The Day Before Christmas Eve

 We stayed in all day. I only slept only four hours, so I napped from noon to 3 pm. The only time Tommy went out of the house was to get the mail. I asked him to wait until I got up so I could sleep without worrying about him out in the cold and maybe a slippery place. There was no snow, no wind to be alarmed about and no slippery places here at our house. 

When I got up after my nap, I just happened to look at presents under the tree, and there was another, one for me. I asked him how long it had been there, he said he put it there while I was asleep. Okay!

I found my Christmas stamps after all. The stamps I used for the Christmas cards were winter flowers, cactus, maybe. 

There are no signs of our company or celebration here and all the party dishes are washed. Wednesday night, we put the dishes in the dishwasher after she left. There were so many I could not get them all in the dishwasher. Today, I had to wash about a dozen more plates. 

All the candy is in one place. We eat a bit each day. All the refrigerated leftovers are waiting for us to have cheese and crackers again...lol. 

Today, I ventured to ask Tommy if he thought we might keep the living room clean like this from now on. He said maybe we can. 

A Christmas last year funny--I found a decorated Moscow Mule mug for a quarter on sale after Christmas. Tommy picked it up and was so happy. He took it and washed it out and made hot chocolate in it, almost burning his hands. Well, he made the hot chocolate and poured it into the metal cup. I have no idea why he likes it so much! But, it is cute how he is like a little kid. He has kept it near him on a short bookcase all year! The cup is hunter green with a white snowflake on it. 

He really likes these candles with a flickering flame, too. He will plug in the Christmas tree and tell me to turn on the candles and Christmas Kiss with the remotes. The candles would be handy for emergency candles, too. I always keep plenty of batteries. Of course, if the electricity goes off, we will leave this place in these temps. I do keep three of the candles packed away, but near the top of decorations. Of course, I remove the batteries. 

The bedroom where we store things like boxes or the huge box of huge filters had gotten packed and messy. He went in there and really cleared things and straightened the room. Some boxes I keep because I may want to return the item. But, the boxes never get thrown out when I have made a decision to keep something. Plus, some boxes are small and book-sized. There are many boxes that are just there. Well, he stacked the up. As I looked at them, I decided most can be cut up and recycled. So, that will be a job for next week. The place will certainly be changed.

I noticed he is tossing things of his, too. Remember, for two years, nothing could go. He sees the cleaner has helped to make a difference. He sees I am not trying to get rid of his things. Or, something like that. We both gave things to the cleaner to donate. She offered when we were saying she could have it.  

It also helped she cleaned the cobwebs hanging all along the walls from the ceilings. For two years he has ranted when I mentioned it. That makes the place look less dreary and un-loved. 

We have plans revolving around what we are eating for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! I may cook/thaw our dinner I was planning for Thanksgiving and have it Christmas Day. 

I just heard--11F degrees right now. brrr. However, I only have a nightgown on and am barefoot. So, not feeling it in here. Of course, he has carpets for my foot comfort. 

So, it is turning out to be a good, happy Christmas.  I think I have the date correct, but on December 22, 1963 when I lived in Memphis, we went to bed with the report that snow flurries might happen during the night. Well, the next morning there was about two feet of snow flurries in our front yard with a line of cars that spent the night in front of our house on 78. It was a memorable Christmas, but no such event here, just colder than it was that night. Only 14.3 inches of snow was recorded, but drifts or a different amount fell at our place. 

Do you remember that snowfall in December 1963? I was a senior in high school. 

Do you have or have seen the battery powered candles that have a flickering "flame?"