The Crittergators Visit the NLI Gingerbread House

First, thank you all for the many lovely comments, hearts, and stars for my sixth Blip-anniversary posting yesterday. Thank you all very much! I feel well and truly celebrated. And now we'll continue on with our regularly scheduled Blipping!

Monday was a very happy day. Do you want to know WHY it was a happy day? Because it was BISQUE day! A group of friends and I, fellow bisque enthusiasts all, visit the Nittany Lion Inn several times each year to enjoy some of the best lobster bisque in the world.

The Nittany Lion Inn is always beautifully turned out this time of year.There are Christmas trees and decorations, and wreaths, and lights, and big red ribbons everywhere. It's very festive and lovely. It makes me happy just to walk through.

Possibly my favorite thing about going to the Inn this time of year - besides the bisque, which was delightful, as always, and the laughter with friends, which made my heart smile - is visiting the gingerbread replica of the Nittany Lion Inn (NLI) near the main dining room.

I arrived at our lunch date a few minutes early and, as is our annual tradition, I removed the Crittergators from their little travel tin, and set them loose on the gingerbread replica. (One year, we even invited a Dancing Girl along!)

You may see the four small red and green friends, standing around that Christmas tree near the bottom center, singing carols. They climbed onto the rooftops, they hung out with that cool snowman, and they leapt up to that balcony in the middle to inspect the tiny tree. We all ended up covered in powdered sugar. A festive time was had by one and all!

The soundtrack is a favorite holiday song. Here are Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with Silent Night.