Merry, Merry!!!

 

So merry, merry, happy Christmas - actually it is now the day after! Last night was our annual Christmas Eve open house and we had a wonderful time, as usual. Good friends gathering to celebrate and just be together - it's the best! And... we ate!!! Antipasto - ham, mortedalla, salami, pepperoni, chicken, provolone, spinach dip, black olive and garlic dip with crackers & veggies sticks, lasagna, pumpkin tiramisu, rum cake, pizzelles, mulled cider, wine, coffee. We ate, laughed, drank, laughed, talked and laughed again, all night.


I also made eggnog from scratch - oooooh! Good stuff when homemade. Simmered eggs, milk and a small amount of sugar to about 165 degrees, then added a mixture of more milk and cream as well as a touch of vanilla extract and freshly grated nutmeg. Since it didn't make enough for the whole gang, I fed it to my friend who just had gastric bypass surgery a month ago - nutritious with all those eggs and milk. The rest I selfishly kept for Mike and myself!!! It is not difficult to make, a little time consuming and well worth it. I found the recipe at one of the Jane Austen blogs I follow.


No one could locate the pickle ornament on the tree so I had to show them where it was. They all tried, I'll give them that, but no one found it. I gave them little goodies as prizes anyway.


Mike and I ate yule log after midnight, then looked in our stockings to find those little toys that you play catch with, a little basket with a popper in it to shoot a small plastic ball across the room or up in the air and catch it in the basket again. We played catch, laughing and making more noise than we should have until three AM!!! He still woke me by seven, asking if it was Christmas yet and we then proceeded to open gifts.
He gave me a wonderful set of apothecary jars for my herbs and potions, two needlework books, Connecticut Needlework, Women, Art & Family, 1740-1840 by Susan Schoelwer and Jane Bostocke, The Rest of the Story by Eileen Bennett,  along with a few other goodies. He got new boxers, soft and flannel, some cologne, DVDs, a very nice copy of Gulliver's Travels, among a few other things. A good haul of fun stuff considering we really have everything we need most in life, but... it wouldn't be Christmas without a few little presents to unwrap.


Today was a quiet day, reading my new needlework books - which I have to make mention about and Mike watching movies - including A Christmas Story, one of our favorites. I knew I was getting those books because I ordered them myself. Mike asked me what I would like and I mentioned them,  so we went on line together and ordered them from The Scarlet Letter (www.scarlet_letter.com) on the 21st - nothing like waiting until the last minute. Well... the books arrived on Christmas Eve!!!!!! I couldn't believe it and, of course, sent off a little note of thanks to Marsha. I had to wait until today to look at them though, but that was alright, I was so busy yesterday. This evening I have been stitching one of the little motifs from the Bostocke sampler; Eileen includes a little chart in the back of her book. I also have some other charts from the sampler that I found on line. That sampler is the first and, I believe, oldest signed and dated piece ever found. Lots of blackwork, which I love, as well as a section of motifs.


Last night, I also celebrated all the Mother Goddesses, but especially Asherah, who seems to be making Herself known to me lately, tapping me on the shoulder and sending me information from various places. We will see where that leads. Tonight, I found some information about Her in a place I have looked many times before, but never noticed these particular bits.


So, here it is, the witching hour and I have a little fire in the fireplace, candles glowing, the scent of bayberry and evergreen in the air. Tomorrow the temperature will only rise to about the mid 60s - I know, it's probably much colder where you are, but this is South Florida!!! Tomorrow night 32-36 degrees . A good thing I have flannel nighties, quilts and afghans to cover us! (Too many exclamation points??? I can't help it, I'm still in a state of excitement!)


Well, we have friends joining us tomorrow night to finish the holiday leftovers, so more fun. I hope your past couple of days were as delightful as mine. Here's to many joyful moments for you and yours!


Blessings nine!