Christmas — Page 46

Simple and Stress-Free

December 23, 2015 at 8:51 am by Claudia

12-23 fog

This is what it looks like around here this morning. Very, very foggy. We’ve been having lots of rain, more is expected today and tomorrow, with record-breaking temperatures predicted for Christmas Eve. What a strange mix of weather this holiday season brings!

Please tell me I don’t have to go to Target today. Please?

Unfortunately, I think I do. I’m going to try to get that little chore done as early in the day as possible. But not until the fog lifts.

Nothing all that exciting happening around here, my friends. We’re reading, playing the guitar (well, Don is), taking care of Scout, shopping for the makings of our Christmas Coffee Cake and Christmas dinner. We are giving ourselves a Christmas present this year; we already know what it is, though I am going to wrap it. There will be a few little surprises, but simple and stress-free is the order for the day.

12-23 treeandchair

The Christmas Coffee Cake recipe is here. It’s simply the best coffee cake we’ve ever had.

Book Review on Just Let Me Finish This Page of The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. A lovely story about the power of books to transform.

Happy Wednesday.

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A Wee Tree

December 20, 2015 at 8:33 am by Claudia

I drove around yesterday looking for a strand of clear lights on a white cord. (First time I’ve driven since the ankle injury!) No lights anywhere. No little inexpensive pre-lit trees, either. I definitely want low-key this year, but I found myself balking at the possibility of no tree lights.

So I came home to my $20 Michael’s pre-lit tree and proceeded to pry off every one of the lights, which had been clamped to the branches in a rather intricate pattern. The clamps were sort of like the plastic closures that come on a loaf of bread and they were very hard to remove.

Two hours and a couple of broken fingernails later, I had finished. In the meantime, Don went out to the shed and brought the Christmas light bin inside and I found one unused strand of lights. I hadn’t planned on opening any bins this year, but we had no choice. Lights were strung on the tree, some little ornaments I had upstairs were hung, and then to fill it out, I added some faux berries that were in the light bin.

12-20 tree

And we’re done.

Just enough for us this year.

And it’s fairly well protected where it is, so Scout won’t fall into it – another reason we didn’t want a real tree this year.

I’m close to finishing my book and I’m in a little bit of a panic because I don’t have another book by Susan Hill ready and waiting. And I’m so into this series that I don’t want to start something else. If all else fails I can get it on the Kindle, though I’d prefer a real book I can hold in my hands. But I’ve got a plan. Tomorrow I have to go into the city in the evening to watch a performance – something I have been involved with off and on. I’m going to go in early, take the subway to the stop closest to The Mysterious Bookshop and I’m going to spend an hour or so in that lovely shop, where I know they will have Susan Hill’s books on the shelf.

I’m going to treat myself to the next three in the series. Hey, if I have to haul myself into the city this close to Christmas, I should have some sort of reward, don’t you think?

Happy Sunday.

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In the Mail

December 17, 2015 at 9:05 am by Claudia

First of all, this arrived yesterday:

12-17 meandmag

Since this is a selfie, the writing is reversed, but you get the idea, right?

I’ll try to take some photos of the article for you. I’m thrilled that Hummingbird Cottage is the lead feature and a photo of the fireplace gets a full page at the beginning of the article. Don hadn’t seen the article yet, so he read the whole thing and was quite chuffed! As am I.

Again, on a tough day, something lovely lightened my mood. Very grateful.

My ankle is much, much better. I still wear an ace bandage for some mild support and, more importantly, to remind myself that I have to be careful. The bruising has faded a great deal and, as I’m at the two week mark, I’m very pleased.

I hung the lights on the porch railing yesterday. They were modified by necessity as one of the strings wasn’t working and I wasn’t about to go in the shed and look through bins for some more. It’s just fine as is.

No little white tree yet, but maybe today. Or maybe not.

Barbara sent me a package that arrived earlier this week. It was full of lots of goodies. I didn’t take a picture of the lovely Christmas napkins and mints that come in a guitar-shaped tin and winter gloves meant to be used with an iPhone (huzzah!) but I did manage some pictures of the other treasures inside that box.

12-17 books

Yay! I finally have my own copy of All the Light We Cannot See! If you remember, I had it on reserve at my library and didn’t get a chance to read it before it’s due date. The second book is mystery that takes place in Canada (Barbara is from Canada) and I’m excited to read a new-to-me author.

12-17 robot

An incredible robot ornament – isn’t it neat? We’re calling it Mr. Robot, in honor of Don’s appearances on that series.

12-17 ghirardelli

A bag full of Peppermint Bark from Ghirardelli. Oh. my. goodness. As you might imagine, we’ve already had several. I love peppermint bark.

12-17 stereo

Eeek! For the Top Secret Project! This is perfect, Barbara! I haven’t done any work on the TSP since Dad’s death. I haven’t been in the right frame of mind. I am thinking about it, however, and I plan on getting back in gear when I have my little office/studio space set up.

By the way, the house that I’m using for the TSP was designed for the HBS Creatin’ Contest. I never had any plans on entering that contest, but many incredible miniaturists have entered their projects and I am blown away by their creativity. The deadline to enter was just the other day. I’m going to try to gather some links to their finished projects so that you can see them for yourselves. You won’t believe what they have created!

12-17 clematis flower frog_

And this was in the package. Roseville Pottery in the Clematis pattern. Barbara wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but I knew because I’d been watching one of these on eBay. It’s a flower frog. It was designed to sit in a matching console bowl, like the one I showed you the other day.

12-17 clematis flower frog rear

The rear view.

12-17 clematis flower frog bottom

See? There are holes in the bottom.

It’s gorgeous. Thank you, Barbara. I am blessed by your generous spirit.

I am blessed by every one of you who read this blog. Thank you.

I’m clearly celebrating Christmas a bit early this year.

Happy Thursday.

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Simple and Stress-Free

A Wee Tree

In the Mail

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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