Winter has arrived.

It was a short winter.  We actually had a white Christmas despite what the weather people said! Yay!

It was soft and fluffy, just the kind of snow to make a good snow angel in.  Also the kind to get the ole’ snowmobile out and drag the grand kids around the fields on their new snow tubes!

DIL and I were in the warmth of my truck following them around to get pictures.  Mr. D had had enough of the snow flying in his face so jumped in the truck with us!  Is that the stink eye or what?!!

Then we did some sledding down FIL’s hill out back of his house.

 

Now the rain has come in from the west and there isn’t a flake of snow to be seen anywhere!!!  It’s ALL GONE and the rain continues. WAAAAAAAAA!

I went down to visit my sister and just happened to have my camera with me as all good bloggers do.  Her house looked so pretty with all her Christmas decorations so I took some pictures.  My BIL always sets up a train set that he has had since he was a little boy.  This year it took him 13 hours to set it up!

Her tree looked so pretty.

I asked her who made the mittens that are hanging on the wall behind the tree as I thought they were so cute………..she said “you did”!  As I have said many times before, a mind is a terrible thing to lose!

That’s a pretty good blanket stitch if I do say so myself thank you very much!

She collects all things gingerbread men.

She got the toy soldier on the right at a Yankee Swap this year.

We had a wonderful Christmas.  I told the Hubs that I would love to do those few days all over again!  We had a Patriot’s party Christmas Eve afternoon to watch the game and then began the festivities at 5 o’clock.  I don’t have any pictures yet as I had Son and my niece taking them and they need to give me a copy.

Christmas morning we went to church and took up a whole row as we all wanted to set together.  We had two of our young men there that are home from the war and they gave testimony of a few of their experiences there.  One of them was given the job of chaplain in some of camps and he really enjoyed that.  They had opportunities to speak to some of the other soldiers of their trust in God.  As the old saying goes, there aren’t any ath*eists in foxholes.

We came home and had Christmas dinner, and so that you all don’t think I had the ultimate Norman Rockwell day, my yeast rolls that my family begs for came out like hockey pucks!!!! I have no idea why, I have made these rolls a hundred times, could make them in my sleep but these were AWFUL!  Then the next day when I was cleaning out my refrigerator I found the chopped onions and celery and melted butter that I had made ahead of time to put in my stuffing STILL IN THE REFRIGERATOR!  Sigh………as I said, a mind is……………blah, blah, blah……. now how does that go?

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Just a few more days until Christmas.  The shopping is done, the packages wrapped and put under the tree.  Must leave a space for Munchie and Noodles though, they love to lay under the tree.

The Christmas program at church was wonderful with the choir singing in the choir loft, Funsize playing the piano, the kids with their little choir robes on sang too and really sang their hearts out.

It’s nice to have the shopping done early so I can enjoy the season and not feel frantic and worn out.  The cooking will begin tomorrow for Christmas Eve Day, evening and Christmas Day. We are doing lots ahead this year for Christmas Day and having a buffet instead of a big formal dinner.  I don’t want to come home from church and then spend the rest of the day in the kitchen even though there are people that help it still takes a long time to clean up when you put on a huge dinner.

 

I’m enjoying the Christmas shows, even the ones that I have seen over and over.  A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of my favorites and I went to YouTube to put one of the songs in this post but couldn’t figure it out.  That’s nothing new for me.

It’s fun running into the stores just to look around at all the decorations and listen to the Christmas music.  I am very aware of the stores that do play Christmas hymns and those that don’t. Also the stores that allow their sales staff to say Merry Christmas and the ones that don’t.  LL Be*an staffers were told NOT to ever say Merry Christmas, just Happy Holidays.  Sad. I may not shop there any more. I don’t think that will put them out of business. ha!

 

I even get a kick out of the ads on television that only come out at Christmas time.  Remember the Clapper?  The Chia Pets?

 

I enjoy my Nativity set.  Every time I walk by it it makes me spend some time thinking about the real reason for Christmas. Growing up we had this little Nativity set that had a cardboard stable and plastic people and animals.  I loved that set and could play with it for hours as it didn’t break, thank goodness. I rearranged the people over and over but always had Baby Jesus right in the front.  I don’t know what ever happened to that set, I hope someone in the family has it still.

 

Sunday when we were singing Christmas hymns it took me back again to my childhood and how I loved the Christmas songs.  Away in a Manger was my favorite growing up.  My grand daughter was sitting between me and her Grampie and I loved watching her sing the songs.  We used the hymnals as the screen couldn’t be down as the choir was up in the choir loft and it seemed good to use them.  We didn’t have screens for the first 50 years of my life and I’m still not quite used to them.  I think it makes people lazy, they don’t have to look up the verses that the Pastor is talking about in their Bible as it’s right up there on the screen.  I prefer to look them up, I know, I am old-fashioned.

 

We have been enjoying the lights around town too.  It’s been so mild here this winter it hasn’t been hard to get out and put up the lights and decorations.  I remember one year in my last house my sister Linda and I put the lights on the shrubs in a blazing snowstorm!  We had a blast even though we were covered with snow.  We still talk about it and laugh.  Fun memories.

 

When I look at my perfectly shaped fake tree it makes me think back to the trees we had as kids.  I don’t think they had fake trees back then, Dad used to bring one home from the woods and we would decorate it.  It wasn’t perfectly shaped but we loved it.  I loved the bubble lights that my mother used to have for the tree.  You can get them now, they call them ‘vintage’, I guess that makes me vintage……. :o)

 

My grandchildren have been making up bags for the Homeless Shelter in youth group.  I gave them all the little shampoos and bottles of body wash that are in our hotel rooms that we don’t open.  I learned that from Barbara Bush who said in one of her books that she used to save them and donate them to the shelters.  I think it’s a great idea, just the right size to pass out to the folks that stay there, not too big to carry around. 

 

Doesn’t look like we are going to have any snow for Christmas this year but we are keeping our fingers crossed.  It actually was rather cold today and very windy.  The horses didn’t even go outside as it was so blustery.  They can run around the inside arena for some exercise and still be out of the wind.

 

Merry Christmas everyone!  xoxox

It’s quiet on the home front……..

It’s very quiet here on the Range.  I have had one of my nieces staying here while some work was being done at her house and Miss T has been here as Mr. D has been sick but he is better so she went home and my niece is out for the evening. They thought he had whooping cough on top of the pneumonia but the test results came back negative for the WC.  He’s such a little bitty guy, I hate to see him sick and the cough has been awful.  Hopefully he will be able to go back to school for the three and a half days next week and be able to enjoy Christmas.

He and his Dad went with the Patriot’s to Philly a week or so ago and had a great time.  It’s so nice that they can sometimes travel with the team.  He loves it and it’s a nice lad/dad time.

 

They had a chance to explore Philly a bit, I think I have posted some of those pictures already. 

The Liberty Bell.

 

Down on the field before the game.  He always wears his old fashioned helmet to the games.

Getting some autographs from the players.

 

He teases me about liking Vince Wilfork!  I told him that Vince gives good hugs.  Miss T told Grampie last week that I had a boyfriend…….

 

I guess Grampie already knows! ha!

 

Okay, enough about football.

The boys are fat and fuzzy.  Nick had a mishap in the pasture and I had to have the vet come with his portable x-ray machine and check his ankle.  I was very relieved when it turned out to be a wrenched ankle and not a fracture!  It has been so warm that the pastures are muddy and the horses get running and playing in it and it is hard on their joints.  He had to have a shot in his ankle joint and some IV medicine and seems to be much better.  Little Bud had a snotty nose so I had the vet come check him as I worry about pneumonia with him as he is so old but it cleared right up with meds and he seems to be doing great.  Kipper and Scoot are the wooly mammoths with all the hair they have even with this warmer weather that we have had all fall and winter.  I have their blankets ready for when they need them though.

 

I had all my Christmas lights on last night and the rest off as I watched a Christmas story starring Reba McIntire.  I have lights in the living room, kitchen, sunroom and dining room.  It was so pretty and soft.  I like the Hallmark Channel as they have nice shows this time of year.  Yes, I know they are rather predictable but I like a story that ends well.  :o)  Also when you watch Hallmark you know it is family friendly and you aren’t going to be shocked out of your knickers with your grandkids watching with you!!!!

 

I have been thinking about Lori aka Barn Goddess a lot lately.  She was one of my blogging buddies that passed away last year very unexpectedly.  All of you horse people knew her and there is an update on her blog in the comments written by her sister if you want to read it.  Mikael  @ Mikael’s Mania was kind enough to let me know.  All you horse people know Mikael too and that she is having some health problems.  Thank you Mikael for e-mailing me!!!!!! Get well very soon!

 

I guess we aren’t going to have any snow for Christmas this year. Waaaaaaaaaa! I don’t like an open winter like this, hopefully we will get some snow soon.  Hope you all are getting all those last minute Christmas things done, I keep thinking that I am done and then think of something else.  Guess that is normal eh?  Merry Christmas from our home to yours!!!

 

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

 

 

I’ve been doing a little more decorating now that my duties as seamstress for the Christmas program are finished.  I use the term ‘seamstress’ loosely as I am more of a quilter then a dressmaker!

Here are some of my cookie jars.

I finally got my mantle done.  (without flash)

 

with flash

 

Miss T is staying here as her brother is sick with pneumonia and has been rearranging my village in the sunroom.  She thought the firemen looked at bit bored so decided to make a fire for them to fight.

We looked out the window the other night and who should appear but Mom Raccoon and her humungous babies!  The black one is still very black and so pretty!  They munched on some miniature marshmallows and a turkey carcass that I had frozen from Thanksgiving (I threw that out on the ground) and off they went and we haven’t seen them since.  There is one more in the side out of range and they are all as big as momma!

 

 

Miss T decided to move her little table in the sunroom by the tree as that’s where we spend most of our time now.

Can it be that there are only 10 days left before Christmas?  When I was a child it seemed like December went on for-EVER!  We moaned and groaned trying to get Mom to let us open just ONE gift a week ahead of time.  That didn’t work…..  Christmas Eve we could open one and then the rest in the morning.  We would keep waking up earlier and earlier each year but had to stay in bed until 6 o’clock A. M.  Then the paper and ribbon would fly! All those months of Mom getting things ready for us were opened in less then a blink of an eye!  What fun times those were,  I have tried to recreate them for my son and now my grand children.

How do you like Miss T’s new earrings? 

 

 

I thought I would have some pictures of our Christmas program for this post but of course I forgot my camera that night………of course……

It was a beautiful program, well worth all the hours spent preparing for it, rehearsing and decorating.  There is something about a Christmas program that really brings the true meaning back into Christmas.  I get so aggravated when I am out shopping and the clerks in the stores can’t even say Merry Christmas.  I feel like boycotting the stores but we don’t have that many here so I would be up the creek or have to shop online.  I have asked some of them outright if they can’t say Merry Christmas and they say they are supposed to be politically correct……….grrrrrrrrrrr…………One place complained that their Christmas bonus was called that.  They could refuse to accept it if they want as far as I am concerned but don’t force the rest of us to have to say ‘holiday bonus’. Good grief!!!  Okay, rant over……….for now……

Last year this is what it looked like at Christmas time! This year the lawn looks green and lush and could use a good mowing!  It’s been amazingly warm.  I’m not complaining mind you but I did get all the snowmobiles registered this week so I hope we get to use them!!!!

No I didn’t fall off the face of the earth…….

It’s been weeks since I posted anything.  It has been unbelievably busy here on the Range and I honestly haven’t had the time or energy to do a post.  Being away so much this fall took a lot of time that I usually put into my Christmas preparations so I have been playing catch up.

I love to decorate but this year I decided not to try to put out everything Christmas that I have gathered over the years.  I did get my villages put up as I enjoy them so much and can keep them up well after Christmas.

I have the tree put up in the sunroom and Noodles and Munchie have been enjoying sleeping under it.  Munchie is behind Noodles.

I’m enjoying the wrap around shelf that I had put in the sunroom.  Makes the room look so cozy at night with the lights on.

Mrs. Squirrel chowing down on peanuts and sunflower seeds out on the deck.

Love this little wreath that I got at a craft fair last year.

Sassy snowmen are everywhere!

Looking in from the deck.

I had to put up a small tree in the living room so that it would show from the street as the one in the sunroom is on the back of the house.  The ornaments on this tree are all the color gold. Lots of them are vintage as a friend gave me a big box of old ornaments that he had in his basement.  I was tickled pink to get them!  Thank you Jerry!

I will get some pictures of the outside when it stops raining.  The weather here has been so warm for December! I’m wondering if I am going to put any miles on my snowmobile this year!!!!!

I have been working on doing the costuming for our Christmas Pageant at church.  I had three shepherds and Joseph costumes, six angel angel costumes and some other things to make. We have the church all decorated inside and out and it looks lovely.  This is such a special time of year to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Love singing the old carols and listening to the special music by the music committee.  A gal sang Silent Night last Sunday and it gave me goose bumps as it was so beautiful. Wish the Christmas season was longer, not the gifts and all the hustle and bustle but time to think about the real reason for the season.  Turn your computer on to a nice Christmas station and sing along with the carols.  I can do that here as the only ones to hear me are Noodles and Munchie and they don’t care if I am in tune or not!! :o)