Well, I'm happy to report that I'm feeling better. Not completely normal yet, but much better. So... time for some Christmas catch up.
Greg was here, complete with the blinking elf hat purchased during our trip to see Andy Williams, on Thursday evening for the Children's Christmas. Father Christmas was spectacular, of course. We didn't have a large turn out of kids - the weather was getting a little dicey - but, it was fun.
The News came to take some photos and interview me about the tree and other decorations. I'm hoping it's a fun piece. I really love to share Christmas with folks.
The next few days are a blur of going to the doctor and laying on the couch, interrupted by piling up in bed, only to return to the couch. Of course, I could see the tree from the couch, so that was a bonus.
Saturday night I did throw on some sweats and drive through the luminaria in Hyde Park for about an hour. I didn't want to miss it. It's just gorgeous and such a cool thing. Jim Sunderland has been one of the organizers for years and I so appreciate that sort of dedication. Jim is a good guy in so many ways.
Greg took some beautiful photos and allowed me to add a couple in here. I took none. I remained in the warm car at all times.
Sunday afternoon I snapped a photo of the winter solstice sunlight hitting an ornament on the tree. I had watched it do this Saturday afternoon and Greg took some photos. On Sunday I couldn't resist getting off the couch and snapping some myself. This was the one I got that was passable. It's a fun little bit, and an idea I owe to Greg.
If you haven't been looking in on The Lope lately, you should. He's doing Ace's Twelve Days of Christmas.
I hope the last few days of your Christmas season are shaping up nicely.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas Catch up
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Sick
I hate it when people blog about being sick, but I know people wonder where I'm at if I don't blog every day. So, it's unavoidable for me to explain that without saying, "I'm sick." I can't think about much of anything else right now other than getting well. Your regularly scheduled blogging will resume when I'm well. Very soon, I hope.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Father Frost
I just love it when Father Frost makes a holiday appearance.
________________
Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Nothing witty
I'm afraid I have nothing witty, interesting or insightful to share with you today. My brain power has been occupied with work details. There's much to do for a non-profit at year end. I'm afraid little of it is particularly interesting. It's mostly paperwork sorts of things. But, it's necessary nonetheless. So, I've been immersing myself in it, trying to slog through.
It's hard to believe that Christmas is one week away. I'm not ready! I want more Christmas season!
We go this gorgeous snow on Tuesday and I was so busy I didn't really get a chance to enjoy watching it. It seems a shame now that the actual holiday is so close. If I could just have a couple more weeks of Christmas season I'd love it. Just a couple more weeks. Please. Who's in charge of these things, anyway?
It's certainly not me. I want to move Thanksgiving to the end of September so we'd have Thanksgiving season, then Halloween season, then the Christmas season would start November 1.
Well, I must go get some rest. I have more mind-numbingly-dull paperwork to do tomorrow. Gosh, there's something to look forward to.
Actually, I do have something to look forward to tomorrow - lunch with Kristine and then tomorrow evening is my Children's Christmas open house. I tried to do this last year but cancelled because of the ice storm. So, this is the first go at it. Father Frost will be here. The candy canes are ready. We'll see how it goes. I don't know what to expect - there may be one kid or three or twenty or fifty. Whatever, it will be fun, I'm sure.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Avoidance
I've had a couple of emails from folks commenting that I've not been writing my usual kind of material here - what I'm thinking about, what I'm ticked off about, what is happening in the political world, etc. I assure you I'll be back to my usual self after the holidays. I just need a break.
I'm sick to death of hearing about the horrible economy and all the other "news" of the day. So, I'm avoiding. Those of you who have read here for a while know I'm a big believer in avoidance as a coping technique. Denial catches up with you almost immediately but avoidance, avoidance my friend can carry you through for a long time.
So, I'm avoiding. And, blissfully, it's a great season for avoidance. There are sparkly holiday lights and Christmas music and pretty presents and looking forward to seeing my family.
You can always haunt the archives if you need a fix of the other sides of me. Below is a list from 2007 and earlier, in no particular order, of some of the things people mention to me now and then. Meanwhile I'll be here, cocooned in my fluffy Christmas world, for a bit longer.
This I Believe
http://www.patsyterrell.com/2006/08/this-i-believe.html
Bits and Pieces of Life
I am No One's Daughter
How Big is the Sun?
Easter Sunday Thoughts
The Last Time
Let it go, let it be, let it lie
A Ten Year Plan
Letters from 1982
Old Friends
Poking at old lives
Dr. Robert Putnam
Finding a Good Man
Not Natural to Be Happy
http://www.patsyterrell.com/2006/02/no-longer-natural-to-be-happy.html
Travel with Matthew - 4/9/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/6516.html
Teaching Children - 4/18/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/10405.html
Mama 4/24/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/11506.html
Journals 7/27/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/30958.html
Unity 9/14/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/40971.html
Happiness 9/17/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/41245.html
Person of Rivers 10/10/2004
http://patsyterrell.livejournal.com/47544.html
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
Time
It's only one week until Christmas eve. I don't know about you, but I have many things to do between now and then. I have numerous work things to do before the end of the year and some of them are a bit complex. I worked on one of them today, but didn't get it done, so I'll tackle it again tomorrow.
Most of my shopping is done, although I still have a couple of little things left to buy. I have everything wrapped that I have bought, but there are some little details I won't take care of until the last minute.
To top it off, it's too darned cold here at the moment to be doing anything. We have an "arctic blast" and they're not joking. It was frigid all day and is supposed to be the same tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to being out in it tomorrow and I have a long list of things to accomplish.
Tonight was our Chicks Christmas party and it was lovely. Tomorrow night is the MHA board meeting so I'll have to be out in the weather then, too. I'm one of those people who's cold all the time, anyway, so this is not a bonus.
They're planning to turn my water off tomorrow for at least part of the day to work on a break - we have a giant hole in the street right in front of my house - so I'm going to shower before I go to bed tonight and sleep with wet hair. I should have planned that better, but so it goes.
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Christmas at my Home
Saturday night was really fun. There were a little more than 60 people here over the course of the evening. About half of them were folks who had never been to my house at Christmas. It was great to see people, although I didn't get to chat with everyone as much as I would have liked to. In fact, I never said more than "hello" to quite a few folks. I don't know how to address that because, even though I love to talk, I can only talk so much so quickly. Yes, even me. Besides, I think people come to see the main tree as much as anything.
In the sunporch I have three lighted trees this year. The full size one is the Santa tree. When I sit in that chair I can see the main tree in the living room.
It was inspired by this ornament...
To the left of the santa tree in the sunporch is the red and white tree...
This Santa is on the writing desk beside the red tree.
On the other side of the sunporch, in front of the piano, is the pink and green tree.
Under the living room tree, the main tree is where I have all the presents.
There's a theme every year. This year's blue, purple, silver and white was inspired by a ribbon.
The tree looks different exposed for the lights.
Also in the living room I have the copper and gold tree.
In the dining room this year I have a white tree with blue, silver and crystal ornaments.
Beside this tree, on a chest, I have some of my Santas.
I also have this tree in the dining room...
And near it two of my favorite Santas...
This is right behind the table, where I spread out the goodies when I had my open house Saturday night. I love to bake, so I cooked up a number of sweets.
Greg took some photos of folks Saturday night. Some included Ace Jackalope.
I didn't include photos of all the trees or collections, because this post would be even longer. You can see some of the things on the shelves here.
I was so touched Saturday night that Mark and his mom, and Carl and Kris came down from Kansas City for the party. Mia came from Joplin. And, some folks brought me hostess gifts Saturday night that I was so touched by.
Today I relaxed and didn't do a whole lot. We all went to Newton for lunch before they headed to their respective homes, and Greg and I came back to Hutchinson. We had hoped to be able to stop by Teresa's on the way back and see her Christmas tree. That woman can decorate a tree, let me tell you. But, it just didn't work out to do that.
So, I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up a bit and trying to stay warm. This is our first really cold day/night here. It is 9 degrees here now, with a windchill of -23. How can anything be 23 below zero?
Fortunately, I'm not in the wind, although my office, which is on the north side of the house, feels a bit colder than one would expect when storm windows are in place and plastic in addition. I bought some more plastic today to do a couple more windows. This is a price one pays to live in an old house but I just adore my old house so I'll get out the hair dryer and shrink wrap my windows in plastic. In fact, I think the last time I used the hair dryer was for that very thing.
A quick thank you to everyone who came Saturday night and shared the holiday season with me. And to everyone who's sharing the Christmas season with me online. I just adore Christmas and love to share it. Come on over, lets have a cup of tea and watch the lights!
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Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, and more. My southern fiction novel is complete and I'm looking for a literary agent. Friend me on Facebook.com, Follow me at Twitter.com.
