'Tis the Season

Just when I was bemoaning the quality of Christmas cards, look what showed up in our mailbox.

Could a card get much cuter? I was able to personally thank the sender as later on that day I was invited to join her, and some friends, for a little cocktail, well actually wine, gathering to welcome back a woman I did not previously know. Now I do know her, if only a little bit. Cheryl, before marrying David and moving to Orlando, had an interior design firm in Chicago for the last ten years or so. You can tell it by her handwriting can't you? Then too, the entrance to their home was very classy:

I have a thing for hanging ornaments as you may recall how I raved on and on about it when Trish did something similar on her front porch last year. That link includes a funny picture Bruce took of me kissing Santa Claus. Because of all the rain we had this time last year, I don't think I even saw the boat full of gifts.

The returning woman in question was previously a long term airbnb guest at Cheryl's home, visiting from The Isle of Wight, which, although I didn't actually see it myself, I've heard you can practically do so looking across the English Channel from Brighton. This visit she intends on staying in Florida for three months, nearly as long as last time, so you can see why they became friends on her last trip. It was a delightful evening. :)

I've been a wrapping fool, spending nearly all Thursday with this:

Note the pile on the fireplace in the background. What can I say--we have a large family. Some of the above paper suffered from the same lack of paper quality I noted regarding the cards. Boo hiss!

While doing the wrapping I would get up every now and again to change the Christmas cd, however, eventually I remembered about Pandora now being available on our television. In a case of a silver lining, on Thanksgiving day our cable went out. Now, with a brother-in-law who loves watching football on the holiday, this was not good. After an unsuccessful attempt by the friendly Bright House woman on the to fix it, she said I needed someone to come to the house. Great--it's 11:30 in the morning with the guests arriving at 3. Well, in a stroke of good luck, someone was available between 12-2. Perfect. The good fortune continued with the very nice technician giving us a spiffy new cable box, upgrades to our televisions without boxes, AND, setting up the wireless on the new Blue-Ray player! So, how's that for a silver lining???

Despite what one might think, I am no technical guru. Anything having to do with technology has been set up by either Bruce, Matt, or Jonathan. Except none of those three were available. What's a girl to do? Why, try doing it herself. I am so proud that I actually logged on without assistance, spending the remainder of the day listening to this:

Which was very convenient I must say.

Google is at it again, making snow happen on an old Christmas card:

I love this card, given to us before Bruce's Mom died. But then again, you knew that didn't you?

For the last few months a stray cat has been a visitor, generally coming up the walk to drink from the little bird bath sitting low to the ground that I have out front. She drinks, then meanders back down the walk, generally running across the street.

Yesterday, following an afternoon which saw Bruce putting up Christmas lights on our home for the first time that I can remember, she came over, rolled around on the walkway, then sauntered off. Saunter is just the word for how a cat moves isn't it? Both of us think someone must feed her as she looks healthy. What do you think?

Oh my gosh!! Today, driving down Old Winter Garden road towards home, following a very slow day at the market, I had to pull over to see this car up close, possibly the coolest car I have ever seen. The color!! The lines!!! The name!!

See those legs? I must have said hello six times before he finally raised his head from beneath the hood to acknowledge me. Wouldn't you know it--my camera battery died at the market leaving me with just my phone! It is a 1956 Mercury Montclair. If you did not know it already I'll tell you now that I grew up here in Orlando, about 3 or so miles from here, on Montclair Street. Moving to Orlando in 1957 from Buffalo, New York, I would have been just a little girl when this car was a year old. I wish you could have seen it in person.....today every parking lot is filled with a sea of silver cars, including mine, so when you see a vehicle with such great color you swoon all the more.

Tonight is Angela and Matt's housewarming party at the new house. In protest of her moving we shouldn't even be going but go we will. As well, another old neighbor, Chuck who lived directly across the street from us, moved with his wife Zoila and two boys, about two years ago. They too are having a party nearby. Let the merrymaking begin!

Tis the season you know....