MG, tell the relatives that you have to go to the store and head up this way. You get back home a couple of days later with a bag of groceries just as they are driving out thru the gate, holler 'Sorry it took so long, the check-out line went out the door and around the corner and the checker was a trainee' as you wave goodbye to them.
Toni, I am so-o-o-o-o-o tempted! Your idea is a lot better than what I came up with--either hang around the local hospital hoping I'd catch something vile and very contagious, or sell the guest bedroom bed (in which case we'd end up on the floor and the relatives would commandeer our bed). I'm usually Mrs. Santa Claus this time of year, but lately I'm being more of the Grinch. We've had so many good Christmases maybe this one will make me appreciate the happy ones more. Maybe . . . .
Keep thinking good thoughts, they WILL leave and you can have your own Christmas without them. dooley
Today, I got the tree decorated and all the little bears sitting around it. This year they are sharing our tree instead of having one of their own. dr put his train under it for them, too. I hung a few other decorations around and it's looking a little more like Christmas now. dr put some Christmas cd's on the player and it sounds a little like Christmas too. Now, maybe I will go and make some cookies. dooley
It's beginning to look more like Christmas here too. We put up our decorations today! Maybe that will help me get more into the spirit. I also got quite a few gifts yesterday when I went shopping.
Dooley, could you post a picture of your tree with the bears? It sounds charming (I am assuming they are Teddy bears, not grizzlies!).
I was thinking about taking a picture of it this afternoon. I have to download the camera software here before I can post it but will try to get it done soon. Every year for the last 25 years we've had a small tree (same one) decorated and sitting on a table or shelf with little bears around it. I've posted pictures other years that you might find. Even with the same tree and bears it always looks different. I collect and make Teddy Bears and at one time had over 500 of them. With moves here and there and sending them to friends it's down considerable now but the small bears fit into two of those 18 gallon storage tubs. They have a skating rink and a log cabin and several other thing like sleighs, etc for their table. We just combined our tree and the bears this year. Their tree is getting to be a little scruffy. dooley
I helped the girlfriend and her family put up their Christmas tree. We went out to cut a tree from a tree farm. They picked it out and I cut it down and hauled it out. When we got it back to the house we put it in the tree holder. We smothered it in red and green Christmas lights. After that they mostly put on the ornaments and I just added a few select ones. I also got to see my presents...wrapped of course. I was NOT allowed to shake or even touch them because I am pretty good at guessing and she didn't want me to ruin the surprise.
It was cold today, just right for baking. But, I didn't make cookies. I made lemon poppyseed bread. I discovered that I can't eat any of it. It has two cups of sugar in the bread and 2 cups of confectioner's sugar in the glaze. Much to much for me. Even a bite would leave a sweet taste in my mouth and I've grown to dislike that taste. Yuck! I try not to eat any cookies or breads with more than half a cup of sugar in the recipe. It's difficult this time of the year but I can't let my glucose readings get too far out of whack! dooley
I havent really done much yet. Im giving everyone cookies (although my aunt is getting a loaf of quick bread cause she doesnt eat cookies) for gifts, except my sisters, theyre getting a video game and a gift card. Going to start decorating tomorrow. Im doing our fireplace up cause we dont have room for a tree (and the cat might tear it down lol). Our employee xmas party was last night at a local country club. The food was excellent! We always do a secret santa thing. I got a Rudolph stuffed toy, and gave a container of homemade shortbread. One of my fave coworkers didnt get anything from her secret santa(shame on em!) so Im gonna make a batch of cookies for her
I'm slowly getting Christmas preparations done... We did get outside lights put up before it turned cold. They are always so fun, and festive. As for indoors, the tree is up, but I decided not to get out very much in the way of decorations because we won't be hosting any company here this year. I'm a bit lazy, thinking of all the work to put things away... I love to bake, and the cookies are piling up... I like to play Christmas music, and sing along and listen to my favorite: The Nutcracker Suite. We lost a very dear family member last March, and his presence is really missed. :'( We'll be so glad to be together, and count our blessings!!!
Wow Kay I also love Tchaikovski. There is nothing like the Nutcracker suite at this time of the year. I especially love the sugar plum fairy part. Sorry to hear abut that. From one thing to the other - I just realized another sacrifice that I have to make this year. I do not even have a tree yet. -- will I even be celebrating this year - I wonder???
Today I start making Cinnamon Bread, I have 12 loaves to make and thankfully each batch of dough makes two loaves. The kitchen will be toasty warm for the next 4-6 days depending on how many batches I make each day. I promised my youngest I would make some Cranberry nut bread too. I thought some of our members who were not here three years might get a giggle out of my mis-adventure when trying to bake bread in a toaster oven.... Cinnamon-a christmas story of two loaves
Well, I just got the last of the kids gifts wrapped. Today is the last day and then Christmas vacations starts for them. We have an artificial tree that I will put up shortly and when the kids get home we will decorate it. This has been our tradition since they started school. We still have to decide what Christmas baking to do, and that will be done next week. I'm starting to get excited and so are the kids!!!!
Guess What! All the Christmas cookies that I managed to get baked have diasppeared. We can't find them anywhere. Guess I'll have to start all over. But, I'll have some help. The three neighbor kids are coming tomorrow to help bake cookies and learn to play scrabble. I'm going to clear off the big table in the kitchen, line the baking supplies down the middle, give them each a cookie book and tell them to go to it using the ingredients on the table. They can scan the recipes, check the ingredients and decide what they'd like to make. I think I'll mix up a few different ones tonight that they can help decorate or shape and bake them tomorrow. It should be fun, if maybe a little tiring for dr and myself. Then, next week, I'm not sure which day, another friend is coming with her younger children to help decorate cookies so I'll have to make up some dough for those, too. I like baking cookies with kids. They have so much fun and I usually end up sending their efforts home with them. For good reason most of the time. They do tend to sample!! I've mailed all the cards. Might have a few to be hand delivered but those will be next week. I still need to make my Stollen for Christmas morning. One for the neighbor who has invited us for Christmas Eve and one for the one whose kids is coming tomorrow. I may have to make two batches of them. That's something else that tends to disappear before it's time to eat them. I think that then I will be ready for Christmas. dooley
