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We woke up to a blanket of snow this morning! Not what us transplanted southerners want to see, I'll tell you. And gosh darn it - I didn't get to go to Curves! (She says sarcastically.) :)
Since we couldn't go anywhere, the morning was rather lazy. At least for Randy & me. Reagan had picked up a case of pink eye, so Lins was figuring she and Jason were going to have to take her to the doctor's so they could get a prescription. Ugh. Just what they wanted to do in the snow. But, when the doctor called Lins back, she was told the doctor would just call in the prescription to the pharmacy and save them a trip to the office. Wasn't that nice?
While they were waiting to go to the pharmacy, Jason and Randy worked outside shoveling the driveway and the sidewalks. It was a very light snow, so the shoveling was much easier than a couple weeks ago when they had that storm. They were so into their shoveling that they shoveled the sidewalks all the way down past a couple of neighbors' houses. I'm sure they were surprised when they looked out and saw they had clear sidewalks!
The afternoon was quiet as well. Jason & Lins went to the pharmacy and got Reagan's medicine. I did take Reagan out to play in the snow for a little bit. That was huge - I don't like playing in the snow! But, it was fun with her - guess grandkids make anything fun!
This evening we had an appetizer dinner - taco dip, cheese, crackers, crab dip. It was yummy. We also watched "Monsters & Aliens," a very cute movie.
Once Reagan's in bed, we're going to watch a couple more movies, one of which is "The Proposal." I'm looking forward to that as it's supposed to be pretty funny. It will be interesting to see if any of the four of us make it to midnight! :)
I hope each of you have a great evening and pray that 2010 will be a phenomenally good year for you. Until the next time . . .
We were all more industrious today! I was up and out the door a little before 7am to get my Curves session in. When I got back, everyone was up except for Jason. He's the night owl in the family and tends to sleep in later than the rest of us.
Lins had said last night that she wanted to do something fun today and thought bowling would be perfect. I love bowling and had bowled in a league for several years in another life and agreed it would be great. So, once Jason was up and functioning, we got ourselves out the door.
First stop - Chipotle Restaurant. If you love Mexican food, and you haven't tried this place, you need to. Randy & I haven't been for a very long time because there are none where we've been lately. It didn't disappoint, I'm glad to say. :)
Bellies full, we headed over to the bowling alley. This was Reagan's first venture into bowling and we couldn't wait to see how she liked it. Of course, the bumpers were used to help Reagan (yeah, we didn't use them at all!) and she had a blast. All of us had a great time.
Here we go!
Reagan's ready to get started
Think she's excited?
Jason came on strong at the end and won! (He's "D")
At the end of the first game, Jason asked if he could have a printout of the scorecard since it was Reagan's first time. The owner of the alley asked Jason how to spell Reagan's name and then disappeared for a bit. When he came back, he had personalized a bowling pin with her name, the date and her score! Wasn't that just too nice?!?!! We'll definitely continue to patronize this alley.
A very fun family day. I'm sure I'll "feel" the enjoyment tomorrow! ;)
We have continued to be pretty laid back. Yesterday I did get up and get out to Curves. I had only gone once last week - and I sure could feel it. :)
Lindsay was feeling a bit of cabin fever so we went shopping. She wanted to go to Kohl's and I wanted to go to Michael's to pick up some thread for a craft we had gotten Reagan. Randy rode along with us girls. After shopping, we grabbed some lunch.
After lunch we dropped Randy off at home so he could go to an eye doctor's appointment. He's had a stye in his right eye for about a month now and it is affecting his sight in that eye. Thankfully, the doctor said there was no damage to the eye, the stye was just rubbing the cornea and once it's gone, his sight will be fine. The doc gave Randy an antibiotic, so hopefully he'll be feeling better soon.
While Randy was at the doctor's, we girls went to the grocery. With two extra people in the house, poor Lins needed to stock her pantry! :) Once that chore was done, it was back home for a couple of hours before Reagan needed to go to her gymnastics class. I went to keep Lins company. Reagan's class is in an enclosed room, so I wouldn't be able to see her. BUT! We got lucky - for some reason, the teacher brought the class out into the "big gym" for a few minutes to work in one area. So, I was able to grab a picture.
The "big gym"
Reagan's the one itching her ear (sorry it's blurry)
This morning I was moving slower than normal - no Curves today. I just hated the thought of leaving my warm bed to go out in that cold, howling wind! Not much of an excuse, but it's the best one I got! We did run out to TJ Maxx so Lins could exchange a present Reagan had gotten and we also went to the library.
Jason has been working on the fourth bedroom that has been used as an office into a craft room for Lindsay. Up to now, Lins' crafting/scrapbooking has been set up in the basement. But, Jason thought she should have her own space and he has done a wonderful job of creating a cozy area for Lins to work in. Today was moving day; Randy & Jason moved a couple of pieces of furniture from the basement upstairs, then Lins began her part in the process - moving all of her craft supplies. She is tickled with the room.
Now it's time to settle in for the night. Just another day in the life . . .
I have been very lazy and not posted about our Christmas festivities. I think I've been so tired out from traveling and fun that I just couldn't come up with enough energy to write about them! So, here's a synopsis of Christmas 2009.
Christmas Eve day we left my folks' to drive to my sister, Paula's, home. The four of us (Daddy, Mommy, Randy & me) attended Christmas Eve service at Paula's church. It was a nice service and the people were quite friendly.
After the service, Randy & I headed to our niece, Megan's, home to spend the night. I was pretty excited to get there 'cause we hadn't seen Megan and her husband, Matt, since we left in September - and Megan's pregnant with their first child, a little girl they've named Ryleigh! So, I couldn't wait to see that belly. :)
Megan (and Ryleigh!)
Matt
Our nephew, Joe, was there as well since Meg & Matt had picked him up at the airport earlier in the evening. We spent and hour or so visiting with each other before Randy & I were ready to call it a night.
Christmas morning we got up early as usual and found Matt was already up. Apparently their pup, Chloe, was ready to start the day and it was Matt who got up with her. :) Megan wasn't far behind us. The morning was very laid back, with coffee and pastry for breakfast. Finally, we all got ourselves out the door to go to Paula's for the rest of the day.
My folks had spent the night at Paula & Lou's so we joined them, with Matt & Megan and Joe coming in soon after us. The plan was for the families to come in at different times so that the mayhem could be kept to a minimum - not easy with a family like ours! :) We watched Matt & Megan open their gifts from my parents and Paula & Lou. Many of the gifts were for Ryleigh; Paula had even gathered together many of Megan's baby outfits she'd saved for just this occasion. It was great seeing those.
Mommy, Lou, & Daddy
Joe & Paula
Megan showing off one of Ryleigh's gifts
Our kids were due next. Jason, Lindsay & Reagan came in first. I was waiting on the porch as they pulled up. As soon as Reagan got out of the car, I was down the steps and running to her - as she was, me. I scooped her up and just squeezed her! It was wonderful. I was thrilled to see Lins, too. I am so happy to be with my girls, even if it is only for a couple of weeks.
Reagan's here! (Oh, Jason & Lins, too.)
Dressed for the party
Once Jason, Lins & Reagan got settled, it was their turn to open presents from G'ma & DadDad. We were waiting to exchange gifts later that night 'cause we wanted to do it away from the chaos. Reagan was so excited and she even got a new guitar to rock out on!
Let the opening begin!
Ginny, Chuck & Tommy came in next. I was so glad they came. We weren't sure if they would make it, but they did! It was great to see them, too. They haven't spent a lot of time around the family, but they blended right in. Presents were distributed and everyone had smiles on their faces. :)
Ginny, Chuck & Tommy We spent the afternoon noshing on all the food Paula had out - she always has enough food to feed an army! And it was all good, of course. We also got to Skype with Kevin for a bit, so most everyone got to see him and wish him a merry Christmas.
Paula's eldest, Lisa, and her family were the last to arrive around 3:30 or so. With three kids, it's always crazy when Lisa's family enters the house. And it's a good crazy. It was their turn for presents and it was pandemonium for awhile.
Jim, Jimmy, Kylie, Lisa & Kelsey (L to R)
Cousins - Kelsey, Reagan & Kylie
Finally, we all just settled in and visited until Randy & I were ready to hit the road. Our last stop is Lindsay's and she lives more than a hour from Paula's. By 6pm, we were ready to go. The weather had gotten nasty and we were tired. Lins & family were right there with us. Good-byes were said and hugs were given. This is always the tough part 'cause we won't see most of them until May.
Once we were at Lindsay's, I thought we were just going to veg since it had been such a big day. But, Reagan had other ideas. :) We exchanged gifts with most of the attention on Reagan, of course. She seemed very happy with all of her gifts. Good thing! :) She was ready to party the rest of the night, I think, but the adults were done.
Christmas Day was perfect - family, family and more family. It was a great way to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus.
Since then, we had been couch potatoes! I woke up yesterday with a slight headache which erupted into a nasty migraine, so I was not a lot of fun all day. Jason, Lins & Reagan went to one of Jason's sister's to celebrate Christmas with his mom and sisters. So, we had a quiet day. They didn't get home until 9pm!
This morning we got up and went out to breakfast at Denny's. Jason had been given a gift card to Denny's as a thank you for clearing his neighbor's sidewalks during the snow storm and he generously included us in using it. :) You know us - we never turn down an opportunity to go to breakfast! The rest of the day has been very low key. We watched the Ravens lose horribly to Pittsburgh - the final score didn't show the disaster the game really was. Lindsay made a nice dinner of ravioli, salad and bread.
Now we are just sitting in front of the TV while the rest of the family has gone to bed. Not sure what's happening tomorrow, but I'm sure Reagan will be ready to go!
Yesterday we spent a leisurely day at Dan & Debbie's. I hope that you are fortunate enough to have such good friends in your life as we do in Dan & Debbie. They open their home to us and encourage us to make it our own. It is so nice to be so loved.
However, yesterday didn't start out so great as I ended up having to go to Urgent Care so I could be treated for a UTI. Ugh. So painful. But, I'm grateful that I was able to see a doctor, get meds, and get started on them so I could be better for Christmas!
After seeing the doctor, getting the meds and getting back to Dan & Debbie's, it was complete vegging on the couch. We're getting too old for those 16 hour driving days!
This morning we went to breakfast with Dan to Cracker Barrel, (is there anywhere else??) and then hit the road for my folks'. We had only a six hour drive ahead of us which seemed like a piece of cake compared to Monday. The trip was uneventful, as we like it, and we arrived at my parents' home a few minutes past 4pm.
Oh, it was soooooooooo good to see Daddy & Mommy and hug them. I love my parents so very much and I'm grateful to still have them around.
We went out to dinner at Applebee's (they treated - see I told you they're great!) and then we drove around their neighborhood looking at Christmas lights. I love doing that!
Randy & I are going to exchange present with Daddy & Mommy tonight. Tomorrow we go to my sister's church for Christmas Eve service, then Randy & I will spend the night with our niece and her husband. Then . . . IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!!!
Hope you're enjoying your holidays! Until the next time . . .
Just about this time, twenty-four years ago, Randy & I promised to love one another for the rest of our lives. So far, so good! :)
I can't speak for Randy (yes, I know I do any other time, but this is different!), but for me? These years have been fabulous. Sure, we've had our ups and downs like any one else, but the difference for me was that after we were getting up from a "down," we were still holding hands.
Our marriage has been what I always thought marriage should be - a partnership with your best friend; someone who you can tell all your secrets to and who loves in spite of them. I have been blessed with that someone. Randy loves me no matter what - when I'm happy or when I'm mean. I always know that I can count on him to be there for me.
I am grateful that God brought us together. This is a second marriage for both of us and by all the statistics, our marriage shouldn't have lasted. But, when God is in the midst of something, those statistics don't matter. He has been the glue that has held us together - our faith in Him has made our partnership strong, unbreakable even. And I am grateful.
And just how do we celebrate our anniversary? Well, by getting up at 4am and traveling for 16 hours to get home for Christmas! Actually, we won't even be home then, we're stopping at Dan & Debbie's for a couple of nights before heading to my parents' on Wednesday.
Woke up to another sunny morning. So grateful for that! Randy & I went to Silverhill Covenant Church this morning. This is the church where my Bible study group meets. A few of the women who go to Curves are members of the Bible study and the church, so I wanted to attend a church service. We really enjoyed it. Very different from Church of the Eastern Shore as Silverhill Covenant is traditional in its service where COTES is very contemporary. But, the pastor gave a good message and the members were very friendly. We'll probably go back to see what it's like on a regular Sunday rather than during Christmas.
We spent a couple of hours this afternoon packing for the trip home. When you live/travel in your home, it's hard to pack to be away from it! And we're going to be gone a month, so that's even harder. But, we've packed what we think we'll need and if we've forgotten anything, guess we'll either do without or buy it! :)
Our journey home begins at 5am tomorrow morning. The first stop is Winterville, NC at our good friends, Dan & Deb's. We'll spend a couple of nights there, recovering from the long drive on Monday. Wednesday morning we'll drive to my folks' on the Eastern Shore of MD. Spend the night and then go to my sister's for Christmas Eve service on Thursday. We'll spend Christmas Eve night at our niece's home.
Christmas Day will find us back at my sister's. We'll finally see the kids then. So looking forward to that. Then, the next week will be spent at Jason & Lindsay's.
Whew! I'm tired just typing all of that. But, I can't wait for all of the craziness, frivolity, and loudness that is my family. They are the best.
I hope wherever you are during the holidays that you savor each minute. Take care.
The sun shined all day today! It was wonderful - we were even able to have the door open for much of the day.
I woke up about 5:30 this morning with an ugly headache and nausea. Yep, another migraine; how nice. I had just said to Randy the night before that I hadn't woken up with a headache since Sunday. Guess I jinxed myself. I took some meds and laid back down, but it wasn't going away, so I just got up about 6:00 and got moving.
I had planned to do laundry this morning, so I went ahead with that. Early Saturday morning is the best time to do laundry because I rarely have to share the laundry room, so I'm able to get in and get out quickly. Anyway, after the loads were done washing, I got them into the dryers and came back home. I just couldn't do it any longer; the headache and nausea were just too much.
Randy is just fantastic; he is always there to take up my slack and I so appreciate him. He didn't even blink when I asked him to finish doing the laundry. And when he was done with the laundry, he even brought me some breakfast. I am truly blessed (and spoiled!).
I spent the rest of the morning huddled under a blanket in my recliner, napping off and on. Randy made a run for propane.
Late this afternoon several of us went to Big Daddy's for dinner and to watch the Fish River Christmas Boat Parade. Randy & I never turn down an opportunity to go to Big Daddy's and we'd also never seen a boat parade. The restaurant was festively decorated for Christmas and the fireplace was blazing nicely. As usual the food was so good and our companions were fun.
Darrell's enjoying the fire
Nice table decorations
Big Daddy's deck
We waited outside for almost an hour for the parade to make its way to Big Daddy's. It was quite chilly outside and I was about ready to bag it when the first boat finally made an appearance. There were about ten boats and all were decorated quite gaily. It was pretty neat. Sorry I don't have pictures to share, but my camera just doesn't take good night pictures. This one picture of "Feisty Lady" was taken before it got dark.
Another great day in the life. Tomorrow we'll be busy packing up to leave Monday. Lots to pack; and we're not used to that! You don't have to pack when you take your home with you.
We have very little planned for the next few days.
Today we woke up to more rain and howling winds. I didn't venture out for Curves, just couldn't face going out in that. Yuck. Thankfully, the rain stopped by 10am, but the winds got worse. This weather pattern we've been in has been horrible. Now, I know it's not snow, but still . . .
I did finally go out around noon to get my hair trimmed (I was looking like a Chia pet!) and a mani/pedi. I look soooo forward to that mani/pedi each month. :)
Randy dumped the tanks. And that was it for the day. We've been recliner potatoes. What can I say? Sometimes it's just that way.
Tomorrow the sun is supposed to shine! Won't that be nice. We do plan to go to Big Daddy's for dinner and to watch the Fish River Boat Parade. Then, Sunday is just church in the morning.
We have to start packing for our trek north. Maryland & Pennsylvania are supposed to be getting lots of snow this weekend - hope it's done by the time we get there next Wednesday!
Hope you have a great weekend! Until the next time . . .
Yesterday we saw the sun! It was beautiful!! :) And we wanted to make the most of having NO rain, so we finally headed to Mobile to tour Bellingrath Gardens and Home. The Christmas lights display has been touted to be fantastic and the home, also.
Dick, Pat, Randy & I left home a little before 2pm because Pat needed to do a little shopping at the Eastern Shore Centre and, since that was on our way to Mobile, we stopped there on our way. Shopping was done by 3:30 and we started talking about where we were going to eat. We had decided to do a late lunch/early dinner as we'd be walking around Bellingrath during the dinner hour.
Around the Eastern Shore Center, there are lots of restaurants to choose from. We'd eaten at a couple of them before, so we wanted to go somewhere different. We decided on Wintzell's, known in this area for its seafood, more specifically oysters. Now, none of us are big oyster eaters, but seafood is always a hit. We were not disappointed!
Pat had a fried seafood platter, Dick had gumbo, I had shrimp wrapped with bacon and cream of crab soup, and Randy had a cheeseburger (yes, I know it was a seafood place, but what can I say?). All of the food was very good. Oh, Dick, Randy & I also had an apple crisp with ice cream for dessert - that was YUMMY!
Now, we were ready to continue to Bellingrath for our tour. To tour both the gardens and the house, it cost $19/adult. To tour them separately, the cost per adult is $11/gardens only and $8/house only. We felt the $19 admission was very reasonable considering the extensive Christmas lights display and the half hour house tour.
Beautiful sunset on the way to Bellingrath
I have no pictures to share with you because no photography is allowed inside the house AND it was nighttime and my camera takes lousy night pictures without some kind of tripod. Check out the website for some pictures. But, trust me it was FANTASTIC!! Randy estimated the walk through the lights display was a mile to a mile and a half. Worth every step and dollar.
We plan to go back in March to tour the gardens again when they are full bloom. Many pictures will be taken then, I promise!
This morning was the Jubilee Pickers' Christmas party at Mike & Kathy's home. They built their home with entertaining in mind. You walk into their huge family/great room and then into their huge country kitchen. Their home is decorated in "horse." :) Kathy is an avid horsewoman and everywhere you turn, you are reminded of that. It's great! Her saddles are set up around the perimeter of the great room and the furniture is comfy leather sofas with throws over the backs. You also are made aware of Kathy's great love of music and books. Mike & Kathy have made their home very welcoming and it exudes their love for others and the Lord. I'm always thrilled to have the opportunity to be in their home.
Entering Mike & Kathy's home
Another view of the great room
Looking back toward the front door - look at those bookcases!
Half of the kitchen (with Mike)
Kathy & Mike, our wonderful hosts
Our Christmas party is always filled with music and food. :) We play music for a couple of hours, then we dive into the goodies everyone brought. It is a feast, to be sure. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of the layout of entrees and desserts. So good. And it was great to spend that time with these wonderful folks.
Randy & I came home from the Pickers' party and just vegged for the afternoon. I know my tummy was so full from lunch that I couldn't move fast if I had to!
Dinner this evening was at the clubhouse. (Are you seeing a theme here????) It wasn't fancy, but it was good - ham, green beans, baked potato, salad, drink and dessert. And all for just $6! Can't beat that. We got to sit with Darrell & Judy and that's always a good time. Darrell was a good do-bee and helped out in the kitchen. Such a nice guy. :)
That's it! Forty-eight hours in just a few paragraphs. Can't believe this time next week we'll be at my sister's and it will be Christmas Eve!! And that also means that we'll be seeing the grandkids!! WooHOOOO!
Good grief! I haven't seen this much rain in, well, I don't think I've ever seen this much rain! UGH! Our driveway/yard is a pool. And it's still raining. I am not a fan.
Therefore, I have been a schlub today. I should have gone to JamNFolks this morning, but I didn't. I was all ready to go, but it was raining so hard when it was time to leave, I just didn't want to deal with it. I figured I didn't have to go, so I didn't. One of the nice things about being retired; one really doesn't have to do much of anything one doesn't want to do. :)
So, Randy & I spent the day much like other days on which we have nothing scheduled - computer, TV, reading. I think a short nap might have crept in there, too.
There's a potluck dinner at the clubhouse tonight and we planned to go, but . . . have I mentioned it's STILL raining?!?!?!!! So, the evening will be spent like the day was - computer, TV, reading. Hmmmmmmm, are we in a rut?
Tomorrow the forecast is calling for a sunny day. Yeah, right. We'll see. But, just in case the weatherman is right, the plan is to go to Bellingrath Gardens just outside of Mobile. We've wanted to go for the past couple of years because they have a wonderful Christmas lights display as well as an historic home you can tour. I hope we can go!
Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and dry! :) Until the next time . . .
Today was a far better day than yesterday. Yesterday I woke up about 5:30 with a raging headache that went from the front of my head all the way down the back of my neck into my shoulders. Ugh. It was not pretty. Needless to say, I was nonproductive yesterday and spent the day in the recliner, napping on and off, just trying to stay ahead of the pain. By evening the worst of it was gone, thank God!
Although I didn't sleep well last night (probably due to the napping yesterday!), I was wide awake at 5:20 again this morning. Not sure what's up with that, but it worked in my favor this morning. I hadn't done laundry over the weekend as I usually do 'cause of the constant rain. There was no rain this morning and I was wide awake, so off to the laundry room I went. By 7:15am I had finished three loads of laundry and was on my way to Curves. It felt so good to feel good! :)
The rest of our day was spent doing the usual - TV, computer, reading, cross stitching (me, not Randy). We watched a SyFy Channel original miniseries, "Alice," that we'd recorded. Very strange adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland." About 5pm I went out to my Bible study.
Randy got dinner started as I got home around 7pm from Bible study. We had a scrumptious taco dip for dinner - it's one of Randy's favorites.
Now, we're settled in for the evening, waiting for the rain to start up again. We are so tired of rain! Hopefully, it's going to move out of here tonight and we'll see the sun tomorrow.
Oh, and here's the picture of our dinner out Saturday night. Darrell's not shown 'cause he's the photographer!
We've had such yucky weather the past couple of days. Right now it is raining hard with thunder and lightning!
I got up at 5:40 this morning; have no idea why, but my eyes popped open and I was wide awake, so I figured I might as well get up. I gotta tell ya, getting up that early sure makes for a long morning.
We spent the day pretty much as usual - on the computer, watching some TV, reading, etc. Randy dumped tanks in between rain showers. Just another exciting day in the life.
This afternoon eight of us, Dick & Pat, Ron & Ruth, Darrell & Judy, Randy & I, went out to El Toro for dinner. All of us are going our separate ways for Christmas and we wanted to have a meal together before that happened. All of us get so busy in our day-to-day lives that we have to schedule time together. :)
The meal was good and we had a nice time chatting during it, but it just wasn't long enough. (I forgot to bring my camera, but Darrell took a picture and is supposed to send it to me. If he does, I'll share it with you.) So, Ron & Ruth graciously invited us back to their home (a REAL house) for coffee. We spent another pleasant hour or so continuing to visit. It was so nice. All of us left saying we needed to do this more often, and hopefully we will!
Now, Randy & I are sitting in our recliners, listening to the rain and thunder, watching the lightning, and waiting for the satellite to come back so we can watch some TV. :)
That's it from the Guiler perspective. Hope you're having a good weekend wherever you are! Until the next time . . .
For some reason, this week seems like it's been 10 days long instead of five! Only thing I can figure is that the first part of the week was really busy and we seem to have packed a lot in. Anyway, today was not very productive. I went to Curves first thing then came home and plopped myself in my recliner and have pretty much been there since.
We did finish up the last of the present wrapping and Randy ran out to the grocery for garlic bread for dinner tonight. Then he went to his psaltry group for about an hour and a half.
Dick & Pat came over for a spaghetti & meatballs dinner tonight. Dick really likes spaghetti and meatballs so I try to make it for him once in awhile.
And that was our day. Can you stand the excitement?!?!? :) Not sure what's happening the rest of the weekend. We were supposed to watch the Christmas Boat Parade tomorrow night with a bunch of friends - the operative phrase being "supposed to." Found out that parade was tonight not tomorrow night! Oh, well, there's always next year. I think we'll all go out to dinner instead; just gotta figure out where.
The weather is gonna be cruddy this weekend - rainy and chilly. Ugh. But, at least it's not snow!
We left the house about 8:30 this morning and didn't get home until after 3:30pm - that is a long day for us! But, it was a good day, with lots of music.
First up, was our weekly jam session with the Pickers. We played some Christmas music as well as our mountain music. Randy is getting better each week on the psaltry - he says he's enjoying it. I know I love having him there. :) We had a good couple of hours of playing and then we had to scoot to get lunch before we had to be at the senior center for our afternoon program.
Dick, Pat, Randy & I joined Ron & Ruth for lunch at a Chinese buffet restaurant. This particular Chinese buffet is the best one we've found. We typically go there each week after the Pickers jam with probably 15 or 20 others. Today we got there earlier than the others because of the afternoon gig.
Bellies full, we ventured over to the senior center to get set up for the JamNFolks performance. Mary Anne, our leader, wanted us there by 1:15 for set up and warm up, but the four of us get there about 12:35 'cause parking is at a premium when there is an event at this location. But, I'd much rather get somewhere early than be scrambling at the last minute.
The performance was very well received. We had a great group of musicians and the audience was generous with its applause and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Most of the music we played was Christmas music, but we did play a few of our favorite mountain pieces, too. The program lasted a little more than an hour.
The room (it got fuller)
JamNFolks
Bob (on harmonica), Heidi, Connie, & Ruth G.
J & I cooking up something . . .
And I guess I thought it was hilarious.
Since we've been home, we've pretty much been glued to our recliners. Randy was a bit more industrious than I - he made the bed and washed the dishes. I have watched TV and played on the computer. Of course, I was the one who had to perform today! :) The evening will be much like usual - TV and relaxing.
Not sure what's happening this weekend, but I'll be sure to share anything exciting! Well, probably anything boring, too. :) Until the next time . . .
Sorry I didn't blog last night, I just didn't feel like it. There, I said it. But, we had a great day yesterday, albeit a long one.
Pat and I went to JamNFolks in the morning. We are rehearsing for a Christmas program at the Nix Center on Thursday afternoon. Apparently, we are replacing a much-loved group that has performed there in years past, so this is a big deal. Our leader, Mary Anne, is very excited about it and really wants us to shine. We've got a great program planned, mostly Christmas music, but we've thrown in a few mountain music pieces as well. I'm sure we'll have a great time.
From rehearsal, Pat & I went to library. I had to return some books and pick up a couple more. Pat was able to get her library card and she picked up a couple of books, too. Then, it was on to WalMart. Pat needed to pick up a toy for the concert later.
Back home, Pat and I went our separate ways, knowing we'd be seeing each other in just a few hours. Don't know what Pat did, but I just vegged in front of the TV and napped a bit. :)
Then, about 6pm, the four of us, Dick, Pat, Randy & I, went to Randy's last Baldwin Pops Christmas concert. Randy had to be there by 6:30, so we figured we'd just go along and hang out until the concert started at 7pm. Boy! I sure am glad we did. We got there at 6:20 and there was a line out the door of people waiting to get in!! We couldn't believe it. It was not like that last year. By 6:40 or so the place was packed - so much so, they had to turn people away. Isn't that cool? :) We had lots of friends from the park came, too, which was nice.
The concert was fabulous. Very Christmas-y and upbeat. In addition to the band, the choir from Faulkner State Community College performed. All of the music was great and the young people in the choir were so much fun. Santa even made an appearance! We had a great evening.
Today was mailing day. I went to Curves first thing, then came home and finished my morning ritual of coffee and computer. :) Randy had finished putting together the ornaments I'd cross stitched, and I had everything packaged, ready to be mailed. So, late this morning, we took off to the post office and all our packages are mailed. YAY!
We also went to Michael's as I needed to get a frame or hoop for an additional cross stitch project I'd completed. We found the perfect thing and came home. After Randy frames that project, we are DONE with Christmas prep. Thank goodness! I do not enjoy this part of the season, I'll be honest. I would be just as happy to do away with presents and just enjoy family and Jesus. But, you know how THAT would go over! :) So, we continue . . .
Tonight Pat is cooking dinner for the four of us. How nice is that? I'm looking forward to it, I'll tell ya. And, that's about it from the Guilers. Hope you're having a good week.
Since we couldn't go anywhere, the morning was rather lazy. At least for Randy & me. Reagan had picked up a case of pink eye, so Lins was figuring she and Jason were going to have to take her to the doctor's so they could get a prescription. Ugh. Just what they wanted to do in the snow. But, when the doctor called Lins back, she was told the doctor would just call in the prescription to the pharmacy and save them a trip to the office. Wasn't that nice?
The afternoon was quiet as well. Jason & Lins went to the pharmacy and got Reagan's medicine. I did take Reagan out to play in the snow for a little bit. That was huge - I don't like playing in the snow! But, it was fun with her - guess grandkids make anything fun! 
