I know! Shock and awe! I finally made it back to my blog site after about a 3-week hiatus. You might guess that I am looking to avoid doing something else, and you would be correct in assuming that, except that I have already started doing the deed and have only stopped to take a break for lunch. All the parcels have been shipped out or delivered. I made all my Christmas cards this year and have most of them in the mail. The stocking stuffers are wrapped and most of the stuff that I made is packaged, except for the baking which I hope to start next week. This week is all about the decorating.
   On Saturday I made it outside to begin hanging some lights. Lights really prettify the house...takes the attention away from the unpainted shutters and fencing and the dead dry vegetation that I didn't cut down this fall like I wanted to. Add a little white stuff to the mix, and it might even look Christmas-y. Afterwards, I came inside to warm up with a hot shower and a cup of hot tea and waited for the girls to come pick me up at 4 o'clock We were on our way to Napanee to watch their Santa Claus parade. We needed to find a good parking spot, do a little window shopping  and eat dinner downtown before the parade began. Downtown Napanee is a beautiful backdrop to the parade. The building fronts are covered in solid coloured lights from the roof to the sidewalk. But ask me if I remembered to bring my camera. I did not.
     Yesterday I began decorating the living room (except for the tree) and I hung a few things in the kitchen. I have not done a cleaning yet. I cleared a few cobwebs aside and cleared and wiped down the surfaces that I was going to decorate; but there is no sense in cleaning floors just yet. I have pieces of fake evergreen and tinsel everywhere, so I will wait until the dining room is finished, which  I started this morning. I figure it will take me at least 2 solid days to do it up. I need to pack up all my craft supplies because I will not be using them now until sometime late in January. The dining room table (and floor) is also where I have been wrapping and preparing for shipping. The only surface not covered with paper, glitter, tools, glue, etc., is the mantel, which was covered until I cleared it off to decorate this morning. The photos above are very grainy...sorry about that. It could be the dust I suppose. So no more procrastinating. I need to get back to the job at hand. Bye for now.