Cold As a Witches Tit

 

It's been Cold as a Witch's Tit Outside, so I've hunkered Inside finishing up some Christmas Interior Decorating I'd been putting off.  It wasn't a lot to do, the Table behind the Sectional Sofa has now been switched out from an Autumn Vignette to a Christmas one.  I couldn't find what I was originally looking for, so I just grabbed what I could locate quickly that was Christmas, and used that instead.  It turned out Fine even tho' that wasn't the Original Vision.   I'm totally winging it spontaneously this Christmas with all the Decorating and it's all turned out just Fine... in fact, we Like how it turned out by just Organically throwing it together with whatever happened to be handiest.  *LOL*

So, Below is the End Result of the Sofa Table and The Fireplace... that's all I'm doing now, finished, Done.   I was gonna put some Santa Hats on some of the Taxidermy and Mannequins, I still might, coz The Daughter has them all neatly found and Organized in one Basket in The RV Garage Mahal.   And, Why not, it's not like I'm doing anything else, tho' some of the December Events are coming up the end of this Week and Next Week.   Two Events begin this coming Thursday thru Sunday, then the other is Next Thursday thru Sunday.   I have zero intentions or Budget to purchase anything, but am going for immersion in everything Christmas and to get some Blog Fodder Imagery.  Which is Enough.

Except for giving each of The G-Kid Force a little bit of Money for Christmas, there won't be any Gift Exchanging going on with the rest of us Adults.   We mutually agreed upon that, everyone is broke and so nobody wanted to feel obligated to Buy what they can't really afford to right now.   It's not as if anyone needed anything desperately and I've been giving all the Kiddos anything they want as they Help me with The Gauntlet in The RV Garage Mahal and Art Studio Spaces.   They're thus getting their Inheritances early while I'm still Vertical and I know what they really want, which is better for all of us to do it that way.  So, they've been having the time of their Lives transferring Ownership as I say, Sure, it's Yours now.  *LOL*

There were some things The Daughter Found out there that must have been Scored right around the time we were actually Moving during the Holidays from Villa Boheme' The McManse.   Like the Vintage Trio of a Deer Family that still had the Tape and Goodwill Price Tag from 2019 wrapped around them!  I'd Paid less than Three Dollars for the Trio back in December of 2019 and must have just packed them up and not bothered to put them out that Year.   We were moving right AT the Holidays and so I kept it even Simpler that Christmas than I am this Christmas.  Since, we were Showing the Home... and Sold it right away after just a couple of Showings, so barely got thru the Holidays without having to take the Tree and everything down prematurely.  *LOL* 

Even tho' it's Frosty Cold Outside there's a LOT of Bright Sunlight streaming in the Windows and so it was hard to get a good Photo of anything without all that Glare.  It looks rather Wintery and Ethereal tho', so I didn't bother to delete them.   We also have Skylights in the Livingroom Ceiling which let in a lot of Light all the time.  When we first moved in we thought they were big Tract Lights and kept trying to find the Light Switch that would turn them Off or Down!  *LOL*   I do Like them a lot tho', hardly ever need to turn Lights on with all that Natural Light in the Home, which saves a lot on Utilities and is a much better Ambient Lighting that Artificial Light Sources.

The Sitting Room slash Den is in the Middle of the House, between the Living Room and the Dining Room, without a single Window for that Room, yet, it's just this Light all the time.  I Love that about how Bright and Cheerful the Home always is.   The Living Room and the Dining Room have the Big Arched Window each with Plantation Shutters and then the Two Skylights.  There's a fancy Beveled Glass Window in the Front Door with a long narrow Side Window beside it.  I've always had a Fancy Front Door in every Home we've ever Owned, I think it's Important to have a Grand and Aesthetically Pleasing Entrance.  A lot of Modern Homes lack that and the Curb Appeal of Cookie Cutter Subdivision Residential Homes is Ugly IMO.

I'm worried about my Brother in Cali with those Fires that aren't contained and OVER 15 Million Residents are under Fire Alert Warning!!!  Thousands under Evacuation.  He has severe Respiratory Illness and bad prognosis anyway, so, it could easily overwhelm him to have to Breathe any Smoke filled Air even if the Fires are super close by.   Sometimes the Fires in Cali have been so severe that we get the Smoke heavy here in Arizona from them!!!   I haven't heard from him yet to know for sure, but, on the News it didn't look good for a wide swath around Malibu and L.A..   And OVER 15 Million folks under Fire Warning is HUGE and could become quite catastrophic if it turns into an Evacuation Order if the Fires can't be contained at all.

I haven't located all my Rustic Christmas Stockings yet, but did find some that are made out of Antique European Linens and Old Burlap.  I also have a little Grinch That Stole Christmas Theme going on by the Fireplace and found a Grinch Christmas Stocking where Princess T Works.   If you put a Battery in the Stocking's little Battery Pack inside of it, the Grinch's Heart Lights Up.  I haven't bothered to do that in case it makes Sounds too, which would just be highly Annoying FAST.  *LOL*  I put out my Max the Dog Blow Mold but can't get to my Cindy Lou Who Blow Mold, which is in The Christmas Storage Closet, she's way in the back and I'm not motivated enuf to do a Deep Dive to retrieve her.  *Smiles*

The Daughter might take one for the Team and wade in there to reach it, but I'm not.  *Smiles*   I'd originally Bought the various Grinch Plushies to Re-Sell, but we liked them and some other Dr. Seuss Plushies, and decided to Keep them to Decorate with for Christmas.   And I did Keep a scant few Anna Lee Christmas Figures too, Sold Off the rest quite a few Years ago at the Antique Mall.   That is my Vintage Green Suitcase I Bought around Thanksgiving at our other Antique Mall Location in Downtown Phoenix.   And those Antique Black Ice Skates I got many Years ago and usually tie some faux Sprigs of Evergreen Boughs onto the Laces.  I might still do that when I find some faux Evergreen pieces.  I could get The Real Deal off our Pine Trees in the Front Yard, but I don't want Dead Dry Pine Needles falling all over the House.

I have Vintage Containers galore filled with Pinecones off our Trees tho' and have them Decorating the Front Porch Outside.   And I found a Christmas Ball for my Charlie Brown Tree that isn't Red, but, close enuf.  *LOL*   And I have no Idea where most of my Christmas Stocking Stash is?   I thought I had them in a Basket out in The RV Garage Mahal, but now can't locate the big Wicker Basket they are in.  The Daughter must have moved it somewhere and I'm too Lazy to go on a Mission to Find it in there.  As I was finding them I was putting them in said Basket for to Find them easily when Christmas rolled around, at least that WAS The Plan.  *Bwahahaha*   She's done an admirable job of Organization and unpacking in there but has her Method, which isn't the Organized Chaos that I tend to do.  *Winks*

Oddly I can Locate items in my Organized Chaos, but not so much once someone properly Organizes it in an Orderly way, go figure!   She's out there right now looking for that elusive MIA Basket of Christmas Stockings made out of Antique European Grain Sac Material.  We found the ones made from Old Quilts, and the ones that were made from Old Kilims... and now I'm thinking... did I put them in a Crate or Box in The Christmas Storage Closet?  It's a possibility actually.  LATER:  Nope.  We never could locate them.  *Le Sigh*

 

But, I found some Mini Crackers, which I fondly remember doing these every Christmas growing up, they were big in Europe to put on the Tree and had Cracker Jack type Toys inside and a Colorful Crepe Paper Crown.  They have a Gun Powder type Pop like a Cap Gun when you pull them apart at each end.  When we were Kids the one who got the Roll in the Middle when we pulled it apart, was the Winner of what was Inside.   I liked the Ombre Rainbow of Foil Colors these came in, they look great on our Feng Shui Tree.

And at our Antique Mall a Vendor had Crocheted these adorable Yarn Tree Ornament Cats in White {pictured}, Grey, Black, Orange N White, Grey N White and Black N White with different Color Bows and tiny different Color Dual Bells.  With our Sale I got them for only $1.60 each and got them in all the Colors she'd made them.  She Sold Out by the end of the Day.   Below is one of the Black N White Cat Ornaments {turned a little bit sideways}. 

Below is one of the Grey N White Ornament Cats.   Their Bows and Bells are in a mixed variety of Red, Green, White, and Gold.   The Vendor had a Display of a Table Christmas Tree with all those Cat Ornaments plus Christmas Themed Cat Toys tucked into the Branches too, it was really Cute.   We always get Eli some Catnip Cat Toys in Christmas Theme every Christmas.  He destroys his Toys and so they need constant replacement, he particularly goes Bananas over any with Feathers.  *Smiles*   Management called me on Tuesday Afternoon to ask if I'd fill in for a No-Show from 1-5, but I declined, since, I don't Work Days, no adequate Coverage for The Man until Nights.

Then they called me again just before Five to ask if I'd fill in for another No Show from 5-9, which I could, so I did.  I was working with my Friends Crazy Ed and Patrick, so it was a lot of Fun, but a slow Night.  They said they like working with me better than who I was filling in for and Wish I'd pick up more permanent Shifts, but, I just don't have it in me and they understand.  Everyone who is my Friend knows I got a lot going on here at Home with Caregiving, and my own Health challenges lately, otherwise I probably would Work more outside of the Home to earn more discretionary income and thus supplement a strained fixed Retirement income.  Management has asked me to Work a 5-9 on Thursday to fill in for my Friend Kristy, so I am, and Friday Night is my normal permanent Shift.

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Hoping your Christmas Season is playing out well my Friends... Dawn... The Bohemian