Now We Exhale

Now it's time to enjoy the fire. A storm's a comin'. Hunker down, eat leftovers. Drink tea, knit, play games, get bored, watch a movie, sleep late, sleep later. They tell us to expect a foot at least.

The shovel stands at the ready. Off to get under the new faux fur leopard throw my mother gave us for Christmas. It's a delight!

Christmas Morning Brought...

Brand new slippers for mom! I love them~

Lots of grilling "themed" things for dad~

A much loved Pillow Pet for Ronan~he's already named him "Shep"

And brand new coats for Mom, Carter and Brady. Santa was very good to us.

Greenery Past and Present

at my mother's house on Christmas Day. A pretty vintage square planter waiting for something seasonal alongside backyard footsteps leading to the neighbor's house.

Considering we live in the Northeast, it is a wonder you can identify these as ferns on December 25th. You could call them freeze-dried.

Fresh looking greens with festive ribbon in her favorite planter. She paid $200 for it and will tell you any time you tell her you like it. It was worth every penny. Everything you put in it shines.

And here's Ms. Kitty just sitting on a stump waiting for a good birdy to fly by.

The kettle's on ; )

This is my own little way of feeling organized. I am keeping the cute-as-a-button, used-once-a-year Santa mugs on the counter with a packet of hot cocoa in them. When one is used, I replace with a new packet. I like it. It's silly, right? But makes me feel like I am always ready for a little company.

assembled with frosting and big brother...

We love the gingerbread houses that our local grocery store makes up. They glue the thing together with frosting and provide the pretty candies and plastic figures to then decorate as you like. We HAD one this year but the dog ate it. Ronan was so disappointed, but happy that we could replace it with a train kit.

This kit, however, proved a bit more complicated. The frosting was much more difficult to pipe from the bag and more than a few times the train threatened to collapse.

But we threw some more frosting on it and candy and such and voila...

She's a little crooked, but a beauty nonetheless. In a couple of weeks, she'll choo-choo her way outside to feed the critters. What? Squirrels don't like candy?

Learning from the Grinch

So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.
And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad!
Why, this sounded so merry!
It couldn't be so!
Buy it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville!
The Grinch popped his eyes!
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,
Was singing! Without any presents at all!
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!
IT CAME!
Somehow or another, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!"

Merry Christmas my little blogger people. It has been a very fun year ; )

a real housewife?

Ok, this was fun. I have been a little under the weather and good cheer has been a little low on the radar. Well what to my wondering eyes should appear last night as I was watching my weekly dose of "Real Housewives of ...fill in the blank" was that my sweater,
the above sweater, the very sweater I had on while watching the show...was ON THE SHOW. Yes on the Beverly Hills version last night one of the ladies had on my very same Michael Kors knitted sweater. And I wear it as a bathrobe.

Does that make me impossibly chic? I'll take it.

Reading-Stoneham Football Game

or as I like to think of it, another chance to hear my kid's play in the band and oh, yeah, what are those other kids doing running around with helmets on ; ) Here's Carter looking all official on this chilly Thanksgiving morning.

Stoneham has a wall of painted rocks that looks a bit like a quilt with all of the players lined up against it.

This is Brady attached to his drums or the other way around...his last Thanksgiving Day game. Gulp. These milestones come fast and furious now.

Friends for years, let's hope it always stays that way.

A Warm Thanksgiving Day

Mom's traditional apple pie with little heart cut-outs. It's the first thing to go.

Cousins Brady and Bobby, both 18 this week. Now that's a milestone. It know it's cliche...but where did the time go?

Sweet Kathleen home from her sophomore year at college, all grown up. Surrounded by Rich, Jimmy and Carter.

Always a welcome guest, our friend, Pam. My mom's house really does look like something out of English Home the more I think about it!

This formal living room table has morphed somehow into the "kids'"table because my mother doesn't get to see them all together very often so she sits with them.

The rest of the gang sits in the sun room and watches the game.

Carly and Molly playing on the Grand Piano in the Victorian living room.

The boy laying claim just waiting for his piece of pecan pie.

a prudent lady's maid, I need!

You can find the most fun stuff for stocking stuffers and little gifties. Here are these lovey English bath bags to relieve the stresses. Just $3.99 at Home Goods.

"At this juncture, the prudent lady's maid would pour a copious bath in which she would steep various relaxing andsoftening herbs to induce a sense of ease and encouragement, which used night or morning will help melt away tension and invoke euphoria."

Good Luck, Kids

A hearty congratulations to the handsome couple, Kate and William who announced their engagement today.

He offered his mother's engagement ring for her hand in marriage, a beautiful token of remembrance. I am a sucker for romance. And for boys honoring their moms.

Not a bad starter home.

Fare thee well, young royals. Diana is looking down with a beautiful smile, no doubt.