There is a certain peace and joy in tradition…  It is my family’s tradition to go out to dinner on Christmas Eve.  It started with my father taking all of us out for my mother’s Christmas gift from him.  It has been about 35 years since we have been doing this.   Now with my father not with us and my mother being 98, we of course take her out and many of our family members live too far away to come with us, but our Christmas Eve tradition lives on with extended family members joining us (I will post a picture:)  This year was impossible to find a restaurant open on Christmas Eve except for Chinese restaurants, and so it is we are keeping the tradition alive with going out for Chinese… That’s Joy!!

It’s also our tradition to go to someone’s home for dessert after the dinner at the restaurant, this year it will be our home!!  This is my tablescape for tonight and some of the desserts, everyone will bring a treat to add to the table…These are my Christmas dishes that I got many years ago, a place setting for 18…but we will only be having 12!!Some of the desserts are Carmel Chocolate Bark made with Saltine crackers, chocolate chip cookies that our neighbor made for us and Italian cookies that Victor picked up at the Italian bakery and chocolate covered peanut brittle that Gina sent us from Virginia!  Also, candy canes, marshmallows and egg nog to add to coffee…

Tonight I’m wearing this bow back sweater with white lace camisole underneath and of course wearing a pearl necklace and earrings:) I got the sweater at Marshalls, you can get one like it in a different color at NY&C, the pink one would be gorgeous on New Year’s Eve…  You can get a camisole something like this at Amazon.

We do love to have a real log fire in our fireplace, however, at times when it is too warm but we want the atmosphere, I keep candles on a clear plastic tray and just lay them on the grate in the fireplace for instant glow, without the hassle of stoking:) By the way, our very good dear friend Frank built that fireplace for us, Victor crafted the surrounding woodwork:)  The mantle is decorated with two artificial pine swags with pine cones, apples and berries tucked among the variety of pine branches, so easy to store and display year after year, bought it at Home Goods many years ago.  Sitting around the fireplace with family on Christmas Eve, eating dessert and sipping eggnog…That’s Peace…

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family reading this blog!!  Thank you all for your support!!  I’m thinking of you with love in my heart, may peace and joy follow you through the holidays and beyond…