December Link Party

It’s time for our December Link Party with Sheryl at A Chronic Voice! This month’s prompts remind me of the holidays. They are:

December Link Party

Recovering

Will This Cough Ever Go Away?

I am still recovering from my Thanksgiving bronchitis. A nagging cough persists, but the worst symptom is fatigue. It seems to take me at least a month to recover from a lung infection and/or an asthma flare. This morning I felt utterly overwhelmed, and at wit’s end. So I put my bathrobe over my pajamas, curled up on the couch with my pooch, and watched the television show Doc Martin. I’m feeling better right now so I figured I would try to write this post.

Shopping

Tired Shopper

Personally, I hate shopping. It’s so energy intensive any more. First, I have to make a list or I will forget what I went to the store for. Then I have to get dressed, put the dog in the basement, and remember to take my purse, my phone, my keys, my glasses, and my list. If I plan on using a coupon or gift card, I have to remember that, too. I then drive to the store and find a place to park. Then, the really fun part begins. Usually my list is a jumble, and I almost always forget something in the aisle or on the other side of the store, so I back track a lot! I expend energy reaching and bending for items and placing them in my cart.

By the time I get to the check-out I’m beat, so it’s a struggle to unload the cart. Here is where I usually forget whatever coupons or gift cards I wanted to use. Then, it’s time to load the car. Shortness of breath adds to weariness, so I usually need to sit in the car for a bit, before driving home. Once home, everything needs lugged in and put away.

Anymore, I take a son or daughter with me, or even better they drive me. I never shop in late afternoon or evening. I always need help bringing more than one bag into the house. Not only do I dislike shopping because it’s exhausting, but also because I have to carefully consider each purchase with what funds are available to shop with. Both of these reasons have taken all the fun out of shopping.

Enjoying

I love to watch the ever changing sky out my back door and to photograph it. It never ceases to fascinate me with it’s constantly changing colors and cloud shapes. I enjoy watching the clouds move across the sky in the wind, whether they’re scudding quickly or slowly drifting. Nature watching gives me a lot of joy. In fact, I was watching Doc Marten and saw this going on outside my window, and I just had to get up and take pictures. My photo doesn’t do it justice. I think God is a better artist than I’ll ever be.

Evening Sky in December

I also enjoy my goofy kids. We have a blast when trying to take photos. Here is my crew at Thanksgiving: Please forgive the blurry image.

My Children

Reminiscing

When my children and I get together we often reminisce about the crazy things they’ve done, and the places we’ve visited. They are such a lively bunch. I used to teach them at home(home school). My oldest daughter graduated with a home school diploma. Our favorite activities were field trips and nature study. They loved any excuse to get into the great outdoors, and so did I. We had a menagerie of animals: goats, cats, rabbits, and a dog. We lived on a couple acres of land, and we spent as much time outside as we could.

They would put up the tent and watch the stars come out in the summer. Since we lived in a rural area and there were very few lights, it was pitch black out. They needed flashlights to see to come into the house for the bathroom.

One night it started to thunder and pour down rain in the wee hours of the morning. I was awoken by my children’s screams as they exploded into the house. I’m not fond of sleeping on the hard, lumpy ground, so I was in my bed. They thought they were so big sleeping outside by themselves. It was a memorable night of camping for all of us.

Preparing

My Mantle Dressed For Christmas

I’ve figured out the menu for Christmas dinner: lasagna, salad and gluten-free brownies. I won’t start putting up decorations for Christmas until after my youngest son’s birthday on Saturday. I’ll get some kids to help me put up the artificial tree and I’ll put greens and lights on the mantel above the fireplace. That’s about it for decorating.

If I bake cookies, I’ll just eat too many, so I probably won’t make any. We quit buying gifts for each other several years ago due to tight finances and lack of interest by my boys. Our Christmas is pretty low key. The only thing I really want to do is go to church on Christmas Eve.

What About You

Finally, how would you answer these link party prompts? I’d love to hear from you below. If you missed last month’s link party you can read it here.

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Till next time, Kathy

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