It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....around here. We put up our little tree here in the living room upstairs and there was actually enough decorations to put a few things in the kitchen as well. I did use one thing from the people who own this house; a small fake tree, like one foot tall with lights on it; I added a few balls to it and put it on the counter in the kitchen. The kitchen has an island, so you stand between it and the counter along the wall with the sink in it. Of course huge windows all along it, and outside there is a tall property wall, but they hung some metal sculptures of a big shrimp, fish, crab, it looks good. Lots of counter space. So this island is a long counter and has cabinets underneath on the inside, and the counter hangs over the edge on the other side so we put stools there for eating, and we did eat there when we first got here, but have migrated to the round kitchen table for some reason...Anyway at the far end of the counter I put the little tree with a couple of ornaments in front of it, little standing stuffed reindeer and a santa. Then there a corner cabinet with shelves on the top behind the table and I put a couple of things there as well, and we bough a wreath at a segunda yesterday so the front door is good as well. The front door is exactly like the one we had in the house I grew up in. Solid bottom half and top half windows- like one big window with dividers so it looks like 9 little squares, 3 up and 3 across...with a nail in the middle for the wreath. JUST LIKE when I was a kid....so kinda cool.
Upstairs the tree is next to the tv and to the balcony door, on a small table so Hazel doesn't attack. 2 strings of lights and a ton of tinsel...it looks really pretty. I also set up our manger scene; it's so totally cool, I can't believe I'm the one who ended up with it! My parents started it in 1945 when they got married. The peices come from France, and each year they ordered more pieces. I think it's a complete set. I can't remember the name of the maker of the figurines, they're all hand painted and soooo detailed. Hopefully my sister Karen will read this and send me the name; when I visited her in Paris we saw a store that had figurines made by the same company- not sure why I didn't buy anything, except that I think they were different sets- maybe not even Christmas- like I said I gotta talk to my sister. My memory sucks! I really have CRS (can't remember shit). Anyway, when we were kids my mom would put it up, we weren't allowed to touch the pieces, and we would stand on the piano bench to look- we had a huge upright piano, this old thing that was so tall, and she put it up there. I loved looking at all the pieces; pointing out pieces each year, like the guy with the bear, the thief (a guy who had a knife at his side), the 3 kings, and one of them had a camel. The guy with a basket under his arm with a goose in it. All the figures unique. When my kids were little we'd go to her place and look at it, and I think, when she moved into assisted living- but maybe before that even, she gave it to me. Like I said I don't know why I got it, my little sister also lived nearby, but yipee I have it. I let my kids touch the pieces though, and they have favorite pieces too.
You know, when we were kids we had to put the tinsel on ONE STRAND AT A TIME!!! And you know what? At first I did the same thing when I moved out and had my own tree. It was ok, it was me putting on the tinsel. The other thing my mom did was, she'd let us decorate the tree, and then after we went to bed she's "fix it". When Drewy was little I did the same thing. And then I don't know what happened, maybe it was looking at other people's trees, but I realized the way my kids decorated the tree was perfect- it was beautiful because they did it. I learned it on Drew, cause she's 8 years older than her sister, so I went thru and figured out a lot before kid #2 ha ha. And I also let go of the "one strand at a time", too. Right now my tree is drowning in tinsel! And I did not put it on one strand at a time either, it's thick in places, but it's so shiny when the lights are on!!
I don't know if I wrote about this last year, but all the Christmas decorations make me think of family, but this time in a different, kinda ok way. I have these 3 little elves that were on our Christmas tree growing up, always way up by the top, and now they are so old, and falling apart I have to handle them very carefully. They are made of paper mache or something, and they are more than 50 years old, and about 2 inches long at the most, basically a little head and body like a bee. They used to have hooks from their little hats to hang them but the material had rotted so I put rubber bands around them to attch them to the tree. Those ornaments, remembering mom's rules about the tinsel, that stuff reminds me of my sisters and brothers. The manger scene reminds me mostly of my little sister, we probly climbed up to look together, and then also of my kids. Now I'm remembering my mom & dad cause after the tree was decorated, my dad would read a story out of the bible, when Jesus was born in the manger (and that's the only time of year we ever read the bible), then we'd go get our presents we had hidden in our rooms for each other and be sent to bed. I LOVED getting up Christmas morning, all my life. The Santa presents came during the night, and Santa always put candy canes on the tree. I carried on that tradition, and it didn't matter how old anybody was or what they believed to be true, but the Santa presents come out later, and the candy canes are added to the tree. These memories are nice, and comforting, and I'm ok with them. My mom and dad are gone, but not gone, I can feel them around me sometimes, both of the lately. I talk with my older sister and we email alot. On Thanksgiving I talked to both my sisters and my brother, and my daughter, the younger one is more elusive,,,,so I feel close to everybody. I read last year at this time on my blog and Drewy told me she didn't like to go on my street cause it made her sad. It killed me last year, and kinda a little bit right this minute...but the truth is she has a wonderful life, her own family and making her own traditions with her soon to be step daughter, Danica. I don't know why I say "soon to be". She's Danica's part time mommy right now. And they do artsy craftsy projects around holidays that they'll save and add to next year. We talked a couple of times this week and she told me about how the house is decorated and she's really excited about the Christmas party they're having next weekend.
This weekend they're taking part in an annual toy run for kids so they had to make their Christmas party next week. Anyway what I mean is I feel close to her even though we're far away. I hope she feels the same. I Christmas shopped online (again) at Harry and David mostly; really just for my girls, Everardo's daughter, our renters who are family to us, Rex (Drew's fiance), and Danica. For Danica I shopped on a different website and I hope she likes the games I chose. I thought they were pretty cool, and Drew says they play board games alot; she's 5 and in kindergarten so it was fun. I did actually get her something from H&D as well- a collection of hot chocolates in cute little tins she can use for other things in her new big girl room. She just moved into a much bigger bedroom now that the roommate from hell is gone and she's very excited. As for Elena, Everardo's 16 yr old, I think I remember she likes chocolate, and I got her a gift tower of different chocolates- truffles and other assorted goodies- I don't think she reads my blog so I'm not giving anything away. I sent Rex a gift box of meats, cheeses, and crackers; he's a big boy with a big appetite- maybe save it for the football games on New Years....Drew's is a tiny teapot with a little rose plant in it and some teas...crap I hope she doesn't read this before Christmas, but she's pretty busy so I'm probly good. Halla (my younger daughter) never reads this so no problem....hers is a gift tower of different candies and fruits....it might be the same as last year-ooops hope not. So I'm feeling Christmasy...hmmm yes I do miss my children, all the time, but it feels better somehow, like it's ok. I will always be close to Drew, our hearts are connected, and the distance between me and Halla, well it has nothing to do with miles, ya know? I'm trying really hard to have acceptance around it; to be ok, to just love her and when she wants have a relationship with me, well I'll be there, here. I'll be available. Right now I just have to let her be. She's 20, involved with her friends, her life...I just have to believe she'll find her way back to me and we'll be ok. That's my only choice and me being here or there doesn't affect this. So, in a way...I'm ok. My hubby just made me hot chocolate, my doggys are curled up...and the Christmas lights are blinking, it's nice.
The car radio is playing Christmas music every few songs and that's good- not ready for it all the time yet...we get some station out of San Diego that plays oldies (70's 80's) which is my favorite. This is the first time in a year and a half we've had any radio music in English. This weekend is a huge- maybe 5000 people AA convention in Ensennda, so we will be spending most of the weekend there...Everardo thinks that people we know from the meetings in Penasco will be there- I hope his friend Anna comes- and we will be telling them stay with us don't pay for a hotel, so we may have guests tomorrow and Sunday nite. I love conventions and in Spanish is fine, too. The feelings are the same, and there's always alot of fellowship, food, dances, and fun. Then Sunday nite we're going to Mama Bear's for dinner because she's gonna make macaroni and cheese....and.....wait for it.....it's gonna be my birthday dinner!
Yeah, my birthday is on Tuesday, but she's not open Tue and Wed. Monday is Meatloaf Monday so it has to be Sunday ha ha. Funny thing - I HATE meatloaf, so my best and worst food in the same conversation! It went like this- we stopped in so I could ask when the next time she was making macaroni and cheese. (we went there for dinner our first nite here and she talked about what she makes- and I remembered mac & cheese). So she said, "I don't know, I just make things when they come to me...unless you have a good reason", so I told her it was my birthday and she said that was a good reason. So Sunday it is.
ok merry christmas for now...la la la la la
Upstairs the tree is next to the tv and to the balcony door, on a small table so Hazel doesn't attack. 2 strings of lights and a ton of tinsel...it looks really pretty. I also set up our manger scene; it's so totally cool, I can't believe I'm the one who ended up with it! My parents started it in 1945 when they got married. The peices come from France, and each year they ordered more pieces. I think it's a complete set. I can't remember the name of the maker of the figurines, they're all hand painted and soooo detailed. Hopefully my sister Karen will read this and send me the name; when I visited her in Paris we saw a store that had figurines made by the same company- not sure why I didn't buy anything, except that I think they were different sets- maybe not even Christmas- like I said I gotta talk to my sister. My memory sucks! I really have CRS (can't remember shit). Anyway, when we were kids my mom would put it up, we weren't allowed to touch the pieces, and we would stand on the piano bench to look- we had a huge upright piano, this old thing that was so tall, and she put it up there. I loved looking at all the pieces; pointing out pieces each year, like the guy with the bear, the thief (a guy who had a knife at his side), the 3 kings, and one of them had a camel. The guy with a basket under his arm with a goose in it. All the figures unique. When my kids were little we'd go to her place and look at it, and I think, when she moved into assisted living- but maybe before that even, she gave it to me. Like I said I don't know why I got it, my little sister also lived nearby, but yipee I have it. I let my kids touch the pieces though, and they have favorite pieces too.
You know, when we were kids we had to put the tinsel on ONE STRAND AT A TIME!!! And you know what? At first I did the same thing when I moved out and had my own tree. It was ok, it was me putting on the tinsel. The other thing my mom did was, she'd let us decorate the tree, and then after we went to bed she's "fix it". When Drewy was little I did the same thing. And then I don't know what happened, maybe it was looking at other people's trees, but I realized the way my kids decorated the tree was perfect- it was beautiful because they did it. I learned it on Drew, cause she's 8 years older than her sister, so I went thru and figured out a lot before kid #2 ha ha. And I also let go of the "one strand at a time", too. Right now my tree is drowning in tinsel! And I did not put it on one strand at a time either, it's thick in places, but it's so shiny when the lights are on!!
I don't know if I wrote about this last year, but all the Christmas decorations make me think of family, but this time in a different, kinda ok way. I have these 3 little elves that were on our Christmas tree growing up, always way up by the top, and now they are so old, and falling apart I have to handle them very carefully. They are made of paper mache or something, and they are more than 50 years old, and about 2 inches long at the most, basically a little head and body like a bee. They used to have hooks from their little hats to hang them but the material had rotted so I put rubber bands around them to attch them to the tree. Those ornaments, remembering mom's rules about the tinsel, that stuff reminds me of my sisters and brothers. The manger scene reminds me mostly of my little sister, we probly climbed up to look together, and then also of my kids. Now I'm remembering my mom & dad cause after the tree was decorated, my dad would read a story out of the bible, when Jesus was born in the manger (and that's the only time of year we ever read the bible), then we'd go get our presents we had hidden in our rooms for each other and be sent to bed. I LOVED getting up Christmas morning, all my life. The Santa presents came during the night, and Santa always put candy canes on the tree. I carried on that tradition, and it didn't matter how old anybody was or what they believed to be true, but the Santa presents come out later, and the candy canes are added to the tree. These memories are nice, and comforting, and I'm ok with them. My mom and dad are gone, but not gone, I can feel them around me sometimes, both of the lately. I talk with my older sister and we email alot. On Thanksgiving I talked to both my sisters and my brother, and my daughter, the younger one is more elusive,,,,so I feel close to everybody. I read last year at this time on my blog and Drewy told me she didn't like to go on my street cause it made her sad. It killed me last year, and kinda a little bit right this minute...but the truth is she has a wonderful life, her own family and making her own traditions with her soon to be step daughter, Danica. I don't know why I say "soon to be". She's Danica's part time mommy right now. And they do artsy craftsy projects around holidays that they'll save and add to next year. We talked a couple of times this week and she told me about how the house is decorated and she's really excited about the Christmas party they're having next weekend.
This weekend they're taking part in an annual toy run for kids so they had to make their Christmas party next week. Anyway what I mean is I feel close to her even though we're far away. I hope she feels the same. I Christmas shopped online (again) at Harry and David mostly; really just for my girls, Everardo's daughter, our renters who are family to us, Rex (Drew's fiance), and Danica. For Danica I shopped on a different website and I hope she likes the games I chose. I thought they were pretty cool, and Drew says they play board games alot; she's 5 and in kindergarten so it was fun. I did actually get her something from H&D as well- a collection of hot chocolates in cute little tins she can use for other things in her new big girl room. She just moved into a much bigger bedroom now that the roommate from hell is gone and she's very excited. As for Elena, Everardo's 16 yr old, I think I remember she likes chocolate, and I got her a gift tower of different chocolates- truffles and other assorted goodies- I don't think she reads my blog so I'm not giving anything away. I sent Rex a gift box of meats, cheeses, and crackers; he's a big boy with a big appetite- maybe save it for the football games on New Years....Drew's is a tiny teapot with a little rose plant in it and some teas...crap I hope she doesn't read this before Christmas, but she's pretty busy so I'm probly good. Halla (my younger daughter) never reads this so no problem....hers is a gift tower of different candies and fruits....it might be the same as last year-ooops hope not. So I'm feeling Christmasy...hmmm yes I do miss my children, all the time, but it feels better somehow, like it's ok. I will always be close to Drew, our hearts are connected, and the distance between me and Halla, well it has nothing to do with miles, ya know? I'm trying really hard to have acceptance around it; to be ok, to just love her and when she wants have a relationship with me, well I'll be there, here. I'll be available. Right now I just have to let her be. She's 20, involved with her friends, her life...I just have to believe she'll find her way back to me and we'll be ok. That's my only choice and me being here or there doesn't affect this. So, in a way...I'm ok. My hubby just made me hot chocolate, my doggys are curled up...and the Christmas lights are blinking, it's nice.
The car radio is playing Christmas music every few songs and that's good- not ready for it all the time yet...we get some station out of San Diego that plays oldies (70's 80's) which is my favorite. This is the first time in a year and a half we've had any radio music in English. This weekend is a huge- maybe 5000 people AA convention in Ensennda, so we will be spending most of the weekend there...Everardo thinks that people we know from the meetings in Penasco will be there- I hope his friend Anna comes- and we will be telling them stay with us don't pay for a hotel, so we may have guests tomorrow and Sunday nite. I love conventions and in Spanish is fine, too. The feelings are the same, and there's always alot of fellowship, food, dances, and fun. Then Sunday nite we're going to Mama Bear's for dinner because she's gonna make macaroni and cheese....and.....wait for it.....it's gonna be my birthday dinner!
Yeah, my birthday is on Tuesday, but she's not open Tue and Wed. Monday is Meatloaf Monday so it has to be Sunday ha ha. Funny thing - I HATE meatloaf, so my best and worst food in the same conversation! It went like this- we stopped in so I could ask when the next time she was making macaroni and cheese. (we went there for dinner our first nite here and she talked about what she makes- and I remembered mac & cheese). So she said, "I don't know, I just make things when they come to me...unless you have a good reason", so I told her it was my birthday and she said that was a good reason. So Sunday it is.
ok merry christmas for now...la la la la la
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