Busy, Busy, Busy This Holiday Season

I have been so busy since the move I haven't had time to do much of anything.  I am still in the midst of unpacking boxes and STILL looking over things to get rid of.  I did take some time out to make a day trip to Apple Hill and pick up some of the most wonderful pears!  I have cooking with pears every since, lots of pear crisp and I think I may be doing some pear butter or preserves-haven't decided yet. 

I am all finished with classes this year except for my contemporary journal ending class next month.  So much to catch up on.  In the last month or soI have taken a Wizard of Oz Book, a Tim Holtz like book necklace, and yesterday I took a class, the perpetual claendar.  The pictures are the class samples as I have not completed my calendar yet, and the Wizard of Oz book I haven't taken pictures yet, when I do I will post the picture.

 

I have all my Christmas shopping done and am now on to the sewing part.  Not a great deal to do, just need to get it done!  This Friday while everyone is out shopping, I will be putting up the tree and start baking the Christmas cookies.  I have managed to fit in a little junking/thrift store shopping, which I swore I wouldn't do again while I was moving as I had so much junk that I had accumulted that I couldn't imagine wanting or needing anything else!  In the end I took five van loads to the thrift store and I am still dejunking.  This move has taught me to be very selctive as to what I do buy now, and also to have a really good idea where the "thing" is going so that I don't just buy because "I like it" but ultimately have no place for it.   During the move I found thirty five bins of Christmas "stuff", which I will be going through, keeping very little and letting the kids have the pick.  Everything else will be going!  I also manged to ship the Thanksgiving package off to the grandsons, sooooo one more thing off the list to do!    I am keeping myself busy, but more relaxed this year.  I decided I would avoid as much of the commercialism of the holidays as possible.  For now, the big turkey is defrosting in the frig-waiting to be put on the barbecue on Thursday, all the supplies are ready for the big feast and family will be arriving-truly a wonderful time of year.