Decorated for Christmas

This is what the house looks like this year. Richard and I started putting up the decorations last weekend but waited until Thanksgiving night to light them up. We put up everything except the five little spiral trees (we forgot about them, found them last night and Richard put them up today). I'd like to do it differently next year. We need to put something on the garage door because it is really dark over there. Maybe a lighted wreath or something.

Audrey and Jason have put up some really pretty decorations at their house too. Their spiral trees are new this year. I love it all lit up. After Christmas it seems so dark everywhere. I wish houses would have lights up year-round. It wouldn't have to be Christmas colors, just anything to light up the night.

Connect the Dots Finished!

I finished my Connect the Dots quilt today. This is a mystery quilt offered by Judy Laquidara on her blog the past month or so. I picked fabrics out of my stash for this quilt. They are the same fabrics Judy L. used for her quilt, except I used the maroon rather than the green. I just didn't have enough yardage in a green to do it. I like my colors, though, I think it made a rather masculine quilt. I think the design would be masculine unless you used very feminine colors. I got it done just in time! Bonnie K. Hunter is starting a new mystery quilt tomorrow morning and I will be ready, willing and able to get started with her! I have already pulled my fabrics and I can't wait.

RATS!

Since the twin house around back burned last April it has been sitting there with the windows covered (mostly). Some man bought it and has worked in it two days in the last month or so. We started seeing rats about two months ago tunnelling in the yard between the houses (the houses are only ten feet apart). Richard said they were under our house. We have killed a total of six rats so far. We bought two rat traps at Lowe's and caught a rat the first day we had them out there. After that, the rats ate the bait but the traps did not spring. We then bought a heavy duty rat trap and caught several with it. But -- a couple of nights ago I was awoken at 4am and I thought one of my cats was rolling a ball around my room, so I got up with my flashlight shining around. I couldn't find any cats in there so I figured it was a rat under the house. The trap was set just inside the opening under the house and that is right under my bed. Anyway, I told Richard about it first thing in the morning and he went to get it. He said it wasn't there, so he went further under the house looking for it. He found it about 15 feet from where it should be with the rat still alive. He didn't want to get it with bare hands so he went back later. He couldn't find it! He hasn't found it yet! Tom lent him a trap that he tied down with a rope. Hopefully, no more rats will get away now. I talked to the city a couple of weeks ago but I am going to call them again.