It is soo hard to believe that another year is about to pass us by. I mean think about it didn't this year just start!!!! Right now it's about 2:30 here in Ohio and still a few hours left in this gloomy drizzly day.Are you one of those millions of people who make resolutions or are you like me?? I'm the type who says whatever comes comes and whatever I do I do. This way I won't think of myself as a failure and no one can accuse me of not holding on to my promises. I guess you might call that a cowards way out but hey it's good for the self esteem.!!Thinking back on this year it's been another rough one, I lost an uncle back in Feb (he had cancer but at least didn't suffer long as some have), Hubby was off work too much and then we had to up and move earlier this month. Finances have taken a major hit and there have been times I had to decide do we eat or pay bills? But even with all the ups and downs i am very thankful that I still have my health ( I might ache like a dying horse but at least I can still walk and breathe on my own.) and hubby still has his job. We have a much nicer place to live and our car is still running well. I remember one sermon where our pastor preached about not looking at what you don't have but rather be thankful for what you do have and it will make the nots a little less painful. How very true this is but in todays society all we can dwell on in what we don't have. We are a people who must have more more more and we are never satisfied with the things God has given us. I'm guilty as charged in that area so if I have to make one resolution this year it is to stop with the give more and start to appreciate what I have allready been given. It's not an easy thing to do and I'm sure it won't take place over night but with God's help and a little less cowardliness on my behalf I think I will make it. No let me restate that and say I WILL MAKE IT.So to all of you I say Happy New Year and try not to make too many resolutions !!! But good luck with the ones you do make , hope you can pull them all off.
I know it's only the 23rd but if I don't get this out now I know me I never will!!!!Tonight we will be going to MIL's for dinner and the likes. The grandkids like going to Granny's as they know she always tries to buy them each something--how she keeps doing it is beyond me especially with 7 grands and 10 great grands but this woman saves up all year just for this one day. Normally we give in return but this year with the move and the likes we are lucky to keep a roof over our heads and she understands. It's about family and being together anyhow so I don't dwell on the material side of Christmas.Tomorrow I will be hosting a Christmas Eve cookie bake off with the grandkids. Cooking with kids is always fun and this is only the 2nd time in many years I've been able to do this. I make my own colored sugar and icing so there's always an array of messiness but thats what makes it fun. Plus this year I have a kitchen big enough to get everyone in at the same time so no taking turns and everyone can make a mess at the same time--Hoorray!! I must admit thought I did cheat a bit on the cookie dough because I bought the pre-made stuff for the sugar and gingerbread ones. I do plan to make my own dough for the Neapolitan (and I know thats a misspell!) ones. I will have to do that the first thing tomorrow morning so they will be ready by noon--yipes I had completely forgot that I told DD soooo early. Oh well I'll make it and if not we'll have what we have.Then on Christmas Day I will be cooking-so what else is new in that department. I was suppose to get Thanksgiving Day off and what do you think happen--yeah I had to cook and move. That was not fun at all. And to have all those people in a house filled with boxes--wonderful day. We will be having ham, green bean casserole ( made with my garden's beans-yummy), mashed potatoes and if I don't forget to buy them--gravy and rolls. With 9 or 10 mouths to feed this food won't last long. Oh we might have some left overs but we usually divvy them up for each family to take home and have a late night snack or the next's days dinner with. Also if I can find them in the freezer I do plan on making a cherry cobbler and apple pie. Cobbler I can do as it's a very simple thing but I'm not too sure about that apple pie thing as I usually buy mine pre-made ( Can you tell what kind of cook I am by now ????).We were suppose to have a white Christmas day but the forecast has since changed to a rainy day so Santa will need the row boat at least for the first half of the trip. Not sure what he will need to get home with.!!Now for the rest of the story involving the furnace. I went to the gas company that following Monday and they said it hadn't been fixed or the tag would have been removed. Our caretaker said it was fixed and provided papers to show it had. I haven't had any more issues since we removed the halogen bulb from the stairwell light so maybe just maybe that was where the actual problem was in the first place. I do keep several windows cracked just to be on the safe side. I have detectors in several rooms but one can never be too careful.Well as usual I have rattled on big time. I want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a bright New Year. May your week be filled with family and the love of Jesus. And if you don't have anyone to spend time with then drop me a comment and I will come visit with you.Hugs, Vicki
Well first off I need to say sorry for not being on lately but we had to up and move rather quickly and that hurt. We were just fine and dandy in our former house until the landlady's son started making threats to us and barged into our house, pushing my GD. Boy was I hopping mad but then law enforcement couldn't do anything much except give them a warning as they had witnesses saying that never happened. So we decided that we would just move and let them have their ole house. It didn't take long to find another place to live but money was a big issue. God worked that out so within a 2 week span we moved. And can you imagine the junk we had after being in the same place for 8 1/2 yrs!!!!Our new rental is an older type house. I want to say a brick colonial or victoria. Not bad but with noooo yard. It's also very cold upstairs as the current owners didn't see the need to put vents in the floors for heat. Anyhow it's managable and with a small heater it stays fair up here. When we moved in we looked the house over fairly well or so we thought. You know when you move into an older house you are looking at ther likelyhood of bad or older wiring so it's a risk you take in that area. You learn not to over load the plugs etc but you certainly don't expect your furnance to be wicked. This morning I was awaken to what smelled like wiring burning so I gave a yell upstairs to DD and GD and they were out of bed in a bound. I called the local police dept and ask for the non-emergency number to the FD but was advised to just call 911. So I did and I told the dispatcher not to send them down with all the bells and whistles and what do you think they did!!!! Came with sirens blaring to the top of all get out. That scared GD more than the thought of an actual fire. All she wanted was her Tinkerdollie but we told her to get out. I got the dog out and then went to the basement to see if anything was puffing down there. I couldn't see a thing. The firemen came in and checked the entire house over three or 4 times, they also checked my smoke detectors and then headed for the basement. Well lo and behold they found something mighty important. I was standing outside the door when one of them ask how long we had been in this house and I stated a bit over a week. He was holding a tag in his hand and ask the other fireman to make sure he was reading things right then he told me to have a look. I would like to say at this point I nearly fainted because right there attached to the main gas line on the furnance is a tag that clearly states this appliance is unsafe to operate. ( I took pictures and will post the tag next post). So now I have to play a waiting game. I will go Monday to the local gas company and see if they just failed to remove the tag or if we were hoodwinked so to speak. Because let me tell you this probably isn't going to end pretty if we find out they rented us this place knowing there was an unsafe furnance. It cost us every bit of $2000.00 to make this move and buddy I aim to make them pay me every penny back and then some if I have to move. I hope that doesn't sound too ugly but I have no other choice in the matter. What would any of you do in this case??Now if all that wasn't bad enough to fizzle ones nerves, just about an hour ago GD decided to burn babies hair off. She was hiding and we knew she was up to something and then when I saw baby I ask how she got burnt hair. It took us a bit to get the answer out of her and in the mean time we are smelling smoke again!!!!!! This one turned out to just be a case of sticking baby's hair on the halogen light in the hall way but it was puffing away when we finally found it!!!!! I removed the bulb in one quick hurry and GD got the lecture of a life time. I'm not sure it did an ounce of good as this child is one who tries the very being of a soul. She's just too inquizative and wants to see how things work. Well you know the type and if not I'll send her your way and let you find out!!!!!We did tell GD todays events were good practice for her but that she did a couple things very wrong and it could have cost her. First she came back into the house without being told it was ok then she ran upstairs and got her Tinkerbaby. I didn't even see her do either but then I was sooo frizzled I couldn't even remember the insurance companys name. Not sure if that comes from turning a year older or just being plain scared.Or maybe both!!!Well now that that very long post is out of the way let me tell you about a new forum I joined called Demin and Daisies (http://denimanddaisies.net/forum/) It also has a store which has some great digi kits in it so if you are looking for a new place to visit or buy why not try them. Right now,since things are just getting going, things are a bit quiet but once this place takes off it's going to be great.Okay I've rattled on long enough today. I was going to post my latest LO but realized I deleted the folder from my computer to free up space so that will have to wait as well. I must say goodbye for now but watch for me and as Paul Harvey use to say THE REST OF THE STORY!!!
