Happy Holidays and Best Wishes

As I sit here on the morning of Christmas Eve, I have a lot to reflect on as I watch the snow fall.  It truly looks and feels like Christmas today.  I have my Christmas tree up and decorated with the strings of glass beads my great aunts used to put on their trees.  Garland on the shelves with lights and of course the stockings for the puppies and myself.  The only thing missing are the wrapped packages....because I haven't wrapped a single thing yet! 

I just got back inside from clearing the snow from the driveway and sidewalks, I bet there's at least 5 inches out there.  It's the perfect snow too, light and fluffy and ready for a snowman.  My neighbors were out clearing the snow also and the one neighbor boy was going around in his coveralls and Santa hat helping us out.  I hate to sound all Norman Rockwell, but it was picture perfect. 

Tonight for Christmas Eve it's going to just be me and my parents at their house, which will be nice since this is the first Christmas Eve I've had off work in over 7 years.  We will be having some soup, sandwiches (I'll just be having the meat) and just relaxing before the true storm hits...my nieces and nephews tomorrow morning!  My sister, her husband and family should be here in the morning sometime and then let the fun begin!  Which reminds me I'd better charge my new Kodak camera (Merry Christmas to me!) and get it ready for the big event.  I guess that means I'd better get off of here and start wrapping packages.  But before I do, I just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  I hope Santa brings you everything you wished for and that you can all be with your family and loved ones this holiday season. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND BEST WISHES FOR 2011

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Charlie Brown, one of my favorite cartoon characters from growing up.  And even better is the Charlie Brown Christmas special they show every year on TV.  I even own one of those little, sad, pathetic Charlie Brown trees they sell at Walgreen's.  I think I finally broke down and bought one a couple of years ago.  It is one of many trees I put up in my small but festive house.

Today is the day that I'm going to start putting up the trees and decorating the house for the most wonderful time of the year *insert your own favorite Christmas song here* and I can't wait.  This will be the first Christmas with the puppy Stella, so this could be interesting.  She has a thing for dragging the pet bed and the kitchen rugs all over the house, so something tells me the tree skirt won't stay put either!  But I will give it a try and with any luck, she will leave it alone.  I think I'm going to have to invest in a lot of raw hides this Christmas season to keep both she and Quincy out from under the tree.  Quincy loves to lay under there and hang out and try to blend into the packages.  Silly dogs...what would we do without them though, right?

But getting back to my point (you all know how I tend to ramble), I'm pretty excited to get the big tree up today and with any luck will get it almost done today/tonight.  It's a 7 foot tall tree and I usually put about 1300 lights on it.  I think every year Alliant Energy depends on me putting up my tree and lights for bonuses for their employees.  I will have to post a picture of it when I'm all done.  I was looking for pictures of my tree from last year and I can't find them.  If I find those, I'll post one of those as well.  Anywho, I'm off for my walk, a trip to the grocery store and then I'm cranking up the Christmas music (you can stream your own there) and decorating until my little heart is content!