20 Shopping Days....

OHMYGOSH!!

There's only 20 more days till Christmas. Gasp. Gulp. Grin.

Yep. Just Grin.

What else ya' gonna do when you can't leave home; can't drive....

What hasn't gotten done, may not GET DONE.

What I can't buy via the net, probably won't get bought.

Maybe another two or three weeks of this full leg brace,

that keeps me from driving my sweet Monte Carlo.

And so far, I'm doing alright.

Daily visits from Fed Ex and UPS trucks have the dogs

salivating at the end of the driveway. Our driver's out here

have gotten smart and carry a bucket of doggie treats at

the top of their truck steps - the first step out of the truck

is one with out-stretched hand with dog bones. Now THAT's

a smart man! What is it about those vibrating brown panel

trucks that drive a dog mad? They instantly HATE what

ever comes out of the door of those trucks. ((I'm sure I

could grab a fast cash grant from our US government to do

a full-scale, five-year double-blind research-study

and follow-up documentary in full-screen High Def on the

Discovery Channel...))

Tonight is the opening round of the National Finals Rodeo.

Now there are only about ten days a year where hubby

demands his televisions rights, AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

The week of the National Bull Riding finals and the National

Finals Rodeo, I just don't plan to watch TV. AT ALL. There is

NO compromises here. OH. And a Big part of the deal, is that

hubby can turn the volume up where HE CAN HEAR IT.

Years of abuse, from loud machinery has rendered him

virtually deaf. Nerve deaf. There's not much you can do for

that. Hearing aids can only make it louder, not clearer.

When I turn in at the end of our lane, from the main highway,

I can hear the rodeo announcer as I round the corner. And

can view all the windows in the house vibrating.

((There's no real worry of them actually shattering -

They've stood up to this abuse for the 25 years since we built.))

This year, since I've had the knee surgery, I can't run away

from home, so will have to find other ways to fill the time, such

as post to my BLOG,(!what a concept!), write my annual

Christmas letter.....and ride my new stationary bike!

Since surgery on Oct. 28 , I've gained from 80 degrees bend to

110 degrees, yesterday. My surgeon wants 125 degrees bend,

so I'm getting closer every week. I'm walking around the house

without the use of any aid, and only carry a cane when I leave

the house, just as a precaution. I still haven't gone anywhere,

shopping, where I could find a running pant that snaps along

the leg for easy removal, and access to my brace, so I'm still

wearing shorts to my P.T. sessions. It's getting a bit cold for that,

as it's down to 17 degrees at night, with snow on the mountain

behind town. It's only a matter of luck that we don't have snow

here at the house yet. I'm really not Jones-ing for snow, but I do

love a white Christmas.

I just realized tonight, that I won't be able to do up my huge tree

this year, as is my routine...reality hit me HARD. I guess I'll have

to be satisfied if Huggs gets me a little table-top tree where I can

stick a string of lights and a few teeny ornaments. I sure can't go

crawling around the attic,digging through the boxes and boxes

of goodies, to decide what color I'll do up the tree, THIS YEAR.

I'm a bit OCD about creating the perfect tree. And I had

planned the perfect designer, deep purple tree......

I guess it will have to wait till next year. THEN I'll climb the ladder

and do it up RIGHT !!!

Huggs n I traveled to the city to his favorite western wear shop to

snag some clothes, as they're going out of business, another vic-

tim of the poor economy. We grabbed up $250 worth of dress

shirts that he needs for his art shows and found some really fun

styles.

And while down there, I found Christmas for his almost 90 yr

old Mom. We also visited an old neighborhood friend that had

moved to the valley. He'd been calling and calling me to come by

and choose something special from his late wife's china closet,

since I'd refused payment for singing at her funeral. Since I collect

old tea cups and have one from many of the elder ladies from my

neighborhood and family, that was what I chose. A beautiful, dainty

floral English teacup that is just wonderful and makes me just want

to linger over my tea in the morning. My neighbor insisted that I

should have another one, which he had chosen for me; one that he

thought matched my kitchen well, so I came home with two lovelies

for my collection that has over-grown the room I have to display

them - another kick in the butt to get me to complete my own Grand

mother's curved glass china cabinet. It won't hardly take another

full day to finish some necessary work, and then I can re-set the

glass door and move it back to the upstairs....and. fill. it.

I have a love of pretty things. LOTS of pretty things. It's a very

good thing that I have Grand daughters....now hopefully they wont

all want to be farmers or Peace Corp volunteers.

Meanwhile, Back at the ranch........