Christmas 2000

Our Christmas tree. We put it in the dining room this year, because those windows seemed like the perfect spot.

Last December,  we could hardly walk into this room. It was full of boxes and miscellaneous detritus from when we moved in August. It didn't matter much, since we didn't have a dining room table or any other furniture for the room.

But this summer we took a trip to Georgia and came back with furniture! Soon we began eating dinner in this room every night. Then we got this pretty rug and now it's one of our favorite rooms.

The blanket chest on the right came from Marty's mom. I keep extra table linens in it.

The curtains in this room were bought for the house we lived in in Pleasant Gap, Pennsylvania. Celeste and I went and bought them at Penney's, years ago, when she was visiting us one Christmas.

The dining room, Christmas morning.

This is our big breakfast from Christmas day. Sausage cheese grits casserole, yum!

The kitchen table, all cleared off (for once).

You'll notice the light fixture is still sitting on top of the armoire. We're starting to like it that way.

Another table (in No Man's Land).

This used to be our kitchen table, but this fall we moved it out into "No Man's Land," which is a little room between the kitchen, living room, family room, and bathroom. It's more than a hall, but less than a room. Now we have this table here and we play games and do puzzles on it.

In this picture, you're looking through No Man's Land into the family room (the only room in the house with a ceiling over 7 feet high).

The chimney and fireplace.

We have an insert in our fireplace which makes it sort of like a wood-burning stove. We've had fires in here every day we've been home over the holidays. It makes the family room nice and cozy.

The wreath hanging on the chimney was quilted by Marty's mom last year. The clock below it is also from Marty's mother, although it was made in Bristol, Connecticut!

The "old lady gallery" on the left end of the mantel has my grandmother, my aunt Mamie, and my friend Eunice. Then a Santa Claus toby jug (from my grandmother).

On the other end of the mantel is a commemorative 1776 bell that my grandmother gave me during the bicentennial, a mug painted with cardinals by Marty's mom, and my peppermint candy dish from Mamie.

Ziggy on Christmas.

He is wearing my Christmas stocking and playing with wrapping paper.

The back yard.

We haven't had a whole lot of snow yet this winter, but it's been very cold.

Squirrel tracks.

Outside the back door I found these squirrel tracks. Or are they rabbit tracks? I never see rabbits in the back yard, but I always see squirrels.

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