A Holly Jolly Weekend Recap

Another weekend in the books and it was a good one. Lots of holiday-ing with friends and some much needed down time too. I feel like the last quarter of the year was a literal sprint to December, but December is proceeding at a manageable pace, or at least it is for me. 

I've got to hit one more shop today to finish up my gift buying, and look forward to having that done. Almost everything is wrapped, except for the two or three packages expected to arrive this week, and the decorating is done too. I'm looking forward to lots of tea sipped by the tree from now until January. 

I was going to include some of our holiday decorating in this post, but instead I think I'll make that a post all it's own here tomorrow. Today I'm linking with Holly and Sarah for their Monday morning weekend recap. This was ours-

Friday night hubs and I went into a nearby little town to see their Christmas market. The town square had a beautiful tree right in it's center, the restaurant on the square had a little tavern set up where you could buy mulled wine or spiced cider, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus were set up in the cutest little cottage on the opposite side of the square. 

There were musicians adding to the festive atmosphere and it was chilly which is how I like my Christmas season to feel. The market was small, and I'm sure will likely expand going forward. We browsed the stalls, then grabbed dinner at one of the restaurants on the market street. 

Saturday hubs and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby as he needed something for his evening's 'costume' and I of course always need something from Hobby Lobby. We shared a plate of nachos for lunch at a favorite Mexican spot before heading home. 

Saturday night was our annual Santa Pub Crawl with ninety of our closest friends lol. Everyone dresses for the occasion and while it originally was almost all Santas we now have quite the mix of elves, reindeer, Grinches, snowmen and more. 

It's so much fun and we raise money for a local charity at the same time. We missed it last year as hubs was under the weather, but the year before that I wore my leg lamp costume (from A Christmas Story) and it was a big hit. 

I also froze and my feet ached by the time we got back to the hotel lobby where the band was playing so I opted for warmth this year. Hubs wears his leg lamp suit every year and it's extra. This year I had three layers on under my Mrs. Claus dress and wore my favorite furry boots. We had a great time with the whole gang. 

Sunday was gray and rainy all day long so I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup Sunday afternoon and we sat by the fire and the light of the Christmas tree. So nice!

What did your middle of December weekend look like? I hope it was merry! 

A Holly Jolly Weekend

My blog muscle is a bit flabby but going to try to exercise it a little today. Hubs and I were both a bit under the weather earlier this month so we haven't done quite as much as we normally do in December. We passed on a couple of fun parties and watched movies at home instead. 

If you read here you know logistics are a thing for us always. Neither of my girls live where we live nor do they live near one another. Nor do they live near their in-laws. Bother. What that means come holiday time is we all learn to shift and share. They spend every other Christmas with us and every other with their in-laws. 

This is an in-law year so we try our best to stir up Christmas fun with visits prior to the big day. We had a fabulous Thanksgiving with Daughter1 and her family in one state, then spent this past weekend with Daughter2 and her family in still another state. The weekend before that Daughter2 and her family trekked to Daughter1's house for a visit there so whew!, lots of miles for everyone.

I feel like this is not something you spend any time thinking about when your kids are young. At least I didn't. Holidays? Of course we'll all be together for ever and always amen. The idea that you won't spend the holidays with your tiny pony-tailed little girls once they're grown is not something you need to contemplate when they are still tiny pony-tailed little girls. Parenting is best managed one season at a time. 

When our girls were growing up we spent every single Christmas at one grandparents home or the other.  We packed the car so full you couldn't see out the back window and we schlepped many many hours and many many miles through ridiculous traffic so they could be with their cousins, our siblings and our parents. All of our siblings did the same. 

I know many people dig in their heels and refuse to be anywhere but their own house on Christmas morning, but we never ever considered not spending Christmas with one family or the other. It wasn't easy or convenient, but today my now grown girls know and adore their aunts and uncles. Looking back I can see so clearly how these concentrated blocks of time with extended family helped create the sense of warmth, security, and belonging they carry with them to this day. 

I hope my girls will always schlepp. I hope they will load up all the boxes and bags and the bazillion pieces of equipment babies and kids require, and they will inconvenience themselves for family. That they will do whatever it takes to be with grandparents, in-laws, cousins and each other for special occasions or no occasion. 

That their own children grow up knowing there is a great big circle of family who will be there to celebrate and soothe, to support and nudge, to shower them with so much love it makes a scary world feel less scary. They will know it because they've slept on a pallet on the floor in an overly full house, they've eaten too many Christmas cookies while playing Dominoes with people aged 9 and 79, they've worked jigsaw puzzles on a card table, had an aunt do their hair, learned to shoot pool, and have talked about everything under the sun while sitting beside someone who shares their DNA. This is a gift whose value cannot be overstated. 

Back to this past weekend, which we spent with the cutest little 18 month old boy we know. Y'all this little guy is just brimming with personality. He is so cheerful and talks a blue streak and we are positively crazy about him. 

Saturday was gray and chilly but we braved the Little Debbie Park anyway, mostly because we wanted to see what it was all about. It's a great play spot for children, better for those just a little bit older than sweet baby J, but he had fun watching the bigger kids on the zip line and climbing walls. There's a lot of open space for running and playing too. 

I don't know if Little Debbie Cakes are everywhere, but in this part of the country they are a popular sweet treat. Hubs ate his fair share of oatmeal cream pies when we were dating and there's a giant one you can stand on in the park. There's also  a cosmic brownie you can climb, and the Christmas Tree Cake too. 

It was freezing so we didn't stay long before heading home for lunch and naps. I won't say whose lol. 

We gave him our big gift later that afternoon, and it was a hit. He climbed right on and was ready to go. 

I think I did about 40 laps around the kitchen-dining room-hallway-living room while I was there, but when someone calls you NeNe you jump. 

Yes I'm Nana, but NeNe is how he says it and I am here for it. 

He can't quite pedal it himself yet, but three cheers for the genius who came up with a long handle for the adult walking behind. I'm betting it was a mom or dad whose back ached from bending awkwardly over a tricycle trying to make it go.   

My son-in-law is king of the grill and made us a delicious steak and lobster dinner. And Daughter2 is the original 'star baker' and had made (literally) dozens of cookies so we ate our fill. Who else loves The Great British Baking Show? It's our favorite and we watch it together apart lol. She's in her house and I'm in mine and we text each other the whole time we're watching. Our favorite! 

Sunday morning we went to church, then later in the afternoon their neighborhood had a little holiday light contest followed by cocoa with Santa. Little man was fine watching from a distance, and he didn't cry immediately upon sitting on his lap. He did decide pretty quickly though, that this was not for him. A photographer was there capturing the moments, but we're grandparents so of course we snapped a few hundred of our own too. 

Maybe not officially Christmas but it felt an awful lot like it. 

Square One

I didn't mean to take a three week hiatus here but that's what happened and I'm not mad about it. Course we can't move forward without looking back so let's talk December. 

Christmas came. It always does thankfully. This year's holiday looked a lot different than the one I'd been imagining in my head all year long, but we are nothing if not resilient here so we adjust and adapt and carry on. The weather was fabulous so hubs and I started the day with coffee on the porch. Eventually he made us yummy bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and we opened gifts, took the pup for a nice long walk, then got the house ready for company coming later in the day. 

We were so glad to have friends also on their own this year, and together we did the traditional ham dinner with all the trimmings served on the Christmas china kind of meal. A really nice afternoon and evening spent with some of the nicest people we know. 

We missed in person time with the cutest little men on the planet, but we did FaceTime and loved hearing about all their favorite moments of the day. Little ones are extra precious this time of year, don't you think? 

We did manage an early somewhat traditional Christmas celebration with Daughter2 and her hubs a few days prior to Christmas and that was loads of fun. They arrived the Sunday before Christmas and left for the in-laws on Thursday morning. 

We declared Wednesday our Christmas with them, and woke up to stockings, breakfast casserole, gifts, and a prime rib meal which the men loved planning for, talking about, cooking and eating. Emphasis on the talking about-ha! Men and their bbq! 

We took them into tiny town one night to see the lights, played darts at the local beer station, played mini golf in a light rain, and just enjoyed being together. 

Backing up to the week before their arrival when we spent a really fun Saturday night with a big gang of friends and strangers-now-friends at a Santa pub crawl in town. We all agreed we have not laughed that much in a long time and it felt great! 

So many Santas, but 'Santa Baby' was my favorite costume.

What else? Oh yeah...construction. Can't forget that. I mean we've only had this project on the books since May so of course the install is going to happen the week before Christmas. Still not done but well on it's way. The wood that's been in our garage for the past three months is now on the wall, waiting on the painter (mid-January), the electrician (sometime), the Murphy bed install (happening this week!) and just a few other small loose ends to tie up before we call it a day. We are loving the look of what's been done and think we might actually wrap this thing up before too long. 

'Too long' being a relative term, ahem. 

Neighbors invited hubs and I for an oyster roast one night about a week before Christmas and it was so much fun. And because there were so many oysters they invited us back two nights later for a repeat and we were happy to oblige. Another neighbor provided the oysters, fresh from their trek to the coast, and we had them raw, steamed, and Rockefeller style. 

Hubs and I had a night on the town in the nearby big city one evening, with dinner and a holiday show courtesy of the local symphony. It was fabulous and I'd definitely like to make this a regular thing going forward. 

My sister lives about an hour from us and since her birthday is the day after Christmas we made plans to celebrate both occasions at my niece's new home on the 26th. We had too many wonderful hors d'oeuvres and loved spending time with family. 

What else? Hubs gave me a new computer for Christmas (whoohoo!) so he and I trekked to the mall last Thursday to do some sort of transfer blah blah blah at the Apple Store. If anyone is wondering what everyone is doing, I can tell you...they're at the mall. Have mercy it was a zoo! I haven't been in a mall since before Covid and I guess I thought that wasn't a thing anymore (the mall, not Covid-ugh!) but it is most definitely a thing. 

We hung out at home on New Year's Eve which is our favorite place to be at year's end. It was absurdly warm and we grilled scallops and were asleep before the clock chimed 12, which is pretty much how our end of year always goes. I'm more about a champagne toast on Day 1 anyway. 

How many times can I mention the weather? My daffodils think it's time to pop up and it is definitely not time.

On the bright side, since the new year rolled in with 70-something degree temps and crazy humidity we made the little brown dog's day and let him swim. Nothing makes him happier than dock diving and we aim to please. 

Our neighbors joined us for dinner New Year's Day and we played some pool after dining on the traditional 'lucky meal' like all good citizens should. Pork tenderloin, cornbread, collard greens, and black eyed peas. I hope everyone reading here also did their part-ha! 

And I guess that catches us all the way up. 

Wait....did I tell you I'm going to be a Nana again?!?!? This is what happens when you neglect your blog. I'm going to be a Nana again!! Here's sweet daughter2, the momma-to-be, with the nightgown I gave her this year. Hedgehogs of course, because it's not Christmas in my house without a hedgehog wrapped up somewhere.

Never have the words happy new year been more appropriate. 

Happy new year!! 

'Twas The Week Before Christmas

So what's everybody up to? Ha! There's only about a hundred things I should be doing, but I'm sipping coffee in a Christmas mug and blogging instead. Obviously you're here reading so I'm not the only one avoiding my to-dos. It all gets done, right?

We had my sister and brother-in-law out for a mini early Christmas dinner this past weekend. My niece and her boyfriend came too and Daughter2 minus her fiance who was in another city. Hubs got up at the crack of dawn (actually before the crack of dawn) to start the cooking so I got up at the pre-crack of dawn too.

The sun hasn't even begun to think about rising, but here we are out on the patio making BBQ magic happen. Hubs cooked a 10+ pound brisket on the Green Egg because when it comes to barbecuing he's a 'go big or go home' kind of chef.

It was out of this world good with a peppery crust outside and so tender you could cut it with a fork on the inside.

Did you come here to see what we ate this weekend?
I thought so.

Daughter2 made this scrumptious English Trifle for dessert which involved a home made almond pound cake, pears poached in honey and vanilla, fresh raspberries, creme anglaise, and whipped cream. It sounds heavy but was so light and delicious.

She and I enjoy hanging out in the kitchen together and while I've known for quite some time she is getting married in 129 days (not that anyone is counting) it kind of hit me this weekend how much I'll miss having my baker bride at home.

Not just because she bakes.

And technically she doesn't live with us, but she's been secretly moving in since October and I'm okay with that. Brides need their mommas y'all, and mommas need their baby girls.

Dads do too-

Speaking of sweet things...

Oh my stars! The little mancub was not too sure about Santa Claus this year. Eventually he settled in and as long as Santa didn't touch him or sit too close everything was a-ok. I'm pretty sure this is the real Santa because he knew just what to do-

And on that happy note I will leave you. The reason everything gets done is because someone does it. I mean those presents aren't going to wrap themselves so I guess that someone is me.

Merry week before Christmas everyone!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

It seems like I should mention Christmas on my blog somewhere sometime so how about here and now? I like to write in the early morning and that's just not happening these days, so 10:30 on a Thursday night it is. 

Can we just talk about this? 

I mean I cannot even handle the sweetness captured here. This photograph is in a frame on my kitchen fireplace mantle and it's the screen saver on my phone and I look at it at least ten times a day. At least. It's perfection...the Santa, the darling tree, the face...y'all the face! Can you even??? 

I'm still getting the hang of decorating the spaces in this house for the holidays but Rome wasn't built in a day. We have three trees up in the house, four if you count the small one sitting on the pool room bar, and there's no real rhyme or reason to what hangs where. I see all the beautiful themed trees on Instagram and Facebook and while I'd like to be that girl it's just not me. I'm sentimental and want all my many and assorted memories in the form of Christmas ornaments hanging side by each every single year.

I don't buy boxes of ornaments. Ours are treasured keepsakes from our children's growing up years, places we've lived or traveled, or they hold some other special meaning like a favorite hobby or pastime. 

What that means is a London Taxi sits beside a popsicle stick star made long ago by little hands. It means the ballerina bunny belonging to my youngest daughter dances on a branch beside the Strasbourg cathedral. Pheasants dangling from a hunter's vest fly beside Anne of Green Gables because that's how we do Christmas here.

Also pretend I'm not standing on a ladder-ha! In case you're worried, hubs was close by. The amount of time it takes me to arrange those beads exactly so makes him twitch, but he wasn't about to leave me unattended.

We have a tree on the screened in porch and I may one day decide to decorate it in a more natural way. I know I'll likely still keep a few family ornaments there too because when I look at my Christmas tree I want it to say 'this is us'.

I did have a sign made this year for our family room mantle (Etsy Shop-Rustically Inspired) and I love it-

I'll probably have to invest in new stocking hangers next year because this mantle is a flat front and that heavy brass angel tried to take out the fireplace repairman when he was here last week. I think we've got them situated for now, and we take stockings down for filling. I mean Santa does.

My shopping is done (I think?), cards have been sent, packages mailed, there's a bit of wrapping that needs to happen still and of course more baking because I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as too many Christmas cookies. Just ask anyone. We have a dinner party this weekend and friends dropping by next week... my youngest daughter will be spending her break with us and there will be days enjoyed with extended family too.

Some years are harder than others and I feel like this has been one of those here. Yet in the middle of it all came this tiny baby boy who has brought so much light and joy into our hearts.

The everyday stresses and pressures of life don't cease just because it's Christmas, but they do fade to the background and let hope take center stage. May the truth of the Christmas story touch your heart in a special way this holiday season. 

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Froehliche Weinachten

 Weekends in December are extra full, or at least ours seem to be.

We spent Saturday and Sunday tweaking our holiday decor and by that I mean hubs hung garland across the railings and down the stairs, and wondered aloud why in the world we don't own the pre-lit variety?  I untangled the mass of cords that is my Snow Village, and seriously, that job made me sweat. It's a bit of a challenge to hang on to your Christmas spirit when dealing with light strands and extension cords in hard to reach places.

I still need to add some bits and pieces, like the trees and the skaters and such, but I got the basic houses up,  and that was enough for one weekend. Our main tree is still waiting for its topper, a job I just couldn't face after wrestling with cords for an hour, so that's on my list for one day this week. We always do our Christmas decorating in phases. Mr. and Mrs. Claus are happier that way.

I do love having a Christmas tree in the house. One of my favorite things to do in December is to get up early,  and while it's still dark outside sit in front of the lit Christmas tree. There is something about the quiet soft glow of the tree that begs for sitting still, thinking deeply, and praying earnestly.

Friday night hubs and I popped into town to see the annual Christmas Tree Lighting. Conveniently there is a ginormous evergreen just beside the the lake and every year Santa drops by to do the honors.  Here's a shot of the tree in daylight....

and all lit up for Christmas...

My nighttime photography skills are unrivaled, don't you think?

Our little town holds their own version of a German Christmas Market every December and its lots of fun.

Hubs and I spent a couple of hours there on Saturday browsing the vendor stalls, sipping traditional Gluhwien, and eating brats topped with sauerkraut for a lakeside lunch.  I took this picture of the Stroopwafels for my Daughter1-they're her favorite-

And this one for Daughter2 because fudge is her love language. 

So are German Christmas Markets.
She and I have seen more than a few.
Sigh.  

I love the sign by these decadent dipped apples.

Oh, and guess what?
Santa was there.

Pretty sure this was not a copycat.  Look at that face!

Afterwards we went to see the movie Lincoln.  We both really liked it and Daniel Day Lewis is completely believable in the title role.

Sunday afternoon we were invited to a fundraiser that hubs former boss and her family host every year. Monies raised benefit a food pantry on Long Island and this year the need is greater than ever.  The pantry is run thru a Catholic church there and the priest spoke to the party-goers describing the very difficult circumstances they face in Sandy's aftermath.  Many in their area are still without heat and power, and a large number of people are also without jobs.  The recovery is slow going and some of those jobs will be permanently lost.  He closed by saying that in the middle of something horrible he has witnessed so much good.  Help has come from ordinary people and nothing is too small not to be appreciated.

Our friends go all out when they host this party.  They invite several hundred people, have inflatables for the kids, a petting zoo, and oh yeah, guess who else was there?

I know.
I spoke to him and he is definitely not a copycat.   Look at that face!

Okay, my to-do list is as long as my arm so I need to get busy.  Just a reminder that I'm hosting a little 'thing' here during the month of December.  My daughter1 made the cutest little button ever,  which you'll find on my sidebar.  If you're participating in  The 12 Days of Christmas Kindness you'll want to add this cuteness to your sidebar too...just copy and paste the link you see under the button.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about go here for details.

Happy Monday!