♥ Another family milestone...

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Granddaughter Sophia...  Valedictorian

Moving their tassels...

Misaki...  Japanese Exchange Student... 

Who spent Senior Year in our HS, and lived with Sophia and family...

Sophia...

Naturally, these are photos taken from local newspaper web sites...

I am on my 2nd medicine Rx, and still not on the Net, much...

So...   My first inclination is to 'Turn Comments Off'.

I know blogging is not supposed to be tit-for-tat...  (I comment in your blog and you do so in mine.)

But...  Let's face it....  It pretty much is.

So I do not want to make anyone feel expected, to comment here.

But I also know that 2 posts in a row, with No Comments, can be a pain, too.

-sighhhhhhhhhh-

What to do?  What to do? 

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♥ Yes, I've been sick...

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I've been very sick...  (Urinary Tract Infection)  Complete with half the night in the ER. 

 

Next comes HS Graduation.  Of our Granddaughter and the students from Japan and Italy.  Kiera's parents flew over from Italy, for a few days, and to experience her Graduation.

Hope I'm back in the swing of "Pretty Blog Land,"  soon.  

Or next week, perhaps...

Everyone be good, while I'm busy...  :-)

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♡On the night before, the night before, we...

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I only write today, like in (my-own) Journal, because most everyone is  

*up to their ear-lobes* in *doooooing-things.*   :-)))))   Understood.  

I too will soon be *doooing-things,* although mine are so much less, 

at this time of my life. 

 Mothers/Fathers with young children are trying not to *fall-into-frantic.*  ,-)  

Ladies who have "The Whole Family" coming to Dinner, 

are also trying not to *fall-into-frantic.*  ,-)

I wish them well... :-)

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 Christmas Eve Tradition here, is for family to come over for 

"Uncle A.'s" ("Pop's") Fish Chowder and French bread.  

Very casual.  

Nothing fancy.  

:-)

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This year, the Family Christmas Day Dinner will be turkey and stuffing, 

next door at son/family house...  

Easiest to gather there, because they have 4 children, one a toddler...  

Lots of toys and child-safe-places to play with them...  :-)  

But Son always has to make the Stuffin' with his Father, and his older children, 

the night before Turkey Dinner.   Soooooooo, the *plan* is, 

for them to do that,  

after Fish Chowder.   

And it's Christmas Eve.  

Interesting to contemplate but...  

That IS the plan.  :-)

My Job ----  Stay Calm and Carry On

-gigggles-

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(lovely illustrations Source)

Mid Christmas Day, everyone gathers here,  

and the Grandchildren open presents from the family.  

And this year, we have 2 added "Grands."  Misaki from Japan and Kiera from Italy.   

Later, everyone goes next door, for Family Christmas Dinner.  

Where the turkey has been stuffed and is cooking in the oven.  

Son loves to have the aromas wafting through his house, all day!

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Just looked out the Den windows  

It's trying to snow!!!!!!   

-clapping hands-

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Last evening, while having dinner and cleaning up and etc., 

we watched the 1970 Albert Finney musical "Scrooge."   

It was on tv from 6-8 and it was perfect timing.  

From 8-9 we enjoyed the delightful and delicious 

"A Child's Christmas In Wales" dvd.  

Ohhhhhhhhhh, if you have never enjoyed this, please-please-please do find it.  

You will always remember that "Auntie" suggested it to you, when you enjoy it, 

over and over and over again.  :-)

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Me-thinks I will turn off comments on this post.  Like lots of Dear Bloggers do, 

when knowing that people are busy.  So no one has any *guilt*

about their not taking time to leave a comment.  :-))))))))))))

Goooooooooo...  Enjoy your Christmas Eve....

♫♡♫

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"Christmas candles in windows bright/

Send a greeting into the night..."

~~Marie Irish, "Christmas Lights"

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♥This and that, and something else... :-)

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(Leaves, out our bedroom window)

The Italian Exchange Student is part of our extended family now.  She came to our son/daughter-in-law's home on Fri. evening.  We are excited!

♥~♥

(Leaves, through window/screen, in the rain)

Some very interesting reading I have been doing.  "The Winter Ghosts" ...  "Graveminder"...  "The Burning Glass"...  "Daughter of Smoke And Bone"...  "The Night Circus."
♥~♥ 

If you love possible reading suggestions, as much as I do...  I suggest you look into one or more of them.  Oh and if you enjoy them, please tell me!  I love, love, love to hear from someone else, who has read a book. 
♥~♥ 

Perhaps that's another reason I love reading Book Blogs.   :-)   Not only for the suggestions for future reading...  But because it's kind of like belonging to a "book club" and discussing a book, with others.
♥~♥ 

  But no, don't ask me if I belong to a book club in Real Life....  I only want to read, exactly what I want to read.  I'd never *suffer through* reading books, chosen by consensus.  I just know me.  :-) 
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(Screen lifted, view down and to right, out bedroom window)

Much rain/wind on Saturday.  Many leaves down.  I'm getting sad, about this years Leaf Color Changing Season.    But I know, it's not something to spend much sadness on. 

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(And I've probably shown this photo before, but I'll show it again.  'Cause it's bright and pretty!!!)

Rainy day yesterday, and perfect weather for me to get the urge to change my "blog look."  So far, I've not gotten *bitten by that bug.*  But should have known, it was only a matter of time.....  Till I got the urge to  fiddle-around-with my Blog Look.

Wellllllllllllllll,  it didn't go very far.  I'm still using an old Blogger template or something...  And with this, can not use a lot of the New Blogger Stuff.  But!  I'm not ready to jump to New Blogger here!!!!!!!!!!!  Maybe some time.  Not so far.  So my "Blog Look" remains pretty *generic* looking.  :-)

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"October’s poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter." ~ Nova S. Blair

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♥Set another place, around the table... :-))))))

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The top part of the desk, which 'Pop' is making for Jake (11 years).  He wanted me to take a picture of it, before he puts it on the base.  I print the pics out and he keeps them in his file of projects.

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A little bit of leaf-turning-color, on our walk. 

And a sad example of how some leaves are simple withering...  

From all the rain we had, is the reason being given.

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An Exchange Student from Italy...  Her first Host Family setting did not work out.  (Small school, in small place, and no one would try to be friendly.)  Our daughter is her connection with the Exchange Student Group.  She was at our daughter's last weekend, and is there this weekend too.  And one of our sons and his wife, are probably going to host her, for the rest of her stay.  :-) 

 ~

The way has already been cleared, for her to go to our HS, like our Japanese "Granddaughter" is doing, and loving it, btw!!!    We hope that the girl above, will soon be a member of our extended family too.  Not living right here on *the compound,* but still a member of it.  :-) 

 ~

Our extended family is growing!!!  And it's wonderful.  :-)

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Just the reflection of 'Fairy Lights,' on the eating-area-of-kitchen-floor.  :-)

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"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, 

and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."  ~~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

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♥Rainy weekend, but fun happenings...

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(Still *hanging in* there!  

It's now time for Mums.  But the Tuberous Begonias will not quit.  :-))

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 Friday early evening, was so much impromptu fun.  First Misaki (our Japanese Granddaughter for 3/4 of a year) came over to practice piano.  Then everyone else began coming in our doors. 

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Our Daughter and Granddaughter brought a visiting Exchange Student from Italy over to meet us.  (The girl from Italy is on the left, above.)  ~~~~~~  Then our Daughter-in-law next door came over with 2 of our Grandsons. 

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Followed by our Son, and then by another Granddaughter, with 2 of her Volleyball team, in tow.  (They were going to change clothes at "Grand's" house next door, to go to a party.) 

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Eventually, everyone began "peeling off" and going home.  The next door son's family went...  Followed by the next-to-son's-house Daughter and 'Grand' and the 2 Exchange Students.  It only lasted about an hour, but it was such fun!!!!!!!!!!

♥

On Saturday evening, we had fun at "E.'s" HS Reunion.  He was ahead of me in school, and I didn't attend his High School...  But I still know some of the people, in his class...  Since all of us were from the same couple of small villages, and surrounding area.

With my eating issues, we didn't plan on staying for the buffet dinner, for all the classes.  But people in his class (those still alive, and still able to attend) met earlier, for a gathering in the bar area.  We had a reserved table, and got drinks and chatted and had a nice time.

When people only go to the group cocktail hour and buffet, you *can't hear yourself think* with all the music noise!  Ugh...  None of us wanted only that.  But the intimate gathering, before, was purrrrrrrrrrrfect.

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