I found the energy to do some stuff this weekend.

First, I got the daffodil and crocus bulbs in the ground. I had been concerned about this, that it would get too late and be too cold to plant them. (I find I worry almost as much about not getting this kind of thing done as I worry about work.)

I had a 25-bulb "bargain bag" of mixed daffodils. (I think it was a "bargain bag" because most of them had secondary bulbs growing off the main bulb. I divided a few of the larger ones but left most intact). It will be interesting next spring to see what I got - I tend to like "grab bags" like that where you don't know exactly what you're getting. I also planted 15 "tete-a-tete" variety daffodils, which are a smaller variety. And a bunch of crocus.

I also took the time to drain and put up the hoses and to put the winter covers over the spigots as we were supposed to get a hard freeze last night (I don't think we actually did).

Then today, after church, I made a batch of split-pea soup (why didn't anyone tell me how EASY split pea soup is to make? Unlike typical bean soup, you don't have to do the boil-then-rinse and let-sit process. It does take about an hour to make split pea soup but the vast majority of that is unattended cooking time). So I have soup in my fridge for the rest of the week. I used to hate leftovers but I find as I've gotten busier, I'd rather do my cooking on the weekend and then eat leftovers the rest of the week than stress about how I'll find a half-hour to cook something during the week.

I also found the energy to put up my Christmas decorations. I put on the "holiday music" channel on the digital cable - it's kind of Christmas at Motown day, which actually I think is preferable for me right now than listening to the old familiar CDs I have...it was one of those that set me off the other night. (I did sniffle a little when "The Christmas Song" came on...you know, the one about the chestnuts roasting on an open fire). It may just take a little while yet.

I started with the mantel. I hadn't cleared the decorations I put up back in spring off yet, so this was a big change from what it had been.






These little glasses are new to me; they were an antique store purchase. I just liked them; I wasn't thinking about decorating with them for Christmas at the time. (They have gold pine cones and sort of blue-green pine boughs on them; I realize now they don't show up that well in the photo).

I also dug out all my different Christmas-themed pillows and pillow-like objects.



These "flatsy" dolls - this is Paddington bear and a little Scots girl with her dog, all dressed up for Christmas - are sort of representative of a type of toy that was very common when I was a child. You could buy them in any fabric store, sew them together and stuff them. I know I had a pink cat named Charlie, and a blue teddy bear, and a giraffe I called George (I still have George; he's in the bedroom I sleep in when I visit my parents). It's funny - when I was a tiny child I loved these things, but as I got older I kind of rejected them because, well, they're flat - the perspective is kind of funny sometimes (George's legs, I remember...the "off side" legs looked very funny because they were behind the "front side" legs). But now I kind of like them again; they ALMOST qualify as pillows but they are still teddy bears or toys or whatever.

I think they still sell some of these kind of flat printed toys in the fabric stores but I've not looked recently.

They also used to make these a lot as advertising promotions. I had a Tony the Tiger doll that my mom sent away for (I remember loving that Tony the Tiger when I was about 4; he was the toy I took with me when my family went on trips). And I had a Green Giant. And there were lots and lots of others made over the years, starting many many years ago (I think there are some of those toys that were made in the 1920s and before).

And I decorated the tree. I tend to believe that if some is good, too much is even better when it comes to things like this. So I put on most of the decorations I have.



Most of them are the standard glass balls and bells (most of which are made in Mexico, now, it seems, judging from the packages. Or maybe that's just where I live.)

I also have some more whimsical things on the tree.


I've had this Snoopy ornament a long time; I think it came off a box of Whitman's chocolate.


I also have Hello Kitty on the tree. Yes, Hello Kitty. Yes, I know she has even less of a connection to Christmas than Snoopy but then again, Christmas trees aren't exactly out of the Bible, you know? Besides, I like her. She amuses me.



I also lined up some of the critters under the tree. You can see that Rupert is making an appearance again. Hi, Rupert!


Some of my surprisingly-large collection of bears. The bear in the green sweater is a souvenir of Aer Lingus (the Irish airline); my mother bought it for me a couple years ago when they went to Britain.


I also got the binding put on the fall-foliage themed quilt:




I used the same fabric to bind it that I used as the inner border. I didn't think I'd have enough, but I did, and I'm glad because I think it's the best looking binding. (The other option was to use some of the yellow left from the block background, but I don't think that would have looked as good).