My Christmas

This was a very different Christmas for me.  What with all the family having moved away, and Cody having to work today, it's the first Christmas that I've been alone.  For a brief moment, I thought about skipping Christmas altogether.  I mean, Christmas is all about family, right?  Right?

Wrong.

Family time, lights, decorations, gifts, the warmth, and all that are effects of Christmas, but they're not what Christmas is all about.  So, what is Christmas all about?  I can tell you that, too.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord.  Luke 2:11

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown, and that's reason enough to celebrate.  That reason is no less valid than it would be if I had a house full of people here with me.  So, though I didn't make as much as I normally do, I did make me some Christmas Eve cookies, and my Uncle Lavergne's peanut butter fudge. 

I was thinking, there are easier recipes out there -- microwave recipes with only a few ingredients, but they aren't my uncle's fudge.   They aren't the fudge of family tradition.

I followed that up this morning with my traditional Christmas morning breakfast of monkey bread and sausage balls. 

After breakfast, and reading through the Bible story, I had lots of presents to open.  This year, I remembered to lay everything out and take a picture of it.

In the interest of full disclosure, these were originally going to be Cody's presents. 

When I found out he had to work today and wouldn't be able to come home, I got online and ordered him some and sent them to his house.  I was planning on taking these back for a refund, but alas, one of my old pairs of flannel pants just happened to blow out in the booty.  How convenient that I just happened to still have two brand new pairs under my Christmas tree.

The shirt is one of those lined with the wool/sheepskin stuff.  I can use it as a jacket.

This is what I bought with the money my mother sent me. 

I have a bucket I've been putting all my change in.  By the time I got it all sorted and rolled, I had $73.  That made a nice little Christmas bonus.

Santa sent me these two:

Back before I got cable, when I only had two channels -- PBS and NBC -- every Saturday night, Cody and I would watch Keeping Up Appearances and As Time Goes By on PBS.  Lawrence Welk came on at 7:00 PM, then those two shows at 8:00, and The Red Green Show at 9:00.  I got the complete series of Keeping Up Appearances several years ago, and this year Santa saw fit to bring me the other show.  Plus new house shoes.

These gifts were from Beverly and James.

They said the blanket is very soft and warm.  Now I'm ready for it to get cold again, so I can use it.  It has been up in the 70s for the last two days. As soon as I picked up the mugs, I could tell by the shape what they were.

I said, "Oh, I hope they say something about Texas," and sure enough, both of them were Texas cups. 

I've been drinking out of the one on the left all day.  I just keep washing it out and reusing it.

These are the gifts my sister and her family sent me.  A new Navy hat, a journal, a fountain pen, and lighthouse prints for my bedroom. 

The journal is really cool.  It's hand made in the medieval style, with even the paper made they way they used to way back when.  I have a feeling that it, like the one Kristine sent me, will never, ever be written in. 

I haven't tried to write with the fountain pen yet, as I need to buy some fountain pen ink.

Finally, from my brother Scott and sister in law Paula, new towels for my bathroom and the Ninth Doctor POP. 

I enjoyed and appreciate all my gifts, but that Funko POP! is the one that made me squeal like a girl.  He's my favorite doctor.  I've been carrying it around all day. 

They came in these really cool gift bags that can be used for knitting projects, so they're almost like gifts themselves.

And finally, when I was in the store buying ingredients for my Christmas dishes, I knew one of them took Italian Seasoning and garlic powder.  I thought to myself, "I think I have some, but let me pick some up just in case."

Apparently, I did that last year, too.

The irony here is, I needed more almond extract, but was sure I had enough, so I didn't get any.  Aaaand I ran out.  Let's just say that one of the cookie recipes got vanilla extract instead.  The good news is, I couldn't really tell a difference in the taste.

And that was my Christmas.  I hope yours was just as blessed as mine was.