I SURVIVED! 'Twas My Best Christmas Ever!

My last post reported two parties with 28 guests; the final count on Christmas Eve night (including that first 28) shows that 95 people were in my home, not all at one time of course, but over seven parties, plus visits from two couples at different times.  We all had such a good time together --- church friends, high school friends from over 50 years ago, my favorite fireman and his wife, blogger buddy Ruth and her husband, and of course, my son and his family.  As usual, everyone left with a small Christmas can filled with my homemade candies of their choice.  (Again, I think that's why some of them come every year! *giggle*)

It seemed that many of them thought they needed to add to my Christmas collection of fun things.  They brought snowmen, Santas, fresh flowers, and all kinds of goodies to eat!  I told them I have figured out why they bring all those cute things to me:  They love to see them and punch the buttons to see what they will do, but they don't like to put the batteries in before Christmas and then take them out and then have to find a place to store all of them until next Christmas!  They know I'll do it, and that way they can enjoy them without messing with them!  BUT....I'm running out of storage space, so I'm telling them if they come in next year with something else, they can't come in for the party!  (You know I'm teasing, of course!)

For five years, I've used the same plastic Christmas dishes and mugs.  At the quilters' party, a dear friend insisted I go to her home after party because she had something she wanted to give me.  I went, and she took me and another friend out to her husband's barn where she dug out five big boxes and said she wanted me to take them home with me.  The other friend with me came to my house the next day with her husband carrying in a big box too.  The five boxes had service for 12 of these beautiful dishes and eight of the stemware.  The other couple brought more stemware, enough to make service for 20!  I couldn't believe it all; said I couldn't accept either gift!  The first friend said she had never used the dishes, they had been packed for five years, her daughter wouldn't even consider taking them because she uses paper plates.  She said, "I know you will use them, so I'm giving them to you!"  The second friend said I had looked at the stemware at her last yard sale but didn't buy them because they wouldn't match my plastic plates.  She said she was glad to get rid of them to someone she knew would use them!  That someone is me!  I've used them at every party since this Christmas!  Sorry I forgot to take a picture with a full table set, but aren't they beautiful?  I just love them, and will gladly store them until next Christmas!  By then, I'll have some beautiful red cloth tablecloths too!

The week-end after receiving the dishes, there was a death in my family.

I knocked him off the top of the refrigerator, he fell onto the cabinet and broke a big Corning Ware dish, and glass was all over the kitchen floor!  I cried out loud!!  We held a wake at every party for him! *giggle*  Within minutes after his death, I went to an antique shop in town for something to replace him, and when I entered, the first thing I saw was a table set with service for four of those beautiful dishes!  What luck --- or providence!  If I had not broken Snowman, I would not have seen them.  I had to have them!  That made service for 16, which covered all my parties, except my school friends!  I did buy a snowman cookie jar too, but I do miss my big snowman plate! 

The thing that gave me the most pleasure during all of Christmas was a surprise I was able to give to all my friends who came to my home.  In early November, I had the joy of making a CD, and I gave one to each family represented at one of my parties.  I never thought I would get to do that, but I was introduced to a man who does that professionally.  He brought all his equipment to my home so I play my own arrangements of 14 old hymns on my own piano that my parents gave to me in 1957.   The cover and song listing turned out perfectly, and they came back all enclosed in plastic, just like any you would buy in a store, professionally pressed and packaged by Dove.

The little piano, and red rose reminding me of Mother, are in my bedroom, and my aunt crocheted the doily many years ago.  When I looked for a songbook, one of Daddy's old songbooks was on top of the stack when I looked, and I thought it was perfect to complete the cover.  Providence again?   My playing is not altogether perfect, but I am pretty proud of it, and it was so much fun giving one to my friends!  I had played for most of their weddings, their parents' funerals, and some of their kids' weddings.  Yet many of them had not heard me play in about 30 years, so they were quite surprised!  Maybe they will think it is not too shabby for an old lady about to be three-quarters of a century old!

Here's a few shots around the house this Christmas.

You can go here to see more; the items shown are basically in the same place again in 2012!
http://ijustlovequilts.blogspot.com/2010/12/accident-just-waiting-for-place-to.html
What fun I had this Christmas!  The best ever for me!

Oh dear, I almost forgot about this one!

Now comes the chore of packing up everything so I can start quilting again!  It's been too long!

Hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!

---"Love"