Pajama party night

I'm back down to one child again. R & R were invited to a movie "Chicken Little" with their friend from across the street. Once they came home, they asked if they could spend the night. It's a back and forth thing sometimes on the weekends so I said sure.

I did finish up holiday shopping today except for celery which I'd rather have not too wilted. I can get that at the corner store for less than the super anyway. Everything was on sale so I have most of Christmas groceries except for perishables as well.

Our group raised $150 for the Rescue Mission T'giving dinner. Not bad for something done completely on line and very short notice. That's 15 small turkeys if they use it all for that - it's a gift certificate - they can buy what they need.

It's been a lazy day for the most part. Spent a lot of time (maybe too much) chatting with online friends and generally goofing off. Cooked dinner of barbecued country ribs with rice, baked beans (from Bush's) and corn. Picked up Tim and dropped him at Amtrak. He's spending a couple of days with an out-of-town friend. Forgot to drop off film which is nothing unusual for me.

Welcome Sarah Elaine - I'm glad she's reading more. It's been uphill for her but she's finally enjoying it. Gawdessness, if you can locate that book I'd love it. It's a challenge filling in the educational gaps in the system. They learn very little about civics, geography, or history and much of the history, of course, is slanted. Of course, so is my point of view.

Hi L. Elcie was listening to a children's choir today singing hymns, including some Christmas music. She's starting early. Speaking of which, two of my neighbors have their Christmas lights up already. The older I get, the faster the years go by. We don't decorate until a couple of weeks before Christmas at the earliest. My lights in front that stay up all year round don't count. They're there for security.

I have to think about Christmas shopping. It's going to be low key this year. My car needs to be fixed to pass smog and the overheating may be the water pump. That one's easy; my grandson will get one from Pick'nPull and install it for me. The smog I've got to find out about and I've been stalling. CA will provide financial help if I qualify but first I have to find out what's wrong. Darn it anyhow.

Carol is becoming really fatigued from the chemo. She has small bursts of energy but then goes back to sleep. No reason for her not to - the rest may help. She still has at least 4 months to go.

Elcie's asleep. She was a little unhappy about Chicken Little but she decided it was nice to have the sisters out of her hair once again. They took her to the store today in her chair along with a couple of neighbor kids. They're really good with her most of the time but the age difference shows and patience is not Elcie's or Rebecca's strong suit. Rochelle does a little better - the peacemaker once again.

All three will definitely see Harry on the big screen; it'll be around for a while.

I had something in mind earlier to talk about but I've forgotten. I told a friend earlier today that I should start a draft when these ideas occur to me and go back and clean it up later. Couldn't have been too important, whatever it was.

Have any of you ever heard of someone plagiarizing posts from a blog? I encountered it for the first time tonight. Not just a recipe that Angel or Mollie has posted and I copy over here (I mean that as a compliment, not a theft) or an inspirational sentence or two I've picked up somewhere (same reasoning for borrowing). These are entire posts with only the names changed. Why would anyone do that? I guess the phony blog was deleted but the original blogger was understandably unhappy. The original blogger is a fine writer and I envy her talent but to steal her words? How strange.

People are so peculiar. If I didn't want to sit here typing, I wouldn't do it but I'd just go away, not pass someone else's writing off as my own. First place, it's cheating, second place I don't see any big paychecks rolling in for the rambling I do here and I don't look for that to change no matter whose literary skills I "borrowed".

It's almost midnight here. Hope all of you enjoy your "day of rest" tomorrow (or today in some cases).

L., take a breath.

Good night.