Christmas Countdown - 2018

[Martine]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A new year is here, I hope it will be better than the last. I disappeared from here in April or May last year. I popped in a few times the rest of the year but nothing regular. I told you my wife and I seperated back in September, we got back together and seperated again in November. My grandfather passed away in November and the time we spent reflecting after he passed brought us back together. Everything finally caught up to me at the end of November, and I had a breakdown where I had to go to the hospital. I am still recovering from the breakdown, but I am still doing everything I normally do. My wife and I are doing a lot better, we worked a lot of things out, us and the boys had a great Christmas. Between my grandfather's passing and the Christmas season, I believe those two things have saved our marriage.
I hope to be here more often this year and visit all of you.
I hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year.
Ron

Welcome back xmas365. After all the hardships you faced last year, I wish for you a healthy and positive new year.

 

[MerryCarey]

Morning Merry. As in an earlier post, it was the Twilight Zone for the marathon here (which also ended around 1AM). We usually just find a good movie to watch and then put it on pause to catch the EST & CST midnight celebrations.
Hope yours went well...
View attachment 41907

It did, thanks! Three feature films, then the countdown.

 

[Bradmac]

Greetings my merry friends

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Auntie. She sounds like a wonderful person and mother. Bless your heart, I'm sending a prayer for you and your family.

 

[He_Is_Born]

Greetings my merry friends

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.

Sympathies and prayers for you and your family.

 

[MerryCarey]

Six below this morning ... my windshield washer system is frozen solid. I have to get it thawed, flushed, and filled with super-cold-weather fluid tomorrow ahead of the snow we're expecting Thursday. Back to work and the real world!

 

[Bradmac]

Good Tuesday morning, Christmas friends!

I woke up to no water in Bellville this morning. Correction: There was enough water for me to get in the shower, but it was touch-and-go getting all the soap off before I got out. Whew!

It's not a cold here as it where some of you are, but it's in the teens. I work at a facility that makes concrete poles, and you can't pour concrete when it's freezing, so we're down...except in the office, of course.

They're talking about a possibility of snow tomorrow! In Bellville!!

I hope y'all have a great day!

 

[prancer]

Greetings my merry friends

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.

I am so sorry to hear about your mom AuntieMistletoeDear..Our thoughts are with you and your family my friend.

 

[CGYager]

Greetings my merry friends

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.

Good morning Auntie. Sorry to hear about your Mother's passing and glad she was able to spend a final Christmas with you. When my Dad passed many years ago, he was told that an operation was needed, but that due to his age they could only give him a 50/50 chance of survival. That was on December 5th. He was a huge fan of Christmas (which he passed on to us kids) and said with that news, he would hold off until after Christmas or the surgery. He told me over the phone that it was his time, he wanted to have one more Christmas. His operation was in January of the following year and as he suspected, he did not survive it. I miss him and remember his love for that day every year. My prayers go out to you and your family.
I'm certain your future Christmas celebrations will be just a joyful with what she and your Father have given you.
Enjoy 2018...

 

[CGYager]

Good morning MMC...back to my regular schedule. I had an extra cup of coffee this morning so I should be good to go! This cold weather is terrible but I am still enjoying my Christmas lights at night and having a cup of hot chocolate. They are saying we may get snow on Thursday, either 1-3 or 4-6? We'll see...hope you all have a great day!

Greetings SFM. Regular schedule and cold seem to be the norm around here this AM.
Have a terrific Tuesday and a exceptional first week of 2018...

 

[CGYager]

Good Morning ... my last day of my christmas vacation. Kids went back to school and DH went back to work today. Spending the morning doing laundry and tiding up from yesterday. We had extended family over for a family dinner and we had a fun decorating gingerbread houses. Had picked up a couple kids with multiple little houses so kids and the ladies were able to decorate a house each. Had so much fun that we are now planning a NYE get together and decorate Gingerbread houses. Have a great day!

Greetings Minta. Nothing quite like planning for NYE 2018 on the 1st or 2nd. My hats off to that. Sounds like you had a great time and perhaps the start of a new tradition at your abode.
Have a wonderful day...

 

[CGYager]

Good Tuesday morning, Christmas friends!

I woke up to no water in Bellville this morning. Correction: There was enough water for me to get in the shower, but it was touch-and-go getting all the soap off before I got out. Whew!

It's not a cold here as it where some of you are, but it's in the teens. I work at a facility that makes concrete poles, and you can't pour concrete when it's freezing, so we're down...except in the office, of course.

They're talking about a possibility of snow tomorrow! In Bellville!!

I hope y'all have a great day!

Hi there Brad. Watching the Weather Channel, it would appear that the first portion of 2018 is bringing that same kind of cold weather to just about the entire country. Grated many are not in the negative range, but I would imagine that the 30's down south feel just a rough and the -teens are in the upper mid-west.
Hang in there...

 

[Meceka]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A new year is here, I hope it will be better than the last. I disappeared from here in April or May last year. I popped in a few times the rest of the year but nothing regular. I told you my wife and I seperated back in September, we got back together and seperated again in November. My grandfather passed away in November and the time we spent reflecting after he passed brought us back together. Everything finally caught up to me at the end of November, and I had a breakdown where I had to go to the hospital. I am still recovering from the breakdown, but I am still doing everything I normally do. My wife and I are doing a lot better, we worked a lot of things out, us and the boys had a great Christmas. Between my grandfather's passing and the Christmas season, I believe those two things have saved our marriage.
I hope to be here more often this year and visit all of you.
I hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year.
Ron

Ron, you have my deepest condolences on the passing of your grandfather. As Made posted, I am glad that something good came out of it regarding your marriage. Continued prayers go up for you and good thoughts flow your way. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[Iteachpercussion]

Hello everyone!

Well, today is the last day off. Tomorrow is back to school. Some schools in the area were supposed to go back today but closed because of the cold. -12F -30F wind chill. I do not think I will be closed tomorrow, but I could see a 2 hour delay.

I need to get a few things done today, but nothing too ambitious.

We normally take our inside decorations down on New Year's Eve, but we did not this year. So at some point that has to happen. The real tree especially. If we keep it up much longer the needles were start to fall out.

Everyone have a great day!

 

[Meceka]

Good morning MMC!

Lotta snow again last night. We have not seen this much snow for quite some time. Does not make driving very much fun. Also still quite cold with a windchill of -23c (-9f)
Well I’m out to clean off the van and warm it up in a few minutes and then off to work. After that I have to drive Mom to an appointment out of town. It’s only a half hour drive from here so hopefully the roads are clear by then.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Safe travels for you and your mom, CS. Have a merry day!

 

[NcGunny]

Just a observation here with a experiment I tried last year.
I had taken a 300 GE mini light set and a 300 strand of WalMart brand and left them both plugged in since last Jan 2nd. I had them both so they didnt twinkle, both plugged into the same outlet in the spare bedroom. Today my alarm goes off on my calendar to say its time to check em....
1. GE light set...5 bulbs not working
2. WalMart light set...105 bulbs blown
Difference in price..7.00 more for GE
Cost to replace mini bulbs if you dont buy in 500 ct boxes, $31.00 if you buy the 4 pack of bulbs. Or 12.97 to just buy another box of Wally World lights.
To be fair to the WalMart lights..they started to blow around 1 1/2 months of being on full time.

 

[Meceka]

Good (early) morning Meceka. No doubt, I let one of my pups out around 3AM and did not even need to turn on an outside light. Very calming against the snow base. Now if we could just warm up a hair or two...
View attachment 41904

Good almost-afternoon, CG! I never did see the moon, but it was so bright out, I could see the path to the pond way off in back of the house. That area is usually in such shadow, the yard light doesn't even penetrate the gloom.
Total agreement on the warming "up a hair or two". The local weather forecaster was not very encouraging this morning with the news that he expects the extreme cold to last throughout most of January.
Stay warm, my friend, and have a merry day!

 

[Meceka]

Good morning MMC ~
Happy Tuesday!
It’s going to be sunny with a high of 24, we’re currently at 14 degrees. Not too much going on here, my husband heads back to work today after being off for a week. I am still fighting this cold, hopefully I’ll find some time to relax now that we’re back to our regular routines.
I hope everyone is well and has a wonderful day!
xx

Praying you are back to 100% soon, HmG. Have a merry day! Sending hugs to you and the fur babies. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[Meceka]

That's fantastic news; we are also expecting another Grandchild to love (July). I told number 1 son that I already bought the first gift when he reversed his vasectomy 2 years ago. Not that I was eager to get things rolling ... I love buying gifts for the little grands and watching them grow up into lovely beings.

Congratulations!

 

[Meceka]

Greetings my merry friends

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.

You and your family have my deepest condolences and prayers, Auntie. Sending much love and hugs your way. {{{HUGS}}}

 

[Meceka]

Just a observation here with a experiment I tried last year.
I had taken a 300 GE mini light set and a 300 strand of WalMart brand and left them both plugged in since last Jan 2nd. I had them both so they didnt twinkle, both plugged into the same outlet in the spare bedroom. Today my alarm goes off on my calendar to say its time to check em....
1. GE light set...5 bulbs not working
2. WalMart light set...105 bulbs blown
Difference in price..7.00 more for GE
Cost to replace mini bulbs if you dont buy in 500 ct boxes, $31.00 if you buy the 4 pack of bulbs. Or 12.97 to just buy another box of Wally World lights.
To be fair to the WalMart lights..they started to blow around 1 1/2 months of being on full time.

Interesting experiment.