Wreaths, baking, friends and family.

It's been a very busy and fun weekend.  On Saturday I decided to try a gluten-free biscuit recipe.  I was hoping that the recipe would turn out to be tasty and something I could refine for scones.   I was quite surprised to find out that they were not only easy to make but they tasted as good as the ones I used to make.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of them.

With that success in mind, on Sunday afternoon my plan was to put together a couple of cookie doughs for Christmas to be baked at a later date.

The best part of the day was when our friends, Ellie and Bob, drove up for a visit.  Ellie is recovering from her hip surgery too and doing well.  We are both hoping to get together in a couple of months to play and sing some songs.  Ellie has the most beautiful voice and is well known in our area for her rendition of "Sister Kate".  I can't wait to hear her sing it again.

They brought us a beautiful Christmas wreath.   It's hanging by our front door and I do plan to get a photo of it for my next post.  She reminded me of our yearly wreath-making day.

For the past several years there were a group of us who got together at the community center in Hope to make Christmas wreathes.  Everyone brought boughs and all kinds of decorations to make wreathes.  We spent the afternoon listening to Christmas music and snacking on goodies while we created our wreathes.  

Susan, Ann, yours truly, Michelle, Judy and Jeannie 2017

Back to the dough - I made my gingerbread and sugar cookie dough and they are both in the freezer.  My goal will be to bake cookies and decorate them next weekend.  It will be a busy one too since we plan to cut down our tree and start decorating it.  Retired Mountain Man has two picked out which can be seen from our driveway.  My part will be to decide which one - while looking at them from the car.  I'm sure one of them will be fine.

A little nostalgia.

Christmas 1992?

Speaking of Christmas decorations, I finally gave Retired Mountain Man a reprieve from walking up and down the stairs to the basement to fetch whatever Christmas decoration I was in need of at the moment.  My physical therapist told me that if I really needed to go down the stairs that I could do that simply by sitting on my butt and sliding down them one at a time.

Picture that one.  (I spend a lot of time laughing at myself...)

I did it.  Fortunately, my stairs to the basement have carpet on them.

Once I was down there I looked at all the boxes that Jon had taken out of the closets, and told him which ones we would need for the tree, etc.  I even found my wreath making supplies and decided I might attempt what I would call a modified wreath.  We will see what turns up and maybe I will remember to take a photo of it.

Grandpa's boots - Christmas 1999

That said, getting back UP the stairs on my butt was a little more difficult.  It required a brief rest halfway up and then I needed Retired Mountain Man's assistance to get back up off the floor. ( I have a lot of rules, both from my doctor and my physical therapist, about how to get up and down to protect my hip replacement while it is healing.  I am proud to say that I did not break any of the rules.)

More old photos from Christmas past.

Collin - 1999  He found a can of sardines and to him it was a camera.  He walked around for hours taking photos.  I finally let him hold my camera.
 He was happy with it either way.

The year Jamie and David built a computer.  The first of many.

Now we're going way back to the first Christmas at the Loman cabin.  A sleepy Jamie with his new BB gun.

December 2006, my brother Roy's wedding in Couer d'Alene.

We took the holiday light cruise to celebrate.

Rylee in her princess dress.  Such a sweet photo of a very sweet girl.

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season, all of your memories and those yet to be made.

Collin and Rylee's gingerbread house.