RH (retired husband) remarked this morning that our first two weeks of November weather have been better than the entire month of October.  He's right.  We have had warmer temperatures, sunny days and overall; it has been a pleasant 2 weeks.  RH is finally getting ahead of the leaves falling.  He has raked and used the blower on the leaves nearly every day and also mulched many piles.  There are not too many leaves left on the trees and even the neighbors have done their part so we don't get their leaves in our yard as often.  RH said he is ready for the snow if only to cover up the rest of the leaves.  Oh, did I mention, he is outside AGAIN blowing the leaves out of the flower beds and the front yard.  Yes, he is.

Speaking of two weeks in November...I have been back on Face Book since the first of the month.  I cut way down on the numbers of games I play but still find I spend hours on the computer.  I have decide not to bake any more sweets in Yoville or plant any more crops in Farmville and Farm Town and to leave my island unplanted. And my restaurant in Cafe World will be closed this weekend.   In other words, I am putting myself in another time-out. 

It has been apparent to me that this year, I am going to be hosting more holiday gatherings than usual.  Years ago when we first got married, we couldn't wait to have the annual Christmas gathering at our home.  It made us feel so grownup and we even got both sides of our families together for a few years.  Then another member of RH's family got married and they wanted to have Thanksgiving at their home.  It was so nice to have someone else doing Thanksgiving.  We had Christmas Eve at our home.  But a couple of years ago, that other family member just stopped inviting everyone to their home.  So, we picked up the slack and had Thanksgiving here at our house.  Everyone brings food and shares.  As our children have grown up and gotten married...the little groups have branched off.  All of them share the holidays with their new in-laws and many of them have moved away too.   Sometimes other siblings come back to Indiana and spend one of the holidays with us.  There are still 3 brothers in RH's family in this area plus a cousin and her husband, our son and his family so it can add up to a large group.

For the past few years, we have had a cousin and her husband, our son and his wife and her two daughters and ourselves for Christmas Day at our home too. 

This year we are doing Thanksgiving  ( 1) for a small group of 7; 

Christmas Eve  (2)  for anyone who wants to attend which could potentially mean 8 more in addition to the 7 we know about.

Christmas Day  ( 3) for at least 7 people.

Now, it appears we are also hosting New Year's Eve  (4) for about 8 people. 

I can't tell you how excited I am.....No....really....excitement is not the word....oh Jeebus!

I don't love cooking that much.  I don't like worrying that my house is not clean enough.  I don't like worrying if I made enough food,

will it taste good?..

will it be hot enough?...

 will the planned meal come together?...

 will they eat it?, 

 Should I stick to a menu I know or try something new? 

 And what a mess to clean up when they all go home.  I remember years when we had 25 people and how exhausted I was.  It didn't make the holidays fun for me at all.

It is much better now that I am retired.  But still.....I wish the family gatherings were big enough that other members would take over.  I do share Thanksgiving now with another of RH's brothers and his wife.  This year they are spending time with her family...as they should.  We are all getting older now, we are all retired now...we are all tired now.... LOL.

RH thinks it is just a matter of cleaning the house and preparing the food.  He just doesn't understand the emotional pressure I feel to make sure it turns out the way I feel it should.

It always reminds me of the following ....

Martha Stewart's Christmas Letter to Erma Bombeck

***

Happy Holiday Planning.....

Currently Reunion: A Novel By Therese Fowler see related

Are you watching the dance shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars?  I have watched both programs since they first started.  I have to say I am really tired of Dancing With....  They drag on the second show of the week for so long, with that stupid music.... when they eliminate the contestants...  I read a book or magazine during the show.  While I do enjoy most of the singers they have on as extra entertainment on the Tuesday elimination show; I do get tired of seeing professional dancers prancing around the stage while the singer is performing.  Most of the time, I just want to watch and listen to the singer.  And how many times can the dancers do basically the same steps as they interpret the song?   I do enjoy most of the actual competition dancing. 

 I am seriously rooting for Kelly Osbourne even though I know she is not the best dancer this season. 

 And excuse me, but I am really tired of Donny Osmond and his sister, Marie, talking on all the TV shows about their opinions of the other dancers.....Actually I am really tired of the Osmonds period...the end...time to go...it's over....  (and please don't send me hateful comments about my opinion of the Osmonds either!)  I loved to watch the Donny and Marie show years ago but I am just tired of hearing about them.

I do like So You Think....., I enjoy the young dancers and how hard they work.  I often wonder why they are criticized about the costumes or the choreography since they have nothing to do with that.  Usually there is at least one dance that brings me to tears each season.   Last season it was the dance about breast cancer survivors.

RH (retired husband) and I signed up for Medicare for 2010.  RH had to change his Medicare Supplement policy to another.  I will be eligible by next month and signed up by next week for 2010.  The policies are changing due to the economy but we found one that will be about $21 a month for each of us and has prescription, dental and vision coverage too.  It all helps.  For 2010, we decided it was better to pay for coverages we want and have some co-pays than to take Medicare with its own supplements direct and pay more per month..(.about $125 to $150 each) and have no co-pays.  Fortunately, we are allowed to reassign our choice of company every November for the following year.  With the way the government is moving with the economy and the health care programs; there is no telling what will happen after next year.

I had a strange experience yesterday.  We were having lunch with a friend.  I ordered an egg salad sandwich and after about 2 bites, I felt a tingling in my left upper jaw and then behind my left ear.  I touched my neck behind my left ear and it was swelling up.  I had been sneezing off and on for a few days and felt sinus pressure in my upper teeth so I think it was a sinus related reaction.  The swelling behind my ear went down after about an hour.  Then last night, I ate a brownie and it swelled up again and this time; it was more swollen and more uncomfortable.  I didn't eat anything else except some yogurt and a bagel about 2 hours later.  It swelled up again.  I took an Aleve because the sinus pressure was more noticeable in my upper jawline on both sides and it went down again. 

Today, it is not swollen but there is some tenderness to the touch.  I haven't eaten anything yet today because my stomach is a bit queasy.  I am wondering if I am getting a sinus infection?  My teeth are still uncomfortable too.  I didn't eat anything out of the ordinary yesterday except for the egg salad.  I can't imagine anything that could have been in the egg salad to cause a reaction.  Any ideas, anyone?  I have googled the symptoms and it appears to fit the sinus theory.  I will pay attention to this for a couple more days before I contact the doctor. 

Before, when I have noticed the teeth discomfort, I asked my dentist to check.  He said I was fine and that the sinuses can cause the teeth to ache when the sinuses are swelling.  Right now, I can feel my cheekbones and upper teeth tingling which is the reason I am sure it is related to sinuses.

I've been back on Face Book for about 11 days and I am bored with it.  I have cut down on many of the games and still find I don't care that much about Yoville and Farmville and the others.  Hopefully by the end of this month, I will be done with it.  I just don't see the point any longer in working so hard to get to the next level.   You don't really get anywhere.  .  I have enough yocoins to buy a house and I don't really care.  I have enough Farmville coins to buy a real house and I don't care.  I may just sell off all the animals and crops and just watch the fruit trees come in and enjoy the various colors and leave it at that....or....not! 

I am reading another book.  REUNION, by Therese Fowler.  This is a lighter read....about a woman who is successful in television, with a secret past, and she is now in Florida and planning to buy a little cottage.  I am sure she is going to meet a wonderful man and somehow her secret past will come out to cause trouble before the happy ending.  I'm planning on going to the library next Monday so I need to get back to reading my current library books.

And along those lines, do any of you watch Brothers and Sisters?  I like that show but.....I see once again that the young lovers are not telling each other the truth .... so they will get all upset with each other before the planned wedding takes place in a few weeks.  Hey, I know, everyone has moments when they think they are being kind to their loved ones when they don't tell the truth or keep a secret...but this couple's relationship has been this way all along the story line.  They constantly decide on their own that not telling the other one involved about a serious situation or their true feelings is the kindest thing to do.  Then, of course, there are misunderstandings and they fight and fall apart and then get back together.  I think it is time for them to grow up and communicate.

Of course, I have a lot of room to talk.  I keep things to myself too.  Communication seems to have become more difficult for me lately.  I don't know why but I feel like I withdraw more than I used to.  Could it be that being retired has made it easier for me to avoid the real world?   I know I don't go out and do much anymore.  I tell myself I am saving money, saving gas, being independent but when it is too much?  This is another reason why Face Book is a problem for me...it makes it so easy to be alone and not communicate in the 3D world.

Thoughts to ponder....

Well, kids, I just finished this book.  I loved it.  It had humor, history, love, respect, anger, sorrow, lots of sorrow, stories, culture, problems, mystery and even a page where I gasped out loud.  I thought I had read other books by author, Pat Conroy, but I haven't  But I will...so yes...I will.

I watched a short video about Pat Conroy.  He said it took him 5 years to get this book to the publisher.  He said his family and friends often wonder if they will be part of the story or take the shape of one of his characters.

He writes in long hand.  Yes, that is correct....he writes his book in long hand, then sends it to a typist and then to his agent and on to the editor.  He said it is not unusual for the editor to cut 500 pages the first time around.  He said he knows he could write much more quickly if he typed his manuscript but he enjoys writing at least 5 pages a day in long hand.  It works for him...and it certainly worked for me.

Do yourself a favor.  If you like reading about the South, if you love multiple characters who really become like your own friends as you read about their lives and why they do what they do (note..yes, I am speaking as if they are real!) then get this book.

The story begins in 1969 when the main character, Leo, is instructed by his mother to meet twins who have just moved in across the street, and also meet two orphans who will be attending his school and also meet the new black football coach and his son.  Their friendships endure for over 20 years along with 3 other school friends who are included in this story of people who care about each other. 

Pat Conroy is obviously a man who loves Charleston, South Carolina.  You will soon love it too and want to visit it to see South of Broad...which is described as the most beautiful place on earth. 

Currently South of Broad By Pat Conroy see related

Well, kids, I have been back on Facebook since Nov. 1st.  I don't play as many of the applications as I did before but I do find that I still spend a lot of time on Facebook.  I think I am finally getting the crops and sweets and cafe dining down to a manageable time period.  I still get caught up in Bejeweled Bliz and Jungle Jewels.  I keep telling myself it is good mental exercise to play those two games.  But, when I get notices from Facebook that I have played xx games straight and need to stop and rest my eyes.....that should be a clue!  And seeing colored "jewels" and symbols when I close my eyes should send me a clear message too!

RH (retired husband) has kept himself extremely busy this week.  He has been "herding" all the wild leaves in the front yard to the curb line.  Thankfully the Street Dept. has gathered them up before they got out and ran all over the front yard again.  He also has cleaned out the gutters and mulched a lot of grass and leaves in the back yard too.  We've watched the squirrel eying the bird feeders but so far he hasn't figured out a new way to get up there.

I cleaned out the bathroom cabinets on Monday and threw out a big bag of old medicines and cosmetics that we will never use.  I also cleaned out the shelves next to the living room television so the gobs of dust won't get all over the room.  It's amazing how much dust get attracted to that area.  I suppose it is because of the electronics there that draw the dust.  RH also changed all the clocks when the time changed on Sunday.  We went for so many years without having to do that chore that it seems even more of a nuisance now that our current governor made the decision that Indiana needs to be on the same time as New York???!!!.  And to make matters worse, our governor decided to change the dates of the time change so our automatic clocks and watches that would change the time for us do it a week too early, according to our governor,  so we have to change everything twice each time within a few days...Arrgh! 

I guess if we were wiser, we would just leave the clocks that changed on the national time line alone and just try to remember that it's off by an hour for that week or so......hmmm.  Maybe we can try that next Spring.

We had a late lunch with another couple this week.  We haven't seen each other for a few weeks and we spend over 3 -1/2 hours talking at the restaurant.  We had a very good time catching up with them and I think they enjoyed themselves as well.  We plan to meet again in about 2 weeks to talk some more.

Next week RH and I have an appointment with our insurance agent about deciding on Medicare plans.  I will turn 65 in the middle of December and RH's plan that he chose in August will not be available in 2010.  It's time to bite the bullet and see what we can afford and will serve us best.  It will be a relief to have that decision made.

Can you believe that BLACK FRIDAY is only 3 weeks away?

This is one occasion that I stay at home.  And of course, Black Friday means that Thanksgiving is only 20 days away too.  I love to eat leftovers, especially from holiday meals so I guess I will be cooking again this year.

I got notice that my books have been checked out for 3 weeks already.  I had to renew them as I haven't finished enough of them to make a trip back to the library worth the cost of the gas.....

Hope your day goes quickly and goes well and that you have a wonderful Autumn weekend.

EDIT TO #9......A waterbed is very warm and therefore, stick-i-ness is quicker....and even more adhesive.   And, I must say this was tested out several years ago.....I LEARNED MY LESSON WELL.

(Oh YES, you do!!!!!)

Random thoughts circling through my head this morning....

1. If you have those plastic bags with zippers that some sheets and comforters and blankets come in...they are excellent for travel.  The smaller bags fit in a purse for your cosmetics and medications and are easily removed for inspection at the security gate.  They are very strong and nothing leaks out of them either.  The larger ones can be used for dirty clothes so the rest of your clothing doesn't get smelly too.

2. Why is it when I write down a list of important thoughts, I always throw it away by mistake before I use it?

3. How did I manage to travel with 6 books to read...read only two of them, leave one behind for my hostess to read and come home with 11 books?

4. Why does breakfast at a restaurant taste so much better then at home where you have to cook it yourself?

5. Just how many red plants are there in San Diego to make the choice of picking just one for a photo scavenger hunt so much more difficult?

6. How long does a temporary tattoo last?  I have one that is now 10 days old and now looks like a large bruise on my arm.  And why did one little trick or treater beg me for a transferable tattoo last night?

7. Why do the little trick or treaters look so cute that you want to have another child just to dress them up?

8. How many times can the same commercial be run in a row during an 1 hour program before it makes me sick?

9. Don't ever put self-stick bows on delicate lady parts if you sleep in a water bed.  Take it from me, the fun factor for your husband is outweighed by the pain of pulling off those bows.

10. Why do people traveling on a very small airplane think they can take all the time in the world arranging their carry-on in the overhead storage and blocking the aisle when there are #%*&# other passengers trying to get to their seats before the plane takes off?

11. How is it possible that clothing is sold in mass quantities of the same design and you seldom see another person wearing the same outfit as you are wearing?

12. Why does one of my cats use her paw to check the water in the bowl and take one piece of dry food out of the dish at a time, drop it on the carpet and then eat it?

13. Why do cats run ahead of you as you walk and then just lie down in front of you so you have to stop?

14. How does the local newspaper, with all its technology still manage to make so many errors and print the same story more than once in the paper? 

15. Why can't I find that list of important random thoughts now?  I know I had many more good thoughts to share.