And so this was Christmas...

and in the end.....



and in the beginning of the unwrap...

This is Tessa standing then Trisha, her Mom, and Michele's hubby, John being entertained by 'Oreo', Michele and John's dog with his new squeeky bone from Belle and Penny.

Michele, Bob in his chair and Caines head...Wayne, Michele's X is to the right..

True was trying to be patient while Caine worked with his train from his Gi-Gi...True is Trisha's youngest daughter...Confused yet?

The dogs all got squeek toys...Belle and Penny de-squeeked theirs in seconds, and they got chew bones, which they went out with. They go out the magic hole. Oreo isn't savvy to it yet and gets awfully confused when the girls "walk right through the door an disappear".

This is Trisha on the right and Tessa, her oldest daughter in the middle with Michele on the right. Beleive it or not , Trisha and Michele are not related. Michele was married to Wayne, they divorced and Wayne hooked up with Trisha when she was alone and pregnant with True..The girls call Wayne Daddy..Now Michele is married to John and their son is Caine...

Got that straight now??.....neither do I.

Caine and True are playing the piano...Wayne is conducting in background..

Michele is winding down...

The kids should be back soon from Bedford. They went visiting friends and family and are picking Caine up from his other Grandma's house.They were headed home tongiht but the weather is so bad, they will wait until tomorrow..smart.

I am full, but somehow I seem to keep eating more when the appropriate hour comes around !

This has got to cease...New Year's is a 4 letter word...

DIET !

...another year over...

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Christmas in Virginia with Love

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The decorations are scattered about the house. The fireplace has the traditional angels, on top and at the base on either side. The large corn husk and paper angel was given to me by a friend, Janine, and I set it over a light. I like angels about me.

Above the piano is the picture of my guardian angel, my Dad. The piano is so old, but itstill sounds good to me when my grandson and I sit at it and he 'plays'. It was in John and Michele's house when they bought it, and they nor anyone else wanted it...but me. My husband and 2 neighbors moved it from Bedford to here with much effort.

Even the outside of the house is festive. Besides the wreathes and the white candles in the windows, there are birds that decorate the shrubs, the ground and the feeders. The cardinals look so pretty in the snow.

The tree is a Frasier fir we cut the week after Thanksgiving. Naturally it has an angel on top. Red bows have long been the final touch on our trees. The blue stars in the window were given to me by a friend, Karen, and they go up every year.

This year my grandson Caine and his Mom and Dad will be here for Christmas. Christmas Eve will be the traditional dinner with turkey and all the trimmings and a ham with mac and cheese. Wayne and Trisha and their two girls will be with us for dinner and the gift exchange. Having the kids here will make Christmas more like when I was a child with all my relatives gathering at a different familie's house each year. My Dad always played 'Santa' and handed out gifts. What a magical time it was, and I didn't even know how lucky we were. For me it was tradition, something I expected and took for granted. What great memories I have of my family and all the cousins; the women all sharing the kitchen work and then the big games of penny-anti poker played by the adults after desserts.We were blessed.

Today my brothers are in three different states in New England, and I am here in Virginia. Most all of the adult relatives are long since passed, as is my Dad. I have one Aunt left from my Dads five siblings, Aunt Ruth in Florida and none from my Mom's side. My Mom is still very much alive at eighty-seven, and she is in N.H. with my youngest brother. The cousins are scattered, as are most families today, not like when I was a kid and everyone stayed close by.

This Christmas I send my love to all my family and friends wherever you may be, no matter how far away, you are always right here in my heart.

Merry Christmas with love from Virginia.

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Move over Iris...

Iris has only one eye. She rests it quite often.
Here she is tucked into the blankies on 'Daddies' side of the bed.
Tell me she isn't spoiled rotten.

Moochie is disgusted with the tucking and coddling of her sister, Iris. Quarrie is melted down into the comforter. He almost looks flat.

Here are the other two that make up our Quintet of fuzzy felines'. On the left is Mac and posing oh so handsomely is Beau. They are nestled atop their cat tower which is at the end of our bed against the window... so they can watch the birds in the feeders placed strategically for their best amusement . But they're not spoiled.

I am sick...again, or still, I can't decide. Since going to work for the school system I have been ill in such a continuing manner that I really don't know if I ever am 'well' in between bouts of sinus infections and colds. This time I can't stop coughing and I'm concerned its walking pneumonia...I have had it 3 or 4 times throughout my adult life and this sure feels like it again.

Bob has taken over for me and is doing laundry that is piled really high, and bringing me food when I can eat. He actually has a bad cold, but he won't let it stop him. I try not to, and didn't miss work, nor last's night faculty Christmas Party, but I should have stayed home. Damn Scott's blood..!! I had already paid for the tickets and was going to get my money's worth !

Two weeks 'til Christmas now and no time to get things done..

like shopping and decorating..and Christmas card writing...things I always looked forward to when I had the time to do them. Now, alas, it seems a chore.

Maybe its just cause I feel so crappy...maybe if I get through this sick time, I'll get the spirit. We are in for more bitterly cold weather this week, and that isn't helping. This time its warming enough to rain, then turn to sleet and drop into the 2o's again.

Move over Iris, I'm getting in.

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