Christmas Eve, we go to the candle light service at church as a family, (my husband and I, our son, my mother, our grown daughter (my step-daughter), and our granddaughter (see loves it) included.) Then we drive around and look at Christmas lights and then we go by the only restaurant open by that time (the local Chinese place) and get take out, go home and eat together and then try to get everyone that has to leave to go home and everyone else in bed. My husband and I usually go on to bed set the alarm for about 2:00am and get up and put out "Santa Clause". Things will be a lot different this year. My mother always spent the night with us; she and my young son would sleep in my husband and my bed (we would just kind of camp out in the living room). It was a given that "Mamaw" would be at out house on Christmas Eve. Well she passed away in January. We still miss her so much. I don't know how things will work out this year, but I still want to keep as many of the traditions as we can. She would want it like that. She was a kind and loving Christian woman.

Found this parody and it is priceless !! Enjoy :0) Twas The Month After Christmas Twas the month after Christmas and all through the house Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste. All the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber). I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared; The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared, The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please." As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt And prepared once again to do battle with dirt -- I said to myself, as I only can "You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!" So--away with the last of the sour cream dip, Get rid of the fruitcake, every cracker and chip Every last bit of food that I like must be banished Till all the additional ounces have vanished. I won't have a cookie--not even a lick. I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick. I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore -- But isn't that what January is for? Unable to giggle, no longer a riot. Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet! - Anonymous -

@Jen K, and @ Nicole- my family went to Oberammergau for the Passion Play in 1980. I was just a kid, but it was an amazing experience with all the townspeople participating in the production. Those same folks would put tourists up in their homes for the event. Don't know if they still do this? We stayed in an upstairs bedroom of a lovely old woman who was sweet as pie and I remember lots of wood carvings in her home. (We ended up coming home with a couple beer steins and hummels instead of a nativity set, as my parents collected them.) The trip was always on their bucket list. My dad had been stationed in Germany years prior in the army and my mom had very German roots. Thank goodness she was able to communicate somewhat since her family spoke a low German dialect. I remember my mom saying they saved 10 years for that trip. Such a beautiful, storybook place!

Is it normal to lose sleep over small details??? Yes. I think I'd prefer it as a straight line, and remember to leave a space for a wastebasket/recycle bin and a shredder for the mail. I was also going to ask about trash and recycling -- trash and a system for sorting mail are the two top priorities in such a spot. Stopping paper clutter as it enters the house is a big deal. Alternate to the shredder to be considered: We don't have a shredder, but we have a "shred box" (I'll tell you my secret: It's a 12-pack beer box covered in contact paper -- it's exactly the right size to contain paper). Once a quarter our Credit Union has a "shred day", and we go to toss the contents of the box into their commercial shredder. We like going: they have food (like pizza or Chick-fillet sandwiches) and door prizes. Wow, do I sound dull. As for straight line vs angle ... I guess I'd give a slight nudge to the straight-line concept because 1) corner cabinets have deep, dark recesses where junk can accumulate, and 2) corner cabinets are more expensive. But my preference here is quite small. Other things to consider keeping in this area: - Kleenex ... hey, don't laugh. - A mirror for checking your hair before you go out the door (maybe inside a cabinet door?) - A cabinet for various canvas bags -- big, heavy bags ... reusable grocery bags ... empty backpacks. - A box of donation things. Clothes you intend to take to Goodwill, that coffee mug that no one really likes, etc. Assign a place for these things to accumulate. - Hangers for extra keys (inside the cabinet) - Is this area housing coats and shoes? I showed the layout to some people who were horrified by the "wasted space." And now I'm horrified at the thought of losing precious organizational space! Yeah, well, people here are always horrified by small, non-optimized things. I don't think the space is "wasted", but I don't think the drop zone -- well thought-out as it may be -- is located in a very good spot. By definition, this is a "drop spot". A place for miscellaneous clutter to accumulate. First, this spot is nowhere near an exterior door ... I'm not convinced that the kids will carry their things to this spot instead of just dropping them as they enter the house. This spot is dead-center of the house, where it's visible from most of your living areas. I don't think this spot will remain neat and clean, and I would be annoyed at having it so visible. Which door is your everyday entrance? I think you could set up a (smaller than this) drop spot near either one ... and I think location trumps larger size. The blank wall without upper cabinets will have a bulletin board. I think I'd rather have magnetic paint, which would make the whole wall a place to accumulate ... but it wouldn't look so much like a bulletin board. I use a wall calendar! Me too. That would also give you room for some shallow wall shelves to use as a charging area, Love the idea of shelves to get the phones, etc. "up and off the countertop". Last thought: I haven't heard a single word about your personal needs for your own individual family, and that should be key as you make these plans. What do YOU need to store in this area? Picture yourself walking out the door ... do you need a place to set down your coffee mug while you gather your keys, sunglasses, etc.? Will this area house a collection of cookbooks? Will you store cards and stamps here? Do you need a hook for a dog's leash? Will you store candles or batteries or light bulbs in this area?