what I did not manage to accomplish for Christmas

Christmas cut out sugar cookies.

Chocolate chip cookies with red & green M&Ms.

Raspberry thumb print cookies.

Pot of gumbo.

Fresh cranberry garland for the Christmas tree.

Cranberry bread.

What I did manage to accomplish:

Two days on the couch with a heating pad under my neck.

My neck seized while I was engaged in the complicated arm pretzel yoga pose known as "brushing hair into a downward bun." Crick in the neck sounds deceptively minor, doesn't it?

The other thing I accomplished, which was quite wonderful, was to curl up on the playroom pull out couch with my twin-daughters-as-book-ends watching Brittany Murphy in Love and Other Disasters. Cute, cute, cute movie.

Also? My daughters taught me how to watch my Netflix instant queue on the big screen TV via the Wii. Now there are three words I hadn't heard of back when my girlies were born.

Hope you are all enjoying a very Merry, very restful and very pain free Christmas day!

magical memories of christmas eve

Sneaking out of bed on Christmas eve, sliding behind the living room sofa, hiding and waiting to see Santa come down the chimney. Lucky for me I was lying on a hardwood floor beneath a window with a down draft. I climbed back in bed to get warm and fell asleep. Santa was safe for another few years.

Watching my aunt, who was visiting from the south, make footprints out of fireplace ash so that my younger brother and sister would see proof that Santa had come down the chimney. I loved the almost grown up feeling of being behind the curtain. And I loved my aunt and my grandmother. I was so glad they came to spend the holidays with us.

My brothers and I begging and begging our mom to let us open just one present, please, please, please and her finally giving in. Testing each present, trying to decide which one would be the most fun.

Driving home from midnight mass. We lived in the country and passed miles of flat fields and farmland. We were listening to the radio and heard the announcer say that Santa was officially in flight. I remember looking out of the car window, up at the dark sky, hoping to catch a glimpse. I saw a shooting star. I just knew that was a spark from Santa's sleigh.

How about you, readers? What are your magical holiday memories?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year.

plowed under

Not with the cold, white stuff, unfortunately. Wouldn't mind trading in for some of that. No, I'm plowed under with the post-holiday residue.

You know, the ...

crumpled wrapping paper, didn't quite make it into black garbage bag

empty shirt boxes

pile of truffle wrappers, embarrassingly large

dried orange peelings

sweater-too-small-no-receipt-don't-know-what-to-do-with-it

pine needles

fireplace ash

crocheted afghan crumpled on floor, displaced by new, plush snuggle throw

digital watch instructions, printed so small, impossible to read

lost gift card, lost gift receipt, lost mind

It didn't always look like this.

Promise.

Happy Holidays-Almost-Over, bloggy friends!

capitol lights and luminaria nights

We took the kids downtown for some old fashioned Christmas carolling to the grounds of the state Capitol building. We gathered for The Capitol Tree Lighting and Holiday Sing-Along hosted by John Aielli (pronounced Eeely). Aielli's daily morning program, EKLEKTIKOS, on the local public radio, KUT, is broadcast from the University of Texas. It's one of my favorite programs because you never know what Aielli will play. Classical, folk, jazz, rock, and international selections from Sweden to New Zealand. He also interviews musicians who are playing locally so listeners can get a sampling of live music shows around town. It was a treat to not only have John Aielli host the Sing-Along, but to also sing along with John Aielli.

A snapshot inside the Capitol, looking up to the top of the rotunda:

The lighted tree on the south side of the Capitol, facing Congress Avenue.

Another night, we went to see the Luminations display at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Thousands of lighted ornaments lined walkways, meandered down cedar arbors, sat atop limestone rock walls, simple and luminous. There's something so gratifying about a multitude of candles in the night, especially outdoors.

For more pictures with better views of the Wildflower Center, click here.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays from my Texas home to yours.