Ron and I hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas as much as we are.  Our friends and family are in our thoughts (well, our gifts are in there too, of course!) 

Christmas Eve included a bit of snow all day, with the majority of it coming in the late afternoon. 

 

Ron and Gypsy came back from their walk looking frosted.

 

 

It only amounted to an inch or so, and freshened the house....

 

 

and the forest for a White Christmas.

 

 

 

Our Christmas decorations are simple and sufficient.  We get a poinsettia or two, and this year a gorgeous amaryllis.  The splash of reds is very festive.

 

 

We've had our Christmas tree for years-yep, dating myself badly, it's a fiber optic tree purchased from Walmart for $10.00 more years ago than I can count.  It's just the right size to sit on top of the piano though, and most of our gifts fit there, too.

 

 

Our traditional Christmas breakfast includes sourdough waffles, and this year we added fruit for the waffles, eggs scrambled with onion and spinach, sausages, orange juice, and coffee.  It was a great start to the day. 

 

 

We opened all those gifts next.  Ron (aka Santa) did nearly all our shopping, and he did a bang-up job.  Some gifts we are things we would get anyway but save for Christmas.  Other things are special for Christmas.  Included were a printer and webcam for my computer; t-shirts, a backpack, hiking boots, coffee and chocolate for Ron.  Ron's brother Don and his wife Carol Ann sent a Blue-ray player and these cross stitched hand towels, which found a home in the upstairs bathroom.  One could say it was an embarrasment of riches for a couple wanting for nothing! 

 

 

The afternoon included some outside time with the dogs (Ron) and dinner preparation (me).  We planned to pick up Mexican food from our favorite local restaurant.  We went by yesterday and found they'd been closed since Sunday for the holiday.....Plan B was strong, as a quick stop at the grocery store (still open) filled my ingredient list for enchiladas.  They're so flavorful it's worth the time it takes to assemble them.  Spanish rice, our new favorite 7-layer salad, a bottle of champagne, and ice cream for dessert rounded out the meal.

 

 

After a couple of short movies, we're calling it an Alice and Ron's Excellent Christmas. 

 

I leave you with our best wishes and this poem, author unknown.

 

"I have a list of folk I know all written in a book
And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look
And that is when I realise that these names are a part
Not of the book they’re written in, but of my very heart.

Every year when Christmas comes I realise anew
The biggest gift life can give is knowing folk like you
May the Spirit of Christmas that forever endures
Leave its rich blessings in the hearts of you and yours."