Oooh - new p.j.'s and a long, fleece fuzzy robe.  Don't I look good!  I have the new James Patterson book, my Red Door perfume, my vanilla Lavendar lotion and body wash, a new sweater, a beautiful silver framed picture of Nikki and Eric, a gift certificate to Applebee's among other things. 

 

I hope everyone enjoyed their day yesterday.  I can't believe how much warmer the weather was.  We were able to open the back door yesterday and let a bit of fresh air in.  Especially with the oven going, it was warm. 

 

I'll be doing a bit of cleaning up today, preparing for tomorrow when Kevin's mom and sister's visit to see the kids.  Kevin didn't make it over with the kids yesterday.  They had overbooked themselves and we decided rather than a rush visit, we would wait until Saturday when they had no other family obligations. Teresa and her mom, her aunt and brother came by.  Dinner was great - Kevin helped with the potatoes (I hate peeling potatoes) and we all did the clean-up.  8:00 found me sound asleep in my chair -- imagine that.

 

So, guess I'll read the paper and get today started with the cleaning.  It feels like the weekend and it's only Friday.  I just love 4 day weekends - and we get another one next week.  Take care everyone.  I hope you enjoyed your Christmas.

 

 

I'm just sitting sipping on my coffee and remembering all the Christmas Eve's and Christmas Days that have passed in our family.  Today, Kevin and I will be working all day.   Afterwards, he will help with the finishing touches for Christmas morning.  Then we will watch some tv and go to bed.  Our past Christmas Eve's were always so chaotic and busy, as ususally that was the day we all shared with my sister and her kids.  At her house one year, mine the next year.  We don't do it any longer, as our kids are now grown with other responsibilies, and my sister has moved quite a ways away.  The drive there and back is too long to do in one evening.  Almost too long for even one day.  For the last two or three years, the focus  is on my dad -- spending as many Christmas's with him as we can.  We pick a day before or after and spend it on the mountain at his house.  This year, it's January 3. 

 

I'll miss the last minute wrapping, starting the big dinner, or if it was at her house, making sure I had the dessert to bring.  After getting home, I miss picking up the house, frantically wrapping last minute things, and setting the scene for morning.  I looked forward to seeing the kids rush to the living room and see the presents, turning on the lights.  I'll miss hearing them tiptoe silently though the house in the middle of the night, to see the tree - thinking we are asleep, whispering and trying so hard to be quiet.  They always did some silly thing to make noise, which always started the giggling and shhhhhhh's .  Finally falling asleep, only to be woken a few hours later (usually 4:30 a.m.) to find little faces staring at me in the light of the alarm clock saying "mom - wake up - It's Christmas!"  And feeling Kevin pull the covers over his head...lol!

 

There was the time I found Nikki sitting on the couch in the middle of the night -- looking at the tree and presents.  "I can't go to sleep mom"  and I made us both hot chocolate and turned on the tree lights.  We talked for awhile, sharing Christmas's past, before heading back to bed.  That was a special night and I realized she was growing up so fast.

 

Then came the joy and chaos of Christmas morning......so many of them to remember.  Jaime with his traditional Santa hat and his own brand of humor, Nikki and Charlie handing out presents and little Kevin barely awake (he never did like to get up in the morning, even on Christmas).  Taking turns opening presents, laughing and teasing -- finally done, cleaning up the wrapping.  I remember Charlie laying his tired little head in little Kevin's lap and they played a new hand held video game.  The year Nikki set her tea set on fire   (just a little bit, as a bit of the packaging flew on top of the candle on the dining room table).  Oh I could go on and on.....so many years, so many memories.

 

Where did all the cookie baking go?  And the church Christmas Plays (Kevin and I played Mary and Joseph one year).  The school Christmas concerts and class parties.  Mom taking the kids to buy dad a present and dad taking them to buy mom one.  It will be quieter this year and has been for the last few years.  To say I miss it would be an understatment.  Little Kev was the first to celebrate Christmas with his own little family.  Jaime is now in California.  Nikki and Charlie will be here -- but I can't help thinking "what about next year" she will begin her own Christmas morning traditions. 

 

I have had a hard time this year, getting in the spirit of Christmas and now that I have written this blog, I realize why.  Or maybe I have known why all all along and ignored it.  Time is moving on and I guess I'm going to have to pull up my big girl pants and deal with it.  This year the attention will focus on our little man Eric.  And Kaelynn and baby Kev who will be by later in the day.  And the generations move on as they should.

 

Good grief - I didn't come on here to get all mopey and teary eyed.  I came on to wish you all a safe and Merry Christmas!  But in my usual way - I like to find positives to cancel out my negatives.  My positive now, is that I actually can come here and share my feelings - good or bad and you all will listen and comment and in your own wonderful way put a smile back on my face.  You share your own memories and feelings.  I've been given a wonderful gift that has carried me through the past years full of change.   Thank you everyone -- for the gift of your friendship. 

 

Now to get my day started, making a new memory.  Different yes, but still new. 

 

We are gearing up for our second round of snow today.  Charlie is asleep on the couch, so I'm trying to be quiet.  He lost his cell phone in a snowbank yesterday (that kid has the worst time with cellphones) - so there is no way to call him for plowing. Being here, he will be on hand when the call comes.  And it surely will.

 

Our Office Christmas Party was very nice.  It was held at The Glen Sanders Mansion (which is rumored to be haunted) and the place is beautiful.  I had never been there before but had heard it is one of the best  places around for events such as weddings.  As a matter of fact there was a reception going on dowstairs from where we are and the place was rocking.  Therefore it was decided by the powers that be (us women) that next year we will have a band and dancing.  The boss just rolled his eyes - of course he signs the checks, so we will have to ease him into it.   We had a Christmas game with Lottery tickets as prizes and I won ten dollars. Sure was hoping for that Mega Million,  but maybe next time.  No ghosts appeared to entertain us.  Hmmm maybe next time. 

 

Anyway, so here I sit with tons to do, and the need to be quiet is delaying it all.  I'm going to take a shower and head to the grocery store to get that done.  Everone should be up and around by the time I get back.  I do have a few more things to get, but that can be done during the week on my lunch or I can take an hour or two from work.

 

I'm starting to get used to this new Spaces format thank heaven, although there are a few bugs that need to be worked out.  They need to bring back the photo rearrangers for one thing.  Also, I cannot get back to my space or profile from someone elses, without hitting the Windows Live link.  If I'm not seeing that link can someone let me know?  Also, no matter how many times I change it on my space, Seattle WA weather thing comes up.  Although I have been told that it's NY from other peoples view.  And Dana - I noticed your's was Seattle WA also, even though I know you don't live in Seattle.   What a gorgeous house by the way...

 

So that's what's happening here at MaDukes - I hope you all enjoy your Sunday!  Till later.......

 

P.S. Below is the picture of me with a palm tree sticking out of my head.  Jaime took it.  He's a chef, not a  photographer. I thought you could all use a good chuckle.

 

 

 

 

 

A nice quiet morning.  The calm before the storm.....no really.  I have alot to acomplish this weekend, including attending the company Christmas Party on Saturday evenng, so it's nice to sit here in the quiet.  Also starting around noontime it will begin to snow, till anywhere from 6 to 12 inches are left on the ground -- and on the trees and houses and cars.   We will then have a day to shovel it up, then it starts again on Sunday.  Winter in the Northeast is proceeding as normal. 

 

I did add some pictures of California but I cannot find a way to rearrange them like the older version has, so they are all out of sequence.  I'm going to try to go back to fix them today.  There's got to be a way to do it.  Anyone know?  Noanie -- I am in a few that I did not put on here.  You all know that I don't photgraph well, so it's rare to see me in a photo - and yes, mostly I am the one taking it.  Jaime took one of me and Kevin and I have a palm tree sticking out of my head. Way to go Jaime....lol! 

 

I caught up yesterday on alot of my work, so this morning I'm dropping Kev off at work and heading to the mall early. I need to exchange something and pick up a few more odds and ends at the same store, so I can scratch that off my list.  I did manage to get Jaime's gifts out to him - one of my biggest worries.  And we have the tree which we will decorate tonight.  The ice storm threw that off balance.  We planned to get it Saturday and decorate Sunday, but all of the trees for sale were frozen solid for a few days.  We had to wait till they thawed so we could be sure we were getting a nice one.  I didn't want them to do the thawing in my living room either.

 

My boss mentioned yesterday that we have two 4 day weekends coming up.  We always have the day after Christmas off, but this year, because New Years Day falls on a Thursday, he is also giving us the next day off too.  What a guy....

 

Nikki and Daniel are attending Eric's Christmas Party at his school this morning.  I wish I could go, but I don't want to intrude on their Family Time.  It's not often Daniel can attend school events.  Besides, I really do need to concentrate on my errands.  I'd like to finish up this weekend, so I can enjoy the holiday season without so much on my mind.   Jamie is taking Kae to the "Disney on Ice" show at the Times Union Center on Sunday.   I made up a certificate for her while I was at work, and Jamie will put it under the tree Saturday night, and tell Kae that Santa dropped off an early gift. 

 

Well my quiet time is about over for now. Heading to the shower.  I hope you all enjoy your weekend.  Take care!

 

Good morning everyone.  This nice hot cup of coffee tastes so good.  I do  have to say though, that what is even better is the quiet, peaceful time of morning that I drink it in.  What I really should be doing is making my list for the day and wrapping Jaime's presents to get out of here this afternoon by UPS.  It will get done, I have no doubt, but I need this quiet time for me. 

 

Our power came back on Saturday evening.  We were at Charlie's apartment when I dialed the house from my cell, and finally got a ringtone.  Nikki called a few mnutes later, saying she had stopped by the house and power was on.  She put on the heat while Kev and I headed home.  It got down to 42 degrees in the house.  Kev and I had stayed home without power on Friday night, and it was 54 when we went to bed.  Waking up and seeing 48, we called Charlie (who had power) and headed over there.  Nikki, Daniel and the baby had gone to Kevin Jr's, who didn't have power either, but has a woodstove that heated the house nicely. 

 

I have spent the time upon returning from our trip, running around and trying desparately to get ready for Christmas.  I know that the idea to take a trip this close to Christmas was not one of my better ones, but I wanted to see Jaime and also give him the gift of knowing how much we love him to travel across the country to see him to celebrate the holidays.    And I didn't know that a power outage would put me even more behind. And then added to that, Eric caught a stomach bug again, and was sick Sunday, apparently passing it to both Nikki and Daniel who were sick last night.  Still are, as far as I know.

 

We were supposed to get our tree Friday night and decorate it Saturday.  But the ice storm put a stop to that.  It was totally amazing how it shut the Capital Region down completely.  Malls were closed, grocery stores out of power, banks, gas stations.   Trees were down all over and branches hanging broken from trees.  If you saw pictures of the ice on trees and power lines on tv, or the paper, you know what I am saying.  It was totally beautiful though, and getting up in the night on Friday, looking out at the dark silent neighborhood with the moon shining on the ice was quite an experience.  No, I was too cold to dig out my camera and fiddle with the settings to get the lighting just right, although now I regret it.  Driving to Stewarts 4 blocks away that morning for coffee was strange too.  They had power for a few blocks, and while driving back, it was like driving into a black hole from the lighted part of town.  Yes, it was still dark,  I like my coffee early 

 

We were supposed to get the Christmas tree last night, but Daniel was too sick to take me with the truck, and since it's his boss's truck I couldn't do it myself, and Kevin had to bowl.  Besides I needed to head to Target to get Jaime's stocking stuffers, and see if they had the movie I wanted to get him. (They did so my search for that is over).   Hopefully, Daniel will be better tonight.   And to top it off, we have our front porch Christmas lights on a timer (yes we did get them done) and forgot to unplug them, so I think when the power came back on, there was a power surge and it blew them out.  They won't light so I have to get 2 new sets and Kev has to put them up again.  At work I am swamped, catching up on paperwork, it's sales tax time again, and last minute things for the company Christmas party, which is Saturday night has me hopping.  The house needs a good cleaning, and I am behind on laundry.  I keep asking myself what I've accomplished as I seem to be so busy, but I see no results.  I'm feeling so overwhelmed and tired.

 

So yes, I still have alot of things to finish, and not much time left to do them.  Yes, I know I say that every year, but this year takes the cake.  Please, I'm begging, don't let me catch this stomache flu....it's the kind that just immobilizes you to the bed.  And I have no patience or time for laying in bed.  Thanks for letting me vent everyone.  I feel a bit better - now on to wrapping Jaimes' presents to mail. 

 

 

I just wanted to let you all know that even though I am home from the Cali trip, I have no power at home due to a huge ice storm.  It went out about midnight last night and still hasn't come on.  The word is it will be a few days for our neighborhood as well as surrounding neighborhoods.    Luckily enough we do have power here at work.  Does anyone know how hard it is to shower by candlelight?  Geesh -- and not enough light to do makeup, and forget my hair -- no electric for the blowdryer.  LOL!  Seriously though, our greatest worry is no heat.  Presently Kevin Jr and his family have no power either, although they do have a woodstove for heat, so that is were Nikki and the baby are at present.  

 

So I leave you with the hope that I can once again touch base with you all, if the power does come on this weekend!  Till later!  Have a great weekend. 

 

 

As much as I loved traveling, it's always good to come home to the comforts of home.  And above all, I MISSED MY COMPUTER!!!  No, nevermnd MOST OF ALL I missed the little man, Eric.  And it's even better to come home, finally knowing Jaime is doing well and is happy so far away from home.

 

We had a wonderful time, barring most of Monday, when Kevin caught a stomach virus.  No, I thought the same thing...we are sure it wasn't food poisoning as we all ate the same thing the night before.  We discussed it in detail....lol!  We did manage to eat at Mimi's and to watch the fireworks over Disneyland that evening.  Our hotel room was across the street from Disneyland.  

 

Lola and her mom picked us up at the airport when we arrived.  Jaime still had a few hours to work.  We checked in at the hotel and settled in.  Lola had a gift exchange with her friends to attend so she took her mom home.  Jaime arrived and took us to Newport Beach to the Yard House for burgers.  I simply cannot tell you how good it was to see him.  Especially looking so happy and relaxed -- and showing off his new car.  Nice Jaime....really nice...

 

Sataurday was spent with Jaime and Lola taking us to San Diego.  We headed to Ocean Beach where I used to live.  I showed Jaime the house he was born in, where he was baptised and all the places that played a part in our lives back then.  The walk down memory lane was great.  Alot has changed, but there are things that haven't. 

 

We stopped at the bar that Jaime's godfather owns (it's alot bigger now and has a second floor terrace), and we saw the T-Shirt Boutique that I used to manage (it's now a candy store).   However the little pizza place in between is still there.  We arrived in time for a scheduled Christmas parade -- that was fun.  We walked on the beach, looked for shells for little Kaelynn, and I simply soaked it up.  There were guys surfing - and the ever present seagulls.  After the parade, we headed to downtown San Diego for awhile.  Jaime loves the city and misses NYC alot.  Again, the time difference knocked me out on the hour and a half drive home.    You must know I was up at 5 every single morning-- what is it with my body clock that can make me know when it's 5:00 a.m. in any time zone? 

 

There is lots more and I'll continue on in another blog, as it's time to head for the shower.  I missed you all and hope to get around to some visiting and adding a few pictures -  if I can catch up at work today.  If not, there's always tonight - as it's Kevin's bowling night and I have some "me" time!  Have a great day everyone!

 

Good morning!  I thought I would say a quick hello this moring, as I probably will not have access to a computer when I am away. 

 

We will be headed to the airport in a few hours to start our full day of travel.  Jaime has dinner planned for us after we arrive.  I tried to tell him by the time we get to dinner after checking in the hotel it will be 10:00 p.m. NY time and I might fall asleep over the plate.  He was unmoved....so, I will try my best to sleep the whole 5 hours of our second plane ride into LAX.   The flight to Michigan is only 2 hours -- piece of cake with my book.

 

As for here, I have given up changing my weather thingie to it's correct settings, so whenever you pop by my space, you will know the weather in Seattle Washington, whether you want to or not.  Maybe by the time I am back, it will be fixed. 

 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Till later!