Monday, December 18, 2017
Every year I make my own cards, something I have been doing since 1992. This year the theme has mostly been snowmen. I told people on Facebook if they wanted a card to send me their address, and that resulted in probably eight people doing so. Otherwise, you send me a card, you get one in return.
Snowman.
Dolls.
The main tree has my vintage-looking ornaments.
Mother called and I asked her which of the Clawson sisters made the cardboard ornaments. She says it was Lillian.
Rein-cow.
I splurged and ordered my father's sister an Ancestry DNA kit. I am interested in finding out more about that side of the family.
Snowball is extra cuddly now that Puff is gone. Every night he lies next to me in bed, making my eyes water. He doesn't know it, but early next year he is going to get his teeth cleaned, I discovered a weird plaque buildup on one of his molars.
Snowball hates posing.
I put out the Campbell Kid dolls, my black GI Joe, my brother's blond GI Joe, Smokey, Goo-goo Ga-ga, and some dolls my mother knitted.
The main tree has my vintage-looking ornaments.
This one reminds me of Joey.
Mother called and I asked her which of the Clawson sisters made the cardboard ornaments. She says it was Lillian.
The little Mexican tree is covered with ornaments from the presidio gift shop.
Pink tree with Mexican ornaments.
On Saturday night I worked Retro Game Show, At times very hectic, with a mad rush of people coming in. I am very efficient..
Tempest Du-Jour and audience members.
On Sunday I went to Michael and Matt's Solstice Party. The food, as always, was really good.
Homer and Mark.
Everyone should have a top hat.
Mark, Ed, and Fred.
And that night I sat on the couch with Buddy nearby watching the Sound of Music. I know most of the songs by heart. Buddy is happy to come in and sleep on the couch over night as the temperatures dip down to the 40s.
Happy Buddymas.
Monday, December 11, 2017
My non-profit held Luminaria Night on Saturday. I made eight dozen cookies and frosting and the cookies were gone in less than two hours. Both kids and adults had fun decorating them.
I couldn't find the ornaments for the holiday tree so I took the paper flowers from my All Souls Altar (stored in a bag) and put them on the tree. I had to make another 10 to fill in places. People loved it, posing for pictures in front of the tree with the bright, huge flowers.
Paper flowers.
Even I took a selfie in front of it.
1894.
Cookies.
I cleaned house, made pasta salad and hummous, and then spent an hour making various colors of frosting.
Everything is ready.
I haven't had a Holiday cookie decorating party in probably seven or eight years. After my mother developed celiac disease, I never felt comfortable doing so. She is staying back in Michigan this winter.
I invited a small number of people over, and soon cookie decorating and talking and me drinking gin and tonics began.
Mark, Buddy, and Kevin.
All of the cookies were decorated, they look really nice. I'm taking them to work to get eaten up.
I couldn't find the ornaments for the holiday tree so I took the paper flowers from my All Souls Altar (stored in a bag) and put them on the tree. I had to make another 10 to fill in places. People loved it, posing for pictures in front of the tree with the bright, huge flowers.
Paper flowers.
Even I took a selfie in front of it.
The event started at 3:00 PM and as evening set the lights and the fire in the horno lit up the area.
Horno.
Several years ago I made this decoration (following instructions on Martha Stewart's website) and I hung it up in the blacksmith ramada.
Star.
A group of women played 17th century Spanish music. It was lovely.
Musicians.
The soldiers fired the cannon and their rifles. I don't think they had pretty colored lights at their barracks in the 1790s.
Soldiers.
On Sunday morning I got up and baked cookies, sugar and chocolate sugar. Lost count of how many.
I cleaned house, made pasta salad and hummous, and then spent an hour making various colors of frosting.
I haven't had a Holiday cookie decorating party in probably seven or eight years. After my mother developed celiac disease, I never felt comfortable doing so. She is staying back in Michigan this winter.
I invited a small number of people over, and soon cookie decorating and talking and me drinking gin and tonics began.
Patrick, Richard, Emma, and Jane.
Mark.
Hiram brought his mother, Emma, and she was so sweet. She decorates her house in Mexico with snowmen, so I brought out this lighted snowman face that I had in the closet. "Que lindo!" She said. I surprised her by giving it to her when they were leaving.
Hiram shows off his cookies.
It was the funnest party I have had in years.
Jane and Emilee.
Cathy and Dan.
Mark and Patrick.
Snowball was locked up in my bedroom, so Buddy got to come in. I think he had the best time- all of those nice people petting him and sneaking him treats.
All of the cookies were decorated, they look really nice. I'm taking them to work to get eaten up.
Cookies, Holiday 2017.
Sunday, December 03, 2017
Last survey session in Young, five days in the field.
Lots of rugged terrain in two areas. In one area it was up and down hills. My legs are used to it by now.
Come on ride the choo choo train.
One day while we were trying to figure out how to get to one of our areas, we saw a couple of horses. I got out of the Suburban and wandered over to say hello. This horse was very friendly and wanted to be petted.
Waiting for cooler weather.
Mario came over and picked me up and we went to Home Depot to get a tree for the park. It was pretty dark setting it up, it looks nice at night with the big bright bulbs. These were the kind that were on Grandma Feiger's tree, not the bubble lights on evil Grandma's tree. Today I went over and Kathy helped me get the tree looking better, we wired on silver and gold pine cones.
Mike and Tyler heading back to the Suburban.
Tuesday night was craft night. I brought along stuff to make cards and we had fun doing so.
Mike.
Tyler.
Connie.
Connie's cards were the best, very innovative use of old sheet music to make birch trees.
On Wednesday night we played Mexican train dominoes (or I as I call it, dominatoes). It was very competitive and I had to explain about the Choo choo train song.
One day while we were trying to figure out how to get to one of our areas, we saw a couple of horses. I got out of the Suburban and wandered over to say hello. This horse was very friendly and wanted to be petted.
Horsey.
We documented ten sites, right new ones. The last was an enormous site with a few rock masonry structures, terraces, and trash scatters. When we find decorated sherds I photograph them so someone in the office can identify the type and then we can date the site. After photography, I put them back on the ground.
Sherds.
Back in Tucson an unpleasant set of comments on a previous survey put me in a bad mood. I have never liked being criticized, a result of the abuse my father heaped on me when I was a teenager. I could never do anything to please him, everything was always my fault. So naturally, as an adult I hate it.
It is December in Tucson and still hot. I need to finish yardwork, but everything is still growing. The oranges and lemons are turning color, soon ready to pick.
Mario came over and picked me up and we went to Home Depot to get a tree for the park. It was pretty dark setting it up, it looks nice at night with the big bright bulbs. These were the kind that were on Grandma Feiger's tree, not the bubble lights on evil Grandma's tree. Today I went over and Kathy helped me get the tree looking better, we wired on silver and gold pine cones.
Mario.
At home today I have a headache but I still made two fruit cakes, although I think they are a bit burnt on the edges. My house is decorated for Holiday and next Sunday I'll be having a few friends over to decorate cookies.
Holiday decorations and Snowball.
