It's starting to look somewhat like Christmas!

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.....OOPS! I didn't hang the stockings this year. I thought, you know if we are trying to cut back on all the commercialism....why try to find stuff to stuff stockings with?? Besides I gave the piano away and that's what we put the santas on, so with stockings and all, well, it would just be too much.

But here's our tree! Russell put it together, I'm guessing you could tell it is artificial, Saturday and I had no choice but to start decorating it.......as I got out boxes of ornaments that go back for years, I began to enjoy the decorating. I have a beautiful little bell from Mexico that my boss gave me at least 35 years ago! It hangs near the top of the tree each year...and it is just a wonder that in 35 years, I haven't broken the thing! There are ornaments that were given from special people, things the kids made over the years and just lots of memories. The angel on the top I bought on sale at Eckerds when I was a poor, single mother with two children. She has held up pretty well, huh? The angel I mean!

Russell's mother gives us a santa every year. ... I actually have 6, but one is in a different place and one is having his foot glued on. He had a tragic accident!

And that's about all I got done this day! I'm not through yet, and I want to get it all done because one of our sons and his wife are coming this weekend. This will be a very strange year.....only two of our 4 will be in town for Christmas....they're growing up and have other people to visit!

p.s. a funny little story about the piano....it was an old turn of the century player piano that had not worked in years. I had tried to give it to everybody that I saw and just could NOT get rid of it, which I wanted badly to do as I had something else I wanted in that spot. Finally, in desperation I put an ad in the "pass it on" in the classifieds. Someone called and said he wanted it and could come the next day. Another woman called and said she wanted it, I told her it was already given away....she said in a very excited voice, "I'll double what they're paying".....I thought for just a minute before saying, it's free. :)