Christmas Shopping........

Got some done today, and it's great to be in the process of getting some shopping done, and FINISHED for some folks!! Not planning on doing too much shopping, as I want to simplify and stay within budget. Mainly, I shop for my nephew and niece, and then my boyfriend, and may get one or two items for his (grown) kids, and possibly something small for his parents if we end up going to visit them for Christmas. But at least I've now got "my 2 kids" taken care of, just have to giftwrap, box up, and mail the packages off to Ireland. AGAIN, I haven't planned it far enough in advance to send their packages via surface mail instead of airmail, so the USPS will be doing well by me again this Christmas. :-/

Started working on some of my boyfriend's gifts, and was seriously irritated when I got home this evening to find one of the items purchased was missing from the bag, so I'll have to go back to the store tomorrow or this coming week to pick up. Called the store, and they indicated it was fine to do so, as long as I have my receipt..........grrrrrrr....the guy must not have put it into the bag, as I looked all over for it (it's a small item - stocking stuffer, yet something I know he'll really appreciate). Such is life, I guess.........oh well.....

Am looking to cook dinner again this year for me & my man, as it went down so well last year, but this year, I'll have him help with the grocery shopping (i.e., share the cost of buying the food), and also help out in the kitchen. Last year, he was recovering from surgery that he had 5 days before Christmas, so I forgave him for not helping out too much, if at all!!!! It was part of my Christmas gift to him anyway! Depending on if we visit his parents, we can cook for them too, as they're both elderly, and in poorer health, and so neither cooks. So, we'll see if a visit to York, PA will be on the cards, but probably will happen anyway, even if just to visit with his kids. Will make up for the fact that I won't be making back home to Ireland (again!) to visit my family, as I have such little time off, and the flights are too cost-prohibitive at this time of year too. I'm hoping to make it home for Christmas next year, as I haven't been in Ireland for Christmas since 2002 (but have been home plenty of other times since, of course!).

Anyhow, must get back to chilling and watching some TV, and getting into some knitting tonight, as I haven't touched my needles and yarn in sooooo long!! So many projects, and they've been on the needles way too long, and something needs to be done. Will have to take some photos of finished projects, hopefully, I'll have some to post in the New Year.......

Nite, nite for now...........

My boyfriend and I went hiking yesterday afternoon, at Seneca Creek Park, close to where he's found a new place to live - he'll be moving in a couple of weeks, which will end up being the w/end of my birthday (though my birthday itself falls on the Monday). He'll be living in Gaithersburg, very close to his job in Rockville, and he's excited to be moving out of where he is right now, as his landlord asked him to be out by the end of the year, as he and his wife are moving into the house, and they'll be using his room for storage space. He's just as happy to be leaving, as he was never crazy about the place anyway. I just am a little sad that he's moving further from me, but I think he'll enjoy the easier commute to work......... This is me at the park, checking out the map of where we hiked. It was a really nice place, and we plan to visit there again to go on some more hikes.... I'm looking forward to it, as I'm finding that I'm enjoying hiking, and I especially love doing it with the one that I love! The other photo is of Seneca Creek, and this is how close we got to it........ Lots of fun!

Photos to share - Baltimore's Inner Harbor on an early Fall Evening

OK, so it's been a year since I've set up my Blogging account, and I haven't had much activity in this past 12 months. I've been playing around with the blogger website over the past week or so, in an effort to familiarize myself a bit more, with layout, trying to add photos and any other tweekings, etc., but I still feel like I've a ways to go before being totally comfortable with bloggings, and the ins and outs of it.

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans, as it is that time of year over here, and I'm looking forward to getting into the Christmas season, even though I won't be getting to visit my family in Ireland again this year, as it's not within the financial or time budget. I did get to visit home back in June/July though, which was nice, and will hopefully get back sometime in the Springtime if I can work it right......

Anyhow, am going to sign off here, as I'm tired, and haven't even managed to tune into ER tonight after all even though I had thought I would do.

Goodnight!

A quick check-in.......

Just checking in again, very briefly; I'm currently recovering from surgery, but just for a brief few days (surgery was on Wednesday, April 26th), and am back to work on Monday. Am enjoying the few days off work though. Today is my 12th Anniversary of moving to the USA from Ireland, and can't believe sometimes, that I've stayed this long. Came from having won a green card through a lottery, didn't have a job at the time, and thought I'd try out living State-side for a while to see how I like it, and here I still am, 12 years later......... It's been a challenge at times, but overall, I enjoy it for the most part. As I get older though, there's more things about Ireland and Europe that I miss (especially being closer to family and friends still there), but I definitely don't miss all the rain!! I'm trying to organize a trip home very soon, but flight prices are getting crazier, so I'm trying to work with my NWA frequent flier miles, but haven't called the airline in a couple of weeks. Will have to try again very soon, before my family thinks I'm not coming back to visit at all!! I have a couple of friends who are talking about wanting to visit Ireland with me too, but will largely depend on if they have the time and/or money to travel....... Would be nice to have them come with me to visit, so I can be a tourist in my home country for a change!!!

Anyhoo, gotta go, as I have some other errands to take care of today!

Not much progress........ :-/

Well, I haven't been doing much of anything with my blog since January, so I thought I'd go ahead and add something a little new. I've becoming more and more addicted to knitting over the last 5 years or so, even though I've been knitting since I was a child, and a lot of knitters have their own blogs out there, so I may end up chatting about that more and more........ And I'll throw in lots of other ramblings about lots of other stuff too, like sailing which I started learning back in the summer of 2001, and have continued to enjoy it as best as I can. And hiking, which I've just recently started doing on a (semi?) regular basis with a new group, and am enjoying the outdoors, but hating the fact that I'm so out of shape!!!

Anyhow, I could ramble on, but am really tired this evening, and gave up a night out of knitting with a new group of knitting buddies, and am feeling a little guilty, but really needed to get home to get some R&R..........before getting some ZZZZZZZ's..............

'Til next time, (and hopefully, it won't be so long!). Must get to purchase a digital camera this year, as it's been on my wish-list forever, but oh, which kind to get......that's my quandary!

Cheers!
Barbara