Mornin’ all. A bit after 11am here on a bright sunny day with a few puffies. It started out chilly, maybe 68/20 at sunrise, and is now 79/26 on the way to 82/28.
Sari: I’m not surprised you’re about at the end of your rope. You’ve done quite a lot in very trying circumstances. ISTM the rush is over, so it’s time to take care of you for awhile. The fact the old house is showing is a huge milestone of good that’s also a millstone coming off your neck.
Yanno, there is an excluded middle there where you become curt and all business. With “no” being your default answer for any special asks. Easy to say, hard to do. But maybe worth thinking about.
Swampy: sounds like you’re having a good weekend. Funerals aren’t happy occasions, but they can be fun in an odd way when folks give the right sorta send-off. Good on ya’ for your role in all that.
Yaay! Easy day today, and a slightly less-easy day tomorrow. Make haste slowly; bodies heal better better that way.
I used to create what I called a TPFP = Time-Phased Feast Plan. It included all the days-ahead stuff you mentioned. But for day-of it was basically a NASA style countdown to The Big Reveal at 4pm or whenever. Had to manage two ovens, 4 burners, hotplates, fridge space, table & sideboard setting, etc., so everything completed on time together with nothing forgotten & nothing late. E.g from 1155-1205: chop green beans. 1205-1220: arrange non-perishable finger food on serving platters. etc.
When it worked it was a thing of beauty. When it did not because something went haywire in the planning or the doing, chaos ensued.
One of my deepest pet peeves is cold feasts. And damned near everybody I know does that. By the time hot food is put into cold serving dishes and dribbled out to the table piecemeal, and every body sits, passes the serving ware around to dollop onto their cold plate, and yaks, you’re looking a plate of barely warmer than room temperature food. Which is disgusting. The hosts & hostesses spent many hours and many dollars creating a grand production that’s not quite inedible. Sigh.
I have never served a cold Feast.
When I saw the pic I thought “My, that’s a tiny vintage package car compared to today’s stretched models.”
Yaay for returning normalcy.
I’m a total heathen, but a Messiah sing-along just totally makes the Christmas season. One of the big chorale groups around here does a performance most years, but not always in sing-along style. Thanks for reminding me to check their schedule. BRB. Damn! They’re not doing it this year.
Hooray for connecting with Dad. Been 25 years now since I could last do that. Make it count while you can.
For everyone:
Here is a Christmas tradition that might be available in your local area. I always really enjoy it as did my late first wife. Her Ladyship is rather humor-challenged, so she Does Not Get It. For your listening pleasure: TUBACHRISTMAS. If there’s a performance near any of you, go; you won’t regret it.
I love it when a plan comes together like that. Life is so great when you (well me actually) start it pre-dawn. Good on ya’!
As to me:
No issues driving in the dark for me. Yet. My cataracts are making the streetlamps halo a bit, but that’s not really interfering w perception. Yet. I also don’t live rural; that might be a very different and humbling experience after dark.
Most of yesterday was slothful except for the brief groc foray I mentioned upthread. Had aging leftovers for dinner & finished the eggnog; good thing there’s more at the store! Ref FCM I was definitely moving slowly most of the day. Nothing hurt, but my everything was stiff.
Went to bed about 10pm intending to get up and go to the driving range early. I figured Sunday would be busy, so earlier is better & they open at 7am which would entail a 6-ish wakeup to get dressed and get over there on the tick. So instead of that plan I slept 9 solid hours and awoke at 7am. Must have needed it.
Got dressed anyway, zoomed off to one of the city’s golf courses net of a 7-11 stop for a McMuffin, coffee, and water. Eventually sorted out the retail & admin process there. Whacked (badly) my bucket of bright yellow balls, but I can spot glimmers of hope amidst the gloomy results of most swings. Despite my fear of the weekend crowd after a rather rainy week, there was never more than 4 of the 20 driving stations occupied during my hour-plus there. Lotta real golfing goin’ on, but not much practicing. Good to know; don’t need to be quite so aggressive about arriving first thing.
Got done & home then shortly afterwards Her Ladyship got up to start her day. Shevelment was next, then 2nd breakfast has been assimilated and I’m now casting about for what to do. A nap is not out of the question.
This evening we’re attending a restaurant dinner party for a couple from the old condo. It’s a “60/80” party: celebrating both their 80-somethingth birthdays and their 60th anniversary that all occur over about a 6-week span around now. I think she’s turning 80 & he just made 82.
They’re great fun people and most of the rest of the party-goers will also be from the condo so it’ll be a bit of a reunion for me / us. Should be fun. They’re pretty much who I want to be when I grow up.
Best of all, because they and everyone else is older (or much older) than we are, the party starts at 5:30 and won’t run too late into the night. 
