Christmas Eve with the Psillas Family

Friends are your chosen family. 
Bill, Julie, Mary, Laurie, JP, Jenn, Don, Amy, Dan; all with the last name of Psillas for the evening!

For the past two Christmas Eves, we have been fortunate to be included in Jennifer Psillas' Family Christmas Eve dinner.  It is always at a Chinese restaurant, in this case NEO's, which is actually Malaysian, but close enough for Greeks.  Dinner lasted most of 3 hours.  Lots of delicious food, served family style. The perfect way to spend Christmas eve.

Christmas in Tucson, 2010 Part 2

The Traditional Tree in the living room.

It's Christmas.   The trees are decorated, all three of them.  One has traditional glass ornaments with my Granny's beads and the beautiful Angel on the top. One is a live Norfolk Island Pine, decorated with  ornaments from Amy and Dan's collection.  The third one has more home made looking ornaments, some from friends, lots from my two children, plus Dan's Star Trek series.  CAPOU!  At least I think that's what Warf says.

IMPORTANT UPDATE!  My friend, JP, informed me there is a Klingon dictionary!  Who knew, certainly not me...Anyway.  Warf says, Qapla.  I still don't know what it means. I thought it could be something like Cheers! or Sante!  But then again, it is Klingon, so it may mean "A dagger to your heart!"

The tree in the kitchen, with all the home made ornaments.

We were sitting in the living room looking at the tree.  Amy tells Dan. "That's our inheritance; Christmas ornaments.  But, we will have to share them with John."  Dan responds, " I think there's enough to do that."

Christmas in Tucson, 2010 Part 1

Santas in the entryway.

It's good having a house to call our own.  For the first time since we left California, I unpacked ALL of my Christmas decorations.  We put up a tree in New Orleans, but the house was too small to pull all the decorations out.  There are a lot, ok, lots and lots.  I've been collecting Santas for a long time.  I also have ornaments that belonged to both of my grandmothers, as well as both of our parents. 


Snowmen on the buffet.



Christmas trees, Santas, and Angels in the family room.  Hotai is also dressed for the holidays.

No room for books, too many Santas!

Most of the Christmas decorations survived the flood, since they were stored upstairs.  Only the box of snow globes drowned.  They were stored under the guest bed downstairs.  Snow and water don't mix. haha

Christmas in Tucson, 2009

Amy's Norfolk Island Pine decorated for Christmas.  Oh, and me in front.

Loki, Clyde, Andre (you can just see his tail by my hand) and Granmere waiting for Amy to pass out our presents.

Clyde with his new bone.  Clyde also received new eyes.  He had cataract surgery in early December after the Doctor discovered he was totally blind in one eye and 95% blind in the other.

We were living in the rental house in 2009.  For some odd reason, we don't have many pictures of the tree. Or Christmas.  I think we were just too excited about buying the new house, to think about the current one!

Christmas in Texas, 2008

Lola and Meeka in front of the tree.

 During the winter of 2008-2009, we were in Amarillo, Texas, remodeling a bathroom for Bill's sister.  It was a fun time.

Presents waiting to be opened.

Uncle Bill helping Sabrina put hair clips on her My Little Pony.

Christmas in Normandy, 2007

In Normandy during December, all the small villages decorate with lights.  There is a competition to see which is the best. It's not only the business part of town, most of the houses are decorated as well.  There are tours one can book, to ride a bus to multiple villages in one evening viewing the lights.  I think they also have wine to drink along the way.  After all, it is France!

The Church at the top of the village of Beauchene.

Lighted arches mark the pathways in Beauchene.

Only in Normandy is there a still in lights for Christmas.  After all, Calvados is the apple brandy the area is famous for!

The Village of Beauchene has won so many times, they are no longer in the competition, but have the ongoing title of Best.  Our neighbors across the courtyard came over from England for the weekend, just to visit Beauchene.

La Sauvagere is a smaller village of 200 inhabitants that is totally decked out!  I think it won an award in 2007.

A horse running a mill stone to crush the apple for Calvados.



Penguins at the North Pole. 



A giant toy store on display in front of the fire department.

This year, there has been record breaking snow storms across Normandy.  I wonder if it has affected the light shows and displays.  I like to think they are still there and just as beautiful.

Christmas in Virginia, 2006

Harness with wreath hanging on a barn door.

Christmas 2006 was spent in Virginia, near to Colonial Williamsburg.  The decorations were understated, and made with natural items; boughs, fruit, grasses. 

Entrance to the Governer's Palace.



A fruit wreath, simple yet beautiful.