“And a cart full of groceries…” (sung to “and a partridge in a pear tree”)

I need to start with the 12th Day and go backwards in the song to the 1st Day, like you would when you sing it the last time through 🙂

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas my Family gave to me: (Remember, the “first” day of Christmas is really Christmas Day, and the last day is Epiphany, January 6; I’m starting with the 26th or 27th here, though, and going up through the 4th)

12 Amazing Dishes…We ate a delicious “Christmas Brunch” a few days after Christmas, getting to use all my British tableware again, along with (for the first time) the cute British egg cups and Scottish egg cups (one of them is the bottom half of a bagpiper – just the kilt and shoes, and another is a bagpiper’s big black hat)

Roasted salmon, cheese (Wensleydale with cranberries and orange, stilton with orange and dates, smoked cheddar…), homemade orange and cranberry scones (leftover in the freezer from my Christmas tea in December), and hard-boiled eggs

11 Gas Streetlamps…That’s how many I counted total in the next few pictures.  My parents and I went to downtown Charleston for an afternoon excursion complete with trawling the Historic Charleston City Market and shopping and lunch on King Street.  From the web:

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney ceded the land on which the Market is built to the City of Charleston in 1788. He stipulated that a public market be built on the site and that it remain in use as a public market into perpetuity.From me – but I can’t figure out how to get out of this little text box now – It’s been the “Market” since 1807 I believe, and the building in front was built later when the old Masonic Lodge burned down.  The big building is now the entrance to the market and says “Daughters of the Confederacy” on the front.

The entrance to the Charleston City Market – Market Hall, built in 1841

My dad listened to this guy for a while when he was waiting for my mom and me to finish shopping.

lunch at Sermet’s on King Street

King Street

Had to snap another picture of Tom’s Toy Store on Market Street – the Kapla blocks with reflections of Palmetto trees behind.

10 Falling Trees…Yes, this one Christmas tree out front fell at least 10 times over the holidays.  The other one fell once, too, but for some reason was safer from the wind.  Finally, right before Christine came, I moved all the decorations over to the tree on the left and we packed up the wayward tree.

sad tree 😦

not the absence of decor on the right-hand tree.

9 Strands of Hair…this is about how many hairs I seem to have left since it is falling out by the handful as it does every time I have a baby.  I needed to trim my bangs so this time I  added some to cover random spots that have little baby hairs growing back in to replace those lost forever 🙂

 

6 Hobbits Eating (ok, a few might be Dwarves, but it works.)

5 Lego Buildings…Gabriel got some sort of Hobbit thing with barrels as well as the Hobbit Hole (over which he FREAKED OUT in excitement), and Patience got something she had been wanting for a while – the mini buildings, a set of the city block in miniature (we have a few of the big ones – the Green Grocer/Pet Store and the Fire Brigade).  At the shooting of the picture she had only constructed three, so in total, I’ve got five creations pictured 🙂

Three of the mini modulars

Looking at the front of the Hobbit Hole

Looking at the inside of the Hobbit Hole (foreground) and the Barrel/Dwarf Mine thingie

4 RC Helos…I got John a tiny Remote Control Helicopter for Christmas – so he went out to the sales the next week and bought three more “just in case.”

3 smiling children…My dad, soaking up some Grandpa time with Greer and Daniel, and Claire’s new haircut, started by her, perfected by me! 🙂

2 Trees of Light…On December 26 my parents went with me into downtown Charleston for a little walk (in the chilly wind) and some Starbucks time before heading to practice for the Charleston Police Pipes and Drums.  These two lighted scenes are from Marion Park off Calhoun Street.

AND A CART FULL OF GROCERIES!!! … when I had run into the commissary for “a few things.”