Day 160 Frosty says - It's cold in St. Louis

....and there are strange things in the backyard here. I found a squirrel today and chased him but got really confused when he disappeared. Mom told me he went up a tree. I didn't know squirrels could climb trees. We don't have them in our yard at home because Belle chases everything out that might be fun for me.

And, in the yard here there are strange, barking dogs all around in the neighboring yards. They come right up to the fence and bark at me - but I bark and growl and let them know how fearless I am too!

Day 159 Merry Christmas (Day 25 of 25 days of Christmas)

And, this is really what it's all about - Merry Christmas to all!!

Day 158 Nutcrackers (Day 24 of 25 days of Christmas)

Just a few of the nutcrackers my grandson collects. They all live in his room when it's not Christmas and you can't see nearly all of them here, but a pretty good representation.

He LOVED seeing the large ones on Fran's blog!

Day 157 Christmas Fence (Day 23 of 25 days of Christmas)

This is a fence on my mountain in Alabama all decked out for Christmas. I passed it as I was leaving yesterday. At the moment, I'm in St. Louis - and the trip wasn't much fun, and I'm really glad it's finished. Weather was (is) unpleasant almost the entire trip. But, we're here safe and sound. Frosty was a great little traveler and protected me the entire day.

Day 156 - Wreath (Day 22 of 25 days of Christmas)

This is the wreath that I hang on the 'inside' of my front door. My FSIL (favorite son-in-law) gave it to me the first year he and my DD were married (he's also my only son-in-law :)

This will be my last Christmas post of 'my' decorations as I'm on the road today. Hopefully I'll be able to post from Tennessee and Missouri.

A friend is house sitting with my furbabies and Frosty is traveling with me as my guard dog.

Merry Christmas to all.

Day 155 - More Little Trees (Day 21 of 25 days of Christmas)

Several more 'little trees' in various rooms around my house.

Day 154 - Big tree (Day 20 of 25 days of Christmas)

Well, it's not nearly as big as some - but it's 7-1/2 feet tall and one of the slim ones. Lit with multicolored lights and all sorts of ornaments from over the years.

This tree is upstairs in the "FROG" room (family room over garage) so I don't see it as often as I don't spend much time up there. One of the reasons for all the other smaller ones around the house so I can actually see them.

Day 153 - Dining Table (Day 19 of 25 days of Christmas)

I love this table - it belonged to my great-great grandfather and has 4 leaves (which I use when all my kids are home). The sterling napkin rings were also family - great grandparents & grandparents.

Day 152 - Fireplace (Day 18 of 25 days of Christmas)

This is the 'display' under my small slim tree in my living room. The doll is a 'toni doll' - not my original one, but the dress is an original that I made when I was maybe 13 years old. I also made the little clown - one of my few crochet projects.

Here's the entire tree, which is filled with my most prized ornaments - from over the years. A few from my kids childhood, a few from our travels and some fairly recent. Of course I had to add at least one elephant (at the bottom).


And here it is from back a ways. I love my fireplace (and my gas logs). It was originally a wood burning, but I'm way too old to worry about wood.

Day 151 - More Living Room (Day 17 of 25 days of Christmas)

This is as you enter my living room (great room I guess) from the entryway. That little table was my mother's and is a cloverleaf top.

Day 150 - Chuck's Christmas Tree (Day 16 of 25 days of Christmas)

{sigh} Three years and two months today.

Day 149 - Outside decorations (Day 15 of 25 days of Christmas)

Not nearly as many outside lights as in years past. I didn't think I'd get anything up, but our Youth Pastor and his wife came one Sunday afternoon and did the outside stuff for me. What sweethearts they are.

Chuck made this reindeer the year before he died. Yeah, I'm pretty sure this one IS a reindeer and not a moose. :) Actually he made two, this one with it's head up and another with it's head down grazing. We used them both that year - and I have not been able to find the second one since he died. I've torn the place apart - I've looked in places it shouldn't be. It's not here. I have no idea what happened to it.

I've had to change a lot of my decorations simply because I couldn't handle seeing them the way we "always did them".... maybe that's why that reindeer is gone :)

Looking at my front porch from an angle. Chuck always wound Christmas lights around the pillars - but I can't handle seeing them that way now, so I just put out my little baby porch tree and my shrub lights.

Day 148 - Elephant tree (Day 14 of 25 days of Christmas)

I've collected elephants for YEARS, and so have a pleathura of elephant Christmas ornaments (many from one particular grandson who loves to shop for elephants for me). There are so many, I decided a couple of years ago to have a seperate tree for them. They don't show up well on a green tree, but look great on a white one.

I even have an "elephant angel" for the top of the elephant Christmas Tree

Day 147 - My Office Tree (Day 13 of 25 days of Christmas)

My little office tree is kind of a "Charlie Brown tree". It's one of those little skinny ones that's seen better days. But, the lights are cheery and the white/crystal ornaments show up well.

The Christmas pillows add a nice touch and are all handmade (by me).

Day 146 - Entry way revisited (Day 12 of 25 days of Christmas)

This gorgeous 'lightbox' was a gift from a friend last year. I'd seen them at craft shows and I just love it. It's one of those glass blocks people sometimes use in bathrooms, with a hole drilled in it and Christmas light poked in, then wrapped as a gift. One of my favorite decorations. It sits on the table in my entryway.

The candle holder was another gift so many years ago it would be considered 'vintage' now. And, actually the glass beads I use around the bottom of the candles truly ARE vintage - they were my mother-in-laws in the early 1900s. I restrung them a few years ago as the string had long since worn out and I was loosing them.

I posted a picture earlier of the little tree - but from the other direction. Can you tell I love Christmas lights???

Day 145 - Purple Tree (Day 11 of 25 days of Christmas)

A friend gave me this little purple tree a couple of years ago as a gift and it always makes me smile (I think that was her idea). I couldn't get the purple lights to show in a photo. This little tree sits at the entrance to my bedroom, so I can enjoy it all day and evening.

Day 144 - Kitchen (Day 10 of 25 days of Christmas)

Day 143 - Santa Baby (Day 9 of 25 days of Christmas)

Frosty's not totally excited about modeling his new Santa suit - but he does love those treats. I needed 3 hands.

He just looks SOOOOO cute though.

Day 142 - Dresser tree & angel (Day 8 of 25 days of Christmas)

This little pink tree and angel sit on the dresser in my bedroom.

Day 141 - Nutcracker (Day 7 of 25 days of Christmas)

Day 140 - Another Entry Snowman (Day 6 of 25 days of Christmas)

This little cutie waves his arms (if I put a battery in him and turn him on).

Day 139 - Fluffy and the Reindeer (Day 5 of 25 days of Christmas)

While Emma Grace is checking everything out, Fluffy decided my yummy Christmas plaid throw was just there for her to sleep on.

I love that little reindeer behind her. Friends gave him to me as a gift several years ago. He plays "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" and I smile every time I hear it.

NOTE - Okay, I stand corrected. I guess it's a moose (what do I know)... but it still plays "Grandma got run over by a reindeer". Maybe the creators didn't know the difference either.

Day 138 - Oops, I'm caught (Day 4 of 25 days of Christmas)

Emma Grace has been extremely interested in all the Christmas decorations going up.

"Who me? I was only looking!!

Day 137 - Pink Barbie tree (3rd-25 days of Christmas)

I love my Barbie tree. I saw one in a magazine several years and wanted one ever since. The pink trees became popular a couple of years ago - this is a little fiber optic. My two "best" Barbie ornaments (Hallmark) grace the bottom. Most of the ornaments are McDonald's Barbie, and my daughter found a package of small Barbie ornaments the first year I had the tree.

I collect Barbies - not the vintage or terribly expensive ones - but I do have a room full. Chuck loved giving me Barbies, so I have some really pretty ones.

This tree always makes me smile :)

Day 137 - Welcome Snowman (2nd-25 days of Christmas)

This cute little wooden snowman and skinny tree sit in my entry way. I got that tree in an antique shop for $6 a couple of years ago and have truly enjoyed it.

Day 136 - Snow in Alabama (1st-25 days of Christmas)

I love Christmas decorations - and had decided to start today posting the 25 days of Christmas decorations. Since I'm in Alabama - my snow qualifies!!!

It's COLD in Alabama - and there was a dusting of snow when I got up this morning. Didn't last long, but it's snow!!! I've gotten tired of sweeping the leaves off my deck and it looked kinda strange with the leaves and snow. Little elephant plant stand looks kinda lonely doesn't he.

Day 135 - Another old house

Another "old" house in my 'neighborhood' (which is definitely in the country).

This is back off the road quite a ways and still lived in - by someone even older than me.

Day 134 - turkey

Still sick - so home alone for Thanksgiving. Great friends and neighbors have taken care of me though and I'm well fed.

Trying to find an appropriate picture for today (and still not going out) I decided this was definitely it. This little pinecone turkey was made by my oldest grandson (now in college) in Sunday School when he was 3 years old (obviously had some help). He made it for Chuck and Chuck mounted it on the wooden base so he could keep it. It now lives in an honored place in a glass bookcase in my living room, and today reminds me how very much I have to be thankful for.

I have a wonderful family, a great church family, caring neighbors, loving furkids and so very much more.

Day 133 - Another Housemate

Another day without going outside, so thought I'd introduce another of my 'housemates'.

This is "Squeaker". He's a cockatiel that I agreed to give a foster home to about 8 years ago. Guess he's here to stay now.

He loves attention, and doesn't get enough. He used to come out and sit on Chuck's shoulder. But then, he liked Chuck better than he does me (of course, I've always been the one to feed him and clean his cage - Chuck just did the fun stuff).

He's about 17 years old and is great with a wolf whistle.

Day 132 - Fluffy Kitty

It's been cold and rainy and I have the 'crud' so haven't ventured outside today. This is "Fluffy"! She rarely lets me get a photo of her but frequently lays so you can be tempted to run her belly. NOT a good idea.

She's a long hair, gray calico (at least that's what the vet said). Her mother is "Halloween" who's photo has appeared here previously. However, you'd never know they were even related.

Fluffy is about 10 years old and thinks she's Queen of the World. She was here before the dogs, so she put them in their place quickly, however she wasn't particularly pleased when Emma Grace appeared on the scene.

Day 131 - OLD Barn

Chuck and I used to walk past this barn on our morning walks, but it's starting to look a little the worse for wear. When we walked, there was a horse in the pasture that always came to the fence for a nose rub and a treat (Chuck carried apples). Fond memories!

Day 130 - Fall Decorations

Guess we'll be posting Christmas decorations pretty soon. I took a ride around my neighborhood late yesterday and saw this basket (it's quite large) with fall flowers and scarecrow. So cute!

Day 129 - Sunshine

This was my view crossing the causeway this morning heading into work. Took the photo thru the windsheild (hence the spots) as it was too cold to get out and stand in the wind.