Moving Adventure #3 -- Creating Christmas at Home

By working 12-16 hours for nearly the last week, I have managed to get mostly unpacked and most things put into a new places. My younger daughter wanted to do Christmas with her family on Sunday and I almost fainted with the news -- we put it off until Monday evening. My older granddaughter came and helped me again on Monday. She did the decorating while I continued to unpack interesting things such as tax papers and find a place for them.

I did go off on Sunday afternoon to do some grocery shopping, too, for I had planned to let the cupboards get very bare and not have to move much food.

So here's how the kitchen looked by the end of Monday.

Yes, the computer is on the island and may be there often. Wireless makes it easy to "work" anywhere, and now I have a new printer up and running too -- another thing I did this week -- that allows wireless printing -- oh, what a luxury.

On the other side of the apartment, here's how the living room looks.

The wall looks unusual because of how a lampshade on a lamp in the room diffuses the light.

I'm rather amazed I managed to move and to create something that looks like Christmas.

Near where I live, well real near -- a one block walk, is a wonderful restaurant, Black Sheep Pizza. It is named that because the ovens are unusual, at least for this part of the country. This restaurant uses coal-fired ovens and produces pizza very much like what I find in Europe. I already have a favorite -- fresh tomato, green peppers, and kalamata olive pizza. It is yummy.

Because I knew I really couldn't pull off a family meal in the midst of a move I suggested going there. Here's three of my grandchildren at the restaurant.

After pizza we walked the one block back and enjoyed Christmas cookies and a gift exchange.

Today I finally got the dining table empty. There are still "desk" things that need sorting and put away somehow, but at least the remaining work looks possible.

I have the console table somewhat organized too.

My new lease prohibits the use of real candles. So all the candles now have LED lights. I had rather moved in that direction anyway when my younger granddaughter was born and there was again a need to be very cautious because of little ones around.

Many cultures and countries have traditions that happen every Christmas. The US is so multicultural that it becomes hard to know what traditions to celebrate. And I have learned to enjoy holidays by not expecting anything and just enjoying what seems to come along. But when my family was leaving on Monday night I asked my son-in-law if we had started a new tradition with Black Sheep Pizza and he said, "It works for me."

For sure next year should be easier -- at least I won't be moving. Looking forward to having a quiet Christmas Day with my older daughter. The weather outside is a bit frigid as I write, but supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow. Nice to be here in my new warm apartment.