Grandchild

Getting To It

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I finally got my attic back.  Over the past few years, changes in the housing setups for the children have landed quite a bit of stuff in my attic.  She had a jeep load and so did he.  I got everything down and took it to them.  Then promptly loaded my own stuff up there.  I had things tucked in closets and the washroom.  With a place to put things I don’t use often, I can make room to spread out things I do use regularly. 

The winter cleaning has finally begun.  I started with the washroom.  It is very large and has a lot of storage space.  With the boxes removed and put in the attic, I have space to move things from crowded closets.  My idea is to eliminate layers.  I want to be able to get something from a shelf without having to move other things around.  It will require getting rid of some things, too.  Things I don’t really want.

Both the children have their own homes now that our daughter has bought hers.  I have so many things I have held on to in case they want them.  It’s time to get my house together.  I don’t mind them not wanting things I will offer them.  I just wanted to allow them time to be in a place to take them if they do want them.  Otherwise, the Salvation Army will have a few more things on the shelves.

I have several empty boxes awaiting things.  I haven’t filled them up.  I thought I would have by now.  However, I have had more company than I had planned.  Wonderful company. 

I’m working on a system or whatever than calls for no zero days.  The idea is to have certain things I will do every day and tasks I have on my things to do list and each one counts.  If I do even one of the everyday tasks or one of the things to do, it makes it not a zero day.  One done is not a zero day.

The older Duchess was with me the other day and she and I were talking about it.  I was sort of thinking out loud about it at least not being a zero day.  She wanted an explanation.  I told her that had certain things to do and if I did even one it was not a zero day.  I named a couple of things I had done and she reminded me of a couple more things. 

Her encouragement made my heart warm.  The little ones are paying attention.  Lord, let me get more right than wrong for them to see and hear and feel.    

Tea Cakes and Sugar Plum Fairies

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I am trying to perfect tea cakes.  I have my great grandmother’s “recipe”. Really a set of instructions that she tried to put measurements to when relaying it to my aunt.  I have the dough down pretty well.  I need to survey some of my older relatives to get more information.  How thin is “really thin” and were they soft or crisp when cooled? 

I made a variation of the dough this past weekend.  I substituted eggnog for the milk, increased the vanilla a bit and added a good spoonful of nutmeg.  They have a subtle flavor Rock and I like.  I think our son will like them.  He is a fan of eggnog.

At the antique mall, the older duchess found a Sugar Plum Fairy Barbie doll.  It wasn’t complete, but when I explained to her why, she seemed to understand.  We got it and after we got home, I pulled up a video of the Bolshoi Ballet performing the Sugar Plum dance.  She danced her doll around while listening and partly watching.  Maybe in a couple years both of the duchesses will be ready to sit through a production of The Nutcracker Ballet.  I have wonderful memories of my mother, the children and me dressing up and attending the ballet in Beaumont at the Julie Rogers Theater.  My niece danced in it as a child, too.

I am keeping Christmas music playing and when on the road in the evenings, I am looking out for Christmas lights.  The tree is up and the handful of decorations I use are put out.  Each year there is some variation of what I do.  Every year I use deer antlers in the dining table centerpiece because Rock likes them. And I want to do things he likes.  I change the details around them.  Sometimes I get carried away and we are pushing the centerpiece out of our dinner plates.  Oh, well…………

I haven’t been Christmas shopping, yet.  I have a couple of things I picked up along the way. I suppose sometime this week I should get busy.  I seem to wait later every year.  I told my bunch I don’t want anything wrapped up under the tree.  I have some projects around the house I would like for them to do instead. 

Ten days and counting down to Christmas Eve.  I really had better get myself busy.  A lot to do for our family gathering.  I am already busy enjoying this special time of the year. A gathering with friends for dinner, special moments during Sunday morning services, music, lights, decorations, Duchesses.  The younger one will be here this weekend.  We’ll see what she finds to explore for the season.  Yep, I’m already busy!