WHERE DID CHRISTMAS GO TO?

I have be so busy taking down the Christmas decorations.  When you get older, it takes you more time.

The 20th of November some of the people I used to work with got together for our little Christmas Dinner.  I decided to have some give away's and everyone had a treat at each place setting.  We all had such a wonderful time.  I guess because I was a Meeting Planner and Director of Sales, I get the honor to always put our dinners together.  We have been doing this for over 10 years.

I was finished with my Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving.  I spent Thanksgiving with my best friends daughter and we had such a grand time.  Lots of wonderful friends and such yummy food.  They bought a older home that was built in 1955 and it's in Riverside, in a very lovely older neighborhood. Have remodeled the entire house.  Everything was so pretty and the table was lovely.

Now we are into December and I am still doing a little tweaking with my decorations.  I thought that this would probably be my last year for the big Christmas in my home of 35 years, so I went all out.

December 13th I had 5 of the women that I used to work with over the years in the hotel industry for some wine and munchies.  The house sparkled with the  Christmas tree all a glow, candles, Christmas Carols and outdoor fireplace crackling.  I baked for days - cookies and the Pioneer Woman's fudge recipe.  Let me tell you I have been making fudge  for 50 years and this is the very best recipe that I have ever used.  Even my granddaughter said "grandma this is the best ever".  I made a Spice Cake with Cream Cheese frosting - we all had a little to much wine and lots of goodies and remembered all the fun times we had in the hotel industry.  LOL  All had lots of coffee before they left for home.

The following week I took a friend to USC Medical Center Hospital for testing to see if he was a good candidate for a lung replacement.  We left at 4:00 a.m. and I didn't get home until 7 p.m.  What an exhausting day that was.  Needless to say I wasn't worth much the next day.  But the hospital was decorated so pretty and everyone was so nice, I was very impressed.

The next Saturday  the 20th my son, granddaughter and granddog came for Christmas, as her mother had Kelly for Christmas.  Kelly and I had such a fun time decorating sugar cookies in the form of Ugly Christmas Sweaters.  We had icing all over the place, laughing and making wonderful memories. They took me out to dinner at my favorite Italian Restaurant, more fun times. Then we celebrated Christmas on Sunday, opening up presents.  Kelly has a horse that she is leasing and taking riding lessons and her name is Bell.  I had my friend paint a picture of Bell and Kelly loved it. It was a big hit.

Shaun always cooks a Prime Rib Dinner on Christmas and let me tell you, it was terrific.  They left on Monday at different times.  Skittles (Kelly's dog) stayed until Christmas Eve and she had a grand time with Waldo and Lili.  Skittles is a Westie Terrior and I really hated to see her leave.

Christmas Eve my best friend had a Christmas Brunch and everyone had to wear a UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER.  Prizes were given for the ugliest, I won the prize. We really had a lot of fun and let me tell you they were really ugly LOL. We also had a game to name that Christmas Carol and there was a prize for who got the most.  She served a very lovely brunch and we were able to eat out on the patio.  This time I baked a Italian Cream Cake, I must say I out did myself.

Christmas Day I went with another friend to her family's home for Dinner.  Out came UNO cards for some very unusual games LOL.

I really had a great Holiday, but I am still tired and are in the mist of taking down my Christmas decorations.  I always hate to take them down as the house always looks nakeeeeeeeed.  Boxes are ever where.  I will have a friends son come over and take them to the garage and he can also organize the garage.

I really out did myself baking and making candy but, the most fun is making the ugly Christmas Sweater Sugar cookies.  You can get the cookie cutters at Amazon.  I found already made sugar cookies in the shape of sweaters and all the decorations at Walmart.  16 cookies in the package.

I don't know if you have been reading about our weather, still in drought and are restricted to watering. Now the temperatures are in the 30's.  When I get up in the morning there is frost on the roofs.  My poor little Hummers.  I have to fill 2 big feeders everyday as they are drinking that up really fast.  It must help keep them warm.  Those of you back east had warmer weather than we did, go figure.

Some pictures of my Christmas Decorations.

So my dear blogging friends, I wish all of you a most blessed New Year.  Sorry to be so tardy in posting a blog, but I do read all of yours.

Now we are having terrible rain storms, but we really need the rain.

Thank you all so much for your comments and I do try and answer all of them.

PS the dogs had a really good Christmas Holiday too.

Mary, Waldo and Lili

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