Saturday, December 24, 2016

Just Two Things...

Our Christmas Eve Eve Dinner...

They were potato and cheese and Den ate most of them and they were soooooo delicious! You have to sautée them with sweet onion and the crispier they are...the better...these pierogis are!

Our house last night...

 

Sweet Christmas dreams?

Hugs,

Patty

Merry Christmas

 

Friday, December 23, 2016

Shopping...

So...normally Den and I shop together especially for the holidays but I have been grounded. Den thinks I wil run into too many germs...so we made the lists, we discussed the lists and our phones are ready. Heeheehee...he will be fine. We have traditions for Christmas Eve Eve Dinner and Christmas Eve Dinner and Christmas Breakfast and Christmas Dinner and on the day after Christmas we always have pasta and meatballs! So we are set until Tuesday!

Boy do we love a plan!

We are having pierogis tonight.

Cioppino tomorrow...

Ham and cheese breakfast strata on Christmas morning...from Simply Recipes...

And a tenderloin or filet for Christmas dinner...I am not sure what Den bought...

The day after Christmas...

Back to books...

Having a great time reading this book although something seems so wrong in it...but that's what is making it sooooo good!

Next...this one for sure...the cover is just too beautiful...

So...I won't be back until Monday so have a wondrous holiday!

Stay well!

Hugs,

Patty

 

 

 

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Hmmmm...

Finished this...

loved it and I know I have read at least one other book by this former dancer.

Reading this...

two friends with young sons the same age seem to know each other well until one of them leaves her son with the other and completely disappears without a word!

 

Our little Fraser Fir...

 

Ornaments...both old and new...

Hugs,

Patty

 

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Finished...

 

First...

We usually divide up the holiday events...wreaths on one day because Den puts spotlights on them...one in between the garage doors and one on the front door...then some greenery in a basket by the front door and more greenery and a bow on the green wrought iron bench that is always by the front door.

 

Next up...

Candles in all of the windows...that's Den's job, too. He is very organized...they use batteries and he has them in all of the windows quickly.

Usually we then take out all of my cherished Santa's and snowmen...we put them anywhere we can.

The tree...was up yesterday and decorated but for some odd reason I usually need to go to Pier 1 and Pottery Barn for two or three of their on sale ornaments. I have been doing this forever and we did it today...quickly!

Pier 1...

Pottery Barn...

 

I love our traditions!

Hugs,

Patty

 

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

So...

A short tree tale...

 

The tree is in the living room and in its proper stand. It's funny because when we first built this big house on the pond...other neighbors built big houses around the pond, too. All of the houses had one thing in common...big open vaulted sunrooms with really high ceilings. If you could see the house you could see everyone's big huge tree! We all put our trees in the sunroom which was open to the rest of the downstairs but if you were in the family room you really couldn't see the tree. But...we did this for years...struggling with a huge tree and struggling to get it in its stand. My job was to try to hold it straight while Den tried to screw the huge bolts that held it...it seemed to take forever.

This year's tree tale...

Yesterday we found a lovely Fraser Fir...a beautifully shaped smaller version of the giant Fraser Fir we used to buy. We put it in the middle of the living room where it will be stuffed with white lights and cherished ornaments. It took two minutes to pop it in the stand and we can see it from the family room. Today we are decorating it. Den is down there right now struggling over the lights but he loves it...I just know he does!

Back to books...

Of all things not wintery I am totally engrossed in this book...it goes against my firm belief in seasonal reading but it's so delightful I can't put it down!

Sigh!

The rest of the day...

Tree decorating...Christmas card writing...plus I connected with an old friend I used to teach with...it warmed my soul!

I think we are staying in today.

Hugs,

Patty


 

Monday, December 19, 2016

Life...

My life right now...

I stay home other than doctor appointments. I must admit to being afraid of the unknown germs that are out there in the world. I never in my life had a year where I didn't need or want to buy a ton of clothes...sigh!

But this year is different...Den doesnt shake hands in church and we keep Purell everywhere!

My gingersnap cookie story...

I was on the phone Saturday ordering Christmas cookies. Ginger snaps, iced sugar cookies, gingerbread men, oatmeal raisin, and chocolate chip pecan from Talulah's Table. Of course I was sad and I was telling the sweet girl I was talking to that I couldn't bake this year and why...she was amazing and helped me lots and when she took my name and number she said I taught her brother in second grade and that every student who had me as their teacher never forgot the year with me in second grade. I tell you this just so you know how much I loved teaching and to hear this now just about broke my heart. It's amazing how meaningful simple words are.

Decorating...

We did it! Not all of the treasures we usually put out but lots of the big stuff!

The tree...

Bundling up and going to get it today!

 

Presents...

We were going to skip presents totally but after living with that idea for a few days we couldn't do it...so what we did was order stuff...the same number...for each other. I think Den did not even look at my list...and we used only Nordstrom's but I snuck in a little Sundance, too. So when the boxes arrive we will tie a ribbon around them and open them randomly...I think it will be fun...not our normal Christmas but a different one for our different times.

I will let you know how it turns out!

Books...

The three I read over the week end...ick...I didn't love them...at all!

New books...

I must admit to picking this up and reading it now...

 

That is my Monday...tree, more decorating and baked tacos for dinner! The first day of our festive week! Hopefully?

Hugs,

Patty