Chelsy and John Maxwell 6: They're More Frightened of Her than Ashamed

[PennySycamore]

1 hour ago, Bajovane said:

For some funny reason, Alf reminded me of Ronald Reagan

 

Maybe that tuft of hair on hair on Alf's head reminded you of Ronnie's pompadour.

[JermajestyDuggar]

1 hour ago, Bajovane said:

For some funny reason, Alf reminded me of Ronald Reagan

 

Do you remember the 80s music video “Land of Confusion” by Genesis? It’s possible the Alf puppet reminded you of the Reagan puppet in the video. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same puppet creators made both (I have no idea if this is true). 

Although I was only four when that video came out, my cousins and I loved the video. Of course they played it on MTV through the late 80s as well so I mostly remember watching it in the late 80s. But we thought the puppets were beyond hilarious so it was our favorite music video. 

Alf’s voice was also a little bit Reagan-ish. Just a little.

[AliceInFundyland]

I am a big fan of nostalgic TV viewing. I have to say.... i revisited ALF a few years ago and decided he needed to stay in the vault.

[OhNoNike]

9 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@OhNoNike, was that set with the dragonflies  you saw at Bed Bath and Beyond by Kate Spade, by any chance?   My second daughter has that patten.  

Yup!  They had silver and gold.  Gorgeous pattern!!!

[nelliebelle1197]

On 12/6/2018 at 8:47 PM, sleepy_doggos said:

If taryn yager is the queen of photo blur, Hannah Elise is the queen of taking photos of her subjects looking at the ground. Not my fave. Chelsey looks good, John still looks like an elf from Lord of the rings to me.

Frankly, with the quality of this woman's work, they should have just had Chris take them for free.

[albanuadh_1]

To take my mind off Melanie ( ! ), I thought I'd add my 2 cents on Chelsy & John's baby. I predict a boy, January 21 ( full moon ??), and called David John or John David.

[PennySycamore]

@albanuadh_1,  I hope it's not January 21st (although that a good day to be born) as that's my birthday.  I am glad to know that my birthday is going to be on a Fall Moon though.  I love seeing the Full Moon rise!

[usmcmom]

I know the Maxwells don't read the Farmers Almanac but my maternal grandmother planned everything by the almanac. She predicted births based on it and she was right most of the time. She got my two delivery dates spot on. She wouldn't even get a perm without consulting the almanac. Now, most of my mom's family plans their winter by the almanac. 

"Almanac says we're gonna get lots of snow; we won't be travelin' this winter."

 

[fundiefan]

14 hours ago, PennySycamore said:

@albanuadh_1,  I hope it's not January 21st (although that a good day to be born) as that's my birthday.  I am glad to know that my birthday is going to be on a Fall Moon though.  I love seeing the Full Moon rise!

I share my birthday with two fundies I follow, one adult and one relatively recently born child. I don't even think about it unless / until it's mentioned in my Interwebz travels. 

If I shared a name with any I'd kind of freak out. I have an, um, er, original first name and have only met one person in my whole life who shared it and for her, it was a nickname of a longer (just as weird) version. 

[ophelia]

I share a birthday with Mason Duggar. Poor little fella.

[Coconutwater]

I share my birthday with John, I never think about it until it’s mentioned here. 

[neurogirl]

Milennial here. When I got married this summer we got nice dishes to use every day, but not formal china. (from Macy's)

This thread is also very timely for me as my family and my husband's family live across the country from each other (and from us), so we can't share holidays. I'm going to my in-laws for Christmas for the first time. They have a beautiful family, and husband's father had a serious health scare this fall and is recovering from brain surgery, so I'm very happy we are going to see him in a better condition. 

That being said, this will be my first Christmas without my parents (I'm an only child) and extended family. I am from a traditional German American Midwest family, where Christmas Eve is the big holiday. Church, meal, presents, everything expect Santa happens on Christmas Eve. My in-laws far as I can tell treat Christmas Eve as a regular day. I'm very nervous for how I will feel if the 24th (which to me is the actual holiday) goes uncelebrated. My mom actually sent me easy-to-travel presents to open Christmas Eve so I didn't feel so sad ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ *cry* but like I said, my husband's family is SO KIND that husband's brother called him and asked him how the fam could make the holidays better for me, since I'm the first in-law and it's my first holiday away from my parents. *cry again* For those familiar with Philly, I think we are going to go to Longwood Gardens on Christmas Eve to do something special.

So, given the love that's in my life, I think it will still be a wonderful holiday and I am so grateful. (But I will miss my family a lot)

[Hane]

@neurogirl, wishing you a lovely Christmas with your in-laws and a happy catch-up holiday with your family of origin.

The first Christmas I was married was the only one I spent without my family, who traveled to New York to spend it with my grandmother, who was ill. When I stopped by the house to see them off, Dad said, “Well, this will be our first Christmas without Hane,” and then Mom and I cried buckets.

[ophelia]

@neurogirl, you brought tears to my eyes. I've never celebrated Christmas apart from my family and couldn't imagine spending the 24th as a regular day. Since I'm from Germany that is the big day for our family as well. But your in-laws sound really nice and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful holiday. I'm sending you all the Christmas cheer. 

Where and how do your parents spend Christmas Eve since you are not going to be around?

[neurogirl]

@ophelia Thank you! You are sweet. My parents are actually hosting Christmas this year for the extended family. My aunts and uncles and grandparents still all get together for Christmas every year. So they won't be alone, fortunately. My parents also came to visit me and hubby over Veteran's Day and we put up the tree, had a nice meal, and opened presents then so I still "had Christmas" with them, even if it was at a weird time!

[Four is Enough]

Dishes:

We had Melmac when I was a child. Pink, yellow, black, turquoise. My sister still uses it. It's indestructible. We had one black plate, and when we set the table, we'd put the black plate on the spot of whatever child we were angry with at the time.

"Good" plates: Got 'em. Mr. Four and I were 32 when we got married, and I wanted them. We'd both had our own places, so people gave us money as wedding gifts. We went to Bermuda on our honeymoon and I bought the complete package of our "good" dishes, duty free, there. They were wrapped with a handle and were our carry on luggage on the way home.

Christmas dishes: anyone else have these? I bought these, too, for myself at the after Christmas half off sale one year at Macy's. They have an evergreen swag, some holly, and plaid ribbon running through it, around the rim. I use it from Thanksgiving to Valentine's Day.

Serving dishes: One thing I DIDN'T do was buy matching service pieces for each set of good plates. My grandmother had a set of Fostoria American, which is clear, and when she died, I was given a pair of candlesticks and a vase. Since we've been married, Mr. Four has been picking up pieces for me as anniversary or Christmas gifts, as he likes the pattern, too. So the serving dishes go with all my dishes.

 

 Christmas china:

 Fostoria china

 

And then there's the silver... I LOVED the silver my Practice Husband's mother had, and bought pieces for myself. So I continued getting a piece here and there until I had a set. Love the simple lines

 

 

[nvmbr02]

I don't have Christmas china or real silver but I really, really want both. I do have a beautiful set of crystal glassware, including a punch bowl and cups given to me from my husband's grandmother and a few odds and ends serving pieces from my grandmother, including a gorgeous cake plate. 

[usmcmom]

I have winter dishes that I bought from Walgreens! I call them "winter" dishes because they uave a snowman scene on them and I usually keep them out until the end of February. 

As far as seeing family for Christmas; we just moved so will be with our daughter and son-in-law - YAY!! We are traveling back to our homestate for a few days before Christmas. At the last family gathering, before we moved, I asked my family (five or six households were reprsented) if we could stay with any of them, since our small hometown has no hotel. Not one person spoke up to offer us a bed, couch, even their kids' bunkbeds. I have been hurt about that for weeks and just want the trip over with.  We are staying 45 minutes away from where the party will be held, while everyone else is within a few miles of the party.  At least I know we won't bother making the trip back very often after this. 

[PennySycamore]

@Four is Enough,  we have Christmas dishes!  They're Christopher Radko, and IIRC, we got them at Target.  

That silver pattern looks like Fairfax by Gorham.  I like those simple, relatively plain patterns better than really ornate ones myself.

 

[nastyhobbitses]

I was actually planning on a family-less Christmas originally for this year; we tended to do odd years on/even years off with my family, since extended fam is so spread out, but deaths have meant we've been "on" three years in a row, so as much as I love my family, I was looking forward to a Christmas off doing my own thing (and my parents were planning on chilling out and doing their own thing). But then my dad had to go and get cancer, so we're semi-on: low-key, extended family coming, but it's going to be...weird, for lack of a better word. I'm kinda all-or-nothing when it comes to Christmas. I either want the massive (stressful) blowout Christmas with inordinate amounts of food and weird family traditions, or spending Christmas Eve sipping wine in some exotic locale. 

[nvmbr02]

This will be our third year in a row without any family for Christmas. We live about 8,000 miles away, so it isn't practical. Next year I do hope to be with my side of the family on Christmas Eve/Christmas day. The last time I spent Christmas with them was in 2001, before I married or had children. I have been able to go a day or two after Christmas and spend the New Year there but my husband generally works Christmas Eve and Day and I have always wanted the 5 of us to spend Christmas together when we can. He *should* be able to get them off next year though, so fingers crossed!

We will spend Christmas Eve with friends. It will be rather low key, the kids drew names and the adults are doing a white elephant exchange. We will have apps. and desserts and everyone will wear Pj's. The kids usually decorate cut out cookies for Santa and since everyone lives within walking distance all the adults will have a a few drinks. It is relaxed and fun, but I do miss seeing my family over the holidays. Christmas day will be lazy. Then a couple of my husband's single coworkers that don't have family near will come over for dinner. They will likely be drinking too, so we will have overnight guests. It will be a good time. 

[ophelia]

I'm going to my hometown on Friday to start the Christmas festivities and honestly - I can't wait.

Do you know that feeling when the last days before you get off work for some time are the hardest? I. just. don't. want. to. go.

[Four is Enough]

On 12/16/2018 at 5:36 PM, PennySycamore said:

@Four is Enough,  

That silver pattern looks like Fairfax by Gorham.  I like those simple, relatively plain patterns better than really ornate ones myself.

You are so right! Eagle eye! I love the simplicity of it, and it has a nice feel in the hand.

 

[PennySycamore]

@Four is Enough,  I can spend hours looking at the different patterns of china and silver at Replacements.

[Casserole]

My mom's wedding china was the Princess Diana set from Royal Doulton. She wanted to get rid of it a few years ago and I said "No! when I move out I'll take it"... years later I'd like to be a minimalist and would rather not have it, especially 20 place settings and all the accessories lol.