Happy New Year 2016

Wonderful week with family and more family.  We spent the week just being with each other.  No pressure, no over scheduling, didn’t even play golf. We were relaxed and happy to be together.  As I wrote on my Facebook page – the recipe for a perfect Christmas is 3 Dogs, 3 Cats, 2 Children + 1 Love, 2 Grandchildren,  and 2 Parents all together.  The good news is that the puppy needs to be walked so walk we did.  This helped him and it certainly helped us.  I actually did 38 miles this week.  A little short of my goal but considering all that was going on pretty darn good.  Our daughters gifted us with a photo shoot on Christmas Eve with a wonderful photographer, Marci Andrade Decker.  The photo of all of us and the one of John and me at the end are by her.  So many beautiful pictures to choose from.  Thank you Katie and Margot and Marci!

Everyone took turns cooking a meal and everyone helped clean-up.  Jack is learning to drive so he was the chauffeur when on the island.  We ate out a few meals just to give everyone a break but only at our local pub.  We didn’t worry about what we were eating except to make sure it was the best quality we could find and that it was all cooked and served with a great deal of love.  That was the best part of having different cooks in the kitchen.  Each meal turned out to be the best.  John made his signature shrimp dish, Margot and Hadley made their special pasta and Caesar Salad, Katie created a pork tenderloin that was fabulous, Libby made the pecan breakfast muffins, Lulu made a smoked sausage and cheese grits brunch casserole that was a surprising hit, and Jack helped eat everything in the kitchen.  Well, he is 15 and a growing boy!!!!

We added a 1000 piece puzzle to the mix and each of us took turns working on it.  It is still not finished but it was a terrific way to spend some down time working together on a common task.  We somehow managed to live around the puzzle.  Even the puppy, whose tail wags all the time, managed to only chew on one piece and the piece was saved from destruction if a slight bit worn.  We had a close call with one of the cats when Portia jumped up on the table but we managed to save the day and didn’t lose any of the work that had been done.  We had a good laugh when all of us were in the living room and Sir Toby wanted to get into the kitchen but there were people and dogs in the way.  He just walked right up onto Buckingham and right over him and into the kitchen.  I have never seen a cat do that before and Toby was not brought up with all these other animals.

We have experienced an incredibly warm week here in South Carolina and that means fog, and lots of it.  Almost mystical to go for a walk in the morning and go into the marsh on the long dock and get lost in the mist.  I do not like the humidity but I do like the lack of snow and slush and all that other stuff that we usually get up north.  Everyone said they couldn’t remember a Christmas holiday where everyone was so relaxed.  I like the sounds of that.  Maybe the warm weather, maybe being in a new place, life is just easier here and not having to worry about snow storms and ice storms and all that entails just might be a bit more relaxing.  The entire East Coast has been warm but my guess it won’t be for long.

Had a little bit of fun with a new app and I decided to try it with a couple of interesting Christmas photos.  Santa Claus moved our Christmas Tree from the sun porch into the living room.  Not sure how he got it through the slider because the tree was definitely wider than the doorway but he did.  The one on the right is taken through what my grand daughter calls the most annoying wreath ever – it is made of multi-colored bells and jingles every time the door is opened or closed.  This is looking out to the patio and you can see the pumpkin that is just fine sitting quite proudly on the table.  Am waiting for my brother and sister-in-law to arrive from Toronto for a quick overnight visit on their way to Florida.  My brother has never been here so I am glad he will get a chance to see it.

I am not thinking about the rest of the week as I know it will be busy putting this house to bed and ready for the renters and packing us up to go back north.  My aunt used to be able to compartmentalize things and if she didn’t want to think about something she put it away somewhere until she was ready to think about it.  I don’t have that gift but I am trying to learn how to do it.  I think my sister is able to.  It is a gift.

Have a wonderful week everyone.  The New Year is coming and with it all manner of opportunities to get healthy and active.  I will resume with some helpful hints then but in the meantime just enjoy yourself to the fullest.  You are enough!!!

Louise