The Day After

This is my final blog post on this site.  It served its purpose well.  The end of December will mark five (5) months since my beautiful girl moved from this world to the next.  Even though I miss each second without her, I know that she dwells in happiness and peace.
We had our final Christmas celebration of 2009 yesterday in Nashville.  We made it through this holiday.  Suzy gave us the gift of joy by giving us Ethan and Abby and I am eternally thankful.
May God's Blessing be on each of us.

Merry Christmas

Wow, what a day!  Complete and total enthusiasim from a 6 year old, non-stop!  It's the way Christmas feels for only a few years of your life.  Ethan is there.  Abby too, just a little less vocal.  It was a Star Wars and Barbie day.  It's good to know some things don't change as time goes by.  How old is Star Wars now?  I know Barbie is over 50.  We'll party again tomorrow with family in Nashville and then just have fun playing with all the new stuff.
On  a more serious note, we made it through the day, through the season.  There have been days when we weren't sure we'd make it through, but we did.  This is one more "first time" behind us now.  I believe we all had in mind to make this be as perfect a Christmas for the children as possible and I believe we have succeeded.  Time pushes us through each new dawn, steadily keeping us moving forward.
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Christmas Pageant

Ethan was Joseph in the Christmas Pageant this year.  He did a great job.  At first he was a little bit worried about what he'd have to do to act the role, but once we told him all he had to do was sit there and look brave, he was fine.  As he and "Mary" walked down the aisle, he gave Beth a thumbs up!  Suzy and Beth both were angels in pageants several times over the years and John was a sheep one year, then an angel one year.  (I have a picture of him in his angel suit, a one time event)  and of course he finally got to be a shepherd.  Abby didn't want to perform this year.  Even the idea of getting to wear a sheep suit and crawl done the aisle yelling Baa, didn't appeal to her!
As I sat there in the church and looked around me, I saw several people that I've watched grow up.  Now they are the parents with their own children in the church pageant.  There is something to be said for the continuity of a small town.

Wrapping Presents

I really don't mind wrapping the presents.  I really do mind that I forget where I put the presents before I wrap them.  Sometimes I hide them too well.  This year, I shopped online and and had lot of things sent directly to TN.  I also packed a box of small things I'd purchased and mailed them.  The problem with that was that I forget what I put in the package and wound up thinking I'd left them in VA, so buying again.  Luckily I only replaced one (1) item before I realized what I had done.  I think Christmas makes me a little crazy!
This year I've picked out blue paper with lots of silver and white snowflakes.  Kind of a break from the traditional red and green.  One year I did a natural look and wrapped the gifts in brown paper and tied them with twine.  I stamped Christmasy things on them.  It was all very thematic.  I didn't really love it and have never repeated it.  Give me glitz and glitter every time!

Traveling

Kirk and I have a long established tradition of traveling home for the holidays.  This year is no exception.  Our trip from Virginia Beach to Cookeville yesterday was beautifully uneventful.  We started out as usual with Kirk driving, John lounging in the back seat and me reading aloud.  Every year I read Barbara Robinson's "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" to them.  Some times in the car and other times at home.  I think that's my favorite Christmas book and Kirk and John always seem to enjoy it too.
We played Christmas Trivia and listed to Santa Cruise on CD.  It's a twelve (12) hour drive, so after Santa Cruise we played Christmas music.
From Cookeville we will go to Gainesboro on Christmas Eve and to Nashville on the day after Christmas.  Then on the 27th we will make that twelve (12) hour drive again.  It's good to be here and will be good to be home too.  I really wish I had a pilot's license.

Annual Office Christmas Party

That title isn't really accurate as far as the Northrup Grumman party goes.  In Kirk's actual office in Suffolk, they have a lunch time "bring a dish" party one day during December.  Northrup Grumman also hosts an annual Christmas Party for all NG employees at different commands.  So you get to meet people who work in the same general area for the same company, only at a different location.  It's always fun to meet new people.
Everyone dresses up, very fancy and very festive.  Men wear the corporate uniform with the addition of a Christmas tie.  Last night I noticed a couple of the younger guys in black velvet blazers.
It was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Portsmouth and the hotel was decorated beautifully.  After a cocktail hour we went into the dining/ball room.  They had buffet stations set up in each corner of the room.  The prime rib was just right!
The music was about what you expect with a DJ, some good, some just noisy.  There were tons of door prizes and after dinner, there was plenty of time to mix and mingle.
It was a good night, even with the worry of snow falling down and knowing we had to  drive back through the tunnel to get home. 
Abby would love my fancy shoes.  They are flats covered with silver sequins.  I will take them to Cookeville with me.

Supper With Friends

Last night we had our dear friends, Melodye and Tony Maiella over for supper.  It was nice.  Just the four (4) of us, no children this time.  I used the old white damask tablecloth that I appliqued holly leaves and ribbons on years ago and red napkins with the counted cross stitch napkin  holders that Geni made for me one year.  The table was set with our Lenox Christmas dishes, good silver and Mama's very delicate crystal.  We used silver trays, bowls and serving dishes.  It was all very fancy.  Abby and Mama would have loved it.

All the Christmas decorations and lights were on in every room.  I even found my Christmas Shower curtain and decorated in the bathroom.  It was really a very festive atmosphere.

The food turned out to perfection too.  That's always a worry.  Generally if one thing works another burns!  I made Ann's dill dip and had raw veggies, I also made a cranberry/apple chutney and spread it between to halves of a brie round then wrapped it in puff pastry and baked it.  It was really good.  We had smoked apple cheddar wedges with water crackers and smoked salmon with a garlic/dill mayonnaise.  That was probably my favorite.  The wine expert at Grape and Gourmet recommended a  Pinot Noir for appetizers and supper, so that's what we had.   It was good too.

Supper was a roasted turkey breast, sausage stuffing, green bean casserolle (Tony's favorite), Duchess Mashed Potatoes and my Cranberry conserve.  And more Pinot Noir!

Dessert was a choice.  There was pecan pie or chocolate swirl cheesecake.  The wine expert recommended a Muscat.  We loved the dessert, but none of us loved the wine.  It reminds me of a mix of B&B and brandy, if that's possible.

I do love cooking and I do love entertaining, so I really was in my element last night.  After supper we answered questions from a Christmas Trivia game.  Some were easy and some wanted really obscure information.  I'll have to practice before playing that again. 

All in all it was a wonderful evening.

Christmas Cards

Don't you just love getting Christmas Cards in the mail?  I do.  It's just fun to go to the mailbox and get cards and letters from friends and relatives.  I heard on the news last night that the postal service is in trouble financially.  I hope that it's fixable.  It would be a real shame for the next generation to miss out on getting real mail.  When John was in kindergarten he told his teacher that he was not going to learn to write, that he had a computer and didn't need to be able to write.  Of course, she called me and we had to have the talk about electricity and that we do all need to be able to write.  He grudgingly said he would consider it.  That's my boy.  Now he is a Sr. in college majoring in English Literature.  I love getting email and ecards, but my favorite is still opening an envelope and taking out a card with a wonderful picture on the front then seeing who signed it and what message they wrote.  I even like the annual Christmas letter.

Malls

Whoever thought up the concept of shopping malls was a genius.  Yesterday I shopped alone with a list.  I get more done like that.  The plan was to hit specific stores only.  Well, at Lynnhaven Mall, I went to Macy's, but thought of something I needed at Barnes and Noble, so had to go into the mall.  Okay, if you're in the mall, you have to walk the loop for "health" reasons.  Next it was Charming Charlie's (great store) in MacArthur Mall.  It's a 3 story mall and Charming Charlie's is on the second floor.  I parked on the top level next to Nordstrum's.  It is impossible to go through Nordstrum's without looking at everything there and if I'm in MacArthur Mall I have to see what is available at Restoration Hardware,  The Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, and Harry & David's.  I mean, really, if I'm going all the way to Norfolk to the mall, it would just be a waste of gas if I didn't check out the good stores!  On the way home, I ran in at Pembroke Mall.  I parked at the end nearest Sears, had to go more than half way done the mall to Steinmart's and since I was already on that end it only made sense to see what was on sale at Kohl's.  Of course I've spent time in Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, TJ Maxx, Marshall's and Tuesday Morning too.  Just not yesterday!  The two little strip malls nearest to my house have good stuff too.  La Promenade has Talbot's and Jos. A Banks, that's in walking distance and when you get there, you can go to Starbucks.  I love combining healthy walking with a tall vanilla steamer!

Decorating

Yesterday, Kirk and I decorated the house for Christmas.  We stopped at K-Mart and bought a new tree stand and put the big tree up in the living room in from of the double windows.  In addition to the really large tree stand, we have small ropes tied from the tree trunk to the latches on the windows.  This is to prevent our annual Christmas tradition of our 25 pound cat knocking over the tree!  So far, he is just eyeing it.  I'm really hoping his age and weight are against him this year.  Maybe he will just be content with lying under it.
We really enjoyed getting out all the old ornaments, even testing the lights and probably for the first time ever, we had the extension cords we needed.  When John was little he wanted colored lights, so we have colored lights and a very colorful star shaped tree topper and bubble lights on the big tree in the living room.  It is beautiful.  Of course, in cleaning up to decorate, I've hidden the camera.  As soon as I find it, I will take pictures!

A New Tradition - On Line Shopping

I am past needing the satisfaction of holding an item in my hand and seeing for myself exactly how wonderful it is.  I may never need to experience that again.
With on line shopping your feet don't get tired, you don't fight crowds and you aren't disappointed when you go to a department store to do "one-stop" shopping and it doesn't work out.
You do, however, experience the buy one for you  and buy one for me at the same time.  And I must say, it is a little frustrating when the "Sorry - Out of Stock On Line" phrase appears.  I am sure that Wal-Mart's warehouses are too deep to run out of anything.
Still looking for a pink haired Lola Doll.  The internet hasn't helped there so far.  I find her only to be told "out of stock".

Decorate or Shop?

So far I have been to Hilltop Shops, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Pembroke Mall and Sam's Wholesale this week.  Oh, I forgot Kirk and I stopped at the Nimmo Parkway Wal-Mart last night.
I do have a list, I'm just not really finding what I am looking for.  One of the things I now understand is not to be found anywhere is a pink haired Lola doll from the Hannah Montana series.  However, I did find a pink Barbie beach car and a beach Barbie and Ken to put in it.  I also found this really neat toy for Ethan (it wasn't on the list).  It's a voice changer.  Looks like a small megaphone, with a dial on the side to change your voice 4 different ways.  I think he will love it.
Today was the day I had scheduled my time to decorate the house, I may just put on my good walking shoes and hit the mall.  I can always blame it on the boys, they didn't get the Christmas decorations down from the attic!

Toys

I remember certain toys that I received and label that particular Christmas as, "The Chatty Kathy Christmas" or "The Electric Train Christmas".  Boys aren't the only ones whose toys get more expensive.  I also have "The Christmas Kirk gave me emeralds."  That was a really, really good year.
With my children, I remember it from the parent perspective.  The year Care Bears were the "must have" toy or the year of Cabbage Patch dolls.  They had electric train years too. 
Mother made the most wonderful doll clothes for our dolls and then did it again for Suzy and Beth.  I'll do it for Abby before she outgrows dolls, but not this year.
This year Ethan really wants everything Star Wars.  Abby has marked babies, Barbies, princesses and anything else in the catalogs that is pink.  I saw on the news that a toy called a Zhu Zhu Hamster has been recalled and am really glad neither of the children had asked for that one. 
I think it's time to make a trip to Toys R Us.  I used to dread the toy store and now I am actually looking forward to going.  Wonder what the "must have" toy is this year?

Christmas Parties

Okay, best tradition ever.  Christmas parties.  What's not to like? 
Kirk and I attended my sorority chapter Christmas party tonight.  We both really enjoyed ourselves.  It's always good to be with friends during the holidays.  In following with the theme of international sisterhood we all brought food from different countries.  Yum!
When we were younger, Kirk and I had limitless energy and could party till the wee hours without feeling it the next day.  Nowdays, we get home by 9 pm and are in bed  by 9:30!  Remember the old saying, "Youth is wasted on the young"?  It's true!