Santa Claus is Coming to Town

It's almost Christmas Eve, I'm ready Santa, bring it on!  I saw a sign the other day "Dear Santa, please send elves to clean my house and bake cookies.  I bought the gifts, you owe me!"  How true, right?  I'm heading to my brother's early Saturday (Christmas Eve) morning.  He lives about an hour away in the beautiful Shenandoah Mountains on Skyline Drive in Front Royal, Virginia.  I don't get to see him or his family very often, they all lead such busy lives, especially my twin nieces, who are 21 and will be graduating from college next May.  I'll return home Christmas Day before sundown.  I don't like driving in the dark on the highway, especially in the mountains.  John returned as scheduled from his work trip in Texas on December 14th.  John will be having Christmas dinner at his Mom's who lives about twenty minutes away.  We'll spend Christmas evening together enjoying some liquid holiday cheer.  John is off from work until January 2nd.

Last blog, you recall John had left for Texas and I had a living room full of boxes full of Christmas decorations and a bare tree with lights only.  I posted this picture on my December 6th post.

I took the first week after he left to build up my strength from my knee surgery.  The second week, I got started, moving slowly, it took time, but I got there.  I even got the boxes put away.

How long did it take you to decorate your tree?  One of my collections is Santa Claus's.  It's not Christmas if you don't have a Santa Claus.

Here's a Santa Claus door decoration I bought at a craft fair.  It is made completely of yarn.  You gifted crafty fellow bloggers could probably make one of these yourself.

Then there's the Santa Claus puppies peeking out of their Christmas bag.

I quickly finished up baking last Friday before I picked up John at the airport.  I wanted to surprise him with his favorite, Peanut Butter cookies.  Some cookies I added a Butterfinger's bell on top (some melted a little).

John was amazed and pleased how much I'd accomplished.  Then...there's Murphy's Law.  Yep, I had something bad happen.  After writing my last blog, December 14th, I was putting my computer away before heading to bed and knocked over my water on my laptop keyboard - YIKES!!  I immediately unplugged it.  I immediately turned the laptop upside down (for draining purposes), like a teepee.  I have a very small fan that I slid underneath the "teepee" laptop upside down and let it run all night.


The next morning I plugged it back in (even though it is battery backup) and started it.  It made some noises that eventually stopped, the Microsoft screen came up after a short wait.  My wall paper came back on the screen.  I started investigating on what worked and what didn't for two days.  It turns out I lost the W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, and O letters and all number keys above them and all the function keys above the numbers.  Given the severity of what happened, I was very pleased with the recovery.  All my files were still on the computer and accessible.


When John came home, I fessed up to what happened.  He's always telling me be careful with my drink around the laptop.....Murphy's Law.  He fessed up he got a Christmas bonus from work and was willing to buy me a new laptop for Christmas.  It was tempting, I said no.  I was going to try a wireless keyboard, see if it worked.  I went to Staples and returned $30 lighter with a new wireless keyboard...that works!  My new laptop setup - new keyboard over non-functioning laptop.

All I have left is gift wrapping.  For my nieces, I put everything I can in a stocking for each of them, what I can't goes in a Christmas bag with tissue wrap, a Christmas box, or a box wrapped with Christmas wrapping paper.  I have little stocking stuffers for my sister-in-law and brother and wrap one large present for them too.


John got his Christmas shopping done this morning by way of a trip to the bank.  He does the easiest shopping - everyone gets cash, me included.


My knee continues to heal.  I know this because it is still painful to be on it for long period of time.  You know the pain that shoots up your leg when you stub your toe, makes your eyes water?  It's that kind of pain, only it is in my knee area.  It's a throbbing sharp pain, not constant, thankfully.


While John was gone, I made my first grocery store trip post surgery, two stores as usual.  It was painful, my leg felt like a tree trunk by the time I got all the food put away.  At night, it is painful to extend my leg flat, parallel on the bed, I keep it bent to sleep.  The doctor said it would be another month of healing, so I'll give it until mid-January.  If the pain continues, it is back to the doctor.  I can't worry about a new year deductible, I want to be able to walk normal again, especially after all that money spent.


I treated myself this afternoon to a quick trip to the nail salon.  I decided on a snowflake design, which is still "wintry" enough even after the holidays.  I love the glitter nail polish.  I use it only this time of year.

Happiest of Holidays and Merry Christmas one and all!