Jack Frost Does Not Love it Here

My last post was laden with tales of cold weather. This one not so much. In fact, not even the thought of frost here as the daytime temperatures are in the  high 70's with temperatures dropping into the mid-50s overnight. I wish I'd packed more sleeveless clothes for sure. That said I am happy to report that I am back in my favorite attire and that would be dresses. Simple and only one thing to think about when dressing unlike the four or more layers when it is super cold in our adopted state. The truth is, we have discovered that there are advantages to both. 

Matt and Tom were here when we arrived last Thursday after an overnight stay in Valdosta. During our drive, as we were approaching Perry, GA, I reminded Bruce that Cobby and Diane had praised the little town of Perry and thought that we would love it and we sure enough did. There is a charming downtown with an abundance of shops and restaurants, all of them either pretty or crazy cute.

Walking up to the Swanson where we planned to eat, I was excited when I saw the purple steps and the inside colors were equally as fetching.

The high blue ceiling was painted a gorgeous shade of blue in our dining room, and the ceiling in the reception area was another gorgeous shade of navy blue. When in the South, eat like a southerner is one way to do it and so Bruce had the fried chicken while I got the sampler which included way more than I could eat!

It is hard to go wrong with fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs and pimento cheese! Fantastic, leaving no room for what looked to be fine desserts. As we pulled out of the restaurant I spotted something down the street and Bruce did what Bruce does, takes me where I want to go. A big blow up was evident from our location, so we continued on Ball Street and were astonished to see Christmas lights for an entire long block. One direction below:

and here is the other end of the block.

My camera lens was not wide enough to show even a fraction of it but here's a close up sample:

Incredible in the daytime, but all I could find to show it off was this nightime  reel.  What a sight it must be! 

Before we leave Perry here is a peek into Sweet Evelyn's, now known nationwide because, well check out this link and see for yourself. 

There is plenty more I could share, but in the interest of your time I will back-track a bit and highlight some lovely times in Murphy before we left.

I was booted as the photographer of the Santa photos by a "professional" this year so I had to see who was this person. As well I returned the Elf hat to it's rightful owner Laura who looked adorable in it as Santa's helper.

Whew, no pressure to perform!! Seriously I was kidding about the professional although that is how it was advertised because no one knows much about me. :) The main thing is that it was so exciting that everything was  happening in the new spiffy downtown park that was so many months in the making!

The Mason Bar was very much decked out with cozy lights.

David and D'Anna had a Christmas dinner party and it was so lovely and fun. 

She is very much a traditionalist, serving all the Southern goodies as well as fruitcake from the Claxton's shop in Claxton, GA. She claims it is good luck, but I have yet to be convinced enough to try it. 

On the other hand, the red velvet cake was delicious.

Our choir joined with the Methodist church in Andrews and performed a beautiful cantata.

We also made a quick shopping trip to Franklin, NC.

As you can see the weather was beautiful and the shops very cute. These small mountain towns really depend on tourists so they do their best to look charming for the visitors.

Before leaving Murphy we bought an inexpensive artificial Christmas tree to put up in Orlando and despite it looking very iffy when it came out of the box, Matthew did an incredible job making it look like a beauty. Memories came flooding in of the year we moved into a new home, nine days before Christmas and our nine year old son did the tree for me as my hands were full with a two year old mischief-maker and six year old twin boys. 

Soon it was time for the big reveal to those of us who had not ever seen Christian before and those of us who have waited seven months to see him again! Bill was watching him after work while Fallon went to a party. He has most definitely grown since our last visit! Who is this new man who claims to be my uncle??

A shock to his little system having four adults descend on his domain so he spent plenty of time in Bill's arms but he did show off his walking a little bit. We are heading over there this afternoon and hope he will be more comfortable with us.

This will be his second Christmas however, as he was but a month old last year, let's just say this one is going to be more special.

The tree is barricaded by the coffee table and a giant ottoman, but for how long that works is yet to be determined!

It is true that I have missed seeing the big birds that I was accustomed to seeing on a daily basis; so far I have not been disappointed because sightings have been plentiful both on our lake, 

and at the Orlando Wetlands park that we visited a few days ago. We were so fortunate to see a large number of Roseate Spoonbills which is not always the case, however, I believe the blue on the head indicates that they are gathering to breed.

Fortunate as well that Matt and Tom are enthusiastic about going there.

I suspect a big draw for them is the warmth and sunshine which we have been having in abundance. Talk about abundance! Our alligator count stood at 18!

I think the photograph above is so funny showing off the cavalier attitude toward alligators that many visitors, including Matthew, have towards a sighting. A Great Blue Heron preparing for nesting season,

although unfortunately, before getting to her destination, the moss and stick dropped out of her bill. Thinking about that, I wonder what that feels like for a bird, don't you? All the hard work of gathering only to lose it?

One day I stopped into my clock guy's shop with two watches that were in need new batteries. As I stood waiting for him, I was thinking what must it be like to listen to this many clocks every working day? Seeing Patti yesterday morning, for some reason going this came up and she told me his name is Burt because his shop, Swiss House, used to be across from their office. From now on I will call him Burt and I may just ask how he tunes out all of the clock sounds!

Losing track of time is nothing new for me yet the fact that we are out of our routine is exacerbating that problem, thus, I will just say that with much mental digging I finally remembered that we went to see the lights at Lake Eola on Friday night and wow, just wow!! What a gift! Absolutely stunning light displays with so many ways for folks to take family photos.

No unlit spot was seen as the perimeter of the lake, and then some, was filled with beautiful lights. Two swans were swimming.

Nancy came along to amuse us with her commentary even though she'd already had a full day. That would be her in the striped shirt in the section called Candy Cane Lane.

Having gone a previous time, we were shocked at how much the event has grown with several areas where live performances were happening. 

Matthew always makes us look good.

Seeing the stocking cap from afar, close up it was so good!

Honestly it was such a perfect night and it even included snow!

Now we know how it is done in the movies!

We are making the most of our shopping days here in Orlando where the opportunities abound. Yesterday Matt went with us to Ikea where we went looking for Bruce's Christmas present, or that is what I'm calling his new chair and ottoman we found for his shop. Matt is setting us up with an Ikea family membership in order to take advantage of discounts.

It is quite handy having tech wizards around; Jonathan has yet to arrive so there is more to come. They actually are in Orlando visiting Universal Studios newest park before coming here on Christmas Eve. 

Christian seems to be more comfortable around us and he was even willing to share his favorite toy of the moment...a Costco water bottle despite having more than a plethora of colorful toys.

He's a bundle of energy, squirming to be let down as soon as you pick him up, however, for a moment he allowed Bruce to snuggle with him.

More busy days to come for us as I suspect the same holds true for all of my dear readers.

From our home and family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!

your friend,

Gail 

Jack Frost Loves it Here!

 Jack Frost has most definitely been nipping at our noses and today is no exception with frost covering our yard and especially noticeable on the big cleared lot next door.

Of note this week, aside from the weather, has been all the excitement of the Christmas season in a small town. After months and months, our town's improvements are finally almost all in place. The tree was placed early last week and it now sits on grass, unlike the mostly dirt in this area for a good long while.

Aren't the pavers a huge upgrade? Don't be fooled by that blue sky because along with the frost there was plenty of rain this past week. No snow yet, but maybe next week before we take off for Florida? 

When you cook Thanksgiving dinner for two, leftovers are inevitable and what a treat to use them in new dishes, like the soup I made,

which was perfect in the chilly weather. As well, I dumped the leftover cranberry relish in with muffin ingredients and we learned that I should do that more often. Yummy!

For many folks sending Christmas cards is a thing of the past, but for me, it would not be Christmas without something to remind folks that they are special to us. There is a new paper shop in town and when I saw this address book there,

I knew it was finally time to update my twenty-plus year old book. I'm not getting rid of it because it does remind me of loved ones who have passed, but with so many names and addresses crossed out, it was time. Transferring names into the new one was one thing I did on the messy days. Saturday morning I wondered if the post office was open and sure enough it was and I walked right up to the clerk for my stamps, something that would probably not be possible in Orlando. Sure, lots of conveniences are not readily available, but it's just so peaceful here, we have cheerfully learned to live without most of them. 

Bruce is playing pickleball right now without me because I am taking a little break in the cold weather. Generally I don't mind the cold, but when I get hit in the hand on a cold day, I very much mind that. Because, despite playing for five years now, I am still one of the worst players, which while I wish it were not so, it is really to be expected. Nearly every person has some sort of athletic background; while they were pursuing sports, I was pursuing books. 😀

Speaking of our pickleball group, Friday was the day for Toys for Tots donations and our group did good.

Normally there are lots more folks, but it was a wet morning and only those brave enough to play on damp courts were there. More folks did come to the chili lunch at Buck Bald Brewery, about two blocks from our home. 

I joined them after helping ladies from our church purchase items for the middle school children's wish list. While I was doing that, Bruce was at the Big Brothers Christmas party held at the casino bowling alley. The kids bowled several games, as well as had an hour in the arcade, followed by a pizza lunch. 

That night, and luckily it was not raining, the first Friday art walk was held downtown. It was mighty cold so we spent more time indoors. This is Appalachian culture in action. 

My goodness, I almost skipped over some important events, including Thursday's Soul Table.

Note the colorful knitted hat made by Dotti, one of 75 she and another women made!! She is a wonder that's for sure. We had a big crowd who enjoyed a hearty soup, biscuits, and salad. 

I helped Bruce in the kitchen for a bit as he was finishing up the dishwashing which was around 2pm. Because a wintery storm was predicted for Friday night, the day of the scheduled tree lighting, the town made the decision to move it to Thursday at sunset. Sounds like a plan, except we were meant to attend Grayson's school Christmas concert at the nearby Baptist church. First things first...

Laura is introducing the little church choir to lead in the singing. Laura made the decision to retire from her town position, but I am hoping she will pass on my name as a ready volunteer.

After a few songs, the lights came on,

and we scurried to our car to drive the half mile to the church where a surprise awaited us. Cars and lots of them!! We learned when we went into the church that the concert included both the high school and middle school, so lots of families in the audience. So many so that your favorite blogger and her husband were fortunate to find standing room along the side.

It was our first experience seeing a singing Christmas tree.

The woman in the red sweater was the choral director and she was wonderful to watch as she had so much enthusiasm and clearly loved the kids. 

You have becme accustomed to Grayson playing soccer and now he is playing an instrument. 

As is his custom, Bruce does a beautiful job while wrapping gifts, the first two under the tree are for Grayson.

Although not to worry any of our children reading this, your dad is doing the same for you! It was a joy to put up the Christmas tree and just like our Vancouver tree, we keep it lit a LOT to ward off the gray weather. Last year Matt and Tom bought ornaments from one of the downtown shops and putting them on the tree made me happy. (Hint, hint, the ornament is one of my favorite subjects)

Good grief, there is still more to come!! Let's face it, most folks are ultra busy at this time of year, aren't they? 

One afternoon I walked into town, mostly to admire the window displays. Our merchants are vying for glory for their decorating prowess.  Proving that photographs are not always what they seem to be, our church is actually behind me unlike the reflection shows it in the shop window! 

Marketplace Antiques windows are always great and especially so at Christmas time.

Following Grayson's concert we saw this fun window at the book store, Narrative,  located near our restaurant destination, Perrones. 

Before we get into the Saturday night Christmas parade, two things of interest. Because we were helping with the parade I did not participate in the Memories with Santa event at the church where not only are there photos with Santa, there are games and gift bags. Marji made all of the fabric bags you see; thirty in all. Count me impressed.

This photo has nothing to do with Christmas, but I thought you might enjoy seeing what a loofah looks like when it dries out.

This post shows it green. I was wondering how long it took to go from green to ready to be peeled. The outer skin is quite brittle and the loofah is absolutely cram packed with seeds. 

I learned from Linda yesterday that the parade used to be held in the daytime which truth be told is probably not a bad idea because parts of the route are not well lit and the folks on the floats are throwing candy into the crowd with kids scrambling to pick it up off the road.  I dodged plenty!

I thought the train was super cute as were many of the floats. I was so happy seeing the creativity and joy. 

A snow globe! Our realtor Donna is beside the tree. 

We never got a good look at Grayson on the soccer teams float, but I'm sure it was so fun for them cel;ebrating their championship. Speaking of that, Murphy High School is in the state 2A high school championship game this upcoming Saturday. How about that? 

 The local girl scout troop had a winning float.

More snow and candy galore on the street.

Fortunately it was not nearly as cold as last year! After we put our last group into the parade, we walked alongside it and folks were waving at us as if we were in it! For the record, we waved back.

Walking past our street and into town, following the float with the high school band on it, they were doing a great job. Overall the parade was darn impressive.

Whew!! Lots to write about and there is more, but I will save it for my next post because, Lord knows, you probably are tired of reading, basically the same thing as last year. Am I right about that?  I do have one new thing and that is that we went for dinner at Mark and Mary Beth's new home in Hayesville with the Libers. This was our first time seeing it and am I ever thrilled it was on a cold winter's night because with so many bare trees, the view was out of this world. They went from being riverside to being atop a mountain.

Of course it took a narrow winding road to get there, but our friend David was up for the task! More to come next time.

I have just looked at the ten day forecast and the prediction is for five sunny days in a row which I will believe when I see it. The days are not too bad, but holy cow, one night will allegedly be 18 degrees! We are most definitely in for a temperature shock when we return to Orlando!

As always, I remain your friend,

Gail