Christmas in Pictures
Because brooksmoses and suzimoses are off visiting relatives over the holidays, we moved Christmas up to the 21st.
First, andres_s_p_b and I brought Sparky the Christmas tree in. Over the course of a few days, he got lights and ornaments and suchlike decorative frivolities applied.
Sparky's grown since we got him, but only at the top, so he's got this odd hourglass figure now. The lime tree felt left out, so it got decorated too.
Then andres_s_p_b and chinders made lasagna, and marzipan balls, and fantastic peppermint fudge, and I made Extremely Sweet Potatoes and Mexican wedding cakes, and brooksmoses made salad, and we hauled all the food and presents over to Brooks and Suzi's. I helped decorate the star pine while the lasagna was still under construction.
We also decorated Phil, the ficus, but my picture didn't come out. :(
The cats were obligingly decorative. It turns out that Christmas with cats in it involves a lot of explaining to the cats that they are not to eat the ribbons, the wrapping paper, the flower arrangement, or any other brightly-colored decorative things whatsoever. Nor should they jump up on the stove.
After dinner, we opened presents.
Andrés likes to label his presents as being from clues to the content. This tag was on a glass jellyfish paperweight.
This is an extremely cool puzzle box, which Suzi spent most of the rest of the present-opening time figuring out. Also, you can see Phil in the background there.
Brooks and Cathy exchanged various bits of wood. This bit here is two long strips of a decorative inlay pattern. There were also some planks of cedar and a piece of something dark and decorative which is apparently related to poison ivy. I am not sure if it was making my fingers tingle or if that was psychosomatic, but I am Highly Suspicious.
And then we cleaned up and the travelers packed and the next morning, most of the way to the airport, one of the hubcaps fell off my car and went bouncing down the highway. That car has the worst luck with hubcaps, I tell you.
Since then I have been in rather that post-holiday mood of resting and fiddling with new toys and cleaning up. It's a little weird feeling all done with Christmas while most everyone around me is doing the last-minute bits of decorating and shopping and stuff, but it did mean I minded going in to work on the 24th much less than I might have.
Today the rest of us are having dinner with friends, with more traditional holiday foods than lasagna (turkey for those what eat it, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie, etc.). Pretty soon I should bestir myself and get started on the soup, but I will wait until Andrés is done making his side dish so as not to be in the way. (Made pie yesterday -- there was a terrible moment where I thought we were out of pecans, at 9:00 on Christmas Eve, but then I discovered a baggie in the fridge with just enough left from what got chopped up for the Mexican wedding cakes. Whew!)
First, andres_s_p_b and I brought Sparky the Christmas tree in. Over the course of a few days, he got lights and ornaments and suchlike decorative frivolities applied.
Sparky's grown since we got him, but only at the top, so he's got this odd hourglass figure now. The lime tree felt left out, so it got decorated too.
Then andres_s_p_b and chinders made lasagna, and marzipan balls, and fantastic peppermint fudge, and I made Extremely Sweet Potatoes and Mexican wedding cakes, and brooksmoses made salad, and we hauled all the food and presents over to Brooks and Suzi's. I helped decorate the star pine while the lasagna was still under construction.
We also decorated Phil, the ficus, but my picture didn't come out. :(
The cats were obligingly decorative. It turns out that Christmas with cats in it involves a lot of explaining to the cats that they are not to eat the ribbons, the wrapping paper, the flower arrangement, or any other brightly-colored decorative things whatsoever. Nor should they jump up on the stove.
After dinner, we opened presents.
Andrés likes to label his presents as being from clues to the content. This tag was on a glass jellyfish paperweight.
This is an extremely cool puzzle box, which Suzi spent most of the rest of the present-opening time figuring out. Also, you can see Phil in the background there.
Brooks and Cathy exchanged various bits of wood. This bit here is two long strips of a decorative inlay pattern. There were also some planks of cedar and a piece of something dark and decorative which is apparently related to poison ivy. I am not sure if it was making my fingers tingle or if that was psychosomatic, but I am Highly Suspicious.
And then we cleaned up and the travelers packed and the next morning, most of the way to the airport, one of the hubcaps fell off my car and went bouncing down the highway. That car has the worst luck with hubcaps, I tell you.
Since then I have been in rather that post-holiday mood of resting and fiddling with new toys and cleaning up. It's a little weird feeling all done with Christmas while most everyone around me is doing the last-minute bits of decorating and shopping and stuff, but it did mean I minded going in to work on the 24th much less than I might have.
Today the rest of us are having dinner with friends, with more traditional holiday foods than lasagna (turkey for those what eat it, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pie, etc.). Pretty soon I should bestir myself and get started on the soup, but I will wait until Andrés is done making his side dish so as not to be in the way. (Made pie yesterday -- there was a terrible moment where I thought we were out of pecans, at 9:00 on Christmas Eve, but then I discovered a baggie in the fridge with just enough left from what got chopped up for the Mexican wedding cakes. Whew!)