Merry Christmas Eve

[Shirlv]

Morning All, cloudy and 40° One of those nights. Woke up at 4am, pretended to sleep, finally did and just woke up. Irmi, I did find something to do yesterday, I went to Paris for breakfast. It was so lovely I went back for tea. Thanks YouTube. Do not have enough refrigerator space so will have to wait until last minute to assemble the char board. It will be heavy so will sit it on top of the grocery cart and hopefully wheel it outside. Daughter is picking me up. Will be a long day just waiting. Think I will visit the Louvre via YouTube today, never been there. Hope everyone has a fun day. Be safe

[IrishIroamed]

Mornin' Shirl and all that follow~~~

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. No plans for me, so just like being on the road away from family.

Temps in the 40s today with rain expected later. Broke the record here for the latest date with no measurable snow, which is OK with me. None in the short range forecast either.

Will take a ride out to Lincoln National Cemetary. Got a postcard yesterday that Dad's headstone had been placed. Will be nice to see all of the wreaths that have been placed with Wreaths Across America.

Have a great holiday!

[Irmi]

Good morning Shirl, Cheryl and all that check in!

Shirl, it always makes me smile to see your posts, knowing you are on the shore of MD that I called home for 68 years. I have been to the Louvre, so I know you will enjoy it there. Cheryl you'll have clear roads for the trip to the cemetary.

My hand mixer quit a couple days ago and I finally found one in our local Winn-Dixie this morning. So I'll be using it this afternoon to make a cake and tomorrow for the mashed potatoes. Steve has seasoned the standing rib roast which will go on the Big Green Egg tomorrow. The Christmas Eve service is this evening at 5;30 and I'll get another practice in before we leave to go there.

[Redetotry]

Good Morning all, I finally wrapped my gifts and I'm ready for it to be over!
Pippa is doing well and is really not much trouble. The issue still is keeping her separate from Toby which is making him very upset. I try to balance out the time I spend with each but it is never enough for Toby. I felt so bad yesterday, I was in the back playing with Pippa and Toby came to the door with a toy in his mouth as if to say I'll play with you too Mom. Eventually he will tolerate her (I hope) but it is just going to take a long time.
The weather here is crazy, it is supposed to be 70 tomorrow! I think it will be a record. People are posting pictures of flowers blooming all the way up to Chicago, I should check our yard.
Shirl try to stay out of trouble in your travels!

[Shirlv]

BJ, unless the foot rest on the recliner breaks I’m good. Lol The light fluffy scrambled eggs in Paris looked so delicious I tried to duplicate. Thought they must use a whip. The eggs were light and fluffy and pieces of egg were flicked over stove, counter and me. Lol Will search YouTube for a solution.

[OregonLuvr]

Good morning. Chilly and rainy out with the newscasters losing their minds saying we will get snow. I will believe it when I see it. I dont really care what it does, I will be tucked inside nice and warm. I am ready for the holidays to be over, seems like there has been nothing but Christmas movies, advertisements, etc since October. I liked it better when the Christmas holiday started the day after Thanksgiving. I am ready to see what 2022 brings all of us.

Took my turkey hindquarter out and will cook it tomorrow in my crockpot. I will eat on it for a couple of days then I am done with it. It isnt real big so shouldnt be too much leftover.

Thank goodness for streaming apps. If I had to watch one more Hallmark movie I would have shot myself. I have only watched a couple because they are all the same. Girl goes back home, interacts with old boyfriend. current boyfriend comes out for visit, even proposes marriage, old boyfriend sees this goes away. Girl refuses to marry him, so he goes away. Then she has to find old boyfriend. They get together...........end of story. Sheesh.
I prefer mystery and drama shows LOL

[MandysMom]

Merry Christmas Eve and Day of. Up early and got jello made for tomorrow. Awaiting handyman and praying he gets done enough so I can use kitchen tonight and tomorrow. Floor is all tacky from sealant applied yesterday, quite annoying but at least I got cats fed and bird fruit bowl made and warmed Chris's leftover burgers for him. Once Sean pushes fridge out, can't get to fridge or microwave until he pushes it back. Sun was actually peeking out for about 20 min. I didn't say anything, fearing I'd scare it away. It hid on its own. More rain on the way and possibly even a few snow flakes by end of Monday. Right now temps in low 50's but supposed to drop into 30's over weekend! I have a few stocking stuffers to wrap, otherwise ready except food.
Hope everyone has safe fun holidays. Hope Judy, your flight isn't cancelled- I've been reading about over 200 flights cancelled so far due to staffing shortages as the latest variant spreads.
Ho ho ho everyone!
Velda

[Acadianmom]

Shirl, I was up at 4:00 too. I went back to sleep for a while but Sugar had me up at 8:00. It's already 78 and will probably be in the 80's this afternoon and for the next week. Crazy weather.

I saw on Facebook that one of Harold's friends passed away last night. He is from here but was living in Texas with his kids so don't know what the arrangements will be. I haven't been to a funeral since Covid started. I usually don't find out someone died for weeks because I take the local paper but don't read it in a timely manner.

Sheila, I never thought about Louisiana having Christmas tree farms but looks like we do. I always thought they came from somewhere else. When I think of tree farms I think of the acres and acres of pine trees that the lumber companies plant. There are several areas in the state that have a lot of nurseries. There is a nursery festival every spring that I have been to several times. I usually end up buying a couple of Bougainvilleas because they are so pretty. I have managed to keep the last one alive and it's still blooming.

Cheryl, every year I think about requesting a wreath for my son but don't know who to contact. Usually there is a story about Wreaths Across America in the paper but I didn't see one this year. Hope it won't be too long before you can get on the road again.

Karen, I feel the same way about the Hallmark movies, you can't tell them apart. The only time I ever see any of one is when my sister is camping with me and she watches them. The only thing I watch on the Hallmark channel are reruns of old TV shows if nothing else is on.

I got another Christmas present yesterday. It was an assortment of 4 kinds of chicken sausage from a smokehouse in Texas. There is Tomato Basil, Apple, Chedar Jalapeño and Italian. I have tried Apple Sausage before and it's good. I think my son will get the Jalapeño.

I needed to do something with the pork loin I bought so put it in the slow cooker. That's what I will have tomorrow and for the next week if I don't freeze some of it.

I almost forgot to put my trash out last night and noticed that my neighbors hadn't put their's out. I was wondering if they knew something I didn't but put it by the road anyway. The truck picked it up this morning. I don't know what I'll do today. It's warm enough to go fishing but it's too windy.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Martha

[Bethers]

Merry Christmas Eve!

[Colliemom]

Had to make another quick run to the store this morning as I decided that maybe I should get another can of fruit cocktail to add to my jello. Worked out perfectly. Also got some baked beans at the deli to go with my spare ribs that are in the crockpot right now. Have a small container of mashed potatoes thawing out as well.

Turned the sign sections over that I am working on and put a coat of paint on the other side now. Later, when that is dry I will put the final coat on and those two pieces will have the white parts done. I just sanded down and cleaned the last two sections in the basement, so they will be the next two to get the white paint. but But not until Sunday.

Will be going to Christmas Mass in the morning, then spending the day with friends. Tonight just watching Holly Dolly Christmas with Dolly Parton on CBS, Kenny Rogers follows that and 20 Years of Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir is on PBS.

Karen, I agree on the Hallmark movies. All the same. There have been a few good ones here and there though. I watch for those involving have to save a business or an Inn or something. They mostly all seem to be in urban settings too. Maybe next year they will get back to some other ones like another Christmas in Evergreen one. A crown for Christmas is also gotten to be one of my favorites.

I’m getting bugged by the fur kids as it’s time for us to take our afternoon walk, so I guess I had better get off of this thing going.

[monik7]

Here to wish all a Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas. Nothing happening here. Just my two pups and me. They do enjoy the fire.



Wish I could be with my daughter and grandkids, but as usual haven’t heard what they’re doing. All your plans and recipes sound wonderful. Nothing special planned here except to remember and enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.
Sandi

[Cudedog]

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MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone!

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Seems like a normal day, at the moment. Looking outside, the sky is a bright, clear blue, without a cloud in sight. (Velda, I am always surprised that our weather can often be so different, when we live relatively close to one another!).

Current temp here is in mid-50's, with a bit of an interesting forecast! Although Chicago might be in the 70's tomorrow (!!) as Velda mentioned, there is a small chance of snow here for early next week (near Sacramento, Ca.)!!!



This is nearly unheard of - I think it has been some decades since there has been any measurable snowfall here. This is what the U. S. National Weather Service https://www.weather.gov/ is currently predicting:

Tuesday
A slight chance of rain and snow showers between 10am and 1pm, then a slight chance of rain showers after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 40.

Tuesday Night
A chance of rain showers before 7pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Wednesday
A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.

Wednesday Night
A slight chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.

I do so very much hope that it comes, I would LOVE to see snowfall here. On the other hand, I feel a bit guilty - if there is snowfall here in the Central Valley, this means that the Sierra's and even the foothills will get completely and totally walloped. I read somewhere that there might be as much as EIGHT FEET of snow in the Lake Tahoe area with this incoming system. Interstate 80 (the main east-west freeway here) will likely be closed, perhaps for a couple of days. I certainly would not wish to be a traveler trying to get home after the holidays.

However [sigh], like Velda I'll believe it when I see it. Such predictions generally don't come to pass - looking out my window at a clear blue sky with only a very light wind doesn't cause me to get my hopes up.

Well, here we go on the toboggan ride into another year.

My personal wish to everyone is to stay safe, stay healthy, give all of your loved ones (both two-footed and four) a hug and a kiss, and to keep those posts coming!

And hope and pray that 2022 marks the beginning of better days to come. These last two years have been more "interesting" than I could have ever wanted, or possibly imagined.

Merry Christmas to all, and thank ALL of you - each and every one of you - for just being "you".

Anne

[Acadianmom]

Love the pictures, Anne. I would like to put the Christmas tree on my TV. Years ago either Dish or Direct had a channel that showed a fire in a fire place. I would just as soon watch that as the weather channel.

Martha

[Cudedog]

Love the pictures, Anne. I would like to put the Christmas tree on my TV. Years ago either Dish or Direct had a channel that showed a fire in a fire place. I would just as soon watch that as the weather channel.

Martha

Thanks so much, Martha!! I love animated Christmas pictures.

Here is a link to a webcam on CalTrans. Currently, this shows only one lane open in very snowy conditions, with only a few cars on the road (this is a "live" image, so will update and change as time goes by, but this current view is from 9:46 a.m. this morning, December 24 - Christmas Eve):

Believe it or not, this is a current image of INTERSTATE 80 - the main, primary, FOUR-LANE, east-west interstate of Northern California (through the Sierra) almost all east-west Northern California commerce (think 18-wheelers!) travels this route.

. . . And conditions are expected to worsen. . .

[chalet05]

I think I'm odd man out here because I have enjoyed some Hallmark movies for scenery, decorations and happy endings. Some actors and story lines get turned off.

Definitely a white Christmas here and temps are gonna be very cold next week - currently predicted negative some nights. The kids just informed me they will pick me up tomorrow so I have turned the anxiety off! Would have to dig the car out and then drive at night. Hoping that means going to see the Christmas lights again. Realized I never finished shopping for the kids. Oops!

The two main mountain passes coming from west of the mountains have been shut down from time to time. The one that comes directly into Leavenworth was closed for hours the other day and traffic is always slow especially on weekends with people coming here.

Shirl, http://www.leavenworth.org has webcam views of the town and Christmas lights. Sue, I really enjoyed the 20 years of the Tabernacle Choir. Temple Square is so beautiful!

Sandi, I'm sorry things are still difficult with your daughter. I finally looked online to see that my granddaughter finished her Master's and grandson got his Bachelor's. I used to share good news with my grandparents my snail mail! Granddaughter posted she was having surgery the other day and that's all I heard - follow up to her Crohn's surgery.

Velda, I always loved when a kitchen remodel or build was complete! Sheila, I look for your nightly update! BJ, Pippa is so cute! I don't know how the cemeteries are picked for the Christmas wreaths, but my cousin was surprised to find them one year on family graves at a little Kansas country church.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas no matter how you are spending the day.