Got leaves?

We had a glorious day today.... the weather is back to its normal state-- mid 60s to mid 70s, sunny and warm. I hope the weather gods see fit to leave this just as it is. My husband and I spent the day out in the yard, raking up the leaves from the two giant pecan trees by the gazebo. So many leaves.... so many 55-gallon trash bags that we filled up. I've saved the bags of leaves because I'm using them as mulch for the little yard outside the chicken coop. I have already spread out two bags' worth of leaves in that space, and the chickens are happily strutting through the leaves and scratching underneath them in their endless search for bugs. The leaves will squish down after a time, and then I'll just spread out more of the leaves. (Easier than going out and hauling a square bale of hay home in the car.)

It was so pretty out today, and we spent so many hours out in the yard, that I let the chickens out of the fenced-in coop area so they could roam around the front yard with us. And that's exactly what they did, while hawks circled in the sky over us all. Hawks in one part of the sky, looking for living lunches, and buzzards in another part of the sky, looking for dead meals. Yuck to both. When we were finished raking, the chickens followed me back to their coop because I was holding a can of corn in my hand. They have come to recognize the can, which holds their favorite treat.

Last night was our Christmas dinner party with four of the neighbors. It all turned out just fine-- and everyone showed up in their holiday best, which was extra fun. We dressed up as well, like we usually do for our holiday dinners, but we had no idea the neighbors would do the same. So the dinner was indeed like a holiday. Everyone was surprised at the attention to detail with the table settings, the centerpiece, the place cards, the four-course meal. They have no idea that we used to have live music for our huge Open House Christmas parties at the old house, so last night's dinner for six was a piece of cake.

Piece of cake? Not really. In order to make last night's dinner look effortless and beautiful, I worked for two whole days before the door bell rang. Everything was set to be heated up or put into the oven... the place cards were made last week... dishes for each course were lined up on the kitchen counter, candles and Santa were taken from other parts of the house to serve as the centerpiece for the dining room table..... and I had notes upon notes upon notes so I wouldn't forget to do anything or forget what I was going to serve with what-- the bite-sized cheese rolls with the salad, and the garlic bread with the eggplant parmesan.

So, yes, it was a piece of cake compared to a house filled with 50 friends and neighbors, but it was still a lot of work. And I told my husband I'd do it all again...... maybe for Valentine's Day, with more of the neighbors, and I'd plan it as a potluck dinner party so everyone can bring something for the dinner. Potlucks seem to be just as popular here as they were in Clear Lake, and they're always fun because you get to taste everyone's favorite recipes.

But, one holiday at a time. We're not even at Christmas yet, so I don't want to be thinking about Valentine's Day. We're having more company on Sunday... friends from Clear Lake are driving up for lunch... their first time seeing the house since we moved in, so we're excited to be seeing them, and they're excited to be finally seeing the house. More company.... more food to prepare... but lunch is always easier than dinner. Piece of cake.