INSOMNIACS place to talk in the wee hours

PattyPeppermint

jazzy. Have fun and be safe. Glad you are trading winter boots for flip flops. Take lots of pics and relax . hope your flight is on time and hassle free.

glennie19

(((Patty))) Sending you best wishes that you will be home for Christmas.

Loveroflife

Patty, amazing how hydration and the right antibiotic bring you back from feeling nasty. Will continue honor your request for you and DH and the boys. Focus on getting better and have fun reading to the children ther- what a treat for them. Hugs to you.

Jazzy, have a safe and blessed trip.

FEELING FELINE, so happy you could join us here!

I do mourn the loss of the energy to host a big family gathering and the time we spent joking and laughing, but I sure don't miss the cleaning up afterwards. Can't do what I used to anymore( and I don't even have severe chronic pain), so simplicity and quality time with love ones is what I try to aim for now. Not always easy though because of the distraction of acommercialized Christmas.

sas-schatzi

Oh Loverly, You haven't developed the system of delegation for the clean up? You put some to work. One carrying to the kitchen, one rinsing, one loading. Plus, they're is the ballet between courses if doing courses. One serves while one rinses and loads the dishwasher. The other serves. First load is in and running before second third course or desert. I recently changed things from salad course, then lemon ice, to main course. (main course--buffer) Now salad on cresent plate to be eaten with dinner. Dislike it. More fun the other way. BUT the trade off is a more relaxed dinner. The first cleanup is done, while coffee is brewing. Send off the non-working folks to the living room or Lanai .i.e. out of the way. Coffee and desert then is about 20 + minutes after dinner.

DH and I had the ballet down to a science.. Stephen is great, he knows the routine. Donnie is jumping right in now(actually, too fast--T-day I asked if I could finish my food hahah). Maybe you do all these things? I'm a barkeeps daughter and a nurse---very bossy.

Kathy, I think you asked if I use all the glass. I make up reasons to use the glass. Never did lemon ice till I thrifted these cute little things to put the ice in and silver in a different thrifting. But I am getting close to saturation point with glass.

sas-schatzi

Paired on white plate or wexford with lemon ice

Thrifted desert spoons and forks about the time of the burple/ inspiration Anchor Hocking. Placed on top of Homer Lauglhin Christmas pontsettia plates(on sale--12 place settings/ 3pieces--30$) . Lovely color

https://www.newbridgesilverware.com/cutlery/luxury/celtic

Now 18$ a piece. I thrifted 6 spoons and 6 dessert spoons for 15 $ Plus they're was a bunch of other silver in the box. Small box, great return. LOL

Found the China pattern. Not Homer Lauglin, but Gibson. What a Pita. Finally went to the china and looked at the bottom.

So, you can see how the little sherbets pair well with either a little white plate or the wexford. Ah-hah and another wine!

Anchor Hocking Wexford bread plate. I use them for everything. Bread plates. Under plates. ashtrays, coasters, snack/hors de veouers(sic) plates. The most versatile plate in the house.

Lot's of color and sparkly's when all three are combined. Great visual, texture, light.

magdalene51

Chevy! Girl, you were not supposed to tell about keeping the Hot Damn in the car! I didn't have time for a toddy, it was only two blocks away.

When we did the big family dinners we didn't bother with fancy stuff, although the turkey was always served on mom's Noritake platter, and I usually set the table with nice China, then used clear plastic dinner plates on top. But we would often have small dinner parties, and always set a nice table for those. Let me see if I have a picture. (You know I do!)

magdalene51

PattyPeppermint

mags. Very pretty

Sas. U have it down to a science. Of course. Doesn't surprise me. You rock.

Our tradition is always our big meal Christmas eve and open one present each. Then christmas day we just do cinn rolls for breakfast and leftovers the rest of the day. No one here wants to spend Christmas day in the kitchen. Also used to assemble al toys and put in batteries before we wrap them so we don't spend all day putting stuff together. Nope. Spend all day playing! When the boys were 6 & 3, dh and I finished assembling and wrapping toys at midnight Christmas eve. However we were so excited to see the boys reaction that we couldn't go back to sleep. So at 1am we set off all my Charlie Brown Christmas musical stuff. Which woke the boys. We let them get up and run in nd almost caught Santa. We opened presents at 1 am. Stayed up til lunch then napped. Was awesome ! They still talk about it. Now we ave a set time not before 5 am. But truthfully its hardest o dh and me not the boys. Lol.

Hootie hoo

sas-schatzi

Mags Lovely room, I see a piano and a metronome. Who plays? Ho ho ho sweet hutch. by the window. The chairs are elegant. It would be fun to have one of the twins from the Road Show describe them. I have listened to them describe chairs with much less embellishment and detail and am in awe of what they say and know. Lovely set. The flowers on the table match the flower in the plate. How clever. Architects/builders of today stick a window in the middle of a long wall. Sheesh. Google 'clearstory window' and picture that wall as such. All the light. Men. You did a great job of working around it. Love wing back chairs, I feel elegant when I have a chance to sit in one. Hmm wing back, must have the thought wrong. The wing comes forward, why would it be called wing back. Oh well, someone will tell us.

Mags, please, start the journal now. First request, start the day after Christmas. Tally all fluids for 5 days. That's anything liquid. Also, Source of liquid, plastic bottle, can, filtered, tap,. Vegetables from can source too. Ounzes(sic) per source. Set up grid so if you want to continue beyond 5 days you can. Sweetheart, Love you

sas-schatzi

Patty, What a wonderful story. Still smiling head left and right. Love it! Dear Greg was always an earlier riser. Me, had it to the minute to get out of bed ,readiness, and off to work. It was all timed. Hated mornings. EXCEPT Christmas morning after Steve came. I'd wake up, get ready which of course meant a wee bit of makeup and hair correction b/c the camera was rolling. 1984, we had a camcorder. A monstrosity. Hell, you could hardly carry the thing. Loved those times. Loved those times.

Stephens request for this Christmas was the pics of the dogs Max and JB when they first saw him. Many first pics similar on the net. Steve couldn't really explain why he wanted them. I didn't do it. Not feeling guilty. Just hate to take them out of the baby book. What he want's will get done, just a different way.

Patty, Loverly triggered the neuro synapse. It was a Duh moment. Chit. Wish I'd made the suggestion months ago now. The paintball therapy got in the way of seeing the wall.

queenmomcat

Patty: did a spit-snort of laughter at your story. I can just imagine that your kids are still talking about that! Getting to get up at one in the morning? Almost catching Santa? Thank you for making me feel a bit more holiday-ish...sheepish admission that.

magdalene51

Sassy, you have to look the other way. That hutch in the corner on the other picture was my home office for many years. DH tools around on the keyboard, but his real instrument is a harmonica. He also plays banjo, recorder, and concertina. I played guitar. But we gave away the keyboard and he rarely plays any music now. The metronome is an antique, and I haven't the foggiest idea where it is now.

My body is like a rebellious teenager or toddler, in an "I don't wanna" mode

Smaarty

mags, acting like a kid is fine as long as you're not banging your head on the floor!

Queenie, how you doing? Is it looking like you want?

All this talk about Christmas past. We used all go to my folks, until our kids had kids. Now too many and spread out and bad family feelings. If we all got together now, there would be 48 of us. Not bad for 2 people, my folks who were only children. We grew up without aunts, uncles or cousins. One grandparent. Next year we'll be 50 with 2 new g-g- grand babies coming. Only 2 gone, my dad and brother.

magdalene51

Smaarty, don't go giving me ideas!

feelingfeline

Hi just up in Ireland and i am off to meet a man at a bar. Well a ballet barre! I found a 2nd hand portable barre for sale yesterday and am now driving to meet the owner pretty much at a roundabout just off the motorway - like a drugs heist - except this is a Santa heist!

PattyPeppermint

smarty - 48 from 2? Impressive. At least you are not having to cook for all of them.

Jazzy - thinking of you. Hope you got your sandles on and a tropical umbrella drink in each hand.

Chevy. - wake up. Wake up. Need the morning rundown.

Mags - did you and dh play and write music together ? Oh please say yes. Need s good romance story. Jealous. I can't even keep the beat clapping and dancing at the same time.

Feline. Too funny. Is the barre for you ? What's the weather like in Ireland today? Here in Arkansas, USA our Christmas temps topping out at 79. That's highly unusual. Usually we are at or below freezing.

Blondie- hugs. Hope you got some sleep last night

Hootie hoo

feelingfeline

Patty! How are you doing today? I hope you are feeling much better.

I am just back from a successful Santa run. And not a balaclava in sight.

No such luck as me being fit for ballet. I never had any talent in that direction.

Barre is for DD - she will be absolutely amazed. All she knows is she is getting some dance dresses for Christmas.

Barre is in perfect condition and from a v good brand. The man selling it said his DD had it new for Christmas last year and promptly gave up ballet. God willing it won't be the same story here. However DD is so good at dance and enjoys it so much so I am not really worried.

There are no barre suppliers in Ireland and I think I found the only 2nd hand barre for sale in Ireland. Cost half of what it would cost to order and ship one from the UK. So am feeling mighty pleased with affairs right now.

Weather in Ireland is unseasonably warm, There are daffodils blooming in gardens both here and parts of UK which has been a news story! My Mum has some tulips coming up in her garden. However the newspapers haven't got wind of that yet

Zillsnot4me

I wish I could see the daffs. They are my fav. It's warm here too. Woke up to big thunder. Only one kid came running to get in bed with me. Now both playing cars on rug in kitchen. At least it's not trains:) too early.

I too am as excited about Christmas morning as the kids and am an early riser. Unfortunately DAH prefers to sleep in.

Big discussion right now about snack for Santa. Trying to convince them to leave Ale8 (local ginger ale) with cheese and crackers. They are debating which sweet will make Santa fat.

Unfortunately all the cookies I've made this week don't taste right. What a shame, wait all year for your favs and then don't enjoy them. I expected it after chemo but not now.

Now DS (6 yrs) has changed his mind again. I'm trying to explain Santa can't keep up but he's arguing it's only official if you write it down even 5 days before. I hope he's not disappointed with the selections Santa is bringing.

Chevyboy

Feline!.... Oh look at that... I accidentally hit "slant" and it looks good, so it will stay. Feline! I was okay with you going to meet a guy in a BAR, and you said Ballet, and I thought that was the name of the BAR! And then I see this .... what-ever-it-is thinking some kind of clothes rack! And my mind was not working properly..... until it finally came together, and THEN I got it! SHEESH!

I used to work out on a BAR... The wooden ones attached to the wall in our Ballet Class... I never KNEW they had "portable" ones! We always used the chairs, or table, or even the door-knows to work out.... Hah! If you push a wooden chair up against something like a wall, you can use the top of the chair for your work-outs! And if I could get my leg up on the SEAT of a chair, much less the top, I would be so HAPPY! Just sayin'......

Hi Mags & Smarty! Looks like you guys getting ready for Christmas!

Peppermint.... I love your Christmas story! Our kids just made Christmas morning magical for US too!

But when I was a little kid, me and my Brother would have all of our presents opened, identified, talked over, played with, before Christmas ever GOT there! We were magicians at removing tape and paper without it ever showing, and putting it back together again! So we KNEW! And we were soooooo smart, we knew they didn't come from Santa, because they were already under the tree, and it wasn't even CHRISTMAS!

But we thought it MUCH fun to really act surprised at what we GOT! That made it even MORE fun! And we were thankful! SO thankful we didn't get caught!

This picture is with my Grandma, Mom, me and my Brother, and Grandpa... Mom wanted to wring Kenny's neck when she saw the face he was making... but that was, and still is his personality! I was prim and proper, with 2 little blue bows in my hair, with my abnormally protruding little ears.... Look at Kenny's patched coveralls! Hah!

Sass, I cleaned my Mom's musical Tea-pot, and have it ready to use! It plays Tea For Two when you wind it up from the bottom.... So you guys could come for TEA in me and Peppermints she-shed!

feelingfeline

lovely photo.

feelingfeline

I agree Chevy the chair makes an excellent portable bar oops I mean barre.

Chevyboy

So does that mean it is a "french" bar? And then it becomes "barre"? You see how much I am learning here?

Spookiesmom

wing back chairs were made like that to block drafts.

feelingfeline

A chair makes an excellent portable bar in any language and at any age

Spookiesmom

that's Chevy in the last pic taking a chocolate Coke break.

Smaarty

Chevy, the pic isn't showing.

Morning all. We are having a "usual" winter so far. Which means that it's cold and wet! Yeah. They said that Lake Tahoe raised almost 2" from Tuesday's storm. That's 4 billion gallons of water! It will help but it's the snow pack that will make a big difference.

You guys are so funny

PattyPeppermint

Chevy. OK why can't I see the pic? Feline did? Do I need to download a special program. Yep my computer skills are lacking. You bad bad girl. Opening and playing with your presents. Never heard of a real musical tea pot. How cool. I learn so much here. Guess I'll have to wait and see it in the she shed. I'll bring some spiked egg nog. My neighbors wife ( in her early sixties ) left him last year for another woman. The dh got in s car wreck and received a settlement. Well wifey moved back home. Last couple months he has been working hard on turning their tool shed into her she shed with electricity and heat. Now her and her lady friend spend most of their time in there. Lol. Crazy. I mean does he not understand he just made her a love shack ? Or wants her home in whatever capacity he gets ? Kinda sad.

Zill. - final decision on Santa snack ???? So ds is 6. How old is dd? Pic looks like maybe 3ish ? Oh I wish dss still believed. So much fun. Hope you enjoy every minute of it. I bet your ds won't be disappointed in whatever Santa brings. Do you guys put out reindeer food in the yard ? Hopefully won't be too muddy with your rain.

Hootie hoo

Smaarty

is it Santa time yet?

Smaarty

Ok, more like this?

feelingfeline

(This is Chevy's lovely childhood pic for those who couldn't see it earlier - (I was able to save it down to my pc and reupload)

Chevy you are a cutie.