I just happened by and saw your links. Much as I would like to take the time to read now I NEED to start thinking about having our immediate family here for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and again extended family ,my side, on the 27.

What to fix is no problem for the 27th., but the other meals are still up for grabs. Turkey and ham are out as we will have them on the 27th.. Everyone brings dishes to pass and I provide meat. The other times I will be doing it all. I'm thinking Italian beef for Christmas Eve and pork loin Christmas Day.

All the cleaning can't be done too early. I'll do the familyroom this week as it doesn't get used much anymore. I did minimal decorating as we leave on January 9 and just put up my trees (4), nativity inside and lighted wreaths out. Looks kind of bare but will have to do. I always decorate the tables and use my better dishes. I have plans for 30 for dinner on the 27th.

I usual wait till the last minute to do things but I can't this year.

Are you having family Janice or going away?

Connie

Hi Connie!!

Sounds like you have the holiday scrambles like me! We stay home, ALWAYS, for Christmas
and do our family gift giving and dinner on Christmas Eve!We will be having Taco Salad, Broccoli
Cheese Soup, Chicken wings and all sorts of holiday breads and peppermint bark and some wonderful
chocolate truffles we get from Sam's Club!

I do decorating, inside BIG TIME! The only thing I didn't do as per usual is the big tree in the family room.
I've gone to a table top tree, which is still nice but I have trees all over of various sizes, dining room, kitchen,
eat-in area, bedroom and several in each room and lots of evergreen garland, laden with red balls, plaid bows,
gold bows, berries, fruit, etc.! I have every window and our fire place mantel draped in the garland with lights!

I also have Dicken's villages and other brand villages all over--every room sporting a community! I've been collecting
the houses forever, it seems!

Front and center in our bay window is an Italian-made nativity set my mother got for me to use when I was
Sunday School superintendent for the primary grades at our church when I was 20 yrs. old. So, that tells you
it's about 40+ yrs. old! It's so beautiful, with the standing upright figures about 10" tall! I have Joseph and Mary
and baby Jesus in the manger! He doesn't show up, though, till Christmas! He's hidden for the grandchildren to
try and find! I have a couple of sheep, two shepherds, a bull, donkey, camel, and the wisemen, which have to
reside across the room since they really didn't show up till Jesus was about 2 yrs. old--so they're making their
way slowly around the room and an angel and the wooden stable!

So, this year, we are doing a very non-traditional meal, one that requires little work and little clean as per the request
of the family!!!

Merry Christmas, Connie and all and I hope you get a chance to read the links when things settle down! :o)
I think you will find them very interesing!

Honestly i am not sure if man is making the climate warmer or the sun is.

I do know what happens in a fishtank if you increase the percentage of greenhouse gasses in them. It gets warmer.

So being conservative, loving our troops, and knowing eventually fossil fuels will run out i am all for using tax dollars and environmental regulations to limit our use and pollution.

There is definitely climate change going on as it always does, however the fraud that it is caused by man is just that - a fraud perpetrated to make some lots of money (which has already happened.)

It is pretty obvious to those of us who actually are involved in the scientific field that the change is a cold one, not a warm one.