Home for the Holidays
Last night we attended our annual neighborhood Christmas dinner. The neighbor around the corner hosts it every year and invites most everyone on his block plus us. He makes the ham and bread and we all bring side dishes and desserts. Every room in his house has a Christmas tree and tables are set up all over the house. The children run through us playing and laughing as we sit around the tables chatting about our latest adventures. To me it feels like an old-fashioned family Christmas. We live in an older neighborhood where each home is different and all of them have beautiful wood trim and interesting little rooms here and there. I so enjoy all our neighbors and the evening is one we look forward to all year.

After dinner we all bundle up and start out on our home tour. We walk from house to house to see how each of us has decorated this year and what changes we've made to our homes during the year. Some houses are the same year after year, but there is always somebody who has painted a room, remodeled or purchased new furniture. This year one of the teenaged daughters treated us to harp music to show what she has learned this year. We have one new neighbor who spiced up the tour with their beautiful home, and Colin was very excited to show everybody the new art he had posted in his room.

The tour finished, we headed back to the host's home for dessert and coffee. His daughter and her boyfriend played the guitar and sang Mexican Christmas songs to us while we feasted on cheesecake and spice cake. Four hours later we all went home to our clean and decorated homes. What a wonderful way to start the week of Christmas!!