Chag Sameach

The last night of Chanukah...

Eighth night

It's also the eighth day of Christmas, so here's to eight lords a-leaping. Which, speaking of that...

:)

Christmas feast

Eggplant with tofu in garlic sauce with vegetable spring rolls! Yummy!  Thank you, Jin-Jin!

So, it's Christmas Eve...

We're in the library at the house.  YKWIA has been watching 'Will & Grace' but has moved on to the original season of 'Blackadder'.  Both have been quite amusing.  I did some bills earlier and got gasoline, since Kroger will be closing early this evening.  It's been a quiet Sunday.  We're not gaming due to the holiday, either this week or New Year's Eve.  I've started some laundry. It occurs to me that it would be good to go back to Kroger, as I'm low on laundry supplies. It's dreary and rainy outside, although we might have some snow for Christmas.  Last night we worked four hours on fixing food to last days, and I baked bread, so we're set for a bit.  We didn't actually eat any, which surprised me--he just put it all up.  He doesn't eat much and sometimes forgets, hey, I eat three meals a day, unlike him, but then I had some cereal and was fine, and we talked, so he realised later that maybe it was a little weird to not have dinner last night, especially after all that cooking.

I find that I'm missing my mom this holiday season.  Last year she was in and out of the hospital, but I was able to visit her some.  Not so this year.  I know the last couple of years were awkward, and our relationship was not what it once was, but I did love her, and I feel the loss.  I think I'll contact my stepfather tonight; it's probably hard on him this year without her.

The only thing we have planned for tomorrow is eating at Jin Jin and running some paperwork by to someone.  That's it.  And I'll probably do more laundry.  My holiday was Thursday, Yule (Solstice), but I worked and didn't really do anything for it.  I suck at the holidays this year. Well, I did pretty well for Chanukah, anyway.

I'm off on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (well, work doesn't recognise it as such--it just so happened they made a mistake and gave us off the day after Christmas rather than Christmas Eve (which due to the weekend would have made it Friday this year).  But considering we had a half-day of work Friday followed by a Christmas get together where we could stay or go as early as we'd like after 1 pm, we sort of had two and a half days off, so I'm not complaining.\

During this post, I've gone to the store and I'm back with laundry supplies, some flour and oats, and some boiled custard for him. I prefer eggnog, and I got some earlier, so we now have both in the house. We're set for Christmas, I think.

Anyway, if you're celebrating tonight, I wish you well,  and may you have a very Merry Christmas.  For those of you who've already had your holidays, or they fall afterwards, hope they were or will be wonderful.  And for the rest of you, may the New Year be full of love, laughter and light--2017 has been a very difficult one for me personally, for those I love, and for pretty much most of the world, I think.  Here's to 2018.

Yawn...

I had a great time with my friends today. But, my lack of sleep is catching up with me. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

PS Here's a close-up of my tree. I think the little penguin ornaments I got last year are adorable. :)

So, between all the activity yesterday and the caffeine I drank to get through it

I think I slept something like three hours tops last night. Now I'm up, I've just finished some Greek yoghurt and raspberries, and I've turned all the lights back on. It's gloomy outside and grey, raining, 57 degrees and thundering. What an odd Christmas!

When I was a kid, one of my friends, Jody Sauers, I believe, got to open presents on Christmas Eve, and when I found out I argued the case for doing so in our house, too. We compromised. I was allowed to open one present each year on Christmas Eve. It was always my paternal grandmother's, and it always had new pyjamas or gowns for me to wear that night. It became a tradition. We lived all over the country, and were rarely home in Kentucky on Christmas, but my grandmother's presents made me feel closer to family. My grandmother's been gone since 1993. I still miss her, and the others in my life who have passed. And every year, I think of her and our tradition.

Okay, time to get ready to go out into the gloom and dreary day. Merry Christmas.

Yay! I got the notes finished!

Which means I don't have to worry about getting them finished before Saturday evening. And, with that accomplished, along with everything else I did today, I am going to go on to bed. Good night, and Merry Christmas, to those who celebrate. And may your new year be bright and filled with love and laughter.

PS Grand total: 8,567 steps, 4.74 miles walked, 825 kcal burned. Whew! Not bad, considering most of it was in a 780-square-foot apartment!

I took the tree down tonight

As we are past the Twelve Days of Christmas, which runs from Christmas through January 6th. It was nice to have up, but it did take up a lot of room in my front window. Now I can see my plants again, and I have watered them. The little Yule tree in the bedroom will stay decorated, I think. The ornaments are so tiny, they don’t really detract from the tree itself. Each ornament is about three-quarters of an inch in length or diameter.

I put the tree, whose box was really starting to fall apart, into a big plastic tub I had that was remarkably empty. The wreath fit in there as well. The ornaments and other decorations are in three copy boxes plus a small box. That includes the lights, the Chris-Moose family, a stocking, and the ceramic Santa my mom gave me that she made a long time ago. Those will go into the bottom of the bedroom closet; the tree pretty much has to go in the walk-in closet, but I put it on the side that rarely leaks, and the tub is well-sealed with a bedside commode and shower chair on top of it.

I essentially had to clean out the walk-in closet to do all this. There is a car load of electronic recyclables that can go, plus some cardboard boxes that are now empty. That gave me the opportunity to rearrange things, and I can actually walk into the closet at this point. :)

I still need to take that out to the car and, for the boxes, the recycling containers. But frankly it is quite frigid out there and I do not feel like hauling it out just yet, even though it would make things better in the house. I’ll take the electronics to the recycling centre on Saturday, so for now I’ll collect everything in one place, and then load it up on the weekend.

Today I went to the ophthalmologist. I took the dreaded field of vision test, which I hate. It’s not uncomfortable or anything, it just seems like I always feel like I’m not seeing all of the little lights. He didn't mention anything about that, but my pressure is still borderline, a little higher than it was last time. He thinks that it’s probably not quite as high as it reads, because my corneas are fairly thick, and that apparently causes the reading to be higher, but if it goes up at all, I’ll wind up having to take eye drops. So, I see him again in six months for another pressure check and pictures of my optic nerve.’

I picked up an interlibrary loan for a friend that I’d requested, and I got another DVD from Netflix in the mail that he can watch this weekend.

I made an appointment in February for a doctor to manage my psych meds. Next week I start an eleven-week class sponsored by NAMI that should be very helpful. It’ll mean very long Wednesdays, especially while I’m still working scheduling, as that is usually the biggest clinic day, and I won’t get out of the class until about 9 pm, so that’s over twelve hours of going non-stop on that day. But I hope it will help with one of my relationships.

Okay, here are things I still need to do tonight that don’t involve going back outside into the cold:

1. Finish charging my glucometer.
2. Vacuum up needles from the tree.
3. Watch ‘The Big Bang Theory’, since I’m home tonight.
4. Fix the fish tanks so each has enough water, the heaters are working correctly, and the filters are as well.
5. Put my car insurance cards in my purse, as the old ones expire tonight, and then put them in the car tomorrow.
6. Run a load of dishes.
7. Get the sheets back on the bed; they’ve crept up and off their corners.
8. Get some sleep!

Good night.

For a goy

I make a mean latke,  whether potato with shallots or a cheese style that had lemon zest and had you separate the eggs and beat the whites before adding them to the mixture.

Today was fun.  We visited,  I helped rearrange some things in my friend's library,  and then I made the latkes,  which everyone enjoyed.  I doubled both recipes,  thankfully,  or there wouldn't have been enough.

I got a shirt from another friend as part of that package that says 'You are about to exceed the limits of my medication',  which I love. Thank you Tammy.

Okay,  I have to figure out my agenda/itinerary for tomorrow.  Hope you had a good holiday. 

Up

Actually, I've been trying to get up since about 5:30 am, when I woke up the first time and then about every half-hour after that. Apparently you can take the girl out of Christmas, but not take the Christmas out of the girl, even if she is pagan, in her mid-forties, and seriously not expecting any presents from Santa this year. For those of you who celebrate it, though, may you have a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year!

Well, I'm chugging along

The package was over at their house when I got there, so I snagged that. I called and left a message for them so they'd know, and then I called my mom and arranged the visit with her. I'm sitting here with the tree all lit up (okay, so yes, my holiday was Sunday, but still...I'm in the holiday spirit), and I have everything ready for latkes tomorrow. Friday morning I'm going to work on the bills and other errands I have, and then head to Danville sometime in the afternoon to see my mom. Saturday I'll work on the game notes and finish up working on the house, hopefully. Sunday there's the game prep and the game.

Google Now on my phone sends me cards with stories it thinks I might like, and today there was one on Samsung producing a video with emphasis on the fact that the Samsung Galaxy S5 (which I have) is water-resistant, that I thought was cute. There's also one about the phone and Christmas sweaters. I'm not a Christmas sweater kind of girl, but I did find it interesting. Let me share them here:





Yes, silly, I know.

Okay, it's time to get back to doing things around here, and wrapping a present for my mom that I cleverly found a way to provide without current funds. In case I don't write again, if you do celebrate Christmas, may you have a wonderful 'silent night' and enjoy your holiday, and also I hope everyone who celebrates Chanukah had a fun time with it.

What a busy few days

much of which has been a blur, and I've come home too tired to do much. Let's see if I remember:

Today:
• No game; Brenda was off to an SCA event
• Took all the trash and recyclables out
• Straightened up the house
• Did laundry
• Cleaned a friend's house
• Fixed him some dinner
• Watched episode 5 of 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' from Australia
• Wrapped presents, with the help of a cat with a fondness for curling ribbon
• Helped cut a friend's hair with clippers
• Cleaned up the hair
• Spoke to the cable company regarding some issues a friend was having with the Internet
• Came home, put on the lights and enjoyed the ambiance

Saturday:
• Credit Union
• Pharmacy
• Grocery run
• Watched episode 3 of 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' [I'd missed that one]
• Watched an excellent murder mystery with Diana Rigg as the sleuth ('The Mrs Bradley Mysteries')
• Celebrated my holiday, Yule
• Came home, listened so some music, talked on the phone with a friend, listened to the storm and wind, and fell asleep

Friday:
• Worked 8 1/2 hours, but left a half hour than planned after my boss told me I could go
• Helped a friend with a project
• Watched episode 4 of 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries' with friends
• Came home, did a little housework, and fell asleep

Thursday:
• Worked just a little over in my attempt to make up hours at work
• Got a few things for a friend at the grocery
• Came home in pain and tired
• I honestly can't remember much more

So, I've spent a lot of time with friends lately. I'm not off from work at all except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It looks to be a slow week for me at work. Here's the upcoming agenda:

Monday:
• Work
• Help a friend with a project
• Take another friend for some last-minute shopping

Tuesday (Christmas Eve):
• Visit my family
• If it's going to be clear and cold, do a bit of stargazing

Wednesday (Christmas):
• Visit family
• Spend some time with friends
• Watch the 'Doctor Who' Christmas special

That's it for now. But at least the house is in decent shape and I have a couple of days off. Hope your holiday season is going well. Good night!

Slow going today

One of the perks living alone and not being Christian is that you can basically sleep in Christmas morning, or at least stay in bed as long as you like. I did field texts, messages on Facebook, and a phone call from exuberant friends wishing me well, and I appreciate them. But then I turned over and went back to sleep, finally getting up after noon. I'd been talking to a friend until two in the morning on Christmas Eve. YKWIA, who is Jewish and who cooked the food for me the other day, explained to me that the food I was trying to describe here was cholent (no 'z' on the end), kugel (ah, kugel!), and kischke, a dish he'd made vegetarian that usually is stuffed in sausages and contains schmalz, or rendered duck fat. He dispensed with the schmalz and casings, and it was still very good. There is another dish I forgot to mention, a coleslaw with no special name that is also very nummy. So once I did get out of bed this morning I broke my fast with some kugel. I'll have some of all of the types of food later today.

Christmas morning in my friends' house, with their four- and five-year-old, was a huge success, and I got some pictures sent to me showing the delight on their faces.

The only things on my agenda are to call my mom later today and watch 'Doctor Who: the Snowmen' tonight. I'm just hanging around the house in shorts today, although I just realised I'd better water my plants, or my lavender is going to go the way of the rosemary. I should go do that. Other than that, I think I'll do some reading. The TV is usually a bit useless on Christmas. Netflix has apparently been having some issues, both yesterday and today, so I don't know if that's a viable alternative, although it couldn't hurt to try. I did watch The Princess Bride DVD I got for the holidays last night and enjoyed every minute of it.

That's it for now. If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a very merry one.

I found a great video

but can't embed it, drat, although, YKWIA can't see any of the videos play on my blog, so maybe others of you are having problems, too. Let me know if you are. But it is funny, true, and worth watching, especially if you like 'The Big Bang Theory'.

Why Sheldon doesn't celebrate Christmas

Since I'm Pagan, I don't mind bringing in some greenery for the holidays. And what he says about gift-giving is true but it's still nice to give and receive. So as we go into the holiday season, I thought I'd post this.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas...

I hope you have a happy one, and may the new year bring blessings to you and yours. If the video below is blank when you play it, click here.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Up bright and early for a busy day

Last night I didn't get home till midnight because a friend took me shopping for the last-minute food and spirits that another friend needed to cook a fabulous meal today with, and then I stayed and made a couple of the things, an appetizer and sugar cookies. Today I'm up early to go over there and help with dinner, which is going to be an all day process, but first I'm going to go to Kroger to have them refund the amount that I would have saved with my Kroger card yesterday--I totally left it in my backpack at my friend's house. Granted, total savings between us was about $7, but $7 is $7. :)

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a happy one. And this year you can track Santa on your smartphone, via the NORAD iPhone and Android applications. For those who don't have smartphones, there's Google Earth and NORAD. :)

On a brighter note, for you Anglophiles with Kindles

Amazon Kindle to release the Queen's Christmas speech

In addition to this year's speech Kindle owners will be able to download the Queen's previous Christmas messages dating back to 1952, the year of her accession to the throne.

"The Royal Household is content for other organisations to take this content and make it available on as many other platforms as possible as long as the content is not altered or presented out of context," a spokeswoman at Buckingham Palace told the BBC.

"We would like The Queen's Speech to be broadcast or read as widely as possible, and allowing Kindle to make the text available is just another example of this."

Update: Here are the speeches from 1952-2010, and also for 2011.

I love the giant cracker

And I'm not entirely sure what that Cyberman is doing to Matt Smith (Doctor Who). I think it's a form of Twister, but then.... :) Zany Brits....

I didn't post how Christmas went

Christmas Eve I went to stay overnight at my grandmother's. She's doing rather poorly and I fixed something for us to eat and helped her get back and forth from the couch to the bathroom and bedroom. I did some laundry and my mother visited with us. We exchanged gifts. I gave my mom a candle and a gift certificate to Amazon and she's thinking of applying it to a wi-fi Kindle. She likes how big you can make the print (she's having some trouble reading now that she's older.) I got a nice pair of pants and jacket from my grandmother and a personal-sized blender/chopper from my mom and stepdad that looks really cool. I gave my grandmother some photo frames (she has five grandchildren, three of whom have reproduced, so she has plenty of pictures of the great-grandchildren). My stepfather, who's a computer geek, got a card to Best Buy. I think I killed my grandmother's dryer, because after two loads it wouldn't go anymore. My mom took the last load home and dried it. (It smells vaguely of cigarette smoke, but is mostly underwear). After Ma went to bed I read the rest of 'A Christmas Carol' on my Kindle. I went onto the wireless on the Kindle and found an application for Monopoly and played that for awhile. Then I went to bed myself.

On Christmas Day, I came out and my grandmother was on the couch. We visited for awhile. I made some oatmeal for breakfast, but I couldn't get her to eat any. We were going over to my mother's for lunch, though. Ma was saying she really didn't feel like going, and seemed a little confused in general, but when my stepfather arrived, she decided to go, and I helped her get dressed. You know those walkers that roll with little seats on them? She has one, so we put her on the seat and rolled her to the car, with me lifting her over the small steps. Their car's a little hard to get in for anyone, but we finally got her in. We also had his mother, who's a couple of years older than my grandmother in the car.

Once we got to my mother's, we got the grandmothers out one by one and up the steps. Ma ate from the moment food was put in front of her until the time we left. :) The food was great. The broccoli casserole went quickly. We never got to the fruit salads or pies. I had a bit of my stepdad's mother's jam cake. Then we loaded the grandmothers back into the car, took them home, and were pretty exhausted, but John and my mom took me back to Lexington, where I had a quiet night at home except for a couple of phone calls.

It was a nice visit, but it is somewhat depressing to see my grandmother going downhill like she is. She's worse than at Thanksgiving, and that's just been a few weeks. I really think they need someone to come in more often and take care of her. I know someone who does that and talked with her a long time on Christmas night.

My grandmother helped raise me, taking care of me when my mom was going to work when I was little. She opened her home to us when we went through my parent's divorce. Of all the grandchildren, I'm probably closest to her because I spent so much time with her growing up. She's like a second mother to me (my grandfather, in many ways, was closer to me than my own father). She's 86 years old, having outlived my grandfather for almost eleven years. I know that it's inevitable, that we all die, but I want her to be as comfortable and happy as she can. Unfortunately I have no way to get down there on my own, really know nothing of caregiving myself, and really don't have the wherewithal to hire someone, so I need to talk to my relatives and see what we can come up with. My grandmother lives alone and has poor health and a tendency to fall. I'm really worried about her.

This is great--and so true

A Very Special Message: David Mamet Draws a Cartoon, a link I got from Joe.My.God, is wonderful. Click on the link to see the actual cartoon, which says (in case you have trouble reading) [spelling is exactly as it is on the image]:

The Chinese Restaurateurs' Assn.
of the United States
would like to extend our thanks
TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
We do not completely understand
your dietary customs
but we are proud and grateful
that your God
insists you eat our food
on Christmas

I think it's hilarious. (It works for Pagans, too. However, I've noticed as time goes by that more Chinese restaurants in this area seem to close for Christmas, including my favourite, The Great Wall.)