I know why people tend to gain weight during the holidays.
1) They don't have time to get to the gym because they're running around trying to figure out what to buy for that White Elephant exchange or that Chinese gift exchange. (By the way who came up with that name? - Why do the Chinese get that bum rap?)

2) They're depressed because they've ordered that hot new video game, Rock Band 2 from a whole bunch of online stores who consistently advertise it's IN STOCK when it REALLY ISN'T! Or is it...



3) Some of your relatives gleefully send you all the chocolate and fat you can eat!
Happy HOLIDAYS!

I bought a pre-lit tree many many years ago. Alas I fear it has come to it's last Christmas season...maybe I'll leave like it is for this Christmas.

I thought that with a pre-lit artificial tree, decorating for Christmas simple. So every year since the purchase I beg and cajole my husband and who ever else that had the misfortune of being in the house to drag the tree up from the basement.

So far - only a few groans and wails...

So it went for years - (I don't know how many because I can't remember when we bought this tree. I do remember we bought it at then end of one Christmas season from Shopko.)

This year, I was about 5 levels away from the top. (It has 11 levels I think) so, I'm halfway. Half of the branches lit up. Oh no!

I asked my brother in law the electrician to check it. He got out his handy dandy electrical device checkers and after about an hour found the burned out bulb. Yeah!

Then the next level was dark, but wiggling a few branches, it came on. (Whew!) I'm almost done! I'm at level 2 when - nothing the whole thing is dark. So what do I do - get on the internet to research how to fix burned out Christmas lights.

The Light Keeper Pro got some rave reviews. So I ran right out the next day and bought it! Lee says I love gadgets... He's right!

After reading all the directions on the web site (It seems so easy) and the paper directions, I was ready to go fix the branches.

Step 1 didn't work, Step 2 didn't work, Step 3 didn't work... It's a TOTAL and miserable FAILURE!! So after 2 hours tonight I GIVE UP!!!

I think it's time for a new 'granny tree' - maybe one that just unfolds when you pull it out of the box.

For the past 4 years I've been getting our Christmas wreaths from a woman named Cindy Kruse. She spends all year long collecting various fir trees, holly, antlers, pheasant feathers and all other manner of things. She creates the most artistic and long lasting wreaths ever!

This year we went to Lakeside Elementary School's annual winter Christmas fund raiser. She always has a display area and Becky and I bought our wreaths there from her.

In the past she's been kind enough to remake my wreath with the Santa decoration that I've saved from the first year I bought her wreath.

I got a new one this year. I think it's just as cute!

Karen told us about the Carriage House that she, Derek, Michael and Suzy went to see last Friday and got Lee and I very excited about it. So we stopped by on Thursday, but no one was home. We called and the son called us back and set an appointment to see it today.

It belonged to Virginia Wood who was an actress in the 60's and 70's. She bought the house 20 years ago and lived there until she died about 9 months ago. Now her son is selling the house.


We were interested as it might be a good investment. I guess the stock market dropping 40% might have some benefits.


The house is around 4,000 sq feet according to the For Sale flyer. It has 2½ bathrooms. One of them is really pink (the ½ bath is purple) and three bedrooms. I don't think Kagan would like the color scheme of the house.

The main bedroom is on the front of the house and has the turret room set up as a make up room. It was pretty cool. Again, I don't think Kagan would like the pink color scheme. It definitely showed a feminine hand in the decorating.


There are closets and cubby's and a lot of interesting under the eve spaces.


It also had a great many beautiful built ins on the main level of the house and a lot of beautiful wood work that we don't see too much now-a-days.

The stair case although not as grand as the Conrad Mansion is still really impressive.

Lee liked the main living room the best. It was a very comfortable room. You can see the library behind Jim. For an old house, they did a good job electrifying it. There were a lot of lights in the rooms. So it wasn't gloomy at all (even though it was typical cloudy Kalispell day).

Jim was telling us the Historical Society was interested in buying the house and he had shown it 29 times since June. (We were number 29) He's gotten some offers but nothing that was going to sell the house. Lee says he doesn't want to have to update it and it does need some updating for modern living so we'll see... I don't think we'll probably buy it or at least if we make an offer it won't be something the sons are going to be too thrilled about.

Carole Keller the fearless head of our women's ministry got a bunch of our Aletheia fellowship women together for a nice afternoon of gabbing (and eating calories that we didn't really need) at Vivian's restaurant.

Hey, but what's the Christmas holidays all about if you don't gain that extra 10 pound of insulation.
Besides, it's cold outside. And we need a New Years resolution to work on - or guilt if you're really such a goody too-shoe - where did that phrase ever come from.

Vivian's sets a really nice table and although I gorged myself at lunch, I still managed to scarf down 2 little petite sandwiches. The best part was the little treats that came afterwards. She makes some really great home made tarts, short breads and other tasty treats that I don't even know the name of.

Viva Christmas!