tis the season

In this area, shopping is a combat sport this close to Christmas. It takes a team. Tom, Bridget, and I made it to Costco this morning, but unfortunately thousands of others were ahead of us. Bridget took on the boring job, standing in line with an empty cart. Tom and I separated and met her there. Yes, she had to answer a few questions, but it worked, and anyone she let go ahead while she waited was probably ecstatic to be behind her.

On the way we made the second-hand store happy by picking up a gift for the house that Tom had been checking out for a few weeks.

It's a mahogany drop-leaf table (that makes two in the house) that has now been cleaned up and resides in the basement. Note the new wall color, painted by Tom in one day on Sunday. Historical note: the pillow on the chair is one of the ones crocheted by Dad's mother, which mother or Martha sent home with me years ago. I think I was supposed to repair the afghan that matches it, which I will do, some day. Another retirement project?

More stores, more parking lots, but enough good luck with parking and lines that the cookies did get made, the same recipe I use each year. This last photo isn't exactly a Christmas photo, but it reminds me of so many that were taken around Christmas at 413 Fair Oaks. Gather the children and line them up: Bridget, John, Will, Cullen, Sara, Mary, and Ben. Thank you Ed, for posting so many great photos on your Web page.