Christmastide 2014

Clockwise from top left : 1. Having fun w/ home decor  2. St. Luke's Episcopal's Xmas eve candlelight service  3. Our amazing Cornish hens w/ parsnips & veg!
4. Our doggie playing under the quite Charlie-Brown-like Xmas tree  4. My lighted display which took me ages to perfect, I'll have you know!
5. The pine tree in front, just as it started to snow Xmas afternoon  6. Right outside our front step  7 Our very first Christmas family ornament!

(Reminder: New theme and sign up is below this post. Due by Jan 6th.)

 

Well, if you know me at all, you'll know I'm not one to pack it all in the very next day after Christmas Day! (No, no, no, that is something distinctly American.) Rather, like the rest of the English speaking world, the day after the 25th is...or should be at least... Boxing Day (St. Stephen's in Ireland). And, for that matter, you know, traditionally speaking, the 26th is actually only the 2nd Day of Christmas, starting with the Partridge in the Pear Tree (Christ in the manger) and ending on Jan 6th, the 12th day—the official end of this Christmastide Holiday season. :)

Unfortunately though, that's not the case here. Even so, every year I wistfully scan the Christmas radio channels in the faint hope of finding a few more Christmas songs playing but, alas, as soon as it hits Xmas midnight, it's right back to the usual programming. (So, how does one really fully get into Christmas Day if it all comes crashing down the very next (vital jobs aside, of course)? Even when working every day of the week with multiple jobs, somehow I always made sure that at least Xmas Day was not rushed with having to get back up and at 'em, so to speak, the very next day! No, that's not my cup of tea at all... and luckily, not Alex's either. Nope, instead, we thankfully found two friends to come over on Boxing Day to eat the yummy leftovers from our rather astonishingly good Xmas feast — far better than the sorry Thanksgiving meal we mustered together the month before, let me tell you. :) With exchanging a few simple presents, listening to music, relaxing in front of the fire while watching the incredible snow falling, our Xmas was certainly prolonged.

Speaking of snowfall, we had a magical white Christmas here with the snow falling down on the dot, a few hours before the Xmas dinner was served. The snowy pictures above were all taken Xmas evening, in fact. Ahhh... perfect! Boxing Day's was even better and as such, many lights are still up on various houses too. Lovely.

So, how was yours? If you want to tell us here or even leave a link below, please do. I'd love to know and celebrate it vicariously with you, as it were. Now, the only thing amiss was that I never did send out those Christmas cards. Ha-ha. (Something to look forward to next year!)

The best part about this Christmas? I actually got to celebrate having the main meal with my "kids" this year (the first time in six) instead of just doing cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Wonderful. Like old days... but with more work. :) With that then, let me end this by wishing you a very happy rest of your holiday season and jolly New Year! More on that later.... :)