It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Well, we don't have snow outside but we are being overtaken by snowmen and snowladies in the house! Outside we're having Indian Summer. After an unusually cool and wet autumn, it's nice to have pleasant temps. It won't last long, our highs by the end of next week will be around thirty (or less) with the possibility of snow.

Yesterday, I went through the Christmas decorations (except for the tree and ornaments) and put out what I wanted to display this year. There are a few I now exchange off and on each Christmas. Next week, I'm going to go through all my containers and give to Goodwill those items I know I won't be used again. I'm hoping to end up with a couple less Rubbermaid containers to store. I always carefully wrap decorations before putting them away to protect them. I also tape an index card on each container, telling me the contents of each one. Last year, I was packing to move at the same time I was packing away Christmas items. I did get everything carefully put away but I didn't have time to label the index cards. I missed that this year! (Now, where did I put those gift bags for candy??)

Later this afternoon, I'll put together the artificial tree and find a place for it in the family room. It's much smaller than the one we used to own, which was broken in a move. However, it's the right size for this house. I love getting out all the old ornaments and all the memories that come with them.

While I'm decorating the house, I'm enjoying the music on Direct TV. It has added a few music stations just for Christmas and one channel that is showing choirs and contemporary Christian musicians singing gorgeous Christmas hymns and other music. If I'm going to pay for the service, at least I'll take full advantage of what they have to offer!

I've been baking cowboy cookies and listening to the music. The cookies are suppose to be ready for my son to take to his friend who is returning to his studies at Indiana University. Certain family members have been eating them. It's a very good thing the recipe makes a lot of cookies. This recipe is now my most requested. Later this week, I'll be making candy and cookies for my husband's brother and sister. One of the beautiful silver trays that I bought for 99 cents at Goodwill will hold the goodies for my brother-in-law. I haven't decided what I will use for my sister-in-law, yet. She isn't into decorating (that, believe me, is an understatement) so I may put them in a pretty gift bag she can reuse later.

Yesterday, I started decorating the front porch. During last year's clearance sales, I bought quite a few garlands of silk greenery (with poinsettias on them) for only twenty-five cents each. They were perfect for the porch. If we have bad weather in December, I can toss them and I'm only out less than $2.00. I had to give the porch another good cleaning before finishing the decorating today. It's very simple but pretty. I'll eventually get some pictures taken!

Now I must get back to my baking. My son has to leave soon for a fencing tournament and he's taking the cookies with him. I'm making sure they are in a large gift bag that is well taped. Otherwise they will not make it back to the university. :)