It's almost Christmas and all is well. I am ahead of schedule on all counts. Presents are wrapped and all that is left are those few things I leave on purpose for Christmas Eve. Seriously, I don't know why, but I love the last minute Christmas Shopping.
This is my first year without a child - since I moved and left my two youngest daughters in the large family home, into a very tiny - one person size house (one of the many memories of 2015) this is the first time in 40 years it will be just me and a dog. Me moving was the only way it seemed I could get that "Empty Nest" Someone was always moving back home - so!!!. It was funny trying to fit all the Christmas decorations in my new home - so I had to leave several of them - that was sad. But the over all peace of living alone was well worth it - now this is me - Having had six kids, and now 10 grand kids - Peace and Quiet is good.
New Year, New Traditions:
Christmas eve will be with my sister and friends.
I will travel Christmas day - dropping off the presents at each house - all my kids are local, That will be fun to see all the presents at each home and individual attention to each family.
I am having a open house on New Year's day. And I have invited them all - fingers crossed they stagger their time of arrival and departure, because there is no way everyone will fit in this house at the same time. But I do have late and early risers so I am pretty sure we will be fine. Just soups and chili - so it will do well to the eat when you get here thing.
Book Club:
Last finish - A Room with A View - I loved this read. After I finished I watched the movie. I usually don't like love stories - but this one I did.
Next Book: To Kill a Mocking Bird. That is the CNY Book of the Year for 2016, which is why our Book Club is reading it. I have read this book I bet about 5 times - the last time was only in the fall, One of my favorites,
Stitching News;
As everyone else it's been limited so I am a little far behind with my December goals - but that is pretty normal for me - so at least with the holiday season I have lots of good reasons.
First up - My WIP from a Crazy Cross Stitch Start I did in 2013 The fabric is black and this is a terrible picture - I hope the next shot will be better. I have a 2016 goal to finish three more of those I started in 2013 This is from a Leisure Arts Magazine - February 1993. That has been a very long tine on my todo list. The thread is DMC 3844. I really like the blue with the black. Below is a new start - Trilogy - Winterology. The 2nd in the series I am doing - hope to finish this and Spring and Summer in 2016. I am blogging from home so no picture editor and my WIP is as you can tell standing up and it should be lying down.
Final note: I do celebrate Christmas - it represents a big part of my Faith. It is a time of Good Will towards ALL and my wishes for peace and joy are not based on how I worship, or what this day means to me - I only hope that we call all find a way to celebrate all of our neighbors, and keep kindness and love in our hearts.
