By
Gypsy Rhapsody
(a 1977 Airstream that is still singing Christmas songs.)
OK...its over...
Christmas, that is...
So why am I still lovin' that Katy Perry song,
"Cozy Little Christmas"...
It's just makes me want to sing and dance,
and that's pretty hard for me to do with my "big self".
Sing it, Vannie...
"Everybody's in a hurry, in a flurry
Shopping 'til they're droppin' in the snow
Kids are cryin', dogs are barkin'
Catching up with folks we barely know
Sure it's madness, but it's magic...
Soooo, since we are talking about Christmas,
I'll let you on a little secret...
IT WAS GREAT.
I hung around the Airstream Park
(NTAC...North Texas Airstream Community)
in Hillsboro, TX while Vannie, Dave, and MinnieG
headed to Louisiana.
Some of the first pics are from the Airstream Park.
I'm lovin' living here with all these nice trailers and their owners.
A nice mix...some Yankees,
Texans (they are definitely in a group all by themselves),
Southerners, and us...
There are even some folks from Switzerland and Germany...
Guess you could say we are an international group.
Our metal sculpture from the Juneau's in Lafayette, LA
was a hit as part of my Christmas decoration.
A warm red scarf and a bright green tree made my little
Christmas as cozy as could be.
Check out inside MinnieG...can't get much cozier than that.
One of Vannie and Dave's first Cozy Christmas' was
the Ladies Tea in the Rally Room at NTAC.
Ladies from the Hillsboro Community are invited
and look forward to this event every year.
This was one of the table decorations.
Those guys look very cozy.
Vannie said every table was absolutely beautiful.
Another cozy camper...
Who's cozy here?
These are the guys that helped with the parking and opening car doors.
Check out that cozy little elf in the front.
Too Cute.!!!
Someone is having a super good time.!!!
These handsome guys were the waiters for the event.
They are listening to the instructions and are ready to head out to do their job.
They place was packed, even though the weather was not cozy at all.
It was rainy and cold, but inside it was toasty warm.
Cozy Little Christmas #2
First Methodist Church, Hillsboro, TX
Dave loves singing in any choir that will have him.
I told Vannie we needed to buy him some platform shoes.
You can barely see him...back row... right in the middle.
The Chrismon Tree at church
Traditionally this tree is decorated with clear lights,
and the Chrismons are made from white and gold material.
The Chrismons depict ancient symbols for Christ or some part of Christ's ministry.
Dave said that the children's Christmas program was wonderful.
Baby Jesus was cozy as could be in the manger.
Cozy Little Christmas #3
Here We Come A-Caroling
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen...
The Airstreamers caroled their way around
our park laughing and singing to beat the band.
See the guy on the right...loves to sing.
Cozy Little Christmas #4
Ladies Wine Tasting Party
The NTAC Ladies know how to have a good time, for sure.
Yep...a fun time is going on...
Sip Sip... Watch it ladies...3 sips is enough.
Cozy Little Christmas #5
OK...you've been seeing a bunch of V and D's friends.
Hey, I've got some, too....
and they are all decked out for Christmas...
Bright...
Lights...
Twinkle...
Sparkle...
Shine...
Dave say..."Come on, Vannie, it's time to hit the road.
You've got the presents, groceries, clothes, and a bunch
of other stuff. I'm ready for our cozy little Louisiana Christmas."
Cozy Little Christmas #6
Vannie said when you've lived in South Louisiana for 40 plus years,
you are going to know what this is...
And what is it, Vannie???
A Sugar Cane Truck...this one is not loaded, but it's headed to get loaded...
and I mean with sugar cane...lots of it.
This #6 couldn't have been cozier...
Paul Breaux Band Christmas Concert...
starring Cooper Harris on the Baritone Sax.
Well, he was definitely V and D's star.
(He is right in the middle)
After the concert, we all headed to the Olive Garden to celebrate a cozy concert.
Ash, Diane, Coop
Cozy Little Christmas #7
This get-together usually happens at New Years,
but Vannie and Dave were not coming back to Lafayette for New Years...
sooo the group got together at Alesi's Pizza (their usual place) to eat, visit, and laugh...a lot.
Jim and Nancy Underwood
Jan and Chester Baudoin
V and D
Cozy Little Christmas #8
Emmilee Green's House in Harrisonburg, LA
This is Emmilee giving her grandson, Finn, a great big hug.
Finn Brady, son of Kathryn and Jay Brady, is moving
to Oregon to enroll in the College of Nursing.
Vannie said that this handmade quilt was a Christmas gift for Finn.
It was created by his mom, Kathryn.
It depicts so many upcoming experiences for Finn...
New beginnings, the beautiful sky and water of the northeast,
nature and life, the universe in all its glory.
And what could be cozier...a quilt especially made for you by your mom.
Cozy Little Christmas #9
Lincoln Parish Park in Ruston, LA
Wow...I can feel the coziness looking out of MinnieG's window.
Hey...is this a painting?
And that duck...does he have a pom-pom on his head?
Or is that a Cozy Little Christmas ornament?
Or is that some extra feathers all tangled up?
Or maybe it is a light bulb...HELLO...where's the plug?
This is getting out of hand...moving right along...
When D and V were walking around the lake...
this blue heron silently stepped out from the marsh.
It's Magic...or cozy...or Louisiana, no matter the season.
"We are following stars what cross the sky...
Round an old yellow moon"
Sing it Emmylou...
Dang, it's so cozy I can hardly stand it.
Cozy Little Christmas #10
Darbonne State Park, Farmerville, LA
V and D and MinnieG just waitin' around till all the folks arrive.
Very cozy in those pine trees.!!!!
...and inside was the smell of Christmas...
Vannie is baking pecan pies and some cookies on the side.
That's some COZY smells, for sure.
Then they started arriving...
Cabin #6...right on the lake...
4 cozy bedrooms, 2 cozy baths, 1 cozy fireplace,
an extra cozy kitchen, a cozy living room, and a cozy little porch...
Bring it on, Santa
Dave always like to give the place a look of home...
and a cozy one, too.
This was a table runner that Vannie's mom made around 1962.
She had just received a new Singer sewing machine from Vannie's dad.
V and D purchased this Table Cloth on a long ago mission trip to Mexico...
and the Vintage Christmas sweaters belonged to Dave's mom, Pearl.
December 24, 2019
The Bernice Crowd...Vannie's side of the family
Back Row...left to right
Amy and John Pesnell, Vannie and Dave, Julie Honeycutt, Lisa and Richard, Ashley Harris
Front Row
Diane Harris, Cooper Harris, Brandon Honeycutt with Hailey and Spencer, Roy Salvagio with Vincent and Maddie in the back, Emilie Salvagio
Vannie is wearing a vintage apron made by her mom probably in the 50's.
Hailey is digging in, but Maddie looks a little skeptical.
She is not sure if she is going to eat anything or not.
Santa needs cookies, and he is one lucky fellow, because
Hailey and Maddie have that job covered.
More cozy smells...
The Salvagio's
The beginning of a bunch of presents
After opening presents and grubbing down on some great gumbo made by Amy...
everyone headed down to the dock for the Chinese lantern lift-off.
Ashley gets it just right
and away it goes.
Check out Emilie's phone screen in the first pic.
Excitement
Warm, cozy Lights...light the Christmas night sky...
Time for Bed...
Santa's Coming...
Let's get cozy.
And he did come.!!!
Someone must have been very good.!!!
...and someone else...
...and someone else.
Cozy Little Christmas #11
The Harris Bunch...Dave's side of the family
Back Row
Micheal/Brooke Hill with Stella Claire, V and D, Cooper/Diane Harris, Rusty/Stephanie Welch
Middle Row
Ashley Harris, Emilie Salvagio
Seated
Judy Harris, Roy Salvagio with Maddie
We were all wearing one of Pearl's Vintage Christmas sweaters.
Stella Claire Hill
Stella is the newest member of this bunch...
and she stole the show.
Just Precious.!!!
She's reading...well, almost.
Everyone wanted to hold her, especially Maddie.
...and Emilie.
Vannie and Ashley were getting things ready in the kitchen.
Vannie has on a pair of Pearl's red pajamas. Pearl may have gone to Heaven
a few years ago, but her spirit was definitely around for this year's festivities.
Stephanie even made her chocolate pie...yummy.
When things slowed down, you could find Emilie and Diane
at the kid's table coloring. #foreveryoung
Then Dave got out the keyboard...
Let the music play on...
Come on and sing along...
We're going to parti', karamu', fiesta, forever...
Name That Tune
"2 Notes"
"Jingle Bells"
Come on and sing along...
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
All night long...All night long...
Come join the fun...Come join our party...
Let the music play on...
(Vincent and Maddie seemed to know every word...
and they sang LOUD and CLEAR.)
OK...its over...
Christmas, that is...
So why am I still lovin' that Katy Perry song,
"Cozy Little Christmas"...
It's just makes me want to sing and dance,
and that's pretty hard for me to do with my "big self".
Sing it, Vannie...
"Everybody's in a hurry, in a flurry
Shopping 'til they're droppin' in the snow
Kids are cryin', dogs are barkin'
Catching up with folks we barely know
Sure it's madness, but it's magic...
Soooo, since we are talking about Christmas,
I'll let you on a little secret...
IT WAS GREAT.
I hung around the Airstream Park
(NTAC...North Texas Airstream Community)
in Hillsboro, TX while Vannie, Dave, and MinnieG
headed to Louisiana.
Some of the first pics are from the Airstream Park.
I'm lovin' living here with all these nice trailers and their owners.
A nice mix...some Yankees,
Texans (they are definitely in a group all by themselves),
Southerners, and us...
There are even some folks from Switzerland and Germany...
Guess you could say we are an international group.
Our metal sculpture from the Juneau's in Lafayette, LA
was a hit as part of my Christmas decoration.
A warm red scarf and a bright green tree made my little
Christmas as cozy as could be.
Check out inside MinnieG...can't get much cozier than that.
One of Vannie and Dave's first Cozy Christmas' was
the Ladies Tea in the Rally Room at NTAC.
Ladies from the Hillsboro Community are invited
and look forward to this event every year.
This was one of the table decorations.
Those guys look very cozy.
Vannie said every table was absolutely beautiful.
Another cozy camper...
Who's cozy here?
These are the guys that helped with the parking and opening car doors.
Check out that cozy little elf in the front.
Too Cute.!!!
Someone is having a super good time.!!!
These handsome guys were the waiters for the event.
They are listening to the instructions and are ready to head out to do their job.
They place was packed, even though the weather was not cozy at all.
It was rainy and cold, but inside it was toasty warm.
Cozy Little Christmas #2
First Methodist Church, Hillsboro, TX
Dave loves singing in any choir that will have him.
I told Vannie we needed to buy him some platform shoes.
You can barely see him...back row... right in the middle.
The Chrismon Tree at church
Traditionally this tree is decorated with clear lights,
and the Chrismons are made from white and gold material.
The Chrismons depict ancient symbols for Christ or some part of Christ's ministry.
Dave said that the children's Christmas program was wonderful.
Baby Jesus was cozy as could be in the manger.
Cozy Little Christmas #3
Here We Come A-Caroling
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a wand'ring,
So fair to be seen...
The Airstreamers caroled their way around
our park laughing and singing to beat the band.
See the guy on the right...loves to sing.
Cozy Little Christmas #4
Ladies Wine Tasting Party
The NTAC Ladies know how to have a good time, for sure.
Yep...a fun time is going on...
Sip Sip... Watch it ladies...3 sips is enough.
Cozy Little Christmas #5
OK...you've been seeing a bunch of V and D's friends.
Hey, I've got some, too....
and they are all decked out for Christmas...
Bright...
Lights...
Twinkle...
Sparkle...
Shine...
Dave say..."Come on, Vannie, it's time to hit the road.
You've got the presents, groceries, clothes, and a bunch
of other stuff. I'm ready for our cozy little Louisiana Christmas."
Cozy Little Christmas #6
Vannie said when you've lived in South Louisiana for 40 plus years,
you are going to know what this is...
And what is it, Vannie???
A Sugar Cane Truck...this one is not loaded, but it's headed to get loaded...
and I mean with sugar cane...lots of it.
This #6 couldn't have been cozier...
Paul Breaux Band Christmas Concert...
starring Cooper Harris on the Baritone Sax.
Well, he was definitely V and D's star.
(He is right in the middle)
After the concert, we all headed to the Olive Garden to celebrate a cozy concert.
Ash, Diane, Coop
Cozy Little Christmas #7
This get-together usually happens at New Years,
but Vannie and Dave were not coming back to Lafayette for New Years...
sooo the group got together at Alesi's Pizza (their usual place) to eat, visit, and laugh...a lot.
Jim and Nancy Underwood
Jan and Chester Baudoin
V and D
Cozy Little Christmas #8
Emmilee Green's House in Harrisonburg, LA
This is Emmilee giving her grandson, Finn, a great big hug.
Finn Brady, son of Kathryn and Jay Brady, is moving
to Oregon to enroll in the College of Nursing.
Vannie said that this handmade quilt was a Christmas gift for Finn.
It was created by his mom, Kathryn.
It depicts so many upcoming experiences for Finn...
New beginnings, the beautiful sky and water of the northeast,
nature and life, the universe in all its glory.
And what could be cozier...a quilt especially made for you by your mom.
Cozy Little Christmas #9
Lincoln Parish Park in Ruston, LA
Wow...I can feel the coziness looking out of MinnieG's window.
Hey...is this a painting?
And that duck...does he have a pom-pom on his head?
Or is that a Cozy Little Christmas ornament?
Or is that some extra feathers all tangled up?
Or maybe it is a light bulb...HELLO...where's the plug?
This is getting out of hand...moving right along...
When D and V were walking around the lake...
this blue heron silently stepped out from the marsh.
It's Magic...or cozy...or Louisiana, no matter the season.
"We are following stars what cross the sky...
Round an old yellow moon"
Sing it Emmylou...
Dang, it's so cozy I can hardly stand it.
Cozy Little Christmas #10
Darbonne State Park, Farmerville, LA
V and D and MinnieG just waitin' around till all the folks arrive.
Very cozy in those pine trees.!!!!
...and inside was the smell of Christmas...
Vannie is baking pecan pies and some cookies on the side.
That's some COZY smells, for sure.
Then they started arriving...
Cabin #6...right on the lake...
4 cozy bedrooms, 2 cozy baths, 1 cozy fireplace,
an extra cozy kitchen, a cozy living room, and a cozy little porch...
Bring it on, Santa
Dave always like to give the place a look of home...
and a cozy one, too.
This was a table runner that Vannie's mom made around 1962.
She had just received a new Singer sewing machine from Vannie's dad.
V and D purchased this Table Cloth on a long ago mission trip to Mexico...
and the Vintage Christmas sweaters belonged to Dave's mom, Pearl.
December 24, 2019
The Bernice Crowd...Vannie's side of the family
Back Row...left to right
Amy and John Pesnell, Vannie and Dave, Julie Honeycutt, Lisa and Richard, Ashley Harris
Front Row
Diane Harris, Cooper Harris, Brandon Honeycutt with Hailey and Spencer, Roy Salvagio with Vincent and Maddie in the back, Emilie Salvagio
Vannie is wearing a vintage apron made by her mom probably in the 50's.
Hailey is digging in, but Maddie looks a little skeptical.
She is not sure if she is going to eat anything or not.
Santa needs cookies, and he is one lucky fellow, because
Hailey and Maddie have that job covered.
More cozy smells...
The Salvagio's
The beginning of a bunch of presents
After opening presents and grubbing down on some great gumbo made by Amy...
everyone headed down to the dock for the Chinese lantern lift-off.
Ashley gets it just right
and away it goes.
Check out Emilie's phone screen in the first pic.
Excitement
Warm, cozy Lights...light the Christmas night sky...
Time for Bed...
Santa's Coming...
Let's get cozy.
And he did come.!!!
Someone must have been very good.!!!
...and someone else...
...and someone else.
Cozy Little Christmas #11
The Harris Bunch...Dave's side of the family
Back Row
Micheal/Brooke Hill with Stella Claire, V and D, Cooper/Diane Harris, Rusty/Stephanie Welch
Middle Row
Ashley Harris, Emilie Salvagio
Seated
Judy Harris, Roy Salvagio with Maddie
We were all wearing one of Pearl's Vintage Christmas sweaters.
Stella Claire Hill
Stella is the newest member of this bunch...
and she stole the show.
Just Precious.!!!
She's reading...well, almost.
Everyone wanted to hold her, especially Maddie.
...and Emilie.
Vannie and Ashley were getting things ready in the kitchen.
Vannie has on a pair of Pearl's red pajamas. Pearl may have gone to Heaven
a few years ago, but her spirit was definitely around for this year's festivities.
Stephanie even made her chocolate pie...yummy.
When things slowed down, you could find Emilie and Diane
at the kid's table coloring. #foreveryoung
Then Dave got out the keyboard...
Let the music play on...
Come on and sing along...
We're going to parti', karamu', fiesta, forever...
Name That Tune
"2 Notes"
"Jingle Bells"
Come on and sing along...
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
All night long...All night long...
Come join the fun...Come join our party...
Let the music play on...
(Vincent and Maddie seemed to know every word...
and they sang LOUD and CLEAR.)
Stephanie and Michael ..
"One more note, please."
Cooper, Diane, and Rusty..."When does the next game start?"
Time for some yard games...
Just a little outside, Vincent.
No time to change clothes when Santa brings you a scooter.
Another cozy comfy delicious delightful Christmas
The sun's coming up over the lake,
presents have been opened,
food has been eaten,
friends and families are still speaking...
even the smiles are still there.
Our Cozy Core Group
Emilie, Ashley, D, V, Cooper, Diane, Maddie, Roy, Vincent
The Salvagio's head out for Roy's family Celebration in Benton, LA
Ashley and Dave are sending them off with waves and shouts of good-byes.
Signs of Love in Nature
Signs of Peace
May we all of Love and Peace for 2019
Cozy Little After Christmas
V and D, Jo Tatum, Cousin Bill and Mary Lynn
Jo was a high school friend.
Bill and Mary Lynn are Jo's cousins.
B and M live in Youngsville.
Vannie and Dave can't want to visit them the next time they are there.
Another visit with old friends from Lafayette...now living in Dubach, LA
Fran and Richard Roberson
Packing up and leaving this cozy little spot in Darbonne State Park...
Heading to Hillsboro, TX
V and D stopped for lunch in Jefferson, TX.
I guess this picture of bathtubs was a "wishful thinking" kind-of-picture.
No big bathtubs in me or MinnieG.
They stopped at a rest stop somewhere in east Texas.
The sun set was magnificent.
A Cozy yellow/orange sky...
Back together again.
The Christmas table cloth is hanging on the line...
getting all spruced up for next year.
Hope your Christmas was as cozy as ours.
And always remember that first cozy little Christmas...
in a land far away...
but now can live in our hearts year round...
