December Days.....

 Louis Dean and I have stayed pretty much at home since Thanksgiving and it has been good for us to slow down and not have somewhere to go and something to do every single day.

Neither one of us ever get bored - there's so many projects around here and I've been staying busy decorating and cleaning while Louis Dean has been doing what Louis Dean does!

We meet back in one of the 'clean' rooms for tea breaks and we've watched a few more movies.

Every morning I address some Christmas cards and every night I put the house to bed with another room dressed for Christmas.

Nita is always on my mind.

I ordered three ornaments for us - and mailed Deanie's and Lonnie's to them earlier this week.

When I get sad for myself, I think of other friends who have lost a sister, daughter, son or a close loved one lately and I pray for them. 

I think it's a good thing this is a quiet December. I'm really not ready to party right now.

More thinking and pondering and praying these days.

I have purposely avoided going shopping - even for groceries - trying to use what we have and not waste things.

Normally, we eat  pretty healthy but every once in awhile, Louis Dean MUST have hot dogs!

As in with chili, mustard, relish, chopped onions and shredded cheese!

Just look how happy this makes him!

We love our kitty cats and cutting their nails is sometimes a two-man job.

I cut all of Tabitha's all by myself but Louis Dean helped with Samantha.

It's so cute how they hide their faces!

I finally made it into the dungeon den and slowly turned the messy chaos into a Christmas room.

Louis Dean and I watched Home Alone and Home Alone in New York while I worked.

This was a three day job!

I have been watching Annika and am hooked! I don't get much done and I need to pay attention to the storyline. 

Ginny asked what my favorite Santa is and it has always been my very first one.

Painted in 1994 from a scene on a paper gift box.

I remember looking at it and thinking, "I could paint that.'

And so I did - more than a dozen times.

I painted some for fundraisers, gifts and requests.

This one takes 4 hours of brush on canvas and I do believe it will always be my favorite.

Kimmy and June gave us a gift in that box and the box turned out to be even more special than what was in it!

My next favorite is this one painted in 2010 and it won a ribbon at an art show.

I had a good time painting this Santa Express last year and it was a real joy to paint the 2022 Santa holding the Nativity globe.

Back to a more healthy menu!

There's something special about a great big baked sweet potato with a chuck of butter melting on it!

The other night I could not sleep and stayed up until 3:00 the next morning.

Then last night I was in bed asleep by 9:30!

No telling when I'll go to bed tonight!

This morning I put the last touches on the den and vacuumed.

That's my least favorite thing to do - vacuum. 

Every room is a little different this year - but I stayed with red plaid in the den.

It's an eclectic kind of decorating.

This has always been my Santa tree but this year it is the Cardinal one.

A western Santa on a sleigh and lots of debris!

I'm looking forward to eating at the table again!

It has been covered up in a hodgepodge of stuff and the cats have been napping on top. 

Not any more!

Louis Dean's favorite Christmas book.

He put on a play that his beloved Ellen wrote when they were teaching in south Texas.

He loves to tell the story about it and it's been our tradition for him to read this to me every year.

He knows it by heart!

I haven't counted how many Christmas trees I've put up yet - but I know there's at least one in every room.

This was the last one to do.

Now I can relax and enjoy my Christmas home.

I've loved visiting my collection of ornaments......

Sam made me a MiMi!

The front porch is done and I kept it simple.

I took away all the pumpkins, hay and fall things and left the black and white and burlap plus I added a new small tree by the door.

17 days until Christmas!

16 until Christmas Eve which is when all my children and grandchildren will be here.

It's always so much fun!

Laughing and talking - lots of good food - NUTS game - rolling sugarplums - making memories!

I have 8 grandchildren and they all everyone say they love to come over on Christmas Eve.

As much as I love September First - Christmas Eve is really and truly my most very favorite day of the year!