Here Comes Christmas!

Ready or not...Christmas is now less than a week away!  

It is now or never today as I finish up the wrapping and cards.   I've had lots of help with these 2 projects as my herd of kitties all have a need to be in the middle of whatever project I'm working on.  Tomorrow I have a little day trip in mind that I'll share in my next post.  I'm trying to get as much finished today as I can.  The first part of next week will be spent cleaning the house and cooking and just enjoying the season! 

It's a challenge to get some jobs done with too many sweet furkids around.  When my back is turned, I might find Callie on top of the refrigerator watching the rest of the herd kitties chasing each other around or playing with a scrap of ribbon on the floor.  She is usually a pretty good girl, as are the rest of the kitties....when they are sleeping! 

Did you know that a wadded up ball of aluminum foil makes an excellent toy for kitties to play with?   I needed something quick to keep the kitten occupied yesterday and he loved it.   If I'm working at the kitchen table, he will leap upon to my lap and then on the table!  He wants to be close by, so I just let him nap.  At least he wasn't getting into trouble!

I bought a new slim 6 foot tree             

to put in the kitchen and retired the trio of aspen trees with the colored lights.  I will use them somewhere else another year.  It was time for something new in the dining area.  It looks good, but the kitten loves trying to bat the ornaments out of it.  I see lots of aluminum foil balls in his future.  lol!

 

See the help I have today?  I have the paper out to

finish wrapping and the youngest furkid goes from the

table to the tree in search of some fun and games.

My Christmas joy is being tested as I write this because

I just took this photo a few minutes ago!  lol!  

I was looking through some old photos and saw Stormy when she was a kitten.  That was 5 years ago!  How can that be?  And it really boggled my mind when I realized it was 15 years ago yesterday that my son graduated from college.

Time is marching on, but if I could just slow it down a little the last week before Christmas, I would!! 

                     

I made my favorite sugar cookies yesterday.  They are

       so good that they don't need icing, only a sprinkle or two of

colored sugar crystals, and best of all, they are quick and easy!  
I got this recipe one year from the hostess of a Christmas
tour I went to.  I think she used almond flavoring in her cookies
but I prefer vanilla.

 Home Tour Sugar Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and vanilla.

  Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.  

Roll into 1 inch balls and press down with a fork
or the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Sprinkle with colored sugar.
Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet

 in a 350 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

I'm going to have one or two along with my cappuccino 

because I love them to keep my energy levels up 

while I'm wrapping those presents!  I hope it goes
better than my posting did.  Blogger just doesn't want to
cooperate today...my photos and writing just won't 
go where I want them.

And that is what's happening at my house!
Hope you are having fun, too, getting ready for
Christmas.  I'll be back sometime next week.

PS  Send sunshine our way, we haven't seen much
of it the last couple of weeks.

Happy Friday to you!
xo Cheryl