Counting The Days

It's Funny Friday

by Prudence

Oh my mohair, time is flying by, it's almost Thanksgiving.  I love our tradition for turkey day.  M&D get up, Mom showers and then fixes a light breakfast for us.  Mom gets the turkey ready to go into the oven, she begins roasting it just before the parade starts.

At 9 o'clock the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begins and we are all settled in to watch.  About 11 o'clock Mom brings the snacks and Dad makes the Mimosa's (giggle), he always makes me put my nose on the opened bottle so the bubbles tickle my nose.  Mom brings out her clam dip with veggie sticks and we have our goodies.

After the parade is over me and Mom start working in the kitchen.  Dad gets the potatoes ready, I take care of getting the cranberry sauce all dished, and Mom mixes up the green bean casserole.

The day is very special, we reflect on all the past Thanksgiving's we have spent together and with family.  

After all is put away and everyone has a full tummy we settle in to watch Miracle on 34th Street.  It has been a tradition for as long as I can remember.  I snuggle in on Mom's lap, all cozy in my blankie.  Molly Brown and Jessie get cozy on their big, fluffy doggy beds, and Dad begins the movie.

I hope you are enjoying the final countdown to Thanksgiving too.  

Heaps of Hugs

Prudence  ♥

Candlelight at Biltmore Estate

It's Funny Friday

by Prudence

Our new tradition

The 2015 Biltmore Candlelight Tour.

Hi Everybeary

This is our second Christmas tour of the Biltmore Estate by candlelight.  It's  almost magical as night falls and the tree lights turn on, both inside and outside.  The family asks that no interior pictures are  taken and and we do honor those rules, but I can't begin to tell you of the bee-u-tee-ful decorations and all those Christmas trees, at least one in almost every room.

It's a self guided tour, so you can take as much time as needed to study each room that is opened for the tour.  We have been on the regular tour many times and it never fails that we see something that we missed the last time, there is just so much to see.  Mom loves the vintage toys under the trees and oh, the nursery is just out of a storybook.  Many of the children were born in that nursery, although Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt had only one child, a daughter, Cornelia.  Cornelia had her children in the same nursery.

Entering the estate, that is the gate house

Main entrance

Gate House, leaving the estate

Christmas trees on the front lawn, looking from the main entrance
**********

These two amazing statues are over by Cedric's Tavern (named after the family dog) and the Winery.

Happy weekend, everybeary.
Heaps of Hugs
Prudence ♥

Christmas Tour, Part 1

It's Funny Friday

by Prudence

Hi, everybeary.  Whew...it was a mad dash but all the decorations are up and Mom walks around the house smiling (oh, thank goodness, Mom's happy - peace on earth).

She is busy baking cookies so I will give you the tour, LuLu and Flora are "locked up" so we won't be bothered with those two troublemakers.  They were out of control this week - more about that later.

Let's begin....

Dining Room

Living Room

More next week, Mom says I'm getting under paw so I had better busy myself up in our craft room.  It's getting p r e t t y close to Christmas Day and I don't want to get switched over to the "naughty list".
Hugs
Prudence ♥
THE WELCOME CORNER 

Welcome Sylvia

Sylvias/s Stampin Passion

"The Nose Knows"

It's Funny Friday

by Prudence (written by Vlad)

Hi there, my little chicks, it's me Vlad.  Prudence is still up at camp working but she didn't want to miss a Friday post and asked if I would help her out.....I said, "my fine feathered mohair friend and sister, I would be honored."

It's that time of year again, tomato planting season, we may be in another state, another house but some things never change,

Jessie's Mater Plant

the ceremony took place two weeks ago, Mom picked out a very nice cherry tomato plant for Jessie.  It's all planted and has the place of honor on the porch, and believe me or not (don't get on the wrong side of this vulture), so just nod and say "I believe you, Vlad" - I'm not hearing you........ Jessie knows which plant is hers, oh, she sniffs each plant but all we have to say is "Jessie, where's your mater plant?" and she goes right to that plant every time.  There are two tiny tomatoes on the plant and she buries her nose right down to where they are growing.  We think she can smell the fruit.

If we are in the kitchen cooking and Mom slices a tomato, zoom, there she is right next to her.  And of course she always gets a little taste.  Molly Brown won't even look at a tomato so when Jessie gets her mater Molly gets a doggy treat,  after all, we must be fair and square.

Hopefully in a few weeks there will be little red maters on her plant and she will bite off 1 (just 1, always just 1) as she comes back into the house.  We just think that is so cute, and you know, it's not only humans who have little traditions and are set in their ways - we all do.

Gotta run, the phone is ringing and I think it's Prudence.

See ya,

Vlad Vincent Vulture

"and all through the house...."

It's Funny Friday

Prudence, LuLu, Flora, Toby and Tony are up in my craft room playing with their Christmas presents so I decided to sit and share some quiet time with you, I don't do this very often.

I love December, the shorter, cloudy days (sometimes not often enough here in the south), the house all decorated and cozy, and quiet time. Now that the rush is over,
no post office runs, crowds everywhere, traffic - it has quieted down and this is when I am the happiest.  QUIET.  

I am always homesick, but I think this year it has intensified and I miss my parents, someone told me it gets easier as time goes on....it doesn't.  It has changed for me, it's worse, maybe because I am older and realize how precious and short our time on earth really is.  I miss my Grandfather telling me when he and my Grandmother came to this country from Hungry, not able to speak English and my Mom telling me stories of when she and my Dad first met.  I have such wonderful memories of my childhood and having my parents'
unconditional love, I am so blessed.

In a few days we will begin taking down the decorations and each year my head is full of thoughts of where I will be at this time next year.  Most years this is a sad time for me....the house looks so cold and empty without all the decorations, there is no puttering in the craft room with last minute ideas.....and of course not a prayer that it will be a snowy January.  Here I pray that it will be a "colder" January with no thunderstorms.  Did I tell you that I am homesick?  Yes, you can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl. 

I said "most years" in the above paragraph.....I do have exciting news but it will have to wait for another post.

I wish you all  a very happy and healthy 2013.  May you and your loved ones be blessed in abundance, may your dreams come true and thank you all for your lovely visits and friendship.  I am blessed in abundance.
Hug each other as often as you can, and tell each other how much they are loved.

Blessings
Happy New Year

Almost Christmas

It's Funny Friday

Traditions
Every year a few days before Christmas me & Mom go to the nursery to just walk around and enjoy the quiet.

Climbing the corporate nursery ladder (giggle)

Me & my travel bag

Red is my color

So pretty....

Do you see what I see...

Packed up & ready to go home...

BABY BABBLINGS

by LuLu & Flora

Flora & LuLu

(okay girls, it's way too close to Christmas Day to be acting up)

by Us!  (o:

What a surprise when we woke up from our nap.  Two Christmas trees - we were so excited we got the bearcups.  Then we started to giggle and they got worse.  Finally Mom came in and told us we had to settle down.  She & Prudence brought hot chocolate (with honey of course) and cookies and we had a little party.

Ya know what happened?  LuLu bearcupped while sipping her hot chocolate and she had a "nose burp" (now you all know what that is, right?) and she sprayed chocolate all over Mom.  We laughed & laughed.  Then Mom "throwed" a marshmallow at us and we started laughing all over again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

You are so precious to us, and we are honored to have you for our friends.  Our wish for you is the Merriest of Christmas',  decorated with love, laughter, and peace.
Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Love,
All of Us

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE WELCOME CORNER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A big WELCOME to Annie over at 

Annie's Ruby Slippers 

 Annie, welcome and thank you for joining us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you:  you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and laying in a manger."  Luke 2:11-12

Christmas Blessings