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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas

The fire's lit, table set and dinner ready.  I'm sitting on the couch with my mother-in-law watching an uber-dramatic Mexican soap opera and waiting for Angelines to come home for dinner.  Not what you might call a typical Christmas eve... but that's okay.

This year I've been more in the "Christmas Spirit" than other years, streaming the classic carols, painting ornaments, putting lights on my very first tree :), and knitting a surpise christmas scarf for A.  Tonight it's just the three of us (and Bela) eating Christmas dinner... a little sad, but I'm happy to be having dinner at our house--our first Christmas here.

I have so many things I'd like to write.  When I'm walking the dog in the late afternoon with the slanting winter light cutting through olive branches, I think of so many things I'd like to sit down and write here, but when I get a moment to sit down at the computer, my mind goes blank.

... And I was interrupted.

Christmas dinner is being digested--ham hocks with orange sauce in a pastry bowl accompanied with sauteéd zucchinni, onions and peas.  All that preceeded by shrimp, jamón, cheese, and nuts.  Tangerines for dessert.  I'm nearly falling asleep on the couch.  I'm debating simply going to bed.  But first, I have to write a note to Santa Clause.  After coercing Angelines into doing so (I'm planning to leave her scarf in her stocking), she pointed out that I hadn't written one--busted!  This year Santa's getting pestiños and aguardiente. ;)

Friday, December 13, 2013

'Tis the Season

My favorite reindeer!!
I realized today that I haven't even managed to blog about our Thanksgiving ...and here we are mid-December!

The truth is I just haven't been inspired as of late.  Yes, I've been busy, but there have been times when I've had more things to do and still managed to find time to blog.  At least two or three times a week I think to myself, "oh! I've got to blog about this!", but then the inspiration leaves me and another week passes.

Christmas is upon us!  This time of year is always particularly stressful for Angelines--long hours, more days of work, festivities in which she can't take part because of her job...  She doesn't like Christmas.  However, this year we've decided to change things up a bit and make the holiday more fun for both of us.  For the first time in seven years, I have a Christmas tree in my house!!  And despite the lack of evergreen trees here in Sevilla, we did not buy a fake tree--totally against my NorCal upbringing!

Today we went to a nursery and picked out a cute little fir tree: live.  Our plan is to plant it in the patio and we'll have a perennial Christmas tree!  True, if we do ever have a white Christmas (or what's more likely a wet Christmas), we won't be able to put presents under it, but we can still light and deccorate it.  I am please with our purchase and also happy that instead of killing a tree for Christmas, we're planting one!  I spent this evening putting lights on our little fir, pictures tomorrow.  Now I need some ornaments... ;)

And speaking of ornaments, I spent Thursday's English classes (5th and 6th graders) making salt dough ornaments!  We are going to paint them this coming Thursday.  So perhaps I should whip up some more salt dough and make myself some ornaments.  The only catch is the acrylic paint we need to paint them costs a fortune!  The kids made a lot, but I think I'm going to limit painting to just two or three.

Christmas has made it to the bar, too.  We have a tree (fake) put up and decorated, pointsettas behind the bar, and a nativity scene in the window.  Pub California is ready for the holidays. :)  This weekend, we're serving Christmas pancakes and the next two weekends we have music groups coming in to liven up the atmosphere.

Pub California's Christmas tree--just missing the tree skirt!