Yesterday afternoon, Fred and I spent a few hours putting up the Christmas dec's and the lights out front.  Our lights are a little on the skimpy side so we may have to amp it up in that department.  Fred says "no" but then he always says "no"--it doesn't matter what the question is--it's always a "no".  This is a l-o-n-g standing joke around our house and whenever the boys are here and he does it, we all just roll.

  With a roaring fire and Christmas music on, this was not exactly tough duty until the music got cheesy.  It subsequently got the hook.  We did have a few issues: a couple of ornaments hit the floor, the need for more extension cords presented itself, but nothing that a trip to CVS or Walgreens couldn't fix.  My mission today is to take over the removable hanger for mom's door to her room, attach it, and hang her wreath.  That's probably about as Christmasey as she's going to get this year, other than maybe a blooming Christmas cactus.  The danger there is, the staff may over water it like I did mine one year, and you suddenly have blooms all over the floor vs on the plant.  A poinsettia might be a better bet.  Or not.  We'll see.

I ran by yesterday to check in on her and she was on top of her bed, all covered up with a snugly blanket, sound asleep.  Shoot.  They had just brought her back from lunch not five minutes before. One of the staff said a lot of the residents were really tired.  She was sleeping so hard that when I put my hand on her to be sure she was breathing, she didn't move a muscle.  Now that's what I call sleeping.  Good for her.

One of my friends told me she has not cooked a turkey and the whole nine yards for her kids, ever, at their home, so today is the day--she's cooking TG for them and her husband.  I applaud her willingness and effort, and the thought of eating any more turkey is off my list.  I've eaten about all the turkey and leftovers my pants will safely accommodate.  Back to my little eating plan and the treadmill I must go.  Otherwise I'll be in a muu-muu by Christmas. 

This is the time of year when I start seriously thinking about my final donations to charities for the year.  I like to spread it out over the year especially to the North Texas Food Bank because people get hungry all year long.  Ditto Parkland.  People need care all year long.  Last night while watching Rick Steves Christmas in Europe, I called my sister to see if she was OK with me making a donation for mom, to KERA, since they are having their Fund Drive.  Mom LOVES KERA and last year made four different Christmas donations during the Fund Drive, because she would forget she'd done it.  I didn't find out about it until the box from KERA arrived with four sets of the same books and DVD's .....yep...Rick Steves Christmas in Europe.  This year, we're getting just one set.