That Time of the Year.........Christmas!!

Due to allergies our Christmas tree, garland and wreaths are all plastic. The good in that - we decorated the week before Thanksgiving!

Our tree is decorated with white lights and pewter ornaments. With the wood stove going the house is cheerful and cozy.




This shows my nutcracker collection. Some good - some cheap chinese stuff.


This weekend we did other Christmas related activities. My wife does a cookie swap each year. Bake 9 dozen cookies of a single type. Every other participant does also. Come home with 8 dozen cookies of 8 different varities. One dozen of the  nine you make is set out for all participants to taste. ML has won best tasting cookie for the last 3 years.
This is ML baking a chocolate chip, brickle, pecan and cranberry cookie. This was one of 6 taste bakes and will be ML's entry this year.


ML is very organized and 95% of our shopping was completed prior to Thanksgiving. We spent ALL day Sunday wrapping.


Being so organized - ML puts the gifts in bags for each recipient. I much prefer the presents stacked under the tree and fished out for the recipient on Christmas morn.


Through all this Toby remained nonplussed.


It was a good weekend.
Twenty two more days. We're ready and looking forward to it. As the song goes "It's the most wonderful time of the year"

Decorations/Tree look fantastic! Would loved to have been one of the cookie testers

Due to a disastrous 12 footer last year, my wife finally had it with "real" trees. Putting up the fake tree last night wasn't nearly as fun and the house didn't smell like pine this morning. Then again, the fake tree has the built-in lights so there is a silver lining

Looks good, Phil. Cozy and comfy. May Mary Lou and you enjoy the season.

HoosierShave
Thanks. Our dogs are the official taste testers. Though they are terrible at it - they love them all.

Yes pre-lit trees are wonderful.
Plus LED lights that last forever. A vast improvement over the 4 watt colored nightlight size bulbs of my youth.
The "twinkle" size incandescent lights were an improvement over the 4 watts until one burnt out and the whole string went dark.

With the LED "twinkle" size lights expected longevity I may never have to fuss with a dark light string in my lifetime. Life is good.

Right back at you Freddy and Happy Hanukkah!!