Books & Cooks Tour 2025!!

I was so freakin' happy that Jax wanted to continue our silly tradition. This year we delivered my homemade vegan cookies and books to Xavier & Mary, Dave, Stacey, & Lucy, MeMom & Pop, Bishop, Uncle Alan & Ann Marie, and Kayla & Kenny. I drove while Jackson played DJ and we kicked back to Nirvana, Deftones, Pearl Jam, Rush, Incubus, Sam Cooke, and Ozzy. Oh, and I made him listen to Taylor Swift's All Too Well (the ten minute version, of course) and he stated, "I like her as a person. But I hate her music." All I could think was, "Uh-huh. I used to think that very same thing...." One day I'll turn him to the bright side and he'll appreciate her greatness. Anyway...we had a grand time together. The highlight for me was just before I dropped him off last night to my in-laws. He wanted to listen to Smells Like Teen Spirit one more time, saying he misses playing that glorious song. He put it on and I ordered him to drum along to it on his legs and got a personal performance while driving down 295. That kid is so crazy talented. Here's the best photos from this year's tour.

(Post scriptie: Oh my gosh, I barely held it together when Jackson went up in Ann Marie's attic to help get down her holiday decorations. He went to bring them down and Uncle Alan said to him, "Pass it to me, baby...I got it, baby, I got it...Anything else up there, babe?" When we got to Phineas and drove off I asked him if that was the first time an adult man called him "baby". He chuckled and said, "Yes it was. And I didn't hate it.")

Snowfall and Cookie Dough

'tis the damn season - Taylor Swift

Cookie Road - The Julie Ruin

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day - The Civil Wars

Christmas Starts Tonight - Olly Murs & The Ordinary Boys

The Christmas Song - Carpenters   

Snow - RHCP

Christmas in Herald Square - Tony Bennett

Cold Cold Ground - Tom Waits

Wonderful Christmastime - The Shins

Christmas Is Going To The Dogs - The Eels

Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow - Midler & Mathis

Sleigh Ride - Ella Fitzgerald

Every Christmas Eve/Giving - Johnny Mathis

Winter Weather/Winter Wonderland - Mel Tormé

Frozen Pines - Lord Huron

Winter Light - Linda Ronstadt

Song of Joy - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Amy's Christmas Album Collection

Stratford Winter Wonderland

Back before Marina lived in South America and then got married and had a kid, we were nearly inseparable. She now lives about twenty minutes from me but I only get to see her maybe two or three times a year. I always thought that when she grew up we would still be best pals and hang out tons. But it seems once people get hitched and have kids, their spinster friend get pushed to the background and eventually is thrown away entirely. I've had a long time to work through this and even though I miss what she and I once had, I absolutely love stumbling upon an old video of us from back in the day. This one is from Christmas Eve 2010 when we were driving around nearby towns to check out Christmas lights. Man, we had some great times together!

Happy Holiday

How hysterically adorable is this Christmas card that my cousin Alina made in 2012?!

It's Christmastime, Snoopy-Doop!!

Oh my gosh!!! These are thee cutest doughnuts to ever exist!!!!!

May's Christmas House

I saw these festive Spark matches when I was with Autumn in Ohio and had to buy them. 

My hopes and dreams of late are entirely of having a safe, quiet home, far from neighbours and noise. Since I'm obsessed with Instagram pages that have anything to do with houses, this one post about the Christmas house that best suits people based on the month of their birth made me click on it to see May's. I will so take this as my own. Note that there's not another living soul as far as the eye can see. Just me and Denver, my gorgeous horse that never bites and also mucks out their own stable. Amazing!

(photos kidnapped from rickusloveschristmas on IG)