Friday for Christmas we stayed home and enjoyed our time with each other. We had agreed to keep our gifts-giving inexpensive but we had fun opening the many little presents we'd gathered over the year. I'd found her several excellent scrapbooking books in excellent condition at the thrift stores, a boggle book she plans an taking on her trip in February, and a scarf that goes perfectly with her winter coat. She got me the traditional package of marzapain, a new traveling soap dish (mine got left behind somewhere this year), a "cigarette lighter" flashlight (like hers), and a candy bar with movie tickets to go to Star Wars Christmas night. We spent the afternoon workng on a jigsaw puzzle until time to leave for the movie. Saturday we spent the day with friends where we played a full set of Mexican dominoes which takes several hours to work through double twelves. For my birthday she'd given me a gift card to Barnes and Noble for a garden book I'd voiced an interest in. Now I've got to try to remember the name of the book so I can go get it. Laurel sent us both a check for Christmas and I'd gotten a birthday card Thursday with a check for my birthday. I'd planned on getting new pillows but the checks are big enough I need to find something special for the rest of it. Sunday we made the rounds for the 99-cent sales where both of us had some excellent luck. I came home with three big bags full of good stuff.