Free Range Christmas Ramblings

Ahh, snow days, or in this case ice days. A mixed blessing.

As a teacher, I always feel like someone is shoving me in the back since the Monday after Thanksgiving. This week was totally packed, so to hack off two days is difficult. I also teach a college class at night. Tonight final portfolios would have been turned in, with only a teeny tiny window of time to get them graded. College is also cancelled.

I do have a bit of flu it seems and have been feverish, coughing and generally miserable, so it's nice to be home on this icy day.

It is also helpful, considering I always, always underestimate the amount of wrapping I have to do. Why might you ask? Well, I buy too much, plain and simple. Many moons ago, I had an antsy toddler, made miserable by all the stimulation and waiting at Christmas. In order to ease his angst, I started having stockings ready early and allowing them a little gift each day. This was so very easy because I would always stock-up on new pencils, crayons, scissors, etc. after Back-to-School sales had been severely discounted. The same antsy school boy, who will remain unnamed, had long since lost all his supplies by then, so it was a good plan all around.

Filling stockings for adults is a little trickier.

So, it has been a wrapping frenzy this morning. All the stockings are full and most of what you see wrapped as well.

About 9 I realized I was starving. I fixed the pooch and I a yummy breakfast of eggs, toast and bacon. This is a bit unusual for me as I am not a breakfast lover. I tossed and turned from 2 until the Reach Alert phoned at 5:30 with the school closing notice, then just got up, so I'd been busy awhile by 9:00. The best part of breakfast topped my toast. A yummy thank-you gift of spicy pear butter. Thanks Claire!

I have a lot of Christmas stuff, but since I started teaching, I often don't come close to getting it all out. At school, I've already put up a tree, taken down a tree, played Christmas music continuously, been a part of two programs and a mass, given gifts, received gifts, eaten goodies of all kinds. It's hard to come home and do it some more.

My sister SuZQ does it up right though.

Each year she hosts all the siblings for a fabulous Christmas meal. You couldn't buy this meal at the finest restaurant. The house is so warm and inviting, tempting appetizers, divine main course and hardly a spot to stick a taste of sweet ending. She and her hubby work so hard and it is a perfect Christmas evening.

Each year she changes things up a bit. This was a first for silver and white.

.Now seriously, have you ever seen more appealing green beans. They were crisp and delicious.

Many thanks SuZQ and Stephen.