The village party is at our house this weekend!

I'm truly a procrastinator and oh, so not proud of that. I mailed out Christmas cards to our little community out here and planned it for this weekend. I usually do this as a drop-in sometime on Christmas Eve, knowing that alot of folks have family dinners and may not be able to attend but the idea began many years ago that our house would be open for cider and cookies then especially for folks who do not have family. I've been looking at all the good recipes on some of the blogs and can't make up my mind to what else I will cook Saturday.


This year, it's a weekend event and I'm feeling better now but have put off doing that cleaning house stuff until the last few days......as usual. I have alot, I mean alot, to clean up between now and then. Our little community has several folks who are elderly or don't have family local so I just like to mingle and chat and stay in touch. I can't imagine being completely alone on Christmas Eve.


Last year, I went to one of the local old country stores and got some special cidar mix. It's a concentrated little bottle of stuff mixed with apple juice that makes a big pot of cider. I then take some cheesecloth and put in several sticks of cinnamon, orange slices, ginger and wrap it up and let it simmer all afternoon on the stove. It definitely makes the house smell warm and inviting! I found out some people really like it or they really don't, so I have alternative drinks handy. And for those brave folks who want to spike up their cider, I will have some on the side bar. Usually, that's not very many people, but.......just in case.

I have a few more things to do before Christmas too so the rush is fixing to be on! It will be work, clean, work, clean, shop, wrap, and start to pack for our trip.

Packing for a trip is a whole different posting. I usually take the whole house somewhere! LOL It's another habit I'm not too proud of, but since we are driving this time, I can take more!! More books, more stitching projects, more pillows for the backseat, and maybe do a little after Christmas shopping while in Chicago too. Hubbie takes one bag, small and organized. Mine is loaded, unorganized and alot. He's always good about accepting my traveling habits so I can't complain there at all. I remember when we first got married and moved here, he was in awe of how many purses and shoes a woman can have! :0
He told me that first year after being a bachelor for sooooo long and now married, he was going to write a book one day and name it.........Gentleman, Start Your Engines......which would definitely describe the oddities of the female species living habits!

Tonight, I am writing all the names down on pieces of paper for the give-a-way. And this will take me awhile. I will be checking my list, cutting up the pieces and drawing a name at midnight tonight. I may mix them up really good and let Miss Abbie find a name!
So, if you haven't entered, please hurry over and add your name in. I will be checking and adding until midnight.

Some time tomorrow night I will announce the winner! Good luck!