Christmas

Christmas vacation started out with a bang. My family had a "we are all still here" party. You know after the world didn't end per the Mayan calendar.

The gang gathered around talking.

We brought our signs that we no longer needed to protest the end, since it didn't end. And we also brought wrapped toilet paper. You know cause all our money was spent on Armageddon supplies and that's all we had to give for gifts, as a joke. It was a lot of fun and a good theme for a party.

Here we are warning people but we were wrong.

Since the world didn't end we decided to go ahead and decorate for Christmas.

The tree came out good.

Then husband did it. He invited all his family to Christmas dinner. With one swoop he was on the phone making  calls, organizing things and before I could question the ability to squeeze 30 people into our house, all at the same time, they were all coming. I must say I was in a state of panic but husband, being him, pulled it off.  Ham was good, food was amazingly good. I think everyone brought a dish or two, so there was a lot of different foods.

mile long table.

Everyone did fit into our house. Who new. I feel like there should be a Doctor Seuss book written about it. They all came big and small. They came with pies, they came with turkeys, they came with stars in their eyes. There were games played and talks, talked about even old photos shared. A good time was had by all, all that cared. Oh well, I'm no Dr. Seuss!

Snowman cheese ball

 We had  lot's of snacks. Balls and weenies and I made a couple of cheese balls. Even one that looked like a snow man. People brought cookies and candies and chips and dip. Just before we were too full of snacks The ham and turkey was done and we feasted like there was never going to be food again.


Some people sitting around the table before dinner.

People began spilling out onto the back porch where there was a rousing hand of poker played until the mosquitoes decided to join the party. Others went for a long walk and still others relaxed after dinner by watching the game or playing games. I hope everyone had fun we did.


It's as if he knew my husband.

Hope every one had a Merry Christmas and I can't wait for New Years Eve!


 

 

 

Mom's birthday

Mom reading the birthday card we got her.

We went to Mom's house to celebrate her birthday with her. We found her baking some of her famous cookies that she makes every year. At this time of year she is a cookie making machine. Snow balls, fruit cake cookies, man oatmeal cookies (cause mostly men like them and women know she added to much baking powder), thumb print cookies, sugar cookies all kinds, all varieties and a new one almost every year.  I can't ever get the exact recipes for all her cookies but I did get the one for the snow balls. They are called pecan sandies when she makes them any other time of the year.

Snow balls being made.

While they were baking I slipped out back and picked some muscadine vine to make a wreath with. Mom's yard would be over taken with them if we didn't cut them back every now and then. You just wind them up and when they dry they are just like an expensive grape vine wreath you'd buy at the craft store.



Wreath I made.

Husband had some fun with the wreath. He said it's the closest he'll ever get to being an angel.

My angel.
 

Mom had planted a sweet potato vine that also grew like crazy. So we volunteered to dig them up for her. She had vines everywhere.


There were sweet potatoes all over.

We suddenly started seeing large bull ants while digging. So the dig for the potatoes ended and the search for their nest started. We found them inside of an old stump. We cracked it in half and sadly killed them all. They are known for eating houses. They can get into any kind of crease and have been found in peoples walls.


Dead bull ants at Mom's house.

Mom was fighting these guys for some time. I hope we found their true nest and they wont be giving her a problem any more.

Preferred ant killer of Gramme's everywhere.

She did end up with a nice little crop of potatoes but I know there were more down there with that giant vine she had.

Sweet potatoes

One last picture from Mom's... she is trying to propagate purple pepper plants. So far no luck on the peppers but she has a few plants growing with no flowers. And only the one with flowers and a couple of black purple peppers but they are small. Very pretty ornamental pepper.

Mom's unusual variety of purple pepper.