back in the saddle again

It is hard to return to the mundane life after Christmas. What a wonderful holiday... It was very weird not seeing my sister-in-law, Leila. I think this was the first Christmas in like fifteen years that I didn't see her and exchange hugs and presents. It is very unsettling having her in Iraq. I have not been blogging about it, because I know my niece, Emily, reads my blog and I don't want to make her sadder than she is already. But it really is very weird that so much time has gone by without talking to her. I miss her a lot.

She gave Jonathan and I (most of the family, really) an American flag that flew over her base in Iraq. So that is a very cool, very priceless gift.

Santa was very good to me this year. I actually received 4 dinner plates from Emma Bridgewater's Toast & Marmalade line that I posted a picture of a few months ago:


I am in such shock, really. I never, ever imagined Jonny would actually track some of these down for me and as they are rather expensive in the States I feel a bit pretentious and snobby even owning them. But, God, they are perfection...

I am really very content right now. I got a gift card to Target from my Aunt D and I cannot imagine what to buy with it--which is a first for me. I feel like I have everything I could ever want.

Alright, this is a very funny story. And anyone within hearing distance of me all week has heard it a million times already. Sorry! But it's so funny I have to tell it again.

I bought a little jar of cat treats for my Aunt D's cat for Christmas.

Jonathan saw the treats while unloading our groceries and he thought we had gotten someone else's grocery bag by mistake. He was holding them up and I said, "No, I bought those."

"Why?" he asked, since we have no cat.

"They're for my Aunt D," I told him.

"Your aunt eats cat treats?"