What a morning ...

Lordy, I don't like Walmart.  Here is tiny bit of what went down yesterday.  Limit of 2 gift card purchases (regardless of amount because of money laundering scams) and you must go to Customer Services (which was delayed opening yesterday).  So I decided to grab my baking supplies for Christmas cookies.  Lots of employees stocking the shelves and MOST had NO MASK.  Ugh.  Checked out, knocked over a display with my purse.  Apparently, I wasn't the first or the last.  Customer service couldn't get the cards to scan -- finally got 2 and said she would do the transactions separately -- 2 at a time.

However, my visa was flagged for a second transaction and declined.  There was a local service outage so I didn't get the text message to override.  I used hubby's card for 2 gift cards.  Same thing happened when I tried a second purchase with his card.

Frustrated, rona exposed and the job isn't finished.  I'll try Target next week and buy Visa gift cards for the remaining amount.  Dang.  

Anyway ...

Here are some other goings on:

I bought a dutch oven from Oprah's Favorite Things List and it's beautiful.  I made the turkey noodle soup in it and it cooks so nicely.  Black owned business.  I've wanted a dutch oven for years.  The heart is a sweet touch and the color is really pretty.

I finished Mexican Gothic (Silvia Moreno-Garcia) -- it was spooky and fun to read.  Next picks -- started both last night.  Jen Hatmaker's December bookclub and a book about how trees communicate with each other in a forrest.  Both seem good already :)

Today is the start of bigger cooking.  I made the cranberry sauce yesterday (messy and sticky cleanup).  It's nothing hard today, but lots of doing dishes and that stresses my back.  Three solid days of kitchen time for a meal that I can't eat half of the items.  Guess it's a labor of love for the family.  I'm so excited about the dessert though.  I LOVE slush cake and making it with almond milk makes it doable for me.

Grand-dogs arrive at lunch time and then it's a 5-2 ratio.  Mornings are probably going to be CRAZY with dogs, so I don't expect to do much journalling.  Who knows ... maybe I'll have some quiet time a few afternoons after Thursday.  

I'll continue the choice to not drink on Thanksgiving.  No wine in the house right now.  Making the boys one of their favorites -- an Old Fashioned.  Today is Day 100 since I started the experiment to feel better.  I started with a 50 day goal.  It's day 83 of not drinking.  Took me 17 days to figure out that drinking was absolutely messing up feeling good during a pandemic quarantine.  I have no idea when I'll drink again, but, for now, this is working well.

The Green Dress goal is moving forward with plans of a Christmas Eve debut.  I can't wait (!!)  

I wish us all a happy holiday week -- this is extra difficult for many and my thoughts are with everyone.  Stay well.  Later gators.