Christmas Company

We love to have company -- especially in December

For lunches and teas and dinners

Planned guests

or

impromptu guests . . . who just drop by

There's always tea in the larder and cookies in the tin

in December

And this December, our company included:

Lunch for the Lunch Bunch

In the dining room

Gifts were part of the table decor

A silver bowl filled with pine and pinecones and a pretty bow

and the two glass sleighs filed with antique ornaments.

Our Tartan plates, of course and since this was a special lunch, Jim's grandmother's cutlery

Friend Pam was in town and dropped by for a cup of tea

And a platter of Christmas goodies

A corgi nose checking to see if any of the goodies are for her!

The silver tea pot (always in December), my newest Christmas plate bought on an outing in early December and the Tartan cups, of course!

Some friends stopped by late afternoon.

It was really too late for tea

So we brought out the Waterford decanter of sherry (Harvey's Bristol Cream, of course!)

and some of friend Francie's Grandmother's Brazil Nut Cake, sliced thinly and put on a silver cake plate

We sipped sherry, nibbled on slices of cake and talked of Christmas plans

Friend Sally dropped by with presents for all.

It was a cool day and the wing chairs close by the fire seemed the appropriate place to take

tea and visit.

A real "French" tea for the tea was the Mariage Freres Noel Tea, the "nosh" was French gingerbread (pain d'epices) which is close to my beloved Starbucks gingerbread -- without a cream cheese and candied orange top.

And on Christmas Eve, a plate of fruitcake, Francie's Grandmother's Brazil Nut Cake and some fruitcake that Husband Jim had bought as well as Christmas cookies and punch cups of egg nog.

A family tradition -- Daughter Sarah and her Andy joined us.

We so enjoy filling the house with company in December.