Real Buddies!

Marmalade

George

Yep, George kitty was a " house kitty" for a few minutes.  I bring him in every evening and he walks down the basement stairs, goes through the scardy pit and on to the basement, so he will be safe from the neighbor's dogs and what other wild animals that are out lurking in the middle of the night.  When I first started bringing him inside, I had to carry him to the basement but it didn't take long for him to get used to it all and now he does it on his own.  He's a pretty smart guy.  Well, one afternoon, I brought him inside and took him to the sun room where Marmalade spends his days when he's not on the back porch.  George and Marmie are buddies through the screen of the porch and the windows but I wanted to see if they would be real buddies up close and personal.  Marmie was laying on the chase and I put George down on it.  They smelled each other's head and then Marmie actually licked George's head.  Then, he got down and sat on the floor while George laid down to take a nap.  I know George was thinking ..." man, this is pretty good, being an indoor kitty".  I let him stay for a few minutes but made him go outside again.  I didn't want him to get used to the " good life", not that his life outdoors isn't good.  I just can't have three " house kitties".  The cat pan for two is bad enough.  Not to mention the extra two "visiting" kitties, in the laundry room right now.  I got my answer about George and Marmalade being real buddies.  They are!

Happy New Year!!

Even though 2012 was a good year, I'm ready to see what 2013 brings to Brambly Pines.   January, Elaine and Fred brought Chuck's Dad up to see where we live, for Chuck's birthday.  February we had Troy come and build the pagoda over the deck and frame the rooms/loft in the barn.  March, Shell and Genavive came up for their Spring Break week.  April, Ryan, Nicole,Lily Ryann, Hannah and Taylor were in Nashville for a weekend and came to spend the night with us, on their way home. Next, Fred and Elaine came up for a fun visit.  Also in April, Vickie came up and we went to the big quilt show in Paducah, Kentucky.  May, I flew down to Florida to surprise Shell for her birthday.  June, we went down to Montgomery for the Johnson Family Reunion.  July, Shell and Genavive came back up for a few days. August, we went to the World's Longest Yard Sale.  September, Christina and George surprised us with a few days visit.  October, I flew back down to Florida to surprise Ryan for his birthday.  At the end of the month, Fred and Elaine came up for a short visit and then Chuck flew home with them so he could help Shell move.  November 1, Shell moved to Brambly Pines with her two kitties and every thing she owns for a lay over until she can get settled in Nashville.  We had a great Thanksgiving with Lady Melanie coming to celebrate it with us.  December, brought Shell a job and apartment hunting.  We ended the year with a great Christmas even though there was some sickness between us.  I think we're going to have to go some to have a better year than we had in 2012.  I'm not expecting "better" just hoping it will be as good. " Happy New Year 2013"

Christmas 2012



Christmas mess returns!



My Blomberg Christmas



Garden Wind chimes from Ryan/Nic and girls



Ryan/Nic/girls present to Shell



Panties from Oma...the best!!



Chuck's Blomberg present



Christmas dinner



My Christmas dinner...sigh



Turkey, dressing, cranberries, green beans, mash potatoes...oh my!

 I want to say, in one way this was the best Christmas we've had since we moved to Alabama but to be honest with you, the first Christmas in the TT where we had just gotten electricity three days before Christmas will always be the best.  Then there was the first Christmas we were in the house and it snowed on Christmas Day.  How can you ask for anything better than that!  This year we had Shell here with us and it was like having a " real Christmas" again.  The problem with this year was, I came down sick.  I mean " really, really in bed sick"!! five days before Christmas.  By the time Christmas Day came I was up and about but even the smell of food made me " rethink about eating" again.  So, as Shell and Chuck ate Christmas dinner, I sat in one of the wing chairs in the dining room just to be with them.  Shell and I did our traditional 12 days of Christmas of presents this year.  What fun it is to open a present every day for 12 days, ending with our big present Christmas morning.  They aren't big presents, every day.  Just a little something that we think each other will like.  They could come from the Thrift store or even the $ store.  I wish I had done this for my kids when they were little.  A box came in the mail a few days before Christmas from our Blomberg family.  I had put the presents under the tree instead of opening them right then. It was like sharing Christmas with them on Christmas morning.  They are a huge part of our Christmas.  Just having all of our memories from the Christmas past is a big present to us. To top off our Christmas, we were able to "Face talk" on Shell's phone with Ryan, Nicole and all the girls.  It was almost like being there.  All and all, it was a very nice Christmas when it came to family.  The only thing that was missing was being part of Christmas Eve with the Peterson/Brisard/McLarty family party.  We did get to enjoy seeing all the pictures that were taken and shared with us.  So, Christmas has come and gone for another year where the years fly by way too fast.  The tree is down and all of the decorations are packed away in the basement.  Bring on the "New Year"...I'm ready for 2013!!  

Silly Cats



George, hanging off the porch



Camouflage Annie



Too much cat nip Oscar



Meeeeeeeeooooooooow

I have to say, having five cats here at Brambly Pines, they keep you entertained.  You never know what any of them are going to do next.  George is the one that makes me laugh the most.  Then, there is Oscar.  If he sees a human, he cries as loud and long as he can in one breath.  He can hold his breath longer than any cat I've ever seen.  Good thing the rest of them don't cry much.  Oscar does it enough for all of them.  I bought a new " kitty blanket" for Annabelle on crazy sale just before Christmas.  I was thinking...black, good color.  It won't show all the cat feathers ( that's what Genavive called cat fur, when she was little).  Well, when Annie lays on the blanket in the chair, you can't see her unless a little part of her "white" is showing.  I have looked in the chair, thinking she wasn't there and went looking for her.  It does keep things interesting around here.  

As Old as Santa

Santa's sure have changed over the years.  When we were little, Santa had a fake beard, hair and a pillow for a stomach.  His outfit was cheaply made.  You never questioned if he was real or not.  You just "believed".  These days, the Santa's are "pretty", with real beards and beautiful coats.  I'm not sure how many of them still have to stuff their suits to be jolly and fat. Probably not many of them.  I know when I took Genavive to have her picture taken with Santa every year when she was little, I looked for the prettiest Santa for the picture.  What fun it is to look at all the pictures from over the years of Genavive in her pretty Christmas dresses I made her and all of the pretty Santa's.  What is sad for me is, I realized that most of the Santa's of today, are the same age as me.  How in the heck did I get so old!!!!  I mean " as old as Santa?" I don't even want to think about it....sigh!

Christmas in Courtland



My second carriage ride ever!!!



Lady of Lawrence County



Lord Charles



Harris-Simpson House





Bynum-Simpson House



The largest Magnolia Tree I've ever seen!!!



Historic Down Town Courtland





Women in Period Clothing, walking around town

Every year, Courtland has a Christmas Tour of Homes/ Open House a couple of weeks before Christmas.  I wanted to go last year, but some how we missed it.  I made sure I put it on the calender this year and we went!  It was just Chuck and I because Shell had to go to a meeting in Huntsville that day.  I wish she could have gone with us because she would have really enjoyed it.  Maybe next year.  We went into the Heritage Museum and they gave us a map of the four homes that were open on the tour along with refreshments and drinks.  As we stepped outside, the whole down town was filled with Christmas music.  There is a beautiful park with a big fountain and two gazebos right in the middle of the square.  I came across four pretty ladies, dressed in period clothing.  They were getting ready to walk around the square to talk to people.  As, Chuck and I were walking down the street to the first Open House, a man came in his horse drawn carriage and asked if he could take us to where we were going.  Of course, he could!!!!  Wow! two carriage rides in one year!!  All I had to do is move to Alabama...ha.  It was really fun seeing the inside of the four houses and hearing the stories about them.  I kept trying to imagine what they really looked like back in the 1800's.  Oh how I wish I could have seen them all then.  I think that is my favorite time in history.  It was a really fun afternoon and I think I will put the Tour on my calendar again next year.  The best part of it all, it was all "free"!! 

Elf on a Shelf



getting to know the girls



Just the right size of adirondack chair



Always wanted an elf to help me sew



Hiding behind my Halloween masks



Having tea with the cats



Riding the rooster



I'm sure by now, everyone has heard of the "Elf on the Shelf".  He comes with a book all about his life and how come he moves to a different spot in the house, every night.  You are to give him a name and search for him every morning.  You wouldn't think that three grown adults would have fun with such a thing, but it has been challenging for each of us to come up with a different spot to hide him.  Some times, it takes some doing not only to hide him, but to find him.  ha.  We've had some laughs with what this silly elf has gotten into.  I guess there is still a little kid in all of us.