A CHRISTMAS CAROL...

Another fun day and perfect wrap-up to Thanksgiving weekend. Abbey spent the night last night and we got up to the ducks all visiting in the back yard. She was so excited to see our "visitors". She had to hurry and get her coat on over her jammies and run out to feed them!

She is determined that she is going to pet them one of these days. So after lots of birdseed and bread, she got pretty close.

The wildlife is one of the joys of living on the canal at our new home.

Then on to the Dicken's Festival for day 3. It was time for the players to do "A Christmas Carol" and they didn't have a Tiny Tim! Well, Abbey was recruited to be "Tiny Tina".

They put the Tiny Tim hat and scarf right over her Santa hat and she even had the crutch.

Scrooge with the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Our little "Tiny Tina". (She was having a ball!)

Scrooge in his nightclothes and the Ghost of Christmas Present.

Another scene with the Ghost of Christmas Present.

The Cratchet family.

Abbey's big line was, "God bless us everyone."

Now the big surprise was that Dick (my husband) was recruited to be the Ghost of Christmas Future. We were all in hysterics - it was so much fun!

Abbey just loved having Papa in the play with her and look how afraid Scrooge is of the "ghost". Good job Abbey and Papa.

Gannon came over this afternoon and was our resident Santa again this year and Abbey was his elf. They handed out candy canes and were a big hit in the shop. The only downfall was that it rained all afternoon and kind of put a big damper on the festival. Oh well, we have two more weekends and there will be lots more fun to be had! Gannon won the custume contest and they both had their pictures taken for the Holly website, so it was pretty exciting for my two oldest grandchildren.

I am so thankful that these two want to be such a big part of my little shop. Someday we will look back at these precious memories and, who knows, maybe they will run the shop one day!

Time to get a little rest - it's been a busy weekend! Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as much fun as mine was and you have a quiet week of decorating.

Until next time...

DICKEN'S FESTIVAL - WEEKEND NO. 1...

LET THE FUN BEGIN! When I opened the shop yesterday, it was finally time for the kick-off of Holly's annual Dicken's Festival. We wait all year for these three weekends and it is SO much fun! Hope you enjoy weekend No. 1! Four young volunteers came into the shop to warm up all decked out in their English finery.

My coffee shop neighbor, Zanie Janie, was ready to hand out cup after cup of coffee! Loved her costume.

The carriage arrived in the village to begin the rides. It's so romantic in the evening when you can see the Christmas lights.

I tried to get a picture of the tree lighting, but it didn't come out very well. There were choirs, Santa arrived, and they announced the family of the year.

Abbey and Ashley being a little silly! Abbey is my helper quite a bit at the shop. If you haven't met Abbey yet, be sure to stop in to say "hello". (She might even show up as Santa before the festival is over.)

Oh boy, I'm in trouble. Cheryl, Chris and their boys, Vincent and Nathan, opened "Remember When Candy Shop" just two doors down from me! They are so nice and so is the shop. Be sure to stop in to get some goodies when you come to town.

Just had to show you the big hooked rug that showed up at the shop today! Isn't this one a keeper???

The seating and "stage" are right outside my door (lucky me) and this was one of the choirs.

The characters get right into the festivities!

More characters.

This is one of the vendors in Battle Alley. They sell fish and chips and are they delish!!! I had them two days in a row (and he even delivers them to my shop)!

Chestnuts anyone??

Even the birds join in the fun - and this was a LOUD ONE!

Julie, my back door neighbor (real estate office), volunteered to work in the chestnut booth.

I had a great surprise this afternoon. Daughter Amanda, hubby Greg, Gannon, Jack, Ellie and Caroline all came to town to join in the fun. They just make my heart sing!

Jack and Gannon enjoying some fish and chips on the bench outside of my shop.

Me and my guys!

Of course Ellie and Jack had to visit the candy shop!

Gannon is our oldest grandchild, so I always tell him he's my "first best boy" and he always will be! Look at this child, he's almost caught up to his old grandma!

Our little Caroline loved to see all the action, but it was getting sleepy time.

Greg was ready to load up and get these little ones home for a rest. I'm so happy they came to visit. Don't tell anyone, but next weekend our Gannon is going to be our resident Santa! He loves to help all the ladies carry their bags out to the car.

When I came home, Ashley, Tony and the girls were here having a pizza party with my mom. What a treat to come home to! Our little Lucy is growing like a weed. Just what the doctor ordered after a busy day - I needed a little snuggle time.

Just doesn't get any better than this! Abbey and Lucy all in one hug! Abbey is spending the night tonight and we really get some snuggle time. What a great ending to a fun, profitable two days - with more to come tomorrow!

Hope you enjoyed sharing - I hope you get a chance to come to Holly in person and enjoy the fun!

Until next time...

WONDERFUL DAY...

Good Thanksgiving evening friends. Hope you all had just the best of days! We had a wonderful afternoon with our daughter-in-law's parent's (Jim and Sharon). They invited us for dinner, thinking it would be easier to bring Dad to their house instead of home, that would just be way too hard on him. You've never seen so much food!!! Turkey, ham, sausage and kraut, potatoes, noodles, 2 dressings, corn, cranberries, parsnips... It goes on and on! It was just a delicious Thanksgiving feast. Jim and Sharon, our gracious hosts and awesome cooks!

Dining room table.

Family room table.

Dad and I - the best thing to be thankful for!

Dad and Dick.

Mom and daughter-in-law Kim.

Grandpa and son Chad. Thank you Chad and Kim for putting this day together. It was wonderful.

After dinner, we pulled into the drive at daughter Amanda's home. The kids came out to see Great-Grandpa and some even crawled right into the car! Dad with little Caroline, he just loves to hold her.

Amanda climbed over the front seats to get to Grandpa and Grandma.

Son-in-law Greg and our Gannon! Gannon was the first one to the car with big hugs for everyone.

Then it was time to go back and a quiet sadness came over Dad. Dick did get him to race with the wheelchairs before we had to leave. I held his hand and we talked about what we had to be thankful for, we shed a few tears, and made promises to see each other tomorrow. It was a blessed day, to be able to spend the afternoon away from the nursing home and together.

Now, tomorrow it's time to get back to work! Our annual tree lighting is at 6 p.m. across from the shop. Then on Saturday and Sunday our annual Dicken's Festival gets in full swing. If you've never been to Holly to experience this, come on down! There will be entertainment from 1-6 on both Saturday and Sunday (for 3 weekends). The merchants and volunteers have worked very hard to keep this going in these hard economic times. Stroll the streets of Holly, take a romantic carriage ride, browse through our unique shops, have an intimate lunch and come see me at Holly Hills Primitives!

Bless you all on this Thanksgiving night!

Until next time...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

Well, this is Thanksgiving Eve and I'm wondering how many of you are getting your table set, cooking, baking and just getting everything in place for your special day. Some of you probably have your Christmas lights turned on, soft music playing and a yummy candle burning.
This year will be quite a change for us, but I am thankful. We will be dining at my daughter-in-law's parents' home and we will be spending the time with my dad. This has been a LONG year, but we are still all together and there is nothing more important than our family.
Looking back over the year has been a time to count our blessings. Yes, Dad had the stroke, but at least he is still with us. We had two new babies added to our family, Caroline and Lucy. We have our other grandchildren: Gannon, Abbey, Jack, Ellie, and Sydney. All of our children are healthy and safe with homes of their own. We are in the process of setting up housekeeping in our new home, which is very cozy and warm. We are able to help make Mom's life a little easier. My dog (Rosie) is still one of my best friends. My husband is still the best there ever was. AND I've had a chance to get acquainted with a lot of new friends in blogland. So, yes there's a lot of blessings to count.
I hope all of you have a wonderful day and don't forget to count your own blessings!
Until next time...

THANKSGIVING SOLUTION...

Good Monday evening gals. Just got home from The Little House and I'm ready to hit the couch. This old cold has seemed to have gotten the better of me over the weekend. We did get some things accomplished while we were there, but not as much as I had hoped.
Our Gannon (grandson) went up with us and I always love to have him! He is truly a joy!
Sunday morning my friend Debbie came over and we made "ice skate lamps" and I just love the way they turned out. I'll be having them in the shop before the weekend - hooray! Her hubby, Kenny, went to town with Dick and Gannon and then they went to pick some rose hips for us - bless their hearts!
Sunday afternoon, Dick took Gannon into the pier to try their hands at catching white fish. What a peaceful afternoon and evening! I put on some beautiful music and pulled out the decorations. I got the tree up and a minimal amount of other goodies, but just loved the feel when it was all done. I had a pot roast cooking on the stove, the candles lit and just enjoyed the first "alone" time I've had in a long time. I took a couple pictures, but couldn't figure out how to take the flash off!
This morning Dick and Gannon went into the woods to gather some greens for our front picket. I wanted to go so bad, but just wasn't up to it. We still need to finish the outside of the house, but it will have to wait for another weekend. The Little House with the beginnings of holiday decor!

Our little electric fireplace. My dad built this mantel for me a few years ago and it means the world to me. Sure does cozy up the living room.

Living room windowsill. I put a few things out, but may change it out next time we go up.

When we got there Saturday night, our old friend Harley (the neighbor dog) had to come to visit. He has been visiting for 8 years now and we all just love him. Gannon was thrilled to see him again.

Our neighbor's grandson, Austin, was up visiting also, so the boys got a chance to get reacquainted and throw a football around for awhile.

Got lots done, but had to take quite a few breaks. Trying to get everything ready for our visit with Connie and Rick next month! We are all looking forward to an old-fashioned "after Christmas" celebration - together!

This being Thanksgiving week, I hope you all take time to count your blessings. I never want to take all of my blessings for granted - the biggest being my family. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law! Kim's parents invited us to their home this year so we are able to bring my Dad. I couldn't bear the thought of him sitting in that nursing home for the holiday and this is the perfect solution. Kim's mom, Sharon, fills in at the shop for me and we have known each other now for 23 years! There will only be eight of us for dinner, adults only, and it will be so wonderful to share that time with Dad! The other kids may drop in to say "hello" and have dessert after they have their dinners at other parent's and in-laws homes. There are no words to express what a blessing Jim and Sharon are this year - it will truly be a wonderful Thanksgiving.

I hope all of you are having fun planning, cooking, shopping and preparing for your special day.

Until next time...