Where has the week gone?!  Another Thanksgiving under our belts and my holiday break is almost over.  Back to work on Monday for me.  It has been an excellent week.  It started out well with a trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with my husband and son (see last week’s post), and I think it will end with a trip to the theater to see Catching Fire. I read the Hunger Games series a few years ago, and I loved the books.  I don’t usually get into that kind of fiction, but those books were not a problem for me to read.

Thanksgiving was an excellent day.  Although I wasn’t able to be with my extended family as they all live in Ohio, I did spend the day with my husband, daughter, son, and…drum roll please…ex-husband.  My ex-husband did the cooking this year and he put on an excellent feast.  Many people sort of look at me strangely when I say I spend the holiday with my ex-husband.  Many of my friends would rather cut off a foot than do something like that.  But we started sharing holidays in this way right from the start, and it has been that way ever since.  It was difficult and odd at first, but we both came to realize that it was what the kids wanted and what was best for them.  I would do anything for my children, as I am sure any parent would, so that’s how our holidays go.  I’ve tried including my husband’s ex in our holiday celebrations as well, and sometimes it works out and sometimes she has other plans, but the main thing is…it’s all about what the kids want.  As my daughter said on Thanksgiving, “We are one big happy dysfunctional family.”  And, which family isn’t?  🙂 Christmas will be my turn to cook.

There was no Black Friday shopping for me.  I’ve done it before with friends and it was fun, but I really hate crowds.  And, I am one of those people who doesn’t go all out with Christmas presents anymore.  Our children are grown and the only thing that seems to be on their wish lists is money.  So I am planning on going out a little tomorrow to get each one a “token” gift, and the rest of their Christmas present will be money for gas for their cars or whatever they choose to do with it.  We did go into Toys R Us a few weeks ago to pick up small gifts for our grandbabies, but they usually get money for their savings accounts as well.  I spent Friday cleaning out my basement so I could get to the closet that houses my Christmas decorations.  Today, decorating is on the agenda.

The door to the closet was blocked by a lot of my teaching stuff that I brought home this past spring.  It is amazing the “stuff” one accumulates after 17 years of teaching.  I have a car loaded with books that are going to Goodwill today.  I’ve worked hard over the past 17 years as was evidenced by the sheer number of lesson plans, novel units, you name it, that I had created and put into the recycle bin yesterday.  Over 1 million trees were probably killed during my tenure of teaching.

I am sharing a quick and easy card today.  It won’t take much time to create.  That’s one of the things I like most about it.    I used the Best of Snow (134387) stamp set.

Here’s what I used on this card.

Whisper White Card Stock  100730

Cherry Cobbler Card Stock  119685

Season of Style Designer Series Paper  132340

Jet Black Staz On   101406

Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Write Marker  119681

Old Olive Stampin’ Write Marker  100079

Best of Snow Stamp Set  134387

Petite Pairs Stamp Set  128706-w/122497-c

2-1/2″ Circle Punch  120906

2-3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch  118874

Well, there you have it for today.  Hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving and a peaceful Christmas preparation season.  Until next time…

Happy Stamping!

Josie