My daughter Anna took these pictures of my grandsons, I think they are wonderful but I then I think the boys are adorable anyway.
Love the expression on Austen's face in this one.








Okay, proud Grammy returns you to your regular thread....

Robin, those are great photos of adorable kids - you should be a proud grammy

ditto

Sweet! Great idea for a Christmas card.

Don't really have anything to post. There has been almost zero activity on the Mid Atlantic forum for about a week and I was wondering if I missed a major alien abduction/rapture/plague/deportation?

I noticed that too. Seems to always decline once gardening season winds down and then gears back up as we get close to the Feb seed swap. Good news - day light will start getting longer after tomorrow. Dec 21 winter solstice is the shortest day light of the year.

'Tis the season for traveling and trying to find presents, maybe that's why less people are posting.

No traveling, here, a little present finding but more online than on foot. Just working, and having a sinus infection. I don't have much to update plant wise, have barely seen the yard either.

We had several small, scraggly trees taken out today, but that's pretty much it on the gardening front. I just wish this weather would settle down. One day I can breathe, the next day it's a problem. Freakin' allergies!

What's outside that's bothering your allergies now, Rick?

I have been going outside to take care of my backyard birds and sometimes to take a walk but, other than that, I'm not venturing out much. I really, really don't like winter

We finally got a Xmas tree up tonight in the living room! Latest ever.

A sampling of Christmas decorations.

Family Room





Dining Room





Foyer and Library

Teri, You could be a professional decorator. Just beautiful.
I spent the last two days at my parents. I did run around yesterday and finished up the last of my shopping. Just sitting here in the glow of my tree listening to Holiday Instrumentals so very peaceful. I have no internet at my parents other than my small tablet and phone. Miss my laptop up there. It may be time to see about getting internet at their house either thru their cable provider or look into a mobile hot spot from my phone.
Grandson JR came over to help decorate the tree it might still be sitting there naked if not for him. When I am at my parents home I am full of patience and energy and then I come home and just collapse. Not wanting to do anything but sit on my lounge chair and dose.

Having seen it in person, I'd say that Terri's photos of portions of her holiday efforts fail to convey the true magnificence of the ambience she has created throughout her home, truly breathtaking. (Whole greater than the sum of the parts.)

Holly, Pat and I have both found that spending time with our aged parents seems to temporarily inoculate one with "old", and it takes a while to wear off.

That is funny. What a way to think of it. I sure will remember " inoculate with old" LOL

Teri, everything you've shown is gorgeous, beautiful, insipring.... wow!!!!

Holly, it can take a lot of mental energy being patient and caretaking.

David, another good line Mark's mom spends all day on her sofa, and sometimes when I look at him parked in the chair...I nearly feel deja vu...but then I remember he's doing 99% of the laundry, 75% of the shopping and dishes..he gets some exercise and does everything car-related..so easy for me to forget what I did when I was home all day. Besides spending every possible minute related to gardening.

Beautiful sunrise this morning. Clouds above the eastern horizon were glowing a lovely pink, and the light produced bathed the dried grasses in the field across the road, turning them into apparent drifts of pink muhly grass.

It was really beautiful here, too. I was going to run out and take a pic to share but I don't have an up and running photo program yet. So I just sat and enjoyed the view.

Terri---
I am amazed at all the decorations you put up. It is amazing! And--VERY beautiful!
Every corner--every nook and cranny is decorated. Hope you photograph everything for posterity.
Never know when the day will come when all this will be 'too much" to accomplish.
Then you can share what it looked like with your great-Grandchildren.

How sad is it when you take all these decorations down? How do you accomplish it all????

Anyway--I too have noticed the lack of posting now for a long time. It saddens me--
and I cannot help but think back how mush more active the ODG was,
Now and then I still take a peek there--and appreciate the familiarity of the formats on it.
Even though Dave is a master of programming--sometimes, to me, it just complicates things.
I have not updated any of the options available here. So--I just "play on any threads that are
"updated". Glad i can do that....
To make it even worse--Comcast has upgraded and updated how their home-page works
and I am now doubly confused. Changes and me do not do well together.....

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a great new Year. Gita

Beautiful decorations, Terri.
Speaking of tending to aged parents, DH departs Christmas morning to spend a few days with his ancient mother in NJ. When he returns, it takes him a few days to shake off the fustiness.
My mother lives near Asheville NC. My two sisters live near her and do most of the caregiving. Her health is going south.
Meanwhile our house is groaning with people. Guests leaving this afternoon, younger son arriving tonight. Last week, he graduated from Purdue. Whew! We're finally done paying university tuitions.
Say, any thoughts on encouraging my Epis to root? I bought cuttings early November and they're looking lackluster. Suggestions?