Greetings, dear readers!
Well, I have had a hard time getting in the mood and "mode" for Christmas. However my darling niece Emileigh has spent a couple of days with me, and I am feeling much more festive already!
We first went shopping together, for her Christmas gift...(goodness! It has been FOREVER since I've bought GIRL clothes, let alone such TINY sizes! The girl's a twig I tell you!) Anyway, lots of fun mixing and matching and accessorizing.
THEN we planned a craft day to work on whatever we wanted...and watch Christmas musicals all day! (Hubby dear was gone for the day, so we had no "hecklers"...at least, not until the end of the evening!) First, we watched and sang along with White Christmas...as Bing and Rosemary Clooney were crooning the finale (White Christmas) and we were ogling the gorgeous costumes (those waistlines! OH MY GOODNESS! Such TINY waistlines!) we both announced simultaneously: "NOW it's Christmas!"
\Speaking of adorable costumes, get a load of these two darlings! Em and her sister Aria...a "few" years ago!
What sweeties! Em is one of the most well read, well traveled people I know...her young 19 years not withstanding! An amazing girl with equally amazing compassion and convictions. I am thrilled to say she is my niece!
We then watched "The Holiday" ( *I* was "ooohing" and "ahhhing" over the cottage in the Costwolds...SHE was "ooohing" and "ahhhing" over Jude Law. The man IS beautiful, is he not?) I LOVE the character both he and Jack Black play in the movie.
THEN we watched and sang along with the Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine is extraordinary as Scrooge...and the genius of Jim Henson and his team of muppeteers makes for clever and funny dialogue throughout the movie! Kermit as Bob Cratchett and his nephew "Robin": sweet little frog as Tiny Tim...who could resist?
The above scene is from the 1933 version of the film...I really like the newer, contemporary film with Susan Sarandon and countless other stars. Seeing the costumes in color makes the movie so much more real and rich, don't you think?
Sadly, darling niece is off to Michigan today on yet another leg of her journey. Staying with grandmother and fam until the new year...at which time she'll be back HERE for an overnight! YAY!
If you think of it, please say a prayer for Em, her sister Aria and my sister Pam and her husband John. This is their first Christmas apart. Pam, John and Aria are working in Africa...and Emileigh is here in the states going to college in Springfield, MO. It will be a strange Christmas for us all. My kids are not able to come home this year either, nor can we go to see them. It'll be just me, Hubby Dear and Webster. Here's this year's Christmas card:
Hugs,
Paula Clare
