Merry Christmas Eve

Here's hoping all your Christmas shopping is done and you are having a glass of cheer around the fireplace with all the family, including some of those cousins you might wish were NOT there.  Just relax and have some fun, maybe throw tinsel and glitter at everyone.  Santa is on his way!!!

 I'm ensconced on the couch in front of the fire.  Yes it is rather dark at 4:30.  I had just walked out to the mailbox to get my Christmas present.  Those checks I ordered a month ago for the RV group account finally showed up, so I don't have to fight with the bank.  Just one more thing checked off my list.

That's my stocking on the right, hung with lots of care because it's so old .... like me.  Cooper of course gets the other one.

Number one, I can't believe I still HAVE it ... and number two, I can't believe it hasn't been eaten by moths and fallen apart.  I've posted this before.  My Grandmother made this for me when I was a baby.  I know, it's hard to believe I was ever that young.  Yessirree ... those jingle bells still work like they did when brand new.  I even happen to know there is a package of peanut M&M's hidden in there.  My Christmas morning treat!  Hey ... Cooper gets treats, so Mom should too.

Here is the picture of the little girl who passed away on either November or December 27th (it's hard to read) of 1852.  This is the one where Barbara and Tom actually have that little dress she was wearing. What a piece of history to keep for their family.  

Mostly I have things that will end up in the trash.  Like these Christmas lights.  It's hard to see, but that green box in the bottom corner?  That's where the two plugs were living when we had that downpour for two days.  All those cords were lounging out in the flower bed.  I guess electricity and water don't mix.  

The gardeners moved the box and laid it upright, to allow all the rain to FLOOD the box and kill everything.  Had the little tree plugs been normal size, it would not have mattered.  But NO ... they are 2" long, meaning the water tight door would not close.  You know what happened ... POWEY!  The lights went out forever.

I finally drug all the cords into the entryway, plugged in a multi cord thingy to the extension cord and plugged in the tree lights.  

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!  Yay ... my jury rigging worked and the lights came back on just in time for Christmas Eve.

Basically I did nothing for the rest of the day.  Oh I sewed a little, read a little and played with Cooper a lot.  I also took a gander at the big rains that have been hitting Quartzsite.  You wouldn't think this much rain would fall in the desert, but believe me, it does.  In Tucson there is a huge riverbed that remains dry for usually 361 days a year.  If they have a big rain however, it flows like the Colorado River for four days.

The same goes for Quartzsite.  This is Tyson Wash ... you know, that place where everyone parks during the Big Tent?  It will probably be flowing for a few days.  This was taken by the guy who flies around with the lawnmower engine ... you can see the parachute in the mirror.

With a little bit of time on my hands, I whipped up another batch of cookies.  These have several names, from Snowballs to Russian Tea Cakes to Mexican Wedding Cookies.  I love them all.  I have to admit they are a little messy when it comes to rolling them in powdered sugar, not once, but TWICE.  I had white stuff all over me, the counter, the stove, the floor, Cooper ... yeah, he wasn't to happy about that!

So that was it for Saturday night ... exciting stuff, yes?  Here's hoping everyone remembers the reason for the season and that you have a great Christmas Eve with family and friends.  

Now where did I put that big roasting pan?  I'm starting my Christmas dinner early by cooking a 12 pound ham today.  This way if it catches fire, I can hit up Panda Express before everyone closes for Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!