It's just another New Year's Eve

and I want to get one more post in for 2014. This time last year I was at Manda and Ben's, and we stayed up til 9pm their time, then called it a night. I don't know how much later we'll make it here! 

We went out for a late lunch at the Seven Stars Diner. I got a chef salad, and brought home enough for at least 2 more meals. We stopped at the new Home Goods in Deptford, which is an OK store. 

I binge watched Stalker earlier this week while finishing Mom's crocheted legwarmers. Now I'm binging on Sleepy Hollow and crocheting stars for next year. 

This morning Lowe's reduced the holiday items again, and I got the tree I wanted. It's nicely shaped, and has pine cones on it. It was reduced by 75% of the original cost! 

I'm so boring. I save yarn wrappers all year and count up my usage at New Year's. In 2014 I used 16.87 pounds of yarn! 

I've written out my sewing/quilting and crocheting goals for this year. I'll keep the list and see how many I accomplish. Manda likes the white snowflakes for the tree, and I told her that when I visit this summer, I'll make a bunch for her. I don't even have to look at the pattern anymore! 

I haven't counted up my books read in 2014, I'll do that tomorrow. When the crocheting goes up, the reading goes down! 

Happy New Year to all!
Holly

Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas, spread over two days. Christmas Eve day, we went to Heather and Ed's house for a turkey dinner and gift exchange. The kids were thrilled with their gifts, and immediately started playing with them. It was a nice, low key sort of day. Mom commented on how much she enjoyed it.

Christmas morning we met Mike and Donna, Mikey, Jake, Donna's dad, and Mikey's puppy Bow at Mom's for bagels and muffins and more gifts.

We relaxed Christmas afternoon and had leftovers for dinner, then went to Sharon and Jim's for dessert. Dave and Juliette were up from VA, so we got to see them, and Frank and Charlotte and Doris and Kevin were there. We ate entirely too many desserts!

Sharon made Great-Grandmom Lopez's pineapple cheesecake, Grandmom Florence's pizzelles, Grandmom Doris's butter cookies, and Aunt Donna's White House Pies. What a nice tradition! 

Juliette made us each a bottle of rosemary infused olive oil! I gave Juliette, Charlotte and Sharon each a crocheted angel. I've been giving the angels and snowflakes away as fast as I make them!

Boxing Day we went to Friendly's for breakfast, then to Lowe's to get another string of lights, and I got a few ornaments. Today we went to IHOP for breakfast, then Ralph went to Lowe's for potting soil for mom, and I went to Target and got two wreaths, some ornaments, and two throw pillows, all half price. Came home and took a nap! 

We facetimed with Manda, Ben, Becca, Brandon, Steph, Dan, Toast and Amary on Christmas Day. They all had a nice visit together. Steph and Dan headed back to Beaverton today. 

On Monday Heather will turn 40! How can I be old enough to have a child who's 40!? Ed is giving her a party on January 3, which will be fun. 

I'm crocheting angels and snowflakes, so that I'll have some for me and some to give away next Christmas. I'm on a roll, so I want to keep in that mode. My goal is 100 each of angels, snowflakes, and bells. Then I'll switch gears and turn to sewing. 

I was debating about my next trip to the PacNW, and it looks like it will be mid-August, right before school starts. Ralph thinks he'll go in June. For a lot of reasons, I decided to do one more year, so I'll work til June of 2016, and retire at 63+, but not collect SS til age 64. 

And the beat goes on!
Holly 

Winter Solstice

Finally, the longest night! Now the days can start getting longer again! We're without heat and hot water, and it's really annoying. The part that went is the control board, and it had been changed, then discontinued, and Heater Guy Dan was able to find one in NY. Hopefully it'll be in tomorrow, and he can get it going. Showering at Mom's is a pain, and having to keep the fireplace going and using space heaters has gotten old. 

And my car had to go in the shop- valve cover gaskets. It was having steam come from under the hood, which is very unnerving. 

Almost Christmas! Two more work days! We're doing something Christmas Eve at Heather and Ed's house. Christmas morning we'll meet Mike and Donna and their crew at Mom's and have bagels and coffee. The rest of the day we can just relax, which sounds heavenly at this point. It's been such a busy fall and and early winter! 

I've been crocheting snowflakes, and giving them away as fast as I make them. I just found an easy angel pattern, so I'm starting them, also. I've barely had time to read this month! By 9.30, I'm ready to call it a day and go to sleep. 

Steph, Dan and Toast are going to Manda and Ben's for Christmas Eve and Christmas, along with Becca and Brandon. I'm so glad they are all geographically close enough to spend holidays together. I miss them all terribly, but at least I know they have each other to be with. I sent them each a DVD of Muppet Christmas Carol. They always watched it together Christmas Eve, and now they can continue that tradition. 

So a Merry Ho Ho Ho to all!

Holly

The party's over

The guests of honor are in the air on the way back to Oregon. We had a lovely, though short, visit with Steph and Dan. Steph was in Jersey for a meeting, and Dan flew in after the meeting. They met up with a lot of friends, and Dan's family had a gathering Friday night, and ours was yesterday at Heather and Ed's house. 

Two big gatherings in two weeks was a lot, and I'm looking forward to giving my crockpots a rest. It was fun being together. We celebrated what Ed calls Little Christmas, which actually was on St. Nicholas Day, and Ed's birthday, which is tomorrow. 

This morning Ralph and I slept in til 9! We got up and went food shopping, and Steph and Dan were up when we got home. We went to the Lamp Post for breakfast, and it was the usual weekend morning crowded. Dan enjoyed being in Jersey by having both pork roll and scrapple. 

We got home and visited for another hour, then we drove them to the airport. It was a nice clear day, with little traffic, so it was a good drive. They have a layover in Phoenix, and get home late tonight. Toast has been at the  doggie spa, and Dan will pick her up tomorrow morning. 

We came home and I did some laundry and made my lunch for the week. I also went thru my spice cabinet and trashed anything expired. In the last month I've cleaned the freezer, the pantry, the canned goods cabinet, and now the spice cabinet! 

We made sure that we were in for the night, because tonight is the town Xmas parade, and the beginning of our street is part of the staging area. We didn't want to get stuck away from home. 

And the meatloaf is in the oven! 

Holly