Monday, 12/26/22

Monday: Another few days of freezing temperatures at night. Baked a cherry-berry pie, made mashed potatoes, roasted honey carrots and baked a spiral cut ham for our December 26th dinner. We also cleaned, laundry, picked up! Making pie filling with corn starch:

Homemade pie crusts:

Unbaked pie:

Ford and AA love this pie (Cherry and Raspberry):

Baked!

Tuesday: Donna cleaned house so AA got her flu shot (finally), then to the GCS Coffee Shop (AA tried the Eggnog Latte), Library, bought Christmas wrapping paper at Michael's.

After dropping Ginger off at the groomers, off to V's Pizza for lunch.

Went to the River House (no one else available), enjoyed our time together.

Wednesday: Ford went to his Eye Dr. Green - he is having problems with his left eye, so another appointment with Dr. P. next Tuesday. Ford and I went to Metro Diner for breakfast, then visited with Larry Bradley (took him some ham). I made a pasta salad to take to Marsha's tomorrow (meal before the trolley ride). Ford did the grocery shopping. 

AA and I made Gingerbread cookie dough, in the refrigerator ready to be baked in the morning.

Thursday: Baked gingerbread cookies. Drove to Marsha's for our early dinner (Publix subs, Potato soup) then a ride on the Trolley, St. Augustine, to see the Nights of Lights (separate post).

We opened a box of gifts from my Mom in the morning. Lots of fun stuff including more canned pumpkin!

Friday: Drove to Nana Joy's. Took ham, can of pumpkin, champagne and some of Liv's and AA's cookies.

In Okeechobee for Saturday and Sunday: Happy New Year! See separate post.

Tiffany thanked us for the Maine whoopie pies:

St. Augustine Nights of Lights - Trolley Ride

Leaa organized a fun family time for us, a total of 25 of us on the trolley! In addition to our local family of Leaa, Jesse, Liv (and boyfriend Tristen), Dylan, Nicole, Jordan, Mila, Avery, Travis, Cara, Miles, Pearl, Carl, Marsha and the three of us - Marsha's sister Cherie and her son Ross with fiancé Sheryl, Katie, Barrett, Stella and Carter.

Cool but not freezing weather!
Group photo taken by our driver, Sharon:

Christmas Celebrations

Saturday, 24th, Carolyn came over and went shopping with Alyzabeth, and we all went to the 3:00 p.m. Christmas Eve church service (OPUMC).

Ready for Christmas morning!

Sunday, 25th: Opened gifts under our tree, enjoyed a breakfast of hash browns, eggs, sausage baked in a muffin tin. Then off to Cara's for appetizers and drinks, then to Leaa's for Italian dinner, then to Marsha's for desserts. Ford bought me (us) a new food processor - our "Little Oscar" food processor is 37 years old (wedding gift from my Mom and Dad) is beginning to decline - smelling smoke from the motor when we use it.

Breakfast: mini-casserole in a muffin tin, pineapple, bacon and apple cider.

AA and Ginger (new red harness):

Terri's homemade Maine ornament:

Frozen plants - sprinkler system is set for Sunday's in the winter and we forgot to turn it off.

New ornaments: Painted by Marsha and a fund-raising ornament for Ian's family.

Old plastic ornaments from Nana Redmond's tree:

New ornaments from Terri and Melissa:

At Leaa's home: Fire pit was a warm spot on this freezing day.

Leaa made a Sheet Pan Panzanella as a side dish - Eat as vegetarian main dish or with a main meat dish. Yum!

Our meatballs and spaghetti sauce:

Wonderful family Christmas!

Christmas Gifts 2022

Merry Christmas! We received many gifts from family and friends. We enjoyed our family gatherings in St. Augustine and wish we could have been with family in Maine.
Michelle: River House Bartender. Coozies RH.

Donna: Pointsetta, Gator Hat for AA; Blue dog treats for Ginger.

Bill/Joan: Honey Baked turkey, two sides and carrot cake.
Charlie and Donna Perry: In our honor, a donation to FUMCH.
Marsha and Carl: Champagne, painted ornament, hand painted tag/ornament. Rapid Rumble game (AA).
Cathy and Werner: Gift card for AA ($125).
Leaa/Jesse: 2023 Planner. Vaseline Rosy lips. Large tic tac toe, photos of Grands.
Nicole/Jordan: Blue blanket/throw. Two Thermos travel tumblers.

Justin: Lottery tickets, Kilee shopped for JK - each girl got a Squishmallow (Rie)!

Kilee: Two Starbuck water tumblers, Starbuck coffee, chap stick for all, silly Christmas socks for all, facial mask, two hairclips, travel tumbler for AA.

Mom/Nana Ann: LL Bean beach towel. Two black LL Bean LS T-shirts for FM. Two LL Bean tops for AA and AC (returning, too small). Maple syrup. Two cans pumpkin, UNO mini game, DownEast subscription, Cat's Cradle string game. DQ gift card.

Terri: Homemade Maine ornament, Maine puzzle, Portland Headlight ornament, Maine tic tac toe game board.

Melissa: Two LSL beach towels, Xmas mini lights, three wine bottle stoppers, Teva sandals, Maine 2022 ornament, wine kitchen towel. And two boxes arrived after Christmas (to be opened).

Auntie Jean Money for AA $5. 

Carolyn: Lasagna, Metro Diner gift card. Walmart gift card (AA), Movie "Holes". Homemade hot cocoa mix regular and peppermint; peanut butter fudge, chocolates, hand soap.

We gave Alyzabeth her High School "letter" jacket (leather and felt); a putter cover personalized, a golf towel personalized, backgammon game, carry-on luggage, life preserver, ice cream scoops, plus multi-packs of root beer in her stocking and many small items. AA gave me a paint by number, puzzle and leggings. She gave her Daddy 

The best gifts we gave was a Fresh Water Fishing License Lifetime to Kilee, L.L. Bean hats to eight relatives in Maine, plus recycled/upcycled fingerless gloves. We did help the Maine economy more by buying eight jars of blueberry jam, and sending whoopie pies to the Morge family, Deimund family and Cara/Travis Smith family. Ford bought the Florida guys personalized beer pint glasses (two each) and wifi cameras (that go in a bulb socket). I bought from Maine cousin Molly Campbell, eight earrings for my Florida ladies (one pair went to me).

Week Before Christmas

Monday: Ford had his second (left) eye cataract removed.

AA had her first final, AICE Christmas party and then went to the library to finish her school team project with Kevin and Siyan. She received her semester Chemistry grade and was happy it was an "A"! She had a few B's in the Q2; her final pulled it up! 

Ford rested all day, I wrapped gifts and made spaghetti for dinner (and one of our favorite "bag/kit" salads).

Catching up on Maine family news: Melissa and Mom visited with Hilary yesterday. Photos of Hilary's property with RV and new "shed" (soon to be her work/office).

Tuesday: Ford went to his "day after surgery" appointment.

We have our family Christmas plans settled and will be taking a batch of Ford's meatballs to Leaa's on the 25th. We will buy Sweet Sensation outlaw chicken salad for our meet up at Leaa's on the 23rd (Friday). Ford and I went to the grocery, made 120 meatballs, picked up AA from her school (at 10:45 a.m.) and took a nap! 

While AA studied for her last final (Spanish), we took canned goods to the River House and enjoyed some wine while the wind and rain continued outside. We gave a card/gift of money to Michelle and she gifted us with two can coozies of the RH (she had custom made up).

Made bruschetta for dinner and was able to all go to bed on time!

Wednesday: AA's last day of school; out on winter break! Ford's left eye is taking a little longer to heal, but he is seeing fine. He picked AA up from school and they ran some errands and shopped. I finished wrapping gifts.

We did not go to the River House Christmas party, instead, we had a special dinner at Santioni's (delicious food, piano music, white table cloths, festive atmosphere!).

We drank the Italian Sangiovese Tenuta, one glass each. We decided we like a dry Cabernet or even a Chianti better.

Ford had the fish special, blackened. AA had the baked ziti and I enjoyed a dish very similar to Chicken Piccata, called Chicken Mediterranean (with artichokes, roasted red bell peppers and artichokes). 

Thursday: Ford's haircut, cooked bacon, AA and I bought DQ gift cards for Tyler/Dylan; we made spaghetti sauce to take to Leaa's (along with meatballs). Went to Sweet Sensations to buy their outlaw chicken salad for tomorrow's lunch. Leftovers for dinner!

Friday: Freezing weather setting in here tonight for five days! Went to Leaa's to celebrate Christmas with Kilee, Justin and Nicole's family, took drinks and Outlaw chicken salad sliders, they made homemade pizzas and we enjoyed some champagne. We mentioned that we were the only old people there and Nicole/Leaa both laughed and said had we noticed Justin is 50 years old! (we meant the other Grandparents - Nicole said that we were a few short this year and it was fine with her - I assume referring to the family fracas). 

AA went to twins Dylan and Tyler's birthday party at 5:00 p.m. (no photos).
See separate post for December 24th and 25th:

Saturday: 24th! Alyzabeth went shopping with Carolyn; we all went to the 3:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Church service. We made homemade pizza for dinner and prepared for Santa arriving tomorrow!

Sunday: Christmas! Opened our gifts then went to Cara's for appetizers, dinner at Leaa's and desserts at Marsha's so will bake our ham tomorrow.