We just paid 20%, but they (the venue) catered the food, ran the buffet line, set up the tables and chairs, and supplied the bartender, too. Figured it was for paying the help. She also helped us gather up our table decorations since no one was at the bar. This venue was 1/2 the cost of other venues. Worth the cost. It was a great experience.

My dh is a year younger than me, and now both of us are almost retirement age. My younger sisters that were much more driven to work than me retired a year and a half ago. One's dh has had health issues and she's trying to travel all she can with him. The other has always been a traveler. Dh made a comment one day that he probably has only X years of life left, comparing with his dad and brothers. I will drop work in a heartbeat when he's ready, so we can accomplish the travel or other that he has always wanted to do. Until 6 months ago, I was ready to keep building our business. Changes in corporate staff have left me thinking yes, I am ready to retire. But it will take time to iron out all the details of selling our business. Think dh is saying Jan of 2026 now. I have mentally changed my outlook. I get my work done, but if I wasn't able to pick my hours or if I do them at the office or at home, I wouldn't be able to finish out. Since dh and I have worked side by side (with his partner) since the business started, and I do care about the family we've built there, I will stay there as long as he does. Just food for thought. You never know when health will change for either of you.

I'm reading the newest C J Box book Three Inch Teeth, and If The Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss. A friend just returned Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, and just loved it! It's a keeper.

I used to wake the boys with 'X o'clock and all is well!' from the old Robin Hood animated movie. I would also sing 'They call me meanie mama... That's right..' They'd ask if it was a real song and I'd say yes. They didn't know it was 'They call me Mello Yello.. That's right'. Yes, definitely dating myself with that old commercial.

Good night Gorilla is my first choice. I second the big Richard Scarry Cars and Trucks and Things that Go. Harold and the Purple Crayon.

i wanted lemon, too, but the filling didn't thicken in my lemon meringue pie, so that flopped. I will go with the frozen lemonade pie next time. i was in a rush needing to get the pie baked so i could get the ham in the oven.

Beautiful! Hope you've enjoyed the planning, even tho it got stressful. Now enjoy the wedding! My dd gets married next Friday. Thank goodness everything is local, and she decided on April. She could have had a hard time getting things set up if she'd tried to plan a summer wedding in four months. 😉 I have enjoyed our time together. She just had her dress fitting yesterday, and I got two dress choices in the mail the day before. Thank goodness both fit. Yeah--last minute folks, but it all works out. lol

Yes, I checked three where I bank.

I was wearing the right size cup, but the band felt tight. An onine company on bra sizes said to buy one side up in the band and one size down in the cup. Bought again from the first company but followed the online sizing. Much better for this busty gal!

A handful of banks I checked with wouldn't cash paper bonds. They have to be mailed in.

Ham, mashed potatoes, pineapple fried rice, roasted asparagus and carrots, deviled eggs, homemade rolls, strawberry cheesecake salad. Also tried a new recipe for gf brownies with a peanut butter topping. And I may make a lemon meringue pie, too.

I fill a 9x13 with about half lettuce, and now use a head of iceberg and a bunch of spring mix. I like my greens GREEN. If you can cover it decently with only part of the dressing, go for it! lol

There are a few blogs about putting lemons/limes in a jar with water to preserve them for a while.

Praying for all of you. Hugs.

We have a party just to visit with our friends mid-winter. I found a new recipe for chicken wings I want to make, but the grocer said they haven't gotten wings in in a long time. So, got some chicken tenders that I will cook but not fry and top with the orange juice/hot sauce/honey sauce. We'll see. Also making some queso dip and some chocolate coconut bars. Guests will all bring something to share, too.

My sister made the Velveeta with ground beef and salsa every Thanksgiving.

I was told the purpose of algebra on up is to teach our brains to think differently, to grow the synapses in our brain, as it were. Solving math problems before that is one thing, but you really stretch the mind learning the others. My neighbor likes to build things, so he uses trig building gazebos and other big items.

My family loves it. Our version is lettuce, chopped celery, (the recipe calls for chopped onion but we don't add it), and a can of sliced water chestnuts. Then- 2 c mayo mixed with 1/2 c sugar- spread over the layers. Then continue with parmesan cheese, crisp chopped bacon, sliced hard boiled eggs, and sliced tomatoes.

My dad was 11 years older than mom, and he was one who expected her to watch tv with him or entertain him. They played cards daily, and he couldn't eat a meal without her fixing it. They kept a jigsaw puzzle going all the time, and he did Sudoku puzzles and read the paper daily. She did gardening, reading, and took care of all the household tasks, and spent many nights doing her quilting in the basement when he went to bed early.

I had three c sections, and after I got home from the hospital, Mom came for a week and took care of everything but the baby; she let me take care of myself and the baby, tho she of course did do some baby cuddling! She took care of meals, laundry, housework, etc. The last one I know Dad came with becuase hee cleaned all the windows in the house! Was hoping to do that for dil, but she preferred her mom with the first, and there was C when the second was born, so I watched his first year via snapchat. I deep cleaned the kitchen with the first and third ones, while dil was at the hospital tho!

My fear has been that dh, who has no hobbies and is a workaholic, is either going to sit in the living room watching tv, relegating me to one of the bedrooms or the kitchen since I don't like most of his show choices, or try to micromanage me. Not sure what he will do in the office he's creating for himself or in his garage, which he's emptying into mine. 🫢 He does enjoy going on the church mission trip helping rebuild homes annually. Besides doing some traveling, not sure what he will do. We currently watch tv together, eat out with some good friends, or have friends or the kids over to play cards or games. And we usually watch the grandsons one evening a week. We used to go play cards with my folks every weekend. Me- I have hobbies I want to get to: quilting, embroidery, gardening, learning homeopathy and herbal medicine, watching old black and white movies. I am semi-retired, working my own hours but still some at the shop part of work days, but it's still not the same as being able to plan whole days without work. Looking forward to it! I'm currently starting to get back to making a loose menu and cooking suppers. We've eaten out an awful lot as business owners together. My younger sisters retired over a year ago after Mom and Dad passed. That was an intense summer for us with their caretaking til the end.

Dh is ready to retire, and I am just older than him. One day he told me he has 7 years left, comparing with other men in his family. And I'm assuming I have another 8-10 yrs after that, so maybe if he wants to retire and do more traveling in the next few years I should retire at the same time as him. Help him enjoy his last years that he's worked for while he can. I have hobbies that I could finally get to. ( I seem to find it hard to finish cleaning out my folks house and organizing, etc. while I'm still working at least half time with varied hours.) And being available to travel when/where he wants for a few years. He's not one with hobbies to fall back on. I have lots of them to follow up later, if need be. Retirement is sounding better all the time!

Our nephew ended up having his wedding in their backyard, complete with a dance. They let all the neighbors know what to expect, and it was great!

Yes-- this. And we have a good sized family that likes to get together for special occasions regularly. So far-- interestingly, our two have chosen someone with a smaller family. We have lost a number of family members in the last couple years, and with dd moving her wedding up to April, there will be a few more who won't make it then. 😞 But- it makes sense for the couple as he'll be deployed.

We have used our garage to host all the graduation parties, so it was a natural for us to do the groom's dinner there, and do it with friends' help. Sounds like that won't work for you. We had set an amount so the kids knew what to expect. Everyone makes it go as far as they can and then are on their own. We want the kids taking some ownership and paying for some of it, too. BTW, the groom's dinner was beside the wedding money and gift. Those were separate items in my mind. Editted to add dh is willing to spend more on dd's wedding now. We'll see.