Counting Down to Christmas Eve!

 I'll start tonight's journal entry with a gift that arrived Monday night.

My friend Mary in Colorado sent four of these exquisite plates to me!

They are so detailed and beautiful. I will think long and hard about the menu when I use them for the first time. I believe something with honey would be appropriate, don't you?

Mary is an 80-year-old who has served over 50 years in her community helping grandparents and even great-grandparents who are raising their grandchildren due to parental neglect and abuse because of their own addictions. Mary designed and created a program for children who had experienced trauma and disruption in their young lives called Kids Place.

I have admired Mary and the work she has done and continues to do.

I will be praying for Mary and the work she does there in Colorado.

It's only 3 days until Christmas and I have worked all day long.

I spent over three hours in the kitchen - first baking a batch of pumpkin muffins for friends and neighbors. I did save a sack to put in Rayne's stocking since she loves them so.

My last vegetable dish was Broccoli Rice casserole and that joined the other dishes all ready in the fridge to pop into the oven on Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow is my last day to prep and I will bake two cakes and one pie, get the pepper poppers ready for the oven and finish up the cranberry salad.

Louis Dean worked outside cleaning the kitchen fountain - which was a messy dirty job!

We both cleaned up and left the house about 4:30 to deliver some goodies.

This was the first time I had dressed since coming home from Amber's on Monday night!

I literally stayed in my nightgown all day Tuesday!

We dropped off some things on people's porches and took a care package to Brenda and Billy who are both home ill. We shopped the Aldi in South Irving to get another list of 'last minute' supplies and things before going over to June's for our last delivery.

Kimmy was gone and we visited with June for a few minutes.

 By the time we left it was nearly full dark!

I was glad Louis Dean was with me as we drove home.

This cute camper tea yowel was in the bag June gave us along with other things.

I think it is just adorable.

The break did us good and we went right back to work!

We had some things to finish up in the gazebo and it is now all ready for friend sn d fsmily!

I love the lights!

The sewing room doors are a few short steps away from the gazebo!

See that Santa Claus felt door knob hanging?

I made that in the lats 60's.

The weather will be in the upper 80's on Christmas Eve so we will certainly be entertaining inside and outside!

I have a round Merry Christmas plaque that Louis Dean is going to hang over the pumpkin in the welcome sign.

The gazebo is decorated with  eclectic decorations.

I hung net lights nehind the bluebonnet staind glass.

Finally! All the decorating is done!

I have a full day ahead of me tomorrow - prepping the pepper poppers, baking two cakes and one pie, tea, and then moving on to clean both bathrooms, changed the sheets on our bed.....so I am ready to go to bed. Actually, I'm already there - writing my words and I am so tired and sleepy that I better close while I'm still awake!

Wise words from a pillow my friend Lynn sent me form Florida 

Kind words are alway appropriate!