Day 120 ~ thanks, mom!

When I was mixing the frosting for the cake for Jacquie & Dan's shower, I burned out the motor in my little hand mixer...which I had found very handy and convenient to keep in my kichen drawer. I had always thought that a stand mixer that stayed on the counter would be bulky and in the way...but I realized that burning up motors in hand-held mixers wouldn't be cost-effective if I did it every year or so...
Anyway, last night we took mom's Christmas money and bought ourselves as nice Sunbeam Mixmaster - just like the one my mom had! Can't wait to whip those potatoes for our traditional sauerkraut and pork and mashed potato new year feast! Happy 2006, everyone!!!

Day 121 ~ they left yesterday...

...but I am still finding things they left behind (like Dave's sweatshirt) and things I forgot to do (like take Stacey's measurements) and wishing they could have stayed longer...(sigh). Now I am looking at everything I have to do within three months (during April, I hope to have nothing to do! Is that an unrealistic goal?). Organization - that's the secret...yes...right!

Day 122 ~ goofy kids...

3 (Dave & Stacey)
Yes...they are silly. Extremely silly! We had a great time shopping yesterday! If you were at the mall & heard someone singing that great song from the Righteous Brothers and Hall & Oates "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" (as in "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips...and there's no tenderness like before in your finger tips...you're trying hard not to show it (baby)...But baby, baby I know it! You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling. Oh that Lovin' Feeling. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling...now it's gone gone gone oh oh oh...), it was Dave and his soon-to-be brother-in-law, Dan. Yes, we were standing in a store, waiting for Jacquie who was making a purchase & listening to the music, when these two big kids just burst into song! Quite entertaining, I must say!

Day 123 ~ a surprise bridal shower...finally revealed!

We surprised Jacquie and Dan with a small shower at Grandma's house last night. Jacquie was completely unaware of the celebration - up until the moment we arrived and she commented on how many cars were parked around the house. The couple was treated royally - complete with appropriate headgear and accessories. It was great fun...as you can see...

The princess is adorned with jewels and crown...

...and princess slippers...

...and Prince Daniel gets his very own castle and crown...

Jacquie with her Grandma.

...a fairytale romance...

...cutting the cake...

...showing a scrapbook of photos provided by both moms (Dan is the baby on the left & Jacquie is on the right).

...a gift of hand-made crocheted doilies from Joan's Aunt Helen

Mother of the Bride and Maid of Honor ~ the party is over...what a fun evening!

here's a preview...

Day 124 ~ what a relief!

Why does Jacquie look so happy? Well, it could be because of the very cute guy hanging onto her...but it's also because her gown fits her perfectly!!! Thanks to her "boobie-boosty" (or her "bustier", in normal conversation...), the top stays up, and so does the zipper! I promise to post some pictures of the fitting later on today, after I get them from Stacey's camera. But right now, I have to take care of some last-minute details...more on that tomorrow! Shhhh!

Day 125 ~ the kids are coming...

For those of you who have been waiting patiently for this blog to return to its purpose...the day has arrived! Yes, we will be back to reporting on wedding-related items of interest, starting today. Jacquie and Dan are driving down from Connecticut with Stacey & Dave so there will be gown fittings, revisiting details about the invitations, the dresses and a myriad of other minutia. Stay tuned...

Day 126 ~ Merry Christmas!

Caleb plays Santa.

Rachael looking for her new cell phone (yes, she got it!).
Steve got me a very pretty ring! The stone is an orange topaz.

Day 127 ~ Santa's coming tonight!

Have you been good boys & girls???

Day 128 ~ the day before the day before...

...a lot of eating and a little shopping and I'm ready for the day before Christmas.

Day 129 ~ Caleb & Steve to the rescue (again!)

I just don't understand it. Usually, I can handle things independently and can manage things pretty well...but it happened again today! Yes, I locked my keys in my car again!!! I was getting gas (my last stop after a couple of errands before I was supposed to pick up Rachael at school). As I was getting out of the car, my cell phone rang. It was Rachael, making sure I would pick her up at 2:55. I said "Yes, I'll be there - I just have to get gas..." Well, luckily she did call me because I put my phone in my coat pocket & then started to pump the gas...I finished and then went to open the car door...)(#%&*()$%&(!!!! Not again!!! My keys were in the ignition and somehow the doors were locked...I reach in my pocket...could my keys magically appear in my hand???!? No, but my cell phone was there. I call Steve. He thinks I am kidding...No, I'm not! Please come! Luckily, he is nearby & is there within 10 minutes. I call Caleb & ask him to pick up Rachael. He does so quite willingly (for an 18-year-old) and asks me if there is something wrong with my car...or with me. I am beginning to wonder... ; )

Day 130 ~ Steve to the rescue...

I took my mom to her monthly doctor's appointment this afternoon. All went well...we stopped & picked up a ham hoagie and headed back to her house. When I stopped the car, I took the keys out of the ignition and threw them onto the console between the 2 front seats (something I never do...) and proceeded to get my mom manuevered out of the car & into her wheelchair. Somehow, the car doors (yes, all four of them!) locked, which I discovered after I came back out to retrieve our dinner and mom's purse. (*$%(&#$! So I called Steve. But he was at the prison...without his cell phone (not allowed in the prison) and without an office phone (he's still without an office there). I wait and wait and wait. Finally, he calls me back, has a hearty chuckle at my expense and says he'll be there soon. And he was. My hero!

Day 131 ~ one more trip to the mall...

You know how it is...you think you have everything purchased...but then you realize that you need just a few more things. Steve & I met at the mall last night to pick up those last few items...and it wasn't really that bad. It might be the less frantic pace that is generally common in these more rural parts...there was no shoving, no complaining, no trampling of small children! We were able to accomplish our objective and were home by 8:30!

Day 132 ~ Safe arrival...

Stacey (on left) with her friend in front of the Sphinx in September.

I just spoke to Stacey - she is safely home in Connecticut...a little jet-lagged, but she is fine.

Day 133 ~ Scrapbook Frenzy!

For those of you who scrapbook, you are familiar with this scene. Rachael & I are in day #1 of the "oh-my-gosh-it's-only 7-days-'til-Christmas!-I-gotta-finish...!!!" frenzy.

Day 134 ~ Before & After

on her way home...

Stacey (that's her in the red shirt) will be trading in her camel for a plane ride tomorrow evening and will arrive at JFK at 1:00 PM Sunday afternoon. Fly safe, honey - and we'll see you in about a week!

Day 135 ~ Success!

Although the roads were not bad this morning after the snow and rain and ice storm last night, I still decided to stay home anyway (I have a vacation day to use before the end of the year) and attempt to make cookies. I added some more shortening and molasses to that cookie mixture and they actually turned out OK! I'll have a problem, though, if Steve decides that he likes these cookies - I won't know how to duplicate the recipe! After these were out of the oven, I baked some peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips ("make them like the ones they sell at Subway") and then the regular chocolate chip cookies. It's only 12:30 PM and the cookies are done! Let's see...what can I start now?
UPDATE: 2:30 PM - One batch of Chex Mix is cooling.

Day 136 ~ another Friday at home...

Update at 10:15 PM - See that big pink blob on the map? That's ice. We already have a couple inches of new snow on the ground. That icy rain is going to make a nice crunchy coating on top...don't you think? I love winter...love it...love it...

3:00 PM - It started snowing here around 12:30 and it is expected to keep snowing and then change to sleet and then back to snow by tomorrow morning. Sounds like another day home from work tomorrow. What a shame! Perhaps I can actually get some cookies baked tomorrow! Yesterday, I spent a total of four hours shopping for groceries and then I stopped at the mall. Didn't have time to start the cookies...but I WILL tomorrow!

Day 137 ~ You can call him Deputy Dawg!

It's finally official so now we can talk about it! Steve got a new job...he's the new Deputy Warden at the county prison. Yes, he will get a bigger, shinier badge and his own parking space but (and this is a big "but...") he has to get his hair cut since the prison is a 'para-military' facility. Yes, the ponytail will be gone on Saturday. This will be quite traumatic since Steve has had a ponytail for the past 15 years. Check back Saturday afternoon for before and after photos.

Day 138 ~ something is wrong...

Tonight I mixed up the recipe for Steve's mom's molasses cookies and it's not right...the dough is too dry...SOS email to Rick! Is the recipe correct? I sure hope not! Waiting your reply!!!
UPDATE: Recipe was confirmed so I will have to try to salvage the mixture somehow...but not sure how. I'll let you know how they turn out...

Day 139 ~ another cold day in PA

Yep - it's cold here...and I don't like it! Heck...I'm amazed that Christmas is less than two weeks away...I sure am not ready for that either! I am taking Wednesday off from work so I can make some cookies and finish up some presents I am making (which I can't talk about 'cause some of the recipients are regular readers of this blog...). In prep for my baking marathon, I asked Steve what kind I should make (other than the required multiple batches of chocolate chip) and he described a molasses/ginger snap variety that his mom made when he was a kid so I asked his big bro Rick in Ohio to email me the recipe. I also plan to make a big batch of Chex Mix but poor Steve tells me he has no control when faced with a bowl of Chex Mix...he can't stop eating it - until he gets sick...poor guy...

Day 140 ~ stuffed & sealed & ready to mail

...and they aren't even MY Christmas cards! The 300 cards for the church mailing is ready to go AND I finished my proofreading project! Yoo hoo!
UPDATE: I think I have reconsidered my earlier decision not to send out Christmas cards. I was thinking about sending New Year's greetings and include a pic of the entire family (yes, eight is enough, thank you very much!), including Dan, when my kids are here after Christmas. But - I just can't not send out Christmas cards - I'm thinking I'll send a letter now and then the picture in January...and then the wedding invitations are going out in February! I should have bought stock in the USPS!

Day 141 ~ Go Pens!

Steve & I & two of his friends, Scott & Jeff, went to a hockey game tonight - the Penguins were playing the Moose from Manitoba...and those clever Pens won 7 to 1. Within the first minute of the game, a player was ejected (while I was in the restroom, of course!), followed by a number of scuffles and swings thrown by both parties! Quite an exciting evening!

Day 142 ~ Brrrr!

Our first substantial snowstorm arrived overnight...the local weather guys say we got about 7 inches...it's nice, fluffy stuff but there sure is a lot of it (yes, I shoveled the driveway)! Yesterday I brought home the entire Church Christmas card mailing so I can work on it today and over the weekend. The card, the insert, and the new (36 page) 2006 Church directory, which I have to assemble and staple. Stuffing, sealing, etc...plus I want to work on my proofreading - which is almost finished...just the appendices and index are waiting...so I shall go now and proceed to enjoy my day at home...(and maybe I'll even sneak in & sew on those satin buttons...!)

Day 143 ~ status quo

...haircut still not out of the question

Day 144 ~ Hair today...but maybe not tomorrow...

...explanation to be posted soon...

Day 145 ~ let's do lunch

How nice it is to meet a friend at a little place called the Mulberry Street Cafe, order some iced tea & a salad & a cup of soup and just chat. Sure, we talked about the wedding, but we also talked about other things going on in our lives. It was nice, very nice. Thanks, Mary!

Day 146 ~ Jacquie has spoken

She called this morning with her decision...she wants to keep the original version - without the band on the top of the bodice. I found some white satin-covered buttons that I can put at the top of the zipper and some 'bridal loops' (yes, that's what they are called!) to close the buttons. At least one button; maybe two...that would work!

Day 147 ~ Deck the halls...

This image is for all of my CheckerBee friends! ; )
I look forward to it every year but I dread the re-arranging of the furniture, the cleaning up afterwards, and the general disarray it causes. Yes, I am talking about decorating for the holidays! But I decreed today as "let's get the stuff from the attic" day. Steve took pity on me and brought the boxes down since my knee still is bothering me. So everything is downstairs and my mission today is to do my required amount of proofreading before I start putting up the tree. Better get going!

Day 148 ~ mauve...the color is mauve

It's really not this pink!

I finally found some fabric I like...a layer of the flowered lace over a soft satin.

Problem? My shoes don't match! Guess I'll have to look for another pair of shoes!

Day 149 ~ cleaning day at the church

Okay - maybe it isn't this bad at the church but we are giving our offices a thorough cleaning today and will be throwing out the "old/never used/never will use" stuff. Sharon & Susan & I are planning a whole morning of organizing - especially in the storage/copy room. The pastor is quite concerned about our general enthusiasm but we promised not to touch his office! We won't even go there!

The logs are in the house...

Thank you, Betsy!

Day 150 ~ end of the first quarter...

I started this blog at "countdown day 200" - back in October. Since then, lots of things have been accomplished. But we have come to the end of the first quarter (football has been on our TV a lot lately, can you tell?). Time to re-group and re-assess. Time to relax until after Christmas, which will bring a frenzy of activity when the kids come to visit. That's when final fittings, final ordering and invitations will be the focus...get ready, everyone!