'Twas The Night Of Book Club

'Twas The Night Of Book Club

'Twas the night of book club

After all tummies were filled

And stretched to the very limit.

Dickie announced ornament exchange

Starts in just a minute.

That jolly fat snowman on the high shelf

Should have been a police elf.

To keep folks from hiding ornaments

And pulling silly pranks.

You can't have my treasure!

No no thanks!

The packages were ready.The guests were heady.

Oh my , dear Freddy.Now isn't this one cute.

Who would dare to steal my loot?Haelie had a beautiful ornament.

Before she knew it.

She did lose it.

Maura, was the judicial arbitrator.

For the ensuing fight.

She did a good job.

Even though it took all night.

This was written in jest I confess.

The End

'Twas The Night of Book Club

'Twas The Night of Book Club

'Twas the night of book club

And Dickie was now ready

For girls popping open the door

And hitting the hardwood floor.

Take your pick.

French wine or French water.

Take a little moment.

Smell the fresh flowers.

A touch of spring in the dead of December.

Hubby Scott is so clever.

All aboard the Polar Express
To watch Dickie fix us supper.
We know we will be blessed
With scrumptious food no less.

We have good intentions to watch our diet
But we need something more for stomachs to quiet.

We all run to the range in gallops.
To check out the fresh shrimp and scallops.

Dickie is now sauteing garlic and ginger.

I know this dish will be a winner!

Haelie keep talking

While Dickie keeps wokking!

Stirring stirring stirring

Those black beans are really whirling.

Carol takes note

As Dickie plays host.

We all are thrilled.

This will be quite a meal.

But as we await the exotic Caribbean seafood.

We spot something else equally good.

Holy smokes!

Two Wegmans chocolate desserts.

Those decadent little flirts!

Here's the choice:

Pistachio creme

Or the chocolate bombe!
Naturally I took a little scoop of each glomb.

Part 3 of 'Twas the Night of Book Club on Monday.

'Twas The Night Of Book Club

'Twas The Night Of Book Club

'Twas the night of book club

And all through Dickie's house

Sat little Christmas snowmen

Each happy as a holiday mouse.

The kitchen island was ready for cooking

And oh my gosh, it sure was fun looking.

The 2007 wine From The French Rhone
Was delightful as the guests groan.....
Oh this is so good!

A snowman kept count of the Christmas countdown
While the French sparkling wine was ready to go down.

The kitchen table had a little tree
And characters as lively as can be.
The fireplace mantle was decked in poinsettias and a quilt.
Oh what a festive and warm lilt.

Even the houseplants were hiding little creatures.
Can you spot the snow lady and bear with cute features?

The stairs were decked in ribbons and magnolia leaves.
With a quilt hanging down in a misty glow.
One Dickie made some years ago.
It reminded me of the Nutcracker
That great Christmas show.

Another snowman was guarding the stairs.
That led to a painting with warming flairs.

The wall clock kept time
As the doorbell started to chime.

A tree in the corner greeted the guests
As book club meeting began in jest.

Dickie, Dickie, how do you do it?

You make it seem easy.

Nothing to it.

But we all know it took lots of time.

And thought and effort.

To make our Christmas party truly shine.

Tomorrow: Part Two of Twas The Night Of Book Club

News Flash: Little Jack Aidan Is Heading Home

News Flash: Little Jack Aidan Is Heading Home

Our daughter is packing up the car and stuffing little Jack in the baby seat and heading out of
Cape Cod towards Rhode Island, Connecticutt and New York state before she heads down the coast to Virginia. Wave if you see a little boy singing and rocking to Johnny Cash and Jingle Bells on #95. That's our rocking grandson!

News Flash: Survivor Is The Best

News Falsh: Survivor Is The Best!

I Love Survivor--My First and Favorite Reality ShowI like all the remaining players. I expecially like these three guys: Mick, Jaison and Russell. And Natalie rocks! We need to watch out for Brett. He is running under the radar.

Another News Flash: Basketball Game

Another News Flash: Basketball Game

For all my relatives and Friends from the Dayton, Ohio area just want to say that the Dayton Fliers came to town (Fairfax, VA) and beat the George Mason University basketball team by just one point last night. Final score: 56-55. The banner hanging in the Patriot Center shows that the Patriots did make it to the Final Four in Indianapolis in 2006.

News Flash: It Is Sleeting

News Flash: It is 8:00 P.M. and it has been sleeting tiny frozen pellets for the last hour. If it keeps up it will be bad driving in the morning. The forecast is for the temps to rise and the sleet to turn to rain.The D.C. metro area is suppose to get about three inches of rain in 12 hours time. Flood warnings are now being advised. But if it keeps sleeting, it will be a different scenario. These are the days you sleep well knowing that you don't have to do the early commute into work. Ahhhhhhhhhhh-----blessed are the retired.

The Bird Girl Statue---Time Lapse

First Hour Of Snowstorm
Three Hours Later

It Is Snowing In Virginia 12/05/09

It Is Snowing In Virginia

Saturday December 5, 2009

It Started Right Around 9:00 A.M. ETS

The Birds Were At The Feeders Before The Snow Started

Look At The Bradford Pears Trees Get A Dusting On Their Orange Leaves.
Below Is A Short Snow Video.
It Is So Pretty To Watch The Snowflakes Come Drifting Down.

Skywatch Friday = Gathering Clouds in Blue Skies

Skywatch Friday = Gathering Clouds in Blue Skies

Last Friday We Had Grey Skies

This Week We have Blue Skies and Big Puffy Clouds Rolling By Us

Top Two Photos Shot From Front Door

These Last Two Photos Shot From My Back Door
All Photos Taken Within Two Minutes
Funny How Sky Looks Different In The Southwest and Northwest.

Click here for more Skywatch Friday memes:
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Christmas Parade On Potomac River In Old Town Alexandria In 2005

I have just two photos to show of what happens after dark when the Scottish Walk daytime parade is over. All those lucky folks who own boats docked at the Alexandria waterfront get into their decorated boats and line them up on the Potomac River and then parade by the local downtown river park. It is fun to see Santa and his elves in a boat. Some people really get into this river parade and have their boats decked out with a ton of lights. See below.

This was a great parade. There will be two parades this Saturday in Alexandria. Check the papers for starting times for the Scottish Walk and the Potomac River Christmas Parade.

Scottish Christmas Parade in Alexandria, VA 2005

Old Town Alexandria, VA has a Scottish Walk Christmas parade. Jack and I went in 2005. That year former VA senator, John Warner, in his kilt walked in the parade. See photo above.

A lot of men don their Scottish kilts and parade down the street for this event. Don't you wonder if they have underwear on underneath. I've been told that tradition says you don't. Anybody know for sure?

But the headliners of this parade is not the men in kilts but the Scottish doggies like these sweet little West Highland terriers. These dogs are crowd pleasers and they get quite a hand as they parade down the street.

I found this photo in a local newspaper after the parade. Look at the baby buggy in the photo. This one old black Scottish terrier was too old to walk the length of the parade route so the owners pushed the dog in a baby stroller. I do remember seeing that and these little dogs wearing their Irish kilts. How adorable.

Here is Jim Moran, the local Democratic congressman, walking the parade route.

I think this is the same Scottish band of bagpipers who were in last Saturday's Reston Town Center parade. I wonder what they keep in their purses. Always interesting to see a man with a purse. Jack doesn't do a purse unless he is carrying mine because I'm really tired and the purse is really heavy when we travel. LOL!

This year's daytime Old Town Alexandria parade will be this Saturday. Check the papers for the starting time in the morning.

Christmas Parade in Middleburg, Va 2006

These are photos taken at the Middleburg Christmas parade in 2006. Jack and I are always fascinated by the Middleburg scene. Lots of tourists come to see the town where Jackie Kennedy Onassis stayed when she was riding with the hounds to fox hunt. Yes, the U.S. has not outlawed fox hunting although I think England has. Other folks like to come here to see the German store that Monica Lewinsky's exfriend, Linda Tripp, now runs with her German born husband. By the way you can go into Linda's shop in Middleburg and you will feel like you are back at a Christmas market in Germany. Very cool store. Anyway here we are at the 2006 Christmas parade watching the very proper fox hunt folks ride down Main Street in their red riding coats.

Notice all the fox hounds.

This woman in the white coat stepped out and blocked my view every time I wanted to take a photo. LOL!

This photo appeared in the local Middleburg paper, the Middleburg Eccentric, after the event.

I think this is an Andalusian horse like the ones used at Vienna's Spanish Riding School

Another photo that appeared in the Middleburg Eccentric paper. Aren't those fox hounds lively and cute. The grey building on the right in the photo has been many different things over the years. I can remember it as a bank, an antique store and a restaurant. Today it is run by Sheila Johnson of Black Television Network fame who lives now near Middleburg on an estate and is currently building a multi-million dollar exclusive spa retreat for the landed gentry of Middleburg.

Middleburg will hold its annual Christmas parade this Saturday morning. Check the papers for the time and the events going on with the parade.