It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas?

Well, not really! I still don't have the tree up, or any lights up---I got lights to put in the front arched windows---I figured putting them inside will be just as good, and easier to deal with plugging them in, unplugging them, etc. I got some of the lovely 3M hooks to put them up with, and just have to get busy and do it. I also have a string to put outside around the front door. I figure the little bolts for the hurricane shutters will help support them at the top of the arch, and I think all that segment of wall is smooth enough to use the 3M clips, and so will finish with them! Just a case of doing it!

The sun room is now as rearranged as it is going to get for a while! I finished the boxes I had planned on doing, and then realized that I wasn't sure what was in the ones along the inside wall--I might have mentioned this before? Anyway, I did go through them, and although I didn't find any of the things I was specifically looking for, I did find a number of things that I was wondering about, so it was all good. Also, that got more boxes out of the way, which is always good! A bunch of the packing paper got used up in getting boxes ready to mail (with Christmas presents inside!), and the rest is further back in the sun room, well out of sight. Mickey still enjoys playing in it, I think she likes to play "big kitty in the jungle" in it! So, I will leave that for a while! The rest of the boxes, etc, have been rearranged to allow/make the most room available for Christmas tree placement, so it is good. We had rain today, so I decided early on that it (the tree) will wait till tomorrow or Monday, whichever seems best later on!

A good bit of the afternoon was spent watching Mount Union College, alma mater of Anne and me, win the Division 3 football championship---the Stagg Bowl, in VA-- for the 8th time in the past 13 years! I did try to tape it, thought I had taped it, despite Mike's VCR/DVD player acting funny. I checked the tape at the end of the game, to find that even though I had stopped the tape and changed the channel, the VCR didn't change when I changed it, and so it taped the wrong programs. Oh well. I had hoped to have a copy, since they won and did a nice job. It makes me glad we watched most of the game. I don't know what the deal was with the VCR. It was like the whole thing was frozen, somehow--wouldn't eject the tape, couldn't turn off the machine, etc. I ended up changing the batteries in the remote and unplugging and replugging the VCR, and then it would behave again. Too bad I didn't think to do that before the game came on. Oh well.

Since it kindly didn't rain all day, Mike spent some time outside getting some of the hurricane shutters taken down and stored in the garage! It will be nice to have a clear view outside again---although they really are great--letting in plenty of light and letting one see well enough, if not perfectly. He will get those finished up another time.

The roofers were supposed to come today, but I guess because of the rain, they didn't. Not that I blame them. Even if it was a good idea to work on the roof in the rain, the steepness of the roof would have made it a totally unsafe project, and not one we would countenance. It would have been nice weather otherwise, I see that it is still 71 degrees at 7 p.m. Hurrah! We are expecting more 60's though. Still, I won't complain.

There is still a week. The only real progress I have made is having finished my shopping, having everything wrapped, and having some of my cards out. At least the room is fixed up for the tree, once I get around to it. I do want to do a little bit of baking this year, at the very least, Anne is pining for some Caramel Corn-- Jo's recipe-- which we love! I have all the things I need to make it, so will have to get with it! I want to make fudge, too. Well, it will get done eventually!