2014 Christmas Ornaments, Part 1

A few ornaments completed this year. I actually finished stitching the four "whimsies" from Dimensions this time last year, but never got round to attaching the wire hangers. They are also supposed to have music boxes attached to the backs, but the instructions were hard to decipher and they wanted you to glue them, which didn't seem very secure, so I nixed that idea. The mini patchwork ornaments were completed back in January of this year.

Checking His List

Polar Surprise

Santa's Here

Smiley Snowman

Mini Patchwork

Cousins

Look, we finally got them all sitting together!

The Bug with cousins Owen and Myles.

A Bug's First Christmas

The Bug opens a present while sitting in the chair Santa Claus brought her.

More Handmade Christmas Cards

Just thought I'd share a few more cards from 2005. To be honest, I was expecting at least four more handmade ones, but even though I saw two of my crafty friends over the weekend, there were no more received. Ah well...there will be plenty more in the future. Here's one I did receive last week, as well as my own card for 2005.


This swirly tree and small snowflakes were stamped with gold ink on caramel cardstock, then mounted on dark red and light green by friend Sherrie.



I was commissioned to make this one for friend Latesha, my second year making her cards -- and she has already placed an order for 2006. Because her favorite color is purple, I chose a pale plum base, then used the Versamark pad to stamp the holly leaf on elegant eggplant for the front. I punched a window in the eggplant to frame the running deer (stamped on the pale plum) from the retired "Etruscan" set by Stampin' Up, and silver ribbon added the finishing touch.



And last but not least...my own Christmas card for 2005. The technique used is called "shabby chic" and is intended to have a sort of messy vintage collage look. I started by using the canvas background stamp from Stampin' Up on white cardstock in first ruby red and then sage green, stamping it in different directions, and even dragging the card over the stamp in parts for a smudged look. Then came the cutting, tearing and crumpling of the white, ruby red, and chocolate chip cardstock. The image from the retired Stampin Up set "Winter is Calling" was stamped on the white, and I smeared some of the red for the "vintage" look before stapling four strips of ribbon to the top of the white layer. The three torn and crumpled pieces were then layered together, and white yarn wrapped around it before it was adhered to the sage and ruby red card. The inside greeting is non-SU and says, "May your days be merry and bright." It was a lot of work, but I really liked how they turned out. Next year's will be something much simpler, though!

Christmas 2005

First, I did not get much sleep the week before Christmas. Tuesday night we had a water pipe burst in front of our building. They cordoned off the upper portion of the lot around 7pm, Monona Plumbing arrived around 8, and the backhoe about a half hour after that. The generator powering the floodlight wasn't bad, being a steady hum, but the "scrape scrape thud" of the backhoe all night meant Heather got VERY little sleep. Three hours, if that. The parking lot was a real mess the next morning.

When they plowed after the last snow storm, they piled it on top of the storm drain at the bottom of our sloping driveway, so all the water running down the drive from the broken pipe ran out into the frontage road, then down the hill to the intersection, which is bad enough without an inch or two of ice thrown into the mix. The parking lot is still pretty awful this week. On top of the ice and sludge from last Tuesday, we finally pushed above freezing, melting a lot of the snow and adding a new layer of ice. Weather forecast for tonight is mixed precipitation -- rain/sleet tonight changing over to snow, possibly dumping another 1-3 inches on us, and more of the same through Monday. I'd rather have the snow than freezing rain.

Second, as you all may remember, my BIL's brother had been battling cancer since early summer (he had been in remission about three years). In July they removed his stomach, and had hoped with chemo and radiation he might be around a few more years. Due to complications, he wasn't able to begin treatment as soon as they'd hoped, and just before Thanksgiving found that the cancer had spread to his liver. Tony passed away the Sunday before Christmas. He was only 31, and left behind a wife (Heather) and three children: Hailey (age 9, lives with her Mom in Michigan), Owen (3.5) and Myles (age 1 on Jan 28). So, Christmas was a little bittersweet on this end.

Mom and I went down to H & A's Christmas Eve and stayed over. That night was all right, just the five of us, so quiet and low key. The Bug opened her birthday presents from us, H and I made lasagna for dinner, and we frosted cookies and watched "It's a Wonderful Life." Their SIL conned us into going to the 11pm church service, which she lied about -- told us kids came in pajamas (okay, that bit was true) and there wasn't a "real" service, people just sang carols. Okay, so technically, there were three carols sung during the service -- but it WAS a real church service, complete with communion -- had to laugh there when 3-1/2 yr old Owen saw the communion wafers and loudly exclaimed, "It's just a cracker!" ggg....

Anyway, it was far too mellow a service for that time of night. We also enjoyed looking at Christmas lights and decorations to and from the church. Wish I could have taken pics as some of the houses were really done up. Would have emailed them to Bron, LOL. Got back home around 12:30am, and everyone went to bed. I was sleeping in the living room, and "A Christmas Story" was just coming on at 1am, so I turned off all the lights and left that on. Saw maybe half of it, the beginning and the end. Not that I don't know the middle by heart, LOL.

Morning came entirely too soon. We were all up around 7am. Heather's parents dropped off Santa presents for Owen and Myles before they got there for breakfast. A's dad and step-mom also joined us. A made pancakes, sausage and bacon for all before we adjourned to the living room for presents. Most of which were for the kids, of course. And yes, here were LOTS of pictures taken. I dropped off four rolls Monday morning, which should be in by now. Hope to pick them up tomorrow night or Saturday morning. I thought I'd try the CD this time, too, instead of getting doubles. Figured that way I wouldn't have to spend hours scanning, just pop in the disc, save the ones I want, and post them wherever.

Aaron and Heather both seemed to hold up pretty well, considering Tony's passing the week before. There was one gift from her MIL that had Heather a little teared up, but explaining what it was to Owen seemed to help her through the moment -- Aaron and Tony's step-mom gave the boys a set of those Willow Tree figurines, one was a father with son, and then there was an extra little boy to go with it. You can see more of their collection here.

It was soon time to pick up all the new toys and stuff, move furniture and start on the rest of the food (ham and turkey were already in the roasters) before the rest of A's relatives arrived, and let me tell you, they aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, if ya know what I mean. I've met A's grandma H. a few times, and she's really nice, but the rest of them... *shudders* I spent most of my time in the kitchen where I somehow ended up doing a great deal of the preparations. I know it's H's house and all, but it would have been nice for her to tell people what was what instead of leaving us to guess and then yelling when something didn't get done, or wasn't done the way *she* wanted it. Yes, I was this --><-- close to slugging her. As soon as the food was all ready, I dished up a plate for Mom and then one for myself, and except when The Bug was eating her birthday cake (her birthday is Dec 28), didn't set foot in there again. Thankfully, Heather (sister's SIL) volunteered for cleanup, though I was ready to dig my heels in and refuse to help if necessary.

After dinner Heidi brought out The Bug's birthday cake, though it was WAY too soon after eating in my opinion, and though people had a choice of cake or three kinds of pie, not many seemed to partake in it, still stuffed as we were. In fact, Mom and I took our cake to go. After dessert, the guys moved the tables and some of the folding chairs out of the living room so there was room for another round of presents. Felt rather conspicuous/uncomfortable during that, as they were all for that side of the family, but managed to find a chair near a light where I could quietly work on some ornaments I was finishing (sewing backs on and stuffing them with fiberfill). Was glad I brought some stuff along to work on. I'm still finishing the outlining of one last present, but should have that done before the Saturday night deadline. Was really glad when it was time to return home. Sunday afternoon was far too many people in too small a space for my liking. It might be better once they get the basement finished and can send kids down there to play. Of course, warm weather where you could send kids out to play might be even better. LOL

Would have liked to sleep in on Monday, but K and S wanted to hit the clearance sales. We were sorely disappointed as there didn't seem to be as many good deals as last year. A lot of stuff like linens and holiday dishware were really picked over, but we did manage to stock up on wrapping paper for next year. This is the first time in ages I've had to buy more Christmas paper. I've had the same few rolls in my closet forever, and am glad to finally need something new, and something other than red, which is what most of the remaining rolls were. So now I have a cute blue and white snowman paper, a green and gold paper, a yellow-green one with subtle holly pattern, and something kind of pink. In short, a much better mix.

Worked Tuesday, and Mom called me shortly after lunch to say she was going up to the ER. I guess her neck had been really sore, and was so bad she could hardly walk. They did a CAT scan and a couple other tests, and though they found nothing of concern that would cause extreme neck pain, they did discover a problem with her eye. Apparently she woke up Monday night and could hardly see out of it, but didn't bother to mention that to anyone until the ER team mentioned possibly having a cataract. She had to go in for more tests Wednesday after dialysis and this morning for blood work, and back in tomorrow. What they determined yesterday was that she had a mini stroke in her right eye, so now they're trying to find out what might have caused it, and decide a course of action. So much for a happy new year....

Saturday night is Christmas/NYE with friends at K's house. S and I have both delivered stuff to K's in advance this year, so there won't be as much to cram into the car as last year. I still have few things to go over with us, but it's much more manageable. Sucks that there aren't the usual round of bowl games and rose parade on New Year's Day this year. Just won't feel the same. Am glad I have Monday off, though, so I can hopefully sleep in before getting up to watch the Rose Parade and then the Badgers in the Capital One Bowl. I intend to do as little as possible that day! Hope everyone had a great Christmas, and has a fantastic NYE!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! On -- Squeaky??

What cats would look like with antlers. Isn't she cute? Too bad the lights don't light up! Hehe....

The Stockings Were Hung...

...By the chimney with care

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, and may the only creatures stirring be Santa's reindeer!

Christmas is For Cats, Too!

As any cat will tell you, Christmas isn't just for kids, it's for cats, too. What's not to love about it? Trees to climb, pretty baubles and garland to play with -- not to mention how fun diving into a pile of discarded wrapping paper can be! Oh, the joys of sending bits of torn paper skittering hither and yon!

We were always pretty lucky with Squeaky, who much prefered curling up amidst the pile of presents stacked beneath the tree to climbing it. From the time it went up until the day it came down, she could be found curled up at it's base, no matter how crowded with packages it became. She wasn't shy about pushing something aside to make a nest for herself. I no longer put up the 7-foot tree as it is simply too difficult to manage by oneself, and the 3-footer being set up on a small table leaves no room for her to sleep under -- though she has been seen looking at it longingly.

The pictures below were taken in 1992. The hats she is sporting belong to a snow couple crocheted years ago by an aunt, and are just the right size for a feline head. The snow couple are now about twenty years old, but in good enough condition that we continue to display them each year. The bottom picture shows Miss Squeaky as Guardian of the Presents. Looks right at home, doesn't she?

Christmas 1975

Baby Sis, Me, and the younger sis. For some inexplicable reason, Mom had a terrible habit of dressing Heidi and I in identical (or near identical, like the sweaters from previous Christmas pictures uploaded) outfits. She didn't outgrow it until the early 80's, when she finally seemed to realize we had different styles.

My Friends Are Crafty, Too

I have a lot of friends who are just as crafty as I am, so I thought I'd share some of the handmade cards received so far this Christmas.

This is from the talented Lovely Laura, a fellow Diva and one of the Aussie contingent. The angel and flowers are gold embossed.

These frosty friends are from sorority sister and former college roommate, Robin K.

This is from another Aussie and fellow Diva, Babe -- her oldest son did the quilling on the snowman. Isn't he clever?

The woodland angel is from one of my stamping buddies, DaeJean. I love her red and green country plaid!

"Peace, Love, Joy" is the message my long-time friend and fellow stamping addict Kim sends this year. The greeting is stamped in silver ink, and she used glitter for the center of the poinsettias stamped on the red.

What's Your Signature Holiday Cookie?

Lemon Butter Cookies
You're big on tradtion and like to keep it simple, and that goes double during the holidays. Your perfect holiday season is one full of family and the observence of old customs. These classic Lemon Butter cookies are the perfect choice for a purist like you.

Take the quiz

Winter Solstice

From The Writer's Almanac for today...


In the northern hemisphere, today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year and the longest night. It's officially the first day of winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans even began farming on a large scale. The stone circles of Stonehenge were arranged to receive the first rays of midwinter sun.

Ancient peoples believed that because daylight was waning, it might go away forever, so they lit huge bonfires to tempt the sun to come back. The tradition of decorating our houses and our trees with lights at this time of year is passed down from those ancient bonfires.

In Ancient Rome, the winter solstice was celebrated with the festival of Saturnalia, during which all business transactions and even war were suspended, and slaves were waited upon by their masters.

Christmas 1972

Charles Dickens

From today's Writer's Almanac...


It was on this day in 1843 that Charles Dickens (books by this author) published A Christmas Carol. Dickens wrote the novel after his first commercial failure. His previous novel, Martin Chuzzlewit (1842) had flopped, and he was suddenly strapped for cash. Martin Chuzzlewit had been satirical and pessimistic, and Dickens thought he might be more successful if he wrote a heartwarming tale with a holiday theme.

He got the idea for the book in late October of 1843, the story of the heartless Ebenezer Scrooge, who has so little Christmas spirit that he wants his assistant Bob Cratchit to work on Christmas Day.

Dickens struggled to finish the book in time for Christmas. He no longer had a publisher so he published the book himself, ordering illustrations, gilt-edged pages and a lavish red bound cover. He priced the book at a mere 5 shillings, in hopes of making it affordable to everyone. It was released within a week of Christmas and was a huge success, selling six thousand copies the first few days, and the demand was so great that it quickly went to second and third editions.

At the time, Christmas was on the decline and not celebrated much. England was in the midst of an Industrial Revolution and most people were incredibly poor, having to work as much as 16 hour days, 6 days a week. Most people couldn't afford to celebrate Christmas, and Puritans believed it was a sin to do so. They felt that celebrating Christmas too extravagantly would be an insult to Christ. The famous American preacher Henry Ward Beecher said that Christmas was a "foreign day" and he wouldn't even recognize it.

When Dickens's novel became a huge bestseller in both the United States and England, A Christmas Carol reminded many people of the old Christmas traditions that had been dying out since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, of cooking a feast, spending time with family, and spreading warmth and cheer. Dickens helped people return to the old ways of Christmas. He went on to write a Christmas story every year, but none endured as well as A Christmas Carol.

Happy Holidays

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

(The opinions expressed below are those of the blog owner. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it!)


This “holiday” thing is getting out of hand – and I blame Bill O’Reilly and his ilk for trying to steal people’s joy and divide the nation at a time of year that usually symbolizes peace and unity.

For those who missed it, O’Reilly and the Christian Coalition (read: radical fundamentalists) are waging a war on the phrase "Happy Holiday(s)." Their lack of research to the phrase’s origins before going on the attack is blatantly obvious.

First, neither democrats nor liberals invented the phrase "Happy Holiday(s)," nor are they trying to “steal Christmas.” The phrase has been around longer than there have been democrats and republicans, and the last thing we need right now is people who willfully attempt to divide people. It’s particularly odious this time of year, when people speak of "Peace on earth, good will to men." Apparently for some, that goodwill only extends to those who share their narrow-minded views.

Second, the Irving Berlin song "Happy Holiday" was written in 1942 and introduced in the Bing Crosby classic movie "Holiday Inn." The phrase predates that by quite a bit.

Third, I’m more than willing to call an evergreen draped in tinsel and lights a Christmas tree (I have all my life!) – so long as Christians concede it has nothing to do with Christ, but is actually a pagan symbol of the winter solstice adopted as a "Christian" symbol by converts reluctant to completely leave behind their pagan ways.

"Historians agree that through the subsequent centuries, traditions from ancient pagan (non-Christian) religions became intertwined with those of Christianity, and depending upon one's point of view, either paganism became Christianized, or Christianity became paganized." (Article: Christmas in America becomes battleground)

Fourth, it’s called "winter" break, same as there’s a fall break, spring break and summer break. It is a break that occurs around the beginning of winter, and just happens to coincide with Christmas – as well as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. By the same token, a school or community concert at this time of year is legitimately a "winter concert" – and yes, there are spring concerts as well. I played in both through high school, and our programs included both seasonal selections ("Yuletide Festival," Mozart’s "Sleigh Ride" and selections from "The Nutcracker Suite") as well as non-seasonal selections. Granted, I think rewriting the lyrics of traditional Christmas carols goes a bit too far, but as long as other selections are included, I see nothing wrong with choirs or bands playing a Christmas carol or two. In fact, one of the things I miss most about college was the annual Christmas concert – a truly spectacular event. And watching "Holiday With the Pops" and the St Olaf’s concert has become a Christmas Eve tradition. I think there is nothing better than to be exposed to carols from around the world, or music from other faiths. Music is universal, no matter what might be on the program. It is the one language you don’t have to be fluent in to truly appreciate it.

Fifth, people of many different faiths celebrate Christmas, in some capacity of another. I know Muslims who celebrate it in addition to their own holy days. I know atheists who celebrate Christmas as a time of peace and giving. The holiday doesn’t have to include Christ in order for it to have deep meaning for people. Religion is a very personal matter, and while some have deeply rooted Christian beliefs, others’ beliefs are not so strictly regimented, or may be formed from a more universal upbringing or education.

Sixth, the word "holiday" means "holy day" and through the centuries has come to have a more Christian context. The "Holiday Season" originally referred to not just Christmas, but first Michaelmas (a huge feast day at the end of September), then later Boxing Day (a day when alms were given to the poor), and Epiphany (when the wise men are said to have arrived in Bethlehem) — three of which are not recognized or celebrated in the US, but are by other countries. Now, of course, the "holiday season" has been expanded to include Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa and that, for some inexplicable reason, offends some Christians.

My beliefs are not yours, as yours are not mine. I tend to hold more Unitarian views on religion than most of my friends, but I am proud to count Christians, Wiccans, Atheists and people of other religious persuasions among my friends and family. And, I’ll allow, I am much richer for the experience than those who do not welcome views that contradict their own.

It may in fact surprise most Christians to know that "Christmas" was not one of the original holy days celebrated by the church, and that it was banned by English Parliament in 1644, which demanded shops stay open that day, and condemning plum puddings and mince pies as "heathen." In this country, Christmas was not celebrated by early settlers (many Christians still do not celebrate it), and it was even suppressed by the Puritans. In Massachusetts between 1659 and 1681 it was illegal to celebrate Christmas, the fine being five schillings. It was not until the 19th century that Christmas was legally recognized.

Even Christian evangelists such as Garner Ted Armstrong of Tyler, Texas has proclaimed for more than 45 years that, "It is impossible to 'put Christ back in Christmas,' since He was never in Christmas in the first place! None of the apostles of Christ ever heard of the term; not one of them ever celebrated Christ's birthday."

And while we are on the subject, abbreviating "Christmas" with "Xmas" is perfectly legitimate and does not, as many errantly believe, remove Christ from Christmas. The letter "X" represents the Greek letter chi, the first letter in the Greek word Χριστός, which means "Christ."

Do I celebrate Christmas? Yes. Do I celebrate it as the birth of Christ? Not really. To me, as with many of my friends, Christmas is a time of family and of giving. That does not mean it is a meaningless time of year for us, but perhaps more meaningful. Though we give to charity year-round, we pay particular attention to our local community this time of year, donating toys to needy children and blankets to Hospice Care. We not only give to The Salvation Army (recognizing that they serve all people, not just Christians in need), but also teach children we know the importance of giving, and of sacrifice.

How each of us chooses to celebrate this time of year is of no one’s concern but our own. The Bill of Rights grants us the freedom to worship as we wish, or not. It is also supposed to ensure that no one religion or denomination is imposed on the masses, a fact that seems lost by many in this great land of ours. If you want me to respect you and your beliefs, then please "do unto others" and accord me the same. No matter how or what you celebrate, this is a joyous time of year, and neither that fact, nor the message of "Peace on earth, good will to men" should ever be forgot.

For more on the historical origins of the Christmas celebration, I highly recommend The History Channel or this article at World Net.

And to you and yours, peace on earth,
good will towards all, and happy holidays!

Christmas 1971

Heidi and me, Christmas 1971 -- I'm the cute one on the right. ;-)

Christmas, sometime in the '70s - the white Christmas tree ornament in front is Heidi's from our maternal grandmother, a first Christmas ornament, and she still has it to this day - same as I still have my red Santa Claus. They're probably the only ornaments on this tree that are still around today. Others were either broken or replaced because they were so worn with age.

O Christmas Tree

My little tree, last Christmas. Note how many of the ornaments are handmade. My friend Kim made many of the ceramic ones, a few were picked up at craft fairs or received as gifts, and many were made by me. There are white lights and gold and cream braid for the garland.

What Christmas Carol Are You?

You Are "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow"

Oh the weather outside is frightfulBut the fire is so delightfulAnd since we've no place to goLet It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Forget a new iPod or laptop...What you want Christmas morning is a winter wonderland.

What Christmas Carol Are You?

Which shouldn't surprise those who know me...right? :-D

Last of the Minis

Since I've been sick the past week and not up to doing much, I've managed to finish off a few projects -- one of which was the assembling of the last of the 50 mini ornaments (you may remember the little stockings posted a couple weeks ago). I also finished stitching a present for my sister, framed and wrapped it. Framed and wrapped three other items as well, and am on to the next projects. Not much on the writing front, though. I've jotted down a few ideas, but haven't managed to really flesh anything out lately. I'm a slow writer as is, nevermind when I'm all congested and feel like cotton batting has been stuffed inside my head. I figure if an idea is meant to flourish...it'll happen when its time is right. Some ideas just take a while to rippen.

Creative Endeavors

Although I have about a half dozen articles in the works, I haven't managed to complete any of them to my satisfaction this week. Some days (months) are like that. When the writing is hot, you can find yourself working for hours without realizing it's been that long. When it's not...well, you pour yourself into other creative pursuits. For me that's usually counted cross-stitch, scrapbooks or making cards. I spent the past weekend and mush of the week before dividing my time between Christmas cards and various cross-stitch projects.

I now have a third of my Christmas cards done, which is a good feeling considering I was still trying to get last year's done the week after Thanksgiving. I have stuff wrapped and ready to go to Norway already, too. Just need to address the envelope and print off some things I want to send along. And I have a slew of ornaments completed and one of the "larger" projects I do each year done. Now I'm dividing my time between two more of the larger projects and wondering where I stashed the leaflet for another. Probably refiled it during my big reorganization a couple months ago. *Sigh* Sometimes I'm almost too organized.

In lieu of any words of wisdom, I offer instead images of some of my recent endeavors. The first is of some of the mini Victorian ornaments I did. There are two each of the eight stockings. I still need to finish backing the other 34 from this kit, just wasn't up to playing with glue this past weekend. Considering how long I had this set, it feels good to finally have them all stitched.

The other three are from a "Winter" kit that originally contained four designs. I did the covered bridge back in 2001 for a friend, after our "Covered Bridge" tour through Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. We saw about 30 bridges during the course of a week, so that one was done for her to commerate the trip. The remaining three languished in my project box until I decided it was time to finish up old projects. They are going out in the mail to another friend before the end of the month.