Our life is just a rollercoaster, hold on tight because falling off is not an option.
If you haven’t discovered Wavelit TV, you should go check it out. Their live views of an African watering hole are amazing to watch. I haven’t caught the grizzles yet, but the snow is fun to watch. (since it’s been the 50s and 60s here)
It’s our tradition to make cutout cookies over Thanksgiving weekend. They are Hubby’s favorite (and everyone else’s), but to make them becomes a 3 day exercise. Friday we make a double batch of dough, Saturday we cut out the cookies and bake them, and then today they get iced. They came out so pretty I had to share.
It feels like it’s been ages since I really posted on here. Sorry about that. It seems like when something would make a good post, I’m running like crazy and don’t have the time to ‘talk’ about it. And then when I do have a moment, I’m a blank. oh well.
Right now I’m chased out of the kitchen. Tochter has connected with another couple of Germans. S is a high school exchange student, that goes to another high school in town, and M is an older student-teacher that is working on her English by staying in the States for a few months. The 3 of them are cooking us a authenic German meal. Yum, well worth being chased out of the kitchen.
We are having a nice Thanksgiving weekend. Thursday was pleasant. We spend most of the day playing games and had a great game of Monopoly, as well 15-point dominos, and Jengo (we both the Uno and Discovery Toys versions and played both after discovering that is was one of Tochter’s favorite games.) The turkey came out great, though I undercooked the apple pie and had to stick it back in the oven.
Yesterday, we went to see the new James Bond film. Tochter was amazed at the number of little kids that were in the theater. She said that in Germany, kids aren’t even allowed into a movie like this until they are 12. We all enjoyed the movie and liked the new Bond.
Ever since we came home in June, I’ve been warning Hubby that I thought the washer and dryer were on their last legs. The dryer was making a terrible noise when it first started up (and not drying very well) and the washer was having more and more trouble getting the soap out of the clothes. Given Girl’s skin allergies, the soap was my bigger concern and I had been rinsing some things over and over again.
Well, two weekends ago, the dryer died. Luckily it was at the end of drying a load, but it was at lunchtime on a Saturday and both Hubby and Boy had just informed me that they were short on whites. (Not the load I was washing). Given the machine’s ages, (16 on the washer and 10 on the dryer) Hubby said to just go ahead and replace them both.
Knowing that I had a choir performance that night and that whatever I bought would need to be delivered, I decide to just buy it over the web rather than running all over finding something. Big mistake.
I went to Sears, because I usually end up there when I buy large appliances, and searched through all of their listings to find the machines that did what I wanted (discovered that they now make washers that do an extra rinse automatically - definitely a must with Girl) and checked that they were available in my area. I then talked to Hubby about what I wanted and their prices and he said to check that the ones that were just a little more to see if they had some amazing bell or whistle that would make spending a little more worthwhile. So, I went back and did some more looking. And came up with a washer and gas dryer that were reasonable, did what I wanted and said that they could deliver within 2 to 14 days. Sounded great to me.
Then I went to checkout. Remember that delivery date? Well, when they went to actually book it, they came up with Jan 9 as the next available date. WHAT!! I was not going to be schlepping our laundry to the laundrymat for 8 weeks through the holidays!
So, then I went to check the other options in town - HH Greg, Menards and Lowes. I was able to find some machines at HH Greg, but they wouldn’t even tell me what the delivery date would be until after I paid and someone called me back (on Monday!!). After Sears, I was not going to try that. Menards’s webpage was not set up to allow you to search for machines online, so that left Lowes.
They did have machines online, but while they could find me a gas dryer, the site said to contact the store about the washer that I wanted.
So, instead of a quick purchase and arrangement of delivery (needing no personal interaction) I ended up spend over 4 hours trying to finding machines. I was no closer to having something delivered and I had an hour to review a couple of spots in my music, change, and get to my first performance in 17 years. YEAH!
A good ending - The performance went very well and then I ran to Lowes. It turned out that the problem with the washer, that I wanted, was that the only one left was the floor model (10% off automatically), but they only had a few gas dryers in stock. I was able to find one that had what I wanted and wasn’t too expensive.
And the best part? They deliveried them both on Monday morning!! I ended up spending a chunk of the afternoon connecting the gasline to the dryer (got it the first time when I finally got all the parts that I needed!!) and I love the new machines. What a difference.
I love Christmas and when Contemplator sent me to Kari’s blog for something else. I never got to it because I saw this meme. Enjoy!
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Neither - Though, if I had to choose it would be hot chocolate.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? wrapping all the way, and not those gift bags either.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Rainbow colored lights - the old fashion (to me) ones that each blink on their own or stay on. We usually have about a third of them twinkling while the bulk are steady.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope - I have a dog and I don’t want the berries dropping and getting eaten.
5. When do you put up your decorations? Usually the first weekend after Thanksgiving weekend.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Turkey!!
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Getting the stockings and taking them onto our parents’ bed to open. Stuff in the stocking was wrapped and there was always an apple and an orange in the toe.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Somewhere between 8 and 10. I remember my older brother telling me while we were sledding one year.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope, and the only things under it at that point are the stuff that came in the mail.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lights, ornaments, candy canes and tinsel. The ornaments have no common theme. There are a couple that were on my parents’ tree and Hubby’s parents’ tree and then many that we have collected over the years.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! I wish we got more of it here.
12. Can you ice skate? Not a chance.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A pair of oversized stuffed animals that I got when I was about 10 stick out. One of them was a turtle that I’d pretend to ride.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Being with family
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Cookies!!!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? From growing up - Singing Christmas carols around the piano for hours on Christmas eve. We all played and often there were other instruments involved. Now - While we listen to carols all month long (we actual had a school day a couple weeks ago where we listened to carols instead of our usual selections.) We don’t tend to spend Christmas eve singing them. So, I’d have to say making cut-out Christmas cookies. We do it Thanksgiving weekend and it sort of kicks off the ’season’
17. What tops your tree? Spining lights.
18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I love picking out the ‘right ‘ present, but what can be better than opening something up.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Silent Night - It’s always been my favorite and I used to have my sisters sing it to me when they put me to bed. (many, many years ago)
20. Candy Canes - yuck or yummy? Mostly yucky
I think there needs a number 21. Christmas Trees - real or fake? Absolutely real and when it’s possible, a family trip to the farm to chop it down fresh.
I tag…Anyone who wants to do this…..please leave me a comment and let me know you played so I can check out your answers.
I love it when my house is this way. I think nearly every light is turned on. My livingroom is wall to wall teenage boys and the remains of their D&D game. It’s so packed that you can not get from one side to the other with climbing over someone. Currently they are playing Halo. I recently wanted some Fritos and the only way to get the bag was to have one of them bring it to me.
Girl and her friends are in and out of her room. (I think they left the D&D game first.) They are alternating between chatting, bugging the boys and playing other games.
Tochter is curled up watching one of the Superman movies. The girls tried to get her to play a game with them, but she had finals at the high school this week and is kind of burned out.
They are all here until sometime tomorrow. I won’t go to bed until things start to settle down and when I said that around Girl earlier, she decided that she plans on a 4 AM bedtime. I’m not really believing her.
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