What else do I do?

I had a friend come back into my life after she had been out of the country for several years. We were trying to catch up on what we had been doing, and she asked me what else I had been doing other than reading (most of my blogging activity takes place on my book blog Chèli's Shelves.) I had to think for a minute but then started the whole list of activities.

1) I have 3 different groups of ladies that I play MahJongg with - the Tuesday night group plays twice a month, the Wednesday night group plays once a month and a Monday afternoon group plays twice a month.

2)I have three different groups that I play bridge with - Friday night group plays twice a month, Wednesday night group I sub in, and the Sunday afternoon group (I am the coordinator) plays twice a month at the Country Club. If the club is busy on the days we are to play, then Tim and I host at our house. We've been trying to grow this group so we've actually been teaching bridge and I have been developing little training manuals for the beginners.

3) I am also a member of the Ladies 9 Holers at Montgomery CC. Tim signed me up 2 years ago, and though I don't play well or often, I really enjoy the ladies there. I was elected Secretary of the group last year and also serve as the Invitational Chairman. We are holding an invitational in July so I am busy with Budgets and menu planning and door prizes and sponsorships. It's nice to know that I can still organize events.

4) Tim and I belong to the Montgomery CC Wine Club where we get together once a month and have an event - dinner or wine tastings - and I have been working with the event coordinator to come up with new ideas for our events.

Those are my outside activities - (and Tim was worried that when I retired I wouldn't get out of the house!).

All these activities leave me little time to concentrate on my village and my needlework when I add in my reading. But I'm a happy little housewife/homemaker/retiree and that's all that counts!

Blogiversary passed by and I didn't notice!

Well, two weeks ago was the anniversary of this blog and somehow or other I was so busy that it just slipped right by me. I set up this blog to let my friends and family keep track of what I was doing and what was keeping me busy. So, I've decided that an update is in order.

Since I originally started out, I have made a design change and I hope everyone likes the look. So on to the update.

1) My diet has been placed on hold. (I joke about having given it up for Lent) I'm having a bit of stress related issues (will explain later on) and I need either comfort food or I'll have to go back to smoking. I figure comfort food is better.

2) My freelance job for Tim's office has been put on hold so I'm watching my pennies again. Hopefully, they will realize how valuable my services were and get me back on the payroll.

3) My golf skills have not improved (maybe because my back has flared up again and so I'm back in Physical Therapy). I still meet with the Ladies 9 holers (in fact, I was elected secretary for the group as well as the coordinator of the lady 9 holers invitationals), so I have to make sure that I get enough ladies to play at the other golf courses on the event days. This year we are hosting an Invitational, and as the event chairperson, I am delegating decoration design and goodie bag development while I handle invitations, name tags, place cards, and menu. So even though I'm not playing golf on a regular basis, I'm still involved with the group and having a great time!

4) Tim and I are still working diligently to get the Montgomery Country Club Bridge Group growing. With the new members that we recruited last year and additional members that we are finding along the way, we are now playing twice month. When the Club has events and no room for us we play at our house.

5) On the home front, last October a "friend" who had lost his job over a year ago and his home in September moved in for what was supposed to be a short period of time. However, as of this writing he is still here and driving me CRAZY! It seems that our hospitality is being stretched to the max. So here in lies my STRESS! The doctor told me that I need to have him move out, and I asked him for a prescription for that! He laughed, I was serious.

6) I'm currently in the middle of the demolition of Derry town. Tim rushed me last year and I didn't get the inventory updated so now I'm updating the photographs and inventory listing. Since that was delayed last year I put off the home inventory which I'm hoping to get done this summer working room to room updating the info on the rest of the house. Eventually I would like to burn a CD of that listing with pictures and give it to State Farm for safekeeping.While I’m working on the home inventory, I will also be working on making my will current (the last one was 15 years ago) so if anyone has something they would like to be heir to, let me know. If that’s not enough I also have the 5000+ photographs from the Bill Derry’s that I agreed to scan into my computer and burn CDs for everyone. (I haven’t forgotten.)

7) I would also like to get some work done on the two books that I am writing. The first is a novel that I started in 1993 and would like to eventually finish. The second is a children’s book that I am writing for my “grandson” Jackson. (Those that know me, also know that having had no children, it would be hard for me to have a grandson. However, when our nephew Christopher and his beautiful bride, Melanie, were expecting, Ellen (Christopher’s Mom – my sister-in-law) and Melanie’s Mom, Gloria, said that I could be Nonna – the Italian grandmother – they are sharing their grandson with me and I feel so blessed by their generosity. ) Hopefully, I will make some progress on both of these projects soon.

8) We were part of the "fortunate" area of the country that received the double blizzard in February - all tolled in less than a week we received nearly 40" of snow. Tim even had to stay home from work one day - can you believe it!

9) For my relaxation time, I have been reading and stitching. As of this day, I have read 38 books in 2010 and my goal is 120 books for the entire year. (2009 I read 162.) I have joined LIBRARYTHING (LT for short) and I have met so many nice people who share my love of reading. I have joined into a number of challenges/groups which drive the need to read those 120 books.

a) the Main Challenge is the 101020Challenge. Here each person chooses 10 categories and 10 books in each category = 100 books but I added a bonus category of 20 books for overflow.

b) Chunskter Challenge is to read 6 books of over 450 pages - this one I've already finished!

c) Supplement to the 101020 Challenge are the 75 and BOYS (Books off your Shelves) Challenges which are basically the same books.

d) The last challenge is the one that Tina (my sister) and I devised together. The US Presidents’ Challenge is to read the Biographies of all 43 Presidents before the end of the term of our current President. That gives us at least 4 years and possibly 8 to get this reading done. So far, (I’m reading in order) I finished Washington through Tyler in 2009 and I'm up to James Buchanan so far this year. (They say he's the worst but I haven't gotten that far yet.) I’ve been reading background books as well – Gold Rush, Mexican War - those kind of things so that I can get a feel for the time in history that these men occupied. Thanks to all my new friends at LT I have found so many new interests in books. I have been stretching my normal areas of reading to include history, biographies, (these are what led to the Presidents Challenge), Award Winning books/Authors (these are probably books I never would have read), non-fiction, and Classics. That doesn’t mean that I’ve given up on the old standards because I am still reading oodles of mysteries (I currently have 50 series that I follow) and I even made time for some romances this year.

10) I also have my Cross Stitch projects to do. (Molly , our niece and her husband Bryan are expecting in October and as "Nonna" I am doing the birth announcement as well as special Christmas stocking for Jackson. Lastly, I am still spending time travelling to Baltimore to visit with my Mom (she’s doing great) and I need to get working with my sister, Mary-Ruth, trying to finish up the cataloging of my Dad’s stamp collection.

So, Chèli’s Cozy Corner is very busy, but never too busy for the love of her life, TIM. This year we will be celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary and I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without this man who treats me like a princess and always, always, makes me feel loved beyond belief.

So, come in and sit down, anytime you’d like in my cozy little corner of the world. I don't post everyday, but hopefully, my postings are fun! Love to you all!

Countdown for the holidays has started!

I was just visiting my sister's blog (Tutu's Two Cents) and she confirmed that Beth, over at Beth Fish Reads has given us permission to take a break from our computers for the holidays. YES, the holidays... So blame it on Tutu, she got me starting thinking about the holidays and everything that had to be done. They are coming and with them, many mysteries to be solved with moments of wondering ....

• who do I invite?
• what will I wear to that party? Should I take something?
• when will I fit that into my schedule? Can I get it done in time?
• where can I get that gift? What color, what size?
• how will I get it all done?
• why can't I think of something for her/him?

There are so many decisions to be made each year and sometimes they become overwhelming.

• The tree - should we get a real one and should it be small or large or huge?
• Christmas Goodies - Should we cheat on our diets - dah, of course, but when can we start? What should we make and how much of each?
• What do we get everyone or are we giving gifts at all?
• Are we sending cards? Should we include a Christmas Letter?
• Decorations - Same old, same old, or something new and different?
• When will I see everyone? Do I travel to their house or invite them to mine?
  And what about all my book challenges? Will I manage to squeeze in all the final books I need to finish?

The answers, for me, are pretty simple...

• Trees - 1 Small, 1 medium, 1 large all fake
• baking - list decided- all I have to do is schedule what when
• presents - gift certificates for the out of town kids (I know that's cheating but they love to go after Christmas for all the sales and get exactly what they want) the siblings have ceased to exchange except for nominal items, so that leaves one for Mom and 1 for hubbie
• Cards are scheduled for the 2nd week in December
• Parties are all scheduled, invitations have been sent and RSVPs done,
• and decorations are in progress! (should be finished this weekend)

It's all in the organization and having a calendar that can handle everything - yeah Outlook!

So my advice, take an hour or two and plan it all out, print out your calendar and enjoy this special season...It won't be back again for another 365 days!

Make your own Christmas Cards

If anyone ever wanted to take a photo and make your own cards (christmas or otherwise), its so easy with the people at CrinkledNose.com The son of a friend of mine works there and they are so helpful if you have any problems, but the process is easy and fast. The hardest part, for me, was choosing a picture. I had them last year and they are sensational. Reasonably priced too!

Sunday Salon

Today, while my husband is at the golf course, I am just planning on reading. I have a book that I need to finish before it is due back at the library and this is my opportunity. Then when he gets back, (don't laugh) we are planning on finishing the take down of my Christmas village. Nothing like putting things off.