Thanksgiving may be over but I’m still thankful… about almost everything except my mobile phone coverage. AT&T is NOT barndo friendly. At least not in the Ville — that’s for sure. I miss calls frequently and drop those I actually receive.
Text messages aren’t any better.
Katie sent a text asking if I was home and I received it around 12-hours later. I think I only got it then because she sent another text and they came through together. I think I’ll try T-Mobile and see what happens. Katie has Straight Talk and she doesn’t have bars when she’s here either.
We only dance at night.
I shared a photo of the Christmas tree at night and invited you to the dance party — light reflections everywhere. During the daylight, it looks pretty normal. LED lights are bright, you guys.
It’s starting to look a little like Christmas outside around here too…
I only hope Santa doesn’t need to call or text me before Christmas. 😉
Or at least I hope he gives me time to switch carriers. I feel isolated without a phone that works like it’s supposed to. For the record, turning on wifi calling doesn’t help one little bit even though I have blazing fast internet connectivity.
TIL (Today I Learned): The term “Gaslighting” actually came from a movie of the same name where the husband tricks the wife into thinking she’s mentally unwell so he can steal from her.
I started decorating for Christmas in the dining room. The main entrance from outside is that room and it’s the first place people see. (If you’re not a good friend or family, you’ll never even know there’s a room with no walls.)
But instead of looking festive, it looks like we’re ready for a dance party.
Good thing those lights don’t flash or we’d have people dropping like flies with epileptic seizures. Who knows… maybe it would cause the same reaction in dogs. Or worse!
What about decorating upstairs and outside?
Upstairs needs trim and door knobs before worrying about Christmas décor, but I think I’ll do a few lights outside. Maybe I’ll even hang something off the back deck that can be seen from US 31. There’s a grapevine hanging from a tree near the edge of the yard, and if I get really ambitious I’ll pull it down and make a wreath to light up.
If the Pesky’s decorate like last year, I’ll have to get motivated. Can’t let their place be lit more than mine. Over the years I’ve collected boxes and boxes of Christmas stuff that I can’t stand to part with but it’s so trashy I can’t display it either. (You too?) But hey… if there’s a competition, who knows what I’ll roll with. 😉
TIL (Today I Learned): The Wright Brothers were perpetual bachelors. Orville Wright disowned sister Katherine after she married and had a family of her own, feeling he had been “betrayed”.
Today is the day I’m going to ask Perry to haul out all the Christmas stuff. I’m already late decorating as evidenced by yesterday’s Facebook memory.
The photo above was taken BEFORE I painted the brick fireplace. Of course, fast forward 5-years and my wood floors are concrete… and the room we spend the most time in doesn’t have walls. Christmas is coming and I’m decorating for it — walls or no walls. I need help with the chore and Perry is so much easier than Ben when it comes to getting things done.
But don’t tell him what’s in store or he’ll claim he’s sick or busy or something he thinks will be convincing.
A gathering spot for the Christmas tree here isn’t ideal this year:
The dining room is big enough for everyone and seating isn’t a problem for our small family, but it’s uncomfortable seating.
There’s a nice living room space upstairs but that isn’t ideal with Mom. She can do it no problem on some days… not so much on others.
The biggest room where we spend most of our time has no walls. Just imagine holiday photos in there. That’s a big NOPE.
Not sure if Scott and Tammy will be here this year, but Ben’s house in an option.
It won’t look anything like year’s past…
20202021
But good ole’ Perry isn’t getting out of work today because I’m decorating for Christmas no matter what! 🎄
TIL (Today I Learned): Hong Kong digs up the dead after 6 years for cremation due to lack of space.
We took down all the outside Christmas lights yesterday IN THE RAIN. At 52°F, even with rain it wasn’t awful — especially considering today’s forecasted temperatures are supposed to drop. INDOT has a warning out for slick spots and the low is supposed to be a whopping 24°F.
The Christmas tree is down and packed away too, waiting for next year. The living room looks so dark and empty.
I’ll admit, it’s sort of depressing. Vacation is over. Christmas is over.
I’ll clean house this afternoon and then it’s back to the same old same old on Monday. I shouldn’t complain… at least we have work again. And, it’s not like I didn’t have enough time off when things were slow. I’m grateful — just a bit sad.
Coco is off from school until the 11th — a crazy long vacation — and I wonder if our schools will reopen as normal. Libraries throughout the county are closed as we’re back in the red. It seems like half the people I know have COVID.
TIL (Today I Learned): Brian Wilson, a co-founder of The Beach Boys, was kicked out of the band in 1982 after his weight ballooned to over 300 pounds.
I tried to talk Ben & Coco into letting me get Mom’s favorite for dinner… KFC. They were having NONE of that and insisted that I make chicken alfredo. It’s one thing I’ve yet to fail at in the kitchen.
Of course, with the butter and heavy cream it’s a tad fattening. We were all much skinnier before eating and before posing for a holiday photo.
I’m so out of shape that if somebody yells, “RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!”… I’ll be like, “you guys go on ahead. I’m going to meet Jesus.”
We had a fabulous time — even the Peskie’s enjoyed themselves. Besides all the great gifts, Coco even liked her Haunted Mansion jacket I bought while at the park when she wasn’t looking. 🙂
Today, I take down the lights from outside (before we get rain… before it gets cold over the weekend… and before we have snow). Tomorrow, when Perry has a chance to get in the attic for my boxes, I’ll get the inside of the house back to normal.
Tonight… we have tacos incoming to celebrate the new year. Happy New Year to y’all — much wealth, health and happiness in 2022. ❤️
