the two days, many meals, of christmas

on christmas eve, we went to the nursing home to have christmas eve dinner with doug's mom. (grilled cheese sandwiches and canned pears.) no pictures from that, because a nursing home christmas is kind of depressing.

(she will be home soon, we hope.)

then we came home and listened to dylan thomas read "a child's christmas in wales," ate meatballs and cookies, and opened presents.

quiet before the chaos.

riley got a pillow from pmiller!

christmas morning brunch was at our house. 11 people and two dogs.
i made four loaves of irish soda bread. (also, two breakfast casseroles, one vegetarian, one not, and two pounds of bacon and a huge fruit salad.)

the birthday boy got lots of gifts.

it started snowing in early afternoon, and it snowed the rest of
christmas day and night.

then we all gathered at tommy's for christmas dinner, and the annual family slide show. the iowans drove home in the snow.
they arrived safe and sound at midnight.

this morning, i am shoveling again.