December Roundup

When I envision my New Years blogging resolution, I think it will be in the form of updates, that is if I have inspiration and energy at the same time!  So maybe something like this:

December is a month of transition to the dry season, some Decembers here are really rainy, others are not.  This year has been a dry one, so it have been a good start to the yard sale season.  I like yard sales and usually I don't buy a lot of things, but I like seeing other neighborhoods, discovering unusual things (that I don't usually buy), and haggling for better prices when I do buy something.  By contrast I don't like shopping in stores.

We have been talking about camping next time we go to the Smoky Mountains and we knew we would need a bigger tent.  I bought this one for $5 at a community sale.  Dubious at its low price (retail was about $140), I set it up in the back yard and cannot find any flaws.  It sleeps 8.  Naturally the kids begged to sleep in it that night and we let them, but at 11pm they all opted to come back inside.  Obviously I now need to be looking for air mattresses!

Another yard sale find was a classic Guess Who game.  We had some heated contests the week after I brought it home.  Guess Who is a game I remember playing with the kids at the day camp where I worked and I loved it. 

One of our neighbors gave us a bottle of Creme de Vie - that is Cuban Eggnog (made with aged Cuban rum and coconut milk)  It was very good.  I gave another Cuban neighbor a gingerbread house and she was so amazed at it - not because it was amazing, but because she had never seen one!  Living in a community where traditions are so important to identity, I sometimes feel a little bland, so this was very gratifying for me!

Annalise broke the 3rd bone in her middle left finger the same day we moved the girls to the new room.  She slipped and fell and caught herself in a funny way.  She has to wear the splint for about 4 weeks.

And we have two new "pets" - we named them Bitsy and Big Boy,  Bitsy is a cherry tomato plant and Big Boy is a heirloom tomato plant.  Bitsy is actually bigger, but her tomatoes won't be!  We move them to the front yard for the morning sun and to the backyard for the afternoon - otherwise, our deep southern sunshine does not hit any one spot more than 6 hours - yes in the Sunshine State!

Christmas is coming and I've made a few goodies and am planning to cook a ham and make scalloped potatoes.  We started a tradition 2 years ago that on Christmas Eve after the candlelight service we get Pizza Hut pizza and that is in the plans too.  My birthday is next Wednesday, somone asked it I still plan to count them and I said yes!  I am totally playing the birthday card and told the kids their gift to me will be to do all the cooking that day!  So Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!