Doctor Visit

Went to the Doctor today to have my arm checked and told them how sick I'd been, the Doctor ordered lung X-rays as well as for my arm.  The lungs are clear, but I have a nasty sinus infection and bronchitis, so I'm on medication again, plus shots today and tomorrow to speed things up.  I do feel better.
My wrist is much better, but the bone at the base of my pinky finger isn't quite healed, so 2 more weeks in my sleeve.  I'm not surprised, I knew the finger hadn't healed yet.
But we're home, I'm making bean and bacon soup, it already smells so good, and we'll have that with some ham for a change of pace.
Still packing up Christmas, where do I put it all!
Quite warm here, but they say cooler weather is finally heading our way.  I hope so.
Back to decluttering.

Under The Weather

I've been under the weather since before New Years and am just now starting to feel human again.  I've spent a lot of time wrapped up in an afghan on the couch watching endless episodes of MythBusters.
 Tomorrow is a doctor's visit to have my arm rexrayed to see if I can quit wearing the "sleeve" on it.  Think I'll have him listen to my lungs too to see if I have coughed one of them out.
Very warm here, hit 80º on New Year's Day, some rain today, but not much cooler.
Have very   SLOWLY been undecorating the house, Mac had  to do most of the tree and drag it out.  He's been wonderful, he's been promoted from sous chef to Head Chef, cleaning lady and nurse.  He's looking forward to going back to being the gardener.
Will be back when I have a bit more energy.

Surprise, Surprise

Walking down the hall to my closet yesterday I glanced in the bathroom and lo to my eyes what should appear, no not Santa and his reindeer, but rather a lovely green lizard.  And I don't think it was the Geico Gecko trying to sell me insurance.  But rather an Anole (chameleon) stretching his neck to look around.  I don't know who was more surprised, him or me.  Called for Mac who got a net and carried him outside.
Today has been spent taking down a bit more Christmas.  It sure goes up a lot quicker than it comes down.  I have the family room almost done and that's the room we use the most.  Mac has started hauling storage tubs down for me and I will get serious in the living room tomorrow.

Running Around

Went to the post office to mail  a package to our daughter, some of her stuff she now wants in Japan and one of her Christmas presents, a George Foreman grill that was too big and too heavy for her suitcase.  We thought with  Christmas over the post office would be empty, HA!  The line was out the door, but it moved fairly quickly.  It takes a while to mail an overseas package, everything that you've put on the Customs Slip must be typed into the system too.  And we won't even talk about the cost, told our daughter to think of it as another Christmas present.
Doctor visit for Mac and then off to the grocery store to stock up on some healthy food, think apples instead of chips, to start the New Year.
Now it's time to work on the house.

Tuesday in the Swamp

Excuse the screen I took it through the window.

Our daughter is safely home in Japan after her long flight, she only has to work one day this week and then everyone is off for New Years, a big holiday in Japan.
We woke to fog today, so a good day to stay in and start the yearend clean up.
Ate lamb sandwiches yesterday and then froze the rest of the lamb,  most of the pumpkin pie is gone, I made it and didn't particularly like the taste of it, though Mac and April did.
I got puzzles for Christmas and will pick one to start the New Year with.

The Day After

Our front yard with reindeer, Santa, Frosty and
packages.

Had to change out of my shining sweater,
our daughter said the blinking lights were giving her a headache.

Christmas was wonderful, so many gifts!!! Leg of lamb for dinner, oh so good.  Warm weather 78º on Christmas Day, felt very tropical.  Ate till we could hold no more, napped and watched football.
Today, up much too early, 4 AM and off to the airport for our daughter's early morning flight.  First leg of the journey home is done, she's in Houston waiting for her flight to Tokyo.  She'll be home in Fukuoka tomorrow night.
It was wonderful having her here this week, she helped with everything, brought us wonderful Japanese gifts and was just great to have here.  We've decided to not go to Germany in 2017 and will instead go back to Japan to spend time with her.  Mac is busy looking for flights as I type.

Christmas morning opening packages.

Deviling eggs for Christmas lunch and they were delicious

Christmas Card Exchange

I joined in with Amy at Love Made My Home for a Christmas card exchange and my partner was Anne at Annie OB Textiles.  She sent me this lovely homemade card.  I've been so impressed with all the homemade cards this year that I may try it next year.  In the meantime, we're off to the airport to pick up our daughter.
Don't know how much blogging will go on for the next few days, so just in case:

                    

                       Merry Christmas

She's On Her Way

Our lovely daughter has left her home in Fukuoka, Japan and is on her way here.  First she flies to Tokyo, goes through customs and flies for 14 hours to Washington D.C., has a 2 hour layover and will be here tomorrow afternoon around 2 P.M.  It's a long trip and I bless her for doing it.  She's what makes Christmas for us.
Cleaned the house some, usually give the place a good cleaning before having company, but it was too hard to do any deep cleaning.  Lots of good meals planned though and if there is one thing our family likes to do it's eat.
Still wrapping presents and Mac sold 3 more paintings in the last 2 days and they had to be packed up for shipping.  We've gone through most of our cardboard boxes, a couple of rolls of packing tape and all my brown wrapping paper.  There will be no more shipments till after Christmas.
Speaking of shipping, my present to my sister that we mailed last week came back to us on Friday more than a week after we had originally mailed it.  So we had to ship it out again yesterday, hope it gets to her before Christmas.

Five on Friday

It's Friday, again, they do come around quickly.  It's time to join in with Amy at Love Made My Home and all the other Friday Bloggers.  With just 9 days to go this Friday has to be filled with lots of Christmasy stuff.

First:    There are the Christmas pillows spread around the house.

Second:  I love Christmas and dress accordingly.  My new sweater lights up when you move or when it's hanging in the closet if you brush against it.  I thought about wearing it when we go to pick our daughter up Monday, but I'm afraid she'd disown me.  She's a bit more low key about Christmas.

This is the one that lights up

Third:   These are some of my Christmas earrings, I might get away with wearing them on Monday.

Fourth: The spirits are shiny and bright, we will be having Gluh Wein, a lovely German win served warm in the winter months.

Fifth:  Thought I'd leave you with a selection of Christmas paintings Mac has done for me through the years.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

A Few Random Thoughts

For some strange reason this is seeming like a long week.  I suspect it's because our daughter gets here from Japan next Monday and I'm trying to speed this week up .  Her room is clean, fresh linens await her, the bathroom is clean and Miss Kitty has covered everything in a fresh coat of cat fur.  What more could a girl want.
We're in for rain tonight and that's a good thing, it's too warm, in the 70's, and plants are producing pollen, bad, bad, bad, I was just beginning to breathe easily.
Do you "read", listen to books?  I've considered it, our library has a much better selection of audio books than ebooks.  But I'm so hyper and so easily distracted that I fear I'd never keep listening.
Watched a truly awful movie this weekend  and I don't say that about a lot of movies.  It was Independence Day Resurgence.  We loved the first Independence Day, it was well cast, decent script and lots of action.  This one was just awful, not well cast, side stories that just distracted and a poor script.  If I'd paid to watch it I would have wanted my money back.
Time to start lunch, hope the week speeds up.

Sunday in the Swamp

Baked cookies, wrapped packages, did the laundry, swept the floor, vacuumed, I am a one-armed wonder.
Rather warm here today, have the door open to let some fresh air in.  Wrapping small gifts while watching football, a nice Sunday afternoon.
Cooked those pesky chicken wings yesterday, the ones I bought by accident.  Roasted them in the oven and added a bag of sauce I had.  They were not too bad, I was surprised, wings are not my favorite part of the chicken.
Today though is comfort food: Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Corn and a Salad.  I've earned it.  Hoping you all are having a good Sunday.