Holiday Festivities

Last night Papa Joe and I hosted our combined staff party at our home....


Cara, Kurt and Rich enjoying my Holiday Sangria


TKitty, Jane, Julie and Maggie


Kay and Judy


Julia and Matt...in her cute leg warmers from Ninny


Harmy and Sue


My cute family..Brad and Jody Racey, Beth and Joe Kaufmann (Adam's uncle) and our friend Cara


A happy Papa Joe with Heather and Angie


Rhonda...our favorite taxidermist and Cindy, our favorite Prison Secretary


mark and Khara (in her Dorothy Uggs), Beth and Bob


The table...halfway through the evening....


Dessert



The party in the laundry room....Jake, Madeline, Griffin, Maggie, Jenny, Joey and Becca. I finally took platters of food to them...


Kurt, a favorite dentist, and M A double TT.....our favorite radio personality and Y sports director


The Y group in the library


David and Angie....


Papa Joe's favorite guest...Max. Does he look like his Daddy, or what?? NJust look above at David.....


Kelly and Tom....spin instructor...who is always jealous that my classes are fuller than his!!


David, favorite son in law Adam, favorite brother in law Harmy and Nick. Adam got anhydrous ammonia in his eye this week. Thankful he is alright


With Jody....
And then the saga of Judy!!! She was everywhere!!k





Jane and Reul


Griffin and Millie


With Mama Elsa


With Homey






Still trying to get a photo of Judy Wrong, seen her with TKitty and our Miss Judy


Kayla


Jessie


Brad and Jennie


with our B


Millie in the background and me... Our dear Miss Judy gets around....we love her!!!


With my Papa Joe


Sal and Julie....


Christine with Julie and her Italian Stallion.....


Yep, me getting in the middle....


You see, it s fun working at the Y, the Press and The Dog!!!
And the highlight of the evening....a Christmas Card


My precious grandchildren...who did not make the cut for the party.
And why did Rich not make the party?? Worn out from cleaning out the Y basement.... Just look at this...wish I had before and after...you would be as amazed as I am...








Poor guy was exhausted!
Today??? Santa's workshop...


Wrapped gifts...



My holiday haven!


While I wrap, I watch....


Over and over again!!!
Celebrate December folks!

December....

Friday night Gallery Hop at The Three Legged Dog...


- Papa Joe and Joey


Toni Freesen was the featured artist. Don't tell Papa Joe, but I commissioned a downtown Jacksonville painting for him for Christmas.


Jake and Madeline just before we received an OS. All from Renee who rents one of Papa Joe's fabulous downtown apartments. Her MASIVE Christmas tree fell over. So we scurried up to help...


jake holding the propped tree up


Papa Joe and Renee


Karen cleaning


Ellie observing...


Ornament recovery station....


Progress! But Jake is still lost in the tree...we drove by the next day and the tree is still standing....


This reminds me of Jacksonville.....


Maggie spent last weekend at the Kane county Flea Market selling...all kinds of things...


I told you that Finley loves boots...even her Daddy's.


Maggie and Alison


Sweet Susan giving Ninny the royal treatment.... Bringing the hair parlor to her at home...


Even Dede got a trim. here he is next to his new, fancy lift chair. Both he and Ninny have already taken naps in the chair.


John Kanaga came to visit Ninny. he was in town playing in a Paddle tournament with Harmy. Cole was a jealous wreck...he had to miss the fun. John hooked up with Bubba and the rest of Cole's friends at Don's and partook of several "
lunchboxes".


Occupy took over the street in front of Cole's office in DC


Not what I would call fun on a cold, rainy day in DC....


Ninny and Dede's new railing and festive garland...
And just remember....


Coming soon...Holiday parties...the first is our staff party...held here!

Christmas Memories

Today...I decorated! Both at home and my Mom's. Holiday decorating is extremely nostalgic for me...the ornaments all have a story...


I needlepointed quite a lot of the ornaments...this one in 1983, the year Maggie was born...my little redhead


Our first puppy Chloe...I made this in 1982. Yep, she was our first "baby"


Maggie wanted to play violin...for about 5 minutes.


Trips to St. Louis and Chicago inspired these...


Memories of summertime in Michigan...


Madeline's days at Stevens School of Dance inspired this


Crawfish and Dixie beer....times spent in New Orleans with my best friend...


Memories of times in Florida with my parents


Summers in Michigan again....


In 2002 the children designed their own ornaments and Maggie and I needlepointed them.....





And then, my love affair with hearts....


This very special heart is from one of Addie and Laura's tea party's.


My friend Adah gives me heart ornaments...so I think of her often as I admire them!


And my dear friend Nancy gives me wooden ornaments each year, all hand painted by an artist in Michigan





The Ludington lighthouse


Stockings I made in 1983, 1986 and 1989


Memories from my time in Texas, a hand painted creche


The dining room in progress.....





Papa Joe hard at work on the outside....
Then I went to my Mom and Dad's..... Millie helped me...


Chandelier ornament I gave Mom years ago...love the ferris wheel. Did you know that 99% of all portable ferris wheels are made right here in Jacksonville?


Madeline has always loved these trees.....


I made mom and dad this doorstop over fifteen years ago...


Mom made these stockings for my sister's families...I did the lettering on them





A day spent reminiscing....and cherishing each memory and each moment spent together. So get you jolly on folks!!!!