HAPPY NEW YEAR! WELCOME 2009!

Hope your 2008 was great!  Cheers to an even better 2009!

Getting Ready for The New Year

New Year's isn't the same in our house without the customary Japanese celebratory New Year's Day cuisine.  "O-shogatsu" (Japanese New Year celebration) has a history reaching back thousands of years.  "Osechi ryori" is what most people in Japan eat at the beginning of the new year.  It was originally a way for housewives and their families to survive the first several days of the New Year when stores throughout Japan were closed.  The foods that make up "osechi ryori" are prepared in advance and placed in compartmentalized lacquer boxes and are enjoyed for days following the New Year celebration.   Here are a few examples of what you can find in a typical "osechi ryori" meal....

Merry Christmas from Montana!

A sleigh ride, skiing and dog sledding were just a few highlights!  Mush!

Winter Wonderland in Montana

We spent a few days before Christmas in Whitefish Montana.  It's starting to look a lot like Christmas!

Dog Sledding in Montana

Call us crazy, but we're headed North for a bit of snow.  We're traveling to Montana to stay at a ranch, go skiing and dog sledding!  

I'm signing off for now until after Christmas so have a happy and safe holiday!  Keep warm!

A sign of things to come?

Hope your holiday season is more peaceful and less stressful!

Starfish ornament craft

Here's the only ornament I made this Christmas.....but I'm getting good ideas for next year!

Christmas Signs

My friend Lisa made these cute holiday signs...aren't they great?

A Little Christmas around the house

Here are just a few small things that help bring holiday cheer to our house!  

Christmas in Hawaii anyone?

Wouldn't it be fun just once?  How can you say no to this?

Christmas Guests Arrive Early!

Hello there!  Kelli over at "There's No Place Like Home" invites us to share something special this week and today I'm opening the door for my early Christmas guests.  Each year my daughter and I choose another guest to add to our growing Christmas collection.  The first year we invited Mother Reindeer and Father Reindeer.  The following year, they had a baby girl reindeer.  This year we've added Mr. Nutcracker Mouse and his wife.  And finally, my daughter added Mr. Penguin to the guest list.  It's a tradition we've started a few years back and each year marks the arrival of the holiday season!  Won't you say hello to our guests?