Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year to one and all.  We won't be going out, but rather we'll end the year with a bang, Big Bang Theory that is and a few blow ups with  Red 2.  Hope the coming year will continue to bring happiness and health to my family and friends.
2015 will be our 50th wedding anniversary year, I know, I know, when you're so young how can you have been married so long, but it's true.  And we've decided to make it  year long celebration with something happening every month.  Can't wait.

It All Began Simply Enough

It really did begin simply, we were living in Germany, Bad Krueznach, Darmstadt---can't remember which one, and I asked Mac for a nutcracker for Christmas.  Of course he got me one, and here he is much worse for wear, but still a part of the family.

Of course after that others had to be added, Clara with her nutcracker of course and the Mouse King.

After that I needed Herr Drosselmeyer and a Pirate

Next came a Santa Nutcracker

After that came more and larger nutcrackers

Mac began branching out after that and soon I had a Bear Nutcracker and a Football Player Nutcracker

Feeling really creative the next year he adapted some nutcrackers and made me a Jeeves and a Poirot

We watched some Duck Dynasty the next year and who should appear under our tree, why Uncle Sy

Then this year, after seeing DCI Barnaby's wife Sarah imitate Clint Eastwood he knew I needed a Clint Nutcracker so he adapted one for me.

Like I said, it all began simply enough.

Christmas Painting

It has become a bit of a tradition that Mac paints me a picture for Christmas and this year was no different.  My new header is that painting.  So sweet and of course it's us, we love to dance, though we haven't done as much lately as we use to.  Maybe in the new year.

We Got Goodies

Received so many great presents this year, we must have been exceptionally good.  My family knows me well.  More nutcrackers for my collection, I'll talk about that tomorrow, lots of teeny, tiny things  including a teeny, tiny snow globe, lovely treats from Japan and an especial favorite a pair of vintage toy pianos that Mac gave me.
Miss Kitty did well too and seems to love her new scratching post.
To me, other than having our daughter home, the best part of Christmas is watching my family open the gifts I've gotten for them.

Isn't he gorgeous?

It was hard finding gifts for our daughter because I was restricted to things that could fit into a suitcase, but I did find a few things, other than clothes that tickled her fancy.

For Mac, in addition to lots of books I found him a vintage fishing creel and bamboo pole.

For my fishing husband who likes all things vintage

Where's mine?

Bugs trying out one of my new pianos

My Precious

After Christmas

Christmas was wonderful: presents were opened, way too much food was eaten, dvds were watched, books were read, talks were had, the cat didn't pout too much.
Now she's gone, put on the plane to Japan this morning ( I miss her already), but I know she's going to where she needs to be, where she's happy, where she's made a life for herself.  It's a long flight, 16 hours of flying and more of layovers.  We more than appreciate that she made this trip for us.
We won't be going over to see her till 2016, but she'll be back  for Christmas next year and every week we'll Skype, that'll have to keep us going.
But for now I have the memories of this Christmas to treasure.

In the Bleak Winter Weather

It's not really cold, but it's grey and dismal.  Rain has been here since Saturday and will probably last till Christmas.  We even had thunder yesterday.  But inside it's cosy and warm, lots of good meals, some gluhwine, presents wrapped, football watched.  And just lots and lots of time spent talking and reading together and just enjoying having her here.
I'd like to make each day last a week, but I  can't, so I'm off of the computer and back to the couch.
Merry Christmas to all!!!

Christmas

Christmas arrives tonight at about 6:55 on a Delta jet.  She's the best present parents could receive.

Still Alive and Just About Able to Kick

Not ready to join the Rockettes yet, but back is finally starting to settle down.  Today is the first day I can say I feel ok, not good, but ok.  To celebrate I stood on my hard kitchen floor and baked about a million sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies.
Our daughter is due in from Japan tomorrow and she's requested 3 things: fresh chocolate chip cookies, barbequed ribs and a Starbucks Pumpkin latte.  We've got the first two covered  and she can get the other one  at the airport when we pick her up tomorrow night.
Having her here is our Christmas present, can't wait to see her.

OW!!!!!!

Borrowed from the
web, not me

I think every bit of cold east of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line has settled into my lower back.  Large rations of  Ben-Gay  have been applied and a pain pill taken.  Further communication may become fuzzy.

Paintings

I love the painting, the picture isn't half as beautiful as
the painting!

Several people have commented on my new header, it's two Christmas paintings that Mac painted for me the last couple of years.  I love them, particularly the kitten and Santa.
The painting to the left is one he's been working on for quite awhile, it's for himself, not for sale.
He's sold a load of paintings lately, stuff he calls commercial painting.  Below are two that are a couple of whimsical Christmas ones copied from some Christmas cards I have.

Aren't these 2 wild!!!

Why do I wrap packages upstairs when I know they're going to have to be carried back downstairs----thank you Mac---?  I know there's more room up there, but I could make room down here.  I'm not done, but anything else I buy is going to stay down here.  I can bring wrapping down here, much easier.

Diet

Not me, Miss Kitty.  Over the last year she has put on a bit of weight and it was time to do something about it before it became a health hazard.  Our friend who came in to feed her while we were gone said he'd noticed she'd been eating more too.  Usually he'd have to throw out the leftover food in her bowl before giving her fresh.  This year there were no leftovers, she'd eaten everything he'd left.
So it's low fat kitty food for a while, food designed for less active cats.
Is she happy?  Are you happy when you're on a diet?  She offered to go outside and get more exercise but we turned her down.
Wish I could get a cat sized hamster wheel for her.

I'm Getting Too Old For This

Spent the day decorating the house for Christmas, love doing it, but it is tiring.  Parts are done, others can just wait awhile.  It's about 72º today, been in the 70's all week, supposed to cool down tomorrow and then it will feel a bit more like Christmas.

The Nutcracker Army has taken up position in the entryway

The Christmas Critters are by the fireplace---it's never cold enough
to use it on Christmas

The dining room, of course we don't eat here, should turn
it into a library

The entryway, welcome to Christmas

So how's the decorating going at your house?

The Tree

As planned we got our tree yesterday, carried it  up the stairs and put it up.  Mac always ties it to the wall too.  Miss Kitty, knock on wood, has never climbed our Christmas tree, but cats in the past have, so better safe than sorry.
I got the lights on, added resin cardinals and balls that can't break because though she doesn't climb the tree Miss Kitty has been known to knock the odd ornament off and I don't want to worry about glass on the floor.  Even if the resin ones come down they don't usually break, chip a little, but not break.
The gold icicles are in place of tinsel ones.  We once had a cat who ate the tinsel.  Tinsel can cut an animal's insides.  We were lucky, it didn't hurt our cat and it had passed all the way through, that's a sight.  So no more tinsel, resin icicles instead.
Real candy canes, but I don't advise eating them, I save them from one year to the next.  Then lots of red bows.  
Haven't found the angel who goes on top yet, but that's Mac's job, so my part is done.
The rest of the house will have to wait, I'm exhausted.

I get by with a little help from my friend

All the lights

Almost done

Five on Friday

I'm joining in with Amy at Love Made My Home,  and others,  for my very first Five on Friday.  Because it starts for us on December 5 it only seems natural to start with a Christmas theme.    I thought I'd do my first on my favorite Christmas movies.  Surprisingly enough  though I love Christmas I don't like most Christmas movies, I find them  too schmaltzy.
That being said I do like:

 

(1982)  The music is haunting and we watch it every year.


                               

(1982)  I discovered this one when I taught school, still enjoy it.





















(2004)  Sweet without being sentimental

(1989)  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Our relatives don't seem so bad when we see Cousin Eddie.

(2006)  A new favorite that's become a tradition, Terry Prachett's Christmas story.  Funny to see Lady Mary from Downton Abbey playing Mort's Granddaughter.









Rather a strange group I'll admit, but they're my favorites.











Participants in Five on Friday

Amy from Love Made My Home
Wendy from September Violets

Michelle from Michelle's Make Or Bake

Jane from The Maple Syrup Mob
Leanne from Today's Stuff

All Systems Go

Mac and I are back from our 6 month, 65,000 mile check-up and all is well.  That's a nice early Christmas present.
As part of our check-up we always have to answer a bunch of Medicare questions, you know:
Can you dress yourself, can you get out of bed, what's the date, where are you and my favorite, spell world backwards.
Took till noon to get everything done and then it was out for breakfast/lunch at the local Denny's, closest restaurant to our Doctor's office, oh those fasting blood tests.
Then off for some grocery/Christmas shopping.  Had hoped to get our Christmas tree today, but it was getting late and we ran out of steam.  Knowing that both of us had to exercise when we got home (thank goodness we'd done our walk before the Dr. visit) we decided to wait until tomorrow.
Have I mentioned that I love Christmas?  I do, I do, so waiting until the 4th of December to put up my tree takes a lot of will power.  Plus I need to put my Thanksgiving stuff up.
I'll be busy tomorrow, can't wait.

Home From The Holidays

We flew to California for Thanksgiving.  Normally we go to our daughter's for the holiday, but now that she's moved to Japan that's not possible.  So Mac's brother and his wife kindly took us in.  My sister-in-law L is an amazing cook, she fixed the traditional turkey, made a great new dressing, a cranberry relish that even Mac who doesn't like cranberries liked, and numerous other dishes.  Then she fixed a pumpkin pie cake, so rich and delicious I could feel arteries clogging as I ate, my gosh it was good.  In the mornings there was fresh fruit, quiche, pumpkin cinnamon rolls,   I will not be weighing myself for at least a week.
The day after Thanksgiving we met up with more of Mac's family for Italian food, this included his wonderful cousin Isabel, who in her 80's is getting ready to fly off to Rio de Janeiro, Argentina to go on a cruise through the Straits of Magellan to Chile, she is amazing.
Two of the cousins have booked a cruise to the Caribbean for 2015 and the other two are doing the same in 2016----we are a traveling family.
The next night my sister-in-law served up a ton of Dungeness Crab and a Caesar Salad---see why I'm not weighing myself.
We flew back Sunday night/Monday morning.  The flight was delayed and left at nearly 1:30 in the morning.  Couldn't sleep and got home very tired.  Feel much better now and we're already talking about our next trip---the Everglades again.
Hope your Thanksgiving was satisfying too.  Even better the temperature is in the 70's.

My Wonderful Brother-in-law and Sister-in-law had a Lincoln Towncar Service pick up at the airport.  Felt very post!!!

Mac and his brother G

The eating begins

The Crab Feast prepared by the lovely L

Dungeness Crab, need I say more?

Dinner With Cousins!!!