Merry Christmas from our place to yours!
Of course there would be a very weird-weather Christmas to put the exclamation point at the end of this very weird year!
It was 47 degrees last evening, and raining when the pork chops went on the grill for dinner.
With a temp that "balmy" there was no way we were going to miss a deck cooking activity.
With dinner done, dishes running in the dishwasher - I was ready to settle in to some holiday dessert baking, only to realize that I had forgotten to grab the cool whip from the freezer at Quiltville Inn. (I had put it there after shopping, but forgot to bring it home later in the day.)
The rain was torrential, monsoon-like as we loaded up in the truck for the short drive to go grab the cool whip. You gotta do what you got to do!
Temps were starting to drop - and by the time we had reached the half-way point to the inn (about 3 miles) the rain had turned to slush.
By the time we had retrieved the fluffy white and creamy stuff, the rain had completely turned to heavy snow - so much snow that it was hard to see the road in front of what was falling!
Click to Play:
Perfect!! It is our Christmas Tradition to watch "Holiday Inn" Shortly after Thanksgiving, with "Home Alone" and "A Christmas Story" Somewhere in between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Christmas Eve is reserved for White Christmas - and as we let the movie play, reciting the lines to each other (Usually spoken just ahead of what was being said in the movie as we've been married 39 years and have done this every year since we were married) the silent fall of snow outside was just the icing on the cake.
This morning as daylight arrived at 12 f degrees. Brrr!
It could have been more.
It could have been deeper.
It could have been more extreme -
But this is the best Christmas gift a girl could ask for.
It doesn't take a huge tree with loads of packages beneath to feel the joy of Christmas. Our boys are not here with us. My family is scattered across the country. Everything was taken care of "Electronically" this year.
And you know what? That reduced the stress of the holiday season SO MUCH.
Video chats with Jeff have already happened as he is in our time zone. Jason is 3 hours behind, so that will happen in a few hours.
I will enjoy leisurely video chats with family throughout the day - the best gift that Christmas can provide is knowing they are safe, and healthy and weathering the Covid storm as we all are.
There is joy in watching these two play!
What a gift they have been through the past year.
I reached a mile stone last night at the conclusion of White Christmas.
I have completed the quilting of the center star motif, all the way to the green outline at the edge of the center medallion design.
I now start in on the background fill in the neutral sides and corners.
It won't be a quick finish.
It will take at least another year.
And I will enjoy every stitch -
And all of the memories those stitches record through this weird, weird year and into the next.
Merry Christmas from Me, Dave, Zoey, Ivy & Lola!
We plan on a cozy no-frills day ahead. Good food, movie watching, maybe a nap and some sewing will happen.
Be watching for Part 5 of our Grassy Creek Mystery to post tomorrow morning. I promise not to overload you with anything too intense!
Wherever you are, however you spend your day - thank you for your friendship and kindness over the many years (And Christmases) we've shared together.
If you have a moment, would you share something about your own Christmas in the comments section below? I'd love to know how you are spending yours, how you feel about the differences this year.
What will we remember, how will we remember, when we hit Christmas 2021 and look back toward this one?
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Photo shared by Kevin the Quilter.
It's a weird Christmas at the end of a very weird year.
And yet, as so wonderfully put by Marianne Williamson:
Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.
From my house to yours - Merry Christmas, everyone!
Oh my gosh, I thought my husband, Dave, and ai were the only ones who recited the lines in the movies. We do it to A Christmas Story and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. It’s the highlight of our holiday season. We usually plan a nice meal and pull out the DVDs, also.
ReplyDeleteLol - we do that too during movies, but we also have some movie lines that we use during other times when 'things' happen; 'think you used enough dynamite there Butch?' when something accidentally bigger than expected happens. Or - 'do you feel lucky punk?' if we are doing something that we are unsure of. So fun!
DeleteMerry Christmas!!! Spending this one with hubby and dog Abee. Will do some cooking and sewing today. Plan to watch my favorite "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart this evening, my must watch xmas movie each year. Husband loves "Polar Express"might watch that also. Will face time with family later today.
ReplyDeleteLast night we drove a bit and rang doorbells. Had some family conversations through the screen door until it was just too cold to stand outside anymore.
ReplyDeleteToday we're going to a very small Christmas gathering we believe is a safe calculated risk. Quiche breakfast and a ham dinner mid afternoon.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Bonnie and Family! This is the first Christmas that my daughter is married and not with us on Christmas morning. We will see them later. All are happy and healthy. I enjoy your daily quotes. Todays is perfect.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! My big ole hound dog and I are very cozy in our warm home! Next year we will, again, have a house full of family on Christmas night. Sewing will happen today!
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas will be spent at the family home, one last time. My dad is gone now and we will be putting the house that's been home for over 50 years on the market after the first of the year. Fortunately, most of us will be able to be together safely.
ReplyDeleteA different Christmas this year. No travel to Houston to be with family, and my 91 year old Mom was possibly exposed to COVID, so she is home alone and it’s just hubby and me. Will save gift giving till next week when Mom is out of quarantine.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas. We are also doing the virtual greetings with family this year. We did get to hand off gifts with safe social distancing for two of the kids but no shared meals. I believe that this will make future gatherings even more meaningful. As they say you never know what you got until it's gone. My heart breaks for those who are already dealing with that.
ReplyDeleteIn spite of Covid (our son who lives with us has it currently), we are blessed beyond measure. We have all we need and more. I am so thankful for my quilting “hobby” (an understatement as it occupies 2 rooms in our house, and every corner!). I am thankful for family and friends and the opportunity to reach out to lift them up. Most grateful that God loved us so much that He sent His Son as an infant so He could later pay the price for our sins. Merry Christmas everyone!
ReplyDeleteAmen!!!
DeleteAmen!
DeleteDefinitely a different Christmas this year. No travel to Houston to be with family, And my 91 year old Mom was possibly exposed to COVID, so she’s home alone and it’s just hubby and me. Will save gift giving till Mom is out of quarantine
ReplyDeleteMorning Bonnie and friends - like so many of us around the world this year we will have a very quiet and safe day at home connecting 'electronically' as you say with those we love. So quiet in fact that you will be able to hear a pin drop in the sewing room and the occasional blast of a winter chilly wind as it creeps under the door and around the corners of the house. A day much like any other day off this time of year. Menu will be serve yourself when you want with whatever you want and if you use the next to last of something please add it to the shopping list.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to everyone as you enjoy this day to decompress after such a problematic year. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to look a little harder sometimes.
Spending our Christmas eating homemade cinnamon rolls, breakfast cassarole and talking to our son and daughter in law. Sewing a little later in the day. Ready for grassy creek clue 5. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteSpending our Christmas eating homemade cinnamon rolls, breakfast cassarole and talking to our son and daughter in law. Sewing a little later in the day. Ready for grassy creek clue 5. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a Merry Christmas from Yorkshire, England. Thank you for all the wonderful stories and photo's you've shared over the past year(s) - I always look forward to seeing what you and the furries have been doing. Seeing Zoey & Ivy playing together always makes me smile :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours!
ReplyDeleteNormally we have a family get together at my step-brother's house on Christmas eve, but not this tear. Yesterday hubby and I took lunch to my step-mom's and spent the day with her. Today we are going to a friend's house for dinner. They usually go out of town, but aren't able to this year. Most years it is just hubby and me for Christmas at our house, so this is a good change.
Sandy
Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteJust my husband and I same as last year. We ordered a lasagna from the Italian restaurant that we baked last night and will eat again today. Ordered a pecan pie from the bakery for dessert so we are set for dinner and leftovers. Will talk to our two sons families today. Watched Christmas eve services last night and will watch Christmas day services today. Neighbor brought over a small box of Christmas goodies we are all set.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning, and Merry Christmas, Wow a white Christmas for you. I can't remember when we had a white Christmas. Our day will be quiet mom and brother will come off for dinner( they live nextdoor). I will be doing some embroidery and watch Hallmark movies. Blessings for a safe day for you and your family
ReplyDeleteFeliz Navidad from the Ponderosa in sunny but chilly East Texas! So quiet with no kids and grandkids this year. This year has been a time of reflection in our lives, where we have been where we are going. Lots of sewing going on for sure. My indulgence has been new jammies each month lol. My prayers that all stay healthy and happy for 2021. Blessings mi Amiga!
ReplyDeleteFeliz Navidad from the Ponderosa in sunny but chilly East Texas! So quiet with no kids and grandkids this year. This year has been a time of reflection in our lives, where we have been where we are going. Lots of sewing going on for sure. My indulgence has been new jammies each month lol. My prayers that all stay healthy and happy for 2021. Blessings mi Amiga!
ReplyDeleteQuiet here in Colorado. Since it’s just the two of us and two cats we’ve been running away from home for Christmas the past few years. Going to someplace warm and sunny and exotic. Not happening this year. So we did put up our tree. I will cook a nice Christmas dinner. And that’s about it. We have no family in the area so it’s just pretty simple. I’m all caught up on my mystery clues and am contemplating starting pine tree quilt as filler. We’ll see how it goes. Enjoy your day and thank you for all you do for this quilting community.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie! We are doing the same, staying at home and keeping it simple.
ReplyDeleteGood Christmas morning, Bonnie. I really enjoyed seeing your snow. I sort of wish our rain had turned to snow. We will visit safely (masked up) with a few of our children at dinner time and Facetime with the others. I'm so thankful to be able to "see" family even if I can't touch them electronically. My husband and I will watch a Christmas movie or two, also. I'll probably knit some and hopefully make it to the sewing room to stitch a few units on Grassy Creek before dinner. Yes, it's different this Christmas, but it's still Christmas, a time to reflect on what we have and not on what we don't have. Many blessings to you and your family, Bonnie.
ReplyDeleteGood morning and Merry Christmas Day to you! I love your white wonderland. We too are spending a quiet day at home by ourselves. Time for napping and sewing later. Have a great day and enjoy the day. 🧡🎄🎁
ReplyDeleteHappy to have e a white Christmas here in SE Michigan
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie! We no longer put up a tree as empty nesters. But since each of my ornaments have a very special place in my memories, I put up a pretend pine swag in our front window and hang them there. I also have many manger scenes including a ceramic one that I painted over 35 years ago. We are snug and warm in our little house with temps outside of 7 degrees. Have a safe and healthy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts, it is a blessing to follow someone positive, creative, & kind.
ReplyDeleteThis Christmas I made a big effort to make it special, not just for me but for my neighbors. I live alone & have no family here, I don't celebrate Christmas as a religious event, so over the years I have let go of special ways of recognizing the season.
This year I not only decorated inside for Winter Solstice as I always do, I put up lights outside, lights to add cheer to the neighborhood. Christmas Eve I lit candles & my candle powered LED lamp & did handwork while listening to music on the radio. At 6 pm I grabbed the sleighbells & the dog & I walked up & down the street, sleighbells ringing.
It was a delightful evening, one that will be remembered fondly and repeated next year.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, it is a blessing to follow someone positive, creative, & kind.
ReplyDeleteThis Christmas I made a big effort to make it special, not just for me but for my neighbors. I live alone & have no family here, I don't celebrate Christmas as a religious event, so over the years I have let go of special ways of recognizing the season.
This year I not only decorated inside for Winter Solstice as I always do, I put up lights outside, lights to add cheer to the neighborhood. Christmas Eve I lit candles & my candle powered LED lamp & did handwork while listening to music on the radio. At 6 pm I grabbed the sleighbells & the dog & I walked up & down the street, sleighbells ringing.
It was a delightful evening, one that will be remembered fondly and repeated next year.
Merry Christmas! It will be a warm 70 degrees here in the Texas Hill Country. My son and his daughter...my sweet granddaughter...are celebrating with us this year.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas wish was to spend it with my 88 year old mother, but Covid has not made that possible, so I altered my Christmas wish to one that is hoping she is with us next year and it can be spent together!
Wishing you and yours a blessed day now and into the new year, too!
Quiet Christmas for me.. My son and daughter in law will be here for dinner. Grandkids have moved to Pennsylvania. Haven't seen them for ages due to the virus. With DH and eldest son gone, its just not the holidays anymore. We'll do the best we can with what we have. May 2021 be better.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you -- I doubt any sewing will happen today, although it might be a nice symbolic gesture to get in there and do a little something! Prayers & Blessings to all, gratitude also spilling all over for the contributions to my life, friends and relatives have provided... Love, health and happiness are my wishes for all, Cats in Carlsbad CA
ReplyDeleteAt our place in Fla social distancing and watching White Christmas (every single year). Currently 46 with a low of 35 tonight.
ReplyDeleteDear Bonnie! Our family is scattered from New England to California. Altho I would LOVE to be with them, I am happy that they are healthy and enjoying the holiday. Today will be a nice meal, some presents, a bit of football (!) and some sewing. The first Christmas was quiet and I don't mind mine being so this year. (I forgot the Facetime with my 88 yr old dad! He is AMAZING!)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family and furries!
Merry Christmas, Bonnie from coastal Maine where it is 55 degrees with blustery winds and rain...it’s colder at home in Alabama!!, planning a quiet day today...Christmas dinner with daughter and friend, cleanup, then possibly some work on “Grassy Creek”. Couldn’t bring my “pull box” with me, but brought enough that I can make some of each step., so am anxiously awaiting tomorrow’s post. Also have parts of SOM in case I run out of things to do! Thanks for all you do for us...love you!
ReplyDeleteYes a different Christmas this year no big family get together this year. Luckily we could be together with our 2 daughters and their families last Sunday. Today will be quiet going to my Brother's for a meal in their new home they just moved in 2nd week of Dec after living with us for 2 months and before that 2 months in campground while house was being finished since their house sold fast. We have not spent a holiday together for over 10 years since our Dad died. this is a special blessing this year to have reconnected Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and family.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas 🎁🎄 I will be having a quiet day - my other half is driving semi today so I am joining his two sisters and bil for dinner around two - a little laundry - lots of sewing - have to get caught up on Grassy Creek since I have my ruler now - looking forward to hours of sewing and maybe a little wine this evening
ReplyDeleteFirst holiday season with zero gathering of our very large family of 41 years for us and many more for a previous marriages. Lots of memories. Hubby's health is failing so it is often just a little tv for his enertainment..i will probably sew. Just took out of oven a special Christmas breakfast that I hope doesn't last too many days. Merry christmas.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas. Enjoy your quite Christmas
ReplyDeleteChristmas 2020 - first Christmas in about 7 years or more. COVID has everyone grounded for safety, but the house sure is empty with no grandkids running around, no extra dogs in the mix, looking for free handouts! 😉. Electronic gifts & Amazon deliveries definitely eliminated the stress of gift giving! So DH & I will spend quiet day, chat with kids online & eat turkey. My Moxie should arrive next week, so we might start moving furniture so she can move in! And finishing Clue #2 today. Merry Christmas Bonnie to you & family!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie, and thank you for all the wonderful clues to this years mystery. We usually spend Christmas alone since our children live in other states. We have Face time and open our gifts together (if they arent working and can join in). We all find the time to watch the Grinch and yes we know all the words, lol. On Christmas morning its usually french toast and bacon and its a laid back day while we watch White Christmas. Its only 15 here in TN this morning and we have a sprinkling of snow.
ReplyDeleteWe are lucky to have another couple in our "bubble", and since we won't be with any of our children, this will do. We will be electronically in touch later today. Last night our church had a series of very small outside sing-alongs, with the words projected on the building! It was socially distanced and masked singing, but it was a touch of "normal" for us. Happy Holidays to all.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and Dave and the pets. I'm making ribs and salad for hubby and me today, plan to stitch and maybe sew some. Had gifts with our daughter and grand daughter (nearly 3 yrs) a couple days ago. My mom and sister are safe and celebrating with nephew's family. All is calm and bright.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Bonnie, Here in Edmonton we will spend the day very quite sewing,watching a movie and many Zoom and face time calls from 3 provinces.Will watch the grand kids opening gifts through a computer this are crazy times. May god keeps us healthy.Merry Christmas and thank for your hard work giving us a mystery quilt project.
ReplyDeleteVery quiet Christmas here - just hubby and me. He’s the head chef today (an unusual event) making baked ziti for our Christmas dinner. Yum! I’ll do a little sewing and we’ll watch some football. Planning a couple video chats with my sis and my oldest friend. Grateful for our health and happiness!🥰
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas everyone, It will be just Baxter and me and clue #4 finishing up. Looking forward to tomorrow. House good and warm, plenty of food, a rough year but I am blessed.
ReplyDeleteWe had a pizza dinner last night. Tradition since the big ice storm years ago cut all the power on Christmas Eve. This morning stockings, breakfast and presents with my daughter, afternoon phone chat with the son in Alabama and dinner with eldest son. Perfect to be able to talk with all my kids and grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! To you and Dave! Quiet celebration here at home, just DH and I. Football, Christmas movies, food and quilting I suppose! Pretty chilly here, but no snow! Enjoy your day! Much love,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very quiet Christmas for my husband & myself. We have never in our 47 years together spent it alone! We've always had either parents, nieces, children or Grandchildren to celebrate with. We haven't even opened our gifts yet!!! We expect to Zoom later with everyone. I am cooking a pork loin with several sides. I made a mincemeat pie. I may or may not sew today, depends on phone calls from Grands, etc.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and fingers crossed 2021 comes in as a much better year than this last one!
Merry Christmas, Bonnie. Thanks for sharing your beautiful snowfall with us. After practically guaranteeing a white Christmas for us, Mother Nature showed the forecasters who's boss and only provided a confectioner's sugar dusting. I'm watching A Christmas Carol while
ReplyDeleteI knit socks. Not much snow, but the temperature is low enough & warm cozy socks are provided distantly to all who need them.
We are spending Christmas with limited family members and good friends that are in ?moving" limbo. I made pies and rolls and my daughter is doing the turkey and potatoes and veggies. Merry Christmas to you and Dave from a semi-white Montana.
ReplyDeleteToday is a very different Christmas for our family. My sisters, Julia and Ellen and I are spending the day with our 93 year old Mommy. We will indulge on an oyster dinner, share memories of Christmas past and talk quilting. We are all separate from our spouses this year to be able to be with Mommy. We wish you, Dave, your adorable fur babies and entire family a joyful Christmas and a 2021 filled with blessings!
ReplyDeleteI am alone as usual. My grown kids are with their other families - or waiting until next week to travel for our family get together. Cold, windy day taking care of cows and horses. Must go back outside to thaw out a couple of drinkers... Keeping the wood stove burning and maybe I will do a bit of weaving or rug finishing.
ReplyDeleteOur girls are bringing Christmas dinner to us but not staying to eat. They will come back in the afternoon with our son and nephew for gift opening. They won't eat with us because masks come off for that but they will wear masks when here for gift time. Last year was awful because our first born son died on December 15th and then Covid hit after the first of the year and this year has been surreal for us. Who knows what another year will bting? Wishing you and yours a very glad Christmas. My husband of 55 years and I will just grin at each other and bask in the knowledge that Mary delivered a baby and that baby delivered us.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely weird but know that my family and friends are well and safe makes it all worth while. Will be a wonderful get together when we can.Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas 🎄. I am drinking a hot cup of coffee and looking out at the 6+ inches of snow we received in the last 10 hours with the promise of more to come. I guess I will spend this Christmas alone but that is ok. Like you I am happy my family is safe and healthy. That allows the hope for another day together
ReplyDeleteR
Merry Christmas! Waiting on a FaceTime call from my granddaughters in Corpus Christi. We will have a quiet day; lunch with my sister and brother in law. Then I’ll sew and listen to an audiobook.
ReplyDeleteWe celebrate Christmas Eve here in Sweden. In the morning I went to light candles at my parent's grave. My father was always worried that nobody was going to carry on that tradition, it is now my turn to do that. We dropped off present at our children's houses, both live about 10 minutes away and then we came home and ate some special Christmas food and watched movies. This morning we woke to a nice layer of new snow and the sun that has been hiding all of December came out! I usually go to early, 7 am church service on Christmas Day but this year everything is online ..... so TV it was!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful and restful Christmas!
Merry Christmas Bonnie and Family!! I'm spending the day doing my favorite thing, piecing...today it's the mystery quilt. I Also already did the family visit over the phone. Here at home it's just me and my best friend Molly my dog. It was 39 degrees and windy at 7 AM when Molly needed a walk. I was bundled up on my mobility scooter but was frozen when we got back an hour later. Cooking up a steak and lobster tail dinner later. I just have to say, WOW, regarding your hexie quilt. This is the first time I've seen the whole thing and the design is just stunning!!! You are awesome! Hope to be able to catch up on the mystery quilt before tomorrow's new clue...the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is so busy with work, it was difficult to do more than cut up the fabric. Thank you so much for all your tips on assembly. The blocks may not turn out absolutely perfect, but they'll be darn near close. Karen L.
ReplyDeleteOur day is very quite..but our faorite tradition is every Christmas Eve I have to watch A Christmas Carol and it has to be the 1951 version. No snow in Illinois but it is very cold. Merry Christmas to you and all your family.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your beautiful Christmas day. Hubby and our four dogs are spending our first Christmas in our winter home in sunny FL. We will be zooming with our kids snd grands later today as we did on Christmas Eve. Miss them sooooo much Much to be grateful for in this Covid year
ReplyDeleteHubby & I will be alone, but we'll be sending up Christmas dinner to our son upstairs (2 separate homes, this house is multi-generational with two separate entrances, kitchens, etc...). Our teenaged grandson who is usually upstairs with his dad is in Montana spending Christmas with his mother & sister. We've (hubs & I) have quarantined continuously since mid March due to health issues, our ages & we are back up day care for our health compromised grand daughter who lives 30 minutes away with our daughter & son in law. I am looking forward to a more normal life next year! Retired in March & we're looking forward to starting trips to various places in 2021. The blessing was we moved into this house in 2019 & have been working on it ever since...we are getting much closer to the end of the honey do list than we expected to be! Blessings to you & your family! Deb E
ReplyDeleteI live in a complex of 4 strata buildings nestled next to a forest. Last night one of the residents who would in normal times be leading a church choir set up a keyboard on the patio and we sang carols from our balconies waving at one another. In this topsy turvy year singing carols from balconies and patios was perfect. Today we have apple crisp for breakfast and dinner for two I bought a turkey breast to bake for later. There will be movies and quilting and a walk in the forest.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie and all. Nice and quiet at mia casa, only 3 this year, dinner is served around 1 and if you are still in pj's that is okay. No chaos just take the day as it comes
ReplyDeleteSpent Christmas Eve with some of the Clan...enjoyed watching our 7 month old Great Grand enjoy her 1st Christmas Eve...Today we will meet up with another limb of the Clan...for Christmas Ham...and that will Ice My Cake..as the little one will be there also...So GG will enjoy gazing on the next Generation...also got the news a little cousin will be arriving next July...I am over the Moon...Merry Christmas to all the Quiltville Peeps all over the World...Can hardly wait for the NEXT CLUE...<3
ReplyDeleteWe also have a white Christmas here in Nebraska. Although most of it will melt today with the sun shinning and the temps above 50. We video chatted with the kids last night and had our MIL outing this past Tues. So it is now just us. We visited all the lights in town after the kids called. So today it is cooking just a bit, nothing fancy, a nap and some Husker BB late afternoon. So quiet in our house, it's a large house made for gatherings, now empty of hugs and laughter. Hope everyone stays safe and those getting these storms stay put. Greetings to all.
ReplyDeleteWe had our Christmas with my two girls and families on Christmas Eve. Since they are all here everyday anyways as we babysit and do virtual school with the grandchildren--we went ahead and got together to have snacks and gift giving. Afterwards several of went out to look at the lights one more time. We enjoyed going to Jenks where Ben Sumner won the Christmas Light Fight this year, his display is just wonderful and takes me back to the old days when I was a child seeing the window displays in the department stores. Have a Merry Christmas, I read your posts everyday and have made several of your quilts. Thank you for your knowledge and willingness to share with us.
ReplyDeleteThis year was similar. We share a home with our daughter & her family, so there are 6 of us. Online shopping began early, wrapping was done & by Christmas Eve, all that was left was watching Home Alone 2 with our grandsons. Cookies, milk & carrots were left for Santa & his reindeer at bedtime. Then it was our traditional viewing of White Christmas, while filling stockings. Today the 6 of us will enjoy opening presents, having quiche for breakfast & talking with family via zoom later. Merry Christmas, to you & yours, Bonnie!
ReplyDeleteCozy day with my husband watching birds and the snow flurries. Calls with friends and family, a good meal, some football and of course sewing. I just learned I will have a new great niece in the new year. So, it's digging into scraps to get started on her baby quilt. Tonight, time to laugh at National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie and family! We are home alone as well. Will FaceTime with our kids later, but it will be a quiet day here in Florida.
ReplyDeleteI'll be working on a jigsaw puzzle. Dad is in the nursing home with dementia and I haven't seen him since March. Since he is blind and nearly deaf we can't do virtual visits but they assure me he is content so that is my blessing. My nephew will be dropping off Chinese for dinner. Even though they live close we still do not have a lot of contact as they are working and I am high risk. I am blessed by my family though. I never married and am so thankful for my nephew and nieces and for my sister-in-law who is more like a sister.
ReplyDeleteMy family is small - 2 children and 3 grands and we have been with each other all through the year so we were able to have our Christmas Eve together, which we were not able to do at Thanksgiving as my son was in contact with a COVID co-worker. This year we all wore comfy clothes and PJ's and had a wonderful time. Merry Christmas to all your family far and wide and being safe and healthy.
ReplyDeleteWe spent Christmas Eve day with our nephew and family for prime rib and family time and where home by 3pm. Here in Minnesota the roads were all ice and it took us twice the normal time to get there. Today , hubby and I are spending a quiet day with Christmas music, puzzles, maybe a few string blocks and Tv. Blessings to all the quilters and to you Bonnie and family. Thanks for giving us all something to look forward to each year with MQ. We all need some quiet times to bring us to how important inner peace really is. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful, peaceful holiday to you. My husband and I will deliver gifts to my daughter, SIL, and 5 grandsons today. They live only blocks away. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteWe are having just a small part of our family here today. we'll see some more on Sunday. Now snow in our part of Pa. just a torrent of rain & wind last night. It's a good Christmas for me. First one in 20 yrs. I'm actually home for the holiday. So, there will be some stitching & making new memories for the Christmases to come Merry Christmas Bonnie & family from Betty, Jay, Benny & Cezar. Bring on clue #5, I'm ready for it.
ReplyDeleteOne of the cable channels has been showing White Christmas nonstop for 24 hours. Woo Hoo. It is very cold here in Minnesota (at least you are above zero). Watched midnight mass on the computer (very weird) and making my grandmothers ravioli for dinner. One child didn't make it home yet because of the bad driving, but told him not to worry about what the calendar says, we celebrate when he can make it. The other child will do a drive by with food containers, she is afraid to come into the house because of her job. So it's definitely different to be apart but we are all connecting via zooms throughout the day. Blessings to all and have a safe, happy and Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteAs a doctor and a nurse, Andy and I have often alternating working on Christmas day so one could be home with the children. It is Andy's year this year and he is on the inpatient covid wards. Much sadness as people decline and much hope as others regain strength. Seth and I are cooking and when Andy comes home he will do a drive-by to our other children with a distanced drop off of gifts and the meal. Grateful to celebrate Christmas. And that Andy received his vaccine a week ago. Good wishes to you and your loved ones.
ReplyDeleteThis year was the first time in ten years that I got to spend Christmas Eve with my husband. He was a free-lance musician and always worked long hours that day in the past. The pandemic led to his decision to retire a year earlier than planned. We are thankful for the time together. Merry Christmas to you and your family, and thanks so much for all you give to the many quilters who follow you!
ReplyDeletePlan to cook lunch with my youngest son. He loves dumplings so that is easy enough.. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteThe store closed at 6pm. It had began to snow here in N E Ohio about 2pm. We had about 2 in at 6pm. When I got up at 7am today, what a surprise , we have 7-1/2" of snow!I love the weatherman who says"depending on how the storm tracks, 2 to 4 " of snow" Boy was he WRONG!Yes this has been an interesting year! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
ReplyDeleteWe are far away from Family this year. We celebrated yesterday with our Mission Family. Good food and Games, a funny version of the 12 days of Christmas and ending with the movie The Christmas Candle. Home to sleep after choosing between It’s a Wonderful Life or the Greatest Showman. I chose Hugh Jackman this year. Simple Christmas gifts were sent home. We'll have a quiet day and Zoom meeting tomorrow. I might sneak in some stitches while hubby naps.
ReplyDeleteWe sang Christmas carols in the cold yesterday at our church's outdoor Christmas Eve service. We have Facetimed with our New York grandsons and in a few minutes FaceTime with our Memphis grands. Festive Christmas quilts are decorating our walls. We are happy and well.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas from Mississippi.
Oh, Bonnie, I'm so grateful for you!! Being retired means our Christmas is not so different this year. I'm feeling more grateful and less lonely and sad. I'm actually grateful we aren't going to dinner at sister-in-law's, more relaxed at home and zooming, but remembering I actually had fun there last year. Maybe I can let go of the fears in the past and believe in my goodness and theirs. I'm letting grief be healed and gratitude fill my heart this Christmas. Maybe some quilting too! Stay safe and well. ❤❄🎄
ReplyDeleteWe watched our church service -- Lessons and Carols at 9 p.m. -- from my studio, where the TV is.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are spending the day without any additional family members but I am so grateful we have each other! Our kids have checked in with us via Facetime. Yes, this Christmas season was less stressful as there were no events to attend. Our church service came to us via youtube and it was beautiful! There is such a temptation to look at what we don't have instead of our many, many blessings. Bonnie, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and may your business prosper in 2021! I don't think I will sew today but will just enjoy the fact that this is Christmas Day. It goes by too quickly!
ReplyDeletep.s. the grinch is totally my all time favorite! Both versions have their charms.😁
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie!
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and I are also spending a quiet day at home. Instead of having a traditional dinner (feels like too much work today & more food than we want), we're doing something totally different. We got up early and prepped Lamb Curry for the slow cooker. Cooking and dish washing done until later tonight but that will be minimal.
I made huge batches of three soups on our Christmas Eve soup supper rotation then jarred them up. When my hubby came home from work at noon yesterday we loaded up my new car (more about that later) and delivered soup and our grandloves' Christmas gifts to each home. Our three girls live within a few miles of our home, our son and his family a little over an hour away. My younger sister, married to my hubby's younger brother, came to pick up soups for the two of them and our mother-in-love who is almost 96 years old. We had brief masked and distanced conversations at each stop.
Did I yearn to stay longer or to hold each of them? You bet! There were also some tears in private as I had to recognize how much I've missed being with them- especially our son's family who isn't in our "bubble" due to kids being in school, etc. At the moment, there are only two of us in our bubble. I willingly choose this, painful as it is at moments, because more than anything I want to do my part to keep all of us safe and healthy. We've determined in our immediate family to focus on how we CAN be together and show love for each other. This week our activities included a really sweet "Cousins' Covid Hullabaloo" via ZOOM for the littles and tonight we'll meet outside my mother-in- loves home to sing her a few Carol's. On Tuesday evening, our two oldest daughters have planned an adult Secret Santa gift exchange, lovingly facilitated by "Santie C," our oldest daughter. Becca, who is at home with littles planned what they've dubbed "Reindeer Games" which are sure to be hilarious. All via ZOOM. One other new activity we've dubbed "walking the Lights." We can't ride around in a car together to see the lights, but we sure can meet in a designated neighborhood, masked and distanced and enjoy the lights. That's been a source of good exercise and an opportunity to spend time with our beloved 13 year old granddaughter.
Quilting? Well, I lost three days of sewing last week when my 11 year old car, Scarlet, let us know that she wouldn't make it to our planned new car purchase on March without a big repair bill now. So, three days of research, emails, texts, and phone calls to car dealers. On Saturday we traded her in for "Red Flaming Fire Dog," a new Subaru Crosstrek.
Next week: quilting and reorganizing of my sewing room to make room for my home "office" area. I've done ZOOM therapy sessions from various rooms in our home these last months before concluding that I really need to work from my sewing room which has the best natural light.
Wishing a peace filled holiday season to everyone!
Christmases have changed so much over the years but we still feel the warmth of love from our family while we miss those who have passed on. We reminisce about Christmases past and enjoy the making of Christmas present and future. Yes, we watch a couple of versions of A Christmas Carol! Also, many other favorite movies. Merry Christmas to all of the Quiltville members and especially to Bonnie and her family! We're looking forward to a healthy and happier 2021.
ReplyDeleteJust finished a Zoom call with the children and grandchildren as they open gifts. Very different not having them all in the same house but over Zoom the chaos was close to the same. We had a big dump of snow a few days ago and my husband blew and nice walking trail with the tractor and snow blower so we are going for a walk as it has warmed up quite a bit overnight. Just below freezing now so should be nice. We also have to shovel the snow off the roof but it is exercise which we both need after turkey dinner last night.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie & family. We're home but will take a quick ride up to see our daughter's (&boyfriend) new home. Drop off some food & leave. Can't see our other child & his family, but facetimed w/them last night & probably will do so again today. I have to remind myself that this will pass & with any luck, next year will definitely be better!
ReplyDeleteIn New Mexico we celebrate by putting up luminaries along our streets and walls. It gives a fairy-like and very calming feeling on Christmas eve. As long as I can put them up..It's Christmas. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas 🎄 So thankful for your presence in my life.💜
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and thanks for all you do for the quilting community. It will be quiet here today with a Zoom gathering with my lambs later in the day. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteBonnie, enjoy your White Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI am with a small part if my family as we have hung together all through this Covid thing. I provide a lot of transport for grandkids so we have always been together during this time. But it is still quiet here. I made most dinner and brought it. It is lasagne and pumpkin cheesecake. They are riing the bread and salad. Not traditional but we decided to go different this year. Hopefully will be good. Have already talked to some other family but won't be going there this year. Thanks for everything Bonnie. Will be looking forward to New Year of quilting. Lots of projects planned. Merry Christmas all!
ReplyDeletejust5 us two since all Our kids are afraid they might give us covid
ReplyDeleteWe had a Zoom meeting with all of our kids and their families last night. Today I am enjoying probably the last Christmas where my husband is home with me as he will probably be in a memory care facility by next year. Another day to cherish that we have together. Merry Christmas to you and your family from the two of us and our cat, Shaylee.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and thank you for all you do to inspire the quilting community out there. I will be making a pie and fixing clam chowder. I've already got leftover Quiche Lorraine and millet muffins. Plenty of food here for one person and a cat with singed eyebrows from checking out a candle last night. Hope to get to the cutting for Week 3 of Grassy Creek.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, Merry Christmas, to you and yours. My day will have a walk and enjoy the sunshine here in Southern Utah, and eating pumpkin pie. May the new year be better than this one, and may everyone be healthy. Enjoy this blog so much, thanks.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie! Our 7 kids, 11 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren are scattered from Nashville, TN, haymarket, VA, USA to Hamilton, ON, Edmonton,AB, Langley and Nanaimo BC and one in heaven as of Oct 1,2020. As I am still in mourning for the loss of my pal, my second-born daughter, we are not celebrating this year. We usually have christmas dinner with the kids that live near us but with the lockdowns and prevention of family gatherings with those who don't live in your actual houses, it is a very quiet day for us, with a small ham, and all those sides that go with, all the special things happening. Covid has made this a rotten year for our family, unable to visit my daughter as she fought her final battle with esophageal cancer due to restrictions in the hospitals. But our faith that God's will prevails has helped us, along with playing with fabrics and doing your Unity, Appalachian, and now Grassy Creek projects. Better year ahead!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! I made homemade cinnamon rolls for me and hubby. Just us here with our two kitties and enjoying a quiet day. Will have a family Zoom call shortly covering coast to coast. Later we'll have lamb chops, polenta with sautéed tomatoes and asparagus with homemade hollandaise! Not bad for a weird year! Thanks for all you do Bonnie! Looking forward to Clue 5 tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteIt is just the two of us as well this year. We took yesterday and today completely away from the shop and I have been getting backings and bindings made and batting cut for quilts to get quilted. Scott is hoping to go ice fishing today now that temps are back above zero. Like you, we have also suspended all shipping until 2021 🙂 and are looking forward to seeing-stressing, relaxing and recharging. Merry Christmas Bonnie and Dave!
ReplyDeleteI love your quote of the day. Quiet day today. We celebrated with our children last night so just hubby and I today. Its been a wonderful Christmas this year as I have learned this past year to live each day the best I can. I had no last minute gifts to make, meals to make and clean till everything is spotless just for a couple hours of family company. I made it as stress free as possible. Learning that this is not important. Family and time together is. Thank you for 2020.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie, and wishing you a Blessed New Year. Thank you for all you do for the quilters in this world. We will have a quiet day today with maybe a little sewing to finish clue 2 of Grassy Creek.
ReplyDeleteWe had our 2 traditional Christmas Day activities: Dogs opening their stockings and ripping up tissue paper making us laugh AND a Salmon dinner. Hubby made dinner this year and it was spectacular! Enjoy your movies and time together. Merry Christmas and thank you so much for sharing with us!
ReplyDeleteBig family celebrations will have to wait, but doesn't this Christmas make you appreciate all the others that we have had! Quiet day for my husband and I and we know our son's family is safe at home. Hoping for better things for 2021! Thanks for your mysteries this year, Bonnie!
ReplyDeleteHere In British Columbia we have lots of snow in the mountains where we live and temps are hovering around freezing. It’s just Hubby and myself. Both girls in health care so no travelling for all of us. Listening to The Messiah on public radio as I prepare the turkey for the oven. There will be some sewing and knitting today and calls from family and friends. Stay safe and thanks for all you do for us
ReplyDeleteWhite Christmas is our tree decorating movie. I pulled out Love Actually last night — Steve had never seen the whole movie. Surprisingly, he liked it. I envy you your white stuff. We’ve only had a couple dusting here in central Washington. 2” or so are expected this afternoon/evening. I know the Doodle girls will be delighted and we will never be able to get them back inside. Meanwhile, we remain sheltered as I take immune suppressants. Merry Christmas to you & Dave!
ReplyDeleteNext year this time, I probably won't remember the shock I'm feeling from losing my Mom a few hours ago.
ReplyDeleteMy heart crys with you. Losing your Mom is the hardest thing to go through. The shock and loss never go away but your reactions to them changes. 25 yrs ago my Mom died on Dec 4. It was not expected. This Christmas is the first one since her death that I have enjoyed, even with covid. Relish the good memories and ask others for help. My prayers will be said for you. May God surround you and hold you in his arms.
DeleteSo sad for you for your loss of your dearest mother. Many wonderful memories. Prayers for you.
DeleteSo sorry for your loss. Losing my mom has been the biggest loss I have experienced. Even though I moved across the country before she passed, Christmas has never been the same for me. I don't have children but can't explain why things changed in 2003 for me other than losing my mom. After all this time, I still have unexpected moments of sadness and miss her so. Hugs and blessings to you.
DeleteI don't usually comment, but that quilt is gorgeous. You must have put in a gazillion hours so far. We had about 4 inches of snow yesterday with low temps and it is currently snowing. The neighbor across the street came over and cleared the driveway and sidewalks as a Christmas gift. She did this for several other neighbors as well. That has never happened before.
ReplyDeleteWe will be spending a quiet day at home, but will have a family Zoom get together later today.
This Christmas 🎄 is a blessing last Christmas my husband was in the hospital with respiratory problems from complications of dementia
ReplyDeleteWe spend the first 3 months of ‘this year getting him back to where he was prior to his December illness then we had the notifications of sheltering in place and the spread of the virus
So this past year my husband has been as well as he could possibly be for me and him it has been an extra year with him
Had we gotten back to “normal” life he would have fallen ill with some respiratory infection and not been able recover
How much extra time we I have I don’t know but everyday is a gift ❤️👵🏻
Merry christmas from montana. No snow on our side of the state( southcentral)
ReplyDeleteQuiet day also.we called all our kids.. had a wonderful visit with them. Can't wait for next quilting posting tomorrow.have a wonderful rest of this off the rails year.happy new year.
Fijne kerstdagen en gelukkig nieuwjaar gewenst.
ReplyDeleteIn English: merry xmas and a happy new year.
Here in the Netherlands my husband and me have, according to current lockdown rules, 3 christmas guests: our 3 adult children. Pure wealth/richness to have them! My son and me prepared a rice dish dinner. (It s almost 8pm here) and enjoyed it a lot.
We had a sunny day and could make a walk, only 2 at the time (covid rules) In our home the hardest thing is to keep our socialdistance and no hugs....but we are together!
Best wishes for all of you, stay safe.
Conny
My son, who lives alone 4 min from us and is the other part of our 3 person "bubble", had us over for Christmas eve dinner (which I wound up cooking while he worked on activating his Dad's new cell phone!) which was cooked and eaten while doing "Hangouts" on a large screen TV with our daughter, who lives alone in the Boston area (we live in MinneSNOWta and had a blizzard on Wednesday to give us a white Christmas, too, Bonnie!). Today I am cooking our standard ham Christmas dinner with sweet potatoes, Julekaka (Norwegian Christmas bread), fresh cranberry relish, green beans and pecan pie for just the 3 of us. Gifts are simple, only 2 things each around our little ceramic tree. My daughter gave both my husband and I Kiva (a charity that makes microloans with the donations people make) gift certificates, which is what she had given my mother each year for the last 7 or 8 years, so making the loans shared screen with her was our way of acknowledging our loss of my Mom in September.
ReplyDeleteI finished clue 4 today. Two of our grandsons have called. We will zoom with our daughter, three granddaughters, and son-in-love later today. We normally spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our daughter and her family. It has been quite different but blessed in so many ways. One of the blessings is you and all you do for us as quilters.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie, Dave, Lola, Zoey, and Ivy. Beautiful pictures of your white Christmas!
ReplyDeleteEnjoying this year’s clues, and looking forward to Grassy Creek #5 tomorrow.
Our Christmas here in New Zealand is in Summer, so usually warm, sunny weather. No snow like so many of you are experiencing.
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed Christmas Lunch out at a local restaurant with friends this year for a change. And caught up with family members with phone calls later in the day. Merry Christmas to all.
Christmas 2020 won't be much different than the past 20+ years other than we didn't spend it with 2 of our 3 daughters Christmas eve. We are zooming in a few minutes then it will be cookie time to bake hubby's favorite sugar cookies. Then I plan to sew away the rest of the day. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteThis year we are doing zoom to watch the youngest grand open gifts. Since my SIL has only been back to work for 3 days after being down with covid since Thanksgiving we are staying separate. He just got his taste buds back but is still fatigued and sleeps a lot. We did door drop of gifts and opened them online. Had a hard time getting in the mood but it has lifted since i got the decorations up and listened to some Christmas music. I just backed 7 more loaves of cranberry bread and will do some apple/orange this after noon. Hope to sew for a little while and watch another Christmas movie or two. So far have done Holiday Inn and the Christmas Chronicals and will do White Christmas today. Merry Christmas to you and Dave. Can't wait to see you in July again. with love Betsy K in Chesapeake
ReplyDeleteWe woke up to a white Christmas here in southern Ontario as well. Movies and for a special treat we got a bunch of seafood - scallops & shrimp - to nosh on all day instead of a big traditional meal. But happy to report all the sewing got done in time! Thanks for all your sharing of quilts & life - wishing you a wonderful, safe holiday season!
ReplyDeleteDefinite quiet here. Zoom family gathering for most of us later. Simple small dinner for just us two. Got some quilting done this morning. Maybe time for a little more this afternoon. More after Zoom session. Tomorrow will assess storm damage.
ReplyDeleteWe don’t do Christmas at our house, so it’s just another day. But, with 45 degrees, beautiful sunshine, and no wind, I took a long walk with the hubby this morning! A wonderful start to another day of life! Everyone be safe and protect your families by means of virtual celebrations.
ReplyDeleteJust a lazy day with Christmas videos and shows, and music,, and calls with friends and my sister and her family. Latter preping for family dinner. My son is working today. His son is coming over for dinner with new serious girlfriend, and my SO's single sister. No snow this year. I do miss that. Maybe drive through light show after dinner tonight.
ReplyDeleteJust the two of us, the cats and a grand-dog staying with us while his family is in Florida for a warmer Christmas. It was 16 here this morning, but then, we aren't on a mtn. Had our family Christmas last Sunday and a good thing too since Covid caught up with us this week (weren't exposed that day). So no Christmas Eve soup last night, no Christmas dinner today and don't even feel like sewing. Maybe New Year's will be better. Merry Christmas to you, Dave and the crew!
ReplyDeleteJust my husband and I, and ever since he got out of the hospital this year he's been bedridden so it's a very different holiday. I'm making a nice supper and we will simply be together. There were times this spring and summer I wasn't sure he would even be here for the holidays, so that's my blessing.
ReplyDeleteI am still 750 away from home and husband, for the 5th year, but this year my dad is no longer with me (my reason for being so far away). My oldest daughter and her daughters drove over 1,600 miles to spend Christmas with me. They are are my ex's home to celebrate Christmas with him and will be coming back soon. Good thing I caught a nap this morning!! We went to the only in-person Christmas Eve service we could find (at 10:00) and, true to 2020, the incense set off the smoke alarms!! This will be the final Christmas I celebrate in my parent's home, which makes it bittersweet.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie and gang! This year sounds like it has been a good one for you... being home, slowing down, and embracing the joy in a simple life is really a gift; o e we have all hopefully learned to appreciate! I learned years ago when Rheumatoid Arthritis struck me. Yes it’s taken a lot, but it has given me so much too! Much as our world has slowed down, mine did too. This year we’ve done FaceTime and FB video to keep in touch with the kids far and wide. Online shopping (and shipping included!) made for easy gifting to the the far off loved ones. And local masked shopping for neighbors and my youngest was perfect! Christmas Day is relaxing with my hubby, napping, and a ham dinner to enjoy for the coming few days! Along with replacing all our interior doors! My gift from DH was labor hours! Many blessings to you and yours, and thanks to you for all you give to the quilting community.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie! My family, too, is celebrating the holiday electronically. Last night we shared our Christmas meal. Today we are having an ugly sweater cookie baking party. I bought all of the ingredients and the ugly sweater cookie cutter and sent packages a few weeks ago. Then I asked them to find ugly sweaters to wear. My daughter in law made shirts for herself and my son! It will be a fun get together.
ReplyDeleteA week ago we had 30" of snow. Yesterday and today it has rained and is very windy. All that snow is gone....so lucky you! (We live in Upstate NY!!!) I bring out every Christmas decoration I have collected. We had to have a fake tree this year as our 3 year old Maine Coon cat developed severe asthma over the summer. I miss the tradition of getting and putting up the real deal but we have a pretty one and can hang all our special ornaments. Our family is mostly gone now but usually we have friends over throughout December. Of course this year that did not happen. We spend the actual holiday with just the two of us. So this year is not different in that respect. Merry Christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteMy four-legged Shelties and I are alone for the first time ever this Christmas. Yes it has been quite a year! Thankfully electronics have linked us with family and friends. If nothing else this weird year has really helped me appreciate all the together times we used to take for granted. Merry Christmas to you and your family Bonnie. You and your "scrappiness" are just what this girl loves. Wish we had some of your snow too. Rain here, of course, in Portland! Merry Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteYou have more snow than we have just 30 minutes east of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! We have none and a temperature of 54 degrees. Staying home for Christmas, daughter, son-in-law and grand baby have joined us. We’ll have a nice dinner this evening. Blessings to you, Bonnie.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie & family! My husband and I had my sister, brother-in-law and niece here for dinner. That's all that's left of our family locally. We also talked to our kids who are all out of state.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours, Bonnie. Some of our usual holiday customs have been able to happen as usual, some have been more virtual, but all have been good. I was so blessed to be able to buy a gently-used Gammill this fall, a decade-long dream come true, and many of my gifts from family this year were quilting-related. Many happy plans are swirling around in my head at the moment. :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas from NY. We are in the mountains and got 20” of snow last week. Christmas Eve brought 50 degrees and monsoon rain which melted most of the snow. Yup, 2020 strikes again. My husband and I are home alone. We will see our granddaughter,son and dil tomorrow morning. My son is an essential worker and works today. We are having a nice meal, cocktails, old Christmas movie-It happened on Fifth Avenue. Very relaxing and comfortable. We don’t do gifts as in our 69s we need nothing. We hope to do the traveling that we had planned when we retired.
ReplyDeleteI’m so happy to have the community of sewing,quilting as a great support this very unusual year. I’m so thankful for those of you who have shared yourselves so generously. Thank you! I will try to pay it forward. Merry Christmas to you and yours! It’s wonderful to be able to appreciate the small wonderful things like your love for your pets.
Merry Christmas Bonnie to you and your family. Christmas Eve is for our family get together with our older children and grandchildren. Our son from Portland was not able to come because of covid and the traveling restrictions. This was the year he and his son were going to be able to be with us. Christmas day is our day for us to stay home with our two youngest children to enjoy Santa gifts!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you all. That snow was mesmerising! Very pretty though at least you managed to get home safely before the worst! Super progress on the pretty hexies.
ReplyDeleteHere, quiet Christmas, roast goose and veg from the garden. It was a beautiful morning with a most gorgeous sunrise and again a beautiful sunset. It made a nice change to have a sunny day so animals first, so the ducks were mucked out and new straw added. Pretty much a normal day! We did watch some films but I brought out my cathedral window quilt and worked on that until the light wasn't good enough to see. It felt good to do some hand sewing. I think Christmas will be held at a later date - along with my daughter's wedding celebrations and then hopefully she will get to wear her beautiful dress in the summer! We now await a "storm Bella" which will bring goodness knows what - but high winds for sure - and the 28th will bring another awful day with sleet, snow and ice. Hibernation is on the cards! Stay safe xx
Merry Christmas Bonnie & family! Hubby & I exchanged gifts last night with our oldest boy as our boy is working a long shift for the local R.R. today. Today, gifts were exchanged with our youngest boy (23) who is now playing video games.
ReplyDeleteHubby is watching basketball, which means I have time to cut out pieces to begin your Mystery Quilt, so far behind everyone, but I promised myself I would do it as I've watched the last few mystery quilts from the sidelines! Sometime in between we left presents on my brothers doorsteps for their families...couldn't visit with them of course, but all in all a stress free day to relax.
We are spending a quiet day at home. Grilling a couple ribeyes here soon as it is just the 2 of us. Tomorrow night we are going to our daughters and all the kids and grands will be there. We have both had Covid, so we can't give it and we can't get it. I can't wait to see them all. It has been a LONG time!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas. We drove through that changing weather, from Del Rio TN to MI last night. We woke up to 14+ inches of snow. And apparently my parents lost power around 6 pm last night, plus 6 inches of snow. Luckily they have a fire place and though close to 80, are adept at camping. My dad hiked to a high point to get 1 bar on his phone. He fed the fire all night. Can't wait to move to the mountains - and quilt!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonny, My husband and I have had a quiet day preparing for tomorrow when our 2 daughters and their husbands and our grandkids will be here for dinner, opening of presents and spending the night. We will have a jigsaw puzzle to put together. our Christmas tradition, and maybe watch a movie. So glad you got a white Christmas I wish for one every year but it only rains here in December. We might get snow in February here in the Willamette Valley. Wishing you and your family continued good health and a very Merry Christmas and a big thank you for all you do for us quilters.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you too! We have HAD Christmas here in Perth Western Australia and as I write it is already Boxing Day. It was a lovely day yesterday -my son, daughter in law and grandchildren have moved back home in 2020, so for the first time we were all together at Christmas without flying anywhere. It was 40C and very hot, but we had a relaxed buffet-style dinner at their place and sat and sang carols and played and talked together. This morning I had trifle for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteTotally different Christmas this year, just my husband and I for the day. All 3 kids and 2 grands stayed downstate. FaceTime with each, spent time working on a crumb quilt and trying to finish up clue 4. Halfway through 4. Just quiet dinner , some tv and late night sewing. Thanks for everything you do for us Bonnie. God bless you and your family.
ReplyDeleteWe zoomed with my family in Green Bay for an hour and a half last night as we opened presents. It was utter chaos; they couldn't hear us very well, and their screens were pointed either at the ceiling, the top half of Mom's head, or both for at least half the night, but it was lovely! So much better than just a phone call. :) And next year, God willing, we'll all be together again for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI flew from Boise to Portland to spend Christmas with my niece & her husband. It’s been so fun & relaxing. Last night we lit the advent candle, & went through scripture & songs. We’ve played games, eaten wonderful food, & enjoyed being together. Merry Christmas to you, Dave, & your furry family! 🎄🌟🎄
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I had decided to spend a quiet day at home but my brother in law and his wife decided to host dinner, so we had a small family dinner and I was tasked with baking the red velvet cake. The guys held their annual horse shoe throwing contest. It was quick and meaningful and I was thankful I wasn't sick this year. This year I remarked how this Christmas was no muss and no fuss because I wasn't doing a big dinner.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog all year and Merry Christmas to you and yours Bonnie. We are in the Southern Hemisphere, so temperatures here were around 35 degrees Celcius (100+), but fortunately we were further South at our holiday place where they were more like 25, fine for cooking roast pork, Turkey roll, roast vegetables and Yorkshire pudding. Sons and daughters in love are in Switzerland and New Zealand, so we do the tech catch up mid afternoon (morning and evening their time). We finished the day with a walk along the beach, wonderful, so fortunate.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all,we were able to travel and spend time with one of our sons and his 3 children this year.it was our first since we wed that we're alone,no kids came home,its our quiet Christmas. Having a lazy boxing day,listening to the cicadas and planning a scrappy dinner of cheese , cold meats and leftover Christmas pudding.
ReplyDeleteUsually we would gather as a group of around 25 grown ups and grands, 5 households. We decided to forgo that this year, it didn't feel like it was a good idea to gather in a large group. My parents are 85 and 91 so we visited them in their home, and then moved on to short visits with each of our sons families on different days this week/end. Our day was very low key, I did very little decorating, and that was a bit of a relief as there won't be too much to put away. We have been simplifying our Christmas celebration over the past several years so it didn't seem like a huge leap to VERY simple lol. I hope that some of this year's simple changes will continue. Merry Christmas to all!
ReplyDeleteWe are really impacted by covid-19 in southern California so no getting together with any of our family. My husband and I live in a senior mobile home park. Our neighbor is alone so we had her over to our porch for dinner. We set up her table eight feet from ours and enjoyed dinner alfresco.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie! This is my second Christmas without my husband and mom and, due to work schedules, we had our Christmas yesterday. So I gifted myself with a day to play in my sewing room and made three scrub caps for the ICU nurses. Sewing for others felt very therapeutic.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to tomorrow's clue. Thank you!
Merry Christmas Bonnie! I also live in New Mexico, where the sky was the deepest blue today. Yesterday as I walked with my dog around the neighborhood, it looked and smelled like Christmas. It looked like Christmas because you could see people setting out their luminarias (or as I like to call them, bagolitos.) This entails walking around with brown paper bags full of sand. Unlike the rest of Christmas decoration, this is often done by men. And smelling like Christmas? There is pinon wood burning in the fireplaces, and red chili and posole bubbling on the stove. You need the red chili either as gravy for the mashed potatoes, or to put on top of your tamales. I didn't make tamales this year, because they're a real hassle to make alone- and lots of fun to make with others. I live alone, and am often lonely, but today was sweet because I sewed a little, cooked a little, took a great hike with friends, talked to my sister on the phone, snuggled with the dog. Thank you, Bonnie, for sharing your life and your art with all of us
ReplyDeleteYou asked for our Christmas story for today, but to explain today I have to go back, back back into the distant past of 1973. 7 people moved from northern Indiana to central Florida. Two 49 yr old grandparents, two parents 32 & 28, and three girls 7,4,3. Those seven made up the first Family Christmas in 1973, That was Vero Beach, FL. Migrate to 2020 in Sebring, Fl. The grand parents are both gone, so is the father, but the mother is now almost 76 yrs old. The oldest daughter is now 55, married no kids, the second daughter is 52 with tow kids, a 32 yr old son, married w/ a 6 yr old daughter and a 14 yr old stepson. The second child is a 15 year old daughter. And the specialness of this family is that the former in laws of the nephew's wife, are part of this family now. And the nephew's wife also comes with a mother.So from 7 we are now 12. The 14 and 15 yr old act more like siblings than aunt and nephew. The kids all get along well together.We did all meet together, as three of us are in the medical field proper, one of us is in the medical IT field, works locally My husband, Nephew works in car sales, so we are all exposed daily. Nephew cooks well too Prime rib, potato skins. Cookies, candies desserts, IT was great getting together, seeing w/ the youngest got, a real microscope and slides and lots of other cool stuff. Stuff each kid wanted, and other family members too. IT was a great day, fabulous time spent w/ family and friends. That was our Christmas, a few have gone, and in the 40+ years others came, and went away, but the core of my mom, me and sis are still there. The youngest sis is part of the went, today was the joy in the moment, and remembering those not with us. The kids are what make Christmas. May yours be as happy as ours.
ReplyDeleteAfter much thought, discussion, and prayer, and nine months apart from my newest grandson, I decided to fly to Southern California for Christmas with my daughter. I quarantined before coming, was very careful traveling 2 weeks ago,, and I'm leaving well after the first of the year. It was a wonderful day spent with my son-in-law's family in a warm area with lots of open windows, great food, and great visiting. Coming here beat spending the day alone at home. Merry Christmas and a joyous new year to you!
ReplyDeleteSlept in! Had breakfast. Took a nap. Started making peanut brittle. In the middle of candy making I realized I didn't make the crescent rolls yesterday. I then realized the ham should have been in the crock pot a half an hour ago. Finally finished the peanut brittle. Quickly put the ham in the crock pot and started the rolls. Then made two salads and rushed around cleaning the kitchen. Our daughter, her husband and two kids arrived at 4. We ate and then Zoomed with all but two of our family members for an hour. Opened Christmas presents after that and visited until it was time for family members to go home. It has been a wonderful day! Finished sewing down the binding on a king size quilt after everyone left...all 424 inches of it are done! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteIt has been so interesting reading comments from all over this world. It appears we quilters are doing what we can to make the best of this Covid beast. We had a very quiet Christmas with just our son as my husband was not feeling well. Daughters were supposed to stop by for brief visits, but we cancelled that. Our oldest daughter brought us lasagna and shrimp last night for Christmas Eve. Normally, our family Christmas Eve tradition has been to order Chinese food for dinner. I started that tradition years ago when I was a busy working mom with three children and lots to do on Christmas Eve. Normally, the whole family would be here for that. I discovered my youngest daughter continued that with her family last night. I felt sad that for the first time in 38 years our entire family was not together on Christmas, but we were together in spirit. I just figured I should consider myself lucky that we have had so many Christmases together when so many families are not able to spend Christmas together. We're in central New Jersey. Christmas Eve we had very high winds that made me think of the winds listened to on the night of Hurricane Sandy years ago. This morning, we discovered the heavy metal chairs on our deck had all been moved around by the wind. Best wishes for everyone having a better 2021. Just praying the vaccines and continuing safe practices can kick Covid in the butt. Bonnie, I do appreciate your great blog. I forwarded yesterday's with the cat wrapping demonstration to several friends.
ReplyDeleteMeri Kirihimete (Merry Christmas) from New Zealand. No white Christmas here as it is summertime, but the weather didn't play its part and we had some rain. It didn't dampen festivities though and we had an enjoyable day with our daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandsons.
ReplyDeleteThis year our Christmas is totally different. Due to the big C19 the kids are not coming. Then I fell the week of Thanksgiving and broke my arm. Mr. B was not interested in doing all the Christmas decorating so we simplified. Got a beautiful live wreath and had it flocked and hung it over the fireplace. Simple but very festive. I always make homemade quilted ornaments for the kids and grands and was able to do that as it took minimal sewing. Our Christmas celebration was lovely. Just the two of us enjoying the white Christmas we were rewarded with overnight. Today (yes I am up at 4:00am) we shall finish my studio makeover/purge. I feel a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Now I can find all my WAIP (works almost in progress) and that will be my goal for 2021. Have the patterns, fabric, and motivation. Should be a good start for a reset.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours from New Zealand Bonnie. We enjoyed a warm but not too hot summer day with tables groaning with cold meats, salads and cold desserts. Lucky for us we were able to spend time with our family, lovely seeing the kiddies attack Christmas with gusto. Thank you for all your posts and inspiration - I really enjoy it all.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie, Dave and Family (to include the fur babies)!
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas was quiet but busy. I was at home w/ my two fur babies, cooking, and preparing for my neighbors to come for dinner (Pot Luck). The two of them and me. She is one of my walking buddies, and they spent Thanksgiving w/ me as well. I didn't do Video Chats, but texts, pictures, phone calls happened across the country.
We were not as cold- 24 or 25 this morning. We got an inch of snow yesterday on top of the thawing of the two days before. We had lakes and ice rinks, so the snow gives us a little traction.
I have more baking to do, as making candy was the first I could do, as I am 2 weeks out of shoulder surgery and just now able to really use my right arm as I would like. BUT, I will return to sewing this week, too! My neighbors that came to dinner are also the ones that took me to surgery, brought me home, took me to the pharmacy etc. We look after each other that way.
I plan to stay home until I return to Physical Therapy and Post Op check up next week.
I hope all stays well for you and your family!
Donna
Kasilof, AK
Where I am content to stay put!
As always, Thank you for your dedication to this blog which I read when it arrives the day after you write. I spent the day hapoy to have a nice home, plenty of food, and more supplies than one woman needs to keep active. It's 14 degrees here in WNC.
ReplyDeleteFull day of cooking gumbo for our Christmas evening meal, children straggling in, cousins reuniting, piles of presents, Christmas movies, sweets and eggnog. And Did I say presents? New memories made to cherish while last year's heartbreaking Christmas, when my oldest child passed away, was wrapped in our hearts with love, always a part of our story. Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteWe had a nice quiet Christmas with the traditional ham for dinner. Hubs and son watched football, DD, grandson and I watched Jingle Jangle, Christmas Chronicles 1 & 2, all very enjoyable. We were together, safe and happy. Can't ask for more than that.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, Merry Christmas to you and yours. Now onward and upward to 2021!
Well Bonnie in Suffolk U.K. It's a sunny cold day. I'm home with husband and our dog with video calls from our granddaughter son and daughter in law. So miss mixing with friends and family but at least we are all well. Love to you and all your family and can't thank you enough for giving so much of yourself to us. Take care and happy new year. 😘🤗
ReplyDeleteDear Quiltville family. I am back to quilting after a three year break due to knees replaced and terrible leg cramps when sitting and not reclining. I am great full. Grassy Creek and finishing flimsy. I am great full. We got a new puppy and the exercise is great for me. I am great full! We got our phone calls from the kiddos and I am great full!
ReplyDeleteHappy day after Christmas,
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve was spent outdoors in the balmy weather but while near the fire. The three grand kids were pulled one at a time in a sled that just happened to be in our sons truck. One if the kids spotted a deer in the woods about 15 feet away yrung to pass through Unnoticed🤣 by us but we all stood still and perfectly quiet while she did.
We ate outside as well.
Christmas day I slept till 10:30 snd stayed in my pjs and just chilled with my husband while watching tv and reading.
We had a lovely quiet Christmas in NC. Our tradition includes Chinese take-out, which was not to be since the place lost the order and we weren’t willing to wait 2 hours. We drive home and had leftover prime rib sandwiches and rum cake, which was just perfect for this crazy year! Wishing you a stellar 2021!
ReplyDeleteOh boy--I LOVED reading how all of you celebrated Christmas! Thank you for sharing! I shared the day with my dearest Scottie and my brother brought me Christmas dinner late in the day. Nice and quiet, listening to Christmas music and enjoying being outside a lot of the day here in Central Texas. Merry Christmas and Happy 2021 to dear Bonnie/husband and all of you!
ReplyDeleteAs my daughter said during dinner on Christmas Day, "a normal Christmas is what we are doing that particular year". Yes, we have traditions that we carry from home to home (Home #7 this year) but the day is never the same. We were a military family and spent many holidays away from family so we made family where we were at. After retirement, we lived close to family and hosted extended family on hubby's side until the kids started getting married and it got too complicated. Both my parents have passed and only 1 sibling even lives in the same time zone and she is a nurse. Our daughter and grandson are living with us due to a divorce and Covid, our son is unmarried and working from home so we are his social life and the MIL chose to do a 4 hour car trip to spend 2 hours with us. Other than not going to church, it was pretty much a normal Christmas for us. Still wish we had snow but in Illinois some years you do and others you don't.
ReplyDeleteI know it's Saturday, but I do think your idea of Christmas was perfect. A whole lot less stress. We did old fashioned phone calls which were fun. And we LOST our 30 inches of snow we had at the end of last week. We had temps in the 50s for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I had green grass - weird. But we're back to under 32 degrees and Mother Nature covered that green grass with a small blanket of white. Anyhow, thanks for all you do. I'm glad you made it home safely. In case you're wondering, I'm in Albany, NY !! (it's the eastern side kind of in the middle of the state)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Bonnie and Dave! We are a family of two gathering also but will chat with kids and grands on the computer...that is a real blessing this year!
ReplyDeleteI'm in an international forum and decided to copy a British member and make a "Caribbean Christmas Cake" three months ago, feeding it every other week with two tablespoons of rum (to keep it from getting sober, as my sister quipped!). That was a new-to-us treat that we all loved and plan to have again!
ReplyDeleteWe had lots of baking going on in the kitchen all day on Christmas Eve; then, after our candlelight service, we came home and turned on the oven yet again to bake the three things we'd be snacking on while opening gifts--and that's when the oven decided it'd baked as much as it intended that day, and it simply didn't work. What to do, what to do? Thankfully, church is only a block away, so DH and DS29 walked the food over to the oven there, and went back to get it when our timer went off, LOL! For Christmas Day dinner, I had to do some menu planning on the fly to choose things that could be prepared on the stove instead of in the oven.
And we all just smiled and enjoyed the food, and felt the joy of being together.
Happy Boxing day from Manitoulin Island. Thanks for the article Bonnie. No new snow here on Christmas day.
ReplyDeleteReading all the comments brought back many memories. As a child immigrant to southern Ontario from the Netherlands, it was Christmas without extended family. Marrying a beef farmer many miles from that family we eventually made our Christmases with other families who were many miles from their families. Children grew up and now live great distances (one on Vancouver Island) away so we have been happy to have them safe in their homes rather than on the road somewhere. Communication is so easy now compared to when I was a child. We have been blessed with healthy children and children in law and grandchildren. What more can we ask for when so many people have so much less than we do. We can enjoy the Christmas Eve services and Sunday services via zoom and never have to leave home.
We wish everyone a safe lockdown and all the best in 2021.
Merry Christmas Bonnie! My husband and I had a quiet Christmas with my son and his wife, who are in our bubble as we work together. This is the first Christmas since we've been married (34 years) that we haven't hosted our annual day-after-Christmas family party....but that's okay...we want to keep everyone safe.
ReplyDeleteOur newer tradition is to watch the movie Elf every year. When it first came out, our whole family went to the movie theater to see it after Thanksgiving dinner. I never heard my mother-in-law laugh so hard. She passed away a four years ago, and that movie brings back such happy memories of her.
Merry Christmas, Bonnie and friends! We had a quiet, lovely day. Breakfast pizza was superb! Tacos for dinner finished the day. We rested a lot, as we just kicked out our unwanted visitor - covid! Christmas Day we could finally leave the house, and we celebrated by walking around the block. Needless to say, we are extremely thankful for our health! Have a Happy 2021, everyone!
ReplyDeleteMerry Post-Christmas from Illinois. Last year we had the entire family here: daughter, son-in-law and grandson, almost 2 , and son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter 11, and grandson 6, all for 8 days, plus our son, daughter-in-law, grandson 7, and granddaughter 4 who live 3 hours away for the day, along with my husband's brother who recently moved near us from Nevada. This year it was quiet but still filled with joy. It was just my husband, me and my brother-in-law who enjoyed a virtual gift exchange with daughter's family in WA, and son's family in VA, and a phone call with son in Naperville. Everyone stayed put this year and are all safe and healthy: working from home and virtual school. Christmas Mass was virtual too. I made the traditional cookies (only less), Christmas coffee cake and dinner and decorated the house per usual, just for us. The grands and brother-in-law loved their quilts and the hubs and I bought each other twinkie sweatshirts, unbeknownst to each other, of UConn Huskies, our alma mater. LOL Here's hoping for a happy and healthy New Year where we can all gather together as family, quilters, travelers etc.
ReplyDeleteSpent a leisurely day with my wonderful husband, two dogs and two cats. Took a nap. Watched "it's a Wonderful Life" staring Jimmy Stewart. Ate leftovers.....just relaxed.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas all! I have been married over 44 years and this is the first time my husband and I have spent Christmas with just the two of us! We are usually 14 at the table. Different but not bad. Missed all the family but knowing they are safe is so much better.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful Christmas - our grandson was home on leave - had not seen him in almost a year!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours! Thank you for keeping me going this past year, your blog is what makes my morning complete and I can't say thank you enough for that!
ReplyDeleteA very quiet Christmas here with Phoebe the kitty and my guy. Too much food, watching movies and phone calls with my daughter and her family, my mom and my sister. I am grateful.
Usually I have to work (at our local hotel) either Christmas Eve or Christmas day but this year I had 3 days in a row off of work - which is rare. I got caught up on chores, did a bit of tidying in the sewing room, did some mending and made a 3D face mask per instructions found in a video by Marcy Harriell. Much better fit than the ones I've done previously with the gathers at the sides.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas was a bit different this year due to my husband passing in Oct. I decided to decorate & make the best of things & it really helped. My son & dil thought I shouldn't be alone for Christmas. We've all been very careful. Son works from home & kids do virtual school. I prepared our normal Christmas ham dinner & son took over the job that his dad did for our meal prep. We had a very nice meal & just enjoyed being together. Though it was hard not having my husband with us, it would have been harder being alone. There was enough leftovers to send home to my DIL's parents. Today I'm fixing a meal for friends who have recovered from Covid, but need food brought in. People were great making sure I had food after hubby passed, now I'm returning that blessing. After I prepare their food I'm looking forward to starting Grassy Creek! My family & I have been very careful, wearing masks & lots of hand sanitizing/washing! Even the kids are good at this! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas, Bonnie, Dave, family...also including the sweet fur babies! 2020 has been a year to remember, but I'm looking forward to 2021!
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas was very different this year. My husband of 61 years went to be with Jesus on the 22nd of Dec. He had been in the hospital for 2 months. It has been very sad and hard. Thank God I have 5 wonderful children for us to lean on each other.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Bonnie! I did not turn my computer on yesterday. It's been just the two of us for Christmas, since we moved across the country in 1997 to Oregon. In the past, Christmas has been a dedicated day in my sewing room. Since I retired a few months ago and have a lot more time for quilting, I spent the afternoon cleaning a file cabinet! Oh my, so many things were tossed and it felt good! Still more cleaning needed but it can wait.
ReplyDeleteYou are living the dream! Love every post, picture and story I read from you every day. What fun. Merriest of days in your future. Happiness, healthiness and joy in the new year. It has just got to get better.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas was quite different and frankly, I just wanted to cancel, but my oldest son had his son with him for the first time in ages (his ex-partner usually has a way of making this not possible) so he assured me he would 'do everything'. I had spent the week up to Christmas Eve in hospital getting more tests, then chemo as my cancer had progressed. The day came and my son had done ALL the food shopping, prepping and most of the cooking. (he kept saying he didn't know why he was so exhausted, but I knew!!) My youngest son had cleaned the house before getting me home. We had a delicious lunch with no stress on my part. It was unexpectedly delightful! I told my son he could cater for family functions in future!
ReplyDeleteChristmas was a day of calls, zoom and phone, with family and friends. Youngest son came for dinner and we all watched Hallmark Christmas movies. I like how relaxed the day was as well as the time leading up to it. We don't exchange gifts, yet treasure the handmade things that surprise us. This year granddaughter made marshmallows dipped in chocolate (yum) and new masks for all of us. I made vanilla and gave to all the kids with candied nuts. Fun stuff. A small amount of sewing on Grassy Creek getting ready for today. Wishing you a Happy New Year and safe and sane 2021.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I were going to spend Christmas in Maryland with our first granddaughter and decided not to be part of the problem by traveling this Christmas. I was working on my second granddaughter's quilt on December 19th. Well, Josephine decided not to wait another 3 weeks and surprised us with her presence. So, I ended up spending Christmas day holding her.
ReplyDeletePart of Christmas was the same as usual we had a big dinner with my in-laws, but at their house instead of our's, as none of my family was coming because of covid. No visit from our youngest daughter, her husband and the grandsons, because they moved to another state at the beginning of the year. We did Zoom with them for the first time in the evening. It was good to see them. I have been doing more of the cooking for our family get togethers, as my sister-in-law is very busy as the main care giver for her mother. We live next door (100 feet) to my husband's family and just treat the two households as one. My husband works with his brother who also lives in that house. My husband does most of the shopping for both households, so his brother and sister don't have to risk exposure. Their mother is 96 years old.
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas was a lot smaller group as we kept it to just immediate family in person and via phone or computer with everyone else. Very thankful we are all healthy at this time with several recovered from Covid just recently. Thankful for all my many blessings and just being able to celebrate Jesus birth this year. Hugs to all!!
ReplyDeleteUsually I visit my daughter and her family in Texas, but that was not to be this year. My son lives with me and we went ahead and did the traditional holiday meal. He made the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes; I made our traditional broccoli cheese casserole and crushed pineapple dishes. Eventually we got around to gifts and later a movie.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Eve, our church met outdoors in a snowstorm and rang our big church bell that is mounted in the yard, and then rang smaller bells like the ones we had distributed all over a couple small towns, nursing homes, and to people who asked for them. I couldn't tell if the people at home were ringing, but they were probably keeping their doors closed to the storm. We sang several carols from memory too.
Christmas Eve, we went to look at some Christmas light displays. One was a coordinated extravaganza at a local church complete with live nativity, innkeepers, etc. It was so cold, I felt so sorry for them, but it was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteChristmas Day we had planned to go to our daughter's since they've already had Covid. However, I was sick and couldn't keep anything down so we decided it would be better to stay home. I'd never have been able to do that 2 hour drive. We had our gifts shipped there, so we were still able to watch them open them via zoom. Hopefully, we can get together soon and exchange the rest.
Alone but not! Texting, phone calls. My granddaughter was worried about me she is 8years old this has all been very hard on her. So I but on my Santa hat Christmas earrings and drove to her home. Begins save we gave air hugs, kisses. Then went to Son's home wishing his Family Merry Christmas. 150 mile trip that made me and family HAPPY, a good Christmas!,
ReplyDelete