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Wednesday, December 16, 2015

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like . . . Bedlam

It's been a hectic few weeks here at the Posy house. We ended November with a broken clothes dryer and a dicey sewer. The second week of December found our yard populated with plumbers and equipment for three days.
Just what you want in your yard two weeks before Christmas.
Luckily, we did not have to replace our drainage line, despite the fact that it is clay tile that is almost a century old. Our house predates the installation of sewers in our town by a few years, but I'm guessing they got on line fairly soon. The first sewer system in town was completed in 1908. And while they are still intact, those clay tiles allow tree roots to infiltrate everywhere there is a joint. With our big hackberry tree as well as shrubs, etc., our pipes were pretty well clogged with tree roots. That is more than you wanted to know about that, I'm sure, but suffice it to say that it was a big (read expensive) job, so I've told the husband to expect a roll of toilet paper as his Christmas gift. He thinks I'm kidding.

In between appliance deliveries, plumber visits, etc., I have managed to get all my Christmas baking finished. Five types of cookies and also mini peanut butter cakes. None of which I have pictures of because I popped them all into the freezer. I polled the family at Thanksgiving and got two requests for Italian wedding cookies and one for orange chocolate chippers. I also made a batch of cream cheese-walnut cookies, a favorite around here. The new cookies this year both came from the December issue of Country Living magazine: red velvet cookies and triple chocolate hazelnut.

I've been feeling a particular sense of urgency in my Christmas planning this year as I will be away from home the entire week before Christmas. I'm hoping to get home by evening on Christmas Eve if everything goes according to plan -- God willing and the creek don't rise (or, more appropriately, the snow don't fall). So even though, as I told the husband last night, I feel like I'm living on a knife's edge and it won't take much to push me over, it actually is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Mini nutcrackers standing guard in the entry hall.



17 comments:

  1. Sorry about the sewer thing.. ugh.. and right before xmas. :-( Your tree is magnificent.. hang in there and don't let the stress get to you.

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    *M*E*R*R*Y* * *C*H*R*I*S*T*M*A*S*!*
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    ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  2. You've had a pretty crappy week, pardon the pun, but I hope things are on the upswing and you make it home in time to celebrate Christmas at home. Your home looks festive and ready for company, and you've got your baking done!!! I haven't even thought about food yet. Shame on me! I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas, Lynette!

    Love your beveled glass window!

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  3. Sorry to hear that you had a rather rough month. The Xmas tree looks really beautiful.
    Have a peaceful and happy holiday season!
    Angie

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  4. Oh My.... Sorry to hear this, but it sounds as if things could have been WORSE... AND--hopefully the bedlam is OVER --and you all can enjoy a wonderful Christmas.

    I love your Nutcracker collection and your tree.

    Merry Christmas.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  5. I can only imagine how costly the sewer clean-up. Not something you want to deal with, but especially not this time of year. I'm sorry.

    Your holiday decorations look lovely. I especially like the row of nutcrackers.

    Safe travels.

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  6. Let's hope things will improve now. I love your little nutcracker soldiers and your tree is beautiful xx

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  7. So sorry for all the big disturbances this time of year, what a mess. Hope you have a good trip and that you come home to a house that is festive and all put back together.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  8. I love your tree!!
    I also love your Nutcrackers!
    Merry Christmas,
    Carla

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  9. That is very unfortunate about the plumbing issue and yes, plumbing issues are usually very costly. I love your Christmas tree and the decorations on your mantle are stunning - such a beautiful display. I know what you mean about being frazzled because of being away the week before Christmas; we are having Christmas with Drew's family who live 13-hours away and so I had to have everything ready a week before Christmas and then do the very long drive to Sunshine Coast. I'm hosting the Christmas Eve dinner and the Christmas Day lunch in a holiday house with virtually no equipment in the kitchen. Slightly stressed! Best wishes to you on trying to get home on Christmas Eve xx

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  10. Sorry to hear about the dryer and sewer problems!

    You did a lovely job on your decorations, and the holiday treats sound absolutely delicious! Wish I could sneak over to help with the taste-tests!

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  11. Oh, dear...a big UGH to the broken dryer and the sewer problems, especially right before Christmas. I hope those problems are behind you now and that you were able to enjoy your holiday. Did you try the Red Velvet cookies from Country Living? And, if so, how were they? I cut out the recipe but I never did make them.

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    1. I did make the red velvet cookies. Not very popular. I thought they were too sweet. Maybe I overcooked mine, but they were a little too dry, too.

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  12. Wow, what a major home improvement project/investment/catastrophe before the holidays. But, I'm going to assume that you made it through! Your nutcrackers are beautiful and those cookies sound so delicious! Hoping you had a Merry Christmas and wishing you all the best in 2016!

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  13. Machines do give us grief from time to time. Hope they are fine now. Your house looks so beautiful for Christmas!!! You made lots of delicious goodies! I too wish I lived closer to taste some of the sweets. Have a wonderful 2016!

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  14. Woe is you and yours with pipe problems! I had my drier go out (a front loader)...$400 to fix it as the "mother board" went out. There it sits and I've been hanging clothes in the basement ever since! LOL! Your house is so cozy. I had a window exactly like yours with the leaded glass in my old farmhouse. I sure miss it! Your decorations and tree are lovely. I may try some of those recipes as I am a cookie person. Happy New Year!

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  15. I love updates from your homefront! It sounds so lovely in your part of the world :) Your baking delights sound SOOOO good. My diet would be called off if I was near your treats :) Happy New Year to you!!

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