Tea today is with the Earl, I always need a bit of a jolt, especially this time of year when it is colder. I got a moment to decorate, way later than I had hoped, but I did get a few trees and decorations up for the holidays. This is half of the mantle which is dedicated to snowmen and Santa this year.

Speaking of the holidays, the day was lovely and crisp, the usual suspects behaved both naughty and nice, and Kevin and Gwen and I are just glad that we don’t have to do that again for another year! We enjoy our time together immensely, but when you group several families together there is always trouble, and this year was true to form.

My friend Phred said that he was going to call me to see how things had gone, but wasn’t sure if he should call our home, or the County Lock-up, just in case I had murdered someone. Not this year, thankfully!

I did get a lovely belated gift in the mail yesterday, which has wiped out most of the holiday un-cheer, for this year!

The story that I wrote about Butch our cat is out in the current issue of Threads magazine. It was just fun to read the story again, with a bit of editing, but not much, which means I must have written it ok! If you get a chance to find it in your local Borders, see the above link for the front of the magazine, I promise that you will get a chuckle.

Here is a picture of Butch, not really a camera guy, but ya gotta love him!

I will say Happy New Year to you all now, and have a little visit with you on Kimmies sidebar!

Enjoy, Christen

Today is the shortest day of the year, and it is my birthday. Gwen my daughter thought that it was very funny to give me this caution sign 4 years ago… ha ha… but I fear there are times that it is required, HA HA!!! The lovely card is from my mom.

Anyways as I started to write this post I heard a tap on the door, and Gwen came on her way to work, bringing these lovely flowers. The arrangement is so large, I only had a spot big enough for it in the kitchen!

Ah what a great kid.

Here she is in a photo I took last week. She is in her costume for “The Ugly Sweater” contest that was sponsored by work; the contest became an event this year after her ugly sweater from last year. She looks pretty darn cute, and to top off the outfit I let her wear my Christmas decorating tiara. She won the contest!

Along with the flowers she brought some funny balloons, which unfortunately deflated in the rain, but are still very festive. She also brought this plate full of homemade carrot cake.

So now I will say ado, eat some cake, have some more coffee, and have a little visit with you all! See you on the Kimmie’s sidebar, happy day to you.

Cheers, Christen

Today it is coffee in my snowflake mug, well actually I had lemon tea this morning when I woke up at 3:30 AM, but that is another story!

My mom has been sick, and I am not really up to jumpin’ around! Perhaps it is just the weather, it is cold (don’t laugh) here, and we don’t have central heating anymore. So we have little portable heaters which warm your toes, but not your nose, or any other part of the body that is not right next to it!

Sorry to have missed last week, I am in the crunch time with the book. Taking all the how-to pictures has taken the better part of a month and a half. My first draft is due January 3, so work work work!

Happy T-today, will visit all of you on Kimmie’s sidebar in a bit! Happy day, Christen