We may be a tad cranky with each other as we age…but we will always be best friends, a shoulder to lean or cry upon and someone to throw you kisses across the room if you are kinda cranky. Someone who can almost read your mind and gets better at it as the years pass you by.
How many years has it been? Forty four..seems like only yesterday or maybe the day before and here we are two daughters and five grands later.
Here is a link to some old wedding photos.
One tree is complete. It only took three days. It looks pretty much like it has in years past, full of ornaments each with a story.
I picked out special paper to go with the tree. The packages are wrapped in pretty red, white and blue paper. There was one package that stood out like a sore thumb…but a sweet elf re wrapped it…after I had a hissy fit, bawled and then had a very long nap. No it probably wasn’t the red paper with holly that was the problem..it was just the one thing that tipped me over the edge. I am certain I really didn’t mean that next year I am taking a holiday cruise all by myself.
I don’t do stress well…it makes me very sleepy…so sleepy it is impossible to stay awake.
The baked beans turned out fantastic and are residing in the freezer. The pumpkin bread was baked yesterday and delivered to neighbors. I even had time to make some Gluten Free pumpkin bread bites for my Dad..I say bites because I put them in a tiny muffin tin…or maybe it is a tart pan…that way they can go in the freezer and Dad can take one or two out to enjoy with coffee.
This is the ornament I got the evening of the cookie exchange.
Gift count: Done! Awaiting two deliveries, I think one may be lost in the mail. Gifts wrapped: Almost done waiting on two gifts. Cookies made: Complete! Christmas letters: Complete! Homemade ornaments: Complete! Homemade gifts: Two complete and one in progress…it may be done in time for next Christmas. Decorations… One tree, the snow outside, a pine cone wreath, the Nativity and a flag outdoors. Oh and 3/4 of a Shiny Brite Tree. Christmas menus: Planned! 5 days and counting.
Back in 1991 Far Guy and I were both on the Evangelism Committee at the church. As a community outreach program I spearheaded a Live Nativity. A crèche was built and set up on the church lawn snow bank. I asked the congregation to donate fabrics, we bought some patterns and a few ladies sewed costumes. My mother and Naomi sewed a lot that year…costumes for shepherds, kings and angels all sizes. The congregation was asked to bring cookies and the bell choir played while you had cookies and coffee in the social hall.
This was the crèche indoors. Groups of people were guided through and sang a verse or two of a Christmas carol at each “station.” It helped to have choir members be leaders! I don’t recall how many stations we had..Mary getting the news, shepherds watching their flocks by night, Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem, the Kings and the manger scene…and there may have been more.
Outside we had shepherds and Mary and Joseph in the crèche. It was cold outside. Sometimes we would sing to keep warm. Cars would honk and people would drive by slowly...the church is right along the highway.
It was a fun event. The next year we had some sheep and a calf outside. AND an Llama and all four of our Shelties inside..as the shepherds needed sheepdogs!
Far Guy and I were shepherds both years. Trica played with the bell choir. Jennifer filled in wherever I needed her…I think she was a Mary one year. ( I am getting older and cannot remember everything.)
Far Guy makes a fine looking shepherd… he is drinking coffee.
I think we did The Live Nativity for three years improving as it went along. People would talk about it and look forward to it. I always felt good about it…doing something to bring the Christmas Story and the birth of our Savior front and center where it belongs at Christmas time.
Have you every been to a Live Nativity?
This is Christmas 1991, Me holding Captain and Moses, Jennifer holding Misty and G’Day Mate is escaping, Trica holding Caramel one of four cats we had back then and the Far Guy in the back. I still have that same Angel on top of our tree! ( Misty and Moses were the parents of Captain and G’Day Mate). Jennifer would have been 16 that year and Trica 19. We lived at the resort back then..that striped carpet was something else…but it matched everything. That house was something else too…but we had some good times there and it was a good place to raise teenage daughters.
Doing something as a group…a family activity like the Live Nativity was a good thing. I am not certain how fondly the girls remember it…but they were supportive and showed up to do their part.
“Heat wave burning in my heart”..but in my case it was outside..it was 22 degrees ABOVE zero yesterday that would be -5 C. I took off my parka. It felt like spring…the sun was shining too…a perfect day to run errands and purchase stocking stuffers.
I got nothing completed, I made progress but nothing is done done. The Shiny Brite tree is still in progress. The tree downstairs needs an Angel on the top and a few more ornaments…Far Guy says “Where will they go? I don’t recognize most of these ornaments anyway..where did we get them all?” He doesn’t realize that every ornament has a story.
This year I did an ornament exchange with Beckie from Colorado.
This is a folded fabric covered ornament. I love the red white and blue!
This one made me smile.
A melted snowman..too cute! Just my kinda snowman.
Today might be the day I get caught up. I am not holding my breath. I will cook beans for baked beans for Christmas and the freezer. Of course the smell of burning starch water will permeate the kitchen because I will boil them over..several times. I hope the warm weather sticks around but I am not counting on it because after all this is nearly the North Pole Minnesota.
Gift count: Done! Awaiting two deliveries. Gifts wrapped: a few. Cookies made: Complete! Christmas letters: Complete! Homemade ornaments: Complete! Homemade gifts: Two complete and one in progress. Decorations… the snow outside, a pine cone wreath, the Nativity and a flag outdoors. Oh and 3/4 of a Shiny Brite Tree and a partial tree downstairs. Christmas menus: Planned! 7 days and counting.
Miney, Little Elvis and Chance
You again…weren’t you just here a couple of weeks ago? You and that black and white thing that you bring along with you. I like you but couldn’t you just leave him at home?
Whatever are you doing on the floor anyway? You didn’t fall did you?
Oh you gotta camera too just like my lady that shakes the treat can. Take some pictures of me instead of that mutt. I’ll get real close so you can’t miss.
I am getting old, I have tumors…they come and go and I heard you say one of these days it will be a big one that gets me. Was that a nice thing to say?
Well just for that comment you get the stink eye. I suppose you are going to clean out my ears too…you do that every time you come to visit.
I’ll letcha do it this time…after all you have been doing it for 12 years…nothing has stopped you yet. Not meowing or scratching…I am getting too old to protest too much. Besides that I will lay in your laptop case and get it all hairy just to get even…unless of course you care to vacuum me a few dozen times…you know how much I love that vacuum cleaner.
Why don’t you hide more treats over here so you look like a multi talented animal photographer?
Signed,
Chaucer the GRAND Cat
In town they have Cardinals at their feeders. I am jealous. I have the usual..Nuthatches, Chickadees, Woodpeckers and some Finches that should be gone by now but are sticking around. I keep hoping for a Cardinal, when we lived at the resort I had one at my feeders one year.
I thought putting up my Cardinal flag might help.
My Christmas mood is non existent today…too much to do in too little time.
10 days and counting..gosh time is just flying by.
I am all set for the cookie exchange. In order to appear less “grinchy” I agreed to join in. I have not participated in a cookie exchange in years…the memory of strange cookies, broken messy cookies and bad cooks had faded sufficiently.
I decided to make Swedish Browns. I needed eleven dozen so I doubled the recipe, and made two batches and had cookies left over which are now sitting in freezer bags inside an ice cream pail in the freezer. ( I hate broken cookies)
With enough butter and sugar anything tastes good.
Swedish Browns…a recipe from Mary (she was in the Wistful Wednesday Photo the other day.)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons soda
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour ( heaping)
Mix well, roll into balls then dip them in sugar. Bake 350 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. They will practically melt in your mouth.
I searched and searched for appropriate packaging. I was in the midst of looking for Christmas Tins in thrift stores when I happened by Ben Franklin where they had a sale on containers. They are perfect…and at half price a bargain too.
My cookies are safely nestled inside Ziploc storage bags, safe from breakage. A bakers dozen fit nicely in the containers.
I was tired after all that baking and settled down for a long winters nap..so not much else was accomplished
Gift count: ten bought and seven ordered. Gifts wrapped: none. Cookies made: Complete! Christmas letters: Complete! Homemade ornaments: Complete! Homemade gifts: Two complete and one in progress. Decorations… the snow outside, a pine cone wreath, the Nativity and a flag outdoors. Oh and 1/3 of a Shiny Brite Tree! 12 days and counting.
I am making a tiny bit of progress. Everyday when I wake up I ask myself “Self what are three things you want to accomplish today?”
I finished up two of the handmade projects..one will be in the mail…it is a surprise. I forgot to take a photo but the recipient has a camera. The other will be delivered someday over the holidays… Elbow Lake is it’s destination. I will take a photo..but I cannot show it to you yet.
We got the big Shiny Brite Tree in the air…I am not sure how many more years we will be able to get it in place…it is huge and heavy. It is about 1/3 decorated..the top 1/3! Shiny Brites are scattered all over upstairs…every bed and flat surface has boxes full of ornaments.
Sometimes one thing leads to another..like getting the Nativity in place…of course lots of things had to find new homes and a good dusting was needed.
I made the Nativity figures a long time ago in Ceramics. Far Guy made me the crèche. Years ago it used to sit on top of the TV…that was it’s spot. Then we had homes with fireplaces with a mantle that seemed even more perfect.
This is a one of a kind fireplace. I wanted river rock but it was too expensive. So we bought three different colors of tile and busted them all up and pieced the pieces on the face of the fireplace. It took about six weeks to finish. Far Guy made the mantle.
Wanna see Chance’s 2013 ornament?
Some of the seed pods dried in interesting shapes.
I made 67 of them to give away, it is a tradition and has been since 1990. The idea behind this little gift is so that when someone gets married and leaves home…they will have a box of their very own ornaments to take along for their own tree. I make them for our parents, daughters, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews and friends…and a few special dogs and some cats too.
Here is a link to some of the other creations.
Most of the time I have an inspiration piece and this year was no different.
I purchased this piece and went from there. I won’t be doing Santas again for a number of years. Although I do have a Santa made from a fork waiting in the wings and I have begun to save silver forks…I have 35 silver forks..not nearly enough to do them anytime soon.
Today is baking day…the cookie exchange is very soon. If I bake fast I can put up more decorations. Now which cookie was it I decided on?
Gift count: nine bought and six ordered. Gifts wrapped: none. Cookies made: none. Christmas letters: Complete! Homemade ornaments: Complete! Homemade gifts: Two complete and one in progress. Decorations… the snow outside, a pine cone wreath, the Nativity and a flag outdoors. Oh and 1/3 of a Shiny Brite Tree! 13 days and counting.
I found this old photo to share this week. 1978 was thirty-five years ago. It must have been taken at or near Christmas time as my baby brother was home.
I think it is notable that all the men have different taste in flannel shirts.
Left to right: Bob and Mary (friends of my parents), my parents Dad was 51 and Mom was 48, my baby brother’s wife (Beth), my baby brother (Carey he was 24), me standing up in the blue sweater 27,and standing behind me my other baby brother (Jody he was 18), down front is my sister (Julie she was 12 ), Jennifer(3 years and 3 months old), Trica (Five years and 8 months old) and Far Guy he must have been 28.
I must have been big on dressing the girls alike…all matchy matchy. Jennifer is holding a red package and I see that Trica must have been antsy as three adults are hanging onto her.
This was the year my other baby brother was a senior in high school.( He looks real tall because he was standing on the fireplace hearth.) He spent more time trapping, fishing and hunting than he did in the classroom. He was 18 that school year… school was just an inconvenience for him and he could write his own notes (excuses for school). As he tells it he finally got called into the Principals Office and it was spelled out exactly how many days you were required to attend classes to graduate. He did graduate. Jody just didn’t like school, it was not his thing. Luckily he had a natural mechanical aptitude and today owns his own business…oh and he also has the gift of gab…which is a good quality for a successful business…not exactly a subject taught in high school.
I have no idea who took the photo, but it was taken at my parents home at the Resort on Straight Lake. My parents friend in the red flannel shirt, Bob died a number of years ago. Mary lives just down the road from us and we see her once in a while. The resort has been sold and resold several times..the fireplace is still there. See the black box above Beth’s head? It was a built in warmer, my Mom would put bread in there to bake and soup to stay warm.
Ack..I hate shopping. We split the list and attacked and came home with four more gifts..well five if you count “The Dove” gift. Gifts that go to Nursing Home Residents.
I have wrapping paper now and Christmas letter paper that is kinda summery with butterflies…it was either that or clouds or Happy Birthday..so butterflies won.
Chance is a little under the weather. I think he has a touch of pancreatitis cause he threw up his morning biscuit yesterday with lots of bile. He had a quiet day resting at home and seemed better by last evening. Possibly someone shared some salami with the poor begging dog. Someone will not do that again.
In the sub zero wind chills Chance and his friend with the salami didn’t make it to the mailbox on their walk…the three legged dog hopped back home to warm up. Just as well as there were some packages waiting at the mailbox.
Town was a little busy. Wal-Mart had six checkouts open that is three more than normal.
This was just before sunset at about 4:20. The days are getting shorter and shorter.
I am hoping for a very productive day today…we shall see.
Gift count: eight bought and seven ordered. Gifts wrapped: none. Cookies made: none. Christmas letters: Complete! Homemade ornaments: Complete! Homemade gifts: in progress. Decorations…none except the snow outside and a pine cone wreath. 15 days and counting.
We have had some sub zero days. It was –13 F or -25 C yesterday morning. The winds will cause dangerous windchill factors of –20 to –40 F or –28 to –40 C all day Monday.
Two Christmas Parties went on as planned over the weekend.
My Cousins met at the Nursing Home and brought homemade soups…I brought bread and cheese and a few cookies from the freezer…nothing has been baked yet around here. Aunt Lila, Aunt Grace, Aunt Sharon, Aunt Anna and my parents were the special guests from the oldest generation. They are the remnant.
The Historical Society’s Christmas party was held at a Pizza Shop in town. Not a great turnout…just the regulars. Not exactly a partying bunch…were were home by 9PM.
We are working on the Christmas letter it will be mailed soon. We ran out of pretty paper for the letters and stamps. The homemade ornaments will all be in the mail except for two that will be hand delivered. We ordered a bunch of gifts online…delivery will start in a few days. I am still working on some homemade gifts. I discovered I have very little wrapping paper..so I couldn’t very well wrap the one gift I have hidden.
A long, long time ago I was gifted this wreath by old North Dakota neighbors Harvey and Joyce…it now has a bow. I hung it next to the outside door. It is old and has seen better days..but will be enjoyed one last Christmas.
Working on the Christmas Card list was an eye opener. I didn’t realize so many friends and relatives had died until I updated the list. What a sad time of year it must be for their loved ones. I wrote notes on most of their letters.
Looking at that photo the bow might be a tad wonky. It was way too cold to mess around with it outside in the dark. I was happy to have used an entire spool of ribbon with no leftovers.
Gift count: two bought and nine ordered. Gifts wrapped: none. Cookies made: none. Christmas letters written: in progress. Home made ornaments: Complete! Homemade gifts: in progress. Decorations…none except the snow outside and a pine cone wreath. 16 days and counting.
Maddie asked me to come up and take some photos. The occasion was The Winter Formal.
We took some photos inside but I liked the outside ones the best. It was a fun session..even if the temperatures were subzero. Maddie said she was going to freeze to death…I said it would take quite a while to freeze solid.
Maddie has always been my photogenic grandchild..she rarely takes a bad photo. The camera loves her. I do too.
It seems like she should spend a Saturday night making popcorn and cutting up apples with me and going to bed at 7:30 instead of going out on a DATE.
I had a blast and I think we got some excellent shots..thanks Maddie for asking your old Granny to take photos
Big drumroll. Here it is finally.
They began like this.
This is a Milkweed Pod…those fluffy things are seeds and in the Fall of the year the pods split open and disperse their seeds.
We collected the pods and dried them in the workshop. Yes I helped some of them to fling their seeds in the air…and in my hair.
I had to bring some of them into the house to dry. Some got moldy instead of drying. Some curled up as they dried and were unusable. Since we had never used pods before we had no idea what would work and what would fail.
Some were dark looking, would the darkness bleed through?
Here they are painted and looking like they will be okay.
Now for the “snow” for the cap and the beard. Uffda. I wanted them shiny. I used a latex tub sealer..it took days to dry…several bit the dust when a pan was tipped over. I tried a commercial snow product. That worked better. I had lots of time, so some of each were made.
I was seeing santas in my sleep. Instead of counting sheep I was counting santas.
The dining room table was my workshop. Every time we wanted to eat I had to shove everything off to the side. I had santas drying and curing all over. I put a sealer(Modge Podge) on the front and on the back where I added names and the year. I used a Dremel tool to drill a hole for the string…and managed to totally destroy only one when the tool went wild and grabbed the whole pod and flung it violently around and stripped off the backing and everything.
Finally they had eyes and a nose and a mouth and a string. Each one is a bit different. Some are big and some are small.
Most have been mailed out and I will mail four more on Monday.
Big drumroll…and ..and are you ready!
The winners are:
Karen of Wyndson Farm
Marlu of Marylourambles
Cynthia of I’m retired..Wisdom for a simpler life
Kari Lucin of Oh Look, A Shiny Thing! (the Area Voices winner)
Please contact me if I have not contacted you for your snail mail address. I hope you will enjoy them on your tree!
