Tis the Season To Dig Out and Decorate

The mantle is fiilled with Santas and other shiny treasures.

I don’t know why the Christmas decorations are put away in so many different places: some in the guest bedroom closet, some in the big closet under the stairs, and others out in plastic bins in the garage.  Well, yes,  I do know why.  When it’s time to put them away, they end up in the place that’s most convenient to get to at the moment.

Outside light crawl up the skinny tree trunks and cover the holly bushes.

Like most everyone else on my street, I started to put up the outside lights and other yard ornaments the day after Thanksgiving.  Our little cul-de-sac street is the most well-lit of the neighborhood.  I like to take it all in a couple times every evening when I take Annie out.  I’ve pulled out the pieces for the mantle bit by bit; some haven’t been up there for a couple of years.  The tree is still well-lodged at the back of the closet under the stairs.  It may just stay there this year as it is a big task to put up and load with all the red ornaments.  I love it, but as I haven’t made plans for any celebrations at home, it may not be worth it this year.  There’s a smaller tree that can be pulled out and lit up, which can go at the top of the stairs.

The best reason to have a mantle is to have a place for Santas.

The decorations add to the flavor of the season, but as I look around my living room, because the room is already furnished mostly in golds and reds, it has a Christmasy feel all year round.

Holiday Gifts For You (From Triptotheouthouse)–Wishing You All A . . .

The thermometer says 48 degrees this morning, probably not very crisp for some of you in the more northerly climes, but a mighty big change here in H-town from the 80 degrees that my car thermometer read about 7:30 last evening.

With my green sweatpants and red jacket, I probablylooked a little like one of Santa’s elves when I took out Annie for her morning “go” at 7:45 this morning. I guess the grey, colder weather had made us both stay snug in bed and not want to get up at the regular 7. Anyway, it’s still cold enough that there’s a “Christmas-y” feel in the air, so I’m in the midst of wrapping presents to put in the car for the drive up to Kansas. The trip is on the long and boring side, especially during this time of year when everything is brown and a bit bleak, but Annie makes a good traveling companion, even when we have to get out at a rest stop and find some grass for her with the north winds whipping at us. But, hey, that’s gets us more in the Christmas spirit, right?

Santa Claus brought me an early Christmas present this year; it’s a JVC Everio camcorder. Supposed to have easy upload of videos to youtube; I have no evidence that it’s easy yet. But the techno-geek gene is not part of my DNA make up, so hopefully with more reading of the manual and more trial-and-error, soon I’ll be able (or later) to put up some of my own videos here.

For now, I have a couple of Christmas gifties (I really like to write the word “gifties” but I would never actually say it–hmm, on second thought, maybe I would) for you, my blog readers. (I know somebody must at least look at my blog because the little “ticker” says that there have been more than 11,000 hits since I started it at the end of July).

Here’s the first one. It’s a video I found that somebody made with the music from my still favorite group from Spain–OBK; the vid itself is from the old TV show “Queer As Folk”, which you may not have seen before because it was on Showtime. Now you can watch it on Logo TV if you get that on your cable. Anyway, this is called “Ultimatum”, just another one of OBK‘s songs that I like (I don’t have this CD yet), and makes me get up from the computer chair and start to dance. I hope it’ll make you do the same! (Listen to another one of their new ones–Tal Vez–on my Vid Box on the right side bar.)

My second present for y’all (I like to say “y’all”, but I hate when I hear people from other places–like California– that have no right to use it using it) is a recipe for some easy Christmas goodies. The name may be a bit deceptive, but my mom made these when I was a kid–so they’re very “old fashioned-y”, and I still make them sometimes. If you want to make something that’s really homemade, that everyone will like, and and that doesn’t take a lot of time, try these. Most of the ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

Boiled Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons cocoa (I like Hershey’s)

4 tablespoons butter or margerine

1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy is great)

3 cups quick oatmeal (not the microwave kind)

1 teaspoon vanilla

(optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts)

Boil the sugar, milk, cocoa, and butter for two minutes. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, oats and vanilla and stir well. Use a teaspoon and drop them onto wax paper or a silicon baking sheet. Let stand at least 1/2 hour or until dry. Store in a air-tight container. (But these will probably get eaten up before you can store them!)

Have yourself some safe and happy holidays.