Welcome to my Christmas Blog, A Debbie-Dabble Christmas!!
I am so happy you decided to stop by my Christmas Blog!!
Every room in our townhouse has a different Christmas Theme and Color Scheme!!
I prove that you do not have to live in a large home to have several Trees, over 20, in all shapes and sizes!!
The majority of my Christmas decorations are placed in the same room every year and I know that this is not what most Decorator's care for but to me, it like seeing old friends again when I decorate each year for Christmas as many of my decorations were gifts from family and friends...........
The majority of my Christmas decorations are placed in the same room every year and I know that this is not what most Decorator's care for but to me, it like seeing old friends again when I decorate each year for Christmas as many of my decorations were gifts from family and friends...........
I do try to add a few new things and change up things a bit but for the most part, these decorations are part of my Christmas Traditions and bring back a lot of treasured memories.....
I post 3 TIMES A WEEK on MONDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAYS.....
As always, click on each picture if you would like to enlarge it....
PINTEREST
A NOTE ABOUT COMMENTS
I
enjoy reading your comments and will return the favor by visiting and
commenting on your blog or reply to you directly here if you do not have
a blog but I do have my comment section set to Moderation due to
spammers and hackers so your comment will not appear immediately...
And since I have a very busy life, like most of us do, it may take me awhile to return your comments but I promise I will....
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I pray that you all were able to spend time with family and those that love you this Christmas.....
In my last post, I shared my Annual Christmas Home Tour, Both Inside and Out, with new pictures of the front of the house taken with SNOW and in the Evening!!
Click HERE if you missed that post!!
I
want to Thank Bev, over at Eclectic Red Barn, for choosing my post, Living Room Victorian Tree and Village as one of her features for Home
week from the month long You're the Star Link Party...
Thanks so much, Bev!!
Please stop by and link up to this month long party!!
Well,
we made it through Christmas.....
It was a Christmas of Firsts....
The First Christmas without Joe....
The First Christmas for my Twin
Granddaughters and the First Christmas for some new
traditions.....
Oddly, 37 years ago, things were also very similar....
It
was the First Christmas without my beloved Father.....
It was another baby's
First Christmas as my nephew Brian, the youngest of my sister's 5
children, was born after my Dad had passed away and it
also was the
First Christmas of many new Traditions being that my Mother sold my childhood
home 3 months after my Dad passed away ending all Holiday traditions I knew...
It was the First Christmas
that I hosted my own Christmas Eve Holy Supper with my Mother as my
guest and the First Christmas that my sister hosted her First Christmas
Day Dinner with my Mother as her guest...
It was the First Christmas that
my family was able to stay home on Christmas Eve and my sister's family got
to stay home on Christmas Day....
Life changes in an Instant but Life
also goes on even though it may be a bit different.....
All in all, Christmas 2024
was a GOOD Christmas....
On Sunday, December 21st, my sister Barb, my son Joey and I had a very nice Christmas visit....
I set a very simple tablescape for 3.....
A green Christmas tablescape....
Pink Poinsettia place mats that I have had for many years....
We enjoyed a meal from Mission BBQ....
For Christmas Eve, I again set a simple tablescape for 4 because as my son Joey always says, " You have to have room for the food"!
I left the green table cloth on and used gold poinsettia place mats this time....
I used my Christmas dinner plates....
Next came 2 Merry dessert plates .......
And 2 Noel ones.....
Wreath napkins to match the dinner plates.....
My gold flatware that Joe bought at Service Merchandise when they were going out of business....
And Long Champ gold rim crystal glassware, also from Service Merchandise....
I receive correspondence via the mail from the Hospice Center where Joe passed away almost on a monthly basis....
They sent a lovely Christmas card with an Info sheet enclosed on dealing with this First Christmas....
One of the suggestions was to start new traditions and choose one to honor you Loved One that passed away like burning a candle in their memory....
Both Joey and I liked that one so I decided that I would burn the beautiful candle I received when my church hosted an All Soul's Memorial Mass for those parishioners that passed away in the last year.....
I placed the candle in the center of the table, flanked by the set of crystal Angel salt and pepper shakers that Joe had bought for me.....
The candle burned throughout our dinner and the evening.....
I blew the candle out when I went to bed on Christmas Eve.....
We are of Polish Descent so my Christmas Eve Holy Supper harkens back to the traditions of my parents.....
"The meals
must be vegetarian (with the exception of fish) as a sign of fasting and
twelve different dishes are prepared, thus symbolizing the Twelve
Apostles."
My Mother tried to serve 12 items...
Pierogies have always been a staple.....
Pierogies have always been a staple.....
And always to be served the traditional way with butter and onions.....
Fish was always served but not like the Italian tradition of the "Feast of the 7 Fishes" on Christmas Eve....
Whitings and Herring were traditional food items that my parents always had but I, personally, did not care for them...
We always had scallops....
When I started doing my own Christmas Eve Holy Supper I added shrimp as my son Jim did not like scallops....
And God forbid ( in my Mother's eyes) ......Chicken Fingers as Joey will not eat fish of any kind....
This year, I added deviled crab cakes.......
Homemade tartar and cocktail sauce from Valley Seafood, where I have bought my fish for the last 40+ years....
In place of the tradition of serving mushroom soup, which those of Russian descent ( the Barna's) served, I just serve can mushrooms like my Dad did, which my kids love...
My Mother also served whole potatoes with butter which I continue to do so as Joey will also not eat pierogies....
Dessert was the cookies and fudge I made....
Yes, I finally baked all my cookies and made my fudge!!
My son Jim and my DIL Danielle started off Christmas Eve with a trip to see Santa at the Mall right down the road from us for pictures!!!
They were able to get this picture but once they took the pacifiers away, Lily and Gigi started to scream!!
I was thrilled they were able to get this picture because I had 3 years of what I call my "Screamin' Meamie" pictures before I finally gave up....
They then came to Mimi's house to celebrate Christmas Eve....
I had the playpen set up for the Twins.....
But they did not last too long in there....
LOL!!
Jim has been battling bronchitis so he and Danielle wore masks and pulled them up when they coughed trying to prevent the Twins and Joey and I from getting sick....
Jim with Gigi......
Look at the look on her face looking at Jim's "Ugly Christmas sweater"!!!
Lily and Danielle....
Mimi with Gigi.....
Yes, I too wore a new Gingerbread Man and candy cane sweater cardigan...
We then moved into the Living Room to open up a few presents as I mostly gift money.....
I also make up tins with cookies and fudge for Jim, Danielle and Joey....
I was holding Lily while Jim and Danielle opened up presents for the Twins....
Mimi and Lily......
She was tired....
I was gifted money and gift cards which I love!!!
The pups also enjoyed our visit and were very affectionate......
Faye and Uncle Joey....
Smiling Azumi
Waiting for the new treats that Santa brought them....
Joey remarked that Faye seemed to sense I had been having a hard time and spent a lot of time by me , giving me kisses....
Which tired her out!!
More pictures of this sweet little family.....
Jim and Gigi....
Little acrobat Faye....
Every time I went to take a picture, Gigi would hold up Danielle's phone to pretend she was taking one of me!!!
So darn cute!!
She was also playing High 5 with Mimi!!
And then Lily was also doing it but I did not get a pic of that...
Azumi had to get in on the fun....
But all good things must come to an end and the Twins had to go home to wait for Santa..........
We thought that Azumi had decided to stay at Mimi's......
"Are you going to stay here?"
"Let me think about it a minute"
In the end , she decided to go home and wait for Santa too.....
Waving Bye Bye to Mimi and Uncle Joey....
It was a wonderful Christmas Eve celebration.....
Truth be told, I had been having a hard time in the days before Christmas Eve and in the morning of....
These sweet little girls came at just the right time to bring Joy and Happiness into our lives after a devastating loss.....
As I have been told by so many people......
God knows exactly when to send Babies.......
SO VERY TRUE.......
In my next post on SATURDAY, I will be sharing a simple and quiet Christmas Day celebration as a new tradition was started by this new little family that this Mimi wholeheartedly supports....
So I hope you will stop by to visit again on SATURDAY.....
Stay safe, healthy and most of all, HAPPY!!
Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!
Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!
If you do not have a blog, PLEASE give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment. If I can not find a way to reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check back......
I am linking up to these parties:
TUESDAY
Inspire Me Tuesdays
Lou Lou Girl's Linky Party
Tuesdays with a Twist
Tuesday Turn About Link Party
Inspire Me Tuesdays
Lou Lou Girl's Linky Party
Tuesdays with a Twist
Tuesday Turn About Link Party
THURSDAY
Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie. I was hoping you'd post baby pics. :) As always they look so sweet in their Christmas outfits. I've heard of pierogis, but are they kind of like a dumpling? What's the filling and are they steamed? It looks like you had a nice time. Thanks for sharing. Blessings to you.
PJ,
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by!! My mother made traditional Polish Pierogies......They were filled with potatoes, potato cheese, Farmer's cheese, prune or cabbage....Modern store bought ones like Mrs. T's are filled with many combinations...The tradition way to serve them is to boil them and serve them with butter and sauteed onions...This is the best video about the traditional way to make them....https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=484839160630101
Hugs,
Deb
What a precious Christmas Eve and new traditions. I like the candle burning in Joe's memory. Very sweet. And those little ladies - they could not be more adorable!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful celebration. I can tell that your Christmas festivities were merry indeed. How lovely to begin new traditions! Happy New Year, Debbie!
ReplyDeleteAw, it sounds like your whole family had such a wonderful Christmas eve! The girls really are at such a fun age for all the festivities.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you all had a great time with the girls on Christmas Eve. Wishing you a happy new year Debbie.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you and your family had a memorable Christmas! I can only imagine how bittersweet it was.... I love the way you honored Joe with the addition of the candle. Such a lovely idea! I also loved hearing more about your Polish traditional foods and the photos of your grandbabies were so adorable! Thanks for sharing all the highlights, Debbie!
ReplyDeleteSweet musings, I love the combination of your plate stack! Those sweaters are hilarious, and beautiful pics of those sweet little ones. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteDebbie, I'm sure the holidays have been hard this year, but it's wonderful to celebrate memories and begin new traditions. Those granddaughters are absolutely adorable! I can see you in them. Hope you have an easier New Year.
ReplyDeleteSandra @ Dinner at Eight