Corner of 1st and Main St Cafe' 2024

Welcome, come on in and sit a spell! The Café is a warm welcoming place for dear old friends, and sparkly new ones, to gather and keep in touch. My name is Dawna and I'll be your hostess. Please feel free to introduce yourself, pour a cup of coffee or whip up your favorite latte, pull up a chair and join in the conversation!

Good morning! I see you got the new forum up. We almost ran out of room on the old one!! 😉

Well I guess I will get us started on the new thread then!

Good morning everyone,

That is wonderful news that you got him in for surgery. God bless you both. I hope all goes well with everything. You're welcome for the card.

Thank you so much Tena for the lovely card! It is beautiful!

Good Morning, I see that we have already found the new cafe!'

Yes, Dawna, we got about 2" or so but it is raining right now and has rained enough to soak it all in! It sounds like you have a good time with friends! That's great. Wow! A huge bag of old costume jewelry pieces sounds pretty neat!

Have a great day!

I'm here. Nice job on the remodeling Dawna. I'm enjoying the book shelf full of books. There's nothing better than a cup of coffee with a good book.

Thanks Debbie, I know how much we all love our comfy chairs and books around here! I thought the Cafe' needed a "Open Coffee Shop" sign as well! I love the fact that the Cafe' is always open!

Yes glad Erin DH was moved up….doesn't hurt to know the surgeons personally too. Wink 😉

Lisa you are so sweet. I'm sure your referral was a godsend to Erin and Al. He's been in so much pain and Erin has just been given the run around so much trying to get him help sooner rather than later. It sure helps that you personally know the surgeon!

Good Morning,

Yes I got 98 percent of my gifts wrapped yesterday. Still need to wrap my moms but I'm waiting on one more item to come in first. I need to stop the buy a gift for someone and buy two for me issue. Lord, I've spoiled myself this month. Still need to finish one more load of laundry. I kept forgetting about it with all the wrapping I was doing so that's on my agenda for today.

Hello Ladies!

Good morning friends!

Good Morning and Happy Friday!

The family Christmas get together is tonight. Every year, my fathers side of the family which includes 45 cousins not counting their kids rent a hall so that we can all get together to celebrate. It's something we have done since I was a child. At the time it was the only way for all of us to see our grandmother since the family was too big for her to go house to house. My grandma started this huge family off with having nine kids of her own. After she passed in 1973 we have continued the tradition. We rent a hall, everyone brings food and gifts for the little ones and Santa passes them out. For the past four years my son has played Santa. He's really good at it. Must be because he's still a kid at heart. We play games for the kids and sing songs. Lots of fun. Out of the nine aunts and uncles along with their spouses there are only 2 of my grandmas children left and 2 of the spouses left. My mom being one of the spouses. My dad was the last of one of the 7 boys that passed so there are only the 2 girls left. If you think about it, I'm 68 so we've had this tradition going for longer than 68 years because the oldest cousin is 75 now. Lord, where has the time gone. Do any of you have a special tradition in your family that you have continue throughout the ages? I would love to hear about it.

That is so neat Deb to have that tradition! I'll bet it is fun!

That's so neat, Dawna! A PJ tradition is pretty special!

Well, I had decided I was getting sick of having all of the forums show up on my notifications page so I went in on everyone but my laces/trim challenge and clicked on "No Notifications". It did a lot of good but I had to do it several times for it to take. Now I'm noticing that when I put something in those forums that it automatically goes back to "website notifications". So, I have to go back and do it again. I'll keep doing it and hoping it works. I check those forums nearly every day so it's not like I need it!

Wow Deb, what a great family tradition. For us we never had all our family close enough in one place/state to get all of us together. I'm the youngest of my mother's 8 children (5 boys-3 girls) by the time I was born my older brothers were grown and serving in the military and rarely came home before they got out. One was in the Korean war and married a Korean lady (Sophie) had two sons, my oldest brother served in Vietnam but did come back home for good after that, married and worked in construction, had one son. Two of my other brothers never married or had children and the last brother married/divorced and only had one son. My oldest sister moved to Michigan in her early 20s (we have tons of family in MI), married but never had children of her own but did have a stepson. My middle sister and I were the last ones in GA, she had twins in 1974 and a girl 11 years later (my niece I did the wedding pages of), and she's the one about to have her first baby. I was the last to get married but moved away four months later in 1981 (to Germany and lots of places after that) since hubby was in the military and we didn't come back to GA until 2 years before he retired.

Wow Deb! Amazing tradition and over 75 years! Time does fly...

Beautiful tradition Deb, loved your story. TFS

What a truly, blessed story, Tena. That was such an inspiration.

I am not getting notified of new posts now. Blah. Dawna, this is the link to the Rick and Morty Build-A-Bear: https://www.buildabear.com/happy-hugs-teddy-rick-and-morty-gift-set-/25567_31492_21564_31491_21512.html?cgid=the-bear-cave-collabs

Hi Ladies, It's nice to see you! Dawna let me know about the reopening of this place and thought I'd come and join you.

We've had a warm spell the last 2 days 40degrees. Not warm enough to melt all the snow, but it's supposed to rain today. Untill it turns to snow monday night.

Erin, Thinking of you and your husband. Hope all goes well and he's on the mend soon.

Dawna, your brunch sounds delicious!! I love quiche, AND mimosas. I had my first mimosa in Calif. when I was 22yrs old. It is a sweet nostalgic memory of friends and good times. AND Congrats on another 5lbs!!! What a wonderful surprise at the holidays. I always count myself lucky if I manage not to gain anything this time of year. This year I made the mistake of making some Christmas chex mix, it is way too addicting, I should have given more of it away. I haven't dared to get on the scale...lol Love your PJ tradition! Wow, 40 people in a 900sf house?!

Norma, Hope you can get some rest time and that cold goes away soon!

Hello Jojo, I met you through your LO you shared on the Reneabouqets challenge. It is beautiful! Yay!! You got your tree! You must have a fresh tree! Mmmm, I love the smell of a fresh tree. What kind of cookies did you make?

Hi Deb! How was the family get together last night? There are so many of you!!! 75 years is a long time!!

Elizabeth, Hope you can get the notifications to work out the way you would like! I wish I could help but I'm useless about such things.

Tena, That's lovely family tradition you are keeping with your husband and daughter.

Hello Lisa!

Nice to meet you Pierced scraper! That's great that David enjoyed the time at the Synagogue.

My husbands family still gets together every year. 36 total counting the kids. It's rotating hostesses between his sisters and nieces. A different house every year. I used to be on the rotation 20yrs ago but we moved 2hrs away so it would be to much to expect everyone to drive to my house. It's a pot luck and White Elephant gift exchange which gets very exciting! It's always a fun day where we get to see everyone. I have memories of my own grandparents and family Christmases with cousins aunts and uncles.

Having 2 boys it was challenging to get them interested in tree decorating or cookie making. It was surprising to me because I remember my brother liked doing things like that. But my boys got bored really quickly with those things, and I'd end up them alone. So I had to come up with other family activities for us to do, like a Nerf gun shoot out after Christmas dinner. We still do it today with my grandson. And yes Grammy still gets in on the fun.

I love reading about everyone's different Christmases!
Thank you!
~ Terry

The family get together was a huge success again this year. The hall was filled and the little kids were running rampant throughout. Santa was played by one of the younger cousins since my son wasn't able to be there this year. I know I'm biased but my son makes a better Santa. He interacts with the kids so well. But the cousin that filled in did a fine job. Got lots of pics of the little ones trying to break open the pinata. Us elders talked about how we hope our kids keep the tradition going after we're all gone. Now my tradition with my siblings is always over my youngest sisters house where we do the steal a gift exchange and have a large dinner. There are too many of us now that the kids are all adults so we have a $30.00 gift exchange and play the game where you can steal another persons gift. It can tend to get heated at times with everyone wanting to steal the same gift so we had to say it could only be stolen twice.

Good Sunday Morning!

Debbie sounds like your Christmas party was a huge success! I love playing the White Elephant game. Stealing is just too much fun! I sure miss having the little ones around. I think that's one of the reasons I'm so excited about having Aubrey. She's just 6 months old now, but I sure look forward to spoiling her at Christmas. Heck, I bought her more gifts than anyone else this year. I just couldn't help myself! lol I hope you can relax and enjoy the day today.

That's about what I dealt with, Terry. Two boys. We used to get together at my mother-in-law's (until she passed) house and had a wonderful time. Our house is so tiny I don't have room for a big tree, only a little one. It is getting harder to put up much of our decorations because they're down the hill in storage and when it snows heavy it's hard to go get the stuff. I did get my angels out, and my small tree, wreath and table runner that I got in California when we went down for my aunt's funeral.

My husband was one of 12 siblings. One girl died at birth and now there are 5 left. It was a huge family. His dad was one of about 9, I think.

Hi Dawna and others! I finished my Christmas cards awhile ago. I just had to make one more last week because I got one from my Stroke nurse. I made 74 all together. I haven't been out to my trailer much the past several days because we're getting a lot of snow. I am just making some birthday cards ahead of time. I may make a layout because I like to join the Baker's Dozen Challenge. Not sure what my picture will be for that, though.

Deb yes, that's a lot of children but there was only four of us growing up together by the time I came along. My older brothers and my oldest sister had already moved out and on with their own lives. My two brothers with the military and two who just got married and started their own families. My older sister moved out at 20 and later moved to MI to go back to college. So growing up it was just me, my middle sister (who now lives in Wisconsin) and my stepsister who lives in Columbus like me. My youngest brother had spinal meningitis when he was 6 and it left him deaf so he went away to a school for the deaf in Cave Springs, GA and was only home during the summer and holidays until he graduated HS and was then out on his own. But it was fun when they would visit, a few never came back to GA to live once they left. We were only all together when our mama passed in 1983. Out of her 8 children there are only three of use left and my stepsister... my brother in Newport News, VA (he was in the Air Force), my sister in Wisconsin, my stepsister and I who live here in GA.

Hello!

Happy Sunday!!

Hi Dawna, How was the Holiday Brunch? That's awesome that DN helps so much. You are doing so good with the weight loss!!! YGG!!!!

Elizabeth, Did your boys like making cookies or decorating the tree?
I agree It is more difficult to struggle with decorations the older I get. I have downsized decorations a lot, because of storage and toteing them up and down stairs. I have just enough to make my house look pretty. And holy smokes your husband was one of 12 !!

Tenna, You have a big family! Growing up there were families in my neighborhood with 6 and I thought those were big...lol You've lived so many interesting places. Thank you for your sevice, but I'm glad you are happy with your life now.

Ha Ha Deb, It's true I don't mind not hosting the Christmas party any more.

Norma, We got to open a gift on Christmas eve too! Your daughters Christmas eve party sounds fun!! Dressing up ...so cool!

I can't think of any other Christmas traditions right now. Oh wait! One popped in to my noggin... Since my own childhood Santa always put those gold foil chocolate coins in the toe of our Christmas stockings. And I did it for my boys too.
Nother one....My husbands family always wrapped all the gifts that went in the stocking. (my family did not do that) He insisted that had to continue after we were married. There has been many a wrapping session when I cursed that family tradition, but I wrapped all those suckers.

My boys did enjoy decorating the tree when they were little. I can't remember if they liked to help with the cookies or not! A lot of stuff I have trouble remembering since my stroke.

Ah ok, well it seems to me the tree decorating memory is a really good one.

Norma, sounds like your family is as large as mine. My dad is also one of nine children and each family had between 3 and 8 kids. I had an aunt that had two sets of twins. She's the one with the eight kids. I love hearing all the different traditions. It's like I'm getting to know y'all all over again.

It was my husband's dad who had 8 siblings. I think my dad had about 5 but I can't remember. My mom was one of 4 girls. I am one of 5...3 brothers and 1 sister.

Oops, sorry Elizabeth. My bad. Hadn't had my coffee yet. Brain doesn't start to officially work until after the 2nd cup.

Yep!

I hate when that happens.

Deb, They do still make those gold coins.

My checkbook doesn't look too healthy either. sigh,

Elizabeth, Deb and Diane, I received your beautiful Christmas cards today...thanks you all so much, I love them!

Thank you Diane and Debbie for the cards.

You're welcome, Tena!

Oh thank goodness, the cards are arriving. I really worried about the thickness and since I just dropped them in the corner mail box if they would make it. I still have more to send. They are going out in waves. Since a lot of my cards were so lumpy bumpy I've been either making more cards or trying to flatten some of the ones I've already made so if you haven't received a card yet, there is another group sitting on my kitchen table that is going out today. Oh, and I lost the list that I was checking off so if you get two....my bad. I'm now going by memory and that's usually a shot in the dark.