Let There Be Lame!

I know I said yesterday was my Friday, but yet I am having Lame Post Friday today.  For one reason, I thought of that title, which fits in with a picture I just took.

Ducky likes wine!

We’ve seen the duck before, but the light was a Christmas present from my husband Steven.  He just finally got it placed in front of our fireplace,  replacing the Santa that previously resided there (who, us be late in taking down all our Christmas decorations?  SAY IT AIN’T SO! ).

I hope you are not uncomfortable seeing Christmas decorations in June.

Here is a view showing Santa, as well as some other seasonal decore.  We did get most of this taken down before 2020 was too far progressed.

Regular readers may remember the duck from other pictures, including one of my favorites.

Bonita is better dressed these days.

The picture was originally taken to highlight Bonita, our skellington (I was calling skeletons skellingtons LONG before Jack Skellington was a thing).  But I love that you see the duck grinning out of the box and Santa peeking around the corner.  That Santa stays there most of the year.  We usually put him out on the porch in December.

So this is my post of skellingtons, ducks, Santa and a light.  Sufficiently lame, I hope.  I also hope to see you all on Saturday, whatever sort of post it turns put to be.

 

Merry Day After Christmas

Ho ho ho!

I thought I would share a few images of Christmas, to help those of us who are working through post-Christmas letdowns.  Some prefer to go cold turkey (or just eat cold turkey leftover from Christmas dinner) (sorry, couldn’t resist).  I’m going with slow withdrawal this year.

The Santa pictured above has been in my parents’ house since before I was born.  My husband, Steven, has threatened to steal it for as long as he’s been seeing me.  No luck so far, but we have amassed our own collection of old fashioned Santa’s.

Mrs. Santa seems to be a woman after my own heart.

Here are our guys.  This photo is from December 2016, so I guess this is a Throwback Thursday post now.

Pretty!

Here is my parents’ Christmas tree all lit up on Christmas Eve.  I love looking at their tree and seeing the ornaments through the years: the old glass ones we’ve always had, ones that we made in school (Oh, Mom, you didn’t keep THAT one!), ones we’ve given them…

The ingenious decorator!

Mom made this arrangement of garland, balls and wreath, and did not think too much about it till my sister Cheryl said, “Oh, you just had to sign your work!”  After that, it did seem pretty obvious that it spells “MOM.”  Mom would have changed the window, but we insisted she keep it that way.  Why shouldn’t she take credit for a house well decorated?

We don’t take our decorations down till at least New Year’s.  I suppose the cold turkey contingent mentioned earlier has theirs down already.  Oh well, to each his own, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow!

 

My Husband, Mr. Christmas

I spent some time today staring at a blank sheet of paper.  “Just write something,” I told myself.  I did not.  However, rather than continuing with a whiny post, writing about not writing (the irony is not lost on me), I thought I would share a couple more pictures of the delightful Christmas decorations my wonderful husband Steven put up.

Full disclosure: none of these has ever actually cracked a nut.

Steven has a lovely collection of nutcrackers.  It’s always fun when I can find a different one for him.

A few more cuties.

This is our dining room table.  Luckily we do not plan on eating there any time soon.

A little busy, but fun.

The three wooden boxes and a lot of the other stuff is up all year, but Steven added some Christmas touches.

As I sit here typing, Steven is working on our Christmas cards.  What a guy!  He is certainly Mr. Christmas this year!  I wonder if I can find a nice picture of him in my Media Library, so he can sort of take a bow.

Steven doing some Christmas shopping.

Here is a recent picture of Steven at New 2 You Consignment Store in Ilion, along with the proprietresses and their cute dog.  That reminds me, we have a lot more Christmas shopping to do.  Perhaps I had better make a list.  In the meantime,  Happy Monday, everyone.

 

Cheered Up By Christmas Decorations

It is late in the day on Sunday.  Will I make a blog post or be a failure for the day?  I vote blog post!  With that end in mind, I took a few pictures of the Christmas decorations in our house.  Full disclosure:  my husband Steven is responsible for most of them.  But why worry about such details?  I’m sure my readers would like to see what we have.

A little busy, but I think it is fun.

Here is our mantle.  Some of the decorations are up year round, but I feel the whole is Christmas-y.  I just now realized I should have gotten a close-up of the delightful gnome we recently acquired from Kayla Marie Creations in Mohawk, NY.

Isn’t he cool?

I also wanted to include an update of our skeleton Bonita.  We dressed her for the season.

Why wouldn’t a skeleton celebrate Christmas?

I guess it’s a little blurry, but it will have to do.  I put the garland and fan on her, and Steven gave her the lovely headdress.  He got it off a prize he won yesterday at a basket raffle at Trinity Lutheran Church in Herkimer.

Another Steve creation.

This is our kitchen window.  You can see the reflection of our Halloweddingannivesaweenarary banner.  I tried to turn around and get a shot of that, but the light was against me.

I particularly like the pine cones.

This is our stove.  The pilsners with stones, marbles and pine cone were Steven’s own inspiration.

I do love Christmas decorations.  It makes me feel a little better on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

 

Some Semblance of Christmas Decorations

Earlier I had great ambitions of doing a real post, taking pictures of the Christmas decorations my husband Steven has put up. Later on I had thoughts of completely wimping out and trying to do two posts tomorrow instead.  Now I am tapping one letter at a time into my Tablet with the stylus, hoping to come up with some semblance of a Lame Post Friday post.

I just don’t imagine he could actually crack a nut.

I thought I would pep the post up with a picture I took last night at Jamo’s, where Steven and I had supper last night.  Steven threatened to try to sneak this guy out under his coat, but he was only joking. He does have a nice collection of nutcrackers, but none of this size.

I hoped the lights outside would not be too obtrusive.

Here is another shot of Jamo’s. I do love Christmas decorations.

I took another picture of Jamo’s decorations, but it turned out blurry.  I guess some people have blurry vision later on a Friday evening, but that is no reason to add to anybody’s lack of focus.

I have a few tentative plans for Mohawk Valley Adventures on Saturday.  I hope to write some good blog posts about them.  In the meantime,  Happy Friday, everyone!

 

 

Late, Lame, and Like a Friday

It turns out yesterday was Wuss-out Wednesday.  I fell asleep on the couch without making my blog post.  I have been wanting a lot of sleep lately (cue jokes about my sorely needing beauty rest).  Well, yesterday was kind of like Friday, because I am off work today, so why don’t I dash off a traditional Lame Post Friday post, with random observations and half-baked philosophy.  Traditional kind of fits, too, since today is Thanksgiving.

One random observation I have been making lately is that people are putting up their Christmas decorations.   I LOVE Christmas decorations!  Some folks say it is too early, please can we wait till after Thanksgiving.  This leads me neatly into some half-baked philosophy.

Quite frankly, I can see the point of the Please Wait crowd.  I have been known to speak sternly to those that start talking about Christmas in October.  “Halloween!” I beseech them, “Wait till after Halloween!”

We could go on to ponder how we got to be in such a rush, or why some of us feel the need for three months of Christmas, and how much of this is a profit making scheme of big retail.  Oh, that sounds like a lot of trouble for a late post.

Anyways, I want to go running, and I believe it is not currently precipitating, so I need to get while the gettin’, as they say, is good.

 

Let’s Start Christmas Shopping!

Well, I was all set to do my usual Friday Lame Post, but instead I think I will write a little more about Kayla Marie Creations.  I started to talk about the shop yesterday, but my sinus infection flared in a manner most uncomfortable.  Today I am still feeling whiningly bad, but yet want to communicate something other than said whines.

On Route 5S, a wonderful place to shop.

I just finished and emailed my article to Mohawk Valley Living magazine.  I strongly urge all local readers to pick up the December issue when it hits the stands. In the meantime, I highly recommend Kayla Marie Creations for Christmas shopping and for your own personal decor.

A few of the non Christmas items available.

I was mostly taken with the Christmas decorations, but as I say in my article, Kayla Marie offers year round beauty.

And a few of the Christmas things.

I don’t want to share all the pictures I took,  because I also submitted them to the magazine. The beauty part is, she always has new stuff, so when I go back there (I have more Christmas shopping to do, as well as picking up a few items for myself), I can take more pictures!

All of these earrings are delightfully lightweight.

Before I close, here is one more picture, just to remind my husband of these lovely earrings.  After all, I have a birthday coming up.

Kayla Marie Creations is located at 262 Rt 5S, Mohawk, NY, phone number 315-360-0058. For more pictures, check out the Facebook page!

 

Good-Bye, Christmas!

Steven and I had an at-home adventure today by taking down the Christmas lights on our front porch.  We are not the last house in Herkimer to do this, but we were among the last hold-outs.  Tradition says you keep your Christmas decorations up till Jan. 6, The Feast of the Epiphany.  I read that in a novel many years ago.  Somebody pulled down some holly that was in the way, and the heroine had bad luck.  It made an impression.  Also, I hate to let go of the holiday.

See how happy we looked?

OK, this is the real reason I decided to write my post about taking down the decorations:  I wanted an excuse to use the pictures again.   I thought a few pictures would cheer me up on a dreary January Tired Tuesday.

I could use a guardian angel.

Writing that caption made me think of the theory that we are here to be angels for each other.  I must think of something angelic to do for someone.  That might alleviate my post-Christmas letdown.

Maybe a softer light bulb next Christmas.

Regular readers may remember we put that Santa in the upstairs window because after I carried him down from the attic I did not feel able to make it down another flight of stairs.  Lifting him to put him away, I realized why.  Steven had put a rock inside the Santa last year when he was out on the porch.  How did I not notice that before? In any case, I carried Santa back up the attic without mishap, so yay, me.

And here is this year’s porch Santa.

This Santa Claus lives on our landing year round, because we love him so much.  My Mom and Dad found him in an antique shop in Pennsylvania.  I do love a vintage Santa.

Speaking of vintage, I think it is wine o’clock.  We put away decorations.  I made my blog post.  I think I am doing all right for a Tired Tuesday.

 

I’m Not Tired of Santa Claus

I felt free to have a Monstrous Monday on Christmas Eve, so nobody need be surprised that I am having a Tired Tuesday on Christmas Day.  Hey, being merry can take a toll on an old broad like me!  At least I will try to refrain from whining about my oncoming post-Christmas letdown.  But no promises.

I had meant to take some pictures of my mother’s lovely Christmas decorations, which would have livened things up a bit.  Oh well, I fell down on the job. How about instead I visit Christmas Past and see what kind of photos I have in my Media Library.

Just popping in to say, “Merry Christmas!”

Here is one of my favorite decorations from 2016.  The fireplace screen was given to us by my parents the previous year (I think).  The Santa Claus, which is in fact only a partial one, was found by the ladies at Herkimer County Historical Society, after he blew from his rightful home during a wind storm.  They posted his picture on Facebook, but when the owner was not found, gave the Santa to the good home they knew Steven and I would provide.

Two very nice people wishing each other merry.

This is my dear husband Steven and our friend Margaret, who owns the So Sweet Candy Cafe in Utica.  We did not make it there before Christmas but I hope to pay them a visit in the next few days.  For one reason, my sister Cheryl brought some of Margaret’s treats to my parents, and I have two words for you:  Sugar. Plums.  I thought I had had them before and liked them, but I hadn’t tasted anything yet.  Go to the So Sweet and buy some!  And if they’re all gone by the time I get there, it serves me right!  I’ll be more beforehand next Christmas!

Hmmm…. it seems like Steven got me more presents in previous years.

I end with a Cavalcade of Claus, just in inject a bit of alliteration (I’m almost never too tired to alliterate).  We got these Santa’s at different times, and we love them all.  I also do not rule out acquiring more versions of the man in the red suit.  But that is for Christmas Yet to Come.

 

I Needed a Little Christmas

Instead of a Wrist to Forehead Sunday nor yet a Sunday Cinema, I will post about our up and coming Christmas decorations. Today was a little warmer than the past two days, so we seized the opportunity to get some lights onto our front porch.  The results fall short of other front lawn and porches, yet I feel they are worthy of some notice.

Oh yeah, we put up a couple of wreaths, too.

After impatiently waiting for the sun to go down (yes, much earlier this time of year, let us not begin that lament!), I stood across the street in the road and got this picture.  Actually, I walked into the middle of the road, but no cars were coming, so it was all right.

He looks better in real life than in the picture.

New this year, I put one of our Santas in an upstairs window.  Full disclosure:  I thought of this after I had carried said Santa from the attic to our second floor.  I did not want to carry him down another flight.  Our other Santa has been on the landing, three steps up from the ground floor, since last Christmas.  I think this Santa looks cool in the upstairs window, although he is a little washed out in the picture.  These things happen when one is not a professional photographer, as obviously I am not.

He’s older, he’s awesome, thanks Mom and Dad!

We put our older, better Santa on the porch. My Mom and Dad found him at a second hand shop when they were visiting my sister in Pennsylvania.  I just love a vintage Santa Claus!

“I’m just an angel in disguise!”

It is difficult to get a good picture of our front porch with that large tree in front, but Steven will not hear of cutting it back. Nonetheless, I tried to get a picture of the angel that graces the middle of our lights.  I hope she shows up enough for the pic.

So here is my little bit of Christmas, for the end of Thanksgiving and my birthday weekend.  Tomorrow I go back on overtime, so I hope I can still manage somewhat decent blog posts.  Time will tell (Time is certainly a blabbermouth, although I have already done that joke).  Happy Sunday, everybody!