The Thanksgiving ham just a mere memory and thoughts of Christmas fast approaching the horizon.  Did manage to purchase  4 gifts today.  There still will be  little things to add to each of them.  This year will make fudge, but won't be able to eat any of it.   MY DOC WAS NOT PLEASED WITH MY A1c READ.    IT WENT FROM 6.0 TO 6.4.   Now he has increased my diabetic Rx and I sure hope that it doesn't cause me to now have bouts of low blood sugar reads.   The testing program our clinic uses  is so strict and there is no leeway.  They want diabetics to bring their reads down to the range of 70 - 99.  I do the diet thing and ride the recumbent bike  M - F for 5 miles in less than 30 minutes (in the warm basement of couse ).  But the doc wants more exercise,  a couple of miles at night.....not with arthritic knees, doc.  I'm lucky to be able to walk around leisurely and shop.  Lately, no matter how hard I work on the diet, nothing works.  One must eat a balanced meal.  But looks like I will have to stick to nearly no carbos,  little meat,  almost no dairy.  That leaves, lettuce, cukes, tomato, broc/cauliflower,  not a very  healthy meal.  We probably will "  lock horns at the next visit ".    We seldom eat out,  have been avoiding gatherings where a meal is served.  I'm in a program thru my med. insurance and a  RN calls once a month and we talk about how my  diabetes is going.  She says the A1c of 6.0 - 6.4 means that I'm doing fairly good.  Lower is always better.  Our clinic is busing A1cs in the 5.0 - 5.9 range.....................the hubby's last one was 5.4 of course he over exercises too.   Yes, I know, I stress eat.  Not good.  Stems from dealing with stress since childhood.

No snow  .  We have an air inversion and so all the smoke and such is hugging the ground along with the fog we have and it isn't to pleasant to be outside.  Will last until middle of next week.  Usually it is a dry cold we have,  but with the humidity up, it is a damp cold just like one gets on the west side of Washington State.  My wish is for 3 inches of snow, at the most, on Christmas Eve.  It can snow all it wants up in the Cascade Mountain Range...........the more the better,  means come summer 2009, we then will have plenty of water down in the valleys.

Haven't made Christmas Day plans yet.    How does get up, eat breaskfast, nap, eat dinner, nap,  have  an evening snack and then go to bed.  Whoops, Christmas  is on a weekday, so will have to fit 5 miles on the stationuary recumbent bike somewhere between one of the naps.     Sheeeeesh,  must work on this plan a little more.

Winter is slowly worming its way into our wonderful valley.  Today was a typical grey, drizzly day with temps only about 38 degrees.  Weatherman says snow by Thanksgiving.   Sighs.   Just not a winter person.  Sighs.   Thought my car brakes were fixed so one of the wheels doesn't lock.  Haha.  left several huge divits in the graveled driveway.  If it were snowy and icey, would have slipped and probably spun around.   I NEED A NEW CAR, THIS ONE IS TO OLD!!!!!!!.  I want a small SUV,  better for snow country.  Maybe I should start looking as most car dealers are hurting in sales.   I like to haggle, bargin, throw a hissey fit (have actually done that in a showroom) and walk out if I don't get the type of deal I want........maybe I should start practicing  and try my tecnique out on my Buck Dealer............do you think he would toss me out on my ear???? .  I think my 20 year old car needs to be retired..........don't you all agree............pleeeeeeeeeeeeease say yes.

Making progrees, though slow on mom's estate.  Tired of trying to deal with insurane companies by phone (press 1,  press 2,  press 3........come on give me a live human to talk to.  So will hone my letter writing skills and just do it that way.  It looks like I will be sending off those letters all over the United States.  Still have a number of thank yous to write....just so many hours in the day, right.

Have been eyeing the quilting kit the cuz sent.  Need to clear off the cutting board (move the genealogy  off of it) and at least get it cut out.  Not sure what the directions are telling me, but will just do it the "common sense" way. Have one other little quilting project, mostly cut out, just have to figure out how all the pieces go together (I know one piece at at time  ). 

For the rest of the evening will take a muscle relaxent,  read a book and then hopefully get a good night's sleep.  Need to be up and at them tomorrow,  things to do and places to go.   Have a good evening.