The Eve of Christmas Eve

8:01 am - It is a cold clear morning. I had to turn up a couple of the heat zones in the house, because the pellet stove isn't keeping up. Gr escaped this morning from Map, and is taking a puppy break at Mother's.

9:25 am - I just broke a mirror. So do I start looking for those seven years bed luck, or just except that I no longer have a mirror over my mantel.

11:47 am - Someone knocked out the phone at the office this morning, ripped the wires off the pole. So I was a half hour on the cell phone to Fair Point getting them to come and make repairs. Now Gr and I are out delivering gifts around town. With all the errands and other thing that need to be finished up I've decided we'll just pizza for dinner tonight. Right now I'm breaking for lunch.

10:22 pm - Little is out again tonight. His friend J D from high school is back from the Air Force, so they are all meeting up to Friendly's. C and his cousin J P are hang out here at the house, playing video games. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm already for Christmas. No stress this year, no last minute things. Cool. Now if Big E felt better and wasn't so worried about his father. Oh well that one of the things I can't fix.

To Warm For Winter

9:27 am - I had a fight with the pellet stove again this morning, but it's going now. A dark morning and the wind is coming up. To warm for any snow. I'm sick of this weather, I want real winter.

3:29 pm - It's 61 degrees. So much for snow, but on the up side the ice has melted away. With the warm weather I took the opportunity to get the bunnies cage cleaned out. Now I have a few more gifts to wrap. I bought some more things for the dogs. Now I've got to move some money around for the business.

5:25 pm - Mother had me come down while some insurance guys came in. She is trying to decide what kind of Medicare to have. Since Mother is healthy, it looks like she will be going with Part C plan, with a small co-pay. The thing is Mother hates to make a decision, which is why she wants me to tell her what to do.

7:05 pm - Thought I would do a follow up on my Dollar a Day. To make up for yesterday; when I didn't donate, today I left two dollars at Whitman's in a can for the NorthShaft Lion's Club's fund to build a park in North Bennington. Hate to say this, but donating a dollar a day isn't as easy as you might think.

It's A Wonderful Life

9:09 am - Wow I was lucky that I left Maine and came home when I did on Thursday. Watching the news this morning and saw the damage from ice, with trucks backed up on a street in Saco that I drove down to get to the highway. Once again I can say timing in life is everything. Here we have a cold sunny day, with a few big flakes of snow.

1:18 pm - It's cold. I took Gr with me to the office so we could start on catching up with the paper work. I put up a note to the guys that there wasn't going to be any more overtime. I'm not sure they understand that we are running out of work. I got a few gifts into the mail. Three more families to ship to than the rest of the things can be delivered in person. I had to break down and give my dollar to the Salvation Army today. I just didn't feel like being out any longer, just wanted to get home.

2:51 pm - Gr gets funny I bring bags up out of the basement with the gifts to wrap. So to keep him interested and not weired out, I put a couple of dog biscuits in a paper LL Bean bag and sat it on the floor. He played with the bag and got his treats. He seems happier.

8:22 pm - It is a clear, cold, beautiful night. I have spent most of the day wrapping gifts. I get to top the night off by watching what is without a question my favorite Christmas movie; There is something so very pure about this simple story about one average man's life. Do I hear bells ringing, could an Angel be getting his wings?

Chores and Jobs and Truth

7:24 am - This is going to a screwy day. I've got myself packed for my Christmas shopping trip. As it seems is normal the day before you leave on a trip, things tend to pile up. The electrician Mother and I have been waiting on for months is coming this morning. I've got to be here because Mother wont be, she's going shopping with Aunt H. Oh well, as I well know everything will get done and by this time tomorrow I'll be on the road in search of gifts.

11:08 am - Yeah it's snowing. Great big fat flakes. I don't think it will last, it's to warm, but right now at least it's kind of pretty. Oh and I'm working my way through all those jobs so that I can out of here tomorrow. Big E gave me good news. We got a job over in Stratton, so there will be work through January. Than we'll have to see what comes up.

9:06 pm - I did it, finished up with the last thing, paying my home bills at just before seven thirty. Big E has me worried. The last couple of nights he has looked waisted. Mentally used up, instead of his usual physically spent. I know part of it is how bad things are going with he business, but I think the bigger problem is how sick his Dad is. I don't know how to be a good a wife in this matter. Should you sugar coat just how sick the Doctors and the family have let D become, or do you look him in the eye and tell him the truth. I know that I prefer the truth, but Big E, I don't which way to go.