WOW I just realized it is the first of December.....Christmas is almost here.....we always have a traditional brunch used to be at our house but has been taken over by a daughter....thanks honey.....

Good morning Kitty.  19 chilly degrees here this morn.   Pups will still love getting out.

Glad to see your daughter arranging your traditions for you.  My wife working on her

bay window for Christmas and making plans for the tree and other decorations while

doing the window.

Went down and worked on the farm yesterday, just routine stuff. 

Everyone have a great day.

Ernie

dearest Brian put our tree up and is now decorating it....and has started our supper in the crock pot....homemade lentil soup....awesome guy.....one of a kind hopefully his half brother is as good as he married my younger daughter

Good morning Kitty.  Chilly 23 degrees here this morn.  Getting ready to put our tree up.

Have to figure out how to fit it in with the elliptical and the dog kennel.  My wife made up

the bay window very well for Christmas.  Haven't started our shopping or cards yet.

A mouse got into the house somewhere and was in some dresser drawers so wife is washing

clothes or whatever is in them and cleaning them out.  I fixed some of the drawers that

needed it.  We caught a mouse in a trap.

Guess we're ready for Winter, would come anyway.  Always good to get everything ready

though.  I still have to put those heated mats out yet, that cover the one deck and steps.

The wall switch is still running the second sump pump but will transfer it over soon.  Trying

to keep our grocery bill under $200 a week for two people, can you believe it?  Lots of things

like paper towels, tissues, hand lotion, over the counter med, stuck in with food though.  I don't

even want to say what I remember paying for groceries for 3 or 4 of us in days gone by.  I am

grateful Wegmans moved in 3 miles away though.  Their fruit is much fresher than the store that

was here before them.  Hated to even buy it from that other store.  Store is much cleaner too, and

not easy to beat their prices.  If you run around to 3 or 4 stores looking for bargains but we don't

bother.  Grocery day today and it's partly sunny.

The soup sounds goo Kitty and hope your daughter has a happy marriage and life.

Enjoy the day all, weather not bad here and we're in good health.

Ernie

Brandy and grandsons.

adorable pic.....and daughters marriage has lasted....they are now grandparents.....we are ready for Christmas....just have to wrap some stuff.....hope your day is great...it is 19 out there now....brrr.....

Good morning Kitty.  A little warmer this morn at 32, northeast is supposed to be warmer

than average until the middle of the month.  I see your area is even warmer than ours,

forecast anyway.  It's a good thing because I saw that the outside tread of the rear tires

on my Baja is worn out.  Thought it was the alignment I got in January after replacing so

much of the rear frame and suspension but read that there's no camber adjustment on

the Baja.  Jacked it up to take a look at bushings and bearings, bushings on the upper control

arms are worn out.  Ordered them last night and will have to replace them outdoors.  I

try to get larger maintenance jobs done before cold weather but don't always see them coming.

They are so bad I can see gaps just looking at them.  I took a picture but can't get the angle to

show the gaps.  Was trying to save money on groceries and now over $200 for these arms with

new bushings, not to mention the tires are almost shot.  They had 8 mm tread on them when I

rotated them to the rear last Spring.  Hard to believe I bought this Subaru new back when we

stopped smoking.

I have our garbage and daughter's to take care of today, nice to see daughter and family.  We

don't have pizza night until our dogs mature some and get along with hers.  Our dogs go nuts

with other dogs in our house.  Her border collie has extreme separation anxiety so she rarely

leaves her.  Expensive to, have granddaughter's tuition and books coming up again soon.  She's

married now but don't think that will get her any aid for tuition.  If it did many college students

would marry just to get a discount.

Hope you all are doing great.  We are here.  Some rain today but it's warmer.

Ernie

Wife and granddaughter maintaining Summer flowers.

Good evening, all. 

A cousin's daughter goes to Performing Arts HS. I went to their rendition of Chicago tonight. Most of the cast was very talented and everything at a professional level. Not the normal HS play. 

Stay warm and dry. 

Good morning Paul.  Warm 48 degrees here this morn.  Lucky the rain front has moved away.

Have to think about what to wear on our walk/jog.  Did I tell you?  I've been jogging again for

the last 15 days or so and seem to be getting away with it.  Either the Termeric Root I started

taking or maybe I got bad bruises 6 years ago and they healed.  I tried 4 years ago and had to

limp home.  My jogging isn't really that fast but it's much more exercise and helps Diabetes

much more.  My doctor said jogging has oomph in it.

I never played in a high school play or watched one but I can imagine.  I wasn't much focused

on anything back then.  Most things that came up were shocking or I was ignoring them.  Was

a world apart from now.  I'm still learning after all these decades, about life and technical problems.

Nor do I know the play Chicago. 

I haven't spoken to any cousins in decades.  My family I grew up in split apart when I was very young.

The one uncles family we were close to, he sold his farm and became a preacher.  Moved away and

we rarely saw any of his family again.  I don't think I've ever seen any of my cousins children.  Went to

one cousins memorial in January of 2021.  I did talk to a cousin there that I hadn't seen since the 60s,

come to think about it.  Our kids are all grown and approaching retirement age if not already there.

That cousin lives in Colorado and worked for a printing company.  When they went out of business he

purchased the printer and kept it going for a few more years.  PC's have taken over for printing.  I could

smell cigarettes on him and his beard was discolored from smoking.

Would be nice if the parts for my Baja were here today.  Could do the repairs in 50 degrees inbetween

the rain showers, that is.  Our temperatures forecast to be above normal next 7 days.   

I have a coupon for 35% off at Pennys, might go there for couple pieces of clothes today, last day of sale.

Hope everyone is doing well, we have relatives not doing so well but doing great here.

Ernie

Have another of these coming up but won't be Cocoa, will be Chloe and Belle, with birthdays 10 days before mine, Cocoa was 9 days.

Good morning, Miss Kitty and Ernie and Paul and any who lurk here ~

December is fast upon us.  I celebrated a birthday yesterday....rather low key as spouse has a cold. I have been busy decorating the condo.....mailing packages (the postal service is getting $$$) on our shipping fees, and gift buying.  Every year I say that I will cut back with the budget.....and then Christmas comes and the spirit of giving takes over.  I guess I can understand why some just give money and perhaps some day it will come to that...but for now it is mostly online shopping and a few select stores.  

The weather is very dreary here.  No sun for several days and today a cold, wet rain.  The outside wreaths with their plaid bows look festive ~ just waiting for a bit of snow to look like Christmas.

I am not receiving any emails that there are postings.  Any suggestions, Ernie.  Guess I have to go in to my Settings.

Hope all is well.  Sorry about the death of your friend, Kitty.  Sorry, Ernie for your sister-in-law's move.

We have my late husband's family gathering back home this week-end.  We have not gathered since COVID.  I would like to say I look forward to it....but there are about 100 in attendance and I do worry about getting sick.  On we go...............

Susan

Good to hear you have been able to jog painlessly, Ernie. The speed doesn't matter, I'm certainly not fast. 

Harder to keep in touch with relatives who are not nearby. I have 10 1st cousins in Ulster, Dutchess, Columbia counties. Not that far away, but other than funerals I haven't spoken with them since I was a teenager.  My sister sends them Christmas cards. I see my 2nd-3rd cousins that live in NYC.

Happy Birthday Susan!