Where did I go?

This year's Christmas tree, a tabletop tree as usual.  This one was hand-picked and cut fresh for me by Lin and Ralph.  I'm lucky, very lucky to have good friends.  At the foot of the tree is my Labrador creche.

I like this art shot--it's the reflection of my tree in the living room window at dusk.  Pretty, I thought.

I haven't been anywhere, just been busy I guess.  I've been working on Christmas--knitting some things, buying (too many) things, wrapping and packing packages, writing Christmas cards, celebrating a birthday and visiting with friends.  All of the above.  I'm having a good time with Christmas this year, though I admit I've spent too much money.  Oh well.

I'm going to Rhode Island on the 20th (Tuesday), staying until the 28th (Weds.).  Should be nice.  I won't worry about my house freezing, the weather here is predicted to be warm and pleasant.  Yesterday was neither, it was -13 in the morning, got up to 7 during the day.  My house was pretty warm and my pipes did NOT freeze.  Both of those were achievements I was proud of.  I've sprayed insulating foam around the kitchen window that doesn't close.  Boy do I hate working with that stuff, I'm no good at it and it's messy, very messy.  I made a bigger hole in the laundry room wall where the pipes come in and wrapped the pipes that always freeze and sometimes burst.  I moved the washing machine away from the wall to let the warm air circulate to the pipes.  Oh poop, it's only taken me 20 years to figure this out. 

Today was a warmer day, getting warmer tonight.  It's up to 23 right now and is supposed to be warmer and rainy later on Sunday, then it's supposed to freeze and go below zero again overnight.  Very confusing.  Ice is not my friend.

I had a really nice birthday this year, maybe too much attention.  I went to Pat & Jim's for a birthday visit & drink on the 12th, went to lunch with them the next day.  I had lunch with Barb the following day and lunch with Julie the day after that.  Boy that's a lot of lunch, isn't it?  But these are wonderful people, my friends, and I always enjoy being with them.  Too many presents, though.  I feel very well celebrated.

My roof is leaking tonight--this happens every winter.  I get ice under the metal plates on the roof in a couple of spots, then it melts inside the roof and drip drip drips in the living room.  Annoying, very annoying, and the cathedral ceiling in the living room is permanently stained from this.  It's very unattractive and I don't even want to know what it looks like under the wood paneling.  Oh my house, it's such a house.

I had dinner with Annie on Thursday night and again tonight.  She's been here since Weds., is going back to DC tomorrow.  They're going to Costa Rica for Christmas, that sounds  nice.  All of the kids and grandchildren will be there.

The dogs are doing well.  Tess continues to be old but seems OK.  They thought it was pretty darn cold yesterday and it was hard for them to have all 4 paws on the ground at the same time.  They didn't stay out long.  Neither did I.

Christmas is coming.  I like Christmas.