The Hollly and the Ivy when they are both full grown....

.... will go to live in Williamsburg.....

Sure I'm behind. I know. Trust me, I know! But I've been busy. It's hell at my office. It's hell AND I'm busy at my office. And there's another round of cuts coming soon. I may be ok, butthen again. Sigh.

On a far nicer note I am ensconsed in house-sitting wonderland now. I get up early to water the gardens every morning (because, sorry winter-climate folks, but it's been averaging nearly 80 every day here for more than a week). I pick flowers. I chat with hummingbirds (honest, I do). I stocked a fresh "honey bell" seed cone, but as yet I have not seen the alleged American goldfinch that frequents the yard. I've watched Anthony Bourdain chat up locals from Venice to Puerto Rica, I enjoy a good dose of Bargain Hunt every morning, and I fully immerse myself nightly in Barrett-Jackson.

If you've never Barrett-Jacksoned before, I'd say give it a try. It'll be on the Speed channel on Saturday for 10 hours and they on Sunday for 4 more hours. It's a classic car auction of the most amazing mobile art. Ok, I have to admit, I don't get GTOs. Sure they're fast, but they aren't pretty. I myself am apparently a 50s Bel Air or Thunderbird girl, although the 2-toned Nash they auctioned off Tuesday was lovely ... hmmm maybe I'm just a sucker for the "Indian turquoise" and white paint combos? Anyway, I find it all so very fascinating. Tomorrow they'll be auctioning off the very first ever Thuderbird... as in the VERY first one ever, not just the first model, not just the first year, but THE VERY FIRST Thunderbird car made. They'll also be auctioning off some modern day race cars (they did a Dale Earnhardt racer today), a very first production car for next year's Shelby edition, an antique plane, Speed Racer(!), and a Batmobile. See, a little something for everyone! Watch it-- check it out online -- you can see the cars, check out the sales records, think about the car grandpa had and how you should have kept it,... It really is a ton of fun.

Now my firends Jennifer and Judy would want to point out at this point how utterly hysterical this penchant of mine for Barrett-Jackson viewing is. You see, here I am insisting on staying up half the night so I can see both the first and repeat airings of the days sales of expensive antique cars when I don't even drive! lol It's true. It's weird. I know. But I don't much care that it's weird. I've watched B-J stem to stern thus far.... thus far being the key there because I'll be missing the 10 hours of tomorrow's broadcast because I'll be at...... wait for it...... are you prepared to be jealous??? You sure? I'll be at TNNA -- that's The National Needlework Association tradeshow. Yup, I'll be helping my needlepoint shop shop WHOLESALE in a sea of opportunities! Oh my, you're looking a tad greenish. Whatever could the matter be??? hee heee I promise a report Sunday night... ok, maybe Monday... at least sometime soon.

Now, back to Williamsburg. It's a recreated colonial village. Some of the buildings are original, some have been added to bring back the full "village effect." In the trade we call it "living history." It's fun all year long, but I especially like it around Christmas... even more so if it's a temperate year as it was this year. You can take tours with famous or not so famous historical figures (apparently my BIL once heckled Thomas Jefferson! Is that even legal?????) or you can prowl on your own. I remember quite fondly a particularly freezing Christmas one year where we took a night-time stroll with a historical guide. It was very wonderful and I was never quite so happy to see hot cider as I was that night! If you are an adult of "advanced experience" you can wander at your own pace, sit a spell where ever, have a nosh at one of the inns that line the main street, and stroll some more when you want to. If you have little energetic ones you can let them race their legs off down the cobbletoned streets and happily let them sleep their way back to your hotel in the backseat of the car. In short, it's great for everyone who has a fondness for history and quaintness. It is a couple hours from DC, but worth the trip if you are so inclined. Oh, they also host what I consider a cool sounding but hideously expensive stitching event every year called something like "Christmas in Williamsburg." Sound like fun but it'll have to wait until I win that lottery for which I keep forgetting to get tickets.

Among the sights.....
Governor's Mansion--

which they do a lovely fireworks display over for the 4th of July and New Years.

The streets are lined with period shops which will educate you on what life was like (as well as sell you goodies), period homes (which are inhabited by real life normal folks who have to agree to keep the outward appearance (even the view through their windows) in keeping with Colonial America (no TVs or cars visible, etc) (oh and you have to decorate for Christmas), and opportunities to learn about life in the colonial era.








I think my favorite was this guy...


Ok, you want me to decorate for Christmas. I'll decorate for Christmas! lol

the shoemaker's shop:



the dressmaker's shop:




more of "town"--




Learning experiences include "strolling" (ok, standing and chewing) oxen--

which are really cool when they..... err do something liquish.... ewww grandma, did you see him?!


You can stroll passed the sights or book a carriage ride--









Should I have gone with "Please put a penny in the old man's hat" for a title? Apparently I was fascinated with hats that day. I must say, they were particularly photogenic.







Post Williamsburg, my nephew took us to see his office where we met some authentic wildlife --

There were 6 deer in the group, but somehow they resented the grand nephew's attempts to make friends.
Or maybe they resented his efforts to look like a lion (as in the kind that guard the entrances to buildings.... he's fascinated with those right now):

In my nehpew's office we met his jungle (that'd be the nephew)--



that would be his wife's picture subsumed in what my BIL calls the nephew's "kudzu" (yes we all know it's a common houseplant, it just seems so kudzuesque)

And that, dear friends, is how a geek allows for plants to keep creeping. lol For the record from the vantage point of the first picture, that's behind me, behind his door.

Have a lovely day -- I promise to have fun at TNNA for you ... heee heee