It has been a while since I posted,  I really meant to do better than that.  The holidays sucked up all my time.  We had a lovely Thanksgiving, with steak and baked potatoes, Bisteeya, stuffed zucchini, and many other goodies.  My brother Ernie came and brought a pecan pie.  My daughter Rose brought Chocolate silk tarts.  It was all delicious.  The next day we lunched with still more family.

     Here are my son John and daughter-in-law, Jenny and their three sons, Sam, Eli, and Julian at lunch.  Rose is on the left and Ernie is on the right.  Vince is not there yet.  We had green curry and a very good time.

     After Thanksgiving we had some warm days and I was able to work on the trunk.  The house was already clean so I didn't have much in the way of housework to use as an excuse to procrastinate.

Now I need to paint the iron work and put on the clear coat.  A few more warm days, please!
 

      The dolls' Christmas is coming along nicely and I will begin mailing their cards next week, when I do ours.  I have composed a Christmas letter for us this year rather than buying cards.  I really owe people letters rather than cards.  But the dolls will have cards with candy and Santas on them.  I have begun wrapping the presents too.  Of course for most of my family I will need to mail the presents, hence the early wrapping.  But I may as well get the dolls' presents wrapped too!  I can't wait to see the pile.
      I have put up a tiny feather tree, some lights and some framed Santa pictures, and a bright Pointsettia centers the table.  And today, I burned up the orange slices I was candying!  At least the rice pudding for dinner is baking nicely.