Hi everyone,
It’s still Christmas Day as I’m writing this post, so I wanted to wish you Merry Christmas one more time.
We had a wonderful day with Kristoffer! He came over and brought some pulled pork he had smoked, so we put together what I had and made a wonderful lunch! I wasn’t feeling great (stupid UTI) so we decided to make it simple. I made an Asian Salad (from a kit) :o) and my hubby made some spinach noodles with Kristoffer’s Alfredo sauce (yum!) So we had American, Asian and Italian for lunch! It was great! Then I grilled some fresh pineapple chunks in a little butter, put that in a bowl, added some shredded coconut flakes and topped it with whip cream. It was simple but very tasty!
We all were blessed with wonderful gifts… (2 things for me for SEWING… that I’ll have to share later.) :o) :o)
As we were just chatting and my hubby learning about his new tools and techy things from Kristoffer and me, I got a message from Anne, who lives in Ohio. You may remember seeing her decorated house last year. She has been very sick with an infection and ended up in the hospital for a week but told me her son did most of the decorating. Can you imagine? I told her I couldn’t imagine my hubby doing it. She said the key was labels on everything and taking pictures as a reference for next year! There are lots of new pictures in the mix so I hope you’ll enjoy this nice slide show.
Old Ballot box in powder room…
Mud hall with cubbies…
Mudroom for hanging coats and taking off boots…
Coat Tree…
Back hallway…
Front hallway…
Well, if you were down in the dumps because Christmas is over, I hope this cheered you up!
Thanks SO much Anne, and we will be praying for you!
See everyone tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
First of all, thanks to everyone for the kind comments, prayers, etc. for me at this time. Today went better than I thought–my son came down, and brought part of a turkey dinner (and trimmings!) that his girlfriend had fixed! And I got to keep leftovers!! It’s the first day I’ve really felt like myself, and like eating a “real” meal! I’m very tired tonight, but emotionally I’m doing pretty well. So, thank you.
Anne, I’m so sorry you’ve been ill! I’m glad you’re on the mend again. Will add you to my prayer list.
Seeing your decor is such a treat, especially considering that all I got out this year was my little ceramic tree! Not even my Annalee dolls this time.
Your decorations are so beautiful, but what really caught my eye was your pretty kitchen, and that countertop! It’s gorgeous! Is that quartz? I think I’m having a serious case of kitchen envy here 😂🤣😂 seeing as mine is stuck in the late 60s with dark wood and brown appliances! (and, from the 70s, an orange countertop!! Okay, you can laugh….)
Hopefully tomorrow will be pretty much back to normal here.
Charlotte, I forgot to mention that I’m glad you are back on the mend! I’m kind of lost in the mornings when you haven’t commented!
So glad you are feeling more like your normal self again and that your son arrived with a good meal for you. This has been a difficult holiday season for you and that is probably why you have been sick. Emotional stress can mess with our immune systems. I rarely get sick but do worry every time I have a lot going on that the stress, even good stress, will cause me problems. I try to stay on top of things by getting enough sleep but if my throat feels scratchy I worry it’s a precursor for some bigger things so I start taking Zicam. I don’t realize sometimes that even though things are running smoothly and I’m getting done what needs to be done, my body is still stressing. This is the first day in a while my back doesn’t hurt and I realized it may have been stress all along.
I hope everyone had as good as a Christmas as they could! Ssome of us are tired, (me), some recovering from illness, and some still emotionally drained! It happens every year, but we have hopes for better times ahead, aned a time to RELAX!
Jeanne, your Christmas sounded special and wow, the food spread you had sounds delicious! Anytime Kristoffer is involved, you seem to have wonderful dnners! Hope you are feeling better today!
This is a special day for me! Michael and I have been married 58 years ago today! We are way too tied to do anything “extra”, and have plenty of food left over from yesterday’s feast with our daughter and her family, so it’s a quiet stay-at-home dinner for us!
I see that Barbara is also celebrating a different holiday, “Happy Birthday” to you, Barbara! You aren’t THAT old, let’s put it this way: You were a freshman in high school, when I was a senior!!
Anne, I DO remember seeing pictures of your house last year, and am so happy to see them again! Wow, you sure raised that son right if he could decorate like that! Can’t imagine Michael or my son doing anythng like that, even if I was there to tell them what to do! I can’t get over how every nook and cranny in your house is decorated to the hilt! Everything works so well together, and certainly gives a festive atmosphere! Thank you so much for sending those photos in, and I am praying for you to regain your health.
Happy Anniversary Linda! 58- wonderful.
Charlotte, I am so pleased to hear you are well enough to have some Christmas meal!
I was afraid you were just going to waist away! Wishes for you to be back to yourself completely soon.
Anne, Wishes for your complete recovery soon as well. Perhaps seen that beautiful Christmas house will make you feel better! I am blown away looking at all that, the colors everywhere, so lovely. I wish I could walk through there in person and peek at all the small things too. Thank you so much for sharing.
Happy anniversary to LindaI 58 years! that is so wonderful! Wishes for many more!
Jeanne, I hope you are feeling better today, drink lots of cranberry juice! See you tomorrow!
Cranberry juice is my go-to drink at home normally. I mix it half and half with water. Knocking on wood, I have never had a UTI and really think that is why because so many people I know get them routinely. When I’m in a restaurant I usually drink water with lemon. I rarely drink soft drinks.
So happy to see Charlotte’s post up front. Hoping she stays well and healthy for a very long time.
Yay, for Barbara’s birthday. Hope she can do something fun to celebrate.
A big congrats to Linda and husband for celebrating a milestone. Relaxing sounds like a great way to spend the day.
And Jeanne, needs to take it easy so she can recover quickly and get back in the sewing chair. Sounds like she had a great lunch yesterday.
Thanks Jeanne and Anne for the photo montage. I did a quick peruse noting some details. Returning later to jot down some of the exciting ideas to save for next year. Her photos make me want to grab the ornaments and actually decorate our tree. Maybe next year. 🙂
We had a very fun day at the grands place yesterday. The highlight was oldest grand and his new electric bike. He is doing so well on his physical therapy after his severed ACL soccer accident a couple of months ago, that the bike was well deserved. I think he put 23 miles on the speedometer yesterday riding around the neighborhood and nearby trail. Our drive was smooth and the traffic light. When we arrived home, our neighbor’s kitty was waiting on the deck for dinner. 🙂
Lots to do today including leaf raking at the other house. Never ends.
Thanks for the birthday wish. As soon as I finish here I plan on spending the day in my sewing room and maybe finish dressing dolls for a holiday photo shoot. Then it will be dinner tonight at Cheesecake Factory. We started going there for my birthday a few years ago because the area where it is located is so beautifully decorated at this time of year and I love seeing all the lights.
Your grandson’s electric bike sounds like a lot of fun and I’m glad to hear he is doing well with his PT.
Wow, Linda. Fifty-eight years of wedded bliss and counting. A big congratulations! We will have our 45th next month so we still have five years to go to even reach our fiftieth. My in-laws were married 65. Freshman was still junior high when I went to school but when I was a sophomore I went to the prom with a senior and I thought I was the cat’s meow. But it happened I was his next-door neighbor and he needed a date since he and his friend liked the same girl and his friend asked her first. I didn’t care that it was last minute and I was the consolation prize, I was glad he asked. But we never really hit it off as boyfriend-girlfriend and the next year I went to the prom with his brother who was in my grade – we had been dating since the previous summer. We did hit it off and dated until my family moved to Delaware. We broke up due to the logistics of being seniors in high school and living so far apart but we have remained friends.
I’m so sorry Anne has been so ill and am glad she is much better now. I do remember Anne’s house and am always telling people how she decorates every nook and cranny so beautifully, and her son helps. How impressive that he did it all this year. I have trouble getting the guys around here to put the lights on the house till the last minute when I guilt them into it by saying “If you don’t do it today you might as well not do it at all because Christmas is a little over a week away”. I say this with tears in my eyes and lips quivering. That always works but it annoys me that I can’t get them to do it right after Thanksgiving so it will be done for the Sealy Fantasy of Lights which is the first weekend in December. Many people come from all around for the lighted parade and we are on the way into town so with no lights on our house it really contrasts with my neighbors who get it done in time every year. We keep everything up until Epiphany (which is also David’s birthday) so I do get some time to enjoy the decorations after the Christmas rush is over.
Well I’m actually going to spend some time in my sewing room communing with my dolls and hopefully getting some sewing done. I need to take some dolly Christmas pictures but I have one dress I want to finish first. That’s my goal for today so I’d better get to it.
Yes, I hope everyone had as good of a Christmas as they could. What a treat to see all of your lovely decor, Anne. We only put up the small tree this year with lights and just a few ornaments as well as the two wreaths and small porch tree. We typically only decorated two rooms anyway, a tree in each and some other small touches. Your whole house is Christmas! Everything decorated to the nines. I do recognize the wooden carousel on the table as I have a couple of German ones that were my grandparents. I hope you are feeling much better now.
I’m glad you were able to have Christmas dinner, Charlotte.
I hope you’re feeling better, Jeanne. I think keeping well hydrated is the key to prevention.
Happy 58th Anniversary Linda! I hope Michael and you enjoy your special day.
Happy Birthday, Barbara! My Aunt Ceal’s (Cecilia) birthday was also the 26th.
Good morning everyone It is the 27th here of course. I had a great Christmas. Darren and Deborah gave me a TRIP TO UK!!! and Russell gave me $500 spending money. I hadn’t thought I would see my sister and brother again so yay I am happy. I had thought I would see my brother in Texas on the way but checked out insurance and it is $6000 NZD! I could have two more trips to UK with that sort of money! Darren is going to see if his business’s travel insurance can cover it but I don’t think it will include USA. (As a British citizen I am entitled to NHS care in UK if I need it and if my travel plans are disrupted the $1400 I would spend on ins I can use for another ticket so I only really need it for 3 days travel each way). They gave Deborah’s mum a trip to New York but I don’t think they had looked at the insurance! It is a shame I would have loved to see Charlie again and might have had the opportunity to see Barbara as well.
Charlotte I am so sorry you have been ill please take good care of yourself.
Anne your house is wonderful. Like everyone else, I can’t imagine any of my sons doing that! We struggled this year to do the basics. Mayb next year lol!
Linda If I can find a pattern in the right size I would love to knit you a sweater for Sara (I would do one at the same time for my Sara). What style were you looking for? I will have a look on Pixie Fair. I have a lot of AG patterns but not a lot in a smaller size.
Barbara I hope you have/had a lovely birthday, I rang my sister last night as it is her birthday on 26th as well (still is her birthday in UK).
Have a great day everyone
Anne, I’m so thrilled about your fabulous gift! I know you’ve missed your brother and sister, so this will be a wonderful treat for you! Hope things work so eventually you can see the other brother, too! Enjoy!
It was nice to hear Charlotte had a nice meal and us feeling better. So sorry you hadn’t been feeling good and up to par.
What wonderful pictures of your decorations and home, Anne. How nice your son was able to put the Christmas decor up. Taking pictures of what goes where! I do that too. It helps tremendously. I even write a list of what goes in what numbered Christmas bin when I drag them out and drag them back to storage. Anyway, what a treat to see all the Christmas displays.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas celebration and now it’s on to New Year’s Eve. Looking forward to a great 2025. Blessings to everyone!
Dear Jeanne, I am so happy that you got to have a nice Christmas. I am sorry you are not feeling 100 percent.
Thanks for sharing Anne’s photos. Her house is lovely. Does her son make house calls? I would love to have a beautiful Christmas house. Of course, Anne would have to supply all of the decorations (laugh).
I can hardly believe we are only 5 days away from the new year. It feels like 2024 just roller skated by so quickly.