CHRISTMAS, 2021 IN PALM CITY, FL

It's our first Christmas since the pandemic when Mary K and I can enjoy our children and all the family traditions the holiday brings.

Neither of us decorated our homes last year...maybe a wreath on the front door....so here's a picture of each of our homes decorated this year...

MARY K'S HOME - 

Mary K. purchased these Santas in 1976 at Chicago Marshall Fields’ Giant Store Display sale (all items were on display in the store or the windows…these were hung on one of the beautiful Marshall Fields window display Christmas trees). Mary K. has cherished these “memory” ornaments all these years!  

PEGGY'S HOME --

One of our favorite things is to collect ornaments and little trinkets from each of the cities we visit and hang them on our "Travel Trees" at Christmas.  You'll see a phone booth and double decker bus from London, a cigar from Cuba made from clay, a mask from Venice, a Seattle ferry, etc.....a little something from every place we've traveled.

Here's Mary K's Travel Tree --

 

And Peggy's Travel Tree --

And an ornament to commemorate "no travel" due
to the Pandemic
last year!

It was fun to finally be able to decorate for Christmas, especially with Peggy’s daughter, Nicki; grandson, Lincoln; and, Nicki’s friend, Jake …and Tom, Mary K.s son all coming to visit!  

Our family festivities were at Mary K.’s home for Christmas Eve.  An informal dinner…

and then on with our new family tradition… Bin Deals Grab!  Loads of laughs!  Peggy and I go to a cool shopping experience, throughout the year, called Bin Deals.  We purchase all types of items at a real deal and store them in black garbage bags.  At Christmas, we pull these out and all the goodies inside are up for grabs! Each family member takes a turn pulling out one secret item (no peeking), and take turns until the bags are empty. The family rules are….Keep it; trade it; give it away….but, do not leave it!  So much fun!  Fast and furious trades!  Everyone’s a salesman…wheeling and dealing for a trade!  

We all had a great time together on Christmas Eve…but I had one more “must see”….The magnificent light show at The Eustace Mansion on Hutchinson Island. Everyone was too tired after a long, but fun day….so I talked Tom into taking me to The Mansion. The spectacular lights have always adorned the mansion grounds; however, this is the first year the public was generously invited to walk within the hundreds of thousands of holograms and lights on the property!  Absolutely spectacular! 

Christmas Day was at Peggy's home starting with lots of gift opening....

My awesome creative sister, Peggy, made gift  tags with our photos!  So clever! 

And included a scrumptious prime rib dinner with lots of yummy drinks in between.

It was also a time for opening Christmas stockings....all of us were Santa's helper, filling each stocking with surprises....P.S.  Dick won $40 on the lottery tickets tucked in his stocking!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!