Camera

This is the camera I got for Christmas. I am still learning to use it, as you can tell by the photos I have taken so far. It does just about everything but iron my shirts, which is cool. It even takes movies, but I am way far from figuring that out.


Here is a shot I took of the tree last night, after the gifts were all distributed. It looks weird because two of Tom's paintings are hanging on the wall behind it, so you have a couple of creepy-looking guys peeping over it. The tree has great ornaments. Your basic globe-type, including some hand-made one's Tom did last year and this, a few flamingos and also cows, cats, trains, a red dragon (for Wales) and several Texas-themed ones: a map of Texas, a cowboy Santa, a red pepper and a cowboy boot.

I have been trying to get pictures of the cats, but I am still working on that. Meanwhile, here they are, perched on my bed and wondering why I am bothering them. Cassidy has the green background, and Sundance the maroonish.

I called Mama and Daddy to wish them a Merry Christmas while Tom and Helen got breakfast together -- bacon, sausage and a special Christmas bread Helen had baked. Then she and Jay packed up their bags and headed south, leaving a forlorn Buddy the Dog behind. After visiting family and friends in Chicago and points east, they will be back to get Buddy on January 2. Because of the weather, they took my cell phone along in case they run into an emergency and need to call for help. After getting stuck for a short time in a storm last winter, I know that a cell phone can be a source of some comfort.

Since our expected guests will not be here for Christmas dinner, we invited Rich and Peggy over -- they having been cheated of their trip to Minnesota by the weather -- and Tom is now baking a cake in the train cake pan they gave him. We'll see how that works out. It's the thought that counts I guess.

More details later as events warrant.

Merry Merry from the cats and the guys!