Christmas lights up
Yesterday afternoon I got our Christmas lights up.
They're all white bulbs and don't flash. This is the first time I've done them that way - they replace the old ones which had all different colors and had the flashers - those don't work any more.
I'm quite pleased with the effect. It does lend a festive look to our place. I've got them on a timer so that they go on before dark and last late into the night. They were second-hand lights that my folks gave us. I also learned that one of the decorations they gave us last year was made by my grandmother for my first Christmas. We've got some really old ones (my folks have some that are as old or older than my dad) and some not-so-old.
I've also been getting Christmas gifts, although I haven't figured out what to give Sue this year. This is the very first year we've had money (more than a hundred dollars or so) in time to buy gifts... it's a good feeling although I'm scratching my head regarding what would be good things to give everyone. I gave my niece and her husband a gift card for Starbucks because they both love Starbucks coffee, and I gave their little girl a "Hello Kitty" stuffed animal (she loves kitties and especially anything "Hello Kitty"). I don't much like giving gift cards, but they do help when you're not sure what someone might like. I still have to think about my folks (we know what we're giving Sue's dad), my younger niece (and her boyfriend/fiancée), and my brother.
BTW... My grand-niece takes after her mom... VERY intelligent and precocious. She's still in diapers and already talking in whole (and rather complex) sentences. She can hold her own in a conversation although she was shy around her grand uncle (me). She's also really cute... and it was a treat to see her introduce my gift to her big "Hello Kitty" stuffed animal.
I got a special cookbook for my SIL, who collects them - it's one put out by my department, and since we're all anthropologists, most of us LOVE recipes from around the world and good ethnic foods. There are some African dishes of different types, dishes from the Levant, and so on. Some of them I've tried. We know where all of the ethnic restaurants are in the area and all one of us has to do is ask for recommendations regarding foods from a certain area and our colleagues who've worked there will share their experiences and suggestions. I think they may enjoy some of the dishes in it (they're a bit more "traditional American" than we are).
Next in the plans is to finish cleaning up the house and put up our tree. I should have everything ready in time for Christmas (my favorite time of the year). I'm hoping this will be a good one. I also will be going Christmas shopping today or tomorrow. Actually having money to buy little gifts for everyone is GREAT!
In the past btw, I would make chocolate-mint brownies for everyone. It was an affordable way of giving for us, but we were always worried that they'd get tired of them (and not appreciate them). I may still bake them... because they do taste good. That way everyone would get two gifts from us - our "traditional" brownies plus something nice. It would kind of make up (a tiny bit) for all of the years when we didn't have Christmas gifts - there were years when we couldn't even afford to make brownies.
Oh, and we've had rather nice cool weather finally - it got cold enough that twice now I've had to put an additional blanket on the bed. The air is nice and dry and cool enough that the sun feels good in the morning.
They're all white bulbs and don't flash. This is the first time I've done them that way - they replace the old ones which had all different colors and had the flashers - those don't work any more.
I'm quite pleased with the effect. It does lend a festive look to our place. I've got them on a timer so that they go on before dark and last late into the night. They were second-hand lights that my folks gave us. I also learned that one of the decorations they gave us last year was made by my grandmother for my first Christmas. We've got some really old ones (my folks have some that are as old or older than my dad) and some not-so-old.
I've also been getting Christmas gifts, although I haven't figured out what to give Sue this year. This is the very first year we've had money (more than a hundred dollars or so) in time to buy gifts... it's a good feeling although I'm scratching my head regarding what would be good things to give everyone. I gave my niece and her husband a gift card for Starbucks because they both love Starbucks coffee, and I gave their little girl a "Hello Kitty" stuffed animal (she loves kitties and especially anything "Hello Kitty"). I don't much like giving gift cards, but they do help when you're not sure what someone might like. I still have to think about my folks (we know what we're giving Sue's dad), my younger niece (and her boyfriend/fiancée), and my brother.
BTW... My grand-niece takes after her mom... VERY intelligent and precocious. She's still in diapers and already talking in whole (and rather complex) sentences. She can hold her own in a conversation although she was shy around her grand uncle (me). She's also really cute... and it was a treat to see her introduce my gift to her big "Hello Kitty" stuffed animal.
I got a special cookbook for my SIL, who collects them - it's one put out by my department, and since we're all anthropologists, most of us LOVE recipes from around the world and good ethnic foods. There are some African dishes of different types, dishes from the Levant, and so on. Some of them I've tried. We know where all of the ethnic restaurants are in the area and all one of us has to do is ask for recommendations regarding foods from a certain area and our colleagues who've worked there will share their experiences and suggestions. I think they may enjoy some of the dishes in it (they're a bit more "traditional American" than we are).
Next in the plans is to finish cleaning up the house and put up our tree. I should have everything ready in time for Christmas (my favorite time of the year). I'm hoping this will be a good one. I also will be going Christmas shopping today or tomorrow. Actually having money to buy little gifts for everyone is GREAT!
In the past btw, I would make chocolate-mint brownies for everyone. It was an affordable way of giving for us, but we were always worried that they'd get tired of them (and not appreciate them). I may still bake them... because they do taste good. That way everyone would get two gifts from us - our "traditional" brownies plus something nice. It would kind of make up (a tiny bit) for all of the years when we didn't have Christmas gifts - there were years when we couldn't even afford to make brownies.
Oh, and we've had rather nice cool weather finally - it got cold enough that twice now I've had to put an additional blanket on the bed. The air is nice and dry and cool enough that the sun feels good in the morning.