last look before 2022

 Last look before 2022

Happy New Year

Christmas Day

Hope all enjoyed a nice Christmas.  We did here.  

Brother, sister-in-law, niece, great nephew grands and their parents enjoyed a nice sunny Christmas day and we even had to open the windows as it became very warm inside.  When will it get cold and stay cold?

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on Earth, good will to men!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Reason

A cute pony my sister in law crocheted for Adalyn.   Such great gift and Adalyn loves horses.  I could never crochet like this. 

Genevieve a kitty cat

My daughter in law made blankets.  I love mine.  It took time to blanket stitch these.  A gift I will enjoy on chilly evenings on the sofa reading my book. 

My niece and her Dad, my brother.

A little silver tree in the room where the children sleep while visiting.

Later Christmas evening after everyone left and time for the clean up.

I purchased apple cider and other flavors for gifts at Christmas and gave along as a side gift for extra something.  The bags at the Dollar store were a $1.25 a piece and flimsy.  I ordered these nice strong ones with the pretty gold rope handles for $5.99 for a dozen.  Great deal and pretty too.

I found these candy canes along with the legend of the candy cane printed on back to be used as book marks to add to gifts along with a bow. 

Merry Christmas

Last Night.

Hope to get more pictures tonight.  This was last night after very late shopping.

 Some of my favorite Christmas music is Dean Martin.

Early today with my sister visiting our Mother

Children spent the night with us and Mrs. Elf came

Back to making another big cooking mess in the kitchen

Decorations

I didn't pull out as much this year in decorations.  Too much going on like some regrouting in bathrooms and today the installation of a new storm door.  I haven't finished shopping yet either.  I did manage to get to the store for some items for Christmas dinner.  I want to bake cookies this week end.  I must say I didn't let the decorations take control of me this year like they have in previous years.  They will be in the attic if I need them next year. 

I clipped some boxwood to make a kissing ball I guess it's called and hung in stairwell.  

I made a mess as usual when I make things, but it eventually gets cleaned up. 

Ribbons are not the best-looking things hanging down from it.  I must fix that. 

A shot of the tree looking up from where I hung the kissing ball.  

My mantle with some garland.  I will have better pictures hopefully tomorrow after all is done from workers here.

Genevieve and Great Grandma playing checkers.  Mom won all five games they played.  Genevieve gotplenty of pointers from her as she loves checkers as much as her Great Grandma.

Town decorations

Traveling through the town about a mile and a half from our house are the fine old Victorian homes, most of them go all out with Christmas lights and other decorations.

The best one yet or the most creative is this one.  I just thought this was so cute the way the deer are substituted for deer crossing signs.

Here is another that looks like a gingerbread house

This one really got our attention as we rode through this little railroad town.

This was once a tree that was removed from the yard and carved into some kind of figure.  I like how they fashioned a Santa hat on it from lights.

Here is a short clip of one that was lit very pretty, much prettier than what I captured.  

I will have to get out a little earlier before it gets totally dark to film.

Some Christmas

I never decorate till after Thanksgiving   I can see that the older I get the slower I get.  Next year if all is good, I will start the first of November   Have lights outside ready and tree or trees in their place in the rooms.

This was a few days ago on the porch getting together my bows and wreaths for windows.

Few lights on the bushes.

A Santa I purchased from Walmart for $25.00 and the only woodland left.  I grabbed it.

The other night the sunset was just so pretty to watch.  Orange, and pinks. 

Hopefully more pictures of decorations inside and of the tree.

DIY Christmas Decorations ~I had to share this. I will be making some.

Candles and Quiet

 Few pictures for my scrapbook of our tree and candle light before time comes to take everything down.  I have taken a few things down already and now to be boxed  away till Christmas comes again this year, wow that's right!   Won't be long before it will be here again!

Tonight reading a few pages of a book owned by my grand father that I now have called, Mental Hygiene - the dynamics of adjustment.  I figure I may need some adjusting after the past year. Copy right 1947 and 1951. This is the second edition. I have many old books and like to pull one down now and again to read a little.

Little late but had to have a cup of coffee

 The soft lighting is so easy on the eyes, but I ruined it shortly by thinking about  how long it's going to take me to get those ornaments off of that tree and pack away, especially with all of that tinsel that has to come off first.  

O.K. now back to where I was which was the quiet, cozy warm ambience of the evening.  Now that's much better. 

Out of the five Chinese Zodiac elements, I think fire and metal are my favorites.  

 

Downstairs to check on husband. Curled up with a good book and doing some serious snacking on cookies.  I see he has his peppermints near by.  He is content and I need not interrupt his reading nor satisfying his sweet tooth.  

A short video 

later, betsy