Bits & Bobs.......

*Christmas decorations are already being hung out on the streets of St. Helens.

They could have waited ONE more weekend, but I suppose I should be glad they waited THIS long. Chrsitmas stuff has already been out at home for a month or more, I think.

*Talked with my daughter this evening for a while. She says true to form, the temps are in the lower 30s now. I told yall, back home we have three weeks of Spring- three weeks of Autumn....the rest is either blazing scorching summertime, or freezing bitterly cold wintertime.

*We got about half our Christmas shopping done today. The Stateside family's are ready to go to the post office the week before Thanksgiving....Or the day after Thanksgiving.

*I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving again.  We was supposed to be visiting home in the states for Thanksgiving this year, but due to a couple of events, we've had to postpone it til after the first of the year. I'm not sure if its going to be around my birthday-or a bit later-towards Mother's Day. We will have to see. But now, a new work mate from America who's been living in the UK for 10 years has had an idea that since neither of us can go home for Thanksgiving, she and I should take off Thanksgiving and cook Thanksgiving Dinner together!! She's coming over at 9AM- we're going to do a bit of the cooking a couple days before-hand, but then do the last minute dishes(Like the turkey and dressing and potatoes and mac and cheese pie) the day of. We're planning on watching the Macys Parade, and  having the yule log on the TV later in the day. We're also going to SKYPE our families at some point and have a chat with them as they're having their Thanksgiving Dinners! Lisa's family is Italian-American and mine are Southern-American.....Lawd it's gonna be fun.

*Paul and I have been sick this week. I have been out of work with some sort of nasty bug since Tuesday. Paul came home from work yesterday and is in the first day or so of it.We absolutely HAD to go buy groceries today as we were almost completely out of even the basics so we got everything done in about two hours and then came back home and practically collapsed from exhaustion. I'm hoping we're well past it come mid-week as we're supposed to be house/doggie sitting for the in-laws next weekend while they go visit their eldest son and his little family in Scotland. Andrew, Marina and Maddie have just moved into a nice big 3 bedroom house with a nice garden(yard) and I know everyone is excited for them!!

*Flat Stanley Christopher made it to New Zealand and is having a BLAST with Countess Kerry and Wayne. He's sending posts regularly and should be headed home in a couple more days!! Such a Jetsetter, Our Flat Stanley Christopher!!!

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That's about it for this week. More later on!!!