Merry Christmas!

 I hope all of you make precious memories this Christmas.

This is not my best "looking" Christmas but sometimes you have to let your desire
for the perfect holiday go and just enjoy the moment.

 I bought a new tree this year...off Ebay and after buying; read in the details that it could
take as long as 15 days to arrive...and it did.

By the time I got the tree...my schedule was full of work and parties and no time for decorating.

So this year...I just have a tree up with lights and no ornaments and until about two hours ago...

my mantel had pumpkins and fall leaves on it!

I did finally a little before midnight on Christmas Eve quickly create a simple Winter Scene.

But it's ok....

Cause today was a great day. My life long friend, Pam came to visit with her husband and son from Memphis.

I only get to see them once or twice a year. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then
spent the afternoon running around doing last minute shopping
which included both Target and a large super market.

And it was a great day ending in seeing a few Christmas lights around town as we raced back
to my house so that they could get on to their family celebration
and I could get over to a friend's house.

It was so fun for me to be out shopping with my friends on Christmas Eve.

I rarely get to shop with anyone. I usually shop alone. So it was really a treat.

Laughing and remembering the past good times we've all had together.

After saying good bye...

My friend Petra and I threw together a dinner of snacks, cheese and wine.

Her boyfriend was also in attendance.

Very spontaneous and yet just right.

via

While there I made

Cranberry Salsa 

using a recipe from a friend at work

it's similar to the one linked above but I used a little different ingredients.

see below

Fresh Cranberries

Green Onions

Ginger

lime juice

fresh jalapenos 

and a little sugar.

I made it at Petra's cause I don't have a food processor.

Then I came home and wrapped presents while listening to my favorite 

Christmas CDs.

I haven't had time to do that at all till this night.

After that  - I went to wash my face and burnt the crap out of my skin and eyes

for although I'd washed my hands several times since making the salsa...

there was still plenty of jalapeno on my hands to burn myself.

It really hurt! Skin burning...eyes burning and every time I went to rinse using my hands
it just seemed to put more jalapeno on me.

I now have coconut oil spread all over my face and am hoping those jalapenos don't 

cause my skin to peel!

Now

Dogs are all sleeping around me as I type this and even though

the tree is not decorated and the mantel is thrown together and the Christmas pillows never

got put out...it will still be a Christmas to remember.

I hope your's is too.

Nita and Pam
Christmas 2014