Christmas: A Potpurri of Photos

(Yes, I did spell that word right, and you'll see why later on!)

Oh, and to see a bigger photo, just click on it.


Now here are some of the events leading up to Christmas Day...

Christmas baking begins...a fun way to make a mess!...




Creating the flour volcano...


Cranberry-Orange loaf, smells heavenly, tastes divine. Sounds like Angel Food Cake doesn't it?!...

The first present under the tree...yup, that's why this post is called PotPURRI **smile**

Kitterz waits for Santa, or a treat, or milk...whichever arrives first...

Christmas Eve dinner prepared by my mother-in-law, her gift to the family...no one shys away from the table here, unless they're just waiting for the crowd to move away !!...

Gooooood food!

The preparer of the feast, my dear mother-in-law, who is a bit shorter than her 5' tree! ...She has a beautiful village under it, new this year...

After the dinner on Christmas Eve, the baker is back in the kitchen making the all important tranditional...

Christmas Sugar Cookies...

There are lots of shapes, some formed from cookie cutters that I used as a child when baking with my wonderful grandmother...and some more recent like the Saguaro Cactus!!...

Christmas Eve tree and some of the loot...errrr...presents...

And what is Christmas morning without a stocking to unfill?...And then share all the candy that fills it with your fabulous parents (hint, hint!)...

My mom and Gil are here for Christmas Day Dinner, prepared by Mark...

It may look like the same picture, but THERE I AM!!

Some wonderful times were had by all, and this little doggie sings it out..! You can't help but smile with him!

(Sometimes this video won't load properly...try again sooon, because it really will make you smile!!)



xoxoxoxo


And a Very Happy New Year to Ya'll !!

Christmas: Life in a VERY Tiny Town!

The magical village of Hillville began as a small scattering of homes, nestled at the base of an enormous evergreen, many years ago (some say as many as 20 years). With each Christmas, (the village is only visible at Christmas Time), more and more little folks brought in their manufactured ceramic homes and set up residence. Train tracks were laid around the outskirts with a tunnel sporting its "Welcome to Hillville" sign. The Train runs a haphazard schedule, but the Conductor promises a run at the end of this post!

Hillville is no longer beneath the huge Evergreen, but floats on a snowy blanket. Here a full moon shines down a light one night, gently illuminating the village... (it's rumoured that at a recent town meeting it was suggested that street lamps be installed...maybe next year...)

A very tiny cottage right along the tracks...

The Barn House with it's brick entrance...

Oh drat, yes there is a school, but school's out right now (!)...

A Bakery and Village Inn...look at that acorn with hat!...It was donated from an obliging Oak Tree on the other side of Hwy 30 East...

A strong wind was blowing...look at the chimney smoke from this cottage...

The church and some tiny folk taking an outing in a horse-drawn wagon...

The Train is about to start it's journey around the village..

Hope you enjoy the ride !!!

P.S. Yup, I saw the tree down...better alert the Parks and Recreation Dept!!

Officially Trick 'r Treat

This is THE DAY...you can tell by the sign...time to begin the creation of the Tricker!

The Tricker begins to create her costume ...magically, can't reveal the whole process...requires internet savvy and a REALLY hot iron...


She creates a one-of-a-kind shirt with lyrics, photos and musical notes...

View in "negative" camera mode (luv this digi-stuff) to show the creation as viewed from the "other side"...(insert creepy laughter)...

Add to the Tricker's shirt these items of song...the former wearer simply, uh, vanished into the night...

Now, Meet MUSIC, this year's original costume!!

But Beware of MUSIC with a camera and an attitude...

The house where Trick-r-Treating begins, because Hilltop is out in the country, on a highway road, isolated.

But Grandma and Grampas home is in a neighborhood where rumor has it that MANY trick-r-treaters make a killing...ooops, that's not what I meant (too many witnesses)...

THIS is the semi-killing! Join us for a sugar high! Sorry for blurred photo, guess I've had the sugar-shakes!!

P.S. There would have been more loot, but poor MUSIC was suffering from a terrible earache and had to limit her hauntings.

Mom and Gil had 125 trickers!! At that point they ran out of candy and turned off the porch light. Next year, they'll stock up more!

A Quiz: One of these is not like the other...and does not get stored away 'til next year...

Good job...it's the bronze cat in the middle, of course. Only black ones allowed here.

Hope you enjoyed a fun visit!!

'til next time in blogland.....

Your Face'll Freeze Like That

Faceless, bland, hiding on a corner of the dryer, 3 nervous pumpkins await their fate...

The Pumpkin Carving Specialist considers her options, drawing odd and facinating possibilities on the paper ...

She begins the gutting process, messy, sticky, necessary...


But after they have sacrificed their inner selves...there are seeds, wonderful, edible seeds to be roasted!...

*********************

Then she carves with sharp knives, happily sawing into the skin and pumpkin flesh (actual use of the knife is not pictured due to content which may be obtionable to some viewers)...

*******************

Her first face emerges and it is a happy guy...

Happy guy then swallows a candle:


Next is the infamous barcode pumpkin...another carver did this...she declines to be pictured...she has a history of being heavily involved in Star Trek...check out why this is apparent by the next pic...



For, after swallowing the candle, a sinister face appears, complete with pointed ears.. Is this a Vulcan face??...

Now the Pumpkin Carving Specialist begins what she intends to be a jolly pumpkin because this is intended for Grandma and Grandpa and she does not wish to startle them...

She poses with the "jolly" one, only...only...isn't there something slightly manaical about both those smiles?

Yes, upon swallowing the candle, a strange eerie face emerges, sporting a diamond tooth... what gnawed finger did that come off of??...And is that why it only has one tooth left??

Now the knives are cleaned and put away, the messy newspapers wadded up and thrown away, too. Nothing remains of the procedure...except...

No longer faceless or bland, they are ready for their Halloween Night debut!!

Oh, In case you're wondering what to do with those Pumpkin Innards, watch this informative video starring the Pumpkin Carver...

Stay tuned, there will be another Halloween post to follow...!!

Almost Halloween

Every year these two ghouls have sat down at our table for a game of cards. I thought we had confused them by moving away, but they had no problem finding us...I forget that time and space are nothing to them...they go where they will when they will. And they have no intention of forgetting us! They're always very jovial, even though there are 5 aces showing, which means someone is cheating.

Now, this is the way the world looks to them...late at night, by moonlight...when I sneak out into the living room to find out who is cackling uncontrollably...

The next day, after I have insisted on what I heard and saw the night before, they show up as colorful inflated plastic characters. Sitting absolutely silent and still. They only play cards at night under a full moon.

Here, choose a plastic pumpkin container to gather your candy loot in. Many Pink Pumpkins here at the Walmart display have simple smiling faces. They don't know that they're different. But the purple ones are in need of counseling... or maybe some medication...

Best witches for a Happy Halloween!!