Merry Christmas!

The day was bright and shinny! It was cold and breezy. It was Christmas Day.

Last night we went to Mass at St. Mary's for 6:15. The choir there is awesome and very large. Maybe the largest in the city. Since we're 'Roaming Catholics', we've been to a few around town. Also, St. Mary's has about a 15 member hand bell choir. Fantastic. There was a 30 minute concert before the seven o'clock mass. What a great way to start Christmas! The pew we were in was empty. My cousin, Yvette and her family showed up and sat with us. We were happy to see her and her grown-up children. It was very warm and cozy in that beautiful church.

The church was designed by an architect that I knew very well. We were engaged right after college. He designed a beautiful church. It is warm and comforting. The altar society did a good job of putting up Christmas decorations in it.

Today, Bill came for breakfast and gift exchanging. He got some very thoughtful gifts for us. I cooked a big Christmas dinner and we all ate too much. So, what else is new?

Well, I got a blue bike for Christmas and a lot of Kitchen apps. Very nice! I was blessed. The bike was not a surprise as Gordon wanted it to be. I happened to go outside when he was taking it out of the truck. He was very surprised and upset that I "caught" him. Giggle! He should have waited until he was sure I wouldn't be going outside.

I wanted a good grater for cheeses, etc. Gordon got me a really good one. I washed it and as I was drying it, I cut up my finger. Already! And I haven't used it yet! I had to put pressure with a gauze pad, then with a band aid and a plastic glove in order to cook dinner. You find a way, huh? Dinner was very good. We had baked pork loin, cornbread dressing, green beans, roasted potatoes, garlic bread, ambrosia and for dessert, Baked apples. Yumm! It is almost 7 pm. We ate about 12:30 pm. I haven't been able to eat the baked apple because I am still so full.

Billy took two plates of food home with him. He also took TWO baked apples. He has lost a lot of weight and now wears size 38 pants. He was in a 44 when he went to see a doctor to pacify me. The Doc told him to lose weight. That did it. He is six feet tall and weighs about 238. He just turned 40 and really looks good.

December activities

It seems like we have a prescribed routine for December which I really don't like. It's Christmas shopping. The best part about going Christmas shopping is that in the middle of a day of Christmas shopping, we have to eat, so we eat in a 'new to us' establishment. I am beginning to think that Gordon only wants to go with me to Christmas shop because he wants to see what I am looking at so he will know what to get me for Christmas. We really should stop doing this Christmas gifting.

Gosh, already this year, we've had to buy a Trane. Yes, Trane, not Train. It's the brand name of an air conditioning/heating unit. About in the middle of October, we had a "winter check" of our heating unit. The trusted man, Guidry, went up into the attic, and checked it out. He said the unit had rusted and there was a fire shooting out of the side of the unit.

We moved here four years ago. The unit was here, we don't know how long. Just last summer, the air conditioning unit needed some repair. Since we didn't know the future, we decided to replace both units. Tranes aren't cheap. That should have been our Christmas present to each other, but Gordon didn't go for that!

So, we have to go out in the drizzly, foggy weather, in the heavy Christmas traffic and he watches me buy presents for others. The reason I know he is trying to watch me to determine a gift for me is that whenever we go into a clothing store, he touches all of the shirts. Men's shirts! So, I know I must get him a new shirt for Christmas. He also looked at football books when we were in Barnes and Nobles. We went in to look for a book on Reagen for Billy and he is in the aisle with sports books.

Last week, we were at Target. I saw an electric griddle I would like to have. We bought it, I wrapped it and I am waiting for Gordon to sign the card; "To: Brenda From: Gordon" before I put it under the tree. I will not use it until I unwrap it on Christmas.

Tomorrow, we are going to the Kitchenary. I will find a cheese grater and then I will show Gordon which one I want. After we leave, he will return to get the grater. Then, he will have them wrap it for him.

Is this CRAZY or what?

Christmas, etc.

I love the clothes you wear at Christmastime. I love the good and special food around. I love the music. I love the traditions. I love the decorations. I love the heart-warming Christmas tv movies. I love the party gatherings.

What I don't like is the commercialism of the Season.

This year, on December 4th, 2009..... we had snow. Yes, SNEAUX fell in Lafayette, Louisiana. There were two high school football games in the area at the time of the snow. One of the games was on tv. Watching it reminded us of the Green Bay Packers Lambaugh Field. Yeah! It did! Only, you could tell this was a kids game. After the game was over, the kids were rolling in the snow. It was played on a turf field, so it was not messy with mud. Looked fun to me.