Bits & Pieces & the Ya Ya Sisters

Christmas Eve sunrise in my backyard this morning - isn't it pretty? The only thing is if you believe that old wive's tale "red sky in the morning sailors take warning," we must be in for some nasty weather. The forecast for tonight and tomorrow isn't good, but at least by the time it hits we'll all be tucked in at home safe and sound.



And then this little lady came to feed at my birdfeeders this morning. She's been hanging around for several weeks now, coming every morning about 9:30 and again around 4:00 to feed. I've seen her mate only once - he's so handsome. I hope nothing has happened to him. But maybe he's being a typical male and is holed up back at "the cabin" and she's hauling all the groceries home to feed him.



My Grandma Sofie's Christmas cactus is blooming. Yup - it belonged to my grandmother who gave it to my mother who gave it to me. It's about three feet in diameter, so finding a good place for it to live can sometimes be difficult since I don't have a huge living room or dining room. It goes on a camping trip every spring when the weather warms enough and vacations outside all summer until the temps get down into the 40s in the fall. About the time it starts to set buds it's time to bring it in so it can become spectacular for the holiday season. The old gal never lets me down. Unfortunately when this picture was taken it wasn't in its full glory yet. There are a ton of buds that will open over the next several weeks, and then it will shoot out flowers off and on for the remainder of the winter. I've repotted it once in all the years I've had it, and it's so huge now that Ole has to hoist it around for me. I wonder just how old it is.


And here it is Christmas Eve. I KNEW it was coming, but I did't think it was coming this quick. Why am I always behind the eight-ball anyway. And then I choose to sit here in front of my computer wishing all you folks a Merry Christmas when I should be out there fixing food and finishing wrapping presents. Oh, well, that goes to show all of you just how important you are to me.

Last time I wrote I was looking forward to my get-together with my old school girlfriends - you know - the ones that all started first grade together and graduated high school together. Well, us Ya-Ya Sisters met last Wednesday night at the home of one of the gals. And we had the BEST time - even more fun that the first time we got together. Some of us brought pictures and we hooted and hollered until our stomach muscles were sore. We have so many connections over all those years - same boyfriends, same teachers, some of the same life experiences. Several of us had other commitments later in the evening so we called it quits about 7 o'clock, but it was really hard to leave. So we'll do it again sometime the end of January. Then I'll get a picture of what we all look like now - I promise.

I'm going to sign off now - wishing all of you a Merry Christmas. May you all enjoy it with your friends, families and fur babies. I've got to get cookin'!!