My Christmas project from Better Homes and Gardens - Cross Stitch
Christmas magazine dated 1992. I'm stitching the boarder with a blend
of DMC #304 and Kreinik metallic #003HL red. The snowflakes are DMC
#321 and #498.

I've never used this metallic stuff before and it's not the easiest thing in the world to stitch with. The thread won't stay straight, and it frays so that little black "hairs" escape and stick out all over the place. I'm managing about 8
to 12 x-stitches before I have to change the blended thread. So it's taking
me a heck of a long time just to stitch a straight boarder. And there is a
smaller boarder inside the square of snowflakes to be done as well. Then I
stitch the words "and on Earth Peace" in shadings of the three reds. It'll
look lovely when done. I love red.

Well, we had our yearly Christmas party here on Saturday. It was a busy
time for us, but in the end it was great fun. And I think that everyone had
a nice time.

To begin, Darlene came out on Thursday night since we were both off on
Friday. We spent Friday baking. I made some of my shortbread cookies
and some mini mince meat tarts. Friday night we, including DH, went to
the pub for dinner and had a nice visit with Brenda, the proprietor and her
daughter Tracey who helps her on weekends to run the place. When we got
home DH went off to bed while Darlene and I sat up to watch a DVD. She'd
rented "The Devil Wears Prada". It was great. Meryl Streep is something
else, isn't she? What an amazing actress. And such a natural, striking
beauty. Very classy lady.

Saturday morning was spent cleaning around the house, setting up the
dining room table as a snack station, arranging chairs around the living
room to supplement the existing seating already there and puttering. I also made a double batch of macaroni and cheese to be part of the buffet dinner. Then a trip to the grocery store to pick up the snack trays that we'd ordered
for the day, as well as other necessities. Then home to sort everything out,
get the M&M's frozen lasagnas into the oven to warm, and to get dressed.
DH went to pick up Mom at the residence and brought her back here just before the official start time of the party.

Promptly at 3:00pm people started to arrive and from there it was a roller
coaster of non stop running for us. In all, counting children, we probably
had about 50 people here, although some couldn't stay the entire time.

A few glitches included DH having to make a beer/pop run when we began
to run short. And then there was the food. Every time that we have a party
and I'm planning the food order/menu DH nags me that I'm making/buying
too much stuff and it'll go to waste. I would rather have too much then not
enough. Well, two large lasagnas, a double batch of mac 'n cheese, a large
pile of honey/garlic chicken wings, friend Mary's home made "Mother's
Stupid Casserole" (her name for it, not mine), two of those small smoked
hams, and rolls and butter were laid out for the hordes. And it disappeared
in short order. I think everyone got enough to eat. Well, except me. Being
the good hostess, not to mention a worry wart one, I waited until everyone
else had eaten before I went to fill my plate. I got a few chicken wings and a
roll. And some of the "Stupid" casserole. Nothing else left. And that's after
they'd been noshing on a fruit tray, a veggie tray, two trays of shrimp, a
cheese tray and a bread and spread tray. Good Grief!!

Ah, but it was grand seeing everyone, and the time just went so darn fast.
By 11:30 the last of the guests had left, and the cleanup begun. DH,
Darlene, SIL Nora and I finally fell into bed at 2:00am Sunday morning.

Sunday morning DH was up to feed the cats at 8:00am since he is an early
riser. The rest of us were all up by 9:30. The rest of the day was spent
doing the final clean ups, laundry and just being lazy. SIL went home
around noon and Darlene around 5:30. DH then drove me over to Mom's residence where they were having the family Christmas dinner. DH was entertaining a mild cold so he didn't join us but Mom and I had a nice
meal and visit.

And that was our weekend!