~I WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR...

This is..my last post for 2011.

Three of my crazy wonderful and funny  daughters  Mary,  Dawn and Erin, taken on Christmas day.  One is missing but Sandy was with us in spirit as were two of my sons.   My son Danny was with us also.  So I had four of my seven with me at home. 

My eldest son, Patrick and his wife were with us in the evening for dinner.  It was a wonderful Christmas!

And this is Wrenna, my precious granddaughter.  She is Dawns (above) oldest child.  Her father Ed, is right, she is an amazing young woman.  She came with her mother on Christmas eve..all the way from Portland Oregon.

Can you imagine the happiness I felt?  I wanted to hug her and never let her go!!

I am already looking forward to next year.  We are planning a little road trip this summer.  Just her and I.  I can't wait!

I have hopes of seeing ALL of my family this coming year. They are busy out there living their lives..and that is a good thing!

A photo of my tiny great granddaughter, Emily, Grandma's little angel.

Thank you Adam and Cristina!  I love her so much!

Just a few random family photo's I wanted to share with you.

*MY NEWS IS THAT A NEW GREAT GRANDCHILD IS EXPECTED JULY 4th, 2012, and I am beyond delighted. 

A Happy New Year awaits me full of love.  I hope a wonderful NEW YEAR awaits all of you.

God is good!

Blessing and love,

Mona



~I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.. she said..

...and she was!  Daughter Dawn and my beautiful granddaughter Wrenna, came home for Christmas.

I hope your Christmas was as wonderful as ours.

Here's to many more!

Love,

Mona

*Thank you to my daughter in law and my daughter for helping make this Christmas wish come true.

And thank you to my granddaughter in law for taking such wonderful family photo's for us!

~LAST MINUTE TOUCHES, AND THOUGHTS...

Ok, now I am getting excited!  I admit I am a child at heart.  I love Christmastime, and in the world I live in folks are so nice!  Some of the comments and wishs and emails I have recieved have moved me to tears. 

Do you know that many who have  not experienced this bloggers world of ours, find it difficult to believe?  I have even heard some scoffing over the past couple of years, that people just are not that nice.  NOT really, they say! 

Well, yes they are.  YES they are!

From all over the world I have met folks.  People from all walks of life.  Some rich, and some with very little..but they wear their beautiful hearts on their sleeves.

Some of you have simply given me a piece of your heart...and I want you to know that I treasure it.

I have found that I love and care for folks I will never, ever meet.  Beautiful people who have been there for me in times of poor health,

times of sadness,

shared in my worry over my children and their trials in these tough times, and tried to help with advice and moral support!

Sent me a beautiful hand made Teddy Bear, asked if I was alright when I didn't sound like myself,

Asked about my daughter who had breast cancer (she is doing wonderfully.)  I don't talk about it because I cannot.  It is still almost too much to think about.

You don't know me, but you show me your hearts and the goodness in your souls.

You all add to my life in a way I never believed possible.  I have watched some of you suffer through operations, illnesses, lost of spouses, children, your dear pets.  And the list goes on.

I know all of you feel the same as I do.  We are all so alike and yet so different, but what we share is this wonderful world of "caring"...our blogging world.

Thank you!

 Thank you for being there for me..for allowing me into your lives and sharing your worlds with me.

I learn from all of you every day!

We are all blessed to have one another.

Merry Christmas and I love you all very much!

Mona



~CITY SIDEWALKS..~

..busy sidewalks
dressed in holiday style..
in the air there's a feeling
of Christmas!

What fun it all was.  An evening of jostling with the crowds, smiling face (some cranky) children pointing with their little faces all smiles, and later good food in a little crowded cafe'.
The best part is we were with family laughing and having fun!

Patient Husband and I at the Mission Inn. Is there more to the story?  Well...yes...it was CROWDED!

The right jolly old elf and I!  Can you see my look of hero worship?? 

I told him "We match!" and he said "Oh?  Well where's your beard!"  I mean, what a smarty pants!

I would have pulled his beard and went pee pee tinkle on his lap..but decided I was way too old for such antics!  I told him I always shaved before I went on a date.  He just "HO HO HO'ed!" and that was that!  Santa is a lot of fun!  First time in 75 years I ever got to talk to him.  Whata guy!

What did I wish for?  World peace of course! :)  So..tell me, what would you ask for??

(about that other?  I may just be the right age for such antics after all!) :):)

Daughter Mary and me.  It was cold and Mary was chattering a bit.  We sang Silver Bells...and had a blast!  She is as crazy as her mother. 

The front of the Mission Inn in Riverside.  Lots of traffic..city sidewalks,

busy sidewalks..

dressed in holiday style..

It was beautiful.  Wish I could have gotten better photo's.

The figures were antimated and each was playing an instrument.  The music was beautiful...

I was being jostled by the crowd that you see in the lower part of the photo..but I did the best I could. 

It was nearly impossible to get inside and after about 45 minutes we ducked under the rope and went out the back way.

On the way out I ran into...that smarty mouthed Santa Claus you saw me hanging out with earlier.

I promised him that if he were good I would leave cookies out for him this year.  He promised and we were both happy. 

And the two very patient husbands that escorted us, waited for us and love us very much.

The end

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Mona

~TEDDY BEAR ANGEL?~

...but of course.  Sometimes she makes it to the top of the tree and sometimes not.  I always feel...guilty when she doesn't. I bought her about 25 years ago.  A lady made from Palm Springs made her.  She is so sweet!

I wanted to title my post "Thank God it's done!"  But..on second thought..I decided that, perhaps, it wasn't exactly the thing to say.  I admit to feeling that way though....

Please..oh please, do not think I am not grateful to even have a tree..and a large 55 year collection of ornaments, I have every ornament that I ever bought clear back to 1954!   I am.  I am terribly grateful...but...I kept thinking of all the work it was going to be to take it all down and put it ALL AWAY! 

I make "ALL AWAY!" that size..because I guess I'm shouting it in my poor brain!

I had to sort of remind myself that I was having fun..and after all this was for my family.  They will be here for Christmas morning brunch..and..it's for them.  My daughter usually has Christmas at her home, but this year things are rough for her family for I am helping out by doing it here for her.

Ok..lets be honest for just one moment.  Yes, the above is true..but..I wanted to be IN.  You know, have a pretty tree on a post.  I wanted to be like everyone else and show that I could decorate a tree.

(Oh, and it's "live" by the way!)  I put up a dead tree one year..not dead, it was faux.  Silk?  That seems to sound better, but this year it went out on the front porch.  I HAD to have the smell of real pine. 

But..REAL PINE comes at a price.  Needles..drying, watering daily, constant feeling of the little needles and panic setting in when it begins to show serious signs of drying.

And yep.

It's happening (gradual drying)  and there is 12 days to go until Christmas.  Is it ok if I pray that it lives until Christmas?? :)

Polka dot ribbon was my thing this year.  I bought rolls of it and it's all over the house.

What fun! 

Merry Christmas!

Falalala la lala la la! 

Love'n hugs!

Mona

~SO, WHAT'S THE RUSH?!

 I don't know!  But there is that feeling of a need to rush ..and I keep dragging my feet.
The tree is up..but not decorated.  The ornaments have been stacked in the garage for a week..
It was a very busy but fun family weekend.  What a blessing it is to be with people you love..and trust and that make you laugh! :)

But the dining room table in the family room is...sort of done.  Pomagranates from daughter Mary's tree.  Snipped branches from our tree for a bouquets of greens...and my favorite reindeer..and tea things of course. 

The living room.. I LOVE my books of Christmas music!  The best part is if I want to hear a tune.. :)

..there it is!  :)  Makes me happy. 

As I said...I am rather happily dragging my feet.

Still ..that feeling that I MUST get it done.  I wonder why that is..

After all..I AM retired.  So..why this odd feeling to rush..

I love the mantel this year too.  It's funny how every year the same things come out and yet everything is always a bit different... what fun!

I just lost my post..for the second time tonight.  I must be doing something wrong. 

My blog background also disappeared.  Strange. Grandson, Adam, gave me a temporary one until I can get it figured out.   Maybe I should just drink my juice and go to bed.

So  Merry Christmas!

Keep smiling!  T'is the season to be jolly! 

....so why this feeling of having to rush?

Who knows... but I'm going to rush off to bed.  Nite, nite!

I will decorate the tree in the morning!  Yep...I certainly will, and that's a promise..

uh-huh...

Mona

I am joining Marty for TABLETOP TUESDAY.

~IT'S A GOOD DAY FOR WASTING TIME ...~

...OR dressing the dolls.  Abby's Bear is already dressed so I  dug out this little red velvet outfit for my baby doll.

She doesn't look too delighted, does she?   :)

Yes, Di, wasting time is so devine! :)

.  Found another pair of little ice skates...awwww...I love these!

Hung the big ice skates on the back of the front door...nope.  Not working for me.

I didn't accomplish much..but I did slow WAY down as per advise. :)

Ate homemade cinnamon rolls (actually they were sticky buns) dear son in law brought to the door early this morning..(what a way to wake up!) with hot coffee and vanilla creamer.  Gosh, I love mornings like that.  My daughter is sooo sweet, and bakes wonderfully!

*smiles*

...and yes..I ate more than one.  Perhaps I ate two!  I really don't recall. 

Maybe we can bring that poor tree in out of the wind tomorrow.  I said..maybe!

Somehow I get the feeling I'm over doing the decorating a wee bit.  Patient Husband looks non plused  as he walks through the house.  Not...too sure he is crazy about all the "stuff"..

I am not a minimalist!

When am all done..(someday) maybe I'll walk around and remove some ..things. 

I always feel like I need to put everything I have ever collected over the years out..

...and I don't have to do that...

Does anyone else do this??

Love'n hugs,

Mona

~PUFF, PUFF...I'LL GET IT DONE...

...if it takes me all night long!  We worked at it all day...Patient Husband doing clean up from the winds (and now they are supposed to return tonight after midnight!

But..I'm making progress...(I guess)

My favorite Christmas book "A Cup Of Christmas Tea"... What a treat to see my little tea set..

(Now if I can just find the book..)

...little red wagon is full..

...the wreath is on the door..

...the poinsettia's are all in place..yep..and the pillows...gotta have pillows!

I LOVE our front porch!! 

I feel so fortunate to have a home I love and a husband that loves me and a lovely caring family and friends!  (would you JUST LOOK at those leaves!)  ..now...what was I saying...oh yes...I was saying how foruntate I am....and did I tell you the HIGH winds are due any minute now.  They said after midnight!  Oh well...I just hope my tree is still on the porch in the morning!! 

:)

I'm so tired and I still haven't finished the inside.....

I'll think about it tomorrow...well, for pete's sake..it IS tomorrow!

I'll get it done today for sure!

Yep.

Love'n hugs,

Mona



~SANTA ANA WINDS~

We were just finishing up hanging the garland..when you could feel it.  A damp stillnes..like rain was on the way.  But the sky was clear.  Not a single cloud.  Then a slight breeze began to stir and by the time we had picked up our tools, put away the ladders...we knew the Santa Ana winds had arrived.



 We went inside and had dinner.  I blogged awhile and then...it began!  I heard someone rattle and bang loudly on the front door...I called...ok, I SCREAMED to Patient Husband that someone was trying to break in!  We both rushed to the front door..peeked out..no one was there...but the wind was whipping the trees around terribly!

 We ran to the back Patio and put the umbrella's down...and thought the patio was pretty protected..

The heavy quilt that I had tied to the top of our lawn swing was completely ripped off...further knocking things over..

 This was just part of what greeted us in the morning..

 knocked over plants...

Patio table swept nearly clean..and bits of my new plant on the table.  It's hanging and was a gift.

WHY oh WHY didn't we think to take them down.

The plants that were not knocked over and broken..were just whipped to death.  Ferns laying limp...poor things...but it could have been so much worse.

Sirens screams all night long.  Many were without power. Not our best night.

...but I'm not going to whine.  Not when I think of what others have been though with their storms on the East Coast.

Nope...a little wind is nothing...nothing at all.  :)

Love n'hugs,

Mona