Tuesday and Wednesday....and a Tour of Santa's Bedroom at my Friend's Home!

Decorating seems to make a big mess before it starts to look good and it.is.a.LOT.of.work.

Summer helped me Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with the den and she did an amazing job of adding lights to the two new wreathes I bought. Louis Dean says they are the most beautiful ones I have even hung above the two big mirrors.

She also did the lights under the poinsettias.

I am a 'if it's close - it counts' kinda gal and Summer does things up right.

Louis Dean decided to help out and he spruced and fluffed up a tree for the den and added some lights.

This is the finished tree tonight.

Summer added the rest of the lights yesterday and went back to Rowlett this morning.

Louis Dean started them at the top - with the business end of the plug way up there.

She made it work.

The den is actually all done - I just finished it tonight, but I didn't take a lot of pictures because I am too tired to move the vacuum cleaner and cleaning stuff! Reality check!

This afternoon while I was knee deep in decorations out there in the den - Louis Dean cracked and shelled some of our pecan harvest.

I made sweet potato casserole (using fresh sweet potatoes!) and the topping calls for some chopped pecans. I think it's wonderful that I will use our own pecans this year for my baking!

I made garlic green beans and big fried pork chops for a late lunch.

I made enough to share and took dinner over to Pam this evening.

She's recovering from back surgery and when I came in. I thought she  had company.

This friendly super soft guy was sitting up in the chair!

Isn't he adorable?

Around 2:00 this afternoon, the wind started blowing....as in wildly!

This photo is taken from Pam's back door.

Such beautiful color right here in Texas!

From Pam's I went over to help Brenda as she boxes up and closes out her deceased parents home.

She has done the brunt of all the work involved - along with her amazing husband, Billy.

I didn't do much but I wanted to help any way I could.

She's had an estate sale and a garage sale and now is boxing all the rest up for Salvation Army to pick up. It's a melancholy business. I've learned a lot from Brenda over the years. She was a good daughter and has no regrets. But it has been an exhausting job and it's not over yet.

When I got home tonight, Louis Dean told me all about how the wind blew nearly every leaf off the pecan trees....within just a couple of hours.

He came out to the gazebo and found the leaves at least a foot thick. So he blew them off and mowed them! Tomorrow he's going to use the blower to get the leaves OUT of the sewing room.

He had left the door open.

I'm closing tonight by showing you my friend's amazing Santa Bedroom!

Chuck is a dear long time friend dating back to the late 70's-early 80's.

He collects all things Santa and has a collection that simply boggles my mind.

I saw these on Facebook and he graciously gave me permission to share them here on the blog.

SO many Santas! All so beautifully displayed.

It must be magic to sleep in here!

I am so impressed that you can't see cords running all over the place!

I don't know how long he's been collecting but it's safe to say it's been awhile.

I would love to know the history of how he stared this collection.

He and his wife live in Kentucky.

I am just blown away by all this and would truly love to see it in person.

I hope to ask him what inspired him to collect all these Santas.

I know from reading Facebook that everything in all the display cabinets and shelves stay out year round while all the rest is stored in their garage.

It must be a big one!

That's all for tonight!

I have been so busy lately I have missed visiting with everyone and I miss that.

I hope to catch up with y'all soon and I'm trying to not get so behind in my journal entries each night.

I'm sitting in the gazebo as I write and the wind has blown in some rain. Not a heavy downpour but enough to feel all cozy to be inside. It was nearly 80 yesterday and upper 70's again today and it's so warm I have the attic fan blowing. Hopefully we will sleep cool tonight.