Christmas without Ma

Christmas on a Monday is just weird. 

This year I had 2 dogs that weren't able to travel even the 1 hour to Dad's.  So I went back and forth from Dad's to my place each day of the 3 day weekend.  Traffic was not as bad as I expected.

E2 got to Dad's around 8 or so Sunday night.  I was already home and in my jammies by then.  :-)

Christmas morning I got to Dad's around 8:30, I think.  There were presents all around the tree.  Dad was in his Christmas lounge pants and Grinch shirt.  I'm smiling as I'm typing that.

Ma was Santa at our house - the person that handed out the presents from under the tree.  This year Dad asked me to be Santa.  It threw me off balance for a second, but I dove right in.  Didn't get it quite right.  LOL - passed out everybody's presents, except my own.  But it was still fun seeing what everyone got.

While I thought everyone was having a good time I also felt like something was missing.  And I kept shaking off that it was Ma.  Because the feeling I had wasn't just missing a person in the home.

David cooked a very yummy dinner.

But that feeling stuck with me into the next day.  Until I realized it was Ma that I missed.  But not just her being in the house.  Her excitement at Christmas.  She loved Christmas.  Every Christmas Eve she'd try the same thing.  It would start with opening just one present.  Then she'd want all of us to open another one.  Again, I'm smiling typing that.  Her children telling her she had to wait till Christmas morning.

Then she'd try to stay up late, figuring 12:01 am counts as Christmas morning.  Nope, Lady, go to bed.

I've started talking to my Ma.  Normally when I'm outside working in my yard.  I'm finding it helps me relax.

We received a beautiful gift from one of Ma's sisters-in-law in Ma's memory.  An angel, I think made out of crystal.  She (the angel, not my aunt) is on the tree now, but Dad is going to keep that angel out all year long.

NS Update - Got My Bears!

It's been longer than normal since I've blogged.  I've been spending plenty of time in my own head.  But it's time to get some of it out.

I finally got my 2 bears.  20 showed up before 10 because of me logging my first 10 after they already sent that month's food shipment.  And then they forgot to put 10 in with 20 the following month.

But as you can see - they're together.
  

I'm around 229 now, but I can feel that I'm losing more.  And that's without me subtracting the 1.6 difference from my doctor's scale.

I treated myself to the turkey and stuffing entree.  Got 2 - still have one left.  It's delicious!

Christmas was wonderful because my family has been very supportive.  We had salmon burgers one day for lunch.  Baked ham on whole wheat bread another day for lunch.  And Christmas dinner was this yummy chicken, rice, bean, spicy slow cooker thing my older brother makes.

If I can't do my full 30 minutes walking due to rain or whatever reason, I'll clean in my house or wash dishes or do laundry.  I always try to find something to keep me busy at least 30 minutes a day.

The thyroid doc is going to see me in early February.  I'm so looking forward to that!  Hoping that it won't take long for the fatigue to go away.  And really hoping to get rid of the headache and the buzzing in my ears.

I just realized today is my 2 month mark being on Nutrisystem.  :-)

Hopefully, mid-January I'll be able to write that I've lost another 10 pounds!

Happy and safe New Year.

Grocery Store and a Blah Day

2 separate things, but they both happened today.  So I'm putting them on the same blog page.

I went grocery shopping before work.  And I enjoyed it.  Got my veggies, my fruit, eggs, my water flavor thingies, and toilet paper.  Winn Dixie doesn't have iodine.  :-(

As I'm walking around trying to figure out where the V8 is I realize there is so much that I do not have to buy and I don't want to buy.  I've got it all at home in the perfect serving size.  And what I did buy will last at least 2 weeks.

I got to work feeling pretty good, but then fatigue hit me hard at 10.  I drank my shake, had not gone on any walks yet.  Decided to give it a try.  Managed 5 laps around even though it's warm today and I had to dodge smokers at the end of the building.

Did another 4 at lunch.  Thyroid doc won't be able to see me until January or February.  So I'll just have to keep plugging along until then.

I don't know if the aches are due to my walks or the thyroid.  I'm hoping the constant headache and tinnitus is the thyroid.  Because that means it'll all be treated at one time.