It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I took the day off Thursday.  Just because.  I hadn't slept well the night before and I just wanted to loaf around and read my book, which I did.

Yesterday, however, was very different.  After morning coffee--always a priority!--Don and I headed over to Eau Claire where his truck has been living at the shop for the past few days. After I'd dropped him off, I made a  bee line for my favorite (groan) warehouse grocery store to get the things I need for Saturday's dinner, and I was able to get the cat's favorite dry food there as well, saving me an extra trip to the pet store. Yea!  

Today we're going to my niece's home for the afternoon and evening and I offered to bring dinner. Tessa's been craving German food so we're making choucroute garnie pictured below.  Not mine but an image I stole from the internet.  The recipe link is similar to how I make mine but not exactly the same. Also, I  add sliced carrots and onions with a few juniper berries for a little extra flavor and I cook my potatoes separately.

I've been making this dish for Christmas Eve dinner, along with dark rye bread and coarse mustard and an apple tart for dessert, for at least the past 30+ years and now the adult kids won't have it any other way when they're here for the holiday.  Tessa lives near Portland Maine, so she has changed the holiday menu a bit and makes a killer seafood chowder for Xmas Eve dinner.  It's all about tradition, right?

After Don and I got home from our little trip--and he's happy as a kid with having his truck back--we worked together to get the tree assembled and decorated.  I even noticed there was a bare spot where the branches hadn't been arranged, just like in a "real" tree!  I think I'll leave it there. As soon as the last ornament was hung and the tree skirt arranged, Clem sneaked under there to make sure all was done correctly but he didn't stay around for a photo. 

I also got the socks hung up, 

set out the "All is Calm, All is Bright" pillow,

got the snowmen set up on the piano (the big fat topsy one on the right was made out of a sock by Lily years ago and I love his lopsidedness but the other snow guys think he's a little odd, like they should talk!), 

and put the ribbons and icicles on the chandelier.

So, all the decorating is done except for putting up the Christmas quilt on the hanger in the living room.  That can wait until tomorrow when we return from out weekend trip.

We have to be up early tomorrow to get Tessa to the airport in time for her flight back home.  This has been such a great mini vacation with her. She worked on Thursday and Friday mornings, and spent the afternoons with us and the evenings with her friends.  It's been the perfect mix of our time and her time.  Next up, Johanna will join us for Christmas Eve and Day, along with her dog, I imagine, and we'll probably have a rip roaring game of Dominos with her but we'll see.  One thing at a time.

And now it's time to check on my choucroute garnie, take a shower and get dressed for our weekend at Wendy's on the St Croix River.