AND HERE WE ARE

Hello and Happy New Year to everyone!  I don't know if any of you are relieved that all of the 'excitement' is over but I am.  Then again, I'm not looking forward to the Dog Days of Winter either.  I've spent over a week nursing my poor back (and a big, sincere thank you to all of you who wished me the best and said a prayer or two).  I gave up on the meds, except for the muscle relaxants once in awhile, and alternated bed rest, getting up for short intervals, and doing some of the stretching exercises the doctor gave me.  The worst part, being so bored lying in bed and then being limited in what I could do when I was up.  I'm fanatical about a clean, tidy home and yet I had to bite my lip, Abby and The Husband were functioning  without my guidance, i.e. nagging.  They brought home meals for me in white paper bags or clear plastic containers and I was grateful.  A continuous supply of Diet Pepsi and Swiss Miss hot chocolate was also appreciated.  My needs are minimal.

Tonight we have a cozy fire burning.  The temps are going below zero within the next few days and tonight we are expected to have wind gusts of 40 miles an hour which is big time even for the Windy City.  Lets all hang on, especially you East Coast people.  I feel like we spread the 'germ' and now we have even more snow coming tomorrow.  Ugh.  Be safe.

New Years Eve day, my amaryllis looked like this and I group texted this picture to all of my family.  I was just positive it was a symbol for the coming year.  That glorious first flower spent itself, and then I was not only graced with one, but two more shoots and for the first time, side shoots separate from the bulb...if you look closely or enlarge this picture, you can see those on the lower left.  Maybe cliche...  When one door closes, another opens.  The circle of life.  Jane kept her plant watered for once.  Take it any way you want. :)

New Years Eve was snowy and icy. (taken from my  porch). I was so grateful that my kids stayed in the immediate area.  3 went to parties blocks away, and Abby and her friends met here for a few drinks and then The Husband drove them to a nearby street with a string of Irish bars (I've mentioned before that we live in a very Irish neighborhood).  Somehow that just sounds better than she went to a street full of bars!!  These are all so friendly and not just for young kids, we've been to a few of them.  And the street is lined with cabs after 11:00 p.m. and many patrol cars making sure there are designated drivers.  I love the CPD in this area.

Annnnnyway...this is a snap of my street that night,  a winter wonderland.  The Husband and I stayed in, made a fire, and I made a few appetizers as I always do and then we ate in front of the TV and watch the festivities.  

This year I planned to make a Meatball and Dill Dip posted by none other than Lynn of Happier Than A Pig In Mud.  Alas, the shopping list I gave The Husband didn't include the sour cream (major ingredient, so I totally substituted it with a  small bowl of BBQ sauce for him to dip).  In the mean time, I have bought the sour cream as Lynn suggested, for making the dill sauce and using it over meatballs and egg noodles as an entree and that's exactly what I'm going to try. Thanks my friend!

Now, this is an onion tart that I made that I found on Pinterest and you can find it here.  I would totally recommend making it with these exceptions...reduce the number of onions by half...you just don't need as many as the recipe calls for.  When dealing with puff pastry...let it thaw for 40 minutes as instructed, and no more, it's best worked with when cold.  And personally, I think she ran it under the broiler for a minute or two.  Anyway, if you love caramelized onions, this is out of sight.  Double the recipe for 8 or more  servings.  We loved it.

On to the present, as in today.  My first venture outside since Christmas day.  Emily was driving Miss Daisy again!  My back is still bad...forget medication...I need to heal at my own pace.  And I developed a head cold, but seriously, let's get over all this crummy stuff at once, shall we?  Well, I thought she was just taking me to the grocery store as believe me, my cupboards were bare!  Instead, "First stop: Home Depot.  Storage bins are on sale big time."  This is a girl who must read the sale papers as religiously as The Husband does.  I protested but given she was toting me around on her day off, I relented.  Within a minute or less of walking in the doors, we came upon their Christmas clearance and there were two (serendipity) Martha Stewart pre~lit 30 inch wreaths for $8.69!  Oh, my!  We grabbed them faster than you can say Holy Cow.  And then the bins, as pictured above. She, and then me, thought they were perfect for Christmas decorations...I still have some of my things in cardboard boxes.  At $5.48, she grabbed six and I grabbed two.  I love Home Depot.  I could marry it.  And if you have a HD in your area and happen to need bins, these are fantastic.

Once home, we found that Abigail had actually cleaned up the kitchen and we were free to unload the groceries. Then Emily made a wonderful dinner for us that she had told me about and I had bought the ingredients for.  As always, my pictures of food look revolting.  This is true comfort food.  Just like the stuffed cabbage your mom and grandma made without the frustration of getting that cabbage to roll neat and pretty and come out of the pot in one piece.  

In Blondie's abbreviated instructions:

Brown 1 pound of ground beef in dutch oven pot.  Drain and set aside.  In same pot add 1 T. of vegetable oil and saute 1 medium onion and 3 cloves of garlic until soft and tender.  Add beef back to pot.  Add 1 large can of crushed tomatoes and one 15 oz. can of tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil and add 1 medium head of cabbage, chopped loosely.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer on low 45 minutes.  Serve over cooked rice.  Very, very good!!

   

Now you know I spent a lot of time in bed this past week.  Magazines, books and my Nook were my saving grace.  Somehow we screwed up the closed caption on the TV and even if I had it, I broke my glasses a few weeks ago and am wearing a pair I saved (I save everything) from at least ten years ago.  Every time I move my head from side to side or look down, they fall off.  And since the prescription is old, I can't see a darn thing anyway.  So I read and read and read and I started the above book which I told you I had been gifted with at Christmas.  I was already in the middle of a mystery by another favorite author but this book kept beckoning to me.  So Tuesday I gave into my hard and fast rule to never have two books going at once, and dived into this compilation of the works of Nora Ephron.  It's not my intention to try to get you to read this book, I just want to show you what a crazed woman I become when I get involved with a book that resonates with me.  I started it on Tuesday and last night, Thursday, I finished all 577 pages.  This is not to brag, I was confined to bed and I read non~stop.  Emily called me during the last chapter and I said, "I can't talk, I'm preparing for a big crying jag."  Instead of crying, I spent two hours looking up every crucial and close person in her life on Wikepedia.  I am clearly clearly mad.  Somewhere along the way, whether it be in this book or in something I read on the web, it was mentioned that she tried to inject humor into every aspect of her life.  Hello, Nora.  I'm not as gifted as you were, but this is how I have also tried to deal with life.  Maybe the crying jag will come later. 

I tried to write a Year End Post and for the first time in all of the years I've been blogging, I deleted a big portion of writing.  I worked up to the first 6 months of 2013 and it was consumed with Emily's wedding and then those incidentals of life that I enjoy sharing but certainly aren't "highlight" material.  I never got past May,  It just wasn't interesting enough to repeat, writing or picture~wise.  So you are spared!!

Now, the wind is gusting (a little scarily) and I am so grateful our trees were trimmed last summer (in spite of the fuss I made).  I plan to post and visit more often as I think getting up and around is good for me.  It may just be cabbage stew and crying jags over authors who meant a lot to me and left way before their time, but I'll be here, either making you laugh and smile or boring you to tears.

XO,

Jane

A VERY BLONDIE CHRISTMAS

I'm sorry if it seems I have been missing in action, I've been wanting to visit all of you to see how your holiday went but bad luck has befallen me once again.  The back.  The BAD back I have.  I have been flat on it since the day after Christmas.  What bothers me at my age is that so rarely is there an incident or accident before you wake up immobile.  You get out of bed and think...wow, my shoulder hurts, must have done something to it.  No verb before the noun.  In my case I just woke up in the middle of the night in pain.  I couldn't get out of bed without The Husbands help and I wailed and howled as we did it.  I finally went to the doctor on Friday.  In a nutshell, I have three different medications for muscle spasms and pain.  She wants me off my feet for a few days and gave me some exercises I can do lying down in bed, and then some when I'm back on my feet.  This is the second time I did this number on my back and it's weird because it was also at Christmastime.  Something in the eggnog perhaps?

My descent into pain and misery occurred after all of the festivities of Christmas so I still have much to share with you.  I have done this post in baby steps so I don't get yelled at for being out of bed.

This is my son Kevin and his wife Mary Clare.  Kevin changed jobs this year and MC lost her job when the company moved to India.  Having just bought a house, things have been difficult for them.  Kevin popped in Christmas Eve morning and showed me this picture on his phone.  "I'd like to frame this and give it to MC for Christmas, it's the best I can do."  So I showed him how to email it to himself, download it, edit it and then order a copy through the Walgreen's website.  I had extra picture frames from when I did my gallery wall and I even gave him a box and a bow.  He walked out of here beaming.  A gift for his wife.  For about $3.00 and some change.  Priceless.

Christmas Eve has always been spent with The Husband's side of the family.  And the children are multiplying as all of the cousins are now close to thirty years old and starting families of their own.  I realize how relaxing it is to sit back and not have to run after my own kids finally!  Here we are playing the White Elephant gift game.

The Husband is clearly ready for more dessert.  The get together was held at my SIL's house and was catered.  We really had a ball.

My niece, Lisa, and her chubby little baby, Bella.  We were laughing over all of her rolls!  This is Lisa's third little girl and the first two were the same way.

The younger and most hip generation has been turning us on to many new and delicious drinks.  You might remember the Rum Chata shots we did a few nights before this.  At my SIL's, we did Key Lime Cream Liqueur shots with daughter Abigail as our mixologist.  Not only does she waitress, but she's quite a bartender, too.  I am such a sucker for Key lime anything and these, shaken with ice and strained into little shot glasses, were out of sight.  I think they would make excellent after dinner drinks served over ice.  I don't drink anything but wine, but I could see it being a hit.

This arrived just in time for the big day.  I had been patiently waiting for Pottery Barn to knock down the price.  My son, Jeff, really gave me hell for it.  He is now living in his newly renovated home and we are all getting a taste of his likes and dislikes.  Everything must have a purpose.  He sat down on my couch, saw the pillow and grabbed it, horrified.  "Mom.  No, Mom.  This isn't going to work, Mom."  It's decorative, I told him.  "The bells. The burlap.  This is the most useless piece of c*** you could have in your house!"  Ha!  I love riling him up!

And this one got him going, too.  I bought this last year at an Etsy shop but didn't get around to getting a pillow insert til recently.  Isn't it darling?  And of course, useless.

Abby had a formal Christmas party with a huge group of life long friends one night.  I had to get a picture of her.  Unfortunately, I captured her 'Do I look fat in this?' face.  Oh, Abby.  Even her ear lobes are skinny.

My "Alone" time on Christmas Eve is always one of the very most special times of the holiday season.  The gifts are laid under the tree, the fireplace is readied for the morning with fresh wood.  I tweak and fluff and play with my dishes, silver, napkins and wine glasses.  Usually I have Christmas music playing but I think I really overdid that this year along with the Hallmark movies.  I turned on a channel that was showing The Family Stone and I had that on as I had only seen it in bits and pieces.  Whoa!  What a crazy but totally believable look into a families home over the holidays.  Funny, sad, thought provoking...just an all out great movie.  

This year I veered away from the usual overnight egg casserole as I found a slow cooker recipe that sounded really neat.  It's layers of frozen hash browns, peppers and onion, 2 types of shredded cheese and then an egg mixture poured over.  Problem was, I'd have to wait until 2:00 a.m. to have it ready in 8 hours, or 6:00 a.m. to do it in 4 hours on high.  So I set my alarm for 5, jumped up, threw it together and then went back to bed for a few more Zzzzzz's.  It was delicious, very moist and so easy to serve right out of the crock.

I took this pictures early Christmas morning and I was happy I could still capture the subtle sparkle on these napkins.  We used my Winterberry dishes that just come out during the holidays.  I really look forward to that tradition.  

Along with the egg dish, we had pancakes, bacon, toast and fruit.  I set up little 'cooking stations' so everyone could help.  MC was in charge of bacon at the stove, Deirdre made pancakes on my big electric skillet, Abby made toast and Emily fussed with the buffet.  

This was my last minute centerpiece.  I originally started out with my dough bowl filled with evergreen and pomegranates. Emily said they looked like huge red onions.  More than once.  So I changed everything out for these Dollar Tree vases, cranberries and some greenery.  I wish I could remember where I saw this.  It's a keeper idea.

Did I mention we had Mimosa's?  Oh my!  We just love those over here in Blondieville.  We went through 7 bottles of champagne and 2 gallons of orange juice.  Back in the day, a Mimosa was a glass of orange juice with a splash of champagne.  The new generation has it backwards.  

Brunch wrapped up about 1:00, and then The Husband and I joined Kevin and MC at her sister's home with her whole family, all of whom we love.  Abby and her boyfriend, Tom were also there.  Emily and Jeffrey had other plans.  Katie does a beautiful dinner of fillets, mashed potatoes, asparagus, homemade rolls and plenty of beautiful desserts.  We had such a great time, although this is about when my back started going to hell. :(

So, I'm ready to hop (just kidding) back into bed with this book that The Husband gave me for Christmas.  I love how you can mention something in passing and then receive it as a gift.  That's really special to me, that someone really listens and remembers.  I adore Nora Ephron and it saddens me that there will be nothing left to look forward to coming from her.  Her style of writing, her no nonsense sense of humor, how she has all of us women at a certain age nodding and saying, "Oh, yeah!"  She will be missed.

And when I'm back on my feet, I can put these new little babies on and continue my never ending adventure and quest in getting into shape.  Ouch...it hurts just to think about it.

I chose this sign in a White Elephant exchange (actually it was the gift that Emily had bought but I really wanted it).  I'm even thinking of having HAPPY as my "word" for 2014.  This year's word was GRATEFUL.  I know happy sounds a little simplistic but it's how I feel.  I truly have nothing not to be happy about.  And I want to point out those bowls with the numbers...I think you have seen them before.  Emily has always loved them and is constantly asking me if she can have them.  So, in the spirit of Christmas...Nooooooo, I did not give them to her.  I'm not THAT nice!  I searched Ebay and found them.  Wisteria sold them about 4 years ago and I had no hope of finding them.  Oh, was she in heaven!!  I was peeing my pants waiting for her to open the box!!

Okay, I've been up long enough.  If I had done this post in parts between going back to bed, this would be about Part 8.  Ha!  My doctor is a great lady and she gave me this tip for icing my back and I thought it was so great that I'd pass it on to anyone that might have to use it (hopefully not).  Fill a Styrofoam cup with water and freeze it.  When it's ready, peel off about the first inch and then hold it by the cup part and massage the ice on your back (or wherever).  So much better then an ice pack.  I can't say anything good about the pain medication, it gives me a headache.  How can that be?  Should I take Tyelenol with it for the head part?

I will be back in a few days with my "Year In Review"  I did that for the first time last year and I really enjoyed going through my old posts and pictures.  As my blogger friend, Carol, wrote to me today, it gives you a nice perspective on the year.  I've often gone back to that post, it cheers me up when I feel I'm not accomplishing things...yes, Jane, you have and did.  And it makes you feel amazing that you made it through some rough waters...yes, Jane, you survived!

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year! :) 

XO,

Jane

CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

This is how I feel!  Well, no, not all the time, but a good part of the time.  First of all, Mother Nature played a bad trick on us and we hit 6 degrees at it's warmest today.  The busiest time of the year.  Maybe, just maybe, people like The Husband will learn to shop earlier in the month, because you just never know.  I know we are all busy and no one has the time to read one of my long rambling posts, so I'll try to keep it short. Things are moving along fine in Blondieville.  Yes, we have our problems here, but not anything in comparison to the problems in our world.  And that's why we wish everyone Peace at this time of year more than any other...this is a time of goodwill. Random acts of kindness.  Less stress and more joy.  But there are always those little aggravations...

We have flies.  Why?  And we have squirrels in the garage (as you already know), that now sit quite confidently on The Husband's sleek 2 seater sports car.  I think that they are laughing at me when I catch them, they pause, take another bite out of whatever they're eating from MY GARBAGE CANS, and then scurry out.  And with The Husband using my car in the winter as he always does since his car is not made for driving in snow, sleet and rain...I depend on my children to get me from point A to Z.   They call it, "Driving Miss Daisy".  And I broke my glasses as well as a $50.00 platter that was a gift.  I lost my internet for a few days and it turned out to be the router coming unplugged in the office.  Just stupid s***, (now that you know I use that word a lot).

Okay, I painted these letters from Michael's and they are above my kitchen cabinets.  I have little lights in front of them and they look wonderful at night.  Maybe I will glitter or distress them one day, but for now I just like them red and cheery.  'Cuz I need that.

Friday afternoon...3 dozen cookies.  The best I took to a family party Saturday night.  It was hit or miss with some of those sprinkles!

Just a few more little arrangements of Christmas happiness on every available surface I could find :) I have these ducks (I have decided to call them ducks even though they may be geese) that I love.  This coming from a girl who has lived on a lake for 22 years.  And more greenery.  My Katie, who does my hair, told me she has an artificial tree because she is a germophobic.  "Just think of all those spiders and bugs you bring in your house with those live trees." She said.  Gulp.  Maybe that's where I've gotten the flies.

I have a little collection of snowmen and I have them on the kitchen window sill this year.  Not many, I'm not big on collections.  My house is too small.  I started a collection of Old World Santa's awhile ago and then decided they looked too somber. Then I started on snowmen and I'm beginning to think they all look the same...I mean how many ways can you decorate three white balls?  I'm so fickle.

And now, just an end table, albeit large so I fiddled forever. Everything seems to be floating.  Not sure...maybe I'll come up with a better idea next year.  Note:  I was just proofreading this and I decided to stick a small, red, dessert size plate under that little tree and it looks terrific.  Sometimes seeing things in pictures really helps!

The first party of the year was Saturday night with one side of the family.  I won't bore you.  Maybe I will.  L to R:  Abigail (daughter), Karen (SIL), Emily (daughter), Megan (SIL and hostess), and Gwen (SIL)

Deirdre, (son Jeff's girlfriend...so Irish and beautiful dimples!), Megan and Abby.  Wonderful creamy rum for little shots here and there. :)

Son Kevin and wife Mary Clare (we call her MC).

MC and her sister Nora.  Could they not be twins?

Abigail and her boyfriend of 4 years, Tom.  He is also studying education and hopes to coach football.  I KNOW they will get married one day.  We just love him.

And these are the ladies (I am on the right, 2nd from the front). The guys have the living room and the kids have the family room. We have a ball at holidays and get togethers.  We're like sisters.  I love my own sisters and it's an added plus to have more.  Lots of food, gift exchanges and laughter.  How good can it get?

I'm signing off now.  I know all of you have so many things to do, or maybe you are just sitting in front of your Christmas tree, enjoying the beauty of the lights and pretty ornaments.  I hope it's been a peaceful season for you so that you've been able to concentrate on "The reason for the season".

Merry Christmas to all of you, my friends! :)

XO,

Jane

MORE CHRISTMAS & SOME MEMORIES

Am I NOT posting often (as Chandler Bing might have said on Friends)?  And it's great that I am putting aside the time...things are so busy now but this IS my journal!!  And I'm loving it.  So, do you remember the amaryllis I found at Home Depot back in early November?  Well, I took a gamble on when to plant it and it bloomed big time the other day.  From my experience with others I have potted, I'm guessing this one will last until Christmas, maybe not looking as gorgeous, but awesome.

Isn't it an extraordinary flower?  I've had them almost every Christmas in so many colors (and they usually bloomed in January as I tried to get them on sale later in the season ;-), I just love this one.  I have it in my bedroom near the window.  

Also on my dresser I have these little choir girls.  Do you remember these?  I sure do, and years ago I found reproductions in the Vermont Country Store catalog.  I remember these as a child; where my mother had them displayed, I'm not sure.  But I remember them vividly.  I had five and The Husband broke the head off one the other day.  I tried to melt the wax with a match and it just turned black.  So sad.  These are on my dresser as well and the sun was shining in so perfectly.  I would never light the wick...who wants to see their little heads burning off! :(

Just a snap of the tree.  I have such a varied bunch of ornaments.  I always seem to pick up a few each year.  And with the four kids, we have all of their "Baby's First Year" and the ones with their first grade pictures in a frame made with shredded wheat and glue! lol!  We have every dog we've ever owned in some sort of frame or inscribed on a ceramic dog bone.  And I have the awful attempts at hand crafted ornaments that have to take center stage...only because I tried SO hard!!

And that Abigail...she really helped me out by wrappng gifts again this year.  But she also hung this little list up a few days ago and this is her to a "T".  She seems to favor Milo and her brother Kevin (The Mild and Meek...is that from the Wizard of Oz??)  And the rest of us?  Not on her "nice" list.  Oh, and I am Devil Woman...always.  That is how she refers to me.  Always.  Okay, now you are seeing another side to me that I can't completely deny!! 

On a sad note, and I am only mentioning it because I have so many ornaments that I was so lucky to pick out a few years ago...this is the three year anniversary that my father died.  You know, at the time, on my blog, I didn't say much because he was a very quiet man and the hurt and confusion and all those emotions you feel when someone you love passes were just so hard to filter and write about.  So I felt it was best not to share.  And I get a lot not right because he was so private; his years growing up with three brothers and a mother and father that died before I knew them as grandparents.  His years in the navy where he received his high school diploma.   All those things I should have asked him more about.  Too late.  He was a wonderful provider of 7 kids, and sometimes worked 2 jobs at a time.  He was really a strong man when the love of his life, my mother, was succumbing to cancer in 2001.  But my heart was so totally fulfilled with my love for him when he broke down the fences and let the tears flow when the priest was comforting us at her side.  This is very hard to write about and I just don't know if any of you are really interested in hearing this...but it's so good to pay homage to a wonderful father and man...Lenny. as his friends called him.  Just plain ol' dad to us.  God, we were lucky.

Ha!!!!!  Again I end with Rusty, my grandog!!  Emily, my daughter, just seems to get the best pictures of him!!  He's wearing a sweater that I gave her/him that was Milo's...Milo hates clothes and I understand...he just doesn't  have that personality.  Layla has the same sweater and at 8 pounds, she's always quivering from the cold in the  winter and loves it.  But look at this guy by the Christmas tree with the snow falling...either waiting for his dad or Santa!!  Oh...God help me when they have kids!!!

I am so not organized (as Chandler would say).  I don't mean to complain but I will anyway.  I sleep so poorly...in bed at 10:00...toss and turn til 1:00...get up and look at emails, go back to bed and toss and turn til 4:00 a.m. and then sleep pretty well til 9.  Okay. big deal.  I make my plans for the day, especially for the holidays, like today...wrap gifts and make cookie dough.  Oh yeah, more like laundry, running to the pharmacy and vacuuming up tree needles!!  Thank goodness we can order pizza!

So I'm off to bed.  Tomorrow is another day to wrap and say Hello to that guy in BROWN, if you know what I mean!!!! :)  And then wrap some more.  But oh...so ever grateful for the abundance and blessings we have!

Happy Holidays to all of you, my friends! :)

XO,

 Jane

MAKING CHRISTMAS HAPPEN

I guess since my childhood, Christmas always seemed to happen once that tree was up.  My Dad would come through the back door with it and the familiar box of ornaments would come out.  My Mom was not much for vignettes or anything of that sort, but she always had a candy dish filled with peppermints and a bowl of walnuts complete with the cracker and picks.  My Dad loved those.  And that's pretty much what Christmas is for me...when we start decorating the tree.  I've told all of you a zillion times...it seems like it takes forever to get the blasted tree so that it lives til Christmas day!  And try as I might, I can't bear to bring up those boxes of pretty decorations that fill up tabletops and shelves and the hearth until that tree is lit and the pretty baubles are on.  I don't think I can ever change that ritual.

So here is the pretty tree for 2013!  Packed to the gills with so many of our memories of 28 years.  Whispering:  I can say that because tomorrow is our Anniversary!!  And that's the new tree skirt that Sonya made for me that I showed you a few weeks ago.  I love it.  Ignore that goofy quilt on the chair...that's "Milo's chair", and I have to fold it because he jumps on the arms to look out the window and they are getting a bit worn.  Dogs!  In a future post I will get some close ups of my favorite ornaments.

This is the hearth.  It's extra special this year.  Over the summer you might remember me telling you all about the storm that downed our two birch trees at the lakehouse.  It was so sad, they were my favorite trees and looked so beautiful down near the shore, so simple and of course, absolutely stunning in the winter months.  Our next door neighbor was nice enough to cut it up in pieces for us and we brought some logs home to Illinois with us.  I have strict orders not to burn these!

On the other side of the hearth is this moose guy.  I think it's a moose at least.  Deer have pointy muzzles.  When the kids were small they used to chase whatever dog we had at the time around the living room as if this were a real animal.  And yeah, the goofy dog(s) ran away!  So Mr. Moose has been around forever.  And then I added some pieces of evergreen to the pitcher behind the forlorn moose.  Nobody trots him around the room anymore.  

The mantel.  My nemesis.  But not so bad when you have some bins to choose things from.  No, I can't brag I didn't buy anything new (sheet), but sometimes a girls gotta splurge. My wooly trees that I showed you, the star from Sonya who made the tree skirt and some candles from Homegoods.  I kept my vintage white window up there and tried to give a loosely draped looks to the ivy, but believe me, there are a zillion thumb tacks holding that stuff up. And some snowflakes from The Dollar Tree.

I have some cute things in the kitchen.  This is a vintage bowl I found years ago somewhere.  I filled it with more evergreen branches, pine cones and a lone sparkly ornament.  I am priding myself on my restraint.  I have wreaths... faux and real, small and large, all over the house.  It's surprising I didn't do a number on this poor bowl.

Another thing I discovered and used is the color red.  I'm not a red person at all although I love to see it in others homes.  And I mean that (especially you, Brenda!).  But not only do I not look good in it, (totally washes me out ghost-like),  but I really don't have a lot primary colors in my home. I guess I'm just not that sort of bold person.  Pastels are hesitant, introverted and non committal.  But I digress, as we all do, I made the leap and threw red into the mix.  Poinsettia's, tartan bows, bright red candles and candy in the  dishes.  I have more to show you...just not now...this is just enough.  But I feel sort of liberated!  And inspired,  (those Home Tours are quite inspiring if I say so myself! :)  Still don't know how to get on one! lol!

More greenery on my wrought iron light fixture above the dining table.  And some cute wooden candy canes.  Can you believe I ran out of the greenery I bought and saved from the trimming of the tree?  A good 25 years ago we had a HUGE evergreen tree in the backyard.  Before it was a big deal (but not so much with country folks). I used to snip branches to use in the house.  Maybe it was the L.L. Bean catalogs I used to get, but I did that.  I was a  true pioneer and a piece of work to The Husband, I'm sure.

  

Finally, a small touch in the bedroom, new to me.  And after almost three decades, I'm blessed to have an abundance of beautiful, memorable Christmas treasures.  Some years I use very little of what I have.  Last year at this time, The Husband was in the hospital having major surgery.  Decorating was at the bare minimum and I did it to keep things as traditional as possible and to add some normalcy to the holiday season for the family.  Three years ago my father passed away the week before Christmas.  After the funeral while I was taking a much needed nap, The Husband and the girls brought up all the decorations and transformed the house.  So this year I enjoyed myself and went into the bathrooms, the den and family room with a few subtle touches and I emptied those bins.  Clean up in a few weeks...ugh!

I feel that Christmas spirit as real as the candles I'm burning right now that smell of pine.  Emily came and decorated much of the tree and we drank red wine (sometimes it takes a village!).  Abby worked on her Christmas list.  I've done a little online shopping and I'm looking forward to some wrapping tomorrow.  I want to make the dough for my cookies and I'm hoping...just hoping that maybe The Husband will take me out for our anniversary.  To think...28 year ago we were getting married and on our way to Hawaii.  Christmas didn't seem to exist there (except for Elvis singing Blue Christmas in almost every bar, restaurant and store we went into). But all of that's okay...we still have each other and more...and like the new candles on the mantel and spreading Christmas cheer throughout the house...life changes and becomes more abundant...not with material things, but with the memories and the makings of new memories. :)

Feeling the love this holiday season,

XO,

Jane

Joining the party at Dwellings-The Heart of your Home for Amaze Me Monday!!

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS AROUND US

These are two cute little ornaments that Emily saw at Macy's and picked up for me. She is so sweet.  Sometimes when we are alone shopping, we will pick up two of the same thing for each other because we like the same stuff!  It seems like years ago that I was lugging mulch around in the backyard and watering my new plants.  Once January comes and winter really settles in, my mind will turn to those warm memories in the sun... digging and planting and imagining the day when my garden will be lush and full of color.  Well, that looks like a Christmas tree in this wheelbarrow so I better get back on the page here.

Saturday we were off on our adventure to the Christmas Tree Farm.  Yep, just looking for that Christmas spirit!!  It was about a 45 minute drive south of here.  Lots of farmland and little subdivisions popping up here and there.  We really had high expectations for a fun afternoon.

Here's The Husband standing by one of the strange carts that you pull the tree on once it's cut down, almost like a stretcher you would see in a hospital.  That should have been our first clue that this grove of evergreens stretched for miles!

There were a few pretty horses to admire and a "Warming House" to go in and I guess 'get warm'.  I didn't see anyone going in or out, the place actually seemed a little quiet.  Oh well.

Evergreen trees stretched as far as you could see on both sides of this frozen, barren path.  The sun was deceiving and although I had on a warm coat and boots, I forgot a scarf and gloves and I was shivering right away.  I would say it was about 20 degrees (we have since gone down as low as 4 degrees so this was a heat wave).

A tall elf appeared to help us in case we didn't want to wield that dangerous hack saw and he pointed out the different trees as we walked along.  There were many and I started to get excited every time we'd see a fir, but it would be a Norwegian fir, or Australian fir and they have much longer needles which makes them not so ideal to decorate as a Frasier or Douglas is.  I was finally so frozen and dejected, I headed back to the car.  The elf had on nothing more than a hoodie but I'm sure he's used to these temps up in the 'Pole'.  At least one of us had the spirit.

 

Sadly we left empty handed after giving the elf kid a nice tip and as we headed home we came upon a big local nursery just outside of this town.  The trees were kept inside a pole barn type of place and they were suspended by the ceiling with rope.  I just can't get the image out of my head of all of these trees swaying eerily, their trunks not touching the ground.  I told The Husband to pick one out and then let's get the heck going!  Next year I think we'll just go to the lot up the block.

So here's Douglas Firbanks, Jr., just sitting in the middle of my living room, soaking up sugar water and gently letting his branches down before we add lights and ornaments.  

They saved the lower branches of the tree when they trimmed it and I cut some pieces up and I have them in this big roaster so that I can mist them periodically.  And then I stopped in Home Depot yesterday and picked up garland, 25 feet to be exact.  I'll have plenty for my mantel and above my kitchen cabinets and I'll make swags for here and there.  It smells heavenly in my house!

To make it even more like Christmas, Emily and I were off and shopping yesterday.  As cold as it has been, I really wanted to do more shopping out in the big world than online.  I've been a real avid online consumer over the past few years and I think I have really muddled up the concept of buying a gift and true gift giving.  Don't pay any attention to me...I just miss the good old days of being around people, the crabby and the cheery, all at once, weighted down by bags and the sights and smells of Christmas.  The mall we went to wasn't crowded at all and we rarely had to wait in line anywhere.  As usual, Emily is great at putting together ideas...if you get someone cute jammies, get them a scented candle, too.  If you find the perfect book for someone, how about a cute mug for their tea?  I crossed a lot of people off my list.  We shopped from 1:00 to 5:00 and I could have kept going!

Remember Pauly the Personality from my last post?  Yes, the master carpenter that put my hall closet doors on.  He was back again bright and early to install my new light over the sink and add the wood panel with the hooks to the closet.  Does he not look just as I described him?  He never stops talking and once you get used to the never ending dialogue, it seems pretty normal.  He's quite fascinating.  Today I found out his son is a professional motorcycle racer and his daughter is an award winning competitive equestrian jumper.  They have several horses on a farm in an area they own acreage in and plan to move to one day.  I was taking my mantel apart, actually the whole house it seems, to decorate and he jumped right in with ideas for the mantel.  And they were fantastic!  Later he showed me some pictures on his phone of homes he has worked on, remodeling/renovation type of work.  My mouth was hanging open.  He did $1.2 million dollars of work on a beer baron's 5K home up near Milwaukee.  The staircase alone looked like it belonged in Liberace's home.  Yes, as you get to know people, you can unearth some interesting things.  I thought my morning was going to be spent listening to him talk and perhaps even rap a little more today for us, but instead I was asking him question after question  He really is an amazing guy that loves life, loves his life and after you get used to him constantly moving, talking and laughing (and using a power drill I might add), he's great!

This is the light I picked out for over the sink.  We uset to have a recessed light just behind the apron that I never used.  It's hard to tell but this is seeded glass.  I just fell in love with it.  He also finished off the closet, adding a 7 foot board I painted white with the hooks on it.  Project done!  Now I have to put my curtain valance back up and hang those coats.  And you know, he didn't charge me anything.  "Merry Christmas." He said. Ah, there's that spirit again! :)

Seems I am always ending a post with good old Rusty!!  Actually, it's my son in law Mike's birthday and I wanted to share this.  What a great guy he is.  He puts up with a lot taking care of my little Emily.  She tortures him by taking his golf clubs or the remote for the TV to work with her, she comes up with hair brained decorating ideas that leaves him scratching his head, but the two are so meant for each other.  Tonight they are going to see the play Elf at the Cadillac Theater downtown.  Brrrr.  Happy Birthday, Mikey!!

Now, I assume you all know what I have ahead of me to do, my house is in total disarray.  But I made the mistake of opening this book the day before yesterday and it has me rushing through everything to pick it up again.  Do any of you follow the alphabet series?  It's hard to believe I read A is for Alibi a good 20 years ago.  I truly savor these mysteries, I have to wait almost two years for the next one.  And I'm sure we fans are wishing there were more letters in the alphabet than 26!!

Stay warm and dry.  I will have some pretty pictures for you the next time I pop in! :)

XO,

Jane