Scattered Seed

It was a day of clearing snow (after a few inches accumulated through the morning), running errands, and taking the day at a relaxing pace since we are both still on vacation.

While I planned our shopping trip, George finished off the last of Morgan’s fruit soup with a generous serving of vanilla ice cream on top.  It has become a tradition that she makes a big pot of this for us each Christmas.

We didn’t need much at the grocery store since the kids had shopped while they were home and left us with many goodies. It was mainly a stop for milk and pets foods until we passed the seafood counter and noticed a sale for the holiday. Not having real plans for our evening meal, we splurged and had a lovely (but messy) New Year’s Eve meal at home a few hours later.

And not wanting to let a free evening get away from me without putting some time into my never-ending project,  I attached twelve more squares to Garrett’s Mario rug.   It’s still only about a fifth of the way done at this point!

Now we are having a quiet evening, waiting to turn the page to 2010.   I’ll be spending some time with my photo albums,  relocating some of my oldest photos to a better quality album and wondering what photo memories I’ll be documenting in the new year!

I found this photo of a Christmas past. Rebecca was nine, Morgan was six, and Garrett was just a year and a half. The wooden cradle was one that my dad made for Rebecca to play with when she was little, but I have a feeling it was Morgan who decided that Garrett should sit in it for the picture!

For more Remember Whensday posts,  check out Sally’s site here.

We’ve been adjusting to the quiet again. It’s just George and me, the dog and cats. Little by little I’ve been taking down the Christmas decorations, but the tree will stay up till January. I enjoy plugging in the colored lights as the room darkens in the afternoon, and I’m never in a hurry to give that up.

I spoke with Rebecca last night,  and they were home in Durham after a full-day’s drive.    Morgan sent a text-message this morning that they had landed in Chicago where they will celebrate New Year’s.   Garrett heads to New York City tomorrow to celebrate New Year’s.   Life goes on,  and our kids go on their way as they were meant to do.     Tomorrow I plan to spend some time uploading all my Christmas photos.    So many good memories.

Twenty-four hours ago every inch of this house was spoken for and there was barely room to move without stepping over someone or something.

Tonight it’s just George and me again. The kids all left this morning, Rebecca and Melissa back to Durham, Morgan and Albert headed off to Buffalo with Garrett to catch a flight to Chicago tomorrow morning.

It’s very quiet here.

We had a wonderful few days…..cooking, baking,  card games, video games, Rock Band (I had a turn at the vocals and guitar),  a trip to the movies,  dinner out,  dinners in,  catching up,  and just enjoying each others company.

It was the best Christmas with all of them here.    I miss them already!

This week I chose a photo from 1988 when Morgan was eight and Garrett was three.    Morgan seemed very serious about hearing ‘The Night Before Christmas’  read, and Garrett just loved having his picture taken.

We still have this same metal-frame bed in what is now the guest room,  and I found the old copy of the book which we have had since Rebecca was little.

I love having some things as a reminder of days gone by.

To see more Remember Whensday posts,  check out Sally’s site here.

After several weekends in the kitchen,  my Christmas baking is done.  There are boxes and tins of cookies in the freezer now alongside the pumpkin and orange-zucchini loaves of bread.

The packages we ordered have been delivered and are now wrapped and ready to go under the tree.    Our shopping is done!

The tree is in the house waiting to be decorated.   Like going to the shelter to chose a cat,  and coming home with the one with frost-bitten ears and matted eyes,  we chose a tree that needs a little love on one side, but with lights and decorations it will be just fine.

Things are falling into place around here, and we are mostly ready for a houseful of company to begin arriving mid-week.    Beds made, things tidied and dusted…..

It’s been too long since we’ve all been together.   We’re a little excited!

Since I have trouble coming up with a post mid-week and I love to share old photos, I decided to join in with Remember Whensday.

This is a photo of our first Christmas tree, 1972.  We lived in Oklahoma City in a duplex near the stockyards and our car was an Austin Healey Sprite with just room enough for two.  We chose our tree from a seller on a street corner for $10,  but there wasn’t room in the car to bring it home so George took me back to the apartment and he went back for the tree.  I was ready with my little Kodak Instamatic when he drove in…..What memories!

For more Remember Whensday postings, or to join in,  check out Sally’s site here.

With Christmas a little more than a week away, my list of things to do is quite long.    I decided to buckle down today and see what I could cross off my list.

First, though,  I tried out a new breakfast recipe for cornmeal waffles.    Very filling and good….I even had a few left over for the freezer.

We wrapped some presents so they will be ready for the tree when we bring it home next weekend.

I tried a new cookie recipe since I didn’t have the ingredients for the chocolate cookie I had planned to make.    These chocolate crinkles seem even better than what I’d planned,  and there are more dough balls in the freezer for making up later.

And what would my day be without granny squares?   I really don’t know what I will do with myself when they’re done and the rug is pieced together.    I’ve been working on this non-stop since Halloween!

Three hundred and twenty-three squares done!    Sixty to go!

After a few weeks of hardly seeing a bird out back (partly due to the fact that I work from sun-up to sun-down these days), the bitter cold temperatures and heavy snowfall came this way.

We had about 5″ of snow upon waking Wednesday,  followed by periods of freezing rain.

Once the weather turned for the worse,  I noticed a steady return of the birds to my feeders.

This downy woodpecker seems to have a thing for the nyjer seed.

Mourning doves were ever-faithful and a few stopped by each day even when no other birds did.

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve seen a cardinal here.

It bothered me most that I had not seen a house finch in several days.   They were the one bird I remember seeing out back prior to my ever hanging feeders.

Today I also saw chickadees,  house sparrows, goldfinches, an abundance of starlings,  blue jays and crows.

It’s good to have them all back!

Ever since I agreed to make this rug for Garrett (around Halloween), I have been spending every spare minute working on squares. Some days I get up a little early and get a few done before breakfast. Then I take my little bag to work and do a couple during lunch (my co-workers can’t believe I’m going to make 383 squares for this), and in the evening after the dishes are done (I make two, then allow myself a little diversion…then another two, another diversion….and so on).

I’ve just finished up the colorful squares, and now I need to pull out my black yarn and finish up with the last 143!  Somehow it seems possible that I will make it to the end, and maybe, just maybe,  by Christmas.

Other than crocheting, I’ve been watching for birds (Project Feederwatch is underway again). The birds have been scarce despite my sunflower and mixed seeds, nyjer, suet and peanuts. Maybe they are finding better fare elsewhere. But I will keep watching and counting whoever comes (I can count birds with one eye and crochet with the other).

I’ve been Christmas shopping (almost done), Christmas baking (nowhere near done), and Christmas cleaning. The three kids that I used to have to threaten to clean their rooms have me fretting about dust and clutter and spots on the windows (it doesn’t make sense).

Decorating is next on the list. George put up the lights out front, and he’ll be bringing up the boxes of decorations from the basement tomorrow. We need to figure out when we’ll get the Christmas tree.

So, that’s it for me tonight. Back to the crochet hook. What will I do when this is done?

Garrett had better love it.