WORK CONTINUES

After a quick trip to Kansas to visit the family, Handyman has spent the rest of the week at the cabin. He's making progress on the remodel. While we were making the trip home, he phoned the local lumber yard and ordered what will be our entry door (a fifteen-light door). He was going to order the windows too, but we couldn't remember exactly how many lights there were in each window (it was 4) so he had to wait until we could check out pictures before he could order them. The door should be in next week and the windows the week after that. The two kitchen windows were only storm windows so he's replacing them with single hung double pane windows. Two of the upstairs windows are really narrow and won't let in much light or air so he's replacing those also. On Wednesday, he got all of the ceiling tiles taken down. It was quite a task since they had been screwed on and then the seams all filled with caulk that covered the screws! He also did some electrical re-wiring. He removed several splices that had been made by previous tenants and replaced the wiring correctly. Last week he rewired the upstairs and put up wallboard. Today he was going to remove the door that opened into thin air and the wallboard in the bathroom and kitchen so he would be able to work on the plumbing. All of the kitchen plumbing was in the floor, not in the wall, so he's going to move all of that so we'll have more storage under the sink. It has been a huge task just to figure out what order to do the work. I am so lucky to have such a great handyman around that can tackle such a daunting project! It will be so great to be able to go up there and spend time together once the project is finished.

GRANDKIDS - DECEMBER 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS

As we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we wish for you and yours a very Merry Christmas!!

TWO DAYS TO GO

It doesn't seem possible that Christmas is in two days. The "busyness" of Christmas preparation has passed. All the packages are wrapped and ready to be transported to Kansas. I haven't done much baking this year since it's just the two of us. Our Sunday School class had our annual caroling party Sunday night and we caroled for several from our church who have had a rough year and then everyone got to feast on all the treats that were brought in. It just wouldn't be Christmas without this annual event. Holly is coming over in the morning and we're going out for breakfast, then to her house to see her tree and to deliver and set up her Christmas present. She opted for a new LCD TV this year. It sure did make shopping for her easy this year. Then tomorrow night we have two Christmas Eve Services at church. The choir is singing at the early service so we're going to that one, then Holly will be joining us for the 11:00 service. Christmas Day I'm baking a turkey with all the trimmings for us and Holly. We'll have an early lunch since Holly will need to get home to get to bed since she's working Christmas night. Then we're going to Grannie's. Cyndi is cooking a late lunch/early dinner (I doubt that we'll eat much since we will have just had a big lunch, but it was going to be too late for Holly). I've been enjoying the quiet days this week but have missed the anticipation of family coming home for Christmas. I hope that next year everyone can come home for Christmas! We're looking forward to going to Kansas for a few days to see the rest of the family and see the delight in the grandkids eyes as they open their presents from us. I hope that Santa is good to everyone and that you have a very Merry Christmas!!

GETTING IN THE SPIRIT

This is the beginning a very hectic week for handyman and me. Tonight was the first performance of the Cantata at church. It went very well with our new choir director. We have a repeat performance tomorrow at the early service. Then after eating lunch, daughter, Holly, and I are heading for Nashville to attend a performance of The Nutcracker. In all of my 57 years, I've never seen it so I'm looking forward to it. Then on Monday it's back to work and then another dental appointment that afternoon. Monday night I'll be working on breakfast for my co-workers for Tuesday morning. This is my Christmas present to them. We're having my Christmas morning breakfast casserole along with biscuits & gravy, jams & jellies That afternoon I have a Dr. appointment. Tuesday evening we're having our school dinner at Mariah's restaurant at 7:00. They always have delicious food. Then on Wednesday night we're attending the choir dinner at Cambridge Market. Nothing is planned for Thursday (so far) and then on Friday I have to travel to Frankfort for my quarterly employee evaluation followed by lunch out with my boss and a few others that hold the same job as I do, but in different parts of the state. Then on Saturday we'll be getting ready for our annual caroling party with our Sunday School Class that will take place on Sunday evening. The house will have to be cleaned and several food dishes put together.
Most of my gift buying is done, but I still have the wrapping to do. The Christmas letter is saved on my computer, but I just got the stationary today to print it on. I haven't done any candy or cookie making (that's partially intentional, so we won't eat so much). Guess I do need to get a few things together. And I'm contemplating baking a turkey on Christmas Day since I didn't bake one for Thanksgiving.
But now it's time to get to bed. Gotta rest up for tomorrow!

DENTAL VISITS

After having to change my dentist appointment for Nate, I finally made it in to start getting my old fillings replaced. Monday they worked on what I thought would be the worst filling. It was my only wisdom tooth and the whole back side of it is a filling. Turned out that it wasn't too bad. They put a topical numbing agent on before they stuck me with the needle so that wasn't bad at all. All in all I was very pleased with everything. Then last night after the numbing wore off I had some pain at the injection site and took some Advil before I went to bed. While I was there yesterday I went ahead and made another appointment for today to get one of my other fillings replaced. I thought -- this one is gonna be a piece of cake ---- not!! They started out the same with the topical numbing and a shot. Not so bad. Then he came back with another shot -- couldn't feel a thing. Everything was going fine, he was getting down to the end of drilling and I felt a little twinge and flinched just a little. He immediately stopped and put in another shot -- that was fine too, didn't feel a thing. They finished up without any other problems.
Have you ever had dental work where they numb you? I hate that lack of feeling in my tongue, lips, face... You should have seen me eating supper. Little bites, all on the opposite side of my mouth. Those 3 shots kept me from feeling anything. Then about 5 hours after my appointment my face started itching -- the numbness was wearing off. It was a terrible feeling. I decided to take a little nap and when I woke up I had feeling back. THEN I started having some pain at the injection sites. I've taken a couple of Advil, but it's still a little uncomfortable. I think I'll take some more when I go to bed.
Next Monday I get to do it all over again. That will be it for a while. He wants to put a crown on my root canal, but my dental insurance won't pay on that until next October. So it's just gonna have to wait a while since it's not bothering me.