last week of november

Impressions taken for a more durable flipper, trying to buy a few years until she's old enough for implants.  She was a good sport.  Hoping this works out better than the flimsy flippers have.

Youth basketball, a hard-fought game.

A couple inches of snow was predicted for today, but it seemed like a lot more than two inches.  Schools closed early, traffic was terrible.   It started before dawn and continued until late afternoon.

I lost this shower curtain.  I searched all over, in cabinets, closets, and drawers.  Where could it be?  Why? Where was it stashed??

It was found folded up in a pile of Christmas towels, safe and sound.

Put the candle lights up tonight, so pretty.

Last but not least, we put up this very ancient Santa sleigh from 1980.   Jay's mom gave it to us, and it definitely is a favorite.

And that brings us to now, and in one hour it'll be tomorrow, the last day of November.

Love, Val
 

christmas village

 

The Christmas Village hasn't been set up in years, but we brought it upstairs today. The kids helped.

My parents gave this to us, one piece at a time, over years.  It's the Alps, Heidi, and the Uncle and Peter and the goats.  It's very sweet.

While we were doing this, a mouse kept running through the kitchen.  At one point he ran by with a tortilla chip and then tried to dive into a hole we didn't even know was there, up under the edge of the cupboard, underneath, by the baseboard.

He tried to bring the chip along, but it was too big to fit, and he kept coming back, trying to get that chip to fit.

Ei yi yi.

There are a total of ten traps set in this house and have been for days now, and still this.

Onward.

Love, Val

today

We were tired today, not sure how far we'd get with this Christmas crap.

But first we replaced all the bulbs inside Santa, and he's looking good.

Late in the afternoon, we brought up the tree.

She was hard at work on a project.

Thanksgiving had to be put away.

Eventually Jay bought a new topper for the tree, and we put the lights on. Then the kids got ambitious and hung up their ornaments.

This little guy is new.  He's tiny, and very cute.

Little Santa is back on the roof.

Even the parking garage on the other side of the park looks sparkly tonight.

Good night.

Tomorrow is another day.

Love, Val

thanksgiving, 2022

Tables all set:

 

Beautiful day, easy company.

Happy Thanksgiving, Love, MOM, aka Grandma, aka Val

another great grandma

They had lunch today.  My mom's smile says it all.

Aww,   Love, Grandma

 

getting ready

We've been working on this all week, so today wasn't too bad.

Plus, we no longer have little kids in the house, so it is so much easier.  There are no messes to clean up, no fights to break up.  It's very different.

 As we worked, everything that needed a decision later went to the dining room table.  Eventually that had to be dealt with too.

We vacuumed so many times, over and over.   I must have emptied the tank five times.  It was to that point it always reaches when we're cleaning for an occasion, where I look at the dog and wonder how it is possible that she is not bald?

We dusted, vacuumed under the radiators, put away things that sit around, being overlooked for months on end.

And then we decided to tackle the gravy.  We defrosted the fat left from the turkey we cooked before and got to work on it.  It takes patience and a bit of time, but glad that's out of the way for tomorrow.

Tim put batteries in all the candles, looking good.   Last time we had a real fire in here was 1996.

Here's where I found Elin while I was working on the tables. Girl knows how to live.

And that's the end. 

Happy Thanksgiving Eve.   Love, Val