... Not a Creature Was Stirring ...

Please accept my most sincere wishes to you and your family for the happiest of holidays ... Christmas, it is for us.

Thank you for spending time here with me, reading what I write, sharing stories, offering advice and support, and contributing to this community that my little blog has created.  I am grateful for every one of you.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

The 24-Hour Quilt

Thirty-plus years ago, when I was pregnant with our first child, I made a little quilt for the new baby.  At that time, it was rare for parents to know the sex of their baby before its birth, so I used red fabrics to make a bright, gender neutral quilt.  Simple pattern, six-inch squares and a diagonal pattern, tying the layers together with yarn, nothing fancy ... made to be used.  Use it we did, for all three of our daughters.

Daughter #1.  Hard to imagine that this little cherub is all grown up, with two children of her own.

When Drew (grandson #1) was born, he used this quilt, too.  Caleb (grandson #2) has it now, and he takes it along with him everywhere he goes.  It's a bit threadbare now .... the fact that Caleb picks at it has accelerated the decline.  

This picture is about two years old.  The old quilt is a lot more worn right now.

Because the old quilt is now little more than a rag, I decided to make a new quilt for Caleb for Christmas.  Like the original, I wanted it to be simple ... shouldn't take too long to make a small quilt like I had in mind.  A quick trip to the fabric store, and this is what I decided ...

Rainbow colors, in a mix of patterns ...

Six-inch squares, with a diagonal pattern, and half squares on the border.

As with most important projects, I had help.

Dorothy holds down the layers, as I sandwich the top, batting, and backing.

Pinning the layers, with Maggie's help.

I used yarn to tie the layers together, just like I did with the original.

Alice and Maggie supervise while I mark where the yarn ties will go.

Four knots per square.

A quilt hoop helps hold the layers straight while I tie them.

With all the ties in place, I trimmed the batting and backing, then used the sewing machine to attach the binding.

It took a couple of hours to carefully fold the binding to the back and stitch it in place by hand.  Dorothy kept me company while I worked.

After a quick trip through the washer and dryer, the quilt was finished.  

24 hours, start to finish.  I even surprised myself with how well this came together and how little time it took to make it.

I know that Caleb will love it ... but I don't hold any hope that he will agree to replace his old quilt with this one.  My vote is that he will now carry both quilts wherever he goes.

Christmas This and That

I really like our prelit artificial Christmas tree.  It's shaped as much like a real tree as I have ever seen ... perfect size and shape ... no muss or fuss with putting on lights every year.  Simple and beautiful ... except for when stuff like this happens ...

For some unknown reason, the top string of lights stopped working.  All the connections appeared to be correct and tight, no missing bulbs, no explanation.  

Solution?  Remove this defective string of lights (which took FOREVER!) and replace them with new ones.  

Problem solved ...

... sort of.  There are still a few places here and there where portions of other strings of the original lights aren't lit.  

My plan is to buy a LOT more new lights, taking advantage of sales after Christmas, and to completely remove and replace all the old lights on the tree.  Not a job that I am looking forward to, I assure you.

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When I was at Monticello for the wreath-making workshop, I spent a few minutes in their gift shop.  Saw this on the counter by the cash register.

That Ben Franklin sure was a wise one!  Just another reminder that it's better to do things today, instead of putting them off till tomorrow.  (Speaking of which, I HAVE to finish my Christmas cards this afternoon.)


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Last year, I couldn't resist buying a potted Amaryllis.  I do the same thing almost every year.  In theory, one can keep an Amaryllis over the spring and summer and have it flower again in the fall/winter.  I have never succeeded with this ... until now!

Last year's Amaryllis spent the spring and summer on our deck with some other potted plants.  When the weather got cold in October, I brought it inside to my basement workshop grow room, not expecting it to do anything.  To my surprise, the a bud began to appear last week and another one sprouted a few days ago.  In a few weeks, we should have flowers!


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This meme has been making the rounds on Facebook and via email.

I normally only glance at stuff like this, but this one struck me in the heart.  

1.  I have been practicing this one for a long while now.  Most of what tries to pass as news is actually commentary and opinion for the purpose of influencing viewers, not informing them.  Don't even get me started on Presidential debates (which I have completely ignored).  I listen to news only for as long as necessary to be informed, then I turn it off.

2.  Be positive, in attitude and in your vocabulary.  Give compliments whenever you can, to friends, family and strangers. 

3.  Make sure that your most precious people feel that way.  Call someone just to say that you love them.

4.  Decluttering and downsizing frees space in your home and your mind and gives us room to breathe.  I will talk about this more another time.

5.  My break has been to try to think of things differently, react to situations in ways other than I am used to, and to chart a new path whenever I can.  At 56 years old, it's easy to fall back on old habits and skate through life.  

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Now it's your turn ... what sort of This and That have you been up to?

A Weekend Full of Christmas Cheer

The first weekend in December has more than its share of fun Christmas things to choose to do.  For me, no surprise, I was away from home doing stuff all day on both days.

Saturday ... Culpeper Christmas Tour of Homes.
Culpeper is about 45 minutes from here.  It's where my parents and my sister live.  Its downtown area and surrounding residential neighborhoods are VERY historic.  Saturday morning, Mom and I toured this year's homes, all decorated for Christmas by local garden clubs.  Saturday afternoon, we worked a shift as hostesses at one of the homes.  The day was sunny and warm ... it was a perfect day to snoop through tour some beautiful homes.

Here are a few representative photos from the day.  (We were allowed to photograph inside the homes, which is unusual in my experience.  I took photos of decorations, and steered clear of any of the homeowners' personal things.)

Crowds were steady all day, but the wait time for each home was short.

Magnolia, greens, and pomegranates on this mantle.

Holiday arrangement, with a beautifully set table.

Christmas tree in the dining room bay window.

Model log cabin displayed in one of the kitchens, decorated for Christmas.

Primitive cupboard, and Home Sweet Home.

Nothing more classic than a wreath on a bright red door!

This was my favorite mantle of the day.

Red lights on the porch and greens in the window boxes of this Victorian.

Skinny tree in the living room of the home where I was a hostess.

Sunday ... Wreath-making workshop at Monticello.
Every year, Monticello hosts workshops that teach folks how to make a boxwood wreath and decorate it with natural materials gathered from the gardens.  Last year, my first year doing this, Mom and I made wreaths.  This year, I brought along my friends Kim and Gale.  We had so much fun, and our wreaths turned out beautifully ... how can they not, with such wonderful things to choose from to decorate them.

Boxwood and other greens were washed and prepared ahead of time, and available in plastic bags.  Floral picks and tape in those little baskets were for preparing the decorative things.

Tables stretched the whole length of one wall of the room, full of so many things to choose from.

Hydrangea, apples, Lunaria, Pine cones, Miscanthus, Tansy, okra pods ...

This was my favorite of the display wreaths, and I used it as inspiration for the design of my wreath.

This is my wreath ...

... and here is a group shot of all three of our completed wreaths.

I used American Boxwood as the base for my wreath, and I decorated it with Magnolia leaves, pine cones, Miscanthus, Lady Apples, dried orange slices, Tansy, Juniper berries, Okra pods, and, of course, rose hips.

This is what it looks like on our front door.

My wreath is fluffy, busy, going every direction, and borderline out of control ... a lot like me, now that I think of it.  :)

Christmas Letter

There is a debate that comes up at this time of year over whether or not to compose and send an annual family year-in-review letter in one's Christmas cards.  For us, it is a tradition that we started when we first were married 30+ years ago, to help faraway friends and extended family keep up with our antics.  We tried one year to discontinue the letter, thinking that, perhaps, recipients would perceive news of our travels and accomplishments as boastful ... more than one card recipient that year was disappointed not to have a letter, thought that we had accidentally forgotten to include the letter in their card, and assured us that our letter was never one of THOSE letters that we dread receiving.

As proof, I offer you a slightly modified version of our letter this year ... with pixilated faces, names removed, and a few of the facts sanitized to protect the innocent.

Enjoy!

"The main theme of 2014 for us seems to have been traveling.  The Husband spent a lot of time on the road for business, with trips all over the US to teach training classes, hold meetings, and visit customer sites in Chicago, California, Atlanta, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, Las Vegas … lots of trips!.  In September, he was in Europe for two weeks, visiting Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland.  It was his first time in Ireland, and he had some great photos and stories of what he did while he was there.  Connie traveled to Heritage Rose conferences in Dallas in May for four days and to England in June for nine days.  The trip to England was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see gardens she had only read about and to meet some online rose friends in person. 

"In addition to our solo trips, we were able to get away together to two more bucket-list destinations.  In August, we traveled to Asheville, NC, for a family wedding. We extended the trip into a long weekend, and brought along some of our favorite traveling companions.  The six of us spent two days touring the house and grounds at Biltmore, and went white water rafting. 

"In November, we spent five days in New Orleans.  Connie had to be there for a Board meeting of the Heritage Rose Foundation, and The Husband’s work schedule allowed time for him to tag along.  Even though we were there during a historic cold snap (with freezing temps, rain, and wind), we bundled up and had a great time.  We toured three antebellum sugar plantations outside of town and visited private homes and gardens in French Quarter.  The food was fantastic, including the best catfish and oysters that either of us have ever eaten anywhere.  Of course, we had to eat beignets (twice) at Café du Monde, a NOLA landmark.

"The rest of the family is doing well.  Daughter #1 and her husband are close by, and we get to see them and their boys often.  Daughter #2 is still in Montana, and one of the best parts of the year was when she came to visit for a week in October.  Her trip was a surprise combo-birthday present for both of us.  Daughter #3 made all the arrangements -- it was the best present ever!  Speaking of Daughter #3, she graduated from the police academy and she is now an official, full-fledged patrol officer.  We are so proud of her … even though it sometimes can give us a start to see her police car when it’s parked in front of the house.

"In January, we added another member to the furry family -- an elderly four-pound Chihuahua that we named Winnie.  The process went something like this:  The Husband was on one of his many trips to California … Connie saw Winnie’s photo and story that a friend shared on Facebook … Connie knew instantly that Winnie belonged in our family … and Connie drove out into a snow storm to bring Winnie home, telling The Husband about it AFTERWARD.  We don’t know exactly how old Winnie is (probably at least 12, maybe older), but she fits into our family perfectly!   All of our other critters adapted pretty easily to her arrival, though the cats still aren’t sure about this tiny, toothless little creature that growls at them.

"The Husband still works from home, and he spends a lot of his spare time on his oil paintings.  Right now, he is putting the finishing touches on a fantastic portrait of Connie and Daniel (one of our former greyhounds).  Connie’s time is shared between a never-ending array of house projects and work outside in the garden.  Life is quiet … exactly the way we like it!

"We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, and that the New Year brings you health and happiness."

(and I extend these wishes to each of you, too.)

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

Tap Tap Tap ... Is This Thing On?

I'll bet you thought I had abandoned you.  Here I was, lauding over milestones and expressing my gratitude for the time you spend here ... then I go and disappear for what seems like forever.  Not to worry, it's all good.  Been spending time on Christmas preparations and other not-so-exciting daily activities.

One of many Santa ornaments.

Pretty peacock.

Roses, of course.

This year, I only put up one Christmas tree (instead of my usual two), and it's a little bit different than usual.  No garland or tinsel ... the tree is packed with our entire collection of glass figural ornaments.

This is a painted oyster shell, referencing "When I am old, I shall wear purple."

I really like squirrels.  We have two squirrel ornaments, and I placed acorns and corn ornaments on the tree near them so they're not hungry.

Our middle daughter was obsessed with penguins when she was younger.

This collection reflects 30+ years of Christmases spent together, and many of the ornaments commemorate events or places that are special to us.

Cape Hatteras lighthouse ... North Carolina's Outer Banks is a favorite vacation spot.

This resin alligator is from my trip to New Orleans last month.

Taco, because Christmas for the past few years has been all about family, friends and Mexican food.

It took a couple of days to sift through the boxes of ornaments, carefully placing each one onto the tree and remembering the memories that so many of them represent.

Grapes, because we live next to a winery.

Santa with toys.

Our grandson's handprint, from when he was three.

My Christmas shopping is finished (except for a couple of items that I will pick up in the next day or two), and Christmas baking is well under way.  Our house is quiet and calm this year... and part of me misses the energy that small children add to the holiday atmosphere.  It's been a lot like the famous poem, "Not a creature was stirring" ... me included right now.

One of my favorites ... flowers and I Love You.

How about you?  Are you doing the same thing as usual this Christmas, or are you changing things up a bit?