Surprise Treats!

What a surprise to find a package from Japan on my doorstep!  Tea, snacks and three sizes of "cloche clips" or clothes pins to non-gardeners.   Here is a link to show how the clips will be used to hold the plastic on the cloche:  http://petunias-garden.blogspot.com/2012/05/covered-wagon-cloche-returns.html 

Thank you for thinking of us and sending this nice surprise!

(I have a related photo from Japan to add later.)

 

On the Sixth Day of Christmas

Today, I had an excursion to Tucson to see some of my family. Also to visit the Mission San Xavier del Bac.

At the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, we were warmly greeted by some ducks (they didn't like bright blue sneakers but were pleased by other footwear and jeans).

A happy last day of 2012.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas...

we have roses. And the annual brother irrigation system leak chase. This time a nephew has been enlisted to help saw a large root that is bending the pipe.

 

 

Merry Christmas!

May the expected and unexpected moments of the season make you smile.

(And expect the unexpected if you leave DH on his own for 5 minutes by the preschool room.)

Happy Gingerbread Houses

Our annual excision to Gingerbread Houses and anniversary dinner.

This one number 25!
And this isn't our only elephant photo of the year.

Can I keep it?

I love having a 9 foot tree in my house. One cat won't stop playing in the water, though.

We got out the Opus ornaments, too.

Peanut clusters cooling

By order of bake sale organizer. Now to find some good and easy fudge recipes. And this is the year for peanut brittle, too.

It's In!

Tree slices from this year's tree (from our garden) and our first cut tree, in Alabama.

The other photo is the top of this year's tree which was at almost 10 feet. It was still wrapped up from carrying inside. We were trying to decide if we cut it more or change the location. We cut. It is just right now.

Question is...

Do we cut it or not, for a Christmas tree?

It cannot stay where it is. it is too big to move. But we don't want to cut it. And we haven't a tree inside for years. It is already decorated in snowberries.

Today is the day, if we are going to do it.

 

Later... It's cut, rinsed and in the garage (with an invitation for the spiders to move out of the tree).  Now to fit it somewhere in the house.   There is a wonderful tree aroma in the garage, too.

 

Preparations Begin

Decorated at my Mother's place today.

I don't know who my brothers' Santa was. My Santa is my tall uncle. He made quite the sight for me and my cousins when he came walking up the driveway.