Sunday, December 23, 2018

Saturday Before Christmas!

I am loving these last few days before Christmas. It's a relaxed peaceful feeling to putter around and put the finishing touches on things. The last gifts are wrapped and lined up on the baby grand piano in the den.

 Louis Dean took a basket of cinnamon rolls up to the Geek Squad along with his computer. They were all over those rolls and fixed his computer right then and there. It wasn't a hard fix - he needed the CD/DVD thing to work. The new laptops don't have one so he uses his desktop for those.

I took a lovely nap this afternoon and then went for a nice long walk through the neighborhood....
this time before dark. Then I spent a couple of hours preparing vegetables for Christmas Eve.
I scraped and cut up 4 pounds of carrots! Some for Christmas Eve, some carrot sticks to go with the celery I cut up to use as appetizers, and some for candied carrots which I am making for Sunday dinner tomorrow.

On Christmas Eve I normally serve pretty much the same menu every year but this time I am doing something  different. Instead of ham or turkey, I'm making a huge batch of Vegetable Beef Stew. A garden salad, a fruit salad, Louis Dean's homemade rolls with real butter, and desserts! I'm thinking pumpkin pies and a cake. And sugarplums! You know what? I didn't make cookies! Maybe I will bake up some fruitcake cookies - the dough's already made.

We will be attending a candlelight service at 3:00 Christmas Eve so I found a recipe for the stew using a crock pot.
There will be a table of snacks for as soon as we get in from church - veggies and dips, little Smokey sausages cooked with grape jelly and BBQ sauce, an assortment of olives to go with a platter of cheese and crackers.

I already have the tables set - there will be two tables full!
The silverware, stemware and napkins are all in place.
I'm smiling as I am writing this tonight.....as a mother and grandmother with children and grandchildren to be gathered around soon....this anticipation is special and one of the pleasures of Christmas.

I walked around the house this evening admiring all the beautiful Christmas cards that we have received. Every single one has been carefully read and displayed.


I stapled them to a ribbon in the foyer......


and put the photo ones beside the front door.
Nita keeps all the photo Christmas cards and displays them in her living room.
You can see children grow up right in front of your eyes as you gaze from one year's card to the next.


It took both sides of the doorway to hold them all.


This one from Melba I set beside one of my manger scenes.


And this one from Mary Jo is beside another one.


I love all my cards!
I think I have every single one Sharon has ever made and sent me.
They become part of my decorations.


Such beautiful art work.


This card included a photo of my friend's neighborhood.


And I love how the red pops right out on this card.
Looks like Wyoming or Idaho to me....thank you, Mary G.


Such beautiful cards.....from such beautiful people......thank you, Joni....


I would love to walk up to this house! I can imagine the fragrance of the Christmas tree as I come in stamping the snow off my feet and taking off my coat and scarf. I bet there's coffee and hot chocolate waiting for me and a plate of Christmas cookies!


This card is special!
From Phyllis on the Oregon coast!
Remember that amazing home right there on the Pacific Ocean?
They are having some wild weather up there lately.


Christmas cards have such happy scenes and they seem to urge us to remember our own happy memories.


Every card is special.


I have had this one for a couple of years now and it gets displayed by my cardinal tree.
Thank you, Arlene!


Another card I have had for a few years.
It's a Hallmark from my brother and his wife.


Last year the Walters sent us this one and it has become part of my Christmas decorating.


Another one of Sharon's hand made cards that I have kept for years!


I love looking at this one.


This year's card from Nita and Mike.
It's another one I would love to walk into.....
maybe even live here!


A new friend sent this one to me and it will be part of my Snowman collection.
These little guys will come out to play every Christmas from now on!

Sometime in January I take all my cards down and put them in a prayer folder.
Then each day, after Louis Dean and I have done our Bible reading, I take the top one out and reread it before praying for the one who sent it. Then it goes to the back of the folder until all have been prayed for - and then I start all over!

I've always been an avid reader - all my life, really!
But from time to time Life takes over and reading becomes less important and gets pushed to the back burner. I don't know what happened to make this a big priority for me again but last week I started a Fern Michaels novel and devoured it within a couple of days.

I roamed the house looking for my next read. 
I have books stacked up in so many places but I can't compare to my friend, Dawn down in Florida.
She has the most beautiful home where books are a major decorating feature. She also reads extremely fast while I am just average speed.


I chose this one by Elizabeth George which I bought at the Dollar store for $3.
I thought surely I have read some of her books before but perhaps not.
At any rate, this is one in her Inspector Lynley series. I see the first 11 in the series were adapted by the BBC for television as The Inspector Lynley Mysteries. I must check that out!
Believing the Lie is #17 in the 18 books she's written in this series.



*Facebook*

So I am going to bed with my book to read for an hour or so before turning out the light.
If you are wondering, I will be in England having just left London for Cumbria area and am knee deep in this wonderful mystery set in an amazing location.
I'm only 55 pages in and already loving this read!

23 comments:

Kathy said...

Merry Christmas, Linda! I love visiting your home, all cozy for Christmas. Thank you for your card! It is hanging on my stairway with the others, but will have a place of honor when I take everything down. Cards are wonderful remembrances of our friends at Christmas.

The last quote by Carl Sagan is wonderful. I never thought of it that way, but once I read it I realized that is exactly how I feel. Books are amazing! Enjoy yours.

Bluebird49 said...

I display the cards we get and keep them all! They are precious to me.
I've read since I was a girl. We had no money for books, but a wonderful, wealthy man made sure we had a library and our neighbor up the road about a mile had all the Hardy Boys novels. They let me borrow one and carry it back when I'd finished it -- then loan me the next. Then I discovered Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldin at the library. I read on my Kindle right because I can enlarge the font. Hope soon I can have cataract surgery.
Soup sounds like a great idea for Christmas Eve!
Enjoy each moment!!

The Feminine Energy said...

I so love to read too, Linda. The book you have started sounds grand. I'm in the middle of reading "The Woman in Cabin 10" by Ruth Ware. It was a b/d gift to my husband from our oldest daughter, back in September, and when he finished it he passed it along to me. It's really good too. Your home is so lovely and all ready for Christmas. I agree with you in that the days leading up to Christmas are as enjoyable as the actual day. Much love, Andrea xoxo

bj said...

I love soups and stews...know yours will be delicious....
I think we will be doing finger foods on Christmas Eve this year...
Sure looking forward to having all our kids, grands and greats for this special night....love to you.

BeachGypsy said...

I'm so glad you've found a good book, you enjoy that my friend, and relax and just get into the story!! I'm a big reader too, I ADORE BOOKS and always have. Our home is full of them, so many bookcases. Your home looks lovely and I loved seeing all the pretty cards and also the last post about making the "texas trash", ha ha LOL! Tomorrow will find me in the kitchen cooking and preparing and baking for Christmas eve and day. Ran all over the city today, a more low key day will be real nice for tomorrow. Hugs!!

BeachGypsy said...

goodness gracious I just now saw where you had asked me a question a few days ago!!--I'm so SORRY I MISSED THAT!1 You asked what our picnic was!---it was CHICK FIL A!! haha LOl. I had a chicken sandwich and the big yummy waffle fries that have there and yes, it was so delicious. do y'all have Chick Fil A there?

MadSnapper said...

this might just be my favorite of all your posts. I LOVE EVERY WORD and EVERY CARD.. they are amazing cards and I would never have thought of keeping cards and using as part of decorations. they are so beautiful, all the different ways to display them.. your cards are works of art. I have never kept a card, but my mother did, when she died she had every card she ever got, all holidays and birthdays. boxes of them. when the state took their home, to widen the street we had to move all of them and she got really mad when I said dump them. I am keeping your Santa that is sitting in my nook, the very first card I have ever used as a decoration...

MadSnapper said...

I am back, forgot to say I love that book thing you found on FB, so true and I love it and am borrowing it from your post. I read every day of my life, since I retired and reading is my favorite thing. if I had to give up all but one of my devices, the e reader would be the thing I kept. I rather read than watch TV and I do love one that grabs me and will not let go

Brenda said...

Love your reading! I read too fast-read a book usually each morning!! Taught students the wonders of opening that page! My favorite mystery writer is Carlene Thompson! Having downsized I donated most of my books except hers! Mysteries that intrigue! Love your cards! I also pray for those who send them! Have a marvelous Christmas!

Brenda said...

To The Feminine Energy-great book-woman in the window is of the same genre!!

Brown said...

I love the Inspector Lynsey series! These books envelop you in the people and places they live. The author is magical!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love getting into a really good book! I'll see if I can get this one from my library. Love your beautiful Christmas cards! I wish I had remembered to write on yours that I got it from a lady in Latvia...from her Etsy shop. She is such a wonderful artist and I knew you would love the barn! Holiday hugs!

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Thank you for sharing those beautiful cards. I like your idea of making them part of your Christmas decor. Like you I also pray for those people that send me a card. I keep them in a box and take a new one out everyday. I do love reading and I've learned a lot from books. They've taken me to places I've never been. Our Christmas Eve services are at 4:00 and some of my grandchildren that live close by will be angels and shepherds. Had to believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow already. May your Christmas be Merry and Bright !

Arlene G said...

Merry Christmas Linda! I am glad that you and LD pray over your Christmas cards! We used to to that as a family when our children were younger! I need to start that again!

Changes in the wind said...

Something different sound lovely and am sure it will be delicious and plenty of it. I only keep a few Christmas cards and mostly because of a special greeting that is written in them or because it is handmade like your Santa. I have a child's hat box and I keep all my special cards in it. It is nice to be done with all the hustle bustle and just enjoy the time.

MimiG said...

So glad you're enjoying the cards - I thought you might like the horse, as well as the red barn!! I keep many cards as well, It's fun to read what people write over the years..
Enjoy your "rest" the next few days, but especially the Christmas Eve time with your family - those times are super special I know.
And, it makes me happy that you and LD will be praying for me in the coming year, along with your other readers/friends.
Much love, blessings and happiness being sent your way from Alabama!
MimiG aka MaryG

Vee said...

What a peaceful, easy read this was! I enjoyed seeing your pretty Christmas cards on display. Mine are in a box right bedside me. I take them out of the box and reread them a couple of times each day except for yours! Yours is on display beside my vintage Santa across the way. 🎁🎅🏼🎄

Susie said...

Linda, I love how you display the cards. I too love photo cards and like to see how children have grown from the year before. Your home looks so cozy and inviting. I see some cards would make some good painting subjects. I love that you are all set for your holiday gatherings. I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. Blessings to you and your family, I sure love all of you, xoxo, Susie

Ginny Hartzler said...

Your cards are all beautiful! And I know mine is in there somewhere! What a great idea, to go through the cards each night and pray for a friend!! I love it! I think my favorite is the snowman and cardinals. It really makes me happy!!

Carole said...

Your cards are lovely. I must admit we have given up on sending actual cards! I used to send out hundreds - it was a mission but now I can't see the point... sorry to be a grinch. Once I stopped sending them it was almost no time before I wasn't getting them - it turned out that most people were only sending me a card when they received one. But your lovely creative cards are a revelation. The ones you can buy here are very tacky. Wishing you a lovely Christmas Eve get together. Cheers

Chatty Crone said...

Merry Christmas - looks like you are all ready for a HUGE group!

Nancy Chan said...

Your home is always beautifully decorated. Beautiful Christmas cards especially those handmade ones. Over here, most of us are now just sending e-cards using our smartphones. Wishing you and love ones Merry & Blessed Christmas.

Ryoma Sakamoto.Japan said...

I hope that your Christmas would be enjoyable and may the essence of Christmas remain always with you. Merry Christmas and Happy New year!