Busy Busy

We've had quite a week, with getting all new windows in the house, Bruce having a birthday (66), and Grandma Joyce struggling with health issues. But, first, the new windows ...

We had the Home Depot do our windows, and things turned out just fine. These days, you hear about contractors taking off with your money and not completing jobs, an anxious thought to be sure, but we decided that with the Home Depot's solid presence and reputation, we might be okay. The process took two days, the first day being all the inside work (and it was bitterly cold that day, so good for them), and the second day was all the outside work. We'd already taken down the blinds and drapes the night before, and tacked up towels for privacy. And, I wondered if I'd like the subtle differences between our old windows and the new ones, but decided right away that they looked very similar. Already we can tell that there are less drafts coming through (if there are any drafts at all) and the bedrooms upstairs are even a little warmer. It's an old house that was built in 1968, so there will probably always be some issues with heating and such, but I really do love this house. The new windows are so much easier to open, and clean ... we did the math, and discovered that the old windows had 516 (truth) individual window panes to wash, and the new ones only 60. Wow.

Katie and little boy came over to help celebrate, and brought a puppy birthday card little boy had picked out for Pop Pop. I made a cherry icebox cake, and we all had a piece. Bruce and I went out to eat at Rey Azteca in the evening, and had a toast with our glasses of sangria. We said that the new windows were Bruce's birthday present but the fact is, he did get other presents, too!

Mom developed a sore, swollen leg. So much that she's not able to bear weight on it, and needs to sit in a wheel chair. The scan and xray didn't show anything like fractures or clots, so the thought is edema. Hopefully that will settle out, but in the meantime, she needs more help in general. And, Christmas is coming up, too!

Still lots to do to get ready for the holidays. I did organize the huge pile of gifts and Christmas stocking supplies that have started to grow in the corner by my closet, and that felt good. Still need to figure out the food. The yearly Christmas cards have been created and picked up from Walgreens, and just need to be addressed. And again, I'm thinking that a daily to do list might help, so that's what I'll do.