Junk Drawer Sunday ~ friends and family

A huge ‘thank you’ to WK for helping me put together this new graphic for my Sunday blogs. 

This is my final daily post for November. WooHoo! I held on through the entire month, and bitch slapped NaBloPoMo! I don’t think I’ll try this again for a while, if ever. It wasn’t difficult to post something everyday for 30 days, but it was an enormous waste commitment of time. 

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me and for putting up with some truly odd posts. 

WK also made the NaBloPoMo button in my side bar. Very cool, doncha think? 

You are the best WK!

 

Despite my reluctance to get involved in the madness known as Black Friday, I did bow to a very sweet request from my daughter to accompany her and one of her BFFs to the mall. I had snuck out of work early (really I had only tag-teamed with the other remaining manager. I came in early, he came in late.) 

The crowds were insane, the lines snaked through, around and outside… OUTSIDE, stores. The three of us only bought one thing each and somehow managed to find the two stores without long lines. I plan to do the majority of my holiday shopping online. So much easier on my sanity. 

This wasn’t JM’s first foray into the maelstrom. Having made her initial trip at midnight when she found all her great bargains, this second trip I think was mainly for my benefit. A chance for her and her old mom to hang out. Her friend who went with us is a family favorite so that was a bonus. Just spending the time together made it a fun afternoon.

Saturday found me sitting on the floor with nearly 50 small gifts piled around me. All in need of wrapping, and all which have to be ready to include in the kids’ advent calendars on December 1. JM returns to school today, and Monday morning I want her to have each of her days filled with a gift. 

Late last night I packed the pockets of the big calendar with all WK’s stuff and the last week of JM’s gifts. She’ll finish the month of gift getting at home, pulling her presents from the family calendar.

Hunting for these little bits and pieces has helped get me more into the spirit of the holidays. BAH!

Since JM won’t be back until late December, we also started decorating the house. We put up our tree (yeah, I know it’s sacrilegious to have an artificial tree ~ bite me!) and strung the lights. Sunday the kids spent a good while hanging ornaments and setting out all the other festive paraphernalia. Got lots of help from Pollo, while Hershey seemed completely bored by the whole thing.  Maxx couldn’t even be bothered to get in the photos. I’ll post more decorating pix tomorrow.

 

Consider this fair warning, beginning Monday morning I will have IMSO all decorated for Christmas. I’ll put everything back after the holidays, but for the next few weeks, it’s going to look festive over here, cheerful… all red and green. There may be a plate of homemade cookies out, or I’ll offer you a cup of warm wassail, or some egg nog (spiked, of course).  

 

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