Reach out & other December Happenings

Grand Austin:  I like the lights of a
Christmas tree.  Can't wait for gifts.
And family time because that's also
 Christmas stuff.

* Tues 1st - 37 degrees when took Rose out 1st thing, felt warm, the calm before the wind advisory & snow flurries, started reading the book Reach Out Gather In by Karen Ehman - 40 days to opening your heart & home, off work, had well woman exam, glad that's over, need to schedule a mammogram & colonoscopy, put up mini Christmas tree & made a candle arrangement, tried a new recipe in the crockpot, my version was apple blackberry tenderloin, didn't have blackberry jam or wine so used apple jelly & water.

Hello there Adventurous Friends, greetings from South Dakota.  How you doing?  I've talked with Daughter about summer visits & we made a few plans.  That's given me something to look forward to during the long nights of winter we're having.

I listened to Christmas music & watched Christmas movies just about everyday this month.  I asked some in the family what they liked about Christmas or to tell about a good Christmas memory that I could share here with us all.

This is my December happenings, writing a little something about each day in a long drawn out sentence or 2. Here is highlights of others I've linked up with.

We've had mild weather winter wise so far & didn't have a white Christmas this year at our house, though we took a ride in the side by side & found snow.  

Grands at Dollywood Christmas Festival.

* Wed 2nd - Change in work schedule, worked the 4 hour office, an hour added for deep cleaning, employee in that office tested for Covid, read the newspaper, leftovers for supper, set out manger scene, got out the wooden nesting Santa dolls & several more things, got a call from clinic to discuss labs, cholesterol up so got to eat healthier to get that down, waiting for the last box of Christmas presents to be delivered that is delayed & still in transit to Daughter, worked several pieces of puzzle, started watching a new series - Dolly Parton's Heartstrings.   

I've collected a few Santa's over the years.

* Thurs 3rd - Pizza & coke for supper, Doc said not to deprive myself, need to eat smaller portions, less sweets & move more, pay bills-groceries-errands, full day of work, got in my 15 minutes of sunshine & fresh air walking with Rose during lunch break, put Christmas candles in windows.

A new Christmas movie.

* Fri 4th - Kevin off work, he was up & out early on a hunting adventure, gave me time for catching up on a little extra blog reading before getting to my morning routine, made meatballs for lunch sandwiches before heading to work, got in a sunshine walk with Rose during lunch break, Daughter got all my Christmas boxes, no Covid for employee. 

A Christmas memory from my Moma: I have so many Christmas 

memories of when all the kids were little waiting for Santa then the

 grand kids came along and added more fun and then the great  

grand kids even more.  The time Austin saw a Barbie doll on tv 

and ask me if I like it.  Then when we had our dinner he came 

running in and said Granny I got you something to play with and

it is a Barbie doll before I could open it.  That was just one of many

memories I have shared with the great grands.

* Sat 5th - Lazy morning sipping coffee & blogging, messaged with Grands, walked to work, candlelight lunch with Kevin, watched one of my favorite Christmas movies The Holiday, had popcorn with a  several packs of fun size M&Ms & spiced apple cider.

* Sun 6th - Temperature reached 60s, took a ride in the side by side & had a picnic.

Fresh Christmas trees available.
Cut your own on Forest Service land.

We're always on the lookout for the
perfect Christmas tree that we
don't cut down.

* Mon 7th -  Read Kristen's fried cornmeal mush recipe, shared it with coworkers & Daughter, Son-in-Law likes making different things on their Blackstone, worked on My Winter Bucket List, cleaned living room, busy day at work, went to Lions club meeting canceled, club members & their families enduring Covid, 20 active cases in county, had 1st Covid related death, small community where everybody knows everybody, got fruit box that had been ordered from school, finished jigsaw puzzle.

Happy Birthday to Grand McClain.

 * Tues 8th - Worked the 2 hour office, did the regular Covid cleaning - wipe every surface with Clorox water, read & rested, fixed shake & bake pork chops for supper, watched tv.

Grand McClain:  I like the presents
that I get ever year.

* Wed 9th - Facetimed with Moma, the nativity scene was set up in the campground near the 2 hour office,  read the newspaper - good turnout to the youth gingerbread house & wreath making craft day, SD adopted new Covid quarantine guidelines, a person who tests negative at least 5 days after exposure can end their quarantine after 1 week.

The ones that set this up, call it hanging the angel.
It takes several people to put the angel up there.

* Thurs 10th - Date night, Kevin got a pizza & cooked it while I finished up at work, went to the town Christmas tree lighting, got there a little late, the tree lights were already on & most everybody was gone, voted for my favorite decorations, rode around town looking at lights while eating pizza.  

A picture you probably had rather
 not see of me modeling the robe
 I got from my Moma.  It's so soft.

* Fri 11th - A foggy morning driving to work, got a Christmas box from my Moma, went to Merry Prairie Christmas Vendor Fair, got a t-shirt & peanut butter balls, ate some potato soup & talked with friends.

* Sat 12th - Tried a new recipe using cinnamon rolls. 

Cinnamon rolls on sale at
the grocery store. Cut
rolls into 1/4s.

Mix cinnamon roll pieces
with apple pie filling & 1/2
cup pecan pieces.  Bake at
350 for 45 minutes. Put icing
 on top when done.

Kevin made his version
of apple pie filling using
apples from school
fundraiser.

 

* Sun 13th - Got a dusting of snow overnight, Kevin made our Sunday snow day chocolate gravy & biscuits for breakfast, too cold & windy to take a ride in the side by side, stayed in my new soft comfy robe till I realized I was sweating, got caught up/ahead on some things around in the house, folded laundry & put it away, bagged up shredded cheddar cheese & put in the freezer that was needing to be done, vacuumed, caught up on blog reading, got Christmas cards ready to mail, watched several Christmas movies from my dvd/vhs collection - Fred Claus & Little House on the Prairie. 

* Mon 14th - Hectic day at work, worked the 2 hour office then helped the main office get caught up, got in my daily sunshine walk with Rose even though it felt a little freezing cold, cooked frozen pizza for supper then Christmas movie watching - Unaccompanied Minors, played several rounds of fetch with Rose.

Rose: I dare you to take my toy but
please get it then throw it far
away so I can run after it
then bring it back then let's
do it again, Pleasssse.

* Tues 15th - Reached out to the Plain & Simple Recipe... Facebook group asking about freezing 2 containers of unopened sour cream, results were to turn the container upside down & put in freezer so that's what I did,  walked to work for the 1st part then drove back after lunch so I wouldn't have to walk home in the dark, watched some Christmas classics - Rudolph the Red-Noised Reindeer & Santa Claus is Comin to Town.

 

Grand Chandler:  I like the fireplace
with the stockings over it because it
reminds me of a cozy and warm
environment in the cold and
firdget times.

* Wed 16th - Early start to work, got in sunshine walk during lunch, busy long day, tired, read the newspaper, community church has a new pastor, moved from Texas along with wife & daughter,  SD front-line health care workers get vaccinated against Covid.  

Rose, what do you think about Christmas & 

all of us getting vaccinated against Covid: 

* Thurs 17th -  Signed up to participate in the January Uber Frugal Month Challenge, worked the 2 hour office, put gas in my car, got groceries & toured the Parade of Trees at the courthouse. 

* Fri 17th - Full day of work, drove home very slow looking at the Christmas lights, frozen Banquet meal of pizza & macaroni & cheese for supper, used to call those tv dinners when they came in foil to be cooked in the oven, watched Christmas Lodge.

Grand's gingerbread, graham crackers, pop tarts
 candy house creations.

* Sat 19th - Messaged with Daughter about Grand's summer visits, busy hectic several hours at work, rested, went to Lions bingo.

Grand Colton:  I got this for myself but I like the snow a lot.

* Sun 20th - Kevin had got a gift card for Red Lobster, it was too windy to go for a ride in the side by side so we went to the Big City, went to the new Fleet Farm store, saw lots of Christmas lights on the ride back home.

Made several meals out of this.

Look who we saw at Fleet Farm.

* Mon 21st - The wind took down several of the town's Christmas ornaments from their poles, the electric company put them back up & maybe changed some of the bulbs, it was too cloudy to see any glimpse of the Christmas star at our place.

Bells, candles & trees.

* Tues 22nd - Worked the 2 hour office, weather unbelievable nice for Dec in the 60s, took Rose for a walk around several town blocks, we usually walk in the backyard, watched Miracle on 34th Street, sipped spiced apple cider & ate an apple fritter.

Sister Sharon:  Going to look at Christmas lights when we
were girls!  You and Moma in the front and me in the back
seat!  Trying to find houses with the best lights!!  Thats
a great memory and I still enjoy that today!

* Wed 23rd - Woke up to a dusting of snow, the wind howled all morning, facetimed with Moma, she & Sister were headed out to do last minute Christmas shopping & getting ready to have Christmas with her Grands & Great-Grands on Saturday & Sunday, 2 days of Christmas to spread out the number of people gathered, Daughter had my Christmas party & opened presents, Kevin had brought home apples so we made a crockpot of apple butter, a friend brought over a container of yummy Christmas sweets.

Daughter Kasey making new memories this Christmas:  There did end up being a completely uncalled for physical altercation over one of the games between (the 2 youngest boys with the oldest egging it on).  Also we had a small house fire from wrapping paper getting in a candle.  But from the pictures and videos you would never know any of this! 🤣🤣🤣

Me:  Sounds like a very competitive game (involving a gingerbread cookie). Glad my presents were so good this year, they were on fire...LOL!!! 😍

* Thurs 24th - Slept in a little, Kevin off work, a later start time for me, worked several hours, rested & read, watched A Christmas Carol, got a plate of yummy sweets left by an unknown giver, later found out who it was, blessed with thoughtful friends.

Me:  I remember going to my Granny & Paw's house on
Christmas Eve when I was little, riding up the hill to their
house with so much anticipation of the presents Sister & I
were going to get, 1st thing to see was the huge Santa in
the picture window, years later I saw Santa at Walmart &
got him to put in my window for all to see, though he looked
so much bigger way back when I was little.

* Fri 25th - Merry Christmas, facetimed with Daughter & Grands, went for a ride in the side by side, did some walking & had a Christmas snack feast picnic, saw lots of animal tracks in the snow, felt like Sunday all day, finally got around to reading the newspaper, read the Christmas story in the Bible, Luke chapter 2.

* Sat 26th - Worked the 2 hour office, helped in the main office, rested & read, nibbled gobbled Christmas sweets, watched a couple of my favorite Christmas movies on dvd one more time before putting them away for a year - A Christmas to Remember & The Holiday.

There are a few broken pieces where the Grands & I
have played & told the Christmas story though the years.

* Sun 27th -  Snow flurried for a while, recycled Christmas cards for Grands to stencil & stamp on when they visit, carried some Christmas decorations downstairs to be put away later, shopped online for sales for next year's Christmas presents, started a 500 piece puzzle - Building a Snowman on a Snow Day, built an Oreo cookie house.

My Oreo cookie house creation
complete with a snowman.  The
chimney broke, so I ate it.

* Mon 28th - Bought plane ticket for the oldest Grand to come visit in May, got Christmas box from Daughter with homemade Christmas sweets & letters from the youngest Grands, the older Grands have phones, we text regularly. 

-

I got Grand this growth chart for Christmas
as he requested.  He wants to get to the 6.

* Tues 29th - Cleaned in the kitchen & living room, vacuumed, later start time to work, worked rest of the day, got in my daily sunshine walking to work & during lunch break walking with Rose, leftover ham salad for supper, watched shows on Netflix - Gilmore Girls, Private Practice.

* Wed 30th - Cleaned in the bedroom, changed the sheets & dusted, did a couple loads of laundry & hung on the clothesline in basement to dry, later start time to work, worked rest of the day, got groceries & gas in car & did sunshine walk during lunch break, drove home really slow looking at the Christmas lights, read the newspaper - Outdoor recreation in SD sees big boost during pandemic, Courthouse Parade of Trees light up the season, started watching The Queen's Gambit. 

Cute & yummy snacks from the bank during the Christmas season
while at work. The cider was very delicious.

* Thurs 31st - Caught up on home office stuff, opened mail, paid bills, balanced books to $0 balance, remaining dollars & cents transfers to savings, fireworks heard in town about 9 pm, all was quite at 4 minutes till 12 when I turned off the tv & the lights, good-by 2020.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Pandemic Style

These are some of the things that's been going on in my neck of the woods, how about you?