Getting Ready for the End of the Year

A Christmas gift my daughter made for one of her friends

Last night, before I went to sleep, I started tidying up the living room.  Daughter had left some of her Christmas gifts sitting around, I had a basket of laundry to fold, there was a pile of mail on the side table near my chair, some bits and pieces of craft supplies left out, a couple of magazines on the piano, etc.  This morning, I finished tidying the living room and cleared the dining table.  Again, I put away the jigsaw puzzles, the craft supplies, the wrapping paper and other Christmas related items, etc.

I wish I could say that I was tidying and cleaning because I wanted to keep the house well maintained.  But, my incentive to clean was the fact that I was expecting company on New Year's Eve!  I had invited friend A, her husband, and their daughters to have New Year's dinner with us.  They had dinner with us on New Year's Eve, last year, too, and it is now becoming a new tradition.  I had already invited them when we went to their house for Thanksgiving.  But, when my daughter came down with her cold and cough, I wasn't sure if it would be the right thing to invite people when she was sick and expose them to her germs.  In fact, I called A, yesterday, and told her about my daughter's cold and said I didn't want them to get exposed.  But, A didn't seem to mind it, saying it was fine with them, as long as daughter felt well enough to have company over.   My daughter seemed much better, today, so I called A this evening and confirmed tomorrow's dinner.  She offered to bring a dessert and I said that would be lovely.

In the afternoon, I went grocery shopping again, for a couple of items I couldn't buy on Saturday, specifically, some bottles of sparkling apple cider to toast the New Year!  The Armenian grocery store didn't have them.  I went to another store, today, and bought three bottles of the sparkling apple cider for $1.99 each (plus the bottle deposit of $.10 each).   I also bought some broccoli ($1.19/lb) to cook for tomorrow night's dinner.  I will cook rice, chicken curry, fish curry, sauteed smoked sausage, broccoli, dhal, cashew curry (from the freezer), and spicy garbanzo beans (also from the freezer).  I have yogurt and treacle for dessert, in addition to whatever friend A will bring.

While I was out grocery shopping, my daughter had tidied up the family room and done the dishes that were in the sink!  I was so pleased!  She said she felt well enough that she arranged to go to see a movie with a friend and thought that if she felt well enough to go out, then, she was well enough to help clean the house and do the dishes for me!  LOL!

In the evening, after she left, I dusted the living room, dining room, and family room.  I also took the trash bin and recycling bin out to the curb for pick up tomorrow morning.

Sunset

I took a picture of the sunset, yesterday, but my cell phone camera couldn't quite capture the brilliant colors.  Still, I am considering of using this picture for the Winter Photo Scavenger Hunt, for prompt #4: colors.  Haven't quite decided, yet. 

Today, I am grateful for:
- The house has been tidied for the New Year
- Daughter is feeling better
- Daughter helped with the tidying and cleaning
- Getting my grocery shopping done without any difficulties
- Ripe, fresh papaya from the grocery store

Tuesday's To Do List:
- Bring the trash cans in
- Vacuum
- Cook
- Enjoy having friends over to New Year's Eve dinner
- Greet the New Year with my daughter

How was your day?  What are your plans for New Year's Eve?