Christmas is done for another year

 I arrived home around 3:30 yesterday afternoon after a five-day visit at Andy & Mary's place in Renton. Got to see all four grandkids and JUST THIS MINUTE I remembered I forgot to get a picture of me posing with all of them.  Darn darn double darn!  How could I forget that?! NUTS!  Getting to see all four at once rarely happens anymore as three of them are adults and the youngest is seven. All leading their lives in different directions.  Big sigh....

I went to bed at 8:30 last night tired to the bone. I sat in the back seat of Jen's car coming home while Hunter drove. Lots of traffic but he's a good driver and thankfully, we didn't get caught in any traffic jam like Mary and I did on the way  to her house last Tuesday.  I hadn't been to Mary's house for a couple of years so it was fun for me to look at all her decorations and household gadgets.  Each night in bed I would lay there and rearrange my apartment in my head.  I spent all morning "changing this and that". Fun. Here's my latest apartment tour.

I decided I could find room in my bedroom afterall for the ironing board. At least I think it will work out there. At least it will be close to the sewing machine and available if I need to iron a shirt.

This walkway is what I call my music room. I use it to play CDs when I'm sewing and my Echo sits on the floor.

The sewing room gives me ample space to work as I rearranged some bins and where I keep the walker.

Craft supplies are back where I originally had them near the kitchen/living room.

        

                                    This is my office and where I paint rocks and do puzzles.

This is the library, tv room, and where I take recliner naps.  The chair just wasn't working in my bedroom

Here's my neighbor's place. He just left to visit his daughter in Sequim.

I left my car parked at my brother's place on Four Corners Road and visited with Lill while I waited for Mary to come pick me up. I had forgotten how pretty her bedroom was. She got this bed at a county fair.

So far today, I've done a load of laundry, vacuumed, washed dishes, refilled the hummingbird nectar, unpacked, did my crossword puzzle online, and rearranged. Left to do is thank you cards and I think I'll undecorate Christmas things later in the week.

One of the neatest gifts I got is this online journal like thing where you write about your life. The person giving it to you picked the questions and you get an email each Monday asking you to write about it (or another subject if you want). She ended up getting one from her daughter too, much to her delight.  At the end of the year, the whole thing is made into a printed book for you. I'm excited. My question today was  "how did you get your first job?"  It's called Story Worth.

I was browsing through back issues of TV Guides at Mary's house.  Read about so many shows that I have overlooked and might be interested in. I forgot to bring the magazines home but I'm going to start browsing closer on Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and cable tv.  I also saw in the AARP magazine this move starring Frances Dormand called Nomadland. I'll rent it for sure as soon as it's available. IMDB says:

After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.

I've got a pan of water simmering on the stove now as I think the air is dry in here and I'm hoping it will help relieve my stuffiness and grainy eyes.  One thing I noticed at Mary's was their use of Alexa on their Echo.  They talked to her all day long.  They'd say "Alexa: set the timer for 40 minutes".  Then Jake could play games on his phone until the timer went off.   Later, they'd tell her to set it for 40 minutes again and then he could go on the phone again.  Winter time with school not being in session is hard on all three of them at times. I FaceTimed her this morning and she was on the way to Jake's soccer practice so at least he has that.  I forget about using Alexa but I'm doing it more now.....to remind me to put the laundry in the dryer and again to go fetch them.  I told her to set the time for two hours today so I'll be reminded to keep an eye on the water on the rangetop.

One sad pause I took this week was hearing that the 2nd daughter of one of my best friends in Kirkland died.  Not sure what took her down but it's always a tragedy when a person you knew as a child passes. She was probably in her mid 50's.

I posted most of my pictures on Facebook already so you'll have to go to my page to see them. Here are  a few of my favorites, though.

Ants & Maddie (engaged) with Andy on the right. Ants just sold his house in Spokane and is waiting to find out where the Air Force will send him next. He's thinking Dayton, Ohio.

Catie and her sister, Audrey, who lives in Utah. She drove out here all by herself which amazes me. She's almost ready to start work as a doctor.

My best pal, Poppy. I posted lots of pictures of her as she made me laugh a lot.

Haley, Hunter's girl friend from P.A. who is going to college in Bothell.

                                         me and Catie near Mary's pretty tree

                                                                     Poppy sleeps funny

                                          Jake's favorite gift - full size skateboard.

Me and Jake watching Life Below Zero. Because I wanted to. haha  Actually, he became interested in it too as they all had guns. I taught him how to play bingo online so my job here is done.

                                                               Poppy by the fireplace.

                The Sunday gang. We had pulled pork sandwiches,and finger food. Yum. Louie couldn't make it because he had to work. Catie bought him an Otamatone to play. I've never heard of it but I looked it up on Youtube. He plays guitar too.  Wayne couldn't make it because Sammy is dying. Boo Hoo

                                             This was Christmas dinner. Salmon and chicken.

Well, I'd best get started on those thank you cards or I'll find an excuse to put it off. Hope your New Year (and mine) is better than 2020 was. It has to be.