Christmas was fun. We didn't start opening presents until after 2pm because Ethan was late arriving, but that was okay, in the end.
We had delicious quiche from my sister Emily for brunch (one was spinach and one was broccoli and ham), and I made a french toast casserole which turned out well. We also had ham, which was yummy and I'm sure we all ate too much.
I think everyone liked my presents. Ethan really seemed to be thrilled with the soap making kit I got him (and his Mama, of course) and I told him he could make everyone soap for Christmas next year. :)
And since this year was a book year, I received all the books on my list, which included The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Promises to Keep and Dingo by Charles DeLint, and Nation by Terry Pratchett. I've already finished The Graveyard Book. It was very good.
I also asked for, and received Lehman's Best Grain Mill, because the one that I got at the silent auction is more suitable to grinding coarser stuff, like kitty litter (haha!) and does not work for flour. This means grinding my own flour is eminent, which is really cool. I can also use this for peanut butter and other butters as well. Among other things!
My sister Emily got me an Adirondack pack basket, which is very cool and should be useful for taking to the farmer's market or Burlington, even. Mom and Dad got me a cute china teapot with four teacups--the bowl-like teacups--that is both useful and decorative as well. I received a handmade pottery bowl from my sister Jessica, along with a set of two pendants with matching earrings and a rosary bracelet.
Bekah got me a nice long-sleeved cotton sweater and two short sleeved v-neck shirts (I love these!) as well as some very pretty notecards, and I got the usual pack of lightbulbs, too (I actually forgot to ask for them this year, but Dad remembered!) Ethan got me a paperweight, which will be very useful for all the papers I have lying around (at least, until I go through the paper, that is.) I got a sign for my garden that I'll have to find a link for when I have a bit more time to look, and some soap and natural bath gel and lotion, and just a bunch more stuff that I won't bore you with right now.
Mom, Dad, and I also got new cell phones--not for Christmas, but because ours were four years old as of October 12th of this year, and mine's battery wasn't all that great, Dad's numbers were wearing off, and we'd already replaced Mom's actual phone once (via a yardsale.) So we renewed our contract with AT&T, picked out our cell phones on Sunday evening, ordered them, and they arrived on Christmas Eve. What timing!
They are flip phones, and flip phones are not my favorite, but I think they'll work out okay. And we all got the same one again (we didn't really have to, but whatever.) The only problem is that we couldn't get new phones and still use our old chargers; since I've been using one of my chargers for about 10 years now, I guess it's really time to change. At least I was able to download my usual ringtone (The Addams family theme) without too much trouble. :)
Also, it must be impossible to buy cell phones without cameras nowadays, because they do have cameras. Which is okay, I guess; they were free, so I'm not going to complain.
We have our last Christmas today with Mom's side of the family. I am baking bread, or will be once it is done rising.
We had delicious quiche from my sister Emily for brunch (one was spinach and one was broccoli and ham), and I made a french toast casserole which turned out well. We also had ham, which was yummy and I'm sure we all ate too much.
I think everyone liked my presents. Ethan really seemed to be thrilled with the soap making kit I got him (and his Mama, of course) and I told him he could make everyone soap for Christmas next year. :)
And since this year was a book year, I received all the books on my list, which included The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Promises to Keep and Dingo by Charles DeLint, and Nation by Terry Pratchett. I've already finished The Graveyard Book. It was very good.
I also asked for, and received Lehman's Best Grain Mill, because the one that I got at the silent auction is more suitable to grinding coarser stuff, like kitty litter (haha!) and does not work for flour. This means grinding my own flour is eminent, which is really cool. I can also use this for peanut butter and other butters as well. Among other things!
My sister Emily got me an Adirondack pack basket, which is very cool and should be useful for taking to the farmer's market or Burlington, even. Mom and Dad got me a cute china teapot with four teacups--the bowl-like teacups--that is both useful and decorative as well. I received a handmade pottery bowl from my sister Jessica, along with a set of two pendants with matching earrings and a rosary bracelet.
Bekah got me a nice long-sleeved cotton sweater and two short sleeved v-neck shirts (I love these!) as well as some very pretty notecards, and I got the usual pack of lightbulbs, too (I actually forgot to ask for them this year, but Dad remembered!) Ethan got me a paperweight, which will be very useful for all the papers I have lying around (at least, until I go through the paper, that is.) I got a sign for my garden that I'll have to find a link for when I have a bit more time to look, and some soap and natural bath gel and lotion, and just a bunch more stuff that I won't bore you with right now.
Mom, Dad, and I also got new cell phones--not for Christmas, but because ours were four years old as of October 12th of this year, and mine's battery wasn't all that great, Dad's numbers were wearing off, and we'd already replaced Mom's actual phone once (via a yardsale.) So we renewed our contract with AT&T, picked out our cell phones on Sunday evening, ordered them, and they arrived on Christmas Eve. What timing!
They are flip phones, and flip phones are not my favorite, but I think they'll work out okay. And we all got the same one again (we didn't really have to, but whatever.) The only problem is that we couldn't get new phones and still use our old chargers; since I've been using one of my chargers for about 10 years now, I guess it's really time to change. At least I was able to download my usual ringtone (The Addams family theme) without too much trouble. :)
Also, it must be impossible to buy cell phones without cameras nowadays, because they do have cameras. Which is okay, I guess; they were free, so I'm not going to complain.
We have our last Christmas today with Mom's side of the family. I am baking bread, or will be once it is done rising.
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