What does one do?....

....no more work I have to do this weekend.... got the house to myself..... got my morning exercise in...took my shower..did as much house cleaning as I want to do.....so what do I do with 'free time' ...what else but watch the Twilight movies...blog...and relax.   I am watching New Moon at this point...Think I'll be able to get all 3 in before hub gets home.

Hoping my oldest is having a wonderful birthday...she is 24 today...where did the years go?...they keep slipping by..faster and faster as I get older it seems... I still have a hard time writing 2012 on things.

I am going to try to save this year, and take the advice I've read about putting some away for savings first, actually I am to treat it like a bill and put the same amount into a savings account each month. This way, I'll at least be saving something.  If all works out well, will be able to pay downs some debts and save money too.

We have a new member to the family now.  Even though we said we'd not get another dog, with Shelby having to be put to sleep nearly 2 years ago, and Obi having bone cancer in October, there was just an emptiness around here. Probably the fact that my oldest moved back east and my youngest has not been able to come home very often this school year hasn't helped either.....but yes we got another dog.  Meet Lady Bug.  We adopted her from Austin Sheltie Rescue (the rescue group I am involved in).   We found out she was previously named Molly and we already have a Molly, although the rescue group renamed her Dolly, we didn't care for that name (and she's only been called that a few weeks). I wanted to name her Lady after the first sheltie I ever owned, and my hubby started calling her a bugger because she was bugging everyone to play as soon as she got here.  So her name is Lady Bug.  She is very sweet and loving and a ball full of energy.  She'd play 24/7 if she had things her way.  The house is getting dirty faster, but we don't care.  We love having our new addition!!

Ever procrastinate?....

I am doing it right now. I am holding off heading to bed because that way Monday won't be here so soon.  I will have to give in at some point soon, but for now I'll blog a few minutes first...

I am feeling a little more of the Empty Nester blues these days as my youngest could only be home for a few days during the holidays, not because she had to go back to school but because she had to go back to campus to work.  I sort of knew this might happen when she got a job near college as employers don't care if a college student is done finals and has nearly a month off...they want their employees.  I am grateful that she even got a few days off at Christmas! 

It also doesn't help that my oldest is now living back east so I did not get to see her at all this Christmas. So as much as I try to procrastinate....the inevitable is going to happen....I will have an empty nest, permanently sooner than I would like.

I guess then I'll have to start a new blog..not sure what the title will be...."The Pre-Golden Years".. or perhaps "5o something is the new 30 something...right?"...or maybe something really original like "What I want to do with the second half of my life"...

New Years Again...

Well it is New Year's again...a time when everyone feels like they have a clean slate, a new year to do so much...to earn more money...have more free time...hey even win the lottery.

It is a time full of hopes and dreams...and possibilities.   Just to help out a bit more I even had black eyed peas with dinner tonight...hubby didn't eat them as he doesn't like them, so guess I'll just be the only lucky one!

Since we had a long weekend, we rented some movies.  One of the ones we saw was 'The Help' as I heard it was really good, and one that required a box of tissues. I cried for this lady and that lady and this family...it was a very touching movie.  Having been born in the late 50's, I was unaware of how things were in the south  in the 60s.  I thought the days of having maids such as those portrayed in the movie happened long before I was born.  

Funny how things were different at least by the 70's where I lived.  Although there were only a handful of African American students at my school, we had am African American female class president one year and we were friends.  I'm not saying that to sound surprising, it is just that I have always thought of blacks as equals where I grew up and was somewhat shocked by the movie. I guess where one has grown up has something to do with it.  Anyway good movie!

Back to work tomorrow...at least it will be a short work week.  I'm sure I'll be thinking it is Monday all day...

Does this ever happen to you?

Today my hubby came up to me and gave me a quick kiss....
then looked at me sort of funny..
Then he said "It isn't really cold enough yet for a beard".

And THEN I noticed that he had shaved his beard off!
LOL.  He doesn't get mad that I don't notice and he really
does look quite different with one (like 10 years older)... :)
but I just didn't notice.

Too funny!

I am so excited! Still working right now but finishing up hopefully by midnight then I'm done working until after Christmas!

Looking forward....

to this week...

That is something I rarely say on a Sunday but for the first time in 6 years I am taking 3 days off before Christmas.  I have been working a ton the last several months and there have been some very long work days/nights....so it is a much needed time off. 

So the fact that I only have to work tomorrow and Tuesday and then that's it until after Christmas has me thrilled!  Hoping my youngest can get off work all the days I took off, but she does have at least a long weekend off so whatever time she has will be nice having her home.

My other daughter is back east and just moved there in August so she won't be making the trip back here but hopefully she'll have a great Christmas and much more of a chance having a white Christmas than me.

I did manage to get done 60 of the Angel Christmas cards considering I didn't have a lot of time I'm happy with that!  Makes me feel good doing this little nice project each year sending people some Christmas cheer with  a card!

Rain..rain DON'T go away....

We probably have had more rain in the last few days than we have had all year.. not always a steady downpour but it is a much welcomed change from the extensive drought we've been experiencing!  It is cold outside too, in the 40's which is not that common for central Texas but I'll take it, since it has brought the rain! :)

Today I am doing laundry, a regular weekend chore as usual but also doing some Christmas cards that we send to family and friends.  We managed to get a very good picture this year of our dogs as well. Not bad considering we took it ourselves!  Of course it is easier taking a picture of 4 as opposed to when we had 6, but I'd be fine with that!  I miss Obi and Shelby. 

Didn't do any decorating yet and will most likely not do a lot.  With no little ones in the house, I don't get the desire to decorate much. I still look forward to Christmas and actually for the first time in years am taking off of work a few days before so that I can enjoy some relaxing times and cookie baking with my youngest (the oldest is back east).  It will be hard not seeing the oldest this year at Christmas but perhaps next year. Well back to it, I've only done 4 cards so far..

Here's something I do every year...

I will not have as much time to participate in this project this year....so I wanted to share the link in the hopes that others may be willing to help.  It is really a nice thing..and simple.. sending Christmas cards to those who are ill or perhaps alone this year...