a postcard from an elf and 2 cards from buffistas. I no longer know if these are part of the ABalGENSTABSEA or not.

I got a card and a box today!! The card is absolutely from Suzi and I strongly suspect the box is too. I am holding off on opening it because DH and the boys are moving my stuff tonight and I wanted them to be here to share the fun of opening it.

Fabulous timing since tomorrow is my last day here!! We'll be finishing off the move tomorrow. I'll share pictures and descriptions of my prezzie after the boys get back. I've done the Buffista Secret Santee thing a few times before, but I can't tell you how much it means to me this year. For a few seconds I had huge guilt because I had called upon a pinch hitter to do my part, but then my gratitude for having so much support overwhelmed any sense of guilt. With my mom's health, my health, moving, huge business stress stuff. It has just been so overwhelming. Seriously, I love you guys. Thank you for being such a wonderful family.

On the GOOD NEWS front. Apparently the universe is looking out for me a bit. We have to buy furniture for moving back into the house because the place we were renting was furnished and we got rid of most of the furniture from the old house previously. So we had no beds. We had just decided to get a king and 2 queens when we made a trip to the storage place to drop off stuff. There were people moving out in the storage unit across the way on their way to Texas and they had a king and 2 queen mattresses. Utterly fabulous double pillow top incredibly nice. AND THEY GAVE THEM TO US BECAUSE THEY HAD NO ROOM IN THEIR TRUCK. So that was really cool. The new owner of the house gave us $2500 to help with moving expenses and to purchase any furnishings we left behind. Like I really didn't want to move the piano and some lawn chairs.

On the my health front I had a 24 hour EEG test thing. That was a whole lot of fun dealing with all the moving people and all the contractors coming in to do stuff here with 24 leads glued to my head, which was covered with gauze, and carrying around the recording packs. Fun times. But that is done, and most of the glue is out of my hair. I should hear the results tomorrow. My doctor says he really thinks that my complaints are medication side effects and that we may have to try a few. I have always been a super lightweight when it comes to meds so I think he is on to something there.

My mom is still in rehab, but they are teaching her all kinds of good exercises and tricks to help her deal with her aging body. She has swallowing issues and the therapist has told her that she believes that the exercises will not only keep her from choking, but that she should be able to sing again. This is encouraging her as singing has always been a big part of her life. And ours!

Anyway, enough for now. Obviously I am way far behind in other threads because of the whole hours in the day thing. More after I get to open my package!

eta: I figured chances were zero I could write that much without having to edit.

Wow, Laura, I am so glad to hear that the universe decided to cut you a break. You sound so happy! Seems like things have worked out.

Laura H. I have always said you are the most aggressively happy person I have ever known. It's good to see you with your feet under you!

So happy to hear, Laura.

And the guys got home and I opened my lovely box of treats. I am so delighted. Bobby took pictures to send me, but I think he messaged them to me on Facebook so I have to find them. He's loading the truck again!

I have tasted several varieties of homemade cookies. Oh my! So tasty. Colorado honey which I may have to arm wrestle DH over because he loves honey. Incredibly lovely and I am confident handmade ornaments and necklace and scarf. And cookie cutters too! And I know I am forgetting something because it is late and I packed it back in the box!

Promise pictures tomorrow because too pretty not to share. Thank you so much!

This thread makes me happy, too. You people make me happy.

I am mailing 2 boxes tomorrow. I miscalculated sizes of objects, thus two boxes. See, even I am a last minute Lucy. Of course there are still many more minutes and right there in the decryption of this exchange on elfster it says gifts can arrive THRU THE END OF THE YEAR OKEY DOKEY ARTICHOKEY.

again, if anyone is in need of assistance to make things work, buzz me. we have people willing and able to jump in and assist.

"In the early years of the last century, the U.S. Congress considered a bold and ingenious plan that would simultaneously solve two pressing problems — a national meat shortage and a growing ecological crisis. The plan was this: hippopotamus ranching."

And the guys got home and I opened my lovely box of treats. I am so delighted.

I'm so glad you liked your treats. I had fun putting the package together for you. I thought about a big box of just bubble wrap but then I thought you would use it for the move instead of protecting you from the world.