Here Comes Santa Claus!

It is hard to believe December starts this week and the craziness that Christmas has become begins.  We have our plane tickets to fly to Michigan Christmas Eve, eight of our gifts are already there wrapped and waiting.  The few others I should be able to pack but I do have one box to go to Florida.  Kristin and Larry will not be able to join us.  He must have a radiation treatment that will keep him home bound for a week following his recent thyroid surgery.  We are disappointed but are praying for and confident of a good result.

 

I received an email saying our Christmas cards are shipping.  However they did not mention the return labels!  I will have plenty of time even if the labels take until 12/13, the original promise date.  I may put a few decorations out since I have so much done already.

Saturday night we attended Mass then went to Landry's for dinner with Terry and Carol.  I had terrific mahi mahi.  We all enjoyed our dinner and because they were not too crowded, we were able to sit and visit for a long time.

Sunday I did get out a few Christmas things.  I haven't been doing any decorating in recent years unless the kids come for the holidays.  But I just felt like doing a little, but mind you very little, this year!

The tree is up!  This is my Texas tree adorned with Longhorns, the Alamo, bluebonnets, peppers, yellow roses, the state Capitol, etc.  Santa is one of my holiday Beanie Babies that ride my planter bicycle throughout the year.  The turkey just gave up the seat!

I do usually put up the manger.  My grandfather made the stable from a Werks Tag Soap box before I was born.  I have tried to pinpoint the date they merged with Procter & Gamble to at least have a "made before date" but so far no luck.  I know the Werks family lived in the Westwood area (where I attended high school) in 1840.  

 This is the new swag I bought this year for the front door.  Mr. Snowman has been around for awhile.

I didn't do too much Monday and Tuesday.  It gave me a chance to pay some bills, wrap some gifts and work on plans for a cruise next fall.  For our 73rd and 72nd birthdays, we are taking a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu.  It took a bit of working things out because our granddaughter is getting married 9/29 in Michigan and we sail 10/3.  So I had to research the deck plans and cabins to choose where I wanted to be, look for flights from Houston to Detroit, on to Vancouver and then home from Honolulu.  I didn't know if we should jump ship the last night in Maui, stay in Honolulu when we disembark or fly over to Kauai.  We have been there numerous times so no particular place beckoned.  We finally settled on Honolulu.  I will be choosing a hotel in Vancouver for overnight before we sail but Kara and Kristin and families are sailing to Alaska from there in July so they can scout a convenient hotel.  

Wednesday I did my ironing that had piled up.  It included the linens from our Thanksgiving dinner but was still only four other pieces besides that.  I did some more investigating concerning our flights, hotel, car rental. Pearl Harbor visit and day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  So much to dig through.  I gathered some boxes and wrapped  more gifts but I need to make a list of the last places I need to go to finish up.

Ted and I went to the gun club on Thursday for me to see all that has been done to the place.  The first  Five Stands are done and one Sporting Clay course is complete and the second one half finished.  They are pretty courses through the woods.  Ted talked to Mike about a gun and ordered a new one for me.  My Beretta is fine for competition but too large to carry for protection.  The new Sig Sauer will be just right I think.  Merry Christmas to me!

We went to lunch, bought some gift cards, stopped at Academy for another gift and then headed home.  We spent a quiet evening at home.

Friday I wrote checks, lots and lots of checks to go inside the kids and grandkids Christmas cards along with gift cards for some.  And I wrapped.  Thank goodness the church gift and Forum gift do not have to be wrapped.  I think I am finished except for Kara's that I have to take on the plane.  I have seen too many folks unwrapping gifts at TSA to waste my time.  I will stick them in unwrapped with a gift bag ready.

We met Gerre and Barry for dinner then went to our community theater to see The Little Mermaid.  I have to admit I have never seen the Disney movie though I did see the Daryl Hannah movie about her as a mermaid.  Not to worry!  The little girl behind us told us what happens next.  The costuming was inventive and creative.  To mimic gliding through water they wore those shoes that have wheels that click down so they glided across the floor.  Ariel and Eric both had wonderful voices.  Flounder, Sebastian and the seagull turned in great performances.  All in all, an enjoyable performance.

It is raining today so I am staying in until time for church.