A little bit o' Christmas.

If only I were a more talented photographer.

Each of my three daughters has taken classes in photography. Violet has a beautiful (read: expensive) camera. All of the photos taken with other cameras are nicer than these. But you'll have to put up with mine!


Blackeyed Susan and Alvin Fernald were invited to a "fancy" party Christmas week. Don't you love when your kids get gussied up?

Alvin and his girlfriend Hannah.

Susan and her boyfriend Devonte.

I had to make new Christmas-baking aprons for my four oldest grands, because they, well, they just outgrew their toddler ones. (imagine that.) Here are three of them, with their brother, who still fits in a little one:

Laura Carrot, Junior Asparagus, Cambridge, Sweet Pea.


Susan made Devonte a hat! She picked up crocheting again (first time in years), and finished very quickly. I love her comment: "it's so nice to have something to do with your hands while you're doing something else."

I made flannel jammy pants for the grands, as I always do. But the two older girls wanted matching pjs for their dolls, so I did the nightgown thing. I had forgotten how wonderful flannel nightgowns were. This won't be the last pair I make!

Charming found a present for our newest granddaughter that he just couldn't resist. Put on your Justin Timberlake voice and sing it with me: "I'm bringin' chubby back..."

Tiger Lily sportin' a 'tude.

One thing I don't understand. My thighs look exactly like Tiger Lily's, but nobody thinks they're cute.

Christmas Day was quieter. We had a slowish day, then dinner at night. Several of the family were at other commitments, so all of the grownups fit at the "grownup" table. We had music later, to finish the evening.

We are looking forward to a more normal schedule for Charming, who now works in retail. He was almost three weeks without a day off, and his store was open 7 am to midnight the last week. Incredibly, he has two days off this week! I'm going to have to remember what that is like.

My prayers for a blessed New Year go out to all of you!

Don't eat yellow snowflakes.

Alvin has an "ugly Christmas sweater" party at school today. I pulled out the sweater my Daddy wore for Christmases most of the way through the 60's. (not that it's ugly or anything...)

I kept the sweater in order to make a toss pillow out of it. Alvin, however, has claimed it for himself, for as long as the spirit lingers.

By the way, the sweater is "100% acrylic", which explains the lack of moth hole damage. It will probably look exactly the same a hundred years from now!

I'm out of the Cottage today...

I'm over visiting at Fresh Starts today. The link is to my own blog entry. Be sure to also go the main blog and read all of the entries for Advent. And tune in every Monday for a great new devotional!

In and out of the car eight times. Not a good thing.

Okay, if I never drive again it will be too soon. Yesterday went like this:

7:10 am drove Blackeyed Susan to school. Alvin's friend was picking him up.

8:00 am drove Joe Hardy across town to college. His battery is bad, and can't fix it till Friday.

Was supposed to drive 4-year-old Blueberry to pre-school, but his daddy was home.

9:30 am. Got a call from Lily. Could I drive Sweet Pea to ballet?

10:00-11:00 am. Sat at ballet, and met the greatest Catholic lady! Talked about lots of stuff--we are definitely going to be friends.

After driving Sweet Pea home, I actually was home for two hours! Took a nap.

2: 00 pm. Drove to the pickup line at high school. After sitting for 40 minutes, Alvin said, "didn't I tell you I didn't need a ride home?" (no.) Susan went to a friend's after school.

3;40 pm. Drove Alvin to work at the mall.

4:00 pm. Picked up Joe Hardy at college.

4:30 pm. Dropped off Joe at his house. Called Susan: are you ready? no.

6:15. Forget-me-not called. Could I go sit with the kids for a half-hour? She was getting off work late, and her hubby had to leave.

7:25 pm. Forget-me-not finally home. Called Susan--she was finally ready.

7:35 pm. Picked up Susan.

7:40 pm. Home again. Took Don Quixote and his laundry home.

7:50 pm. Home. Supper.

8:45 pm. Off to the mall to pick Alvin up.

9:20 pm. Home. Called Joe Hardy. Told him he could borrow my car tomorrow. Going to call all of my children and tell them that the only people I am driving/babysitting are the ones that live under my roof.

Alternately, going into hiding in a convent.

gotta love the English language.

I asked Don Quixote (fount of all useless and sometimes useful knowledge): Honey, you know how they used to hang a bell outside of caskets because sometimes they would bury someone alive by mistake? I know that we get one of our idioms from that, but I can't remember what it is.

Don to Mom:

They had people who worked the graveyard shift so that dead ringers could be saved by the bell.

Mom to Don:

Show-off.

(but don't you think it is funny that we get *three* of our idioms from one situation?)

Bono calls the Church on the carpet.

Food for thought:



"Stop asking God to bless your work. Find out what God is already doing, because it is already blessed."