It's Almost Christmas

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.