Christmas Social

Yesterday I cleaned house to welcome neighbors in, This room was filled with pleasant chattering.

Even the dining room was ready to welcome them. And here is the food I spent a few days preparing. It was a very nice time with about twenty attending.

It was a pleasure to pull out so many of Lee’s wooden pieces to serve food on. And the punch bowl with endless cups made by a potter friend years ago. I took no pictures of the neighbors visiting. Photographing people in mid conversation, eating and drinking seems somehow inappropriate. And I was lost in conversation most of the time.

This morning I stopped on the way back from the gym to capture the sunrise and moon. Very chilly morning.

And in about 45 minutes our new vet is paying a house call to get to know the cats and hopefully trim claws on Dilly.

Til later….although Amy, Patrick and Marla arrive for Christmas in two days, so I might be a bit late. This morning I checked out the house I rented for them and the owner informed me she is heading there today to put a Christmas tree up.  How nice. And they can look out from the hill and see where I live, so they are close by.

Later….

 

Christmas Parade and More

A Christmas gnome outside the coffee shop. Some local vendors came into town for the parade.

And then the crowds gathered around the square on both sides of the street.

Then it arrived. We were all like children waving and having candy tossed to us. I have not seen a parade of any kind since I was little.

This past weekend I put sixteen invitations in the doors of neighbors for an open house here this coming Sunday. Then I settled into baking.

Olive wine crackers. they are about the size of a quarter and quite tasty.  Later I put a batch of almond biscotti in the freezer for the open house.

Also made some spreads and cheese balls. And this blueberry banana bread to take to the corner this morning.

On the walk back to the house this morning I saw this coppery hill above our houses. Wonder what is planted there as nothing else looks like this.

And this in a planter along the sidewalk in town….beautiful visual on dying.

And finally Dilly and Sadie cuddling in the African chair.

Tomorrow night is another wine tasting and I will be going as a Christmas gift from the builder. It is the second seating and has more people attending that I have known for some time.

So with having dinner with new friends at their house Friday, being in the crowd for the parade and now hosting an open house, I think I can call myself social again. When the holidays are over I have plans to get back to work in the studio to finish off old ideas and start on the new ones.

Til later….

 

Days Are Flying By

Where did the last five days go? Well some of it was making savoury scones. This is my favorite with spinach, roasted tomatoes, sour cream, sharp cheeses.

And someone asked how there can be a wine tasting event with sommelier and chef, movie nights, mail center and coffee with old men in one place. So I took pictures.

Movie screen. We sit off to the left just inside the front door. The other night it was the Christmas Story 2. Not as memorable as when Ralfie was little but okay.

Where the wine left from wine tasting nights is kept. Coffee pot in the back.

The mail register for shipping packages with the end of the table where the mayor sits each morning. I sit two chairs down to his left.

Across the street is the back of the old court house on the square.

And around the other side.

With the weather being so warm and the addition of constant rain these past few days, some trees are blooming.

And a little ways down this street I turn into my subdivision.

The back of my house is near the center of the picture, down the hill with the small screen porch visible. I never thought I would live in a place like this. But it is nice having neighbors. I am going to have an open house a week from Sunday to get to know them better. After all they will be the ones who will notice if I am not out walking to town and may need checking on.

I had a bit of breakfast with the usual group this morning. One of them brought me a McDonald’s spicy hot fried piece of chicken between two small maple infused pancakes. Never had one and won’t have another but I ate it with the suggestion of grape jelly to make it not so hot and slide down easier. I shared some with a dog who loved every bite!

Then lunch out with a friend and now have to put together a salad to take to new friends house tonight to meet some of their friends. This is a very social and welcoming town.

More later….after pictures of the Christmas parade in town on Saturday evening.

Til then.

Christmas Beginnings

The other evening was movie night. We saw Beverly Hills Cop and laughed a lot. Eddie Murphy is very funny to watch. I think the next movie will be the classic, A Christmas Story…then maybe Blazing Saddles. We seem to be into silly fun with our pizza and wine. Outside on the way home, the town and some of the neighbors have decorated for the holidays. I did not see this in the place I left.

The day before I went for a walk to the river. It was very cold and windy.

Lots of puddles to get around or through. I might ask Santa for a pair of boots! The special tree now has a hole all the way through the base of the trunk. I hope it hangs on.

I also worked on another of the stitched animals….bunnies.

Then yesterday I baked the Christmas cake. Very dark.  And I made two because it seemed too much batter for the one round pan. Next year I will not use blackstrap molasses. So in case the flavor is not how I expect, I drowned one in rum and the other in a honey liquor…then drizzled golden syrups into the poked holes. It may take more Madeira and sharp cheese than last year when serving this up to family.

I won’t serve it to friends in case I scare them off. Last night I had my first dinner here for a couple in town that have been very kind to me since the move. It was fun to bring out cloth napkins and make a special dinner with hors d’oeurves. It has been such a long time…before dementia compounded by Covid. I am going to their place this coming Thursday to meet some of their friends.

Other news is that I went to my second poetry meeting a few days ago and actually read one of my poems from Trusting the Tether Line. It was very well received and they encouraged me to keep writing and share more next month. The group is actually quite an education on the subject of poetry; the types, cadences, etc.  I feel so much more at home here in the company of people taking an interest in what I do. Very supportive area that is fun to live in.

Today, now that the washing and ironing are finished, I am going to sit by the fire with my cats and read Louise Penny’s latest book.

later I will bake savoury scones and something else to share with the men at the coffee meetings.

Dilly is exhausted trying to keep up.

Til later….