Has Christmas really come and gone already?  Wasn’t it just a few days ago I was putting out the pumpkins for Autumn and decorating for that season?  Seems that when October gets here the days just fly toward December 25th.  I don’t know why, but for me they do.  It’s all a blur.

I finally crashed today after church. I knew it was coming because I have been on warp speed for the last few weeks.  I came home from having dinner and laid down on my bed and slept for hours.  I am still extremely tired, almost like jet lag.

But, enough of that.  We had a very pleasant Christmas.  I say that because after everyone had gone home David said, “Now that was a nice Christmas.”  It wasn’t gawdy or raucous and the food wasn’t all that splendid because I just didn’t feel like cooking a big dinner, but everyone seemed to enjoy the day.   I must say the grandboys hit the bonanza with gifts.  Their uncle gave them their favorite gifts this year.

Cincinnati Reds backpacks. But that wasn’t all. Inside the backpacks were Reds jerseys, tickets to a Reds game and a scorecard book to various other Reds’ activities.  The boys loved them.

This boy put on his bathrobe I had made him and his backpack and did not take them off the entire day!  Look, what movie is on television?  It runs all day on Christmas.

Did I mention how tall my grandson is and that all the rest of us are Hobbits?

Yes,  we are all Hobbits.

My older son had asked me to make him a quilt for his couch, so I did.  I think he liked it.  It’s called the Australian Bush quilt.  I have made several of these.  Got the pattern from a quilt magazine years ago.  I use to teach classes on it.

I made our daughter a butterfly quilt and I forgot to take a picture of it.  As usual.  I’ll try to remember to get a picture of it when we are at her house this week.

I received some nice gifts.  A new computer since mine broke a few months ago and I have been using my husband’s old one.  I received this wonderful picture.  Reminds me of the place where I grew up for some reason.  I don’t know why, since our barn was red, but we did have several out buildings like in this picture.  And there was always a snowman in the yard or barn lot during the winter months.

Remember that big mystery box I received from Santa?  The one I couldn’t open until Christmas?  This was in it and I love it.  An antique chicken feeder. From a friend who knows I love chickens.    I have never seen one with such wonderful graphics and I have plans for it already.  In fact, I think I am going to decorate an entire room around it.  I have wanted to redo our dining room for a while and now I have a reason.  I see cream colored walls, red buffalo checked curtains from Country curtains and this as a centerpiece with dried flowers in it.  I haven’t painted a room in a while and it’s about time.  I also have a bathroom I am going to redo this winter.  I have the curtain material for its window and know the color paint I want.  I just need a new ladder as the old wooden one we have is very rickety and I don’t feel safe on it.   I got a gift card from Lowes so I know what I am going to do with it.  My favorite thing is going to Lowes to look at paints or to Rural King and look at farm things.  I’m a farmer’s daughter and I will always be one.

Christmas Day night we  saw the best Christmas movie I have seen in years called, The Secret Santa.  It made me a believer in Santa. As if I don’t already believe!  I think it will become a must watch movie for us, just like Christmas Story.

Closing the window on another Christmas.  Next year I hope more of our family can join us, but we are scattered now and it is harder to get together.  But I have hopes.  Now it’s on to a brand new polished and bright New Year.  We can make a new start.  We can dream new dreams.  We can hope new hopes.  May the new year bring you health, peace and happiness.

My next post will be a Christmas story about when I was growing up in the 50’s.  Bye.