Christmas 2014

Christmas came and went with a bang at the Chesapeake Bay Family household--a bang that included me backing into Son's car first thing Christmas Eve on my way to the bank to deal with my debit card which had been compromised.  Aside from that and a major cut in my toe due to a splintering Pyrex dish hitting my kitchen's tile floor right in the middle of the most stressful part of dinner preparations, it was all fun and merriment!


The End


Now that the ugly parts are out of the way, let's try to tell this Chesapeake Bay Christmas tale again.

Christmas was magical this year because for the first time in a while Son, Daughter, Parents, Middle Sis and Baby Sis were all in attendance at Christmas Eve dinner--which is also my mother's birthday dinner. Typically we are missing one or the other, and with Son being off at college, it was all the more special having everyone together under the same roof.

(He's doing just fine since his recent surgery, good as new.)

Because I had to work Monday and Tuesday and then had to deal with a compromised debit card Christmas Eve morning (never mind having to tell Son about the nice new dent in the side of his vehicle), I didn't have a lot of time to focus on getting the house ready, but somehow it all came together at the last minute.

Son made this snowman out of a sock for me at least a decade ago.  

Mr. Snowman seems to come to life with the mood lighting.  I think he's trying to dance here.
He might have a case of arthritis in the neck, though.  

Dinner consisted of prime rib (which I practically got for free since I won a $50 gift certificate from Best Value--thanks, Best Value!), salmon (courtesy of my parents), shrimp, smashed potatoes (Middle Sis), macaroni and cheese (Middle Sis), twice baked acorn squash, broccolini, mushrooms, rolls (CB Mother), sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and a partridge in a pear tree (all cookies made by CB Mother).

(I made up the partridge part. Although I do have a pear tree in my yard, and for all I know there was one sitting in it.)

Daughter and Baby Sis

Parents and Middle Sis

Son, Parents, Middle Sis, Daughter

Please note the Santa cap and reindeer antlers on the parental units.
Also if Baby Sister's eyes are closed, don't say anything.  She'll never notice.
I don't even think she reads this blog.

We ate, drank, laughed, talked, told Son and Daughter how much we all love them, and had a grand time.

I love this wacky family.

I hope you enjoyed some down time with friends and/or family.

Welcome to the last few days of 2014.

Stingray Point Marina

A few weeks ago I took these shots from Stingray Point Marina in Deltaville.

It's a busy week in the Chesapeake Bay Family household.




If I don't have the opportunity to post again, Merry Christmas.

Christmas Decorations

After several weeks days of complaining and worrying about whether it would all get done, the Chesapeake Bay Family house is as ready as it's ever gonna get finally ready for Christmas.

Yes, that's an inflatable snowman sitting on my front porch.
Also, yes, that is a rope light hanging around the window.
They're not just for outside.
Are they?

For my mother's birthday this Christmas Eve, we're planning a big family seafood dinner.


The dinner will be big, the family isn't really that big.  Also, it's not a family of seafood.  That sentence sure was poorly written. Let me try again.

For my mother's birthday on Christmas Eve, the entire Chesapeake Bay Family will sit down to a big seafood dinner.

There. That's a little better.

Yep.  That's a Santa Claus hanging on the wall back there.
And those are tacky cheap Dollar Store decorations hanging from the chandelier.

I have a whole shelf dedicated to Santa Clauses that I picked up at thrift stores over the years. Those wooden birds live on this shelf  year round, and they look forward to this one time of the year when they have some company.

Below is an example of my mother's incredible artwork.  She painted that Santa Claus on an old coffee can a long time ago. I love it.

One of my favorite thrift store finds is the nautical Santa Claus below.

Here's my artificial Christmas tree in all its  gory  glory. This thing and I have a love/hate relationship.  We go about sixteen rounds every year when I try to haul it up and down the basement steps.

It's brutal, but worth it. The Chesapeake Bay Children won't let me light a match to it like I want to retire it and get a smaller tree.

Speaking of my kids, they made the snowman below.  Chesapeake Bay Son fashioned that hat out of some marsh grass, and they took a tine from a plastic fork to make the nose.  This is another one of my favorite decorations.

Merry Christmas!

Peace

Do not adjust your dials.

This blurred view of Queens Creek from my back yard yesterday morning came courtesy of some morning fog that lingered after the sun came up.

The chairs below encircle my fire pit, where I live to light fires love to light fires.

Tomorrow is not only Christmas Eve, it's my mother's 70th birthday.

Baby Sis, Middle Sis--the whole family will be under one roof.

If I don't post again before Sunday, Merry Christmas, peace, love and joy to you and the ones you hold dear.

Love,
CBW