¡Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!

¡Feliz Navidad!  Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! 

Happy Holidays.  They snuck up on me again. Is time going faster or is it just me?  We broke out the decorations a couple weeks ago, Lindasita gifted the tree, I painted names on our stockings - we had just the right number, and set some decorations around. In the photo below are some noticeable memories.  The white teddy bear is from 1992.  My friend Maxine gave me a bear every year. The other two little bears sitting on the dais are also gifts from Max that I display every year. The angel on top is the only one I have remaining from an angel making phase I went through living in Hawaii. It is made from the sheath of the split-leaf elephant ear philodendron.  I made thousands of little woven angels. I know you  are supposed to put the tree topper on last, but I saw her and had to put her in her place. 

This is the tree as we were just getting the lights up on it, but the photo shows the display of the stockings and basically, almost 100% of the house decorations!  The only things missing are the tree decorations!

 This Nativity scene was my Mom's, she bought it on her trip to Italy with my brother Jay and his family.

 Stockings: El Comando de Gatos, Pablo, Lin

 Marsha, Don, Lynn

This little gnome has never been a gnome to me. He reminds me of Jim's and my close friend Rusty, a great friend of mine for the past 26 years.  Jim always put this ornament up every year in honor of his friend Rusty.  Rusty is doing well and lives in Oahu, Hawaii.  I hope he sees this picture, he'll get a laugh.

That's all folks!!!  In other words, that is all I have done about Christmas.  I took on all the extra work I could so we could enjoy Christmas as well as continue our beach project.  I think I had one day free in the past nine days, but NOT being a retired pensioner, I'm considering myself lucky to have work as well as the chance to pick up the extra hours.  In today's world, I think seizing the moment is definitely a positive approach to an unknown future.

Besides my heavy work schedule my health did not assist me to make any Christmas progress.  I caught a nasty cold/flu that knocked me off my feet.  I felt a few symptoms for a few days, and then WHAMMO it hit me like a ton of bricks. Pablo carted me off to a doctor and a week later I am JUST getting both physical energy and brain power back.  Whew! And to think that my flu shot this past year hasn't even expired yet! This was, is - I should say, a DOOZIE (as my mom would so aptly describe it.)

So here I am on the night of the 20th having done nothing at all for Christmas.  Not that I have that much I plan to do.  I am not the one in the household throwing a Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) dinner/party, so I don't have to worry much about that.  (I work all day that day.)  Nor can I help much on clean-up day, Christmas, as I accepted even MORE work that day.  Boxing Day is nice to celebrate.

I'm not thrilled to be a last minute shopper, my enjoyment of giving gifts used to be the shopping itself, which I would do thoughtfully and early in the month. What's more, I haven't 'shopped' for gifts in years, since I prefer to make my Christmas gifts. Needless to say I have not had the time nor mind to spread crafts around the house.  Unprepared I am today, but I have a few days off, and at Christmas miracles often happen.

Here is the finished tree! Decorated and already droopy because I forgot to water it when I was sick and working.  We like it. It smells like Christmas.