We told Reuben about half an hour before they got here that his “sister” was coming. I’m pretty sure he understood us because he went over to his bench and started watching out the window…
…and you better believe he went crazy when he saw Rebecca get out of their truck and come to the door. He probably barked a good 5 minutes before he settled down. After enough pets from her and them getting down on floor and her rubbing him all over, he finally settled down.
They liked the bedroom and all the improvements to the back end of the house, but…in the end, they picked our bedroom because it had the private bathroom. So “I” got to enjoy the new guest room and I sure did! The new mattress and box springs from my hubby’s niece, along with the memory pad and the fluffy mattress pad, made for some great sleeping!
Then guess what we decided to do today?
We set up the Christmas tree! It’s the earliest we have ever put it up…but with all of us working on it, it went up pretty quickly…
It was funny, I got out a tin filled with strung popcorn (I save it from year to year) and Karn said, “Wow that looks like real popcorn” and I just smiled and said, “It is!”
Somehow it makes a tree look prettier to me.
I hope your day was filled with some smiles! Mine was…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, I would say that just might have been Reuben’s Best. Day. Ever.! I knew he’d be over the moon to see Rebecca again!
It was nice that you gave the kids their choice of bedrooms–and it ended up that you got to try the new guest bed! Lovely!
Your tree looks beautiful! I had no idea you could keep popped popcorn that long! I imagine it was popped “dry”, with no oil to go rancid! I don’t remember ever stringing popcorn, although it’s possible mom had us do that once when we were young.
Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers. We really appreciate them–and all of you. Such a lovely group of sofa sisters!
Ron has an eye appt. in the afternoon, so I’m hoping he’s up to going; last time he wasn’t, and we had to postpone. It’s just a routine eye exam, so I suppose in the greater scheme of things, it’s not really urgent, but he has noticed a bit of a change in his vision, so it might be good to have it checked out.
Praying that each of you who celebrates it has a lovely Thanksgiving. Ours will be quiet, but that’s okay. It just means I didn’t have to cook and clean for a month to get ready!! 😁
Charlotte, sending healing thoughts your way for managing Ron’s seizures. I hope you don’t have to wait that long to see the dentist. Peace and blessings, Debbie
Reuben looks so cute waiting for Rebecca! I know he was in heaven when she walked through the door! Loved the picture of the tree al lit up……..and Reuben sleeping there, happy as a bug in a rug!
So you got to experience the “new” guest bedroom! That’s a good way to test it out and see what others will have when they come to visit. It looks like it was a success!
And you save stringed popcorn? i used to do that, string popcorn for our tree, but did it fresh each year. It just got to be too much with all the other activities, but we STILL have our original candy canes from 1971! Amazingly, they are just as good as new! They are much larger and thicker than the ones you see now, so maybe that’s why they have lasted so long. I keep them in a Tupperware container and they are good as new still, after all these years!
Don’t worry about being too early in your decorating for Christmas,Jeanne, since we will be doing the same thing this weekend. I notice lots more people are doing their outdoor decorating earlier every year. The problem I have with that, is we still have leaves all over that don’t look that great with Christmas decorations!
I want to thank all of you who complimented me on my pictures yesterday! It’s fun to hear that it is appreciated by people who know! And I wish you all a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving!
I just noticed that last angel you have hanging on the tree! It looks like
Rebecca!
Thay’s what I thought when I saw it.
Sounds like a great day! So happy for you.🤗
There is something really nice and peaceful about Christmas trees. Yours is lovely.
What a lovely post! So many details from the picture I’d call “The Way Home” to the left of the Christmas tree to the Rebecca Christmas tree ornament. Anyone who thinks dogs don’t understand the language they are brought up with should see Reuben watching for Rebecca. I’m glad the mirror is still over the fireplace. I thought maybe it was the one that got hung a bit high in the hallway. Now it’s time for the Nutcracker collection!
The master bedroom always goes to the guests in my house for the same reason, the privacy of the en suite bathroom. It’s nice to have the Christmas tree up for Thanksgiving. It’s such a major project that five or six weeks isn’t too long. When I was a child, artificial trees hadn’t been invented yet, so Santa brought it along with the toys and set up the train set with the result that many parents had to be pretty tired on Christmas Day with the Christmas dinner yet to be cooked. How did they do it!
Happy Thanksgiving to all! 🦃🍗🎃🍁🎄
Hi Susette,
I’m so sorry I didn’t address you by name yesterday in my comments. Part of my post seems to have disappeared. Anyway, you tabletop display is lovely and I think it’s wonderful that you have that painted picture of your grandmother. I have a few large photographs of my great-grandparents and great great grandparents in those oval frame with the curved glass I love your snowlady. She is adorable!
I think the picture may be a photograph that was tinted. Not sure. Glad you have some too.
Looks like Reuben is pooped out after his joyous reunion with Becca. How fun that he just knew when you said “sister,” that someone special was going to appear. Definitely a Merry Thanksgiving for him. 🙂
Glad you are willing to play the bed/bath switcharoo game. Wouldn’t happen around here, but nice that the bed is comfortable. So, do you have to switch out all of your shampoo/makeup etc. from your bathroom and move it to the main bath, as well as needed clothing? Would be like packing for a trip and take awhile, but I guess if something is forgotten, it’s a knock away. 🙂
A little bird told me that the latest RRFF kids will be available at FAO Schwarz after Christmas. I had to take a look. If you like the ballet, they are wonderful. Lovely boys and girls dressed in beautiful ballet outfits. I think they would fit in so nicely with Linda’s girls. If you are interested, they are at the bottom of the RRFF group. This will be a difficult decision. 🙂
Putting together the casseroles today to take down to grands tomorrow. Don’t want to forget the six folding chairs either as the new dining room chairs haven’t arrived and are probably floating around out here in the Pacific. 🙂
Hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow.
I am a day late in reading. Linda, I love seeing all of your vignettes with your American Girls. The Thanksgiving scenes put me in the spirit and Jeanne’s Christmas tree is the icing on the cake. Suzette and Joy, enjoy your new RRFF! Thanks for the tip about FAO’s listing. Jeanne I know that happiness of having the adult children back in the nest for a few days. Enjoy every minute! Brilliant to decorate the tree during their visit. A taste of home to get Rebecca through her first Christmas away.
Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
Debbie (formerly of Tennessee)
Jeanne, your Christmas tree is so pretty and I’m glad Rebecca and Karn and you and George and Reuben could enjoy putting it up together. Love the Rebecca angel ornament.
Reuben is so cute and sweet- he loves his peeps. Our doggies know our every move. What clothes I put on, as well as shoes and handbags I chose…they all mean something different.
If we pull into a Lowes parking lot, they know it means they get to go in and the howling begins!! “Don’t leave us.”
Everyone, Jeanne’s family and all the sofa sisters, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Stringing popcorn isn’t something we do over here but I am amazed that you have managed to keep it all this time, my Louis would be trying to eat it, probably Luna (the cat) would too. I have told Sam and her girls they can come and decorate here whenever they like from now on. It will be interesting to see what they do!
I agree that animals understand what we say. At least mine do and obviously Rueben does! Paula you are so right, Louis knows if I collect my car keys he usually isn’t coming. When I put on my walking shoes he starts to get excited.
Sam and I have Christmas brunch this morning instead of an evening Christmas party. This is for the staff and trust board for Delta. Have a great weekend everyone
Of course Reuben understood! My dogs then and kitties now can tell by what I put on etc. They also have a clock in their head. to know what time their people should arrive home.
Not really too early for your Christmas tree. We used to put it up on Thanksgiving evening quite often, or certainly have it up by the Saturday after. Your Christmas tree looks lovely and now you have even longer to enjoy it.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING BLESSINGS to everyone!
Good morning!
So happy to see Reuben’s picture of him waiting. I know I would love that dog to bits if he were here, but I am a big sucker for dogs. Not so much cats. 😁
One of the fun things about this group is not only the similar interests we share, but how we differ. The bedroom situation being one where some of us differ. I was brought up to show respect for my elders, so if an elder came to visit, the elder was offered the MBR or a room at a nice, nearby bed and breakfast. Anyone younger than the hosts, got a guest room in the house or a sleeping bag on the floor or a room at a decent motel. If my kids came here to visit and wanted our MBR, they would get a MOST withering look and a shake of the head. Pretty funny, all in all. Have a ball, and I am glad that THIS time, Jeanne, unlike the wedding time, you and George have a lovely landing spot.
Tree looks gorgeous. Especially love the Rebecca angel. Is there a Reuben ornament? Every other year I alternate between using my antique small vintage Steiff animals and our lovely, old collected ornaments. This year it’s the animal tree. Last night sitting in our LR, I was thinking about how to change the furniture around differently this year. I love shaking things up.
Debbie, good to hear you are in your new home. Good luck with the 150 boxes. But in a short while, they will be unpacked, you won’t be wondering where everything is, and it will be HOME. Did the dolls have a nice ride in the car?
To everyone traveling, be safe, and may it be a lovely holiday for you all.
(Uh-oh…my very hard of hearing husband must have heard the UPS truck delivering my big box of BTS dolls. Guess I am the one that needs my ears checked!!!) Happy thanksgiving and my best to Anne and Alina for a lovely weekend.
🦃🥧🍗🍰🥰
I would love to see a picture of your tree with the Steiff animals. I love Steiff, but I just cannot collect another thing that takes up room.
Will do, Barbara! Once I filled a bin with the animals, I stopped collecting. The largest animal is just about 7”. It’s quite fun.
Loved your Christmas story. Very much like what my husband and his ancestors did. It must have been so exciting!! (And exhausting for the household adults, as you say!) They always had a putz, too. Lovely.
I was so hoping you would put up your tree. It looks beautiful. The “Rebecca” ornament is so sweet. I’m sure Reuben thinks it’s already Christmas with Rebecca home. His best Christmas present ever. Guests always get my master bedroom. It has no en suite bathroom (I wish) but it is a large room and has a king size bed.
Regarding Susette’s comment about Santa bringing the tree, when I was growing up in PA our Christmas trees came from the Poconos so we always had a live tree – and it went up Christmas Eve. My stepfather was of German descent and when my sister and I were small we lived with his parents in a big, beautiful Victorian house in Pottsville.. They always put up a putz at Christmas, boarding up the entries to the living room, and he and his dad (the elves) would climb in and out a window on the porch to do their magic. It took many evenings to get this done. You can imagine the eyes of two little girls come Christmas morning. It was magical The year I remember best was the year Santa brought us our Toni dolls. They were sitting on the fireplace mantel. We always had a train, even in later years when we moved to Bethlehem and didn’t do the putz. But there was still a lot of work involved in getting everything done Christmas Eve. My dad put every string of tinsel (several packages) on the tree one at a time. Must have taken hours. My mom usually finished the gift wrapping while he did this. It wasn’t hard to believe in Santa when so much happened overnight. My parents never went to bed until nearly daylight. My mother always said we did not have a formal dinner Christmas day because we kids were too excited to eat. I think the truth was she was totally exhausted.
Since David and I often had more than one church service to attend Christmas Eve being in the choir, and our children came along for all three – they were in the nursery during the late service – and since we had to wait for the children to be nestled all snug in their beds before Santa could show up, it was the middle of the night before we finished our Santa chores and headed to bed. When our children were old enough to be up on their own Christmas morning, we found a way to sleep in a little. Christmas stockings with lots of fun stuff in them. They were allowed to enjoy their stockings but had to wait for us to open gifts. Sean has continued this tradition. and it works well for them also.
David and Sean are baking pies and I’m finally getting around to reading the blog. Sean and I did the shopping this morning for pie ingredients. Our Wal-Mart is the only one for several miles around so we didn’t start there. We have a wonderful privately-owned grocery store in town and we started there and found nearly everything we needed. Wal-Mart had the other two things. Sean and I went to lunch while David was at PT and got his to go. We will be going to Sean’s and Dionne’s tomorrow. I have to confess after years of doing Thanksgiving largely myself, it’s kind of nice to turn the cooking over to others and just relax and enjoy the day.
Barbara, what do you mean by putz? You lost me there!
Just going through this blog, Linda and saw your question. Barbara may have more to add. A Christmas putz is from a European tradition of a miniature village with figurines, animals, buildings, often put under the Christmas tree to represent the Nativity. At least that is what is was in my husband’s family every year.
Had to also look up putz and found that I should have known about it. It is of Moravian descent from the German putzen. My grandfather was Moravian and is buried in the Moravian Cemetery in Lititz, PA. Apparently, the Moravians set up putz displays in their homes at Christmas time and when finished would go putzing to view the neighbor’s scenes. Kind of like now, when some of us drive around and look at Christmas lights.
Thanks Barbara and Sally. 🙂
Dear Joy, I have been trying to get Barbara to come back to PA for a visit since she is from here now I can include you in my nudge since your grandfather is buried here. Did he live in Lititz? I lived there for a while. It is a beautiful little town. It makes me think of the sweet little towns in the Hallmark movies.
It definitely took a few tries on Search to find the Pennsylvania German definition for puts which is “decoration.” The common use of the word includes some unmentionable words! There you go, Linda.
My stepfather’s parents were from Germany and were one of the few I knew who kept the putz tradition going. The putz I remember was elevated off the floor. Like a platform. They used plywood for the platform but I don’t remember what they covered it with and it had a skirt. The tree was placed on that and as Sally mentioned a whole village, usually including a train, was placed under and around the tree. Maybe that’s where my love of miniature Christmas villages comes from. The ceilings in the house were 10 feet high, not to mention the living room ran the full length of one side of the house, so even with the platform we were able to have a huge tree. I’m trying to keep a childlike spin off this because I was about four or five and everything was big to me, but I do remember that one particular Christmas very well.
Joy mentioned about it being a Moravian tradition. I did not know that. I was raised in Bethlehem which was founded by Moravians and a boy I dated in high school was Moravian. You would think I would have seen a lot of putzes around Bethlehem, but they are a lot of work and most people once they left the “old country” didn’t bother with them so the tradition pretty much died out and was replaced by, as Joy said, driving around to see Christmas lights. I also think in the past people did not decorate the outside of their houses like we do today and it seems more so each year. Visiting each others putzes was a way of sharing hospitality during the holidays.
I am really enjoying reading all of your posts about Christmas traditions then and now. I am embarrassed to admit that I don’t know the “putz” reference. Pennsylvania German on both sides and grew up in Lancaster, Pa. Joy, we were in Lititz two years ago and visited the cemetery where your grandfather is buried. Such a charming little town. We will visit there again, soft pretzels just the way I remember them.
Thanks for your words of encouragement Sally, I really need them. The American Girls are still in their bubble wrap but safely on the closet shelf. Everyone else had to go with the movers. I think they are all accounted for. Shelving has to be installed in the doll room before I can take inventory.
I have great admiration for anyone who is willing to offer the master bedroom. I am not one of them. Sleeping is not my strong suit.
Blessings to all,
Debbie
Dear Debbie, oh my goodness, another PA person. And you grew up in Lancaster! That is amazing.
As I mentioned above, I love Lititz. It is so pretty. I loved visiting the Wilbur Chocolate factory, even though I can’t eat chocolate. There was a lovely tearoom there called A Perfect Blend. It has long since been closed.
I love all of the PA connections among the Sofa Sisters!
We do have many connections don’t we. It is a wonderful state. Even living there for years I haven’t experienced much that it has to offer, but I have spent a lot of time in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Has anyone ever been to Roadside America in Shartlesville? Roadside America was the world’s greatest miniature village featuring beautifully detailed buildings, moving trains, flowing waterways, etc. We went years ago when I was little and we lived in Bethlehem. It was very small then. When our kids were little we were visiting my mom in Delaware and we all went to Roadside America. Sean and Andrea were too small to really enjoy it but Jason loved it. It had grown a lot. I read recently that it has closed. No descendants of the original creator wanted to run it any longer. It is a great loss.
Dear Jeanne, sending hugs and blessings your way. A special hug goes to Reuben who must be over the moon happy that the newlyweds are there.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!