Christmas wishes from my house to yours

Hello dear readers! I wish for you all a very Merry Christmas. For my friends who do not celebrate this holiday, I wish you all the joy and peace of the season. I am posting this a day early, since we all will be busy on Christmas Day.

I wanted to share with you our Christmas.

1. The Christmas tree.

We used to have a much taller tree, but it took hours to decorate. This tree is better proportioned for our family room. As you can see, Santa came early this year! Our stockings were knit by my Mom and given to us just after we were married. The crèche is from Ken’s family. We don’t put out the Baby Jesus until Christmas Day. One year we “lost” the Baby Jesus, having put it away in a place that neither of us could remember. Now we make sure to put the Baby in a place that is hidden, but easily accessed.

2. Nancy’s Christmas ball.

My grandparents gave me this ornament when I was about 8 years old. Every year as I proudly hang it on the tree, I think of them.

All of our other ornaments have a story to tell as well. We have old glass ornaments handed down from Ken’s family. We also have many ornaments from our travels, from Charleston brass gate replicas, to Vermont snowmen.

3. Cross-stitch Santa Claus.

Back in the day, I was a needlepoint guru. Here is my masterpiece. I love how this turned out, even though it took me almost a year to finish it.

4. The M and M contingency.

I have a wicked sweet tooth, so every year, Ken buys me some special Christmas M & M’s. These are the cute characters that come with the packages. This year, I’m hoping for the chocolate covered pretzel M & Ms. As to how these fit in with my fitness diet, I have no comment.

5. Victorian Saint Nicolas.

I remember the day I bought this figure. It was a hot day in August and I had just come back from swimming laps. I just couldn’t resist this guy.

Here’s to a very happy and healthy 2014!