Cary Real Estate Blog

I adore Christmas.  My Mother and Grandmother always shared their excitement for the holiday from when I was very young, and I still enjoy it very much.  After my Mom and Aunt would cook all day and host Thanksgiving, we would drive over to my Grandmas and decorate her tree each Thanksgiving night while she helped.  PaPa seemed relieved as he continued to sit back and rest.  It was a big deal that Grandma was the first one on the block with her tree glowing and outside decorations placed all around.  I still cherish a few of her ornaments on my tree now that she is no longer with us.  My mother worked full time but was known throughout the community for her bow making.  People from all over and from many walks of life brought her ribbon and for weeks she would create lovely bows.  The bow making was so harsh to her hands but she always made them with a smile.  These bows would surround my family all through the house.  We would have bows lying all over the furniture and any available flat surfaces waiting to go to their owners.  Some bows were made as surprises.  She never charged anyone…it was all about the season. 

I am into Christmas decorating and make my share of bows as well.  I like mixing the old and the new in my home.  My husband Joe and my 2 boys are very patient with me during this time of year.  I make a BIG deal out of everything and get fixated on selecting everything from the themed gift wrap (and certainly can’t use the leftovers next year), selecting the perfect tree after trying multiple tree lots (although I previewed 3 tree lots this year without my family during my lunch break) and working on my calender trying to fit in all my favorite “Must Do’s”. 

One place we gather each year is at The General Store Cafe in Pittsboro, just about 25 minutes from our house in Cary, NC.  We go to see the band Trilogy for their Annual Christmas Extravaganza.  This year they are playing from 8:30-10:30 on Saturday night,December 15th.  They play many of the old and new Christmas songs with a bit of swing and even bring out kazoos which my kids love.  After your great meal at the diner, you just settle in at your table and listen to the tunes.  It’s a casual place, kid friendly, artsy patrons, simple food and a kid’s mile high brownie dessert that MUST be shared if the kids are to sleep all month.  All along the edges of the dining area are artistic and crafty type items for sale.  Try it sometime - you can always check out their music lineup on their website at http://www.thegeneralstorecafe.com/.  If unusual and different activities catch your interest, checkout our newsletter on http://www.caryhomesnc.com/ where we often capture some of my favorites since I get to edit the calendar!

Share This

I have been trying to think of what my family’s Christmas traditions are.  We aren’t the caroling family (my daughter being the only one of us that can carry a tune), we don’t often sit in front of the fire with hot apple cider, we don’t have one favorite movie that we like to watch this time of year, but there is one thing we do, without fail, every Christmas.  We destroy my kitchen.  Now, before you get the wrong idea, I don’t mean that I get a new kitchen each December; I mean that we make a mess of it. 

We like to bake.  All 4 of us.  We bake all year long, but at Christmas we do it together and in bulk.  We put in 5 or 6 different Christmas CD’s and hit shuffle (our favorite being a Muppets Christmas CD with John Denver, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the bunch, there is nothing quite like hearing Miss Piggy sing ‘5 Golden Rings’), get out our favorite Christmas cookie recipes, and proceed to get flour, sugar, colored sugar balls, eggs, and whatever else we need on the floor, on ourselves, and some even in the cookies. 

Now I have to confess that some of the dough is eaten before it’s baked.  There are usually children (and adults) with chocolate around their mouths.  There is a mountain of empty Hershey Kisses wrappers from the peanut butter cookies.  All the Christmas cookie tins are full or being filled.  There is a very happy dog licking the floor and 4 VERY happy and full cooks.  And, I have a mess of a kitchen. 

Share This

In an effort to get to know us at LG Real Estate (and since it is the holidays), we will each endeavor to post something about our family holiday traditions.  Watch for more to come.

Share This