It is my goal to always have my house decorated for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. I have to say although accomplished this year - it was very challenging.
I had both Callum and Ryan and to be honest it took me a lot longer than it normally does. I had to stop go give them drinks, food; and, diaper changing. I was determined to persevere and do it all.
Well I am happy to state besides the decorating and putting away everything that is autumn or Thanksgiving I also cooked dinner and did a load of laundry.
What I really want now is a good night's sleep and a massage would not hurt either.
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I have never understood the allure of Black Friday - maybe it is because I already have all my Christmas shopping done.
I do not like crowds and I am not about to fight with someone over an item for a few dollars. Fighting for a parking spot and standing in long lines to pay for a couple of items just to save some dollars does not sound enjoyable in the least to me.
Instead on Black Friday I decorate my home for Christmas and will have it finished all in the day. This year the boys will be with me and we will do it together. I dare to say it will probably take me a little bit longer as I will need to stop to give them lunch and snacks throughout the day.
Tonight we will sit with the Christmas lights on and have a cup of cocoa with mini marshmallows.
Today is a day to reflect and give thanks for the many joys in our lives. For the most part each of us has a job, family, a roof over our heads and the ability to go on vacation.
We do not have to think on how we will get our next meal or how to stretch that last dollar - we have much to give thanks.
Let's reflect on this first American holiday celebrated in 1621 - a day where it does not matter what religion, ethnic background or the color of our skin.
Give thanks to your family, friends and the strangers you encounter every day for we have a very rich life that each of us enjoys.
On my way home from work I picked up the boys as they will spend the next several days and nights with me.
Gerard had surgery on Monday and Carrie had to be back at work on Wednesday. I had taken Wednesday and Friday off from work so offered to watch the boys for the next several days.
On Monday afternoon I ran to the grocery store to load up on milk, corn muffins, watermelon and black & white cookies. I like to make sure that I have what each child likes in the house. We will not celebrate Thanksgiving since Gerard may not be home and certainly cannot eat a heavy meal so I will make Ryan's favorite, pork chops and mashed potatoes.
I have books for them and I am hoping they will enjoy the Thanksgiving Day parade on TV. We will have to see what else we can do to stay entertained; but, I will certainly also do some baking that they will each enjoy.
I already have a pumpkin bread made for Callum and I have all the ingredients for his cheese danish.
Hopefully, this time Gerard can relax and heal without worrying about the boys and Carrie can focus on him.
Last night as I went to my mailbox to get my mail - I had to strategically YANK out my mail - it was so stuffed.
Not one item was a bill, a letter or a card - it was 21 catalogs!!! Yes, I said 21 - I counted. As we all know, 'tis the season' and from now until after New Year's it will be difficult to pull anything out of our mailboxes without being bombarded by catalogs.
Now like any red-blooded American woman I enjoy receiving a catalog or two - going through them knowing I probably am not going to order anything. But, when I receive 10 or more I am overwhelmed and do not even want to look at them.
I am thankful that I recycle paper; because, I cannot imagine how many trees have been cut to provide me with one more Land's End catalog!!
Yesterday there was work and personal things to get done and I had hoped that it would not take a long time. I was lucky - it didn't.
I went to Zumba and had coffee with my friend, Linda. Afterwards it was off to Kohl's to buy some pajamas for the boys who will be spending several nights at my house this week and to the grocery store. I wanted to come home to do a load of laundry and then I had some work to do.
I needed to update a project status report for a meeting on Tuesday and I wanted to get it out to my boss and peer for their review. I also needed to write the December President's message for VCI-Group and get it out to the various individuals who review and edit it for me.
I am happy to note that by 3:30 I was finished with the laundry, updating the project status report and writing the President's message.
Then it was MY time to relax, watch some football and try to stay warm.
I was going to bake pumpkin bread for my friend, Linda on Friday night but forgot to pick up buttermilk at the grocery store.
Yesterday after aqua class I stopped by the grocery store and picked up the buttermilk and made two loaves of pumpkin bread to give to Linda today. The recipe I use makes two loaves which is great - since it only takes one cup of buttermilk and I had purchased a quart I will make two more loaves on Monday to take to my team on Tuesday.
We will all be in the office from 7AM until 6PM supporting the Annual Board of Trustees Meeting and this will help us get through the process easier and in good moods.
As I know Callum likes the pumpkin bread I will pick up some more buttermilk and make a loaf for him on Wednesday as he will be with me starting on Tuesday night probably through Saturday.
I will make it a few more times in the next few weeks and then it will be over until next year.
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. Anyone who was older than 5 remembers exactly what they were doing when it was announced that he had been killed.
I was 8, in second grade at Catholic School when it was announced that the President was dead. It was a solemn three days and the world grieved for him. Upon reflection his death sparked a revolution in our own country, many more assassinations (his brother, Robert and Martin Luther King, Jr), the cold war, the civil rights movement, riots and the beginnings of the Vietnam War.
We lost our innocence back then - the newer generation lost their innocence with 9/11. It appears that every few years there is something that occurs that shakes our very beings, has us once again lose our naivete and become leery as adults.
Let us remember the good of the time, what we have learned and how we can do good for the world.
Today I multi-tasked and managed to get a lot accomplished.
I had to go into the city for a one hour meeting and thought it would be a good time to also stop by Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central and see what artisans were there for the Holiday Fair. I was able to pick up some items and the shopkeeper held them for me while I went to my meeting.
I grabbed a salad for lunch, got a battery for my watch and then off to the meeting. After that was all over I was able to pick up my items, stop by Godiva to buy the boys some chocolates and then on to the train. Before heading home stopped by the grocery store and picked up some items for baking.
Once home I caught up on emails, mail and everything else that had piled up for the day.
You probably do not know this about me - and, I should be ashamed to admit it; BUT, at this time of year i am listening to Christmas music, watching seasonal movies and reading holiday novels.
Hallmark Channel began showing their holiday movies right after Halloween; one on Saturday night and one on Sunday. Lifetime has just begun showing their movies on Saturday night - since I cannot watch both at the same time I end up DVRing one or both of them.
I have SiriusXM so the day after Thanksgiving my car radio will be tuned to the station that will plays Christmas songs until New Year's Day. Now the only books I read are those that have a Christmas theme to them.
I guess this may be a sentimental value or maybe I am sappy; but, it is my indulgence at this time of the year.
Sleep - it is one of those things we each need; and, new studies state that we need at least 7 hours per night.
Seven hours a night would be a luxury for me. I am averaging 4 to 4 1/2 hours each evening - one night a couple of weeks ago I only had 1 1/2 hours for the entire night. I am concerned that at some point it will all catch up - and it might not be the right time.
How do you stop your brain from processing information, review scenarios, thinking of work, family and friends? I would love to know how to press the "stop" switch.
I will never take sleep for granted - for me it is a precious commodity.
The plumber came today to look at my powder room toilet and why the water was backing up.
Well, I had three choices to make on how to fix it given that now water was leaking out of the bottom of the bowl onto my wood floor. Just have him seal it, go out and purchase a toilet and he would install it or he would get the toilet and install it.
It was inevitable that sealing it would not suffice - this was an old toilet and didn't meet the new building codes anyway. Now could you see me going to Home Depot and buying a toilet just to save $75? NOT!!! So, I sucked it up and had him get it from their supplier and install it.
Two hours after he had arrived I had a working toilet and no more worries in that powder room. Definitely worth the $815.
Yesterday was Gerard's 38th birthday and I thought that we could manage not having Callum get upset to go home by spending Saturday night with me.
He was ecstatic to spend the night and our outings were two trips to the grocery store and one to the bakery - we spent time playing with his trains and tickling each other. But, he got upset to see his parents and his brother arrive and actually threw up. So opportune time for him to take a bubble bath and put on his pajamas. He wanted me to put mine on too; but, I let him know I couldn't as I had to cook.
A tradition in our family is to have the birthday person decide what they would like to have for their birthday dinner. Gerard chooses the same thing, pastelon - it is like a Puerto Rican lasagna that is made with sweet plantains instead of lasaga noodles. I made the dinner - as we were eating Callu kept asking if we could go to bed. He calmed down a little when we got the cake and sang Happy Birthday to his father and he ate his piece of cake.
Then he told his family "good bye" in a very stern tone - he was staying and they were to leave. This is what I was trying to avoid by having him spend Saturday night with me. Unfortunately, he went home crying and I felt bad.
I will have him for several days Thanksgiving week and I think he will be fine then - I will have him help me decorate for Christmas.
I needed this Saturday and I was so happy to spend it with my best friend doing what we both enjoy having lunch together, catching up on each other's lives and watching a Broadway show.
This was our gift to each other for our birthdays, mine in August, Pat's in September - the trick is to find a time when we are each available and this was the weekend. We chose to see Motown knowing that we would come out of this show singing, dancing and just having a great time.
When I got home Callum was having a sleepover with me and I had picked up his corn muffins for breakfast and a cupcake while I was at Grand Central. We have a busy day on Sunday as we have to go to the bakery to pick up his father's birthday cake and to the grocery store for the last items to make his birthday dinner.
A great Saturday; an upbeat Broadway show, time with a friend and my favorite great-nephew.
A month ago my powder room toilet overflowed and Roto-Rooter came and fixed it. They let me know I would eventually need a new toilet.
Usually when I take care of things like this I am good for about a year - I don't think I am going to be lucky like that this time around. Last night the toilet started acting up again. I went ahead and turned off the water valve and Roto-Rooter will be coming on Monday to take a look at it.
For the weekend I will be running up the stairs every time I need to use the bathroom. I have my nephew and the boys coming over on Sunday to celebrate his birthday and they will all need to use the upstairs bathrooms.
The new toilet and installation will cost about $800 not an expense I wanted to deal with at this time.
Let's see what happens; but, calling Roto-Rooter once a month is not the answer.
I wholeheartedly believe in bargain hunting and checking out other companies; AND, now it majorly paid off!!!
I just received the invoice for the insurance on the house in Delaware - a whopping $1500 which has to be paid in total on January 1st. I went with this company last year because I really didn't have the time to look into things - this year I am not going to be pressured into this.
I went ahead and asked for quotes and I will be able to reduce the price of the insurance by a little more than half. Besides that I can chose to pay this monthly, quarterly or semi-annually.
It just took me a few hours to investigate it and to talk to an agent and VOILA an $800 savings!!!
I don't know of anyone who did not wear a winter coat yesterday.
As I stepped into my car yesterday morning the thermostat registered 23 degrees - and for the first time the coat, scarf and gloves were out. I don't know what happened as I got ready in the morning; but, before I knew it it was 6:50 and the train comes in at 7:05. Fifteen minutes to drive to the station, park the car, put quarters in the meter and get to the right track.
Well, I managed do all of it; and, the train was just pulling in as I was coming down the stairs - maybe it was meant to be as I did not have to stand on the platform which is on the Hudson River and feel the cold. I also didn't feel it as I walked the 12 blocks to the office - which I always do very fast.
That was just pure luck this time - I wouldn't mind being this lucky the rest of the winter.
Yesterday morning we had the first snow of the season and it came during the morning commuting hours.
Needless to say it appears that many folks forgot what it is like to drive in snow (which wasn't sticking to the roads) since last March. The television and radio kept announcing all the various accidents that were on every major artery in New York and New Jersey.
Exit ramps were backed up and you still had the eager beavers who were weaving between cars hoping that they could get to their destination quicker than the rest of us. I took my time - stayed to the speed limit or below and figured that if I was late into the office - I would be late to my own staff meeting.
I wasn't late; I may not have had the 45 minutes I enjoy before my staff meeting; but, I did the things I normally do before it - after and no one was worse for it.
I listened to the weather last night and heard that we are due for some arctic cold during the commuting hours.
I made sure that I placed my snow scraper in my car - I certainly will be praying that the weathermen are incorrect. I don't mind the cold; but, the thought of having to drive with the roads iced does not make me thrilled.
I live in a very hilly community and for half of my commute it will be hills and curves. It will be one of those days that I will drive cautiously and watch out for the other driver.
As I said, weathermen are right 50% of the time - let's hope this is the 50% that they are wrong!!
Many of you know that on Sunday afternoons in the fall and early winter I watch football - and that is what I did yesterday.
Did you notice the upsets? Who would have thought that the Jaguars would have won? Or that the Rams would have handed the Colts such a major loss? This is a sport that you never really know what will happen - an injury can determine how well or poorly a team can do on any given Sunday.
I am one of those women who consistently screams at the teams on Sunday afternoon - thinking that they can hear me and take my advice.
Well I don't think the weekend is going to turn out like I thought it would. The boys did not come over on Friday night - BUMMER.
I had set the table, baked a cake, bought each of them their specialties for Ryan watermelon and black & white cookies, for Callum corn muffins and potato bread. Gerard ended up taking the weekend off so I thought no problem come over on Sunday and let the boys spend the night until Monday. They have off on Monday since it is Veteran's Day and this way Callum will not get upset.
Don't think that will happen either as Gerard is now in the hospital with problems for his previous hernia, Callum appears to be ill and got sick on Saturday before he was going to come and spend the night with me.
I am considering taking the cake to the gym and just asking them to give me my tupperware back. The pork chops and sweet potatoes will not go to waste - cannot say the same for the potato bread or the black & white cookies.
What is important is to make sure that Gerard will be okay - it is Saturday evening and we are still awaiting the results of his tests.
I wasn't expecting them; but, I had the boys last night - I am slowly putting together my Thanksgiving dinner menu and decided to try something new on Ryan.
Ryan loves pork and is always asking me for pork chops with mashed potatoes. This time I decided that I would try him on my mashed sweet potatoes. I bake them instead of boiling them, take them out of their skin, mash them and add cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar and butter. My thoughts are that for Thanksgiving I can do the same thing but place it in a dish and put some marshmallows over it and bake them until they are browned.
This is not the usual candied yams - but, since it is Thanksgiving at my place I think I can make some new traditions.
There are certain roads I drive every day and notice the differences; then, there are others that I drive only periodically and the differences seem monumental.
That happened to me yesterday as I took the Bear Mountain Parkway and Bridge to New Jersey. The last time I had driven it was during the summer and I remember thinking how narrow the road was and how much it winds around the mountains. In the wintertime I am always looking at the road and the frozen water on the mountains - praying that the road is not icy.
Yesterday as I drove I was thinking that with much of the foliage gone and no ice around the road seemed wider - I was no longer concerned with the many twists and turns with no view of what is coming your way. Or could it be that I feel more confident driving this road after 9 years?!
The only problem is that when you drive you really cannot enjoy the scenery as your eyes are supposed to be on the road!!!
In the last month I have added two more individuals to my team and yesterday we were able to have a nice lunch in midtown Manhattan.
One of the things I like about the Health System is that when we have new individuals join our department an email message goes out to the entire department announcing the new hire and we are encouraged to take them out to lunch.
Since we had an evening event with a vendor I thought it would be a good time to have our welcome lunch - the ability to sit for a couple of hours and relax, talk and get to know the team a little better.
If you ever have this opportunity I highly recommend it.
I thought because yesterday was Election day that I would not have any more telephone calls - BOY was I wrong!!!
No sooner than I sat down to eat my dinner than the telephone started ringing. I would get up and select the "hang up" button so that it would go to the answering machine, put the phone back in its cradle and then sit down again. Can I tell you that I did this at least 6 times before I took the phone with me and put it on the couch so I would not have to get up any longer.
I so wanted to answer the call and "rant and rave" at the person on the other end except that it is a recording and there would be no satisfaction in that.
Generally things like that do not get me upset; but, it took me over 2 hours to get home last night because there was an accident just as you got off the Cross County Parkway and went to get on the Bronx River and Sprain Parkways.
Aren't there nights when you get home from work and want to be left alone? That was me last night!!!
I am so happy that today is Election Day - the end of tiresome campaign calls.
I must receive 3 to 4 calls each day with many of them at the dinner time hour having to do with who to vote for whether it is for Mayor, County Clerk or any other variety of official positions.
Let's talk about the campaign mailings in my mailbox or between my storm door. Or how on a Sunday afternoon as I was trying to do some work and watch the football games they came to my door to introduce themselves.
It is Election Day - I will go vote for the candidate and be thankful that I will not have any more telephone calls.
For the last several months I have been trying to figure out what I did with a set of rings - I had resigned myself to having lost them.
I was quite bereft about it as they were a favorite of mine; bought at a store named Bloom on Madison Avenue that no longer exists. I loved the ring so much that on several occasions the stone had come out of the setting and I would take it back to be re-set - each time it would have to be shipped to Japan. The last time the stone came out of the setting I took it to my regular jeweler to reset and it has never come out of its setting again.
I had gone through all of my jewelry and had resigned myself to it being lost - can you imagine my surprise when on Saturday night as I was pressing a jacket that I have not worn since March I found the rings in the pocket.
I was astonished - I certainly do not remember putting them in my pocket; but, I could understand why I would do so. I have a tendency to take off my rings when I wash my hands - as a child I was allergic to water (yes, I know how strange that sounds) and the skin would peel off my fingers. Nowadays I make sure that I do not have anything on my fingers when I wash my hands so that I can dry them thoroughly. I must have been in a public place and put my rings in my pocket.
It only goes to show that we should always check our pockets before putting things away!!!
I have a lot of work to do this weekend - and I am trying to get it done while also trying to relax.
It isn't my office work that I am working on; but, a lot of work for the Visual Communication Group. I need to write a piece for the new Forum we launched, I need to review three different presentation styles and make a recommendation on which one we should use and I need to put together a presentation that others can reference for the VC DireXions Summit.
My thoughts are how to divvy up this work in the two days. Well, I completed the Forum piece yesterday and my thoughts were to review and edit the presentation formats while I watch football this afternoon.
I already have in my head the reference presentation so it shouldn't take me too long to complete. At least that is what I am telling myself.
I am hoping this does not become habitual - it's just that we have a lot of work to do between now and the Summit at the end of January.
Tonight we change our clocks and gain an hour - most of us will look to get that extra hour in sleep.
I always think of this time of year as ambiguous; I like the fall backwards because I no longer will be driving to work in the dark. The other side of that is that it is depressing to see the darkness descend on us by 5PM.
I am one of those individuals who likes brightness and light - I don't suffer from light depravation - it is just that I do not care for the darkness and I do not like walking into a dark home.
Throughout my home I have nightlights - every room, every bathroom has a nightlight. I am sure that I am not the only one who feels this way. Although there are folks who cannot sleep unless it is completely dark - I am the opposite, I will wake up if it is completely dark or quiet.
I guess we each have our idiosyncrasies. Don't forget to change your clocks; and at the same time the batteries on your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide equipment.
Life is becoming busier and more complicated daily - I feel, let's say I know I am not taking a moment to smell the roses.
I know that it gets difficult at this time of year to balance everything work, family and time alone. I am beginning to feel the "crunch" and the list of things to do is becoming longer and longer every day.
If you are like me, it is difficult to turn your mind off - it always seems to be thinking, planning and listing. I find myself writing messages, designing presentations in my head while showering or driving to the office. I would much rather focus on getting all the soap off me or looking at the scenery.
It is the goal to appreciate something each day, to enjoy it - to smell it.
