CHRISTMAS DAY

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I did.  I got to sleep in, and still went to my sister's house and had a great time with her.  The drive up was so easy and quick.  And we found gas for $1.67/gallon.  I just paid $2.14 here in Philly, so you know we stopped and filled the tank. 

We got there later than we planned to, but still stayed for quite awhile and had a wonderful time.  As I told her, it's the first time this whole season I really relaxed and wasn't stressed out.  Warning:  Be prepared for picture overload, folks.

Although I didn't put up my Christmas tree, she did and it was beautiful.  As always.

Looking through the pictures I realized that I didn't get any of her sweet little Cody except for this one.  And you can't even see his face.  But he's a cutie.

Joe and I had opened our gifts to each other at home.  I gave him a silver money clip which he loved.  But I forgot about the alarm clock that I gotten for him since his had broken.  So when I found it, I wrapped it up and took it with us to surprise him.

Both of my muffin tins went rusty and I had to throw them out.  I asked for a new one for Christmas and my sister, Elaine, did not disappoint me.  I love it.  More muffins for Sunday morning fellowship time.

Elaine loved the books that Joe gave her.

My brother, Larry, is quite the photographer.  (He writes the blog Exploration Photography that you see on the sidebar.)  I had told him of two photos I would like to have and he gave Joe and I both of them.  He gave Elaine a picture he had taken of Cody.

We always save our stockings to open together.  All three of us got loads of cool stuff in our stockings. (These are quilted stockings that my mom made for us.)

At dinner we had our Christmas crackers to open.  They always contain a paper hat or crown, a silly joke and a funny prize.  These all had moustaches in them.  We put them on and it was so funny.

Elaine has beautiful orchids on her windowsill.  This one was blooming.

And I love her Snoopy cookie jar that she puts out every year.

Aren't her napkins a riot?  So cute!

We had Moroccan Chicken and rice for dinner.  It was so good.  I went back for seconds.  And for dessert she had gotten me a birthday cake.

Wasn't that sweet?  I made a wish and blew out all the candles in one breath.  What did I wish for?  Well if I told you, it wouldn't come true.

Elaine's house is always decorated so beautifully.  Here are a couple of my favorite things of hers.

The beautiful handmade wreath in the guest bedroom.

The Snoopy collection on top of her curio cabinet.

She collects nutcrackers, but these are unusual because they are china.  And beautiful.

Here I am with my birthday gift.  Elaine gave me two beautiful tops -- one casual and one dressy.  I'm planning on wearing the dressy one to church tomorrow.  It's red velour.

 We have an old family Bible that is kept at Elaine's house.  I took a lot of pictures of the entries under births, deaths and marriages.  I plan on picking up my geneology research in the new year.  Here is the first entry for our 4 times great-grandfather Skidmore Cranmer who was the great-great-grandson of Edmund Cranmer.  Edmund was the brother of Thomas Cranmer who was the Archbishop of Canterbury under King Henry VIII of England and who was burned at the stake by Henry's daughter Bloody Mary.

It says "Skidmore Cranmer the son of Thomas Cranmer and Meriam his wife was Born december the 30th in The year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy six 1776 And Entered into Marriage August 27th 1803 with Anny Fogg the daughter of Charles Fogg & Priscilla his wife who was born December the 18th in the Year of our Lord one thousand Seven hundred and Eighty three 1783."  Yes, the Bible is that old.  I have visions of someone sitting there with a quill pen writing it all out.

Joe and I left around 7:30 to head home.  It wasn't as easy getting back.  It's always harder in the dark, but it had also rained and in some places was still raining, so that made the roads difficult to navigate.  We got home around 9:45 so that wasn't too bad.  I'm SO GLAD we went up there.  We had such a wonderful time with Elaine.

I was tired today, though and slept until 10:30.  I got up for a little while and put the trash out to be picked up and then fell asleep again until 1 p.m.  I NEVER sleep like that.  I must have been really tired.

I cut down some of the stems on the roses that Joe gave me for Christmas.  They look better now not being all the same height.  They are opening up I guess because the house is warm.  So beautiful.

 After I got up Joe and I went shopping.  I got my medicine at Rite Aid and we bought a few things for the house and for church.  Joe got a little air freshener for the bathroom that smells so good.  Now we just have to get the refills.  It's cute and is so small that it sits on the back of the sink.

Then we headed over to Target to get some ink for the printer.  Since I do the church bulletins each week the ink runs out quickly.  While we were there I saw this cute little chalkboard for the kitchen and a mini milk bottle.  The board was $1.50 and the bottle 50 cents.

I didn't know what I was going to use the milk bottle for, but it was cute and I always can use a bottle or jar for something.  When I got home I realized that I could use it to put my sugar cubes on the kitchen table.  So I got them out and filled it up.  It looks great.

One more picture to show you.  I didn't get my big tree up this year, but I did have a tree.  Here's my little tinsel tree that I have by the front window.  Next year will be different.  The centerpiece was given to me by Boss as a Christmas/goodbye gift.  He kept telling me to not forget to water it and then handed me his watering can.  Funny.

So that's it for now.  As I put things away I will take pictures to show you some of my gifts.  I must have been a very good girl this year because I got some wonderful things.

Kathy
6 days to retirement