Christmas Came and Went

This year Christmas was pretty uneventful for me. I decided that I would stay home this year....partly due to the fact that I couldn't get the actual days around Christmas off from work. So I volunteered to work all day. Literally, I worked from 6 AM until 1 Am. That made for a long day. 19 hours worth! I figured if I wasn't leaving town and no one from my family would be here, I would work and save someone else with young'ens from being mandatoried. Plus, the paycheck would be worth it. I was home Christmas Eve and opened my gifts from my niece (she drew my name) and enjoyed some classic TV shows and holiday movies.
The next day was very exhausting. We still had a pretty full flying schedule even though typically we have a "holiday" schedule with a reduction in flights for the day. Not so much this year! All our flights were full and people packed their bags as if they would never return. Heavy, huge suitcases! Do people really ever think about why they pack that way? REALLY! Needless to say that by the end of the day, my shoulders were screaming at me! My job all day was to deliver all the inbound bags from every flight to the baggage carousel.
I didn't arrive home that night until roughly 2 AM. Just long enough for an hour and 1/2 nap. I rose again at 3:15 for work on Friday. Once I finished that shift at 1:30 PM, I drove home and napped. Can you blame me?!?
I just kept thinking about the paycheck.....it was worth it! Plus, I had fun with passengers. I wore my Santa hat and waved to all the kids in the windows of the airport. They were so excited for either the trip they were about to embark on or, just seeing someone outside on the ramp noticing them in the window and waving to them was neat. The weather wasn't too bad considering the day on the calendar.
I don't work every year on Christmas. So next year maybe I'll take the day off. I'm not as young as I used to be.....phew!
I hope your Christmas was family-oriented and warm and cozy!

New Meaning to "Bad Day at the Office!"

Our day started out fairly normal today. This meaning that compared to the last 4 or 5 days of freezing cold weather, delays due to bad weather in other cities, lots of broken equipment, etc., this was a good day. No delays (yet!) and the flight loads were fairly light considering that it's only 1 1/2 days until Christmas.
Then about 10:45 or so, during the course of working one of our scheduled flights, we had word from our operations via the radios, (walkie talkies if you will) that we were going to have 2 diversions come in. In case you aren't sure just what this means, let me explain. Diversions would be scheduled flights between two other cities in our system that need to stop in Omaha for other reasons. Example being bad weather in one of the other cities. That was the case in Chicago's Midway airport. They were having the bad weather that had been here a day ago. But it was worse! The airport ended up closing. Our dispatch department in headquarters, which is located in Dallas, TX, decided that some of the flights en route to MDW (Chicago Midway) that couldn't land there would have to divert to Omaha. OK, no problem. Nothing unusual there. Things happen like that more than people realize.
Then ops called again and said there would be an additional two diversions. That makes 4 extra airplanes. We only have 2 gates! But, there is ample parking space on one of our north parking ramps. Another call on the radio.....3 more diversions! Great! 7 in all! Now we might have a problem. During all this, we are still under normal daily flight operations. Along with all the diversions! Soon thereafter, all 7 airplanes landed in Omaha and went to the north parking ramp. Our supervisor went down there and parked them all. No one would be getting off....they would just sit there and wait to be released again unless the wait time was going to be extended. The rest of us handled the regularly scheduled flights.
Now, I've been in Omaha over 13 years. I've never seen more than 5 of our airplanes on the ground here before. Today, we had a total of 9 here all at the same time! It's like we were a hub city! It was great! We just had to get some pictures of this unusual event. So I took my cell phone and snapped a few for myself. They're not too bad for a cell phone. Click each photo for a better view.

Here are the 7 diversions all on the north ramp. Keep in mind that there are two more airplanes parked at our 2 gates by the terminal as well.

Another pic with some of our ground service equipment.
A view from the opposite direction.

At least I got to leave in the middle of all the airplanes being released to take off again and head to Chicago. I was done at 1:30 PM so I didn't have to deal with any more oddities for the day. We had had enough excitement for one day.....at the office!

Christmas Lights, Now With Snow!

Well, you saw my house with my lights and no snow........but here is the new and improved version with snow! It's much prettier to see because the lights sparkle at night from the snow surrounding them. I love it! Check it out....

Now, isn't this more what Christmas is supposed to be like? White with snow? I definitely think so. Having grown up in ND has made me appreciate the season changes. Even if it does mean that the cold temperatures go along with it. I think all of us have gone through some severe weather changes lately. No matter where you live, unusual weather is occurring.
I had this feeling back in June, after all the bad tornadoes and torrential downpours of rain, that the winter would be colder and it would happen a lot earlier than is typical in some areas. We here in Omaha have gotten pretty cold and much sooner than we like! But it's nothing compared to what the ND natives have to endure. Actual temps in the -20's and -30's.

But we always find a way to get through it. I personally don't mind the cold.....sometimes it keeps the riff raff out...if you know what I mean!

Bakin' is 'Bout Done!

OK, I managed to bake more of the goodies I told you about. After hearing the forecast for single digit temperatures, I knew it would be the perfect day for baking. Again, it was. So I stayed in for the day and fired up the oven to make home made Chex Mix, peanut butter fudge, peanut butter cups. I dipped pretzels in almond bark candy coating and also made some cookies that don't really have a name. But they are basically cake cookies. Very moist! They are made with an actual cake mix in the recipe. I topped them with snow flake candy decorations and baked them.
I actually have tried two times in two different years to make my Mom's recipe for Divinity Candy. (Here is another link that looks lovely!) I've failed miserably both times! I can never get the consistency to be just right. I think I overcooked it this year. Try, try again! Maybe next week.....
The Chex mix reminds me of younger years at Grandpa and Grandma Moberg's house. Someone, I'm not exactly sure who, always brought the home made mix to our annual gatherings. I found a recipe in one of my home town cook books that tastes very near to what I distinctly remember tasting way back then.
Some of the other recipes were my own Mother's and some I got from a Christmas Cookie cook book that I purchased last year. It's from Gooseberry Patch Christmas Cookies. I've loved everything I've tried so far. One thing I plan on trying is a punch recipe towards the back. I can't wait!
The only thing left now is the Lefse. Remember this? My list of things I'd like to accomplish for the Christmas holiday is quickly nearing the end! Considering it's only 2 days away, I guess that's good!

Can You Smell the Goodies?

Christmas baking is one of my favorite things to do at this time of year. As a child, I remember first watching and enjoying the finished projects that my Mom used to present our family and all our visitors. Later, I got to help and over the years have kept the tradition going. It's something that is a must-have for the holidays. What's Christmas without all the fattening cookies and candies to satisfy one's sweet tooth?
I only wish my back could handle the long hours of standing a little better than it does. I happened to have today and tomorrow off for vacation days. What better time than the present to bake? It's only 5* outside and tomorrow it's supposed to snow along with the frigid temperatures! Perfect days to heat up the oven!

So far all I accomplished was make a small batch of fudge, 3 1/2 dozen spritz cookies made with my Pampered Chef Cookie Press, and I baked 60 roll-out and cut-out cookies that will be frosted tomorrow. I had to take a break and sit. I have a small list of other goodies that I plan on getting done as well.
The rest of my list includes but is not limited to: peanut butter fudge, chex mix, peanut butter cups, almond bark coated pretzels, cake-like cookies and Lefse. The Lefse is a project that I will want to have at least half a day to make. It's a project that is messy and requires plenty of counter top space. But it's definitely worth the time and energy put into making it. My own Mom used to make it every year around the holidays. I decided to pick up where she left off and have been trying to perfect it now for roughly 7 years! I inherited the lefse griddle and the turning sticks along with the different recipes that she used. Let me just say that I have NOT perfected it. It tastes OK (in my own opinion) but I struggle! And I'm not usually one to struggle when it comes to baking or cooking. Let's hope that this year is better than the last time I made it! Cross your lefse sticks!
Sunday the 21st is when I plan on heating up the kitchen once again. The forecast is for a high of 5*! Again, another great day to stay home and heat the oven.
I will share all my goodies with the people I work with and keep some for myself and Dad and Beverly when they come to visit in a couple of weeks. It's nice to have something to munch on at work in between meals. And I think everyone appreciates it as well. I would love to share them with all of you if you can stop by for a visit! Happy Baking!

The Annual Get Together Came Together!

Today I had 27 (I think!) guests in my home! I didn't know it would hold that many at once! People ranging in age from 5 months to 40-something!

The fireplace was lit, the food was out and being eaten, football was on TV, games were being played, etc, etc,. Each year my friends and I take turns having everyone over for this event. This year, I took my turn. Everyone brought a side dish to have with the deli chicken that we all pitched in to purchase. It was from Super Saver Grocery Store. They have excellent fried chicken. My contribution was a dessert that had ice cream sandwiches on the bottom layered next with whipped topping and then a layer of crushed Malted Milk balls. I also had made a dip from Tastefully Simple called Go! Go! Asiago. I also provided some of the drinks for kids and everyone else brought their own drinks.

Sunday was our only option to hold it if we actually wanted to do it before Christmas. Everyone has so many family functions going on at this time of year. Whether it's a company Christmas party or just "family days", a Saturday was just out of the question. So we did it today and that made it possible for us to celebrate before Christmas. Even though it was a Sunday it worked out fine.

The girls exchange ornaments each year and I got one that has a snowman on it that goes with my collection nicely!

Here are a few photos to show everyone in attendance.

The girls

All the kiddos


All the guys

The weather decided to turn bitterly cold. It started out with our high for the day at 7 AM of 20* and continued to drop from there. The wind picked up and made for a nasty day. My fireplace was a hit, to say the least. I started the burn roughly at 1 PM and kept it going long after everyone left for the night. It seemed to make the cold disappear once everyone got in the house.

It was fun to have it at my house because I had done so much decorating. At least it wasn't just for me! Plus I didn't have to go out into the cold !
I wish for you to have lots of get-togethers and a fun filled end of the year! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Lights

Tonight the temperature is so mild, 48* at 8 PM, I thought it would be a great time to take pictures of my outside lights. Tomorrow is out of the question as the temperature is supposed to drop like a rock and be a little bit windy!
I had a hard time making the lights show up and look as nice as they do in person. But this is the best I could do. Click each photo to see the lights more clearly.

Taken with the night setting of my camera.
Taken with the flash illuminating everything.

I intended to hang lights up on the upper bedroom peaks but ran out of lights and time to get it done. Plus I want to make sure someone is around in case of an unlikely accident! So the lights in the bedroom windows will have to suffice.

In the grass in front of the porch are 3 small packages that have lights. And lining the small sidewalk near the garage are a set of 5 stake lights to match the lights on the gutters. The railing is dressed in net lights that I had on the old bushes that no longer exist. I was able to utilize the lights anyway and draped them over the porch railing! The bulbs all flash randomly so there is always light dances. The wall between the long windows on the porch has an evergreen piece hanging on it that Mom used to have. I found some miniature light sets and put them on to add a little bling.

My Annual Illness

I remember last year at Christmas time, I flew to my sister Cathy's house to spend a few days with her for the holidays. Do you recall this post? During that trip, I was ill most of the time. Well, it seems that being sick at this time of year is becoming a habit for me. This year it hit me a little earlier than last.
A week ago Monday, the 1ST, I woke up with one ear plugged. It was so plugged that I literally could hear my own voice inside my head. (no...I'm not possessed!) Anyway, the sound was twice as loud. The sound of my tires on the road seemed to have a deeper bass tone. Voices of others were more muted. I've never had it this bad. I found myself constantly trying to pop open the ear by contorting my mouth in such a way as to make it somehow open the ear canal. People were suggesting that I plug my nose and try to force the air through my ears to pop it open. All to no avail! As a child I would have to have a doctor clear the wax because my ear cavities are very small. It's not un-common for me to go about once a year to have that done.
It didn't seem to improve and on Tuesday it was a little bit worse. So while I was at work, I called my doctors office and made an appointment to have it checked. I was able to get in that afternoon with another physician other than my own. She told me that I had an inner ear infection with lots of fluid inside the ear. NO KIDDING! She gave me a prescription for Biaxin. A very potent prescription too. It was 500 mg per pill to be taken twice daily! Apparently there had been several cases of whooping cough showing up in the clinic and she just wanted to make sure the medicine took care of everything. It was to be taken with food as it could cause nausea. Even taking it with food, as I found out later, still made my stomach feel very unsteady. At work I worked through the nausea for at least 2-3 hours each day before it would subside. Along with that I usually had a small case of diarrhea. Nice huh?
This past Monday night, for some reason, I forgot to take it after I ate. Then on Tuesday at work, after I ate my lunch, I forgot again. So I went roughly 24 hours with out it. Before I left for bowling, I ate an early supper and then took my pill. After getting home my stomach was beginning to feel unsteady again. Normal. That night my sleep was restless to say the least. I was sleeping but not resting. I woke several times and my stomach was actually hurting. When my alarm sounded to get up for work, I was worse than before. I had diarrhea again and was freezing but yet sweating at the same time. I just couldn't get up the gumption to get ready for work. After finally deciding to call in sick, I vomited! ISH!!!
I didn't eat anything the entire day. All I could manage to get in me were two cans of Sprite. I slept alot of the day away. I knew I couldn't work the next day so I called in sick again for Thursday. I had stopped taking the Biaxin. There was no way I was going to take any more of it. My ear had been treated for about a week and was feeling OK.
Even yesterday, I could tell that my stomach was a little bit unsettled. In fact, I only ate once during the day until I made supper last night. I think I'm back on track to wellness. Hopefully nothing occurs again during Christmas! (sorry for the gory details!)

They're Finally Up!

Yesterday after spending some time on my computer, I got myself ready to take on the day and all I had to accomplish. This was going to be the day that I got my Christmas decorations out and displayed. I also planned on cleaning as I went along so that things that I put out were set on a clean surface! Terrible job!!!
As I took things out of the boxes or totes that they had been in for the last year, it was so fun to remember each item and where I had gotten it. A lot of the things I hung were once my own Mom's that came from her vast collection of decorations. After she passed away, my siblings and I sat down and went through each and every piece and decided who wanted which ones and packed them into boxes to take to our respective homes. Memories came flooding back from when we as children got to help her decorate the farm house that I grew up in. The most memorable thing that I brought home with me was a tree topper. Mom and Dad used to always put it on the tree. So this year, I dug it out and have put it on my tree. It lights up and has little bells hanging on it. The white section is very fine thread. If I remember correctly, Mom or Dad used to tell us it was Angel's hair. Most of the things on my tree are snowmen. Yes, I collect them. I have so many all over my house.

My tree....which is lit up. But you can't see the lights very well because of my camera flash.

The Angel's Hair tree topper from years long past. Dad, Kevin and Cathy may remember this.

I spent the better part of 7 or 8 hours (if you add them all up!) cleaning, hanging, setting or wrapping items all over the house. I even had to climb my ladder a couple of times to get to the various ledges that I have, in order to put things on them. Not to mention the wreath that I hung over my fireplace. I stopped only to eat and run an errand or two. Then I went right back to it until I had replaced the boxes back into storage. Once I finally called it good, it was almost 7 PM and my back was a little achy to say the least!

The rest of the evening I spent admiring all the sparkling lights, inside and out. (I'll have outdoor light pictures soon!) I love this season. It's so fun to see how people choose to decorate their own yards or house.

Then the inevitable happened. All day long I had to shoo my cats away from various places. I was expecting anything from my orange cat, Trouble, at any point. Never did I think it would happen in less than 10 hours from the point I finished decorating. I awoke at 4:30 in the morning to a sound that told me things were going to be ugly. I slowly got out of bed and found my glasses. I went to the living room and saw my tree laying up against my piano! The sound of glass breaking was what I had heard. One of my nicer ornaments (naturally!) had smacked into the piano and sent pieces flying all over! Thankfully it fell the direction that it did. I only had to pick up about 5 or 6 ornaments. But some of the branches had to be re-fluffed and I also had to redo the garland. From what I can detect, Trouble had tried to get on the tree from atop the piano. At least that's what the evidence tells me because of how one section of the tree had a small gap in between branches and ornaments. I was furious to say the least! As you may have guessed, he was in big trouble with me! He ran from the noise and I imagine, the shock of falling through the tree that he had expected to hold his weight!

This is going to be a long month of redoing all the things that Trouble undoes! Each day as I arrive home from work will be a new adventure. I'll have to scout my entire house just to see what is laying on the floor or hanging askew. It's worse than having a toddler, that doesn't know any better, roam around and pick everything up in sight! I've considered buying some chicken wire to secure the area around the tree just to keep the cats away from it! It's that bad!

I hope all of you are having fun preparing for the upcoming holiday while at the same time remembering why we celebrate. This is the best time of the year and one in which to be thankful for all we have. Have a great Season of Joy and Celebration in the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ.