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  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    Oh WOW! The Christmas market is incredible! Hope that you got back to do a bit of shopping.

    We are having the basement finished this week...finally. They were supposed to be here on Monday, but weren't finished with the prior job, so it was Tuesday. They worked a few hours Tuesday, then came back on Wednesday. They got called away by an emergency about noon. Today I got a message from the main contact that his apartment completely burned yesterday and he lost everything. His dad showed up and has worked all day today (with no sleep) and a couple more came and helped for a couple of hours. Finally they are getting some stuff done. Whew.... This is not fun!

    I did find a Christmas pillow and my Christmas Card holder in a closet upstairs. So that is the extent of my decor. My house is so festive.
  • cmsienk
    cmsienk Posts: 18,756 Member
    edited December 2022
    I did get back to the Christmas Market! I bought these sweet 'made in Germany' Christmas cookie cutters...

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    And several of these 'grating' plates for Christmas presents (I'm not sure what they're called)... but you can mince garlic or finely grate nutmeg or shred hard parmesan cheese right into the little bowl. The bigger ones were nice but twice as expensive (and heavier for transport).

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    And here's a picture of the market during the day which shows some of the beautiful surrounding architecture

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  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    Oh, those grating bowls are awesome! And the cookie cutters are adorable.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,551 Member
    Very nice! What a great idea the grating bowl is! I'd hang the cookie cutters on the kitchen wall since I'm no good at making anything in the kitchen. LOL! Thanks for letting us visit vicariously through you!

    Wow, our weather is back and forth with cold and heat. Today it's cold, yesterday it was kind of chilly, the day before it was warm. I dress for a similar day and then end up having to change because it's nothing like the day before! heehee.

    Well, I tried to make rice flour (didn't work, still had little pieces of rice). I still made my bread with it, but added pumpkin and pumpkin spices and little bit more sugar. I had a taste and was getting bits of rice to chew on! Hmmm, not sure this is going to make it. Better stick with the recipe! LOL! I warned you, I'm not good in the kitchen! LOL!

    Love y'all.
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    Whew - the saga of our basement grows. There was a HUGE crack all of the way across the basement floor...where it was raised by over a 1/2 inch on one side in two places. Now, we have to have that fixed before flooring, and they said that the flooring that we picked out wouldn't work well down there, so now having to go with a more flexible flooring (it was our 2nd choice, but still....). They may still be working on this in June. Anyway, the main contractor is back today after the fire in his home last week, so hopefully it will start moving quicker.
  • cmsienk
    cmsienk Posts: 18,756 Member
    Yikes! I hope your basement isn't torn up until June!

    My husband and I have a list of things we're hoping to get done (and purchase) in this next year. Now we have to prioritize. I think he's decided for us that refinishing our hardwood floors is going to come first. We built the house in '91, so the finish is going on 32 years old. In some areas it looks fine, but in others - like my kitchen - the floors look pretty rough. But then I think - shouldn't we paint before the floors get refinished? And it spirals from there...
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,551 Member
    Painting before flooring sounds like a sound idea, Cindy! There are always accidents on a job site!

    I think our hardwood floors have been there since the 1940s! They are in very rough condition. We've talked about doing the LVT in a driftwood pattern, but we will have to put down a leveler before we can do that since our floor is like walking up and down ocean waves! LOL! The kitchen has laminate on it and it isn't very old, but we are going to replace the cabinet fronts and drawers because the drawers are wood on wood and some are really hard to get open, and one of them leaves sawdust on the drawer below it so we don't really use that second drawer! We talked about doing a peninsula but it would be the same size as the island we now have and in the same place - so...

    Trying to get a booklet together, wow, not easy. I have it all laid out but figuring out the site that we are thinking of for printing it - ugh - I just don't understand it. I download my cover and then the body, but they make the cover page one and when you order it's two covers and then the number of inside pages, so - how do I do the covers??? if they are counting the cover as page one? My poor old brain. I have to have it in by tomorrow to get it by Christmas. We needed my pastor's input and he's only been feeling up to do anything the last few days, so we are on a tight schedule. If any of y'all have done booklets before and have a heads up on a good site to go to, please let me know. Love you
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    Well, yesterday it poured down rain and I am so glad! The basement wall that has been leaking sprung a bad leak! We told the contractors that we wanted it left as concrete and painted after they took down the paneling and sheetrock. So on the bare concrete wall, we could see where the actual leak was coming from. It is actually coming from the window well, and should be an easy fix with a little outside work, a cover and a couple concrete epoxy patches. We thought it was a bit more problematic.
  • cmsienk
    cmsienk Posts: 18,756 Member
    edited December 2022
    Glad it's less problematic than you thought. Hoping it gets fixed sooner rather than later.

    Still in Miami. Had a long couple of days and I'm so ready to go back home tomorrow. Tuesday was 7am-10pm and yesterday was 7am- midnight. We'll probably work until 9 or 10 tonight. I'm grateful for the work, but ready for a break... I'm glad I'm off for the rest of the year and I think I'll sleep with no alarm for a while... and just let my body decide when I've had enough rest.

    Have a great Thursday!
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    So glad that you are going to be able to get some rest. With hours like that, I am tired just thinking about it.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,551 Member
    Cindy, good idea to let your body decide when it's time to get up. For me, my bladder tells me when it's time to get up! LOL! Ugh, getting old... Praise the Lord you are home!

    Went to the dentist, teeth are good. I need to do some extra work with the gum area around my implants, the gums are a little bit inflamed there because there is such a large gap and then it dips down to the crown base. She gave me some of these little brushes that go between the teeth so I can get that area cleaned well. Praise the Lord they are looking good and the past couple of years have been free of any major work!

    Hope you ladies have an awesome rest of your day!
  • cmsienk
    cmsienk Posts: 18,756 Member
    Not home yet, Kim. The meeting ends today and my flight is at 7pm tonight. I won't actually be home until about 11:30 tonight. (I wasn't clear in my last post - saying I was ready for a break... but it hasn't actually happened yet. Very soon though.)
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    The contractors made good progress today. The floor is fixed, the walls are all primed and ready for paint, ceiling is put back together and one of the new lights is installed. They are working tomorrow, so I may need to run to buy flooring before getting ready for the family Christmas tomorrow night.
  • cmsienk
    cmsienk Posts: 18,756 Member
    edited December 2022
    Sounds like it's moving right along, Connie.

    Got home just before midnight last night and didn't get to sleep until 1 am. I slept 10 hours and felt great when I woke up. The kids are all coming over tomorrow... I have some unbreakable ornaments for my grandkids to hang on three small trees I have set up in the corner of my dining room. I let them do whatever they want.. so fun
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    Sounds like a fun Christmas celebration. I was so totally exhausted last night that I didn't know if I would have the energy to get Bill up and ready for church this morning. At 9:15pm I got a call from one of our deacons saying that the church was having a huge outbreak of Covid and were going to cancel services today. So I got to sleep in this morning and Bill didn't get bossed around. It was a peaceful morning.

    They are calling for snow this week, and subzero temps. I am hoping that.this doesn't keep us from traveling to Moms on Friday. We will just have to see.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,551 Member
    We are supposed to be very cold this week as well and our heating system has decided to start giving us trouble. We have a kerosene heater and two Doctor Heaters (little electric heaters) and a gas fireplace that still needs to get hooked up. I think with all of that we should stay warm! LOL.

    Cindy, it's not unusual for me to mishear or misread something, thanks for the clarification. Glad you are now home and looking forward to time with the grandkids. I know that traditions like that are the ones that the kids remember. Mom's grandkids didn't pay her much mind when they got into their teens, but those memories were the ones that they would bring up when we would talk about stuff like that. Have a great time!

    Praise the Lord, not much Covid going around here, although a few weeks ago a couple of Churches had cancelled services because of sick folks. I wish I could sleep in but for some reason my body has set it's alarm at around 6:30. I've been waking up with headaches again, pretty much every morning. They feel like stuffy head ones but still take meds to get rid of! I think it's a genetic thing because both my mom and dad suffered from almost daily headaches.

    This Sunday we are doing our get-together with the Church having a service then a meal together. Such a good time!

    Y'all have an awesome day. Love you


  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    They are now calling for blizzard conditions on Thursday and Friday high temp of 3 degrees. I think our plans may be put off by a day. We will see. I don't really like getting Bill out in bad weather.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,551 Member
    Ugh. I'm so glad blizzards aren't something we have to be concerned about! I found this poem while going through my pastor's blog posts, so good. Long but worth the time to read it:

    06/26/13 ONLY ONE LIFE
    In June of 2013, one of my friends suffered the loss of a loved one. The mother had posted this poem. It is a great poem by a great servant of God who served as a missionary in China, India and Africa.

    A poem by C.T. Studd
    “Two little lines I heard one day,
    Traveling along life’s busy way;
    Bringing conviction to my heart,
    And from my mind would not depart;
    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Only one life, yes only one,
    Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
    Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
    And stand before His Judgment seat;
    Only one life,’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Only one life, the still small voice,
    Gently pleads for a better choice
    Bidding my selfish aims to leave,
    And to God’s holy will to cleave;
    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Only one life, a few brief years,
    Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
    Each with its clays I must fulfill,
    living for self or in His will;
    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    When this bright world would tempt me sore,
    When Satan would a victory score;
    When self would seek to have its way,
    Then help me Lord with joy to say;
    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Give me Father, a purpose deep,
    In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
    Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
    Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Oh let my love with fervor burn,
    And from the world now let me turn;
    Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
    Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
    Only one life, “twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.

    Only one life, yes only one,
    Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
    And when at last I’ll hear the call,
    I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
    Only one life,’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

    — extra stanza —

    Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
    Only what’s done for Christ will last.
    And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
    If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.”
  • connierandel
    connierandel Posts: 1,809 Member
    edited December 2022
    What a beautiful poem. I am familiar with a couple verses, but never saw the entire poem.
  • Restfinder
    Restfinder Posts: 2,551 Member
    I've heart the line: "Only one life..." quite often and for a long time, but had never seen the poem it comes from.

    So far we are not as cold as I thought we would be. I think we are going to be in the 50's today. Wade is working on getting our gas fireplace hooked up. We had one in the house when we moved in, but it was huge, this is a small one that looks like a wood burning stove - nice! The kerosene and the little heaters help, but don't quite catch those cold drafts (shiver).

    Not much else going on. Love y'all.