Just Because I Wrapped It; It Doesn't Mean I Know What You Got!

After last weekend we really started to get ready to welcome in Christmas-time. A few weeks earlier and prior to coming home from London Sarah called and asked if it would be alright for a friend to come home with her for the holiday. "Of course," we said so on Monday Sarah headed to Logan Airport to pick up Andrew Walker. Andrew is a young man from Canberra, Australia. He was on a trip to London when he met Sarah and he has since gotten a flat and is looking for employment to stay in London. Andrew works in Information Technology as a Content Manager for web sites, so the possibilities of finding a position seems positive--at least that is Sarah's outlook.

Sarah's car is still here and working well. However a couple of weeks ago, when Cheri was using the car to make sure it was ready for Sarah to come home she drove it around Woodstock. When she came out of a store she noticed that it was no longer registered or inspected (but it does have Pennsylvania plates). Anyone interested in a 2002 Ford Focus hatchback for a reasonable price?

Without her own car, Sarah needed to use one of ours to get around on Tuesday. She and Andrew drove down to Bridgeport to catch a train into New York for the day. So I was up early to get Cheri in to work at 6 a.m. and obviously in to the office early for myself. At the end of the day we headed home to find Nana and Papa already there to help us get further ready for the season.

I headed into the office again on Wednesday (I actually had things to do....it wasn't just because the house was filling up); I also needed to head into Boston to pick up Jessica arriving from Phoenix that afternoon. Timing was close, but we were able to get home in time for some oyster soup for supper--a tradition--and then headed out to the Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Morning I was up at my normal reasonable time, but our various travelers didn't fully stir until around 10 a.m. Cheri helped with making the coffee, which she neither drinks nor often makes, and you can see some of the results.

We moved into the Keeping Room, where a warming fire was already lit in the fireplace, and found that stockings were filled for everyone. Although there are several piles of coal in ourbasement, none of it seemed to find its way into any of the stockings.

We were also pleasantly surprised to see that Santa didn't get mixed up with the hemispheres and delivered a stocking for Andrew in Connecticut, instead of to Australia.

Stocking gifts were opened and enjoyed by everyone, but I do wonder what happened to the gift in the pink stripped bag that Cheri got in her stocking? I didn't see her open it....hmmmm.

Following stocking gifts we moved back into the kitchen to prepare another tradition--eggs Benedict made by me on Christmas Morning. The hollandaise sauce was very successful, even without Jess helping this year, and we also had some fruit salad to go with the eggs (or in place of for some). Breakfast was great with very few watery egg whites and the yokes were perfectly runny.

It was then time to head back to the Keeping Room to exchange gifts. Following our normal tradition, we went around one-by-one and opened gifts so everyone could see and comment on what was given and received. You can see Cheri making a point with a piece of my mother's counter-cross stitch pieces in her hand (which she loved receiving and already has a place in mind for the framed piece)

You can also see Nana making a point with a wrapped gift....like mother, like daughter?

It should be noted that after I opened one gift Sarah said, "I didn't know you were getting that....". At which point Cheri pointed out that Sarah had wrapped the gift.

Sarah and Andrewed shared some space on the deacon's bench and you can see Andrew sporting some new blue stripped, handmade socks that Mrs. Claus had put into his Christmas Stocking. In a later picture you can see the new scarf that daughter-of-Mrs.-Claus knitted between the time she arrived in Connecticut and Andrew arrived in Connecticut.

Papa also had some immediate interest in a new gadget. As with both of our Dads new high technology toys, like a digital photo frame, will keep them busy for hours.

Following gifts, it was time to get back to preparations for Christmas Dinner. As mentioned earlier, many of the younger people did not get up until 10 a.m., there were stocking gifts, breakfast, Christmas gifts, and dinner guests planning to show up at 2 p.m. So the Dining Room was set up for the Christmas Feast.

Meal preparations continued around the kitchen with everyone chipping in.....

Well, almost everyone.....

Mushrooms were chopped and the meat and potatoes made ready.

Soon guests arrived and as usual we gathered first in the kitchen. It didn't hurt that we also opened a couple of bottles of champagne in the kitchen. We were fortunate to have our friends Martha and Jamie Harrison along with their son Chris able to join us for dinner. You can see Jess helping Jamie figure out one of his new gifts, a digital camera.

Eventually the Beef Wellington, twice-baked potatoes, roasted squash, and peas (a green vegetable to round out the colors of the plate) were ready and we moved into the Dining Room for a great meal. Conversation around the table did not lag and it was a wonderful way to

celebrate Christmas in fellowship. We finished up with dessert of Snow Pudding, Andrew described it as a form of Pavlova that he is use to in Australia, in front of the fire in the Keeping Room. Some people did opt for peppermint stick ice cream and some of Cheri's fabulous hot fudge sauce (see the "Burnt Sauce?" blog) instead of snow pudding, but suffice it to say that no one went away hungry.

We were up and at it again on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) to get ready for another round of company and gift-giving. The Whitneys, Cheri's sister Deb and family, were stopping by on their way from Gray, ME (Scott, Deb's husband's family home) back to their home in New Jersey. Of course this was another opportunity for gift giving, and for me to prepare a meal, as did Good King Wenceslas, to celebrate the Feast of Stephen (Shrimp Scampi in this case).

Another great time exchanging gifts, including our asking Tim the perennial question of who came in first the chicken or the egg.

Plus Dan getting some glassware to go with his new interest in Port wines (again, our children don't fall far from the tree).

Just in case we had not had enough celebrating, we headed out on Saturday morning to enjoy time with my family in New Hampshire--except Dad who was spending Christmas in Florida and we spoke with him a couple of times. This year we met at David and Karen's house and filled the

Family Room. It was another chance to enjoy a large meal (no Saint's Day that I know of in this case, but then we are all Congregationalists so it doesn't matter). We did have some fabulous roast beef, baked ham, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding and green bean casserole (some more green to fill out the plate).

Following the meal we tried a Yankee Swap for our gift giving. It was a fun way to give and receive gifts and although it wasn't always an exact match there were many successes (see Dave with the British Beer and glasses that Andrew brought as a gift).

After the swap Dave handed out presents that Dad sent from Florida for his grandchildren. There were Scandinavian necklaces, candle settings, books and table-clothes that were all well received.

Finally, it was time for the last desserts (at least for Saturday) of snow pudding, ice cream and hot fudge, pies and coffee. There were some games to be played and then time to head back for Connecticut.

It has been a wonderful time having our family together and we have enjoyed all of the fellowship we have enjoyed during this Christmas Season with family and friends.

Here is a link to all the pictures taken and shown as a web-album on Picasa. Just click on the picture and it will take you there.

Christmas Day 2008

Does This Hot Fudge Sauce Taste Burnt to You?

We are having our first weekend with Sarah back home, and we've put her right to work! I've seen her working a vacuum, rolling out cookie dough and helping to make hot fudge sauce. So the house is looking like, and smelling like Christmas is coming. You can almost taste the candy cane cookies in the photo. Now if we could just get Jess home we'll be all set.

Leading into the weekend we had our first big snowstorm of the year. Last week it was ice on Friday and this week it was snow . . . and lots of it. Everyone was ready this time since there was advance notice. It started to snow around noon time and by evening it was starting to get serious.

Snowing off the Porch

The snow on the wreaths and the candles in the window was making the evening look nice.

Of course a little bit of snow was not going to keep us from enjoying the hot tub on a Friday evening. I shoveled out a path across the deck, cleared the snow from around the tub, we wrapped ourselves in towels and out we went.

103 degree water / 17 degrees outside air

By the next morning the snowing had stopped for awhile and everything looked fresh and clean with the new snow.

Sunday morning it was snowing again and it seemed to last all day. The Christmas Sunday service was very nice and Cheri rang bells in the anthem. The bell choir sounded great!

Following the service we had a pageant put on by the Sunday School members. I was the narrator and the kids were cute and wonderful as usual.

By the time we got back home there was enough snow to require shoveling out the walkways and portions of the driveway again.

We took care to keep the bird feeders full and we have been rewarded by seeing a few birds up close to the finch feeder, and a couple of cardinals around the big feeder (as well as several of their friends.)

We seem to be getting ready to enjoy Christmas with family and friends. Cheri is doing the lioness share of the preparations and it sure has been helpful to have Sarah here to chip in on the workload.

As far as the hot fudge sauce goes . . . if you get a chance to try any of Cheri's hot fudge sauce this year it should taste twice as good as other years. It seems we have thrown away as much as we have saved because it 'just didn't taste right.' Of course you know who is the primary taster....

So I said to Cheri, "Why don't we drive to Canada and go Bowling?"

She didn't like that idea so instead we spent the day cleaning and decorating the house. Original plans had been to head for the Morris' house in Standish, ME for the annual caroling evening. However, we have been under seige by some painters....the current end of a long line of renovation and re-work to the house. Plus Sarah arrives in four days, Christmas (and Christmas guests) are less than two weeks away, very little baking has been taking place, and the house in general just needs to be cleaned, so we had our work cut out for us. No trip to either Canada or even Maine.

Rooms were returning to normal with a fresh coat of paint--walls and ceilings. Furniture went back into the rooms, and pictures went back on to the walls.

The "Scotch Room"

Sarah's Bedroom
Also, Sarah's Bed Room

The Master Bed Room

Of course we mixed this around spinning on Saturday morning, singing on Sunday, making wreaths, putting out some decorations, and getting the house to "feel" like Christmas. So we got our Texas Santa out and put him in his seat near the fireplace.














....and then the lobster bouy Santa to remind us of Newbury.















Cheri worked on another boxwood wreath. She had me trim back some of the boxwood trees in the yard. They needed the pruning and she needed the branches, so it all worked out.












And of course, some more decorations went out. Some of the Swedish tomte which I like to see around the house (plus, they may bring us luck).











Then late in the evening, I took my little Canon camera and a tripod and tried to capture how nice the outside of the house looks. I may not have the skills of my professional brother or studious daughter, but I think the pictures capture some of the feeling. If only there were snow on the ground to lighted up the pictures and reflect the moonlight.

The Front of the House with Candles in the Windows and the Moon to the Side

Front Door and Garland

The Doors seen from the Driveway

A Couple of Small Trees at the end of the Driveway

So that is how we spent our weekend. A good time just the two of us and we were able to get some things done around the house. Cheri did ask, "Why would we drive to Canada and go bowling?"

And I said, "So when we are much older I could turn to you and say, 'Remember that time we drove to Canada and went bowling.... ?'"