Nice way...

to end the year sharing a meal with dear friends!
Went to dinner with some dear friends and came back here for coffee
and "good" conversation!
All our Christmas lights are on for the last time this year and we will start taking down decorations tomorrow. But all the snowmen stay! They'll hang around through February or the early part of March.

Here's to a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
May the generous blessings of our Father God overtake and saturate each and everyone!
And may He be truly glorified in all we think, do and say!

6th day ...the "royal" treatment!

Went to my friend's home for luncheon and we were treated like royalty!
The food was delicious and the presentation 5 Star+!
Her home is so cozy and inviting and her Christmas lights made perfect the ambience.
It was so special that we had a hard time leaving!
I knew I should have taken my camera! :)

On the 5th day of Christmas...

I watched a Christmas movie that I had wanted to see all season! Okay....I know that's not unusual but this was a bit different for me.
The movie came on at 8 AM! I don't ever remember watching a movie that early in the day!
And actually it was quite enjoyable!
Sat in my PJs sipping coffee and just enjoying the "fire" and the Christmas tree and really enjoying the movie...a Hallmark one...had several good "messages".

Now I've retreated to our bedroom to "do something" to it...to change things up a bit, shifting furniture around if I can. Oh how Mike loves it when I do that! (not!)
Hopefully the vision I have in my head will materialize in the room!

On the 4th day of Christmas...

as the snow begins to melt, I am grateful for the visit to my friend's lovely home and the delicious Earl Grey and great conversation. What a special treat!
Don't you love it when you can enter someone's home and feel such a presence of peace and happiness! Ah....selah! It sure does a "body" good!

Enjoyed the beautiful drive up 485 and back again...listening to music and enjoying the sunshine!

Then off to Harris Teeter for groceries. Got those collards that I will probably cook tomorrow
and stick in the fridge for Saturday's lunch. It's going to be a delicious New Year's lunch!
And yes, cornbread's on the menu. It will definitely be a v-e-r-y Southern New Year's day!

Love being home with my hubby on this beautiful day four afternoon!

Christmas Day 3

What is it about SNOW that makes me want to clean? Oh, not on the day it's actually snowing but on the next day when it's so crisp and cold and the sun's bursting on the scene!
I was planning on leaving up the decorations through January 7 but somehow I've got the "put-away and clean-up" bug that is also tugging at the little grey cells to redo, refresh, makeover!
So far today I've rested quite a bit and did put away some Christmas things. Just wanted to simplify the winter decor. I'm liking what I've done so far but hopefully I'll be able to do a bit more each day.
My social calendar has a few plans this week and these are things I also want to do.
Am visiting a friend tomorrow for tea and then maybe I'll be inspired to come home and tackle a few things. Lunch out with some of my friends another day and I must shop for the New Year's Day meal...gotta get those collards! Oh yea and the black-eyed peas which I may already have some that I froze over the summer from the Farmer's Market. Not sure about the other fare...cornbread is a possiblity and .........ummm,... I'll figure it out later on! Still have time!
In the meantime I'm flitting around, getting makeover ideas from HGTV and deciding what winter items I want to leave out.
Chick Fil-A salads will be our supper so maybe after a movie with Mike I can coerce him into helping me clear things out! Or by that time we may just want to read!
Oh yea, back to the Snow thing....it's clean and white and bright and that's how I want our house to look and feel...kind of how I'm feeling too so it's definitely a good thing!
Just makes me want to smile!

The second day of Christmas and ...

all through the house, everything was quiet and we looked forward to the rest.

And all of a sudden the telephone rang and it was Anna with news of an alarming kind-

they had no power and the cold was setting in... so... you guessed it...they came, with snow gear in tow and four excited munchkins eager to play in the snow.

They ate their McDonald's and curled up to watch Rudolph a bit while their food did digest.

Out came the Leggos, the teaset and more, the play dough and cars and figures galore!

They were here! They were there! And everywhere I went a leggo, a car, shoes, socks, and coats

and then the time came for the great outdoors!

And while they were preparing and I was making zip-lock "boots", they quickly discovered and to their chagrin...the keys to their van were locked, yes, inside...another challenge for them!

Thank goodness for AAA who came with great speed and rescued the keys from their vehicle domain and on to the snow here they came!

Papa was there to encourage the fun, the walk through the woods and slippery runs!

As for me...ah...I sat, all alone by the fire, sipping my coffee and getting renewed, ready for the "snowbunnies" as they came one by one and fixing hot cocoa with marshmellow fun!

Out came the Leapsters, Papa's puzzle and Kellan's trains- you know the ones that have all the names- like Thomas and Toby and Rosie and Percy and that's about all I remember in the mind that serves me!

We all piled in the living room to sit by the fire and we cuddled and snuggled and laughed and we yawned...and then was the phone call...the power was ON!

And so they were gone as quickly as they'd come and Papa and I...well, we did succomb to the sofa and blankets and just settled down...back to the quiet while sweet memories did abound!

Christmas Snow!

One the first evening of Christmas and into the second day, the Father gave us snow!!!!

What a beautiful gift!

Thank You Father God!