The family is here and it’s time to trim the tree. Having a houseful of people you love is truly a treat and we are SO lucky. All together there are eight of us, plus two dogs and one cat and we are getting ready for the holidays. Very little decorating had gone on here. The house concert (did I not blog about it? I will, and add pictures, soon) took my attention and we really needed the space so the tree didn't go up until yesterday.
The deck was shoveled so the tree could be brought in through the French doors. Like magic, when I returned from walking the dog the tree was in the living room and looked great, but very bare. All decorations are stored in tubs in the garage attic. Boxes were unloaded and brought into the house. Lights were placed while dinner was prepared and the house smelled of roast and pine needles.
After dinner the boxes began to be unpacked. Like many of you, we love to look at the decorations and tell the stories they bring to mind. When did this one appear, who purchased that one, this was a gift from... and so on. Looking into one large plastic tub Michael stopped unpacking when he saw mice damage. He was worried that the mouse was still in there. I continued unpacking and sure enough, the cutest little brown mouse came running out. He ran around the fireplace and into the powder-room then down the hole the hot water pipes come up through. Now we have a mouse in the basement somewhere.
We are starting to miss Seymour the cat! Well, we've missed him periodically since his move to Alaska, but most notably when we see creatures in the garage (or house in this case); he was definitely a great hunter and kept us pest free. Some of our decorations were destroyed, but the damage wasn’t too bad. This Christmas we are will be listening and hoping that on Christmas Eve, not a creature is stirring. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thanksgiving
Its been a while since we traveled out of state for the holiday, but this year we did just that. We visited family in Chicago and had a blast. Who would have thought that adults could play like children and have such fun!
My sister hosted (very brave of her) and my Mom & Step-dad, all 3 of my siblings and most of the children attended. The only missing children were my oldest who live out of state. In addition to this were a variety of friends, some who came for dinner and some after just for the fun. Well, I thought it was fun...my sister may still be cleaning up from the day!
Luckily travel was good this year. We had a rainy trip down with a detour of a few miles and a sick dog (don't give bones as treats on a long ride....lesson learned!) but was otherwise uneventful. The temperatures were well above freezing, unlike past trips. One in particular I remember because I had offered to bring down a fresh turkey from a local turkey farm and ended up in a hotel overnight around St. Joseph due to a horrible snow storm. All worked out fine that year, but it was nice not to have the stress this year.
Dinner was wonderful, of course. How can Thanksgiving dinner be anything but wonderful. Lots of food to choose from. Our family tradition is to have Polish foods in addition to the traditional Turkey & sides. In addition to turkey, dressing, sweet & white potatoes, peas & carrots, cranberry, etc. we had fresh Polish sausage, Kapusta, & a variety of Peirogi - all yummy & MUCH to much food. Of course this was all followed by pies, many of them!
After dinner the fun began. My younger brother (the youngest sibling) took pictures and I'm sharing one here. My sister
had some silly string, which soon devolved into whipped cream. I don't know how it started, but it sure was fun! The uncles (my brothers) are such great role models. I can't think of anything better for children to see than adults playing and having fun. All I could think about what what wonderful memories the children would have!
Cleaning up the (people are easy) carpet, walls, etc. are another story. My sister is a true sport.
My sister hosted (very brave of her) and my Mom & Step-dad, all 3 of my siblings and most of the children attended. The only missing children were my oldest who live out of state. In addition to this were a variety of friends, some who came for dinner and some after just for the fun. Well, I thought it was fun...my sister may still be cleaning up from the day!
Luckily travel was good this year. We had a rainy trip down with a detour of a few miles and a sick dog (don't give bones as treats on a long ride....lesson learned!) but was otherwise uneventful. The temperatures were well above freezing, unlike past trips. One in particular I remember because I had offered to bring down a fresh turkey from a local turkey farm and ended up in a hotel overnight around St. Joseph due to a horrible snow storm. All worked out fine that year, but it was nice not to have the stress this year.
Dinner was wonderful, of course. How can Thanksgiving dinner be anything but wonderful. Lots of food to choose from. Our family tradition is to have Polish foods in addition to the traditional Turkey & sides. In addition to turkey, dressing, sweet & white potatoes, peas & carrots, cranberry, etc. we had fresh Polish sausage, Kapusta, & a variety of Peirogi - all yummy & MUCH to much food. Of course this was all followed by pies, many of them!
After dinner the fun began. My younger brother (the youngest sibling) took pictures and I'm sharing one here. My sister
had some silly string, which soon devolved into whipped cream. I don't know how it started, but it sure was fun! The uncles (my brothers) are such great role models. I can't think of anything better for children to see than adults playing and having fun. All I could think about what what wonderful memories the children would have!Cleaning up the (people are easy) carpet, walls, etc. are another story. My sister is a true sport.
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