The First Day of Christmas

I know, I know - Thanksgiving was so early and December is an entire week away, but around here the Christmas season starts the day after Thanksgiving. And here's what we did:

We set up the Christmas houses. This is the first year that I've let Mackenzie help me. She unpacked very carefully.

 

With only a little attitude.

 

 

The boys wanted their share of the action.

 

And the finished products!

 

 

 

 

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

... and there's cooking, cooking, cooking going on.

Mackenzie was in charge of the dressing, and

Rosanne is doing the sweet potatoes.

Not to worry - it's only 5:30 and all that's left to do is the cleanup. It's Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner and a movie night.

Hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving. We plan to.

Mission Accomplished, and Something I Don't Ever Want to Forget

I just closed the cover on book #100. No last-minute panic this year - I reached the goal. So I guess that means that next year I up the ante. I'm thinking number of pages, but I'm not sure. I kept trying to make myself do more "serious" reading this year, but I flaked. My list is full of mysteries. They aren't all cozies - there's some serious stuff. Hardly any nonfiction, but I think at my advanced age I shouldn't try too drastic a change. Anyway, do you have any feedback?

My Something I Don't Ever Want to Forget (sorry if you already read this on Facebook)

For the past few weeks our house has been awash with paper airplanes. We try to gather them in a box every night, just to achieve some level of containment. No room is safe. They're in the bedrooms, in the family room, in the garage. It's not unusual to have them fly past my head while I'm trying to cook. Well, this evening Christian was searching through his airplane book for a new model for Grandpa to help him with. He walked over to Jim and said very seriously, "Grandpa, when you get to Heaven I won't be there for a while. Will you please keep making paper airplanes until I can come see you? You'll be able to make really good ones then." Yes, Christian. He will. And if he can, he'll keep his promise and just keep throwing them down at you from Heaven so that you don't have to wait.