December 23, 2024

 This will be a great big post with probably not another one for a few weeks, so get comfy…

It took about three to four weeks for the plague to leave husband ( but still a lingering cough) and I had a much quicker, milder form. Seems to be the thing right now. Oh well.

In an effort to deal with Murphy the cat’s eating disorder ( he’s FAT and has bad manners when insisting that his humans feed him… again), I purchased ( on sale of course) an automatic cat feeder with two bowls ( because Scooter-the-cat-with-no-tail who is sweet and shy and puts up with all kinds of crap from Murphy also needs a bowl). 

This is a picture of Murphy cautiously checking it out for the first time. 

It’s pretty cool and now it’s not ME feeding him, it’s the machine. This has made no difference in his bad manners and now he expects his humans to get up and walk to the feeder to see that he is going to eat. Yes I realize that we are enablers and we were much better parents to our own children than we are to this cat! So no lectures please.

Due to the plague, we were a little later in the whole Christmas preparations, and we intended to go out and cut down a tree at the same tree farm we went to last year. However when we got there, there were two signs at the end of the lane. One said "closed” and the other said “ sold out” which can’t possibly be true being as it’s an extensive tree farm but they must just put a limit on how many they allow to be cut each year. 

So… we went looking for trees in other locations. One had no more left, one seemed quite expensive  (and all the trees were tightly wrapped so you couldn’t tell what you were getting), so we ended up at Home Depot where the trees were also wrapped up, but we were just too tired and submitted. 

So… we brought it home and husband cut a little off the bottom and we moved furniture and retrieved the tree stand from the basement. Here is the supervisor checking the water level.

Husband did admit that getting the tree braced properly with little blocks of wood and re-engineered threaded eye bolts ( dear god, did I marry my father?) was easier when the tree was all tied up. Then came the big reveal when the twine was cut and the tree was released. Would it be stunningly symmetrical or “ it was an ugly tree anyway, Clark” ?

Well it ended up being quite nice!! There it is decorated, tree skirt and all ( before Murphy messes up the tree skirt by sleeping under it daily). 

There has been baking…

 

There are other cookies that I made but didn’t take pictures of. The ones above are peanut butter confetti bars, spider cookies, and Christmas crack. 

Today I decorated cookies. Usually we decorate as a family, but this year I just wanted to get it done with minimal fuss ( sorry, dear daughter). 

The decorated ones are sugar cookies and gingerbread. Some I leave plain, for those people who are watching their waist lines ! (sarcasm)

We are hosting my side of the family this year on Boxing Day and I’m pleased that we will have some of the cousins, as it is not always possible to get them from far and wide. 

It is currently snowing. Our weather has been everything from blizzard, to rain and melting, to extremely cold, to just regular December weather. 

I will leave you with best wishes that the Christmas holidays are what you wish them to be and that you are contented and healthy. The finishing pictures are Murphy presently ( oh, hey, that was good wording!) under the tree, and mild mannered Scooter in one of his favourite places. Merry Christmas bloggers!