And now the rush to the holidays begin!

 Turkey Day is over, and now starts the frenzied rush to the midwinter holiday, whether you call it Christmas, Yule, Kwanzaa, or whatever. Hectic times trying to get in and out of a retail store without wanting to bash someone with a heavy object.
 We are severly limited on funds this year, as S's car repair bill last month came out to over $1200. So we will be getting W a new graphics card, so he can quit bitching about his framerate on WoW, a few stocking stuffers, and that's about it. I am making a few things, W finally agreed to throw away the "Aunt P blanket", which was a double sided cotton throw she made him to replace the original one that deteriorated years ago.

 

 

I tore the material into strips, and am in the process of crocheting it into a new blanket. I'll be making a few other things for family and friends this year as well.

 

 We don't travel much at any time, and the holidays are one time in which I don't like to even leave my house. I am always happy to have people come here, but the days of large family gatherings are long over. My parents are dead, as is my brother, and my sisters have their own traditions. The rest of the family is estranged, and we never see them. Xmas tends to be fairly low key here, lots of lounging, food and gaming, and some t.v. viewing thrown in. We will have W for the first part of the holiday, he goes to the ex's on the 26th this year. Some years we get to keep him a few extra days, since that is the ex's anniversary, but since his step-daughter came home from rehab pregnant, unemployed and now on disability, I doubt they will have the $$. The ex always wanted seriously broken people that he could 'fix', guess he's happy now.

 

 I was hoping business would pick up a bit, but I am having a hard time getting people into the shop. Advertising has to be low key, or we could be shut down by the city if they actually notice us. At least I'm not having to worry about paying overhead. Time to send the boys out again with flyers and samples. I'll be getting the Concrete Dragon Facebook page up and running soon, and things are starting to get made to put in the shop. I should be able to start up my 't.v. dinners' again soon, they are pretty popular.

 

 The indoor garden is started finally, it took me forever to get the lights up this year. Some of the red okra seeds I harvested this past summer are sprouting, and I'm hoping to have tomatoes soon. I have been neglectful about growing food, as my physical condition has been keeping me from traditional gardening. This year we will be changing over to large pots, with the yard space turning into hopefully a grove of small fruit trees, and maybe some blackberries if I can get the things to grow for me here. With W rapidly approaching 18, I'm going to have to figure out a way to replace the measly child support, altho the shop/bakery is making about half of it already. The other option is to cut expenses, and if W decide s to move into the garage apartment full time, he'll have to pay his own bills and food at least. I wish I could afford to support him while he gotes to college, but it is what it is. Both his father and I worked through school, he will have to be able to as well.