A Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas

I Haven't Disappeared

I haven't disappeared or really done anything exciting.  Most of my time is spent reading old Italian birth, death and marriage records.  I have over 7,500 people in my tree.  But I did want to take some time to wish each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and whatever else it is you are celebrating at this time of year.

I have also been busy preparing dinner for the family.  For the first time in many years all of my sons will be here for Christmas.  Our menu is as follows:

Poached Shrimp w cocktail sauce

Assorted cheeses, nuts, and fruit

Turkey Breast

Stuffed Cabbage

Kielbasa w Sauerkraut

Pierogies

Peas and Carrots

Mizeria

Rolls

Chocolate cake

Cranberry loaf

We are scheduled to have temps in the 50's so these snowmen will have to do for now.

I leave you with this door that my lab partners and I decorated back in the mid-1970's.  The three angels are the three of us who worked together in the chemistry lab.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

It wouldn't be a holiday on my blog if I didn't post my menu.  And share a few pictures.  The menu is as follows:

Veggie, grape and cheese Christmas tree

Crab balls with aioli

Crescent cheese tree

Standing rib with horseradish sauce

Pastitsio

Green beans with bacon and onions

Roasted carrots and squash

Popovers

Lemon cake with raspberry sauce

Cookies

One thing I have learned this holiday is that starting decorating early really relieves some of the hustle and bustle stress.  I also purchased frozen crab balls and the lemon cake.  As I get older I have tried to simplify my kitchen chores.  

I took a few pictures; the bookcase corner:

The Santa wreath:

And an early delivery from Santa:

Charlie reminded me that I needed to open the chimney (after he tried to look up it) to make sure that Santa could come down.  

It should be a fun day.  I hope yours is too.  I am just wondering how my grandparents ever managed Christmas with their family of seven adult children, eight grandchildren, plus assorted aunts and uncles.  As a kid I never realized how daunting it had to be to feed and entertain everyone.  There are things I remember including making kielbasa, egg noodles and pierogies at Grandma's house.

Merry Christmas

On the First Day of Christmas...

Merry Christmas

The Christmas Menu

It's that time and family are asking me if I have set my menu for Christmas dinner.  That is kinda funny since I decided back in September what I was making.  I had at least three other large dinners to plan and did not want to repeat any foods.  So, without further ado, here is the final? menu.

Baked Brie and fig jam tart

Assorted cheeses, fresh fruit, nuts, crackers

Baked Ham w Mango Chutney

Potato and Fennel Gratin

Green Beans 

Glazed Baby Carrots

Buttermilk Biscuits w Orange Butter

Chiffon cake with lemon curd and raspberry filling

Assorted cookies and maybe some brownies

Wordless Wednesday - Waiting for the Real Santa

There's no fire in this fireplace.

I Prefer my Snowmen Indoors

They are predicting up to three inches of snow today (they are never right, so who knows).  I prefer all my snow creatures to be inside the house.  Here are a few.

Update:  It has snowed off and on today and I have gotten several travel and weather advisories.  The latest one says: "Disorganized moderate snow is affecting the area." 
 Can someone tell me what 'disorganized snow' is?  Is there 'organized snow'? 

The Lost Plates

I mentioned in a previous post that I had some Christmas plates and that I had misplaced them.  I found them in a cabinet in the basement last summer (when I was complaining how hot it was, if only...).  After I wrote the post, I decided to go looking for them.  And they weren't there.  It was obvious that I had brought them upstairs, but for the life of me I couldn't remember where I stashed them.

Of course, something is always in the last place you would think to look which is why I found them in the bar cabinet under the cheese plates.  No idea why or when I did that.  Anyway, here is a pic:

The plates are from Lillian Vernon .  They are labelled Carrigaline Pottery, County Cork, Ireland.  As I recall (go ahead, laugh), I received a free plate after purchasing so many dollars in merchandise.  I will not even attempt to remember what I purchased from her.  I do remember receiving their catalog - long before I had a website to peruse.  And I am guessing that since they are dated 1978 and I put them away in 1980, I must have used them at least twice.

I enjoy having dated items.  My Christmas tree has a dated ornament for every year back to sometime in the 1970's.  I always say I am going to photograph them but then there are so many thing to do that it just doesn't happen.  I did take a few pics this year:

 1983, the influence of children in decorating

Perfect for the family cook

One of several glass ball ornaments that were issued each year.  This one is dated 1994 on the back.  I have seven of these for different years.

These are two from the same year, 1979.  I must have really been in the Christmas spirit.  Son Mark was 2 1/2 and Jason was 1.

Some years I could not find a dated ornament I really liked which is why this little mushroom house says 1978 on the bottom.  And then I have the complete dated Hallmark collection of the rocking horses - all 16 of them plus the special issue in 2013 for 40 years of memories.  Charlie loves rearranging these on the table as I obviously am not doing it right.  More pics when I have the time - lol.
And, I also figured out why the colors on my photos were always 'off'.  It seems that I inadvertently changed the setting a long ways back.  Sometimes I could correct in the editing program, other times I just gave up.  Here is a pic of my front arrangement that is more true to life:

So, Christmas is one week away?  Are you ready?  I always say if something doesn't get done, no one is likely to notice but you.  Then again, my kids asked if I was making my lemon snowball cookies and I said no.  Guess who is baking more cookies later this week.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

It has been ages since I participated in a Wednesday Hodgepodge.  Last June to be exact.  I read the questions and then decide that Wordless Wednesday is more my style and what I have time for.  But this week, I decided WTHeck.

1. Are you more task oriented or people oriented? Elaborate.
Very definitely task-oriented.  Usually 'cause I find that helpers are not really helpful when I have a task and I prefer to do it myself.  It is amazing that I taught in the hospital for eight years.  Then again, I was teaching students how to perform a task and do it right.

2. December 15 is National Wear Your Pearls Day...do you own/wear pearls?  Everyone share a 'pearl of wisdom' with us here today.
I have a pearl necklace.  I only have it because one of my sons told his dad that he wanted to get his Mom something really nice for Mother's Day.  When you know that one year I received an 5 HP self-propelled lawn mower, the request makes sense.  Alas, I can't even remember the last time I wore them, but it was way before I retired in 2008.
As for a 'pearl of wisdom', this is what a guy told me his mother told him when he first got serious with a girl.  'If you want to make a woman happy, never buy her anything with an electrical cord.' 

3. Speaking of pearls...oysters? Are you a fan or not a fan? If you answered yes, tell us your favorite way to eat oysters? If you said no, be honest-have you ever tried one or does just the idea of eating an oyster make you gag a little?

I like oysters and used to enjoy them as oysters Rockefeller at the old Joe Muer's in Detroit. I cannot remember the last time I had them, maybe not since I quit working at the hospital in 1977.

4. Time Magazine has named President-elect Donald Trump Person of the Year. Let's take presidents and presidential candidates out of the mix for a minute. If a political figure had not been chosen who would you name Man or Woman of the Year for 2016?
OK.  This just takes too much thought.  DT wins the election and Bob Dylan gets a Nobel Prize.  Talk about the world going to hell....(IMO)

5. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2017 has been announced, and it's a vibrant green aptly named-greenery. Your thoughts? Is this a color currently in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade for the new year? Click here to see the color.
I have green in my home, but not this shade.  Here are the colors I have in the living and dining areas (paint chips on a red tablecloth):

The two greens are much more subtle than the selection, so much so that when I tried to get a pic, they faded out on here.  Which is odd since the prior post shows almost perfect colors with the Christmas tree.  (don't even ask why I still have the paint chips considering these rooms were last painted about ten years ago.)  I love color and could never live in some of those rooms I see on HGTV where everything is some shade of taupe or beige.

6. Today I've had too much________________________.
Cold weather.  And this is just the start of the cold.  How many days till spring?

7. Share a favorite lyric from a favorite Christmas carol.
The first carol that comes to mind is Adeste Fideles - O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant....  I no longer attend church and I don't go carolling, so not much chance I'll be singing it.  But unlike some moron on Amazon, I do not think you need to be Christian to sing carols.  They are just beautiful songs.  It's like saying you can't sing a love song if  you've never been in love.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
December 12, 1980 was the last time I ever saw my Dad.  He was here for my son's birthday. Dad died suddenly on Christmas Eve that year.  This year I have thought more about it since reading posts of several bloggers who find this time of year difficult.  
The year he died I was upset because I only had five Christmas dessert plates and I needed six.  And then I only needed five.  I felt as though I had cursed our family.  I put the plates away and never used them again.  I had no idea where they were, but found them this summer.  And now I am again wondering where I stashed them.    

Tree Number Four

I just realized that this year all four Christmas trees are in the same room.  The last one is up and Charlie found the ornaments interesting.

I still have enough ornaments to decorate another tree.  And that is after clearing out many of them a few years ago and donating them.  I was quite spartan with the ornaments though this year.  I wanted each of them to stand out on their own.  Now, I get to enjoy the decorations for a few weeks.
The only thing left to do is put out the village.  But that will go on the table where Charlie has his train, so it will have to wait until my babysitting ends for the holidays.  I have a train to put under the tree and can't wait to see his face when he sees it.

A Visit to Frankenmuth, MI

Anyone who lives in Michigan is sure to have heard of Bronner's Christmas Store.  It is in Frankenmuth, Michigan, about one hour from my home and I have been there on numerous occasions.  I blogged about it during the last A to Z Challenge.

A few weeks ago I made a trip there to gather some Christmas items and remembered to take my camera.  The current location is much larger than the one I first visited - I can't remember how long ago.  The new location opened in 1976 and covers more than seven acres.  That's a lot of Christmas!

Of course, while you are in Frankenmuth you can walk around the lovely little town and eat a fabulous chicken dinner at one of two restaurants.  I've even stayed at the hotel there for conferences.  But this post is just to show you some of the lovely interior of this very large store.  You can buy all sorts of Christmas items - even a Christmas sock with a dinosaur on it.

Happy Holidays!!!

Three Down and One to Go

I am decorating early this year.  Much earlier than I have in the past, which is usually the week before Christmas.  I just decided to get it out there for Charlie to enjoy.  That being said, I obviously have no idea how to do it right since he has moved items around and made sure that I noticed how it is supposed to be done.  Did I mention he is only 2 1/2 years old?

There are four different trees and three of them are up.  To be fair, one tree requires absolutely no work on my part.  Take it out of the box, put a star on top,  and set it on a table.  Done.

And to be even more honest, tree number two gets put away decorated.  It's about 4.5 feet tall, but is easy enough to handle.  So all I need to do is unwrap it and plug in the lights.

Then I have an old wire tree that I purchased at Smith and Hawken many moons ago.  I do not even remember what I used it for when I bought it, but in more recent years many of my Hallmark ornaments have ended up on it.

This all is so easy compared to bringing out the 7.5 foot tree and decorating it.  If I ever were to build another home, I would have a closet where I could roll the decorated tree for the eleven months of the year when it is not being looked at.  These Santas have that look in their eyes that I have when I think of putting the tree up and then taking it down again:

Christmas Memories

It was a long day.  Yesterday was a day for me to just 'chill'.  Here are some photos from Christmas.
The Initial Shock:

Discovering the train in the village:

My first Christmas cookie:

Don't worry, I'll have it together in no time:

See? 

Oh what a day!!!

This guest post is by Charlie.

From My House to Yours...

Merry Christmas

More Santas and Trees

Still waiting for Santa?  Here are more figures from my collection:

 These are child friendly and cuddly

On the tree

 

Snowshoeing Santa 

The Santa on the front door and another old fashioned Santa

My Hallmark ornament tree

A new tree for this year made from the leaves of the Narra tree in the Philippines.

Merry Christmas!