Home safe

We are finally home from our vacation Christmas in Tennessee. YEsterday we went as far as Chris’ house in Carlisle which was about 8 1/2 hours. After a night’s rest we traveled the remaining four hours this morning .  After a quick stop at the store for milk and a few other groceries we were happy to pull into our driveway. The ride was fine except when we got about an hour from our house and then...

We ran into a snowstorm. It got worse as we journeyed further north and by the time we got into Bradford it looked like this...

I know it is winter here but after those seventy three degree temps down south it was kinda shocking. 

We are so happy to be back. Now will come the putting things away stage which takes a whole day to get things back where they belong. Then I will tackle putting away some of the Christmas decorations. There are some that are wintery and I will leave those up for a while. It is nice to see some twinkle lights during these dark days of winter. I also light candles and used my Kohl’s cash to get a few new ones. 

Happy New Year’s Eve to all of you faithful readers. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your comments. We are having a quiet night, in fact, I will probably see the new year come in my dreams. 

Winding down

This week has passed so fast and it is time to go home. This family time has meant so much to me. It is fun to get together. Right now I can hear Chris at the table teaching Sara how to make a paper airplane. 

We are all full from our dinner at the kid’s favorite Chinese restaurant. Wendy is working on a jigsaw puzzle that I gave them for Christmas that has their picture on it. 

Sara got fake nails for Christmas. 

Here we sit on the porch swing enjoying this warm weather. 

Yesterday we went to Knoxville to McKay’s bookstore and a music store. Chris bought Wendy an electric mandolin. She is very musical and plays all kinds of stringed instruments. This one needed a new string. While we were there I found three new piano books that I will really enjoy when I get home. It is nice to have new music to play. We also stopped at Best Buy to return the Apple pen that Chris had bought me for Christmas. It wasn’t compatible with my iPad. 

Tomorrow we will be traveling back to Chris’ house and then home the next day. Back to routines and new goals. Have you made your new goals for 2020?

Spending time

Spending time with the family is the best way to pass time. Except for going out yesterday to see the new Star Wars movie we have been comfortably relaxed here at home playing games and chatting. 
For Christmas I ordered Sara and Sean puzzles with their picture on them. We all helped put it together. 

The new year

I love Gladys Taber quotes..

On a moonlit night in December, as the earth turns toward another year, I sit quietly and begin to make a new set of resolutions.  My first is to be better organized."

"What the new year may bring, we cannot know, but I pray God's blessing may fall on us as softly as apple blossoms fall in spring.  And then I put out the guttering candles on the trestle table and go to bed, feeling that tomorrow will be another adventure in living!"

From Stillmeadow Calendar. 

The day after Christmas

It’s day one, post Christmas. All the hubbub is over and now we can relax into 2020. Wendy called first thing in the morning and they had just started on 81 and will be here around five. Ryan wanted to deep fry a turkey today but with all the excitement of yesterday he forgot to thaw it out so we will have it tomorrow instead. We already have tickets to see the new Star Wars movie in the afternoon tomorrow. Ryan took a few days off but has to work the weekend. 

  Yesterday was such a happy Christmas with the excitement of children who whooped and hollered when their wishes came true. Sean went crazy when he saw his new gaming system and Sara loved unwrapping all her LOL little dolls 

My favorite gift was the tree of life silver necklace that says Families are Everything. So true. I also loved the canvas print of the kids at Niagara Falls. 

I am contemplating my word for 2020. Each year I choose a word. 

Here are my past words:

2010-resolve

2011-ecalirassez (French for lighten up or simplify)

2012-acceptance

2013-energize

2014-commmitment

2015-transform

2016-savor

2017-hygge

2018-intention

2019-thrive

2020-enjoyment

en·joy·ment

/inˈjoimənt,enˈjoimənt/

noun

1. 1. 

   the state or process of taking pleasure in something.

   "the enjoyment of a good wine"

This next year I want to enjoy every second  I want to savor the simple things life brings me -no drama  just loving the moments  I want 2020 to be all about having fun, doing all the things that bring a smile to my face  

Test one

Christmas Eve

We are having a wonderful and quiet Christmas Eve. In the afternoon we played Five Crowns 

Lots of stories were told as we reminisced about seasons past. 

Sara helped her Papa make a chocolate cherry cake from scratch. 

As always when the guys get together there is always a project of some kind. 

The kids continued a family tradition by opening their presents from each other on Christmas Eve. 

Sara loved her makeup case. Of course she can only wear it at home. Now we are settled in and waiting for Santa.  

Merry Christmas

Chris and Wendy making cookies 

Don is helping 

I had the girls up to play cards. 

Christmas in Tennessee

I’m so proud of my grandson Sean. He is eleven now and in sixth grade. 

He has a beautiful voice and sang in the school Christmas chorus program. 

He placed wreaths on the soldiers graves for Wreaths across America 

And he carried the Boy Scout flag in the Christmas parade. 

Little sister was there too. 

Things I like about Winter

.......the way the snow lays on the tree branches

.....seeing how the Peace Lily blooms and leans toward the sun

....being entertained by the birds at the feeders

...candlelight, even in the daytime

...watching an Amaryllis reach for the sky

Such small pleasures. 

Loving Caliber ft. Jaslyn Edgar - Christmas Memories (Lyrics)

A little Frenchy touch

Usa 

This year I added a little touch of France with this black and white ribbon tied to a wreath.

I also used it tied to the top of a big lantern in this vignette at the end of my fireplace. You may remember how this space was a problem to me for years. It has a stone box for wood but since we switch to a gas fireplace I no longer needed to put logs there. Then miraculously I found the perfect solution. A green trunk from a consignment store. Now it allows me to create vignettes in that spot. 

The ribbon also adorns my candle-ier above the table.

Yesterday Don and I took a trip to Olean. I was on a mission. When I was in Harrisburg I bought a new winter coat at Boscov’s. When I got home I discovered that they didn’t take the security tag off. Our nearest Boscov’s is in Erie and I was hoping to avoid the extra trip there. I had already taken the coat to Peeble’s but they couldn’t do it. Unfortunately neither could Kohl’s in Olean. So that means another trip. I also stopped at the library there. They have huge shelves of new books and sometimes I can find a lot of best sellers. But there must be a lot of people reading this winter so the selection wasn’t as good. I did bring home two. I am currently reading The Starless Sea on the best seller list. I’m not sure if I like it yet but it intrigues me. Don and I ate dinner at Applebee’s before driving home.

Next week looks to be busy as I have Giggle Girls tomorrow, a hair appointment, and Don’s lung doctor appointment. And I have to fit in a trip to Erie....

MY TOWN

This is the gazebo in the town square of Bradford all decked out for Christmas. Our downtown has been in the middle of a renovation this fall. All of the sidewalks were torn up and replaced and the old Bradford pear trees taken away. All this has been replaced by brand new sidewalks and curbs and new trees planted. I can’t wait for spring to see what they are. Doesn’t this gazebo remind you of the one in Gilmore Girls? I loved that show. Right behind the gazebo is the new Marilyn Horne museum. She is a famous opera singer from Bradford. Beside the museum is a Starbucks. The building is owned by the University of Pittsburgh and they hold some classes there. Upstairs is a large gym where I took Tai. Chi lessons a few years ago. They are not offering it now since the trade war with China does not allow the Chinese scholars to come here anymore. What a loss. 

Our little town is tucked in the valley with hills surrounding it. I love this aerial picture of the frosty tops of the mountains.

Yesterday was our Literary Club Christmas party at the library. We played a few trivia games which were harder than you might think.  Do you know who played Mary in It’s a Wonderful Life?  Donna Reed. We all brought gifts which were used as prizes. The first game was a multiple choice of ten questions...how many drummers were drumming? The second one involved questions from famous holiday movies...like what was the cousin’s name in Christmas Vacation? After we all received a present we stood in a circle while one member read a story about Mrs. Right who turned left in her car. Each time the words right and left were read we had to pass our presents in that direction. It was fun and laughable and finally we got to open the present we ended up with. The presents were white elephant gifts (somethings we had at home and wanted to get rid of). Some people had pretty things and others just joking gifts. I got some candy, a candle and soap, and a table runner. Afterwards we had tea and cookies. The girls are always so nice in that group and it was a fun time. We won’t have another meeting now until after the holidays.

Frosty

I love how the tips of the mountains are frosted today. 

Switzerland

Chris and Wendy in Switzerland. 

Christmas 2019

It is early morning

It is early morning and I am sitting here at home cuddled up in my wing chair. We came home from Chris’ a day early in anticipation of a winter storm today. We are much more cautious about our driving now that we are older. There were days in the past where we bravely went out despite the freezing snow which made the roads bad. We have driven in some pretty precarious situations. But now we avoid them at all cost. Besides everyone else was leaving too. Dan and Gretchen were going back to Pittsburgh after their vacation in Portugal and the Netherlands. Scott went back to Lancaster to work today and Linda left for home in Fredericksburg, VA. Chris and Wendy went car shopping and ended up buying a new Pacifica van.

     What a wonderful weekend we had. Having all the family together is the best! 

Linda and I managed some Black Friday shopping while the kids went bowling. I found this frosty fern to add to Wendy’s plant collection. 

I have almost all my Christmas shopping done so I will be able to relax in December and enjoy the festivities.

The Thanksgiving meal was full of our favorite traditional foods. I cooked a turkey in an electric roaster which belonged to Don’s mother and has seen many turkeys throughout the years. We had a whole spread. Linda had made homemade cranberry sauce and Wendy’s dad made cranberry and blueberry sauce. Wendy’s mom Linda made roasted vegetables while my sister and I made a corn casserole. There was a variety of dishes on the table and we ate on Wendy’s grandmother’s Wedgwood china. 

Linda’s cousin from Florida and well as her mom and dad and aunt were there. We were silly and there were lots of laughs.

 After the pies, ice cream and cheesecake were eaten we played Pictionary and then watched a movie in Chris’ theater room. 

Dan and Gretchen came in on Friday. They had arrived in the states two days before but stayed in Washington, DC for extra vacation. 

Saying goodbye was hard but we will see Chris, Wendy and Scott at Christmas time.