Merry Christmas!

 It is a little quiet around here today.  Not that it would be all that lively if DJ were here with me. Christmas music might be playing or some holiday movie on TV.  He loved those formulaic Hallmark Christmas movies!  We always exchanged presents on Christmas Eve, cards on Christmas morning and then I was preparing our holiday meal.  Often it was ham and dishes "opposite" of what we had for Thanksgiving.  Sweet potatoes versus mashed and gravy.  Pecan pie instead of pumpkin.  Corn casserole instead of peas.  And so on.........

A few days ago the down the lane neighbors invited me to come to their dinner later but I passed.  They have a large family and I would feel that I was intruding in some manner.  LOL, Bob did ask if they could share my garbage can this week as theirs was half full before the packages were to be opened.  Of course, I said.

I did purchase a small turkey breast but decided not to mess with it pulling the dressing and sliced turkey that Bev sent home with me at Thanksgiving out of the freezer.  Made some fresh cranberry sauce though!  Two batches of White Trash snack divided up between my two neighbors and me and some baked oatmeal rounded out most of my culinary efforts this week.

I have been playing my Christmas CD's the last few days.  It takes three remote controls to get the job done and I had forgotten just how to operate the VCR/DVD/CD player.  DJ's territory there.  You turn on the TV set with one remote.  You change the format mode with another and the third actually operates the player.   Then I watched several of the rom-com movies with a holiday theme---"While You Were Sleeping", "The Holiday" and "Love, Actually".  And then "Notting Hill", just because.  Today I may pick out a few more old favorites.  My dad had suggested the Purdue choir on PBS but it doesn't look like my PBS market purchased it.  There is a "Call the Midwife" Holiday Special though.  I've already seen the Boys Choir in "Christmas in Harvard Square".  That's how I see the day unfolding.

You see, in some ways I already had Christmas last Saturday. That makes the actual Holiday  "just another day" of the year to my way of thinking and there is no reason to get all mopey.  I had the opportunity to go up to IL for a quick trip leaving on Thursday to drive to my brother's home outside Nashville.  Friday my brother Steve, sister-in-law Jan and niece Beth shared a ride up to another brother's home (Phil)  in central Illinois.  We got there about 3:30.  Jen and her mom had a huge pan of lasagna and a wonderful salad, etc made up for supper.  The plan was for those who wanted to would go to my nephew's basketball game at the local high school.  Teddy had quite a cheering section that night!  My parents came with my sister Janet who had arrived the day before from Colorado.  I stayed with them the two nights we were in the area.

In the picture above, my folks were waiting for some of us to come fill in the gap for group pictures.  It looked sort of funny to see them parked on opposite ends of the couch.  Some one said they should reach out to one another.

I have probably told you this before but I am the oldest of 6 kids.  ALL of us were there though a spouse was missing.  There are 12 grandkids.  7 were there.  We are blessed with three great-grands--one was there.  A crowd and I would not expect you to keep anyone straight in this mob.

This is the more relaxed shot when Teddy's friend just kept clicking the camera.

Janet's family always takes a "piranha family" shot--she's on the floor in the front row showing us how.  That explains the silly look in this picture, LOL.

 The company was the best!  We had a wonderful non-traditional meal of fried fish and ribs with salads, mac and cheese, collards even, corn muffins and desserts.  Jen is" hostess with the mostest", for sure.  She made my favorite rhubarb meringue dessert and sent some back with a road trip back along with some other goodies.  Got some good cooks in the family!

Jen kept getting pictures of me munching but this one and my new profile picture I was not!  Sister-in-law Jan had made a huge batch of her version of White Trash and it is hard to keep out that stuff.

The Big 3---Steve, me and Dave

Part the "little 3" --Janet, Diane and her husband Rick

Phil, our host and fisher person--last of the "little 3"

How wonderful to be back for the holiday!  I think the last time that happened was back in 98.  DJ and I drove back in a big mess in Indiana and decided that we would wait till spring/early summer to go back to visit.  Jan, Steve, Beth and I drove back to TN on Sunday and I completed the trip on Monday morning.  I pulled in my drive about 1 pm after picking up the mail.  A whirlwind trip but worth it.

Here is how it has looked the last few nights.  Skyler has decided to hog Oscar's pad lately.  Oscar then has to fight him for room on the couch.  They were even more "butt to butt" the other night but the picture I took with the phone was a bit dark to share.

Both of them have been quite clingy since I returned.  Skyler is actually sitting on my lap or glued to my thigh. Then Oscar mows him over to get sole occupancy.  So jealous of each other!  Oscar is back to whimpering and whining when he goes to bed.  SIGH  Some of that is probably due to the weather.  We have had a lot of rain and storms the last two nights after bedtime.  I've dumped a total of 4 inches of rain from the gauge.  While we did not seem to get the tornadoes here that MS had, thank heavens, many places are flooded.  This is our secondary tornado season so anything can and will happen.

And so it goes---thx for stopping by and I hope you have/had a happy and safe Christmas!