'Tis the season...

This was a nice weekend.  After having some down time Friday night I was able to sleep in a bit on Saturday morning.  But I knew I couldn't be wicked lazy because the 'rents (what Jacey, Sis, and I now call our combined parents) were going to be on their way down... and I needed to get a few things done.  So I got up and put a load of dishes in the diswasher and decided that it would be a good morning to head to my bread store for a breakfast sandwich as well as picking up some bread for my guests... After my walk... 

So I walked down one of the streets... and on my way back stopped at a store where I found a couple of Christmas gifts.  Then I headed to the bread store... what I call my bakery... not sure it is technically a bakery because they focus so much on bread... but they do make a few pastries and other things.  But I like the idea of living within walking distance of a bakery... 

This is the inside of the bread store... You walk in and the smell of the bread is overwhelming and delicious.  It is an old fire house.  I love the brick walls and the wood...

This was the shelf usually filled with bread.  One of the kinds requested wasn't on the shelves so I asked if they had a loaf, and it was not yet cool enough to slice, but it would be by the time I finished my breakfast sandwich... 

So I sat, not at one of these tables, but at a 'bar' that lines the front of the store looking out onto the street.  I enjoy being here, in this 'bakery'... and it is a fun place to people watch.  Yesterday there were a couple of families there... with little kids, probably two years old, walking between the tables, one chatting about going to the 'lie-bway-ree' after having bread.  I got to see some people, old friends, see each other for the first time in a couple of years...

I ate my breakfast sandwich...got my loaf of freshly baked and sliced bread...  and came home to get ready for my family arrive.  I cleaned a little and made sure there would be a place for everyone to sleep.. wrapped the gifts I had gotten on my walk and put out some snacks for us to eat during the afternoon as we visited... 

Betty and Dad arrived at about 1:00 or so.  Jacey arrived about an hour later, and we just sat and talked.  I love having people here, at my home... and we decided that we would have an early dinner and open presents.  Dad had brought a batch of his homemade spaghetti sauce.  (I had put in a request for that sauce, which I love... and he said he would make it... what I did not know is that he and Betty had recently had it... so it felt a bit soon for them to have another round... I told Dad he could have said no to me and we could have had another option, but he just grinned and shrugged... Thanks Dad!! I had some leftovers for lunch today.. yummy!)  

It was nice to open presents... but I do enjoy seeing people open their gifts more... 

I didn't take any pictures as we were opening things... except for a couple of me in my new hat! 

I wanted this hat, to keep me warm while I snowshoe  this winter.  I have the snowshoes, the hat, the coat, and mittens... all I need now is some boots to wear... which I will have to shop for when I get back from NY... I am looking forward to snow... so that I can snowshoe... We talked about February vacation, when I will once again take the boys up to Dad and Betty's for the week.  Jacey is also going to try to get up there.. and I hope I can snowshoe while there.   

It is nice to have things to look forward to.  I am so lucky!  

Oh... I wanted to post a picture of Sheldon... one of my cats.. he is the most affectionate... well at least to unfamiliar people... of all of my cats.. and he doesn't often photograph well... but I like this picture of him.. as he lays on Jacey's jacket... he loves Jacey and when she was here on Friday doing laundry,  Sheldon decided her coat was a nice place to lay.  What a great cat!  

I hope people are also enjoying the holiday season.  I know that the holidays are hard, missing the people we love... wishing maybe, that we had a special someone to share it with... feeling pressure of gift giving... and it is hard to move away from the holiday blues... 

This year, the holidays, have felt the best for me they have felt in a long time.  Yes, I miss Mom... and the holidays make me miss her more than usual... but... I also think that fining joy in the holidays is a tribute to her.  The way I have done the holidays has been a lot of fun and hope that these events can become tradition...