Yeah, my bro. said what you said - not spending a lot of time in sm

• Need sharp MT mind inputs. What would you do? sm - Haven't vacationed in long time
  • Decisions, decisions - MT3D
  • A cheap place on a golf course, that is a surprise - sm -
  • Can you rent a houseboat? Might - be fun.
  • I'm doing something similar.. - MT
  • condo - mting
  • How much time do you plan on spending in condo? - sm
    • Yeah, my bro. said what you said - not spending a lot of time in sm - Haven't vacationed in long time
      • vacation - MNMT
        • haha! I think you hit it right now b/c "It's just money!" is my - Vacationer

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I thought it might be a good idea to post ideas for gifts that are inexpensive. I have made a few Christmas gifts in years past, but, since I've already given these particular gifts and my family members already "have one", I need new ideas!

I will start with the ideas of gifts I have given in the past:

I made family wreaths for each of my kids (grown). What I did was, buy a nice size wreath at the craft store, purchase inexpensive small frames at the dollar store (or wherever I could find them), made copies of baby pictures of my kids when they were little, family picture, pics of the grandbabies, etc. and framed each one - wired each framed photo onto the wreath, put in some berry sprays or whatever, and a 20 count string of white lights and some ribbon. Then I sprayed them with spray glue and sprinkled with the white snow stuff. Also, I put a few blank frames with Christmas card fronts so that they could add pics from the inlaws (who I did not have pics as children) and new baby pics as appropriate.

They were darling! My daughter in law actually cried when I gave them their wreath!

I also made a similar thing for my mom - I made her a Grandchildren tree - because she has too many grandchildren to get all their pics on a wreath. I just purchased a small, prelit tree from Wal - Mart, and basically, did the same thing - framed pics of all the grandchildren and children, glued ribbon to the back of the frames - hung them like ornaments, added some ribbon and some berry sprays. It was beautiful and she has used it every year since, because it is small and she can put it together herself - without much work.

I will post more ideas in a little bit, but, I need other ideas from all of you - because, how many memory or family wreaths can you give . . .

have a series of his albums (Sam's) and my older sister was into Jackie Wilson (he died very young)......never will be anything like Motown was..........*nods*......

it was a new patient visit.  i thought i'd try a different doc, but i like my old doc better.  i didn't talk to him about being tired alot.  i did talk about my leg.  i have vericose veins in my left leg that give me problems.  i'm only 35, but feel old! ha!  my leg will swell a little, is warm to the touch and aches almost every day.  you sound like you do really good!  i wish i could get myself on a good schedule so i can at least walk every day.  my 5 y/o will be starting kindergarten in the fall, both my kids will be gone all day so i hope to get on a better schedule than what i'm on now.  my 5 y/o now goes to preschool three days a week and i take him and pick him up, takes time away from my work, so then i sit here and try to stay caught up on my work.  my bp runs ok i guess.  when i went to the doc on wednesday, it was 118/??? 80 something i think.  what is considered low?? 

thanks for your input! 

I can sure sympathize with you here.  My mother is going through same thing.  I have 5 siblings, there are(were) 4 girls 2 boys.  My next to oldest sister was in an auto accident 12 years ago.   She was one of those champagne on a beer budget and just thought she was better.  She and the younger of 2 boys were like peas in a pod.  Very close.  She was in a vegetative state after the accident.  My brother was in charge of her SSI money and such.   He would bring my mother money every 2 years.  Well at 5 years he just quit speaking to everyone, even his child.  Have not seen or heard from him in 7 years.  Why would you just quit speaking to your family?  No one has done anything to him.  He dated a friend of mine one time and told her he was from Canada and that he had a different father than us and that was adopted and not to ever let my baby sister know because she would be devastated.  Well ???.  He had/has this fixation with Canada.  He is not from Canada.  He even looks like my father so it is obvious.  No reason for him to be ashamed.  We are not well off but we are certainly not lacking and we are all hard workers.  He has just disappeared.  My mother tried to kill herself when she was pregnant with him because of other reasons, but blames herself for him being this way.  She did not harm her pregnancy, just believes in things coming full circle.   Well sister that was in accident passed away back in Nov.   This brother does not know that we are aware of.  Older sister has a pill addiction (I’ve told this story on here before, sorry.). 
At any rate she allowed my mother, who was taking care of her recently after some surgery, to see her messed up on some pills.  Mother and I did a mini intervention back in April, have not heard from or seen sister since.  Mother used to speak to her every day.

I just saw her today after going by to pick up something she had of my mothers.   She asked how mom was doing, I said fine and probably better if you would call her and talk to her.  Her response was…”ell the phone works both ways.  She could call me.”  I said, yes your right it does work both ways and you were in the way so you pick up the phone and apologize.  Her response, “Well she’s the mother she should know better.”  This girl is 50 years old, how childish and irresponsible is that.   I feel she owes an apology and my mother said, which is true, what good is it if she does not mean it.  She just does not want to see her end up a vegetable like my sister.  So she feels now she has lost 3 children.  My mother is 70y/o and does not need this stress.

You don’t either.  You just have to reach a point that you must move on with your life.  My mother dwells on this and how do you just walk away?  Makes me so angry.  Told sister that our little sister would be coming in from Michigan (darn near canada! HMMMM ..joking) in July and told her when and that we were planning to spread sister’s ashes then.  “Well we’re going on vacation that week”.   Well fine, I say let them go.  If she can sleep at night and the drugs are more important than her family, I say so be it.  I’ve been really freaking about trying to find my brother in the last few months.   Was told that if I could find SSN I could check with SSD and they would tell me who paid taxes in last on him.  For all we know he could be dead somewhere but how do you find someone who obviously does not want to be found!  What are they thinking!

The way my mother feels is that people like that that don’t even care for their own flesh and blood cannot care for anyone, much less themselves.   They did not mind asking for money and a place to live everything they needed it and she always gave to them.

That's the first place I feel it. Do whatever you can to reduce the stress and if that doesn't work, see your doctor.

Of course, I am good at giving advice, but I haven't seen a doctor about my stomach problems.