CHRISTMAS IS OVER WHEN.....

For me Christmas is over when the last of my family
leave to go home to their homes on Christmas night.
The very next day I start taking my Christmas decorations
down. What takes me two weeks to put up takes only two
days for my husband and I to take down and put away.

I now have all my snowmen on display and will leave
them up through the month of January.

I do not know where this year has gone the older I get
the faster the years come and go. 2009 was a good year
for me and my family. I pray 2010 will be the same. It
is the same prayer I pray for all my friends and my children
and their families.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

On this Tea and Friendship Tuesday I wanted

to share with you my cute snowman tea set. I

have already put up my Christmas decorations

and have put out my snowmen that will stay up

through the month of January. I hope all of you

had a wonderful Christmas and I wish all a great

New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

and a bright and Happy New Year.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

This Christmas no matter
what other Christmas traditions
you keep, resolve to make
spending time with your family
the most important one. Don't
get so busy that you miss this
time of love and closeness. The
cookies may be all made, the
gifts all wrapped, the house
fragrant with evergreen and spices--
but what does it matter if we
miss out on the gift of each other?

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF WINTER

Winter

The street cars are

like frosted cakes --

All covered up

with cold snowflakes.

The horses hoofs

Scrunch on the street;

Their eyelashes

Are white with sleet.

And everywhere

The people go --

With faces tickled

By the snow.

~Dorothy Aldis~

CAROLERS

This evening my husband

and I were pleasantly

surprised by a visit from

some carolers from the

Baptist Church in our

neighborhood. It brought

back memories of when

when our children used to

go out with a group from

the same church caroling

around the neighborhood.

The carolers who visited us

this evening did a beautiful

job and I want to thank them

for that and bringing back

the memories.

JOY OF CHRISTMAS

From home to home, and
heart to heart, from one
place to another. The warmth
and joy of Christmas, brings
us closer to each other.
~Emily Matthews~

MORE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

This is the one tree I did not
photograph in my previous
post. It is a four foot aluminum
one that I purchased in the
early 1960's.
Not a very clear picture of the court yard. It
is much prettier when seen first hand.

Night view of Santa in sleigh and deer crossing

bridge.

Daytime view of Santa in sleigh and deer

crossing bridge. My husband cut them out

for me and I did the painting. We have had

them for quite a number of years.

Night-time view of my little house. Hope you

can make out Santa and Mrs. Claus on the right

and the little Christmas tree on the left.

Daytime view of my little house with a better

view of Santa and Mrs. Claus and the tree.

Night-time view of the Manger scene.

Daytime view of the Manger scene.

I have other decorations but these are the main

ones. It is very pretty at night when everything

is lit up. Click on photo's to enlarge them to see

them much better.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

The more you give,
the more you get -
the more you laugh,
the less you fret!
From the book Inspiration for Living
by Helen Steiner Rice

Have a wonderful Tea and
Friendship Tuesday everyone.

CHRISTMAS BAKING

Pumpkin cookies. I baked six dozen of these.

Gingerbread cookies. I lost track of how many

dozen I have baked. I still have enough ingredients

to bake one more batch ( about eight dozen).

Pumpkin breads. All of my children and the two

grandchildren that are married have to get some

of everything I bake. I also give to my friends.

I still have my pies to bake but I do not do them

until the day before Christmas. I now have time

to relax and enjoy the time that is left before

Christmas.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

I am taking a break from my baking. I thought
I'd show some of my Christmas decorations.
This vase contains red and gold ornaments and
a string of clear lights with poinsettias on top.


This tree is my largest one. I am only 5ft. tall
and need a 7ft. ladder to decorate the top. It
has ornaments that have been given to us by
our children, some bought and some homemade.
I also have all my grand children's picture ornaments
on this tree. It takes me all day to decorate it.
It is located in our great room where we spend
most of our time.
I decorate my Victorian room in pink, gold and
silver. The manger is one my grandson and his
wife gave me.




The tree in my Victorian room has silver and gold
ornaments, white lights, and silvery garland.
I have my small collection of Santa's and angels
around the tree.




This is my pom pom silver
aluminum tree I got at a
yard sale last year. It is
is located in my computer
room. Decorated in shades
of green ornaments. I also
hung ornaments and white
snowflakes form my cornice
my husband made me.

This is my white tree with clear

clear lights, purple ornaments,

ribbon garland.

Here is a little better picture

of the same tree. I have also

hung fuzzy lavender snowflakes

and what looks like a grape

cluster (bells) from the cornice.

I have a tree in every room of the

house. They range from two foot

to the large one in the great room

that is 7 foot. My whole house is

decorated. The only tree I did

not take a picture of is a silver

aluminum 4 foot tall it is decorated

in red ornaments. If I think about

it I will take a picture when I take

pictures of my outside decorations.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

The future is not ours to know
and it may never be - so let us
live and give our best and give
it lavishly.

I found this small item in the
book...Inspiration for living by
Helen Steiner Rice.

Have a wonderful Tea and Friendship
Tuesday.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

We woke up to one and half inches of snow this

morning. It really was a winter wonderland and

if one was not in the mood for Christmas yet this

should definitely put them in the mood. I was able

to take a couple of pictures then my camera went

haywire.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARA

Wishing my daughter, Kara,
a very happy birthday. May
you have many many more.
Love you

DECEMBER

"December finds himself again
a child even as he undergoes his
age. Cold and early darkness now
descends, embracing sanctuaries
of delight. More and more he stares
into the night, becoming less and less
concerned with ends, emblem of the
innocent as sage restored to wonder
by what he must yield."
~Nicholas Gordon~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX

Wishing my son-in-law, Alex,
a very happy birthday. May
you have many more. Love you.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Wishing my husband, Karl,
who has been my love, my
best friend and companion
for 55 years a very happy
anniversary. Thank you for
being there when I have
needed you. Love always
Madeline.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

At Grandma's House

I like the taste of turkey any time
throughout the year but it never seems
to taste as good as when Thanksgiving
is here.

Could it be it's all the trimmings that are
cooked with it to eat--but I think it's
eating at Grandma's house that makes
it such a treat!
~Author Unknown~

I want to wish everyone a Happy and Blessed
Thanksgiving.

PIES--PUMPKIN AND PECAN

Just finished baking my pumpkin and pecan
pies for tomorrows dessert. Tomorrow morning
the turkey will go into the oven. We will also have
mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, dressing,
sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, strawberry
jello with strawberries, rolls and assorted drinks.
All the children and grandchildren that are able to come
will be here.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

Thanksgiving Friends

Thanksgiving is a time for
reviewing what we treasure,
the people we hold dear, who
give us so much pleasure.

Without you as my friend, life
would be a bore; having you in
my life is what I'm thankful for.
~Joanna Fuchs~

Hope your Tea and Friendship
Tuesday is one you will always
remember.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

I want to wish my
daughter, Deann and
her husband, Brian a
very Happy Anniversary.
Eighteen years. Love you.

GETTING READY FOR HOLIDAY BAKING

It's that time of year again and I have been busy
gathering all the ingredients for my holiday baking.
I make loafs of pumpkin breads for all my family as
well as gingerbread cookies. I enjoy baking not only
for my family but my friends during the holidays. I
also have to bake a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie (my
husbands favorite) for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

Don't walk in front of me I may
not follow. Don't walk behind me
I may not lead. Just walk beside
me and be my friend.
~Author Unknown~

Have a blessed Tea and Friendship
Tuesday.

VETERANS DAY

Please remember to pray for

all our servicemen and women

and their families. My prayers

and thanks go out to them all and

not only on this day but every day

I give thanks for their service.

God bless them all and GOD BLESS

AMERICA.

TEA AND FRIENDSHIP TUESDAY

The oil of courtesy smoothes
away friction. When in doubt
about whether to apologize or
not--apologize. The smallest
act of kindness can save a
friendship.
~Found in God's little promise book~

Have a great and wonderful Tea and
Friendship Tuesday.

OUTSIDE THANKSGIVING DECORATIONS

In a previous post I showed all my inside
Thanksgiving decorations. Now I will show
you my outside decorations. Most of my
outside decorations are of, pilgrim and
turkey, wood stake outs that my husband
cut out and I painted a few ago when we
were in the craft business. We no longer
are in craft business but still enjoy the ones
I kept for my decorations.

The turkey on the flag is holding a sign saying
free ham.

A close up of my house that is used for my

gardening material and tools. The pumpkins

and dogs are not real.

Hopefully when you click on this photo you can

see it much better.

My house I use to store all my decorations in

is a good place to show off the pilgrims and the

turkey.

This is my colorful turkey. Don't you think he

is a handsome bird?

This turkey is always in my azalea bush with

his sign. Maybe he is giving thanks that he is

not on someones table.

My little picket fence with fall leaf garland and
of course my pilgrims and pumpkin that says
Happy Thanksgiving greets all that drive by.