December 11-12, 2008

I know I was MIA all day Thursday and Friday, but it was not because of being sick! I went to my friend Mary Ann's on Thursday morning (YES, I said morning!) to help get her Christmas tree up. She told me that she wasn't putting it up unless I was there to do the ornaments, so I agreed to go over to Preston to "ornament" her tree. Since she will only use a real tree, she has to do the lights. I refuse to get all itchy doing that!

When I arrived at 1pm I found out the heat wasn't working. A serviceman had been there on Monday to replace a transformer so Mary Ann thought that maybe the new one was blown by a power surge they had. Millicent (Mary Ann's 85-year-old mother) and I froze our patooties off once the sun went down. The service guy didn't arrive until 7pm. We had finally turned on the space heater around 6:00 because it was getting a little colder than our jackets and socks would handle.

Apparently there is air in the oil line so it has to be replaced, but the serviceman was able to put a regulator on the line to take care of the problem until someone could come back during the day to replace it. Mac wasn't too happy to hear that and I can't say that I blame her! Why does stuff like that always have to happen during the holidays?

This is my Day 11 Advent gift. I think I see a pattern here...now I have the third movie in the Love Comes Softly series, Love's Long Journey!! Thank you, Amy!

I arrived back in Annapolis on Friday just in time to get to dialysis. I had a pretty uneventful treatment and went home after stopping by the RiteAid to get some lightbulbs for Mom.

Since I saw on my way home that Rt 50 was backed up, I wasn't in a hurry to get mine and Kasey's stuff together. I would much rather start for Mom's later than sit in Bay Bridge traffic. Oh, the joys of being an Annapolitan whose almost-entire family lives on the Eastern Shore! I just got back from there this afternoon and now I'm heading over again! At least it gave me some time to do a few things (like open Days 11&12 Advent gifts)

Kasey got more and more excited as she saw her bowls, then baggies of food, and even toys go into a bag. When I picked it up to take it to the truck she was right beside me. She hopped into the "way-back" while I put everything in the back seat. One more trip inside to grab a couple more things and then we were on our way! I think we ended up leaving around 7:45 and arrived at Mom's around 9-ish.

Mom and I talked for a while, played a game of Skip-Bo and then took some wrapping supplies downstairs from the craft room. Since Ian has moved out, Mom's using his old room as her "Christmas Room" and we're all banned from entering. She's given me a weekend pass to help wrap and write Christmas cards, though. Of course, I forgot to bring some of the gifts I wanted to leave here, as well as my Christmas cards, though! GRR!

Anyway, that was my exciting two days. I'm trying to catch up on emails but I have a feeling that won't happen until Tuesday. Mom has a bunch of stuff she wants me to help with tomorrow, and then I'm going with her to see Dad play music at a VFW. I forgot which one or I'd tell you...

Oh, WOW! Day 12's Advent gift is from my stitching wish list! It's Amethyst Sewing Bag by Cherished Stitches! Isn't this perfectly purple?! I see alot of purple floss in my future stash orders!

I'm falling asleep as I write this, so I will get yesterday's and today's freebies posted later...goodnight