Pat thank you so much for the Holiday wishes. Going right back for you also and the gorgeous pictures. I LOVE IT!!! Hope you have a wonderful 2010 and that we can share many great moments with our love to brugs, together. Lucy

nope mine is Christmas tree. I was referring to size of her plant. All can't be perfect until they are given a fighting chance. Mine got too much sun so had to be moved. I am sure you can show us all a perfect one though Ken This post was edited by almosthooked on Mon, Dec 24, 12 at 22:36

Wow Jeanne! I love these pictures of your tree...its Magnificent with the blue lights and all the Lovely Angels. I mentioned in another post to you how I enjoy seeing Mr & Mrs Claus....as a Holiday Tradition here! Love their 'Group of Friends' too. TFS jane

Christmas Eve is our big family gathering, we include a dinner for 20. We serve buffet style, but sit at dining tables. (I discovered that 20 is the perfect number: 10 at the DR, 10 in the sunroom at two folding banquet tables) We went with a simple dinner menu this year: beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes (two trays from costco, they were great, and pretty in my new red-orange Dansk pan) and a simple Chistmas salad my aunt made. Elegant! Appetizers were made/brought by others: just shrimp w/sauce, an artichoke dip with crackers, and my kids always make the classic Lipton soup dip. Dessert was the most complicated: DH made his mom's Walnut glory cake which calls for 9 count'em 9 separated eggs. But it's not called "glory" for nothing! Our Scandinavian tradition calls for rice pudding which, for the first time, came from my kitchen. It was a tad soupy, but delicious. And folks brought cookies and candy. Christmas morning DH made our traditional "Eggs McDH" and mimosas. We forgot to make the fruit medley, but that's okay. Then we went to my folks' and my brothers met us up there, for baked French toast (made with Challah, best French toast ever!) and bacon. Christmas night is our quiet intimate dinner at home of leftovers, at the dining room table with the party dinnerware. Me, I felt like the Very Hungry Caterpillar: I ate "one nice green leaf and felt much better". Literally, I had the salad with no dressing lol! Ahhh.