It's Nearly Christmas!!

 I am starting off tonight's journal entry with a pic from last week when Mike surprised Amber by putting up the Christmas tree! Normally she gets it up on Thanksgiving night but this year she's been sick and - along with that - they have been doing some home improvements in addition to their already packed schedules!

She'd been a little stressed so Mike wanted to cheer her up!

Alas, he couldn't find the diagram that told what section order they were to go in so he just put them together from the box and decided to fluff the branches.

Amber laughed so hard when she came in - and then all of the family was laughing with her!

She said, "How does an engineer even DO that??

"A merry heart is good like a medicine!

I spent Monday finishing up some decorating and cleaning.

There may not be a tree in every single room this year but in some rooms - I have several!

Louis Dean and I loaded up the car on Tuesday at noon to run errands before going over to what we used to call Quadville! Amber and Mike were in New York City and both sets of grandparents were now on duty! His parents take the sports related days - from Sunday to Monday school runs and evening hockey practices. They did the Tuesday school drop off and we took it from there.

Summer was in town and came over to hang out with us!

She had a dentist appointment and is sporting her beautiful smile!!

Since I was still 'under the weather' Summer helped me do dinner.

I had potato poppers ready to put in the air fryer as soon as we came home from school pick up.

That was a big hit!

We had BIG baked potatoes topped with chili, baked beans andsomething else.

I seem to be losing more memory every day!

We had just finished dinner when we heard someone at the door.

It was Coach Tony and his lovely wife delivering Christmas gifts to the kids!

He was one of their first coaches when they first started hockey and has continued to be their biggest fan!

The kids have such social ease with not only their peers but they have always been relaxed talking to adults. Never shy and always polite and inquiring as to what everyone has been doing.

They have an advanced vocabulary as well as an advanced palate.

I made cabbage casserole the next night for dinner and they all love it!

Kailey braided my hair for me Tuesday night and we were all suprised at how long it's getting!

I never wear it down but always piled up in my head!

Everyone was in bed right on schedule - except I could NOT sleep!

By this time Louis Dean was getting sick with the same stuff I have and he was coughing and snoring and tossing and turning - so I went to the den to sleep.

Bandit kept me company and I read until I finally was ready to sleep.

Bandit is a lapcat!

I love it!

By Wednesday I was feeling better and Louis Dean was worse.

Morning school drop off and a couple of errands then an easy day until school pick up.

I'll share some of Amber's Instagram photos from NYC!

She is so beautiful! Inside and out!

Times Square!

They had a great time in the Big Apple!

Mike worked during the day while Amber explored and in the evenings they were together doing New York things!

A short trip and here they are heading to the airport to come home!

This is what weve all had and some of us STILL have it!

Hoping we are ALL well by Christmas!

We were home by 9:30 on Wednesday night and in bed by 11:00!

My dear friend, Shirley, hosted a ladies' tea for Brenda and me.

We three have two things in common  - we all went to church together and we all three worked at State Farm at one point. Shirley and Brenda had real careers while I only worked two years as a front desk representative.

Shirley and I are nearly the same age - she was born in August of 1948 while I was born in September.

A fun fact - a young Dr. Julius McIver delivered Shirley and an old Dr. Julius McIver delivered Summer and Jesse, Jr! His office was on Lemon Ave. in Dallas - a former home turned office.

Shirley is such a sweetheart!

Isn't this a beautiful table?

She made Crescent Chicken and dessert was a four layer red velvet cake and homemade fudge!

I got the Clean Plate Club award!

I loved seeing her Christmas treasures - she has such elegant taste!

We lingered long over our tea and had such a lovely time just being together!

As we sat and yalked - we made plans for next year!

Early in December 2025, we will all go together to Decorator's Warehouse in Plano and have lunch at a tea room Shirley knows. Then mid December 2025 - I will host a Christmas Tea.

Next year we will make plans for 2026 and Brenda will most likely host a tea.

I love that we are making traditions for the three of us!

Shirley gifted me this gorgeous honey bee runner!

This will make looking forward to spring more fun!

Plus thislittle wooden angel was on the gift bag.

She is hanging on the 'Angel' foyer tree now.

On my way home, I decided to stop at a thrift store on the corner of Rock Island and Story Road.

I gave away 15 yubs of Christmas 'debris' and Summer returned the empty tubs on Tuesday.

Well, they had a bumper crop of Christmas decorations in this thrift store AND they were all 65% off!

This angel is on the left end table in the living room.

Jolly Santa is perched on the table in the sewing room.

Two Santas joined the other decorations in here.

The fiber optic Santa is in LD's bathroom and to removed a lamp so it's not too crowded.

That reminds me of when he and I first married.

I was decorating his bathroom for Christmas in my usual manner - using a ton and a half of all decorations SNOWMEN!

I remember my dear neighbor, Stephanie, came over and sat in a chair in the hall so we could visit while I decorated. I'll never forget her looking at all the STUFF - it was decorated within an inch of its life - no spaces left empty! She looked at me and said, "I can't believe how much sh*t you can pack into one small bathroom! Poor Louis Dean!"

That was the last year I did that and every year since has been a little less and less.

Two new angels in the bedroom.

Faux Poinsettias - every nook and cranny is decorated.

Today I have concentrated on cleaning and vacuuming.

Might I just share that we have a new policy here?

NO blowing leaves around ANY of the doors to the house.

Front door, kitchen French doors, Sewing room French doors and bedroom patio doors!

Louis Dean loves to blow leaves and then he blows all the leaves from the back to the front and then mows them. However, he forgets to securely SHUT the doors.

Hence we were crunching when we walked through the house this last week or so.

When I vacuumed our bedroom - I found a PILE of leaves under our bed!

I have put up with this for a few years now - like 19 years!

NO MORE!

From now on - he will SWEEP the leaves away from the door areas and THEN blow them where ever!

He is so fixated on blowing and mowing that when I woke up Thursday morning - he was already outside doing just that! It was even COLD and he was still out there.

I called Bruno - our wonderful yard guy - as he was scheduled to come that morning - and asked him if he could come Friday instead.

And so he did. I wasn't even up when he finished and called me.

Since the wind was still blowing leaves down, he had bagged them up instead of mowing them.

I asked him to put the bags on Stephanie's curb as Louis Dean loves to go through the trash and might just dump all the leaves back out! He loves mowing them under!

I am so grateful for the good people God has sent to me.

Bruno understands - somewhat - and he is so kind about the twists and turns.

I'm grateful for my friends - Brenda and Shirley - and how we support one another.

I'm grateful for Ilene and Tamara and Stephanie......

and for my friend, Beth.

She sent me the pic of the Santa I painted for her years ago.

Once a friend - always a friend.

Some stay in our lives for years and years and some for a season.

God gifts us with the ones we need at the time we need them.

And hopefully, He sends us to others when they need someone.

I have to say that this week I have been blessed beyond measure and humbled in my heart as I received so many beautiful Christmas cards - many with special messages of encouragment - and a few letters and texts and emails.

One morning it took me nearly an hour to open all the cards and, of course, I read every word and thanked God for the blessings of knowing and loving people I have never met in person but that are as dear to me as my local friends.

Robin and I have been friends since 2010 when I first started Linda's Life Journal.

She and I have always wished we could be neighbors - and so we will!

In heaven! As much as I love all of you - I will love you even more in eternity.

While I know some of you who are reading my words tonight - I pray every day for every person who 'reads my words.'

You are all so special to me and I feel and deeply appreciate your prayers.

Louis Dean and I are doing well and are happy and loving our life - but it is still a struggle at times. 

As in the leaves and the trash and the random thing here and there.

I am in a Dementia Caregivers Support Group on Facebook and I realize and thank God that we are in such a good place with our journey.

I'm grateful Louis Dean is a happy man and sweet and caring.

Tonight he brought me a cat toy that holds a battery I recharge with a USB cord.

The battery was gone and he was confused. He took it out  and can't find it.

While I've been writing - he's been in his room looking for it.

It's no big deal but I have to be on alert every single minute.

When he went outside this morning - he forgot to close the door so - of course - Tabitha got out!

That added an extra challenge to my day and, once I eventually got her in, I heard him go out the back door and I dropped what I was doing and rushed in there to close the door.

I'm not complaining because I really have nothing to complain about. And trust me - most caregivers have greater things to deal with and my heart and prayers go out to them.

Since this is my journal, I want to be 'real' and I so appreciate all of you who are 'sharing' this journey with us.

Merry Christmas to all of my dear friends!

I love you!