Holidays

Tomorrow is pie baking day!  Two pumpkin and one pecan, my son will also make one (maybe apple).   The two grand girls will also be here (they will go with us to dinner on Thanksgiving day). Their mom just started a job this Monday and has LOTS to do.  So I will have a busy day with baking  helpers, pies and a little home schooling and picking up the girls.  Then a family day for dinner with 21 people and NO black friday shopping (something I never do anyway).

Christmas

My favorite part of Christmas is breakfast, always has been.  It started with my grandmother, she made cinnamon rolls as part of breakfast for her family, 6 children.  When they went abroad as missionaries my mom continued the tradition.  As a child, all my family came to our house for breakfast.  Our house was big, full of noise and  fun.  My memories influence my attitude as an adult.  We did not exchange gifts with extended family, we did not pick names.  I liked the emphasis on family even as a kid.  I dislike the commercialism and materialism of a beautiful holiday.  Traditions need to fostered and memories made for the generations coming after us.  Traditions are old and new, the new ones take work to get started but are well worth the effort.  I kept busy making gifts, more than ever before.  A part of my granddaughters gift didn't get done, a second basket made of fabric and a pincushion to match.  Her birthday is in January so I will finish it then . . . perfect!  What is interesting is that my son and his girlfriend have made gifts the last 2 years.  This year they made a necklace and earrings with deer horns, I love it and I am impressed.  We had breakfast at my daughters house this year.  Cinnamon rolls, of course!  Eggs, bacon and champagne with OJ.  All the family doesn't come to breakfast anymore, there is just too many of us but we had 12 for breakfast (a few family members were not in town for Christmas). Our son-in-law is in Afghanistan, hard for the girls and E.

Breakfast Christmas, 2011

Tis the Season

I have been busy lately:
     Ornaments for family - 9 finished
     Baskets woven from paper bags - 4 finished
     Knitted cowl scarf - needs blocking
     Crafting a small sewing box - unfinished
     Tree hunting and Decorating
     Shopping for presents, wrapping too
     A batch of sweet bread in tiny loaves for the baskets
And the everyday stuff:
     Finding wood to burn (construction sites)
     Empty 3 more boxes in the basement, garbaged most of it
     Recycling run (2 in last 2 weeks), need to do a garbage run now
     Time with the grandchildren and daughter
A few observations:
     A foggy month in December - a bit unusual
     A couple of beautiful days - went out 'sun bathing', felt GOOD!
     Some days/nights down to 28 degrees and no snow! (Good)
     A few colorful sunsets - very pretty
     Tried an oatmeal lager - dark, mild bitter finish (devine)
To do:
     Take pictures of my crafts before wrapping them
     Bake on friday for Christmas morning cinnamon rolls
     Finish a couple of projects - easy
     Help out E. tomorrow!
     Shop for Christmas breakfast and next 2 weeks
     Go to a cookie exchange, yet I don't bake anymore for our home (8 doz cookies needed)
     Need to shop for a couple more things for hubby (I know what to get)

Holidays and Changes

We will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my daughters house this year.  My Aunt just sold her house and already has her garage filled with packed boxes and will be trying to move out before the 12-21 hand over date.  Not exactly the most fun time of year to have to move!  It;s a bit of a scramble to remember some of the things needed because my Aunt usually takes on the biggest part of dinner.  I went out today to buy the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pie ingredients (my son also needs pie ingredients).  Wow, a lot a people are out there shopping for The Dinner!  I am looking forward to our family celebration and E's kitchen is so big, open and friendly.  I just can't believe the holidays are here.  What I am most thankful for this year is that my son in law is home for 2 weeks from Afghanistan, it has been a very hard 5 months (for him and E and especially the girls, V is 3 and wouldn't talk on skype or the phone with her daddy) and he'll be gone again for 6 more.

I have finished my knitting project (the cowl) and need to block it and weave in the ends, I need to find another project though because of withdrawals from keeping my hands busy.  I have two other crafts projects in the works, ornaments and woven baskets.  More on this later with pictures.