My Contribution to the Cold Posts

I am a little late posting about my cold weather experience. I had an extremely busy week last week, and barely had time to read blogs much less comment. I tried though because I love my blog friends.

Jeff had scheduled my Christmas gift last week as well as giving him some needed time away from work. We were able to do part of it, but we had a few hiccups in our plan and had to return earlier.

I shared with my family (same as last year) that any gift that I had to find a place for in my home was a "NO GO." I don't even need clothes, so they are struggling to find me a gift. I have made a wish list on 123Stitch, so hopefully I will have some fun new stuff for 2018. If I don't have any more time than I have had for the month of December I will be sad. Hopefully, after this week it should settle down a bit.

My view as I type this morning. Lemony has the ball, Gus wants it. He is now 6 months old. Happy playmates.

Back to the trip.

I haven't shared a ton on this blog about my obsession with space, but I do have one. A big one! I spent years in my classroom hoping to inspire the next generation and I have a ton of memorabilia that I have collected.

If there is something going on anywhere near me I try to be there. Our closest friends are back in Huntsville and the company that he works for sponsored a moonwalker at the facilities in Huntsville on Thursday. We headed up Wednesday evening to visit them and attend.  I have actually seen four moonwalkers over the course of time and this would make number 5. It is the 45th anniversary of Apollo 17's landing, so Harrison Schmidt was in Huntsville. My friend got me into the presentation and even got me an autograph to go with my collection that will NOT end up on eBay until I am gone. We also got to tour his son's work location which was so cool to see him all grown up and doing some very cool work. Our kids grew up together and are best of friends.

We were going to come back to our cabin on Thursday and go to the lights at Calloway Gardens on Friday night.

All of this was subject to how things went with Jeff's brother. He had been in extreme pain the few days before we left. We honestly left worried that cancer had returned and was the culprit. He was scheduled for a procedure on Thursday morning, but insisted we go on for the trip.

We went to bed on Thursday night preparing to leave early Friday morning and return home instead of the trip to Calloway. He had been in the hospital and Jeff knew his sister needed help. Both of Jeff's siblings are older than him. Jeff was the accident baby. He is 14 and 12 years younger.

It all has turned out fine. Jeff's brother is doing much better. The procedure has ended up being successful. Biopsies have been taken, but the doctor feels hopeful that it is not the cancer returned. We would have some very cold temps and snow to contend with if we had stayed for the lights.

We got outside Huntsville and drove very slowly through snow to just north of Montgomery. The trip took way longer because we Southerners do NOT know how to deal with snow. Actually Jeff did an amazing job and I just enjoyed the show of being in a snow globe. I enjoyed the views immensely, but was happy to leave it in Alabama.

On the way home. Somewhere on I 65 near Birmingham.

Apparently, it snowed here overnight Saturday, but I missed it sleeping. It is very cold here. I am not going to complain as I said this summer nearly did me in with the humidity.

Hopefully, I will be back on my normal routine this week. I really need to do some shopping. Don't tell me if you have all yours done. I am way behind, but I will get there.

Christmas Home Tour 2017 Part 2

I am back with the remainder of the Christmas tour. The family room and kitchen are where we live most of the time.

Since I posted so quickly, if you missed Part 1, you can check it out here.

The Christmas tree is the star of any Christmas tour to me, and I love ALL Christmas trees. Big, small, white lights, colored lights, fancy, or simple. I just love the lights.

The ornaments are mostly collected over 33 years of marriage and few each from out childhood. The tree skirt was made my me way back in the 1980's.

I have it decorated all the way around so when you are standing on the deck of the bay window you can see a decorated tree as well. 

The shelves are decorated. Notice the afghan Mama made me:)

Some close-ups.

I am still wanting to mount the cardinals cross stitch onto a piece of wood or something, but the right thing has not come along yet. I will be patient and by next year maybe I will have something.

The cross stitch piece below is an ornament, but it has 2017 on it so I will put it on the tree next year.

Now, let's notice that the coffee table is bare and would look great with something Christmas on it...

Sweet little Gus who is will be six months old on December 8th has the idea that anything put on this table is for him to play with. Bare it stays for now.

Now onto the kitchen.

This counter rarely gets used, so it is my display area.

The kitchen table.

The candles are bayberry candles that I purchased from http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com . I love her little store. Great quality.

The kitchen island.

There were a few more things in the kitchen, but the lighting was not cooperating, so I left it at that.

One more picture. My favorite little ceramic tree that is really from the 1970's. I talked Mama out of it several years ago. It is sitting in my sewing room.

That is all folks. 

I have scaled it back as I get older. Nothing in the bedroom or downstairs. I will try and do an outside tour next week.

I am headed out of town for a few days, so I will be back next week with some year end reflections.

Merry Christmas all,

Sandy