Our Annual December Date...

Not sure how this tradition got started....but....every December hubby and I go out on an afternoon date.  The past few years, we went to Strathmore mansion to view the Miniature Art show.  That was closed today.....soooo.....we went to Brookside Gardens.  Of course, I had an ulterior motive for picking Brookside Gardens this year.  A local talented group of women...aptly named Cloth & Chocolate, have an exhibit there until February 5th, 2010.  So, if you happen to be near Wheaton, Maryland, go take a look.  Richard and I enjoyed the exhibit, then walked over to the greenhouse.

We just had to get a picture of Percy to show our son.  Of course, he's 16 now and definitely did not appreciate our humor in reminding him of how crazy he was for Thomas the Tank trains when he was little. 

We took a walk around the grounds.  The snow is gone, but the lake is still iced over.  It was beautiful day, almost 50 degrees, clear, clean, and crisp.  We weren't the only couple there walking hand in hand and we weren't the oldest couple there walking hand in hand.  The big surprise of the day, however, was

YES!!!!!   That's a robin!   Spring is on the way!   Wooohoooo!

The weather outside is frightful...

but the decorations are soooooo delightful.
Yea, they're up again! 

The only thing unique about my Christmas decorations is that the tree and the bulbs hanging from the fireplace all rotate continuously.  So the Christmas ornaments hanging from the tree all sway a little as the tree moves around.

With all the stuff to be done, I've been remiss in posting my record of service quilts.  Here's a bunch from November and December

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanuukah to all.....oh and lots and lots of spare time in the New Year for your favorite quilting projects!