Gift Preparation on Track

This morning, December 9, 2019, I mailed out packages to Florida, Alabama and Virginia that contain gifts for my descendants.  I stopped at Day's Market after taking Alden, Calvin and Jacqueline to seminary and found a sale on loin steaks although the main aim of the stop was to replenish my sealing tape supply in order to finish wrapping gifts for the local family.  I prepared the steaks to be dehydrated by chopping them up into roughly 1/2" pieces and salting them generously with Real Salt.  I took some over to Lucinda and mended Patricia's doll.  After the rest of the family left I returned and started Jacqueline on putting together a pearl necklace for her aunt.  Later in the day I wrapped and labeled many of the presents for family.  There are still some that I expect from Amazon, but I am in the final stages of having everything ready.  I love accomplishing tasks and taking on unexpected challenges like making what I am choosing to call 'beef nuts'. 

Christmas Gifts

I have four families that live away from convenient dropping off of gifts.  Since I no longer subscribe to Amazon Prime I have to package up the gifts and send them.  I made a list of what I am giving to various people and with the original sorting there were only two for whom I had not yet purchased a gift, or planned to regift in the case of earrings.  Today I spent a fair amount of time working with the prints that Marge has decided to purchase for her various children.  Fortunately I discovered that the print which fell in some sawdust was not damaged to any extend.  Several other prints had glossy spots after I sprayed them with UV protective spray.  The gloss has faded.  I packaged up the print for Marge's daughter in Arizona, made a gift card for her to sign using some paper and some clipart from the web plus an envelope that fit.  I mailed it on my way to Salt Lake at the BYU mailing facility.  It feels satisfying to come so near the goal of taking care of all my Christmas gifting.
Today I left home early to avoid bad traffic and had plenty of time to stop at the artesian well park near Liberty Park in Salt Lake and fill four gallon containers with water.  A man with three 5-gallon tanks and an assortment of gallon containers was willing to let me use one of the three spigots.  Fortunately the day was clear and mild and I had plenty of time.  As he and I neared the end of our water filling a couple of oriental people who seemed to be from the neighborhood came with a couple of containers each.

Slower Day

I've had a slower day today.  After taking the kids to seminary and going to the Provo temple until around 10:30 I went shopping at Macey's and the Dollar Tree.  Then I put in a wash and took a long nap.  Later I sorted out the gifts for my family for Christmas and a few birthdays.  I spent some time looking at youtube videos about diet and some time participating in posts on Facebook.  Tomorrow I plan to finish up the prints for Marge and her family and hope to get the print mailed to her daughter.  I would like to include a gift card with Marge's name in the package.  Afternoon will be a trip to Salt Lake to be with Rudy and Hannah.

Hobby Shops

Today I set myself to finish my portrait of Marge Lewis and prepare prints.  I framed one of the prints and took it to show her this evening.  It is meant to be mailed to her daughter in Arizona.  I left early from sitting with her because her son was coming over to watch a game with her.  Although it meant I would not make $39 dollars for the hours between 6 and 9 PM, it meant I had time to go shopping at Michaels and use a coupon for 60 percent off I received in an e-mail.  I used it to purchase some 6" x 8" canvas pads with the intention of using them to frame some picture of pomegranates for my ministered sisters.  Unfortunately the dollar store did not have the right size frames so I purchased 5"x7" frames and cut down the printed images.  One of the three frames I purchased is mangled.  On the other hand I purchased two frames, one 16"x20" suitable for the portrait of Marge, and the other 11"x14" which will fit one of the prints.  The total bill was $23+ which is about what one of the frames would have cost if it were full price.  Earlier in the day I took Jacqueline, Diana and Lelia to several stores.  We intended to go to a bead and rock shop but along the way we went to a RPG Game store where they had miniatures that would have fit my tiny Christmas scene as far as size is concerned, but they were mostly monsters.  We then stopped at a model train store but they were out of the kind of animals I was looking for.  At the rock shop Diana and Lelia were given tumbled stones.  Jacqueline bought pearls to string as a necklace for her mom and I bought a chalcedony pendant and some findings.  The girls were told to take candy canes from the Christmas tree as we left the shop.  We then drove to the paper store to get gift jewel boxes on reference from the man at the jewelry store.  It was fun going shopping with the girls.

Ticking off the list

Today I decided to register my car and renew my driver's license after I left the temple where I was able to help an acquaintance from the PCCT do twice as many cards as she would otherwise have been able to do.  I drove to the State office building to register for 2020 and found that I needed to get an emissions inspections before I could register.  Then I drove out to what I thought was the driver's license office but they were closed and referred me to Springville.  Fortunately I needed to make a deposit at the credit union that shares the building so my trip was not wasted.  I made an appointment with the dealership to do the inspection and they printed out the papers needed and gave me the sticker for next year.  I then drove to the Orem office of the DMV and obtained a renewal of my driver's license.  I could have renewed online but I needed an eye check and I have lost 50 or more pounds since I had my previous license and wanted that information, both written and pictured, on my new license.  I also located a rock shop I used to patronize which has moved to a different location in Orem.  It is in a larger location and has a larger stock of rocks, beads and jewelry findings.  I purchased a fossil cabochon bead for Rochelle and they added a copper wire connector for 25 cents.  It felt like a day welly spent.

Narrowing in on Final Version

I spent some time today working on my portrait of Marge Lewis, particularly the small portrait of her husband.  I need to make it more accurate but at the same time avoid making it the focal point.  I took it to her home this evening and her son and daughter-in-law stopped by to bring her a poinsettia.  The portrait was in the living room and there was no graceful way to conceal it.  They really seemed to like it.  I am grateful that I have the talent to portray the likeness of people.

Christmas Decorations

Over the years I have accumulated a number of Christmas decorations.  For the past few years I have established a tradition of having my Hancock grandchildren come up and decorate the house.  They put up the tree, arrange the lights, sort out the ornaments, which are mostly transparent globes containing pictures of the various family members, and put them all in place.  There is a bisque porcelain creche set that goes on the console cabinet under my south window that is now a projection screen behind curtains.  There are three figurines I made for my mother years ago and got back after her death that represent the 'Littlest Angel', the 'Little Drummer Boy', and 'The Little Matchgirl'.  There is a hoop of silver bells and ivy for the outside front screen door and two centerpieces that go with different table cloths.  There is also a scene of a Victorian village that includes a service station for flying cars, including the DeLorean from 'Back to the Future'.  I put that up on my jewelry chest under a mirror in place of a Star Wars display that usually sits there/  I keep the Christmas tree lights on until I take down the tree, possible because of LED lights that don't heat up.  I enjoy the feeling of gentle festivity these decorations bestow on my home and the children love to see the room when it is finished.