Joy at Christmas:: a birthday

I'm so happy to have the cake 

and the plate

 and the kiddo who wants to decorate

 even when she's called out of bed

as we celebrate 

one we love so very dearly

before and through the Christmas holiday

 

We continue to celebrate the day you were born my Dear.

The last bits of Christmas

We're on the last leg today. The tree is gone, the ornaments careful nestled into tissue and to their nooks and crannies in boxes. Today the house lights will come down* and I'll finally gather and sort all the things that need to be in the big gift wrap box and away it will go until next year. (Perhaps next year I'll share all the things I love gathering for gift wrapping purposes.)

I love beautiful ribbon and well considered wrapping and tags. This year I found the most beautiful tags at Blossom & Twig on Etsy.

These:

This pretty red bird,


















and this fellow with his crown. 









Oh! And these three:

Pears

God Bless Us

Stickers

I purchased a few for next year and look forward to using them. When they arrived in the crafted envelope I was excited and even more excited to find such gracious packaging inside -- I felt like I'd received a gift rather than receiving a purchase.

So before the Lovely Season of Christmas, it's joy, it's busyness and the brilliant Spirit we celebrate is behind us, I say go and gather for next year.

Me? I shall do as Charles Dickens and "honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."




*My neighbor John, who left for Thailand with friends with his Christmas lights on a timer and doesn't come home until Monday will win the leaving-the-lights-on-longest competition this year!

A Garden Party

Tonight the neighbors will gather on the lawn at John & Mary's for a pre-4th celebration. John will haul his barbecue from the backyard out to the driveway and the various sons will set up tables and chairs. Mary and Marjorie and I will bring out the linens and things and candles, candles, candles and voila! The 3rd of July.

We'll have lots of kids from 6 to 22 and plenty of loud fun.

Mary's yard has a fabulous peach tree that calls for summer enjoyment. We sit under it on weekend mornings for coffee and chatting. It's the relaxing time in my week.

Tonight, each family will bring their own meat and two other contributions. So, I'm thinking of making this Skirt Steak with Chimichuri. My girlie wants Opa Fish and she wants to whip up Aunt Nancy's Apple Pie in a Brown Paper Bag and Aunt Margaret's World Famous Potato Salad.

I have some beautiful Angelcots from Frieda's and think there's an Angelcot tart coming our way. Angelcots might be the perfect apricot. They're new to me and apparently available for a very short window at Ralph's and Trader Joe's. They are white and sweet with a delicate apricot flavor and also a hint of a buttery flavor. I think they'll be wonderful with a pate sucre or puffed pastry and a little creme Anglaise. (You'll find all these recipes and pix over at What Am I Cooking? later in the week. My other darling Mary-friend has a rhubarb sangia recipe up now. Yum. Yum.)

So we will enjoy. And hope your 4th celebrations are great.