Finale

 As my 31 Days of Christmas Celebration comes to a close, I want to wish everyone all the best in 2021.  

Visionary

Is that 2021 on the horizon?  Ok, people.  We just have to get through one more day.  Hang in there, everybody!

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Firstly

A thoughtful present from a friend for our first Christmas in our new home.  My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues. 

Impressively

I saw this beautiful tree this evening.  The second image gives a better idea of how big this tree is.  It's about 4 stories tall.  

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Ecstatically

After living in the dark, depressing basement for 21 months, I'm ecstatic that we are living upstairs again and can celebrate our first Christmas in our bright, light, airy new home.  As you can see, this picture can't even contain my ecstatic-ness. 

A big thank-you to my husband for capturing this image.  My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Reminiscingly

 Back in the day, cheesing with my next-door neighbor.  I still have my Snoopy-in-the-box!

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Steadfastly

Yesterday, my "second mom's" loving husband of 72 years decided he would celebrate his Lord and Savior's birthday in person in heaven this year.  

He passed peacefully in his own home after years of battling Parkinson's disease.  

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and everyone who was touched by his life.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.  Yes, even now, because I know even though this man of God is absent from here, he is celebrating with his King in heaven, exactly where he wanted to be.

Portly

 We officially got 8.8 inches of snow yesterday, so we get a white Christmas after all.  

I've had several people comment on piggy and how much they like him.  He's been rather frisky though, and sometimes I catch him being a pig-gone-wild, rolling around on top of the awning.  One day we even had a good samaritan who tried to stand piggy back up and brace him with a piece of wood.  Thank you, mystery person!  Everybody loves piggy.  I now have some ballast inside him to keep him from going crazy, hopefully, but you can never tell with pigs.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Humbly

My dad was the youngest of seven and I was the youngest grandchild.  By the time I came on the scene, grandma had a white artificial tree with a color wheel that would shine on the tree and change its color.  It was mesmerizing to little me.  This image, however, was taken before I was around.  Back when she still had a real tree for Christmas.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Electrifyingly

This display makes me happy.  It's so festive!  We are supposedly getting dumped on with snow tomorrow.  If that happens, I may just have to go back here and get a shot of this beautiful scene swathed in snow.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Dreadfully

Grandma Bergren getting a cheesy styrofoam Christmas tree as a present back in the 60s.  But you can see how happy she was to get it.  Because in the 60s, cheesy styrofoam decorations were all the rage.  It paired well with the plastic flowers on the coffee table. 

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Techie Corner

Medium format Kodak Safety Film really holds its color well.  I rue the day that mom switched from medium format to a nasty 110 film camera.  

Improbably

 If Santa is taller than the second story of your house, how does he fit down the chimney?  Also, how do the reindeer feel about Santa's new helicopter? 

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Floriferously

 I love poinsettias.  I don't dare have them in the house with all our fur babies, but they are so pretty.  I thought about cropping out the background, but this is 2020, so the masked shoppers in the background are very apropos.  

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Bluesy

 Just down the street from yesterday's blog image is this beautiful sapphire tree.  

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Dioramacally

 I thought I'd stop at Michael's on the way home from work this evening and pick up some cheap Christmas stockings.  That turned out to be a bust, but looking down the street, I saw this highrise that looks like a life-size Christmas diorama. 

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Crowdedly

 I decided to take the long way home from work this evening to hunt me some Christmas displays.  

This one was the biggest I found while wandering the back streets of Richfield.  According to the sign out front, this display won the Clark Griswold award in Richfield's Holiday Lights Decorating Contest.  There's a lot of stuff packed into that yard!

Techie Corner

I used the pano feature on my iPhone to get everything in.  It did an ok job, considering the lighting difference between the bright display and the dark background.

Orbicularity

Sam's Club had Christmas decorations up in September.  Normally, I would say that is too early, but it's 2020.  I'm all for moving this year right along.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Lustrously

 As seen on the way home this evening.  My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Spherically

 So cute.  My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Sparklingly

 These lighted snowglobe lanterns are very popular this year.  We've seen different versions at more than one store.  There's one with an old truck I really like that I might have to check and see if there are any on clearance after Christmas. 

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Disgustedly

 It appears someone was having a "case of the 2020s."  I saw this in the parking ramp as I was walking into work today.  They broke their Christmas star wand and everything.  Hopefully, their day got better after this throwdown. 

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues. 

Cheerily

 My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Mutationally

 I think this is the weirdest reindeer I have ever seen.  Are those supposed to be nostrils?  Eyes?  Either way, they are in the wrong place.  

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Beatifically

 Ten years ago today, mom decided she'd rather celebrate Christmas in heaven.  While I can't begrudge her that, I still wish I could talk with her every once in a while.  

Today's image is from Christmas 1965, with mom all dolled up.  Mom and dad would spend the holidays at his mother's house.  

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Unbelievably

 This will be our first Christmas in our new home.  I can hardly believe it!   My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Commemoratively

It's nice to be able to decorate for Christmas again.  And for me, the decorations wouldn't be complete without a nativity scene.  

This year is extra special.  Partly because we have a finished house and can decorate for Christmas, my favorite holiday, again.  In addition, not only do I get to set up the nativity set that belonged to my mom but now it is an expanded display because my husband's mom had the same set with extra pieces I could combine with what I already had.  I can commemorate the birth of Jesus and remember two special ladies in my life who celebrate Jesus' birthday in heaven now.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Lightly

 Finished decorating the Christmas tree today.  I sure do love our renovated house.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Gamy

 What did I do to deserve this?  ~Daisy  My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Mindlessly

 Even Frosty is losing his mind over 2020.  My 31 days of Christmas Celebration continues. 

Dulcetly

 There was plenty of snow in October, but now that it's December, there is green grass again.  2020 even has the weather mixed up!  

I drive by this house on the way home from work.  I know it doesn't have many Christmas decorations, but it just looks so cheery to me with the stars and candles in the windows.

My 31 Days of Christmas Celebration continues.

Cracky

It's that time of year!  December!  My 31 days of Christmas celebration starts today. 

I think it will be an extra-special time this year as this year is unlike any other in history.  I think the whole world is ready to kick 2020 out the door.  And PLEASE let the door hit it on the way out! 

 

Perspectively

More from Franconia.  In this image, the sculpture looks small.  In the second image, you can see just how large it really is.  It's all a matter of perspective.  I think this is the first time I've been at the park for sunset.  

Implausibly

 Most people have seen a sawhorse before.  Yesterday I was fortunate enough to capture a rare image of the elusive sawbuck.  

Greedily

 I've found the perfect fountain for the backyard.  He looks really eager for that first drink.

Observatory

 Bros enjoying the wildlife viewing station together.  As seen in 2018.

Greatheartedly

 Mom and her dad, many moons ago.  This is one of the few pics where my grandfather is hinting at a smile.  Looks can be deceiving though, he loved children.

Bleppy

 Daisy, back when she was fatter and sassier.  As seen in 2017.

Ambulatory

 As seen in 2017.

Energetically

 Kids are so funny.  As seen on Thanksgiving Day, 2018.

Soundly

 Power.  Nap.  I love that tiny blep.  As seen in 2019.

Providentially

 I got this holiday card from my good friend, Turkey Lurkey today.  Whew!  It's a good thing had I already planned on having lamb for Thanksgiving dinner this year.  That would have been awkward!

Snarky

Don't let the raspberry fool you.  Romeo loved to be out and about.  As seen in 2015.

 

Wanderingly

 In 2017 we did more road-tripping than I ever have in my life.  Over the course of the year, we traveled from one side of the country to the other – my husband for work and me to tag along, enjoy the drive, and take pictures.  

This was at Yellowstone during a 7 state road trip in September of that year.  I had never been to Yellowstone before and was awestruck by all the different kinds of beauty there.

Ironically, I had told my husband at the start of 2020 that this was going to be our year to travel again, but of course, that didn't happen.  Maybe in 2021?

Pertinacity

 Between a rock and a hard place.  Oh wait, that would be 2020.

Opulently

 I was thinking about Pennsylvania today, so I sifted through the archives to that time we were visiting one of my besties and her husband and had dinner at the Grand Concourse restaurant in Pittsburgh.  That place was so beautiful and the company lovely.

Draggy

Back in the day.  Second to last photo lab I worked at.  We had to be open New Year's Day, but not many people were coming in, so we looked oh-so-terribly busy.  The day dragged on and on. 

It's been almost 11 years since I took this picture (with my first smartphone) and it floors me how much has changed in my life, the photo industry and the world since then.

 

Secludedly

 

Formally

 Mom and her parents in the 30s.  Grandpa is all dressed up and looking pretty snazzy.  Not sure if this was for Sunday church or some other event.  Most pictures of grandpa back then were of him in his overalls.