Holiday Festivities

YES.....I'm actually doing two blogs in one day as I have some catching up to do. This past weekend has been very busy and it is nice to take a day and just "kick back" as Pam and Rob called it. They, too, are relaxing today.

Thursday Arlene and I went over to Pam and Rob's for breakfast and then helped them cook some dishes to take to the Thanksgiving dinner. We left their house at 2pm and got back home around 6pm. The food was excellent.

The next morning, Arlene and I had to meet over at Pam's to go to breakfast and then head for the Holiday Christmas Fair. It was a huge fair with lots of crafts. I got a wooden mini-moose for my island rail in the kitchen, a jar of home-made strawberry-rhubarb jam; and a jar of beeswax creme for lips or other dry skin problems. Arlene and Pam each got a few things. Then we went to Smashing Burgers for lunch. After lunch, we headed for Pam's to decorate her house for Christmas. Rob refused to put up the big tree this year as this is a chore he isn't crazy about having to do. We compromised with him and did a smaller tree. ( notice Pam's cats under the tree). Rob spent the afternoon canning pasta sauce while the women in his life put up decorations. Their home looks beautiful, as you can see by the pictures.

Around 6PM we jumped in the car for a ride. Rob took Arlene and I down to Old Town....the original downtown of Fort Collins. That area is gorgeous at any time of year as it has a tree-lined center strip down the middle of the main street. Right now, every tree in Old Town is decorated in white lights and all the store fronts are decorated. Rob rounded a corner into what is called The Square. He found a parking place as no cars go into the Square. It's a cool place for walkers, concerts, ice skaters, Santa's work shop....and REAL reindeer. As we got out of the car it had started to snow, so with all the white lights, the snow, and the reindeer......"it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas". The reindeer were a surprise to all of us. The square area is a very unique part of Old Town as it most of Old Town....lots of little shops, pubs, places to eat (inside and outside) ......places you won't find in other parts of Fort Collins. Reminds me a lot of the Old Port back home in Portland. We finally ended up in a pub for dinner....excellent food. Home-made applesauce and home-made chicken pot pit graced my plate. They even make their own root beer and gingerale. Arlene had the root beer. Rob had what you'd expect to drink in a pub with his black bean burrito. Pam had brisket and Arlene had a turkey burger. We watched the snow falling from inside the pub and it really looked Christmassy....but it was cold when we went outside.

The next morning I landed at Pam's at 10 am for her CM Open House. She had her tables all set up and most of her sale items were out before I got there. Rob went skiing early in the morning so I'm assuming Pam did most of the set-up herself. I stayed to help until about 3-4 in the afternoon......she had had several customers throughout the day and wrapped up around 5pm as hubby was coming in from his day on the slopes.

I'd say we all deserve a day off today after our eventful weekend. Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving and your Christmas plans are right on schedule. I still have to address my cards and wrap my stocking gifts...but that's another day.