Mid Oct to Mid Dec

This was a slow period for us as we needed to find a House sitter for the winter, making a list of items we needed to take to TX and to set these items in a room ( the office ) so that nothing would be forgot ( forgetting something is our strong suite ) and for Carroll to complete her Christmas shopping for the G/kids. I will never know why, but she always ask me what to buy and my answer never changes... give them a cheque. Apparently there is an unwritten law that says; only Kids over 10 yrs can have a cheque. Those under 10 yrs, of which we have 6, must get presents and the more the better. Also , the only limiting factor is when you can not get anymore presents in the Grande Caravan.
This also is the time period where we start having " Goodbye suppers " for those of us who are going south with the few who are deicated G/parents and stay home and help to ride herd on their G/Kids.
This is our Eleventh year for looking for a "House Sitter", and i must say they have all been great. We mostly get Farmers from Sask as they like to come into Med Hat for the winter and four of them have purchased a home in Med Hat and become our friends. We always interview the potential candiates in our home as we do get some losers but they are far and few between. This year we found two excellent people . One was a single lady, a school Teacher who is retiring in June and the other a young single fellow who lost his home in the flood in Maple Creek. We (mostly Carroll ) chose the School teacher and so far she has advised us that she just loves it at our home. Carroll will like it much more if she cleans the house before she leave because that means the spring cleaning will be done.ha ha
We also have coffee with many of our friends on a weekly basis just to ensure we have each others email address and to ensure that we all keep in contact because we are Senior , we are curious and we are noisey and we must keep up with the lasted gossip from home. We have to keep in contact because some go to Phoneix, some to Haweii , some to CA, some to Yuma and of course MX.
Usually by Mid Dec I practice packing the Van just to make sure everything will fit in or we have to make a decision on what items " don't make the cut". The Starchoice satellite is a " First Rounder " so it can not be cut but the bread machine can be cut as another friend in TX has one and we can borrow it if nec. And the beat goes on and on!!! Oh, my ball equipt is also a " first Rounder", but I forgot to bring my bat. Man is that a sore spot with me.. how did I forget a bat. We usually take too many clothes so this year we really made sure any items was nec. Heck!! I only need 2 pair shorts; one I'm wearing and another in the wash. ha ha.
As it turned out, everything we needed fit into the Van but it was loaded. The next Blog will start about mid Dec. cheers. t and c