Oh the weather outside is frightful...

♫ ♪but our Christmas was so delightful♪ ♫

How about yours? Seems I'm still singing (totally off key - and aren't you delighted that there's no sound on this blog? :o) We have definitely had some whacked out weather already this winter (and we're only what, about a week into it? Sheesh). We've bounced around from the frigid windblown teens to the icky-sticky 60's and raining on Christmas day. BLECH. 
Number One Son came home for Christmas (yay), and it was such a blessing to have everyone here together this year.  I've learned to appreciate such things, as you just never know when they'll happen again. DD picked out the tree; personally I think it was just a teensy bit big but she was adamant (and the great thing about an 11th hour tree was the $9.99 price tag (oh yeah, that one definitely worked for me). Of course we had big fun getting it into the house, but we we did it. I must say, it turned out pretty well considering how much we whacked off to make it fit (note star on ceiling *laugh*).

I am a total creature of habit (which is one reason horses and I get along so very well; our mutual appreciation of schedules and order *grin*). One thing that makes Christmas special is holiday traditions. Do you have any? What is your favorite holiday tradition? We have two longstanding family traditions that I really love:
1. Stockings first with a pause for breakfast (which helps build anticipation). We also sing happy birthday to Jesus, which may sound a bit silly but it's neat for the little ones and also helps remind us what Christmas is really all about; and
2. The annual ornament [one per kid] that is tucked into the Christmas stocking.  (the ornament shown in the above photo is my very first from 1965; it was handmade out of copper).

My mom did this every year when my brother and I were growing up. We would each get an ornament in our stocking and she would put our initials and the year on the back. When we were grown and married and ready for our own Christmas trees, we each had a starter collection of ornaments, with their own special memories attached. Handmade copper ornaments are a bit out of my reach these days, but several years ago I found these wonderful little tin soldiers in a Pennsylvania gift shop (my first trip "home" after 20 years - it was for my high school reunion :o) Sometimes they are related to life (a mortarboard for DS back in 2002 or like this year; DD got a wooden ornament) and sometimes they are just plain 'ol ornaments.
I have to say that the weather didn't seem to bother the horses much (I got a kick out of Sarabear's blase response to my Aren't you cold? question). Quite a steamy yawn. Personally, I'm starting to think we should all sprout such wonderful winter woolies *grin*.

For those of you who might be wondering how the fishies are doing in all this frigidity, here's a shot of Larry and Curly underneath the ice (and is that weird or what?) The blob with the lens and the index finger in the lower left hand corner is me; and the white streaky stuff is the ice, which cracked, thawed partially, then froze again. Brr. Moe, for whatever reason (I think he's either anti-social or just plain shy) likes to sleep on his back off to the side, while Larry and Curly hang together almost all the time. Other than causing me several mild panic attacks, I've pretty much gotten used to Moe's quirky belly up hibernating habit (besides, the horses are allowed their individual little idiosyncrasies so it's only fair the fish have theirs too, right? ;o)

I hope everyone's Christmas was a wonderful one! I have a bit more I'd like to post, but I think I'll save it for next week. Until then, stay warm and dry (and safe!)







P.S. I am delighted to report that we now have a marvelously eccentric vintage orange tractor named Tilly. Thank you to everyone who voted!