Christmas is Here

That's the song playing on Pandora this morning.
 I'm glad it's finally here and that tomorrow the celebrating, furious wrapping, cooking, baking and schlepping will be done for a minute.

These first Christmases, when a standard fixture is missing, are very strange.  Do you talk about them?  Do you paste on your face a smile for the little ones?  Yes, you do.
To make yourself feel a little better, do you do some sort of remembrance? I do.
 After mom gave up cooking, Auntie Glou (aka Glenda) took over as the potato candy maker.  Now that job has passed to me.
So here is Glenda's Christmas tray.

Even when it is the second, or third, or fourth, it is still strange.

 Kaye made the cheeseball, this particular kind of cheese ball.

That is the last gift she gave from her own hands, before the heart attack and all the awful that followed.  She made them for Rae's wedding reception.  She had black hair and gave me this sweet little card a very long time ago.  It usually hangs on my tree.

I didn't manage to get cards done this year, but here is my crew from our party last Sunday. The above are from the party we had at Mom's last evening.  Lots more pictures, but they will wait as I need to pack up for Mom's this morning.  Taking a turkey, pulling out the leftovers and opening her door to whoever needs something good to eat and someone to talk to today.

 The Christmas Eve service at church was so grounding for me.  I was tired, but I'm so happy I went. Hearing the scriptures, singing those carols that have been sung for hundreds of years, really celebrating the Savior, the candles and the bells,  renewed my hope of a better day.

For everyone who find this day a challenge and a heart break, I am sorry.  I hope peace, love, comfort and joy find you.

The Christmas Bus

Ever feel like you've kind of just been run over at Christmas?
Missy Bugg and I finally managed to get ornaments on the tree that's been in the stand in the living room since a few days after Thanksgiving.  So glad she loves to decorate.
My job consumes me in December.
But today, ahh, today was sweet.  The Christmas program was over and by 9:30 this morning, mass was practiced for tomorrow.  Gardener E. came to admire their beautiful angels and brought the handmade stamps from India for them to create beautiful wrapping paper.  We stitched and stamped and wrote gift letters and it was a peaceful day.
On Tuesdays this month, I've taken a treat to Mom's and invited a few ladies for tea or coffee.  I think it has helped her get to know them better.  She's adjusting, but not in  any hurry to make herself comfortable there.
Her house was signed, sealed and delivered to a very excited young man purchasing his first home.
Bittersweet.
Handy Man and I went Monday evening to get the very last of the things.  That home undoing was a long and arduous job that I wasn't really sure was ever going to end.  Honestly, it hasn't.
So much of it is here.  It looks like the Squatly's have taken up permanent residence at my house.  I am hopeful I can get it somewhat managed over break.
Last Saturday, Handy Man had a work party, so I used the time to turn out the Christmas fudge, which required me going through my recipes.  I decided to try and part with a few more of my recipe books.  Going through my recipes brings back so very many memories.  Looking at recipes stored on my computer, just does not have the same affect.
This was a recipe and a book from Kaye.

 This old Good Housekeeping houses my favorite cookie recipe of all time. Poor Santa is looking a bit worse for wear.

 This old recipe from Mom, written on a White Castle napkin, which is what I could find in her house at the time.

 Somewhere along the line the Cpt. tried Bananas Foster and ordered them for his birthday breakfast.  He was a teenager. Thankfully, the recipe showed up in the newspaper.

 We did have a Playdate sometime, and I was trying to tempt a chip away from my Little Chip Monster.
He'll take chips over candy any day, and all you will allow him to have.

This year I've received two very tiny gifts.  Gwanfader brought me something in this little red box. I couldn't even imagine what was inside.

 A cutest wee blown glass chicken.  So stinkin' cute

 Rae found Ninjabread cookie cutters, so we got busy making some.

 Too funny!

Hope you are having a Happy Christmas time.

Candy Houses

For no good reason, I would like to know how many of these little houses I've made over the past thirty years.  About the time the kids are of the age to work on them completely independently, they aren't so interested anymore. Ah, life.
 Bean and Bugg helped me put them together.

 

 This newest little pixie wasn't sure what to think.  Those brownest almond eyes and tiniest nose are so very petite and pixieish.

 Giddy-Up was so very excited make  his house, and even more excited to eat it.

 I'm not often at a loss for words, but I think I've about said all there is say about candy houses before- several times. The little pictures, as I'm guessing you've already figured out, are pictures from six years ago.
After getting everyone fed sausage, biscuits and gravy and cinnamon rolls, then the houses, I turn them out to the most beloved activity- Chicken chasing.

"Hold it, hold it."  "Bawk, bawk."

 

 And then we need to set traps to catch more chickens.  Sadly, this did not work as well as hoped so

 the chase continued.

 Mr. Smiley loves my glasses.

It was a big fun time and like usual of the last few years, I wonder if I've lost my mind doing this again and then am happy that I did.

I've been having Tuesday Christmas Tea at Mom's.  We decorated more houses.  Just no end to the busyness around these parts.

Thanksgiving

Ah, tis the season. The season of running around like one of my chickie girls, oh my.  Raechel, with some help from the rest of us, had a yummy Thanksgiving meal. Our new  dish was cranberry salsa-deewishus.
Life, so unpredictable -joyous, sad.
Last time this year we were holding our breath that Jimi's second trip out of ICU to rehab would turn out better than the first.  I remember Giddy-Up's prayer for him, clearly answered as he walked in to Rae's under his own steam this year.

 Sad, that Michael's Grammy left  us soon after last  Thanksgiving.  A teary first Thanksgiving without her.

 Sad too, that Bean and Bugg and Ceece weren't with us.  Looks like Ceece and the Captain won't be doing holidays together anymore.  Divorce  is sad.
Those chicklets at Thanksgiving enjoyed making Christmas ornaments after filling up on goodies.

 Enjoyed seeing Michaels family.

 This picture made me laugh. I guess I've never tried to  hold both boys at the same time, but Mr. Smiley wasn't having it.  He's doing his best to hold  me tight while shoving at Giddy-Up with his body.  "Um, get off my Gramerly."

It was a big fun time.