variety of gifts, and a few more are on their way (late? a give can never truly be late). DH's birthday is tomorrow, so we get to celebrate a second day, even though we have to work on Thursday. I wish all of you a Blessed and Peace-filled Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and I'll be back on Thursday. Slava Ukraini. 

It's Christmas Week - I Shouldn't Complain *sigh*

It's 6:20 am and I'm already running late. I need to get to the grocery store for some essentials, then to the shop to drop them off (we have a small refrigerator at the shop) and then on to the Post Office to send my final greeting card - unfortunately to my dear friend of many years Cecelia who is located in Peru. There's NO WAY she's getting her card by Christmas. *sigh* 

Peru has some exceptional locations, including this one. 
I would love to visit the nation some time, but I doubt 
I'll ever be able to actually manage it. Still, having a good 
friend of many years there, I can think of her traveling 
around her nation, seeing the many sites to visit, and 
I can enjoy it through her eyes. 

It's been an incredibly difficult Christmas season. Not that we're overrun with customers. No - we're hearing crickets more often than "Hello" these days, and that's NOT what we want to be hearing. But I'm well aware that we deal in items that are cyclical in nature - our Native American items will always have a market, but that market ebbs and flows and right now we're at an ebb point. Our craft supplies are always something that sells, but crafts rotate also. Right now, yarn crafts are quite popular again - knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint. Beadwork will always have its' crafters, but is not as popular today as it was ten years ago, or might be ten years from now. It's ebb tide, and that's just what we didn't need to end up the year. 

Beaded sports medallions have always been 
a popular item to make. We have a treatment 
center nearby whose Native American residents 
are always beading a variety of sports medallions 
and other custom work. They're some of the 
nicest people we've met over the years. They're 
not there for lont - 6 weeks to 6 months - but 
while there, they are frequent shoppers. 

But we hang in there. It's not easy, and it tends to set all of us on edge with each other, so work time can be "challenging" not just to help customers, but to interact with each other. Right now the Grinch has nothing on us. We're all in the mood to swoop down on Whoville and ruin their Christmas. Not good. I usually really enjoy Christmas. A bit less this year. Having it fall in the middle of the week as it is, well, that's also a challenge. I'll get days off, but my psyche needs more than that. I need a serious break, and I don't see that happening for quite a while yet. 

We don't live in Whoville, singing carols and gathering 
together to eat Roast Beast. But we try - every one of us - 
we try to have a good holiday season, no matter what aspect 
of the season we celebrate. As long as we are kind to 
each other and look out for one another, we'll be 
fine. 

Still, I shouldn't complain. I have it a lot better than many in this nation - I have a roof over my head, money in the bank, heat that works and a companion who usually loves me (and probably does even when he's crabby at me). Life could be SO much worse. I've been fortunate in my life, so I need to shift my point of view and focus on the positive. DH focuses on the negative quite enough for both of us. LOL Have an excellent Monday and a good start to your Christmas week. I'll be posting on Tuesday, but taking Wednesday and Thursday off from posting for my holiday time. Enjoy your day. Slava Ukraini. 

The Time is Flying By - Too Much Still To Do

We're down to the final three in LJ Idol now, and one of those three is my friend ChasingSilver. They are all very talented writers, and they have a longer than usual time for their final prompt, giving them time to celebrate the Christmas holiday before the final story is due. I can hardly wait to see what they have written for the last prompt, and once again I'm so very happy to have shared this competition with all three of you. 

The prompt has now been assigned to the final 
three writers. They're all so very talented, and 
I'm looking forward to reading what they come up 
with. I'm also grateful that I pulled out when I did. 
It's a very hectic time of the year for anyone 
working in retail. 

The holidays aren't creeping up any more, they're off to the races. Sharon's package got shipped via Priority Mail yesterday - keep your eyes open, my dear friend. Chickie and Chickie Mama's gifts are in a bag waiting for our shop Xmas party. DH's gifts have been populating his chair by bits and pieces - a little bit every day for several days now. It's a bit of a tease, and I'm not sure he's been paying any attention, but hi might be. 

All of my packages have now been mailed, and I still 
have two cards yet to mail (sorry but I needed the 
correct addresses and therefore they were delayed). 

I still have two cards to send - I'm quite sure at least one of them will arrive after the date, but nothing to be done about it. I did the best I could this year, and I'm pretty pleased that I managed to get almost everything together in time. Almost. I didn't manage everything I wanted to do, but almost will have to do. 

There are so many different ways to display holiday 
cards. I usually just have mine displayed along my fireplace mantle. 
They make a lovely and festive sight. I just received a card 
from Sea Ivy yesterday - lovely and unique and so very 
welcome. 

I'm getting cards in the mail almost every day now, and my mantle is starting to look quite festive. We have snow on the ground so that it actually looks appropriate for a Christmas, and I've shoveled - the entire driveway and the front and back sidewalks at the shop. I can tell already, it's going to be a LONG, snowy winter. Since last year winter took a vacation from the Frozen Northlands, we're most definitely due for more normal weather. DH has already pulled snow from the roof, and used the snow blower to even up the driveway from my shoveling. 

This is all too true. I am always sorry that sometime 
got scrimped, or forgotten, or maybe not done as 
well as I had wanted. It happens to all of us at this 
time of the year. But we've all done the very best 
that we can, and that's really all that's important. 

I'm cutting this off here, because I'm just thinking about how much I still have to do before I finally get my Christmas holidays off. It's been a very disappointing season so far. I suspect our sales numbers will be in the toilet, but there's nothing to do about that. Hopefully our End of the Year sale will help make up for that. I'd better get moving on finalizing that email to our customers and getting my customers who signed up recently into my database. Have an excellent Friday, I'm off to the pool to get my third swim of the week in. I'll be back tomorrow to wrap up the week. Slava Ukraini! 

Ups and Downs and Gifts and GRRRR - It's a Typical Christmas Season

DH went off the rails last night about a deposit that he had told me to get from my brokerage account. I had done EXACTLY what he had told me, and suddenly everything was wrong. I was quite miffed with him, which added to my general "ick" about the snow we're supposed to get today. I decided to skip swimming until Friday and use the treadmill instead today - work out my frustration on scenery instead of listening to my book while I do laps. I did email a Y friend to let her know I wouldn't be there, but I'm not 100% sure she was there today either - sometimes she does "spin" at a different branch. Oh well. Whatever. I'll be back in the pool tomorrow. 

Honestly, living with DH is sometimes like 
being stuck in a revolving door. If he would 
actually be clear with his instructions, and 
would maybe write things down, and then 
actually listen to me ... but that's pipe dreams. 

I received one of the major gifts I purchased for DH yesterday. I actually got one for each of us because it seemed like something I would also use a lot. It's a powered heated vest - computer heated and controlled with three levels of hot. I charged up my power source last night, got the connector out through the opening where it's supposed to be pulled (I actually had to cut the fabric at that point because their cuts hadn't actually penetrated). I'm all powered and ready to go. Since I need to shovel before I leave for the shop, I might just wear my vest under my coat today and see what I think. I'm actually looking forward to trying it out. 

I didn't want to spend a fortune on a heated vest for DH 
to wear while pulling snow off the roof, and the Voltex 
vest came in at a very reasonable price. If we like them, 
and they last the season, I'll be happy. 

Everything else seems to be on track - slightly. Sharon ... your package is being shipped today via Express Mail (or maybe tomorrow, but still, via Express Mail). Sorry I'm running late, but with luck and a spare reindeer or two, you should have your holiday gifts before Christmas. 

I'm looking for a spare reindeer to get Sharon's 
gifts to her quickly and efficiently - LOL. 
Maybe this spare reindeer? 

Now I need to think about what I want to cook tomorrow. I want something that will get me to Christmas and maybe a day or two afterward, but we have a hunk of beef for me to cook for the actual holiday, and that will last us for several days. Well ... I don't have to make up my mind immediately on that - LOL. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

A Little Talkative and Lots of Thanks - It Was a Really Nice Christmas

I think I managed to finally catch up with everyone yesterday. Having a few days off in a row was a huge help. But now I'm into my final stretch for the year. It's time for my 4-day End of the Year Sale, and it'll be a zoo (hopefully and not hopefully all at once - LOL). This year we got tired of keeping track of discounts and discounts so DH decided to do a straight "30% Off EVERYTHING in the Store". The two of us stayed an hour or so late to get some silver pieces (concho belts specifically) marked appropriately. Silly customers. If they had purchased any of them at their marked price, they would have gotten a true steal. Even at 30% discount, it's still a deal, although we brought their prices up to current market retail. 

We have a lot of old Navajo concho belts in stock, 
and they're gorgeous. They were also WAY 
underpriced. We adjusted their pricing to be reasonable 
for today's market. I feel much better about them 
now, and we restocked our display. They're 
stunning. 

See ... we've been in business selling and trading Indian Goods for more than 30 years. Some of those belts were probably dating from then, and a few were even earlier. Although we had adjusted the prices about 20 years ago or so, the silver and precious metals market has changed a lot in those times. Our prices are much more comparable to what can be found on-line now and I know our quality is top-notch. Any collector would be proud to own one of these. 

At least one of the belts is turquoise-set 
similar to this one. This particular one that 
I found on-line is retailing for $3300, which 
isn't out of the range for it. I think I own 
one similar to this also. I'll have to dig into 
my drawer one of these days - LOL. 

So, anyway, it'll be a lot of beads, and some jewelry, sold over the next four days. At least the discount will be an easy one - LOL. 

I got such love from friends near and far over this 
holiday season, and it's meant the world to me. 
"Thanks" is inadequate, but it's all I have. I'm so very 
grateful for friends like all of you. 

I do want to send "Thanks" out for three more cards. My friend Helen from Idaho, my dear friend Sharon who comes and visits every State Fair, and Iris, my friend from Germany who I helped as a beta for her writing many years ago. My mantle is looking spectacular. I'll try and take a photo (or two) of it a bit later, but I'm running a little tight on time right now because I'm swimming for the next three days in the morning and I can hardly wait. 

I'm thrilled with the many different items 
in the box that Samtyr sent, but this luggage 
tag immediately got put onto my laptop 
backpack. The perfect place for it! 

My on-line hockey friend Samtyr sent me a wonderful box of goodies. Hockey this and that that she picked up in Edmonton earlier this year, and some items from a visit she took to the Field Museum in Chicago - one of my favorite places to go when I'm in that city. It was so much fun to look at all of the things. One was a Minnesota Wild luggage tag which I promptly put onto my laptop computer bag. 

We ended up with a green Christmas this year, here in 
the Frozen Northlands. It's unusual, but not unheard of. 
Compared to last year, I'll take this any time. 

And, to wrap things up, we're still in a green Christmas. Not a flake of snow. Today we're hovering at the freezing point with possible ice, so I'll have to be careful driving to the gym in a few minutes, and driving to the shop later. Hopefully it won't be an issue since this hovering at freezing with light rain is supposed to continue for the next 48 hours or so. There's nothing I hate worse than glare ice. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday whether you celebrate that holiday religiously or simply for the fun of exchanging gifts and eating cookies. I have every intention of being back here tomorrow before I head out to the gym again. Cross your fingers that we're busy for the next four days - we really need to end this year on a high note. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's Time For a Few Days Off - A Christmas Wrap-Up and Thank You

Today will be my last post until Wednesday the 27th. I'm working today, then taking Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off for my Christmas holiday and DH's birthday. I plan on doing very little - cooking my 5+ pound roast "beast", cooking a set of spareribs, and enjoying the fact that I can easily allow myself to sleep until 4:00, maybe even 5:00 am without problems. It's a luxury, and one I don't want to fall into for long because that kind of luxury leads to too many pounds put on and too much hard work to get them back off. 

It's time for a winter holiday, and we, here in Minnesota, in 
the far North of the US, have NO SNOW! At least, not in 
the metro area. It's a good thing the ski areas make artificial 
snow or they wouldn't have any customers. 

DH has his eggnog and at least three different types of Christmas cookies, he has chocolates and gummies, he has his computer games to yell at, and football to watch. We'll probably also have some ice hockey to watch as well. All in all, I'm rather looking forward to our three days off, and I hope he won't mention work for most of them. Then, on Wednesday, we start our End of the Year Four-Day Sale where everything in the store is on sale. Those days can be hectic, and there are no more days off until Sunday the 31st when we will go to our youngest niece's home for a family celebration for a few hours. 

I'm giving you this in Extra Large sizing because it can 
be a tough one to really see properly without that 
larger viewpoint. Last year's Christmas time we were 
deluged with snow and ended up with one of the top-ten 
snowiest seasons on record. This year we seem to be 
at the other side of the pendulum, with NO snow 
on the ground at my house, at least. NONE! 

All in all, I'm almost exhausted reading all of that, but it's a Green Christmas - very rare in Minnesota. The National Weather Service released the graphic above - detailing our snowy history for the past 70 years. We've had a Green Christmas approximately 20% of those years (defined as one inch or less of snow on the ground). Rarer still are years with NO snow on the ground - only three of the past 70 years. Right now, my front and back yards are bare - totally bare! What an immense change from the never-ending snows of 2022. 

The majority of my friends live elsewhere, and many 
of them I've never met, although we've been friends 
for years. I treasure each and every one of you, and 
wish you a safe, happy and wonderful Holiday season. 

The holiday cards continue coming in and my mantle is looking quite festive. Thanks go out to my friend Lokbiiviing from Finland. I got your card yesterday, and it's delightful. Thank you SO much for your thoughtfulness. Every time I glance over at my festive fireplace mantle, I'm thrilled and I feel so very fortunate in my friends both near and far. I'm an only child, and live a fairly solitary life with DH, so having friends is VERY important to me. You've shared your seasonal joy with me, and that, in turn, causes my joy factor to increase exponentially. 

Merry Christmas to one and all. I hope you have 
a wonderful time with friends and family, and 
please, if you color in my card, send me a photo 
attached to an email or a message on one either 
Live Journal or Dreamwidth. I LOVE seeing the 
way everyone is coloring in my gnomes - they're 
all different, and they're all wonderful. 

So, have a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate that holiday (I celebrate everything I can - why not? LOL). Enjoy your friends, family and surroundings, be grateful for your online friends as well because many times they are a lifeline, and try to make life a bit easier for at least one person this holiday season. I'll be back on Wednesday the 27th. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's Not a White Christmas - It's A Colorful One With Cards and Gifts

So, it's official - we're having a "green" Christmas this year up here in the Frozen Northlands. On the one hand, I'm very happy. Although it's cold, it's not bone-chilling cold (yet!), and it's actually really nice to head to the gym in the mornings without having to shovel the driveway. Of course, I know that won't last forever, but damn. It's really nice. 

Isn't this a sweet card? I saw it on-line and thought 
it depicted a "green Christmas" pretty well. All of 
those multicolored trees of different shapes. So very 
much like our area (without the mountains, of 
course). 

The lack of snowpack up here in the north, however, will mean lack of water for farmers and for those living south of us, which isn't a good thing. And that brings to mind the reality - one small thing happening to a single person can affect a wide circle of other people. Our warm December might bring wilted crops to those planting farther south which could cause hardship for others while I'm reveling in the fact that we might reach 50 F over the weekend. Crazy temps for a December when Christmas Day is Monday. 

We're having a "green Christmas" - no snow, and no 
snowpack. This might be a problem later on when 
our waterways have low levels, but right now I'll 
enjoy it as a really nice change from last year's 
early and horrible snows. 

I got two more cards in yesterday's mail, and thanks go out to "Sam" and my longtime overseas friend Curious Wombat. The cards are absolutely lovely and are joining a nice line of cards along my fireplace mantle. It's such a treat to get cards from my on-line friends. It seems that every day is bringing me another small bit of happiness in the day's mail. 

I don't get holiday cards from my family any more. 
Their kids are growing up and very active in a 
million things, and it's relatively expensive to send 
cards too. I rather miss those, however. It was nice 
to get them - photo cards or not. Still, it's not as if 
I don't see them over the year - we do get together 
several times and will be getting together again on 
New Year's Eve for an afternoon get-together. 

So, although I may not have a "White Christmas" (and really, I'm not minding that at all), I'm still determined to have a good holiday. I work today and Saturday, then I'm off for three days before diving into our four-day "End of the Year Sale" days. The beast is slowly defrosting in the refrigerator (it'll probably have to sit out on the counter too - it's a big hunk of meat), and I have one final day of grocery shopping tomorrow before the holiday. I'm quite sure the grocery store will be busier than usual. May your day be bright, may everything you plan come to fruition, and I'll be back tomorrow. Have an excellent Thursday. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

Countdown to Santa - Are You Ready?

Are you ready to entertain the visit of a jolly spirit who eats your cookies and drinks your milk, but leaves packages under your tree, or bush, or on the table? Are you ready for an invasion of visitors, guests, cards, pets and people? In other words, are you ready for the "Holidays"? I'm quite sure many of my readers are not "quite" ready for this yet. As is often the case, I'm relying heavily on gift cards. DH is almost impossible to buy for, and with his birthday so very close to Christmas, it's a double-whammy for me. I actually bought him more than I normally would have, but that doesn't necessarily mean much. At least we'll eat well - LOL. 

I do love prime rib, even if I'm always a little worried 
about cooking one. It's a VERY expensive cut of meat. 
But I've done it before and it turned out beautifully. I'm 
sure I'll be successful again this time. 

I took a closer look at the "Beast" that's in my freezer. It's HUGE. It's a 5+ pound chuck of meat, which I'm expected to roast to perfection. I'm pretty good at roasting prime rib, but it's always a bit frightening to face a piece of meat that costs that much and that we'll be eating for days. If I mess it up, he'll have wasted a lot of money on something that could have been awesome, and didn't quite turn out that way. I'll be checking my recipes out quite carefully. I've cooked beasts before, and they've been awesome, but I always double and triple check to make sure I know what I'm doing and that I have everything I want on-hand before the stores close for the holidays. I'm cooking this on Christmas Day. 

There is so much that is wrong about the Christmas that 
is presented as "true" in modern days, but people seem 
to find it just perfect, and it's not my religion, so more 
power to them. 

For those of you who are Christian, or nominally Christian, this is an important time of the year for you. I know many of you are planning to be in Church for Christmas Eve and possibly Christmas Day. It's rather nice that midnight services (which I've attended every now and again) allow you to pack both days into a single event - LOL. I'll celebrate the Solstice as I always do - quietly, but respectfully, as we pass into the next phase of the cycle. 

I celebrate the turn of the season, the rhythm of life 
on this planet, and the annual rotation around the 
sun, whose light allows us to survive on this, the 
Third Rock from the Sun. 

The three Sundays I've worked have actually been busy days. Yesterday was quite a respectable total at the end of our four hours, and the last two weeks also had people and good sales. I'm very grateful. It was business we desperately needed. We also need items that we ordered last week, but unfortunately I suspect they'll arrive too late to be of much help this season. Now to start working on our four-day END OF THE YEAR sale. This is our big one - huge discounts on almost everything in the store. 

I'm pretty sure I'll have to work all of the days of our 
End of the Year Sale. I'd better double-check my days 
and dates, and I'll probably take Tuesday as my "day 
off" next week, else I won't get one at all. 

So, time to wrap things up for today and get moving. I need to get a couple of bills paid before I go upstairs for breakfast, so I'd better move along. Have an excellent day, Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

It's the Last Week of the Year - Did You Have a Good Christmas?

Today the store begins it's 4-Day End of the Year Sale - our biggest sale of the year. All hands are on deck for this one - all three of us showing up to work each day. Will we be busy? It's hard to predict because a lot of it depends on weather, temperatures, holiday gifts that were given, etc. I'm sure we'll have a lot of our regulars over the next few days, but hopefully some newer people as well. I'd like to wrap the year up tightly with a good sales week, so please think lots of positive thoughts for us. 

Time for our Four-Day After Christmas Sale. Ir's always 
a rather exhausting time, but we really need the customers 
and the business, so I hope they will come in and take 
advantage of the savings. 

We had a very nice holiday and I hope all of you did as well. Christmas was quite low-key, and the day after started out with DH pulling more than three feet of snow off the roof - a long and miserable job. Not really a great way for him to spend his birthday. I assisted by shoveling the walks and the driveway, then driving to the local convenience store to purchase a newspaper since ours was MIA. *sigh* I tried out the recipe I was thinking about bringing to my niece's get-together on the 1st, and they were quite good and pretty easy to put together. But I may still change my mind and go into a different flavor profile. 

I've been trying out a Honey-glazed Harissa Meatball 
recipe for the family get-together. The meatballs are 
quite tasty, but the glaze didn't come together well, it 
broke and congealed poorly. So I'll try a different type 
of sauce instead. I don't have a lot of time to experiment, 
I need this ready to serve by January 1st. 

Today it's back to the YMCA and the swimming pool. Hallelujah. I have been a turtle over the past four days. I really need to get moving once again, get some activity going. I know I can't sit back for too long - it catches up with me and takes too long to get back into an exercise pattern. I'll be without a pedometer for a few days, however. I found my current pedometer in the washing machine after a load yesterday, and it didn't survive the process. So, I ordered another one and it should arrive late this week or early next. I have a pretty good idea of what I do for daily steps anyway. I should add a second one into my shopping cart. I seem to be destroying them about every six to eight months. So far I've dropped one onto a tile floor, and then drowned the second one. How will I destroy the third one? Decapitation? 

This will be my 3rd OZO pedometer in a year and 
a half. I dropped the first one, and the second one 
went through yesterday's laundry. I guess I shouldn't 
be trusted with a pedometer - LOL. At least I have 
a pretty good idea of what I do for steps, and not 
tracking exactly won't be a tragedy for a few days. 

I hope all of you had a lovely holiday week; that you were able to spend it with others if you desired, or on your own if you preferred. I hope that Santa Claus was generous and aware enough of your needs and wants to give you the perfect gifts. I just want to make it through the next four days, do my end-of-the year reports, and call this year DONE. That's my personal goal. Have an excellent day and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini.