Decorating the Tree

Good morning,

These images are from the special evening when we put up the Christmas tree.  Erik needed a little discussion with his Mom that he was not to get into all of the boxes of decorations we were pulling out.

OK - he understands.  A little kiss and all is well.

We have plenty of boxes of Christmas decorations!  That's a picture of Erik when he was a puppy on his stocking. 

Catherine had made a pot roast...

 ...with plenty of extra veggies.  Yum!  What a perfect comfort food meal that cooked itself while we were busy with other things.

 Earlier in the afternoon we had purchased the tree at Uncle Bill's Garden Center after she and I had spent the afternoon Christmas shopping.  The tree actually fit inside Catherine's Escape.

 And, supervising from the corner is My Honey with Penny (a boy and his dog) and his Blackberry Play Book.

 Gotta test all of these lights before putting them on the tree.

 And, here we are.  All the lights are on the tree and working.  We still have to unwrap all of the ornaments and get them on the tree.  When all of that is finished, I'll have more pictures.  :)  We better hurry!  We're running out of time.  The whole gang will be here on Christmas Eve.

Happy decorating!

Very best,
Lois

Christmas Plants

Good morning,

These are three of the Christmas plants we received this year.  I still have to find a nice pot for the little tree.  I'll just set it in a pretty pot until I can plant it outside.  We had a very nice one that I planted within electric line distance so I could decorate it with lights at this time of the year.  Sadly, we had a severe drought a couple of years later and we were out of the country for several weeks.  Hopefully, this little one will be a good replacement.


I remember seeing giant poinsettia plants used as hedges in Malaga, Spain.  So pretty.  Poinsettias are pretty when we receive them here in the Midwest, but they don't really like to live here.  It takes some extreme measures to keep them looking pretty.  Of course, they are poisonous so have to be kept away from children and pets.  Is anyone else able to keep them alive after Christmas?

All the best,
Lois

PS - Thanks, Jan N Jer, for your comment and for clearing up the poison thing about poinsettias!  After research I find I have been wrong all of these years.  Poinsettias are not poison to humans.  I don't recommend adding them to the Christmas dinner salad, though!   -LAE

Quick Lunch - Open Face Tuna Sandwiches

Good morning,

Do you feel you are running in circles getting things done during the holidays?

It seems meal time comes quickly when we are busy and I find myself standing in the kitchen wondering what I'll make for a quick lunch so we can get back to whatever it is that we are doing.

I'm sure you make something similar, but my recipe for the open face sandwiches above is below.  I've written the recipe the way my Mom would have told us how she would make it.  Gosh, I miss her.

2 cans chunk light tuna, drained  (liquid in separate bowls, one for each of our Lab testers)
2 globs (that was a cooking term in my Mom's kitchen - I guess it's about 4 T) real mayonnaise
1/4 medium onion, diced
3 shakes celery salt (probably about 1/4 t)
1 hand full (about 1/3 cup) chopped walnuts
1 hand full (also about 1/3 cup) dried cranberries
pepper to taste (about 4 shakes in my kitchen)

Mix it all gently and serve on sliced home made bread with lettuce.  I make my bread in small half loaf pans so these are perfect finger sandwiches.

Click here for my bread recipe for Honey Egg Bread.

Now, back to knitting and wrapping presents!!!

;),
Lois

Civil War Museum - Bardstown, Kentucky - Part 2 of 2

Good morning,

Today's images are the second and last installment from our tour of the Civil War Museum in Bardstown, Kentucky.

I was struck by the image of the Union Officer above who looks exactly like a client of mine when I had my CPA practice.  OK, I hear the jokes out there.  The answer is no, I didn't have my practice back as far as the Civil War.  ;)

Personal items were moved from place to place in wood chests.  I got a kick out of how much it is like the sea chests we use today.

This is an officer's portable office.

There are many stories about those who fought in the Civil War from both the North and the South.

And, so many of their personal items are also on display. 

 There is an entire section devoted to the US Navy during the Civil War.

 The uniforms are fascinating.  We didn't recognize many of them.

 Do you recognize this uniform as a Civil War uniform of a US citizen?  There is so much to learn here!

 There are so many artifacts here. 

 It would take days to even start to learn about all of these people and their stories.

If these things interest you, we highly recommend you stop at the Civil War Museum in Bardstown, Kentucky.

All the best,
Lois

Civil War Museum - Bardstown, Kentucky - Part 1 of 2

Good morning,

Today and tomorrow I'm sharing images of the Civil War Museum at Bardstown, Kentucky, taken last August when My Honey and I were there. 

The museum is in several parts.  This building, the pioneer village next to it, a wildlife museum, and another two buildings containing period displays are all part of the museum.

Above is a part of the gift shop in the lobby where you can purchase tickets to visit the various parts of the museum.  We took the full package so we could take our time and visit them all.

Whether you want souvenirs from the above or below the Mason Dixon line, you'll find them here.

There was to be a drawing for these little dolls.  Of course I filled out a ticket, but didn't hear anything so I guess they went to a different home.  They are so pretty!

Is she darling, or what!

The museum itself is very well kept and has excellent displays.  It is also wheelchair accessible.

The very first painting is of Col. William Haines Lytle, who was connected to the Rowan family who lived at My Old Kentucky Home and also Cincinnati, our home town.

 I remember visiting privately owned museums when I was on road trips with my parents and My Honey and I enjoy visiting museums now.  This is one of the best kept private museums we have ever seen.

 The collections span years and are carefully documented and displayed. 

 The good and the bad of the times is displayed here.

 History is explained in images and text.

Tomorrow I'll have the last set of images from here that include information about the US Navy during the Civil War.  Fascinating.

I hope you're enjoying the Civil War Museum at Bardstown, Kentucky visit. 

Best,
Lois

First Grade Fine Arts and Open House

Good morning,

We were invited to our grandson's First Grade Fine Arts Fair and Open House. 

Above you see the entertainment as the first graders danced with a family member.  Our Alex is the young man in the grey shirt who is holding hands with his older sister Anna in the teal hoodie.

They were very, very good!

 Between dances, Alex made a pit stop to see his parents.

 The next activity was with two parachutes.

 Everyone danced as they moved the parachutes up and down. 

 When announced, people holding certain colors moved from one side to the other.  It was so much fun to do and to watch!

 We adjourned to Alex's classroom where he showed us his artwork and told us about his classroom and fellow students.

 What a really cool guy!  He is growing up so fast!

Grand children are truly grand, aren't they!

All the best,
Lois