Happy New Year

I hope that you and your family have had a wonderful Christmas. We were doubly blessed to not only celebrate Christ's birthday but the birthday of our second grandson on Christmas Eve. We celebrated Christmas seven years ago by introducing big brother Redmond to his new baby brother Samuel. Our son was home on leave that year so he was able to visit see his new nephew. We ate Christmas dinner in the hospital cafeteria and it was one of the best Christmases I can remember.

Maggie wanted to show you one of her Christmas presents. I don't know what it is with rawhide chews. She has to take it outside and get it good and dirty and then she's happy.


Maggie has been a rather "difficult" little puppy to train. She has tried my patience and the patience of our dog obedience trainer. There has been many times when I have even questioned whether not we should keep her. I didn't know if we were a good "fit" and whether we were doing her any favors by keeping her. One of the problems is she followed in the footsteps of our beloved Scotty, Marjorie and those pawprints are very hard to fill. Marjorie was a completely different dog. Quiet, easy going, obedient. Maggie is just the opposite. Willfull, stubborn, difficult to train. But things are slowly but surely getting better. Yesterday I had a "moment" of clarity thanks to a movie. Have you seen Marley and Me? Please, go and see this movie. It made me sit back and think of Maggie and to look at her as a free spirited happy little girl that she is and just enjoy her for who she is. If you see this movie, take tissues for the ending. Lots of sniffing and I must admit, I had to stifle a sob or two.

From our little house to yours, may you have the most blessed, safe and Happiest of New Years.

Merry Christmas

Mommy is letting me write my very first post today!! I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

~Love, Maggie

Counting down.....

Christmas is almost here. I've got only two more gifts to purchase but that will be easy. Do you like to wrap presents? I don't. Not at all. Probably because I do such a dismal job. I just found out today that one of our local upscale stationery stores does gift wrapping on packages you bring in. The price is very reasonable and they really do a fancy job. Something to remember for next year.

I did some baking yesterday and today and took it to the senior complex where Mom lives. Some of the residents that live there don't have family close or they don't have family that bake or they don't bake themselves. Anyway, they always enjoy it when I bring sweets.

Oatmeal Cookies with pecans, coconut and peppermint chips!

Sweety's grandmother's Sugared Walnuts

A beautiful chocolate cake from a recipe given to me recently by my friend, Wave.

I didn't decorate as much this year. It looks pretty though. Just enough. However, I have big plans for next year. I have a good friend that is a supreme Christmas decorator and she's volunteered (ok, I kinda told her) to help me (translate that to be she'll do most of the work and I'll tell her how great she is). Then I'll take her to lunch, buy her presents and let her know how much she's appreciated. Maybe, just maybe, she'll do it every year.

Our living room.

This sweet vintage bird ornament is my first ornament. I was 10 months old when it first hung on our tree. A true antique!

My mom bought this for her grandmother for Christmas in the 1950's and now it's mine. Something we'll continue to pass down through the family.

Sweety and I took our grandson's to ride the local Santa Express Train in the town next to ours. It's a regular train and the ride takes an hour and a half. Cookies, hot chocolate, elves, singing, dancing, stories, all the boys and girls in their jammies, and of course, Santa himself. We had such a great time and the kids were very appreciative.

What do you think folks? I think this really is Santa!!!

Our little grandson will be a big seven years old on Christmas Eve!!! Happy Birthday, Samuel!

Do you see what I see?

Well, that would be not much today! We're experiencing one of our famous foggy days here in Central California. Sometimes the fog is so thick you can't see across the street or past the hood of your car. That makes for very interesting driving, indeed. In the winter, we can go for months without seeing blue sky. It can be very depressing. But all you have to do is take a short drive from here, perhaps 45 minutes up the hill and, voila! Sunshine!

Today will be foggy and overcast and then the rain is scheduled to come in until after Christmas. We truly need the rain. However, since Sweety and I still have shopping to do, it won't be so fun. I'm from the midwest and I lovingly remember the warm summer rains that we used to play in. Our rains here are in the winter and are cold and freezing and no fun at all. Hopefully I can get most of my shopping and mailing finished today and I can stay home and hunker down next week. Reading, hot tea, quilting, movies - aaahhhhhhh!!!

Stay safe out there people.

Thanks Barney!

Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican I think that we can all agree that Barney, along with Miss Beazley, has done an exemplary job of being the nations "First Dog". As a Scottish Terrier lover I will be sad to see them leave. The Obamas are looking for a non-allergic dog for their girls and a Scottish Terrier would fit the bill! I encourage them to look no further than the White House. Let's give the Scotties FOUR MORE YEARS!!!!

Every year Barney has done a Christmas video. Here is his last one before riding off into the sunset into retirement and Texas ranch life........ (turn down the sound on my music to watch the video)

http://

Christmas Field Trip

One of my Christmas traditions is to go out to a local nursery to buy my poinsettias. It's a little bit of a drive from here. I could go to the local grocery store to get them. But, oh my, is it ever worth the effort. I always get in the Christmas spirit after my visit. So I called my Mom and off we went....

That's mom pushing the cart so we can load up our plants.

It's magic beyond this door!

I hope you are enjoying your holiday preparations. Don't forget to take the time to really enjoy the season.

**By the way, the name of the nursery is Duarte's Nursery in Hughson, which is just south of Modesto. Their primary business is bareroot fruit trees and grape stock. They open for business in the winter to sell poinsettias around the first weekend before Thanksgiving. If you live in the area I encourage you to visit them and to go early in the season.

It's that time of year........

I guess I better get my tail in gear to get ready for Christmas!