Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve things:

• While preparing gifts for people Gideon said, “I'm filling secret stockings with secret things for Christmas time. Hehehehe”.  I love my grandson.

• TF and I had a nice Christmas Eve conversation.  She will be busy all day tomorrow with family.  
• We didn't put up a regular Christmas tree this year.  The time for that just didn't happen.  Instead, Zed made a wreath and we all added a little something to it.  It is perfect for our busy selves this year.  There is a little silver tabletop tree that also went up as a decoration.  

• The only tradition that I know was started by my ex-husband and myself is the giving of a holiday book on Christmas Eve.  I have nothing to do with it anymore, it is all Keziah, Zed, and Gideon.  My youngest, Bel, doesn't do this.  Whether that will change or not if they have children, only time will tell.  It is something fun to open Christmas Eve that also has the potential to relax a small or excited child before bed.  We all have fun opening our books and reading before bed.

Some gifts are wrapped in fabric this year. 

• The book I received this year was a children's book picked out by Gideon.  The book, The Twelve Hours of Christmas, is written to match up with the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas".  At Gideon's suggestion, we sang the book together as a family.  That was fun and may just be the highlight of my Christmas 2023.

Merry Christmas!!  Happiest of holidays!

☮

Read/sang: The Twelve Hours of Christmas, by Jenn Bailey

Currently listening to: Robin, by Dave Itzkoff.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Pink and Blue

Happy day before Christmas Eve day!  

The first alarm I set for work goes off at 11:10 PM.  At 11:15 PM I felt a rumbling (as did the rest of the family and local friends).  It turns out that there was an earthquake not far from here.  It got me out of bed on time! 

Here are some happy things from this day:

• In hopes to find holiday lights on the way to work I chose an alternate route.  There were a few places with some lights.  There was nowhere to safely pull over to take a picture with a car right behind me.  What I have learned is that most people turn their lights off when they go to bed and most people are asleep by one o'clock in the morning.  It was a nice short adventure, just without pictures to share.
• It was my last night working mandatory extended time for a while.  I got over ten hours of overtime this week.  I'm tired and very happy that the week is over.  I don't go back to work until Wednesday.  
• After a nice nap, Gideon and I picked Keziah up and we went Christmas shopping.  Gideon was able to pick up a few things for his mom when she wasn't looking.  Gideon was also kind enough to take some Christmas tree photos while I drove.

• Last night, Keziah and Gideon visited some friends and watched something related to Percy Jackson.  I wasn't there, but they brought home some blue fettuccine Alfredo that a friend made to go along with the entertainment.  In the book, Percy Jackson’s mom makes him blue food.  The point... is that I got some tasty blue leftovers for dinner tonight.  It went well with the peppermint frosty I picked up at Wendy’s. 

☮

Currently listening to: Robin, by Dave Itzkoff.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Solstice

Happy things from today:

• Today is the first full day of winter.  According to the internet, Solstice was official at 10:27 PM on Thursday, December 21st.  So yesterday was both autumn and winter.  The amount of daylight will continue to get longer now, until summer.  Anyhow, it was a cold, but sunny, first day of winter.  
• Bel and Folke decided to celebrate Solstice this year instead of Christmas.  They sent me a message asking if they could open their presents early.  I said yes.   It looks like they liked the presents.  🙂
• Tonight (Saturday) is the last night of mandatory extended time for me this holiday season.  I will be so happy when this is over.  The paychecks were nice, but so is sleep.
• On the way to work I remembered to get a picture of some Christmas lights.

• Sunset!

☮

Currently listening to: Robin, by Dave Itzkoff.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Cookies

Some happy things from today:

• By 3:30 AM I had reached 10,000 steps.  Sometime before 8:30 AM 20,000.  When I got to my physical therapy appointment after work, I had over 28,000 steps.  My physical therapist was impressed at my step count.  However, I need to actually do my physical therapy at home.  I've been slacking.  As I write this, and get ready for a much needed sleep, my step count is just over 30,000.  I will do some physical therapy and get some sleep. 
• When I woke up to go to work last night I had a message from Keziah about cookies.  They brought some home from Crumbl and I was welcome to have some.  I cut off pieces from three of the flavors to take to work.  They were delicious.  Every week they serve different flavors.  This week they have four flavors that I like. 
• Once a month at work at least one supervisor gathers with anyone who has a birthday that month to casually talk shop.  This is my third December with the company and the first time I actually made it to one of these.  It is nice to share ideas and talk with management about things that go well, and things that don't.  They also offer some kind of snack or treat.  Today that included Crumbl cookies!  I am so very full of cookies and it is wonderful.  I may be done for a few days though!  
• It wasn't until after I drove by the houses I already took pictures of that I remembered that I wanted to take pictures of holiday decorations.  I didn't notice any more on the way to work.  Not everyone leaves their lights on all night. Instead, I offer a picture of a parking lot and red and green street lights.   The view from where I parked the car for work.

• Because pretty things are important, sunset!

☮

Currently listening to: Robin, by Dave Itzkoff.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Thanks

Happy things from today:

• One of the things I try to do on and after my birthday is to read every post on Facebook where someone wished me a happy birthday.  It takes time, but I feel if someone is going to take the time to write it, I want to respond with a thank you.  This year I stumbled on a few where my name wasn't tagged for me to easily find.  I may never know if I saw them all or not.  I'm very grateful that many people took the time to write.
• Gideon was offered an opportunity to advance from sixth to seventh grade early.  After the new year he will be a seventh grader.  We have been discussing some pros and cons.  I jokingly said that he is no longer part of the graduating class of 2030.  That is a con.  What an easy year to remember!  He is looking forward to the higher complexities that seventh grade will bring.
• Christmas lights!

☮

Started listening to: Robin, by Dave Itzkoff.  

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Happy Birthday to Me

Here are some happy things from today:

• Happy gotcha day to our two cats.   We got them three years ago on my birthday.  It was much colder that day than it was today.  I was carrying Nanni in her crate to the car, I remember that her entire body language seemed to change when we exited the building.  Noises and cold air were probably a big shock.  

Nanni today.

Winston today.

• Keziah and I went out to lunch to celebrate my birthday today.  Zeke had to work and Gideon was at school.  I'll hopefully be asleep by dinnertime. 

I should really let her know I'm going to take her picture...

• I'm going to try to take pictures of holiday lights this week.  I hope I remember.  

☮

Finished listening to: How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Rain

Happy Monday things:

• When the roads are wet sounds from the cars passing by tend to have a slight echoing sound as the tires turn the water into splashes.  It seems to take just a little longer for the sound of the cars to fade away.  When I'm not trying to sleep, it can be a relaxing sound.  I don't think I'll miss it when I move to the apartment in the back of the house. 
• The weather today was windy and rainy.  We lost power for random amounts of time this morning.  There were sounds involved implying transformers blowing up.  I'm so happy that it was raining and not snowing.  The snow will come, and I am okay with waiting a little longer.
• Nanni (our brown tabby) decided that she wanted attention.  I was on my bed with the laptop on my lap and she decided to walk all over my legs.  The laptop was in the way so I finished what I was doing and put it aside just to give her attention.  She even stayed there after I used the flash to get a picture of her.

Without flash.

With flash.

☮

Currently listening to: How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.