Actually, I have 2 more days to prepare for Christmas … [Fingers Crossed – but I think we’re looking okay!]   Just a few more items to purchase, projects to complete and gifts to wrap.  And get through an ER nursing weekend.  It’s all good!  We’ll be ready to start the celebrations on Christmas Eve …

I’d say I can’t complain too much, as we just got back from Paradise.  With special thanks to our youngest son for keeping the household together, DH and I managed to escape for several days …

Which was wonderful, and a much needed break.  Once we wrap up Christmas, I have to buckle down with some additional work competencies (because twice a year isn’t enough!?!)  Thank you, Epic software!  But that’s next week …

We’ve been doing a bit of cooking, now that we’re home:  I finally got around to making Sweet Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese & Thyme (so yummy!); We tried our hand at making Pineapple Mango Coleslaw (we had it in Jamaica and it was amazing … unfortunately ours did not turn out as well, but it’s pretty!);

And, we cooked up the (frozen) Thanksgiving turkey carcass for broth and made a sort of clean-the-fridge-of-all-vegetables, enormous stock pot of soup.  DH calls it Meatloaf Soup (although it has no meat in it)! With green and purple cabbage, carrots, red onion, corn, peas, green beans, snap peas, cauliflower, pinto and white beans, scallion, garlic and crushed tomatoes, along with a healthy dash of many herbs … GOOD STUFF! [Loosely based on Turkey Carcass Soup recipes …]

I’ll leave with a few photos of some of our handmade gifts this year (double knitting and fused glass items):

I’ll touch base once I’m producing in the studio again … Merry Christmas y’all!