Christmas Countdown - 2019

[sugar142286]

Missed most of the workweek this week, home sick with a cold or virus or something that hit hard and just won't let go. Tried going back to work on Wednesday and only lasted an hour and a half before they sent me home. Hoping to be in shape for Monday, as the workdays are long and hard. I want to kick off this virus so I can start thoroughly enjoying the season!

Hope you're feeling better, MerryCarey!

 

[sugar142286]

Special Post: Day 3.

We all joined My Merry Christmas to discuss something that is near and dear to our hearts. In this forum, although I may not post as much as I have in previous years, I always feel home. This will always be my online home and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are so lucky to have each other.

We are now only three days away from our yearly tradition of gathering around our computers and counting down the minutes to the Christmas Season in realtime. Most of us have never met, yet we consider ourselves family. Christmas has not only provided us with a place to discuss our favourite Season, but it has provided us with a place to gather, talk, laugh, and love like one big family.

While we have our traditions at MMC, we also have our family traditions at home. These traditions can often bring us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Today, I had the opportunity to pull out some old musical lights that were a staple to visiting my grandparents' home at Christmas. I don't think anything makes me reflect more than the twinkling and slightly faded instrumental sounds of the 1970s era lights. My grandmother past away two years ago, four days before Christmas - on the darkest day of the year. When my grandfather past, it was easily the darkest day of my life. I've never met two more caring and loving people in my life.

My grandmother (and grandfather) loved Christmas. They are the true reason I am here today sharing my love for our Season with you all. And, now, the more I think about it, it seems fitting that I will forever have their musical lights to help me light my way even through the darkest of times.

As Binger said, "this family shares the feelings which make us unique in a world of cynics and dysfunction." These times are dark for many, but we must remember to always have an open mind and love one another. We all always have each other to light up our days. And, soon, the entire world will have Christmas to light up itself, once again. Soon, we will hear the magical sounds and feel the most ultimate joy we can feel throughout the year. Soon, we will, once again, do our best to make the rest of the world's hearts become filled with love and hope. Soon, we will join together and be able to say those two magical words.

There are only three days remaining. The Christmas Season is almost upon us.

Wonderful post, Brent!

 

[MerryCarey]

DAY 1 Special Post

We gather here to celebrate the joys of the season throughout the year. The countdown thread has become a daily, weekly hang out for many of us.

Today, as we inch ever closer to the most wonderful day of the year, I give you my spin on the merry feeling that hits me whenever I return to MMC.

I think back to Christmas traditions as a child, growing up in a home filled with merriment. The lead up to Christmas Day began in my home 2-3 weeks before Christmas.

My brothers and I would head into the bush and fetch the perfect tree (usually a scotch pine or spruce); one that would have spacious branches spread out so that the ornaments could be seen in different places among the branches. In the early days, it was about 7-8 feet tall and stood in the center of a large window. It wasn’t long before we began fetching taller trees; 12-13 feet high that would stand in the corner with the fabric Angel gifted to my parents from my dad’s parents; the top of the Angel would often touch the cathedral ceiling.

I am going to walk you through the Christmas preparations and how they relate to the people and gatherings here at MMC.

Dad would begin by detangling the Christmas lights, plugging them in and making sure they all work. This is what @Jeff Westover does for us from the back end constantly throughout the year. He readies the server and double-checks things to make sure everything runs smoothly. If there’s a light out, it’s fixed quickly so we can continue to enjoy our time here.

The lights are strategically secured to the branches of the tree; a ladder is used to reach beyond 6 feet.

Next, we unpack the mostly glass and other delicate ornaments from the 60’s and 70’s. We would hand them to dad, one at a time and he would place them where he wanted them to be displayed. These are the merry pages and sections of MMC where we can choose different aspects of Christmas and perhaps other holidays, music, fun and games, and other annual celebrations to add sparkle to our visits.

Next, the tinsel is placed on the tree, one strand at a time without clumps. This represents the long-time members that have decorated the many pages of the Countdown and other threads and continue to visit frequently throughout the year.

Once the tree is ready and the lights (back then they were multi-colored Nova Lights) are turned on, we feel an instant connection to Christmas. We bask in the lights and admire the decorations. This represents some of the nostalgic and heartfelt posts that still rest deep within these merry pages.

The tree appears to be the centerpiece of our celebration, yet we need to transform our home to truly embrace the merry feeling, the instant someone enters. Mom would add cedar or spruce boughs and mirrored silver beads with red velvet bows to the wrought iron railing leading from the main floor to our bedrooms and bathroom visible from the front door, as we lived in a two & a half-story backsplit. These decorations represent the new members who come our way and decorate our pages with new offerings of traditions, memories and planning they hold dear. Just like us when we first walked through the merry door, they marvel at the fact that such a place exists where you can safely discuss Christmas in all its glory any day of the year.

Christmas themed and winter figurines are added in various places throughout the home. Seasonal or scented candles may also be added for extra warmth. These represent the special posts and podcasts that are offered throughout the year to help us carry on with our yuletide cheer and the merry momentum we need to stay jolly.

What home would be Christmas ready without the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of the season. For some of us that requires Christmas music considered retro these days, while others take solace in new Christmas tunes or obscure ones like @JayIsh and @RadioJonD. We have KringleRadio at MMC; suitable name and many voices of familiar MMC members can be heard. The music that resides in our festive hearts speaks to the traditions (old and new) that bring joy and heartfelt reflections; for some all year long and for others after Thanksgiving.

The Christmas movies and specials we cherished as children often return to us and are shared with the next generation (where they exist) to keep the joy of stories that tell the tale of North Pole adventures, Nativity and finding out that the true meaning of Christmas doesn’t come from a store and that an old scrooge can become a new person with goodness in his heart. For others it means another heartfelt telling of miracles and communities coming together to bring happiness to someone else or to mourn a loss while celebrating the beauty of that person. These films and specials represent our sharing of personal triumphs, joys and losses throughout the year. Where our friendships take hold and we support one another with heartfelt connections throughout the year.

Smell that? Oh yes, there it is … Christmas baking and feasts of the season. For us the smells and tastes included cookies, tarts, squares, chocolates, nuts, and turkey with all the trimmings. When we gather and share recipes and family traditions we hold dear, it sometimes paves the way for new ideas from other Christmas enthusiasts to test with our families. The smells and tastes of Christmas are like the merry sparks that reminds us of our traditions like leaving out treats for Santa or giving generously to those less fortunate so they can enjoy a warm meal over the holidays or the walk to or from Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, visiting relatives over the holidays and we share those moments in our posts and spark a comment or two; this is the jolly glue that inspires friendships when we realize how much we have in common.

Our decorations aren’t quite complete; the inside is quite merry, but now we add lights and yard decorations or perhaps a luminary runway for Santa and to welcome Christmas visitors. This is where our SantaUpdate.com and tracking and the front pages of the MMC with links comes into play. As a child it was NORAD that sent us to bed. As a grandmother, and merry wacko; our Santa updates and tracking around the world have become a welcomed new tradition for 13 years.

Now, it’s time to hang our stockings and grow in anticipation of what surprises await us, wrapped under the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. This represents returning members. Our door is always unlocked and we leave the front lights on so it’s easy to navigate your return. On Christmas morning we begin to experience the casual gathering in the countdown as Crown’s daily posting comes to an end, ever so briefly as they take a rest period from Boxing Day until a new thread is launched at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

On this special day, may you reflect on the path (good or bad) that brought you to MMC and the many reasons you continue to visit here. May we continued to gather here experiencing a jolly connection of wondrous proportions any day of the year.

“Welcome, Christmas! Come this way.” I open the door to DAY 1 of the countdown; at midnight we welcome the first day of our “in season” countdown.

Keep a merry thought in your head.

Festsive Regards,
Auntie M.

Bravo, Auntie!

Hope you're feeling better, MerryCarey!

A bit better each day, thanks! (But I'm still craving afternoon naps!)

 

[Rich]

DAY 1 Special Post

We gather here to celebrate the joys of the season throughout the year. The countdown thread has become a daily, weekly hang out for many of us.

Today, as we inch ever closer to the most wonderful day of the year, I give you my spin on the merry feeling that hits me whenever I return to MMC.

I think back to Christmas traditions as a child, growing up in a home filled with merriment. The lead up to Christmas Day began in my home 2-3 weeks before Christmas.

My brothers and I would head into the bush and fetch the perfect tree (usually a scotch pine or spruce); one that would have spacious branches spread out so that the ornaments could be seen in different places among the branches. In the early days, it was about 7-8 feet tall and stood in the center of a large window. It wasn’t long before we began fetching taller trees; 12-13 feet high that would stand in the corner with the fabric Angel gifted to my parents from my dad’s parents; the top of the Angel would often touch the cathedral ceiling.

I am going to walk you through the Christmas preparations and how they relate to the people and gatherings here at MMC.

Dad would begin by detangling the Christmas lights, plugging them in and making sure they all work. This is what @Jeff Westover does for us from the back end constantly throughout the year. He readies the server and double-checks things to make sure everything runs smoothly. If there’s a light out, it’s fixed quickly so we can continue to enjoy our time here.

The lights are strategically secured to the branches of the tree; a ladder is used to reach beyond 6 feet.

Next, we unpack the mostly glass and other delicate ornaments from the 60’s and 70’s. We would hand them to dad, one at a time and he would place them where he wanted them to be displayed. These are the merry pages and sections of MMC where we can choose different aspects of Christmas and perhaps other holidays, music, fun and games, and other annual celebrations to add sparkle to our visits.

Next, the tinsel is placed on the tree, one strand at a time without clumps. This represents the long-time members that have decorated the many pages of the Countdown and other threads and continue to visit frequently throughout the year.

Once the tree is ready and the lights (back then they were multi-colored Nova Lights) are turned on, we feel an instant connection to Christmas. We bask in the lights and admire the decorations. This represents some of the nostalgic and heartfelt posts that still rest deep within these merry pages.

The tree appears to be the centerpiece of our celebration, yet we need to transform our home to truly embrace the merry feeling, the instant someone enters. Mom would add cedar or spruce boughs and mirrored silver beads with red velvet bows to the wrought iron railing leading from the main floor to our bedrooms and bathroom visible from the front door, as we lived in a two & a half-story backsplit. These decorations represent the new members who come our way and decorate our pages with new offerings of traditions, memories and planning they hold dear. Just like us when we first walked through the merry door, they marvel at the fact that such a place exists where you can safely discuss Christmas in all its glory any day of the year.

Christmas themed and winter figurines are added in various places throughout the home. Seasonal or scented candles may also be added for extra warmth. These represent the special posts and podcasts that are offered throughout the year to help us carry on with our yuletide cheer and the merry momentum we need to stay jolly.

What home would be Christmas ready without the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of the season. For some of us that requires Christmas music considered retro these days, while others take solace in new Christmas tunes or obscure ones like @JayIsh and @RadioJonD. We have KringleRadio at MMC; suitable name and many voices of familiar MMC members can be heard. The music that resides in our festive hearts speaks to the traditions (old and new) that bring joy and heartfelt reflections; for some all year long and for others after Thanksgiving.

The Christmas movies and specials we cherished as children often return to us and are shared with the next generation (where they exist) to keep the joy of stories that tell the tale of North Pole adventures, Nativity and finding out that the true meaning of Christmas doesn’t come from a store and that an old scrooge can become a new person with goodness in his heart. For others it means another heartfelt telling of miracles and communities coming together to bring happiness to someone else or to mourn a loss while celebrating the beauty of that person. These films and specials represent our sharing of personal triumphs, joys and losses throughout the year. Where our friendships take hold and we support one another with heartfelt connections throughout the year.

Smell that? Oh yes, there it is … Christmas baking and feasts of the season. For us the smells and tastes included cookies, tarts, squares, chocolates, nuts, and turkey with all the trimmings. When we gather and share recipes and family traditions we hold dear, it sometimes paves the way for new ideas from other Christmas enthusiasts to test with our families. The smells and tastes of Christmas are like the merry sparks that reminds us of our traditions like leaving out treats for Santa or giving generously to those less fortunate so they can enjoy a warm meal over the holidays or the walk to or from Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, visiting relatives over the holidays and we share those moments in our posts and spark a comment or two; this is the jolly glue that inspires friendships when we realize how much we have in common.

Our decorations aren’t quite complete; the inside is quite merry, but now we add lights and yard decorations or perhaps a luminary runway for Santa and to welcome Christmas visitors. This is where our SantaUpdate.com and tracking and the front pages of the MMC with links comes into play. As a child it was NORAD that sent us to bed. As a grandmother, and merry wacko; our Santa updates and tracking around the world have become a welcomed new tradition for 13 years.

Now, it’s time to hang our stockings and grow in anticipation of what surprises await us, wrapped under the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. This represents returning members. Our door is always unlocked and we leave the front lights on so it’s easy to navigate your return. On Christmas morning we begin to experience the casual gathering in the countdown as Crown’s daily posting comes to an end, ever so briefly as they take a rest period from Boxing Day until a new thread is launched at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

On this special day, may you reflect on the path (good or bad) that brought you to MMC and the many reasons you continue to visit here. May we continued to gather here experiencing a jolly connection of wondrous proportions any day of the year.

“Welcome, Christmas! Come this way.” I open the door to DAY 1 of the countdown; at midnight we welcome the first day of our “in season” countdown.

Keep a merry thought in your head.

Festsive Regards,
Auntie M.

Wonderful Special Post Auntie.
Everything you shared in here is why I love coming to MMC daily.

 

[Binger]

Closing in. Under 12 hours.
Yabba !

 

[sugarmuffin25]

Woke up to the yard covered in snow! That's a great day!

 

[Yuletide Junkie]

The lunch time temperature is 15F, tomorrow morning it will be 8F, and Tuesday's high will get clear up to 21F. We're looking forward to the low 40s on Sunday.

The weather folks were optimistic...This morning's temperature was 3F.

 

[Rich]

The weather folks were optimistic...This morning's temperature was 3F.

Brrr...

 

[Yuletide Junkie]

It was 61 yesterday. Today we get this-

View attachment 65342

You have more snow than we do...for now.

 

[Yuletide Junkie]

Good Tuesday morning, Christmas friends!

We're still doing Spring Cleaning at the house, but it's supposed to freeze tonight?!? Nancy is determined, though, and insists on dragging me along LOL.

I have a busy day at work today. I'm in charge of the new office construction project management, and my latest project was getting just the right Christmas tree for the foyer! It's going to be AWESOME!

I hope y'all have a great day!

Obviously, you're over qualified for the job, but the resulting office adornment will be magnificent.

 

[Yuletide Junkie]

Bravo, Auntie!


A bit better each day, thanks! (But I'm still craving afternoon naps!)

Hope you turn the corner soon...Not that I'm anti - afternoon snooze.

 

[Yuletide Junkie]

Special Post Day #2

I have always loved reading these posts through the years and having a opportunity to write one up finally is awesome. This year has had some great posts and a thanks to all the contributors and MMC for giving us all a Christmas home to visit.
What makes Christmas special to each person varies like the changing of the seasons. I just brought out the first red and green tote containing the 1st of 3 trees and the kids literally just lost their minds. I was remembering when I was little and we would go cut a real tree and drag it inside, it seemed like anything was possible once we stood it up. Sleepless nights worrying about Santa, wondering if the mail delivered my list to him or if there would be enough snow. No matter when we decorated Thanksgiving Day was unofficially the day that Christmas started. Our Sears and JcPenney catalogs have turned into Ipads and I catch the kids "dog earring" Amazon toy sections, asking if Santa has a email addy or if they can video chat him. Some things definately have changed but some have stayed the same. If you love Christmas there is definately some of that sleepless child left inside you that worries about the mail and weather. Pass on traditions that will last a lifetime and be passed to the next generation. Most importantly is to give something of the Christmas spirit back. Christmas has given me so much that I could spend my entire life trying to repay for it and never cover the interest.
Happy Holidays to everybody here!

My inner child has been awakened by your post, and is digging around for the e - version of today's Big Toy Box.

 

[Martine]

We have received about 20cm of snow overnight. By the time I was ready to leave for work, main roads were ok but our parking lot hadn’t been plowed yet (as usual). I managed to make my way out, hoping that I wouldn’t get stuck like it had happened last Winter. The only fun thing about this snow was watching Loki in his new little parka jumping over snow banks.

And the GREAT thing about today is Christmas music has started at work! Makes up for the snow storm.

 

[sugar142286]

Merry Monday and Happy Veterans Day! Today is my husband's birthday too!
Work for me today and not sure what my husband wants to do....maybe we will order takeout?
Hope you all have a great day!!

Happy Belated Birthday to your hubby!

 

[sugar142286]

Special Post Day #2

I have always loved reading these posts through the years and having a opportunity to write one up finally is awesome. This year has had some great posts and a thanks to all the contributors and MMC for giving us all a Christmas home to visit.
What makes Christmas special to each person varies like the changing of the seasons. I just brought out the first red and green tote containing the 1st of 3 trees and the kids literally just lost their minds. I was remembering when I was little and we would go cut a real tree and drag it inside, it seemed like anything was possible once we stood it up. Sleepless nights worrying about Santa, wondering if the mail delivered my list to him or if there would be enough snow. No matter when we decorated Thanksgiving Day was unofficially the day that Christmas started. Our Sears and JcPenney catalogs have turned into Ipads and I catch the kids "dog earring" Amazon toy sections, asking if Santa has a email addy or if they can video chat him. Some things definately have changed but some have stayed the same. If you love Christmas there is definately some of that sleepless child left inside you that worries about the mail and weather. Pass on traditions that will last a lifetime and be passed to the next generation. Most importantly is to give something of the Christmas spirit back. Christmas has given me so much that I could spend my entire life trying to repay for it and never cover the interest.
Happy Holidays to everybody here!

Thanks for sharing!

 

[sugar142286]

The lunch time temperature is 15F, tomorrow morning it will be 8F, and Tuesday's high will get clear up to 21F. We're looking forward to the low 40s on Sunday.

Brrrr! That's cold!

 

[sugar142286]

Hello all,

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada and Memorial Day in the US, so firstly, I want to thank all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

Secondly, the snow has begun. We're expecting about 10cm (~4 in) of the fluffy stuff. I'm going to wait until tomorrow to start shoveling, but I'll have to go out later because my mother is coming to visit for a week. She's from out west, and they've had snow for a least a couple of weeks already. I'm going to take her to the local Christmas fair on Friday for some holiday fun.

Thanks to Jeff and all the wonderful elves for getting the card exchange up and running again this year. I'm part of another world-wide card exchange group, so there will be over 100 cards going out this year. I'm so looking forward to it.

Other things to look forward to: Christmas movies. There are so many great holiday movies coming out this year, on the big screen and the little one. I've already seen some of the Hallmark ones, and I'm especially looking forward to seeing Last Christmas, Noelle, and Klaus. They all look like fun.

While mother is here, I'm hoping she'll be up to putting up the tree. Since we've moved out here, she doesn't seem to be as enthusiastic about decorating as before, but we'll just crank the tunes and get decorating.

Keep warm all and take care.

Enjoy the visit with your mom! Praying for safe travels for her.

 

[sugar142286]

DAY 1 Special Post

We gather here to celebrate the joys of the season throughout the year. The countdown thread has become a daily, weekly hang out for many of us.

Today, as we inch ever closer to the most wonderful day of the year, I give you my spin on the merry feeling that hits me whenever I return to MMC.

I think back to Christmas traditions as a child, growing up in a home filled with merriment. The lead up to Christmas Day began in my home 2-3 weeks before Christmas.

My brothers and I would head into the bush and fetch the perfect tree (usually a scotch pine or spruce); one that would have spacious branches spread out so that the ornaments could be seen in different places among the branches. In the early days, it was about 7-8 feet tall and stood in the center of a large window. It wasn’t long before we began fetching taller trees; 12-13 feet high that would stand in the corner with the fabric Angel gifted to my parents from my dad’s parents; the top of the Angel would often touch the cathedral ceiling.

I am going to walk you through the Christmas preparations and how they relate to the people and gatherings here at MMC.

Dad would begin by detangling the Christmas lights, plugging them in and making sure they all work. This is what @Jeff Westover does for us from the back end constantly throughout the year. He readies the server and double-checks things to make sure everything runs smoothly. If there’s a light out, it’s fixed quickly so we can continue to enjoy our time here.

The lights are strategically secured to the branches of the tree; a ladder is used to reach beyond 6 feet.

Next, we unpack the mostly glass and other delicate ornaments from the 60’s and 70’s. We would hand them to dad, one at a time and he would place them where he wanted them to be displayed. These are the merry pages and sections of MMC where we can choose different aspects of Christmas and perhaps other holidays, music, fun and games, and other annual celebrations to add sparkle to our visits.

Next, the tinsel is placed on the tree, one strand at a time without clumps. This represents the long-time members that have decorated the many pages of the Countdown and other threads and continue to visit frequently throughout the year.

Once the tree is ready and the lights (back then they were multi-colored Nova Lights) are turned on, we feel an instant connection to Christmas. We bask in the lights and admire the decorations. This represents some of the nostalgic and heartfelt posts that still rest deep within these merry pages.

The tree appears to be the centerpiece of our celebration, yet we need to transform our home to truly embrace the merry feeling, the instant someone enters. Mom would add cedar or spruce boughs and mirrored silver beads with red velvet bows to the wrought iron railing leading from the main floor to our bedrooms and bathroom visible from the front door, as we lived in a two & a half-story backsplit. These decorations represent the new members who come our way and decorate our pages with new offerings of traditions, memories and planning they hold dear. Just like us when we first walked through the merry door, they marvel at the fact that such a place exists where you can safely discuss Christmas in all its glory any day of the year.

Christmas themed and winter figurines are added in various places throughout the home. Seasonal or scented candles may also be added for extra warmth. These represent the special posts and podcasts that are offered throughout the year to help us carry on with our yuletide cheer and the merry momentum we need to stay jolly.

What home would be Christmas ready without the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of the season. For some of us that requires Christmas music considered retro these days, while others take solace in new Christmas tunes or obscure ones like @JayIsh and @RadioJonD. We have KringleRadio at MMC; suitable name and many voices of familiar MMC members can be heard. The music that resides in our festive hearts speaks to the traditions (old and new) that bring joy and heartfelt reflections; for some all year long and for others after Thanksgiving.

The Christmas movies and specials we cherished as children often return to us and are shared with the next generation (where they exist) to keep the joy of stories that tell the tale of North Pole adventures, Nativity and finding out that the true meaning of Christmas doesn’t come from a store and that an old scrooge can become a new person with goodness in his heart. For others it means another heartfelt telling of miracles and communities coming together to bring happiness to someone else or to mourn a loss while celebrating the beauty of that person. These films and specials represent our sharing of personal triumphs, joys and losses throughout the year. Where our friendships take hold and we support one another with heartfelt connections throughout the year.

Smell that? Oh yes, there it is … Christmas baking and feasts of the season. For us the smells and tastes included cookies, tarts, squares, chocolates, nuts, and turkey with all the trimmings. When we gather and share recipes and family traditions we hold dear, it sometimes paves the way for new ideas from other Christmas enthusiasts to test with our families. The smells and tastes of Christmas are like the merry sparks that reminds us of our traditions like leaving out treats for Santa or giving generously to those less fortunate so they can enjoy a warm meal over the holidays or the walk to or from Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, visiting relatives over the holidays and we share those moments in our posts and spark a comment or two; this is the jolly glue that inspires friendships when we realize how much we have in common.

Our decorations aren’t quite complete; the inside is quite merry, but now we add lights and yard decorations or perhaps a luminary runway for Santa and to welcome Christmas visitors. This is where our SantaUpdate.com and tracking and the front pages of the MMC with links comes into play. As a child it was NORAD that sent us to bed. As a grandmother, and merry wacko; our Santa updates and tracking around the world have become a welcomed new tradition for 13 years.

Now, it’s time to hang our stockings and grow in anticipation of what surprises await us, wrapped under the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. This represents returning members. Our door is always unlocked and we leave the front lights on so it’s easy to navigate your return. On Christmas morning we begin to experience the casual gathering in the countdown as Crown’s daily posting comes to an end, ever so briefly as they take a rest period from Boxing Day until a new thread is launched at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

On this special day, may you reflect on the path (good or bad) that brought you to MMC and the many reasons you continue to visit here. May we continued to gather here experiencing a jolly connection of wondrous proportions any day of the year.

“Welcome, Christmas! Come this way.” I open the door to DAY 1 of the countdown; at midnight we welcome the first day of our “in season” countdown.

Keep a merry thought in your head.

Festsive Regards,
Auntie M.

Beyond beautiful, Auntie! I can feel Christmas throughout the whole post!

 

[sugar142286]

Good morning all!

Well yesterday was quite a day. In the morning we had the funeral service for my mother-in-law. Though funerals are never truly a happy time, it was a wonderful service and nice to see family that we do not normally get to see, and talk about pleasant times and memories. The cemetery is wonderful, it is the Woodland Cemetery in Dayton. It is a HUGE cemetery and is where many famous Daytonians are buried, such as the Wright Brothers and Paul Lawrence Dunbar. She is buried right next to a buckeye tree.

During the service the weather was cloudy and in the 40s. I live about 40 minutes north of the cemetery, and a cold front was a approaching. By 4pm, the temperature dropped and the snow started falling. We ended up with 4 inches of snow and some ice on the roads underneath that. The temperature is in the mid-20s with a low of about 11 tonight. Schools in the area are all closed today. It is nice to have the day off after a weekend of funeral preparations and such.

Life with finally start getting back into a routine, especially for my wife, who has spent the last couple of weeks at the hospital with her mom or taking care of her dad. She is quite ready to head back to work and have a normal schedule again.

The holidays will certainly be different this year without my mother-in-law. She loved the holidays and did everything she could for the grand-kids to make it a special time. She will be missed!

Thanks again to all for the positive thoughts and prayers!

Continued prayers for you all.

 

[sugar142286]

It is beautiful. The -5 feels like temperature on the other hand.....

It's really cold in your neck of the woods!