Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Spirit of Christmas

It's really beginning to look like Christmas around here.  Inside as well as out.  As I've said before, I hadn't really done any indoor decorating to speak of since we were going to go out-of-town for the Christmas Holidays.  "Change of plans" that I wrote about in my last post changed all of that.  So, back up into the attic (with assistance to lift the boxes and carry the stuff back down the stairs, this time...:) for the Christmas china to set the table.  There's a shot of the result (left).

About the centerpiece...N/M/E's BFF AW sent us a beautiful Lenox china-bowl centerpiece, complete with gold candles, red roses, and green pine and holly, right after Thanksgiving.  The flowers and greenery lasted for nearly three weeks and provided us with the only festive decoration for the dining room.  But, when the plans changed, I realized that we needed to refresh the centerpiece.  Got a red carnation and white daisy-and-mum bouquet at the grocery to replace the roses.  Used the same bowl and candles, along with the pine boughs.  Perfect!

About the wine glasses...those are the first 8 Days of Christmas patterns from Waterford.  We were fortunate enough to see them displayed in the Waterford company store when we were in Ireland a couple of years ago.  Waterford has issued two new patterns each year for the past 4 years, and Santa T has made sure the newest issued patterns have been under the tree each year.  We used them at Thanksgiving this year since we didn't think we would be able to use them for Christmas.  Anyway, as there will only be four of us for Christmas dinner, I used the other 4 glasses as candle-holders, with raw rice serving as the "anchor" for the candles.

About the Christmas china...no, it's not a "fine china" pattern.  We could use N/M/E's fine china, which is the Lennox Pine pattern, and would be just perfect for the Holidays.  But, I prefer to deck the table with the last gift I received from my Daddy...a set of tableware he got at the last place he worked, Central Hardware.  We've even kept them in the original boxes, which we threaten to replace every year...and certainly after every move.  That's a picture of the pattern on the ramekins (he absolutely loved to say that word...ramekins...:), as well as one of the Central Hardware tag.  Even in as poor a shape as those boxes are, we haven't lost a single dish...and the tableware has lasted nearly 20 years longer than the store did.  Still don't know why Central Hardware bit the dust...it was a great store.  The home depot before The Home Depot.  Anyway, when I get these dishes out every year, I feel as if Daddy is still with us.  I also use the needlework coasters that his sister, my Aunt Polly, made...and I hang that No-Sew Quilted ornament that cousin Betty Jean made for us years ago. So, even though they are gone...they are with us.  The Spirit of Christmas, indeed.

Speaking of getting into the Spirit of Christmas...


Looks like a great movie line-up for Christmas Eve: The Bishop's Wife, Christmas in Connecticut, and the "old" Christmas Carol (1938 version). We watched the CC version with George C. Scott two nights ago, and then the one with Patrick Stewart last night. Had Missy M's copy of Dicken's novel handy to check how closely the various versions stick to the book. Even watched the Disney version...and the Muppets version of A Christmas Carol, both of which have elements of the classic dialogue and are family favorites. Have watched Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn, and White Christmas several times already. Love 'em all, especially the old ones.  Watched the Santa Clause's 1 & 2 and a couple of the Home Alone movies, but don't get the same feeling from them...and, don't even mention silly stuff like A Christmas Story or National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  I'll change the channel to reruns of baseball before I'll watch either one of those.

Well, I'm off to the grocery store...second time this week.  Got to pick up a bottle of Riesling to brine the turkey breast in.  And another dozen eggs, so we can make the traditional Breakfast Casserole.  I'm sure there will be quite a few folks out-and-about today, Christmas Eve.  At least I'm not headed to the Mall...like Missy M and Mr. T.  They always have Father-Daughter shopping to do...and usually wait until the Very. Last. Minute.

While we were having breakfast, Missy M brought out the doggie decorations.  Gus (left) was willing to wear the antlers so I could get a picture...although, he does look like "would you hurry up so I can take these things off?"


Ella rarely stands still long enough, but I got this one of her in her antlers complete with little red bows(right).  Elmo ducked out of the room, and Duchess just gave us a scathing look:  "you must be kidding...I'm not wearing those...they are undignified."


Happy Christmas Eve!

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Little Change in Plans


First, a report on Handel's Messiah.  Loved it.  Had fab seats in Centenary UMC (photo, left), where the Winston-Salem Symphony and Messiah Festival Chorus, under the direction of the lively Robert Moody, gave their all to give us a stirring performance of the classic. 

Mr. T and I (photo to right, taken in front of the Chrismon Tree at Centenary UMC) were joined for the evening by N/M/E and her BFF AW (photo below, right).  Always a treat! (Not sure who that lady is behind N/M/E...we were waiting in the narthex for the doors to the sanctuary to open.  Lots of folks with us.


So...about those plans we had...

We were planning on spending Christmas in L'ville this year.  Packing up two cars for the trip.  Dogs + presents + luggage + wheelchair & walker + cooler with the Christmas ham and other goodies = TWO CARS. Looking forward to Family Christmas with my brothers and SIL's at Missy M's house on the 19th.  That's the reason I had "only" put up the Sheep Tree...not a "real" tree...here at home in HPNC.  Hadn't even hung our stockings because we weren't going to be here for the Big Day.

Until...

Thursday morning, I went up in the attic to find a couple of boxes of "new" glass ornaments to take for our Family Christmas activity.  Missy M had planned that we would make ornaments, so I had volunteered that I thought I had some glass ornaments for one of the projects she had in mind:  "Swirl-painted" ornaments, where you pour acrylic paint into glass ornaments, swirl it around inside, then let it drain out.  Gorgeous. Anyway, I thought they were in one of the Christmas storage boxes that we hadn't even opened since the move (we weren't going to be here, remember?).  Big plans.  Boxes.  Bad back.  You know where this story is going, don't you?

Fortunately, after being brought to my knees by the figurative/proverbial 2 x 4 in the small of my back (ask anyone with a bad back what an episode feels like, invariably that person will describe it as being "hit with something heavy"...a 2 x 4, a sledgehammer, whatever...), I retired (with much help down the stairs from Mr. T, who was working in his home office on Floor #2 here at Maison de l'Lunn-Adsits...as luck would have it) to my side of the bed with the hot water bottle and a large bottle of muscle relaxers...Zanaflex, marvelous stuff.  Say goodnight, Patricia.

Thursday and Friday just a blur of pain and pain killers. Saturday, a little move movement without as much pain...making progress.  Sunday...a bit better still.  Today...up and about, albeit a bit slower and stiffer than usual.  Will try to stay quiet...do a little knitting, which Mr. T observed was the problem all along:  I was "sick" because he hadn't seen any needles or yarn in my hands in a few days.  I'll do all I can to fix that!

Still, we had to make the decision to cancel our Christmas trip North, and ask Missy M if she could head South instead.  Couldn't envision sitting in a car seat for an 8-hour drive, much less driving for that great distance. Good fortune continues to shine:  she'll be here today, roads permitting.


You see, while I was sleeping, we got nearly 3" of snow here in the Piedmont, with up to 15" reported in the higher mountain areas (between here and there).  It's been beautiful, as you can tell from the pictures.  Mr. T made sure that the bird feeders were filled, so the birds and the squirrels were happy to belly up to the buffet.









Today is supposed to be in the 40's, so we should get more melting, especially on the roads. Still, it would be pretty if it would hang around 'til Thursday, don't you think?








Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Christmas Kitchen: From Chaos to Candy, Cookies, and Cocoa


You know me, right?  Never can do just one thing at a time...gotta multi-task.  It's genetic...or, possibly a character flaw.  Or both.  No matter...not gonna change at this stage of life.

So, (and that's something I picked up from living in the STL area..."they" seem to begin every single sentence with "So...") yesterday was Baking Day here in HPNC.  I got the Family Cookbook out (actually, it's never really "put away"), and gathered the ingredients for a few of our Holiday favorites...and one new addition.

As you can see in the photo (left), I got several goodies going at once:  Louisiana Microwave Pralines (ab fab, only takes 13 minutes to make), Delaware Butter Ball cookies (you may know them by other names like Crescent Cookies, Swedish Sugar Balls, etc. -- they are those yummy cookies that get covered in powdered sugar), and Pumpkin Raisin Muffins (that's the new one for 2009).  The photo to the right shows the Pralines cooling on the counter.  Later, after the bowls and beaters got washed for the first time, they were used for Chocolate Chip cookies, Rice Krispie Treats, and Fudge.  By 10:00 last night, I was pooped...but on a sugar high...:)  Had to sit and knit for an hour to relax enough to go to bed.



I didn't have the time or energy to make one of my favorite mixes last night, but as you can see in the photo to the left, I'd better find the time...I'm down to my last cup of Peppermint Hot Chocolate mix.  I found this recipe years ago at The Container Store when we lived in ATL area.  I checked their website, but they no longer publish it for some reason, so here are the ingredients for a small batch, as promised in my Christmas newsletter this year.

Enjoy!




Peppermint Hot Chocolate mix

Ingredients:


3 (4 1/2-inch) soft peppermint candy sticks
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk
3/4 cup powdered nondairy coffee creamer
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
Mini marshmallows (opt.)

Preparation:

1. Place peppermint sticks in a zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal bag, and crush candy with a mallet.
2. Combine crushed candy and remaining ingredients in an airtight container, and store at room temperature up to 1 month.
3. Add 2-4 T. mix to a cup; fill with boiling water.  Add milk to cool and make beverage even richer.  Mmmmmm.

Note: I like to use King Leo Peppermint Sticks.  They always remind me of both my Papaw (N/M/E's dad) and his youngest brother, Uncle Smiley.  They both loved King Leos.

OK, after I make the perquisite Hello Dollies and No Bake Cookies tomorrow, I'll assemble the goody bags to deliver to neighbors and service-givers.  I'm also wrapping up boxes to deliver to further-afield zip codes.

Tonight, I'll pause in the busy-ness of the Season to attend the Winston-Salem Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah.  That always makes my soul soar, especially when we stand for the Hallelujah Chorus, just like audiences have been doing since the mid-1700's.  If it's good enough for King George II...

Friday, December 11, 2009

First, There Was the Music...Then the Ballet...Then the Collection


It's official.  My Christmas has begun!

Mr. T and I went to Winston-Salem last night to attend the University of North Carolina's School of the Arts 2009 production of  The Nutcracker.  With a live orchestra playing the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and the enthusiastic (if not always on pointe...:) dancers telling the sweet story of Clara through their movements, we embraced the Season's spirit.  We (along with most of rest of the audience) loved the Russian dancers in Act II, leaping and posing to their lively part.  Hopefully, if you follow the link, you'll get a taste of it.

We started a Family Tradition of going to see the Nutcracker when Missy M was a little girl, and we were living in Memphis.  That year, our cousin Larry Allen played a couple of parts in the production at the Orpheum (a beautiful theatre, as I recall), including the part of the Grandfather in the opening Act. And, I also remember a family favorite, Jack Eaton, playing a part in a production, Herr Drosselmeier, I believe.  Big Jack was a long-time local NBC sportscaster in Memphis...and fab Voice of the Memphis Tigers, too.  Anyway, memory fails as to whether he was in the same production as Larry Allen...no matter, we loved going, year after year.  Hence...a tradition was born!  Of course, as I've written about before, that led to the "tradition" of our collecting nutcrackers...which now number 50+.  We've added a couple this year, but haven't entered them into the "official tally" yet...that would be a sheet of paper with all the nutcrackers numbered and described.


This year, we'll actually get to see the ballet again when we visit Missy M.  She wants to get her Season started, too, don't you know?  Then, we can (1) make up for not going at all last year by going twice this year, and (2) compare productions...see which one does what the best. I'll let you know!

So, as I was saying, last night was our night out on the town.  That's a photo of us (right), all gussied up and ready to head out the door.  I'm wearing a shawl I knit a couple of years ago, using several kinds/textures of yarn, including a sparkly one...which is why I choose it for special occasions.  The last time I wore it (when we went to the 2007 Nutcracker at the Fox in STL), we were in an ice-storm.  No precip last night, but cold temps nonetheless.  Still, it is an extremely warm wrap, which I had to remove in order to stay in the Stevens Center...where it was a bit too warm for my tastes.

In the photo, we are standing in the den, next to the Sheep Tree (which also has some other ornaments, like that little red sweater I knit several years ago, front and center...:); maybe you can make out the little Angel on Top that I wrote about in my last post?  The odd looking object over Mr. T's right shoulder is the Phantom of the Opera Nutcracker on the mantle, complete with his mask and cape.

Speaking of weather...I was, wasn't I?  We are supposed to see some snow this weekend.  80% chance on Sunday.  We'll see.  As for now, it's 35 in the middle of the afternoon and partly cloudy.  Looks like winter, if you know what I mean.

Spiced tea, anyone?!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Christmas is Coming


As you can see from the photo (right), Lillie Pearl PTC is all decked out for the Holidays.  She's got her Rudolph Red Nose and Antlers all attached in proper style.  When I was in ATL last week (where this shot was taken...at my home-away-from-home Homewood Suites/Peachtree Corners), the desk clerk asked me where the tail was?  Swish, swish.  Of course, I wouldn't want to be too authentic as it might still be deer hunting season in GA.

In answer to the question/comments from a couple of you ("what are you working on these days?  You've stopped blogging about your projects..."), I'll have to plead the Fifth, I suppose.  Since Christmas is almost here, there's a good reason why I'm not talking about or publishing photos of my current projects:  all of them are gifts!  But trust me when I say that my needles are still clicking away, late into the night.  And, I'm really excited about one "group" of projects this year...can hardly wait to tell you about them!  It's a combination of crafts...but, that's enough of that.  I'll just have to wait until Santa delivers the goods before I spill the beans. 


I did work on a favorite Christmas project this morning (left).  I took some oranges that were a bit past their peak and studded them with whole cloves.  They are now sitting in their bell-basket on the hearth in the kitchen/morning room, where I hope their fragrance will continue to remind us of the Holidays for weeks to come.  I learned (the hard way) that an ice pick is the best tool to pierce the orange peel before you add the cloves...the hard way being trying to poke the clove-stems directly through the orange-skin = lots of broken cloves and really sore fingers.  Live and learn, right?  Some folks go another step and fix ribbons to hang these jewels, but I like for them to be near the fireplace, as the warmth brings out the scent better.

As I write this post, the temps have reached the mid-60's, and the wind is blowing extremely hard outside my window.  So hard in fact that it has almost dried us out from the rains of the past two days (over an inch in the rain gauge).  One would think that March had arrived!  I see on the weather map that our high predicted for today (66) is more than that for Phoenix (60)...remarkable!  Of course, tomorrow's prediction for HP's high is only 47...which is about the same as their predicted low during the week.  A winter storm is working its way through the middle of the country, and STL, Louisville, Memphis, and Nashville are all going to be well-acquainted with freezing temps this week...so, I'll certainly not complain about one beautiful sunny, blustery, warm day.

In my last post, I wrote about putting up my Sheep Tree in the den.  I forgot to tell you about the most special "ornament" on this tree...the Angel on the Top.  She's the one that we used for all of our trees when I was growing up, and I treasure her more than words can say.  She's certainly showing her age, but I think that is a part of her charm. I try to arrange it where a little light is tucked into her gauze-skirt so as to light her up from within.  Gives her a glow, don't you know?  (Yes, I have the lights twinkling on the tree...and the mantle...right now...:)

I also found some photos the other day, including this one of me with my dear Daddy at Christmas-time 1955 (right). It would have been taken on the front steps of our house on Lynbar in Memphis, I imagine.  I wonder just how long I kept that hat and those gloves on?

I'm presently looking for a snap of another Christmas...when I got just what I wanted from Santa:  a Jeep!  As I remember it, Brother J is also in the shot, so it would have been taken after we moved from Memphis.  I'll scan and share it, too, as soon as I can put my hands on it.

Oh, how I do love Christmas traditions and memories...

Monday, December 7, 2009

Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas Around Here


Oh boy, oh boy...you know how much I love this time of year, right?  And, this year has been even more exciting, as we have a new yard to decorate.  Duke Power rejoiceth!

We started right after we'd begun to digest the turkey and trimmings.  Put away the pumpkins.  Hauled out the holly.  As you can see in the photos, we are well-lit here on Wesseck Road.


We had purchased six 25' strands of C7 lights a couple of years ago during the after-Christmas sale at the O'Fallon True Value (which has since gone out of business, sad to say).  We also got 6 packages of yard stakes as we were trying to avoid having to hang lights on the house. Of course, with the move to NC, we'd never used them...this would be our first year.  Well, amazingly, this yard seemed to be designed perfectly for this scheme.  We lined our natural area (the part of the yard under the trees...mulched in pine straw, without any grass) with the stakes and lights, starting with the lighted reindeer in the front, circling around the sidewalk past the lighted bushes, up to the front porch.  Along the way, we staked out Pop-Up Santa and his Chimney.  He's been a real hit in the neighborhood, for sure.  We get several lookers, stopping on their dog-walks or in their cars, every night, and several neighbors have complemented us on the lights.


We also propped up the Santa Nutcrackers (AKA:  The Mens) to guard the front steps.  We did the math and dated them to the Collierville Era (1985-88), meaning they are about 22-23 years old.  Every year, we say the same thing:  we MUST paint these things before next Christmas.  We never seem to get around to it...yet, we can't seem to leave them out of the decorating scheme, either.  Let's just say The Mens bear the battle scars of multiple moves and continue to report for duty every December.  BTW, after I took these photos on Sunday night, November 29th, we located the candles for the windows, so the wreaths now show up a bit better.



Of course, the porch wouldn't be complete without Rhonda and Rudy Reindeer to greet our guests.  This year, they have comfortable seats in the rockers, well-protected under the broad roof and well-lit by both the wreath on the dining room window (photo, right) and the snowflakes and stars hanging from the eaves.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but I used a pair of Missy M's little-girl Garfield house slippers and a Christmas onesy-pajama on Rudy, along with one of her little-girl footy-pajamas and a Christmas gown on Rhonda.  A great way to keep those memories.  (Their faces were made by stuffing thick work-socks and embroidering the noses with black thread; his antlers are a pair of stuffed brown cotton work gloves; and her hair peeping from the nightcap is a bulky yarn.)



This weekend, while we watched "Miracle on 34th Street" (the original B&W version),  "White Christmas," and a couple of football games, we worked on unpacking and setting up the inside Nutcrackers.  We now have 47 in our collection.  The good news:  we also now have TWO mantles for display purposes...plus the sofa table, the entertainment center, and the tops of two bookcases.  Lastly, we got the Sheep Tree up...that's the small artificial tree that I decorate with my collection of sheepie ornaments.  Sorry about how dark that photo (left) of the mantle and Sheep Tree turned out...if I turn on the flash, it drowns out the little lights.  And, I do so love to see the little lights...:)

UPDATE:  Pop-Up Santa is taking a breather in order to dry his fan out...he got filled with water during the rains of last week and kept throwing the GFCI breaker.  Hopefully he'll be back in commission soon...although, rain is predicted twice for the coming week. Hmmmm.  Previously, the only thing we've worried about for him is that he doesn't operate when the temps are below 14 degrees (as they often were in MO).



Speaking of rain...we had some cold, wet stuff falling this weekend that turned to ice on the deck, making it difficult for Duchess and Gus to go walk-about in the back yard, but no measurable white stuff yet here in HPNC.

Other parts of the Piedmont have reported a different story, and this morning we got photos from Missy M showing the first snowfall of the season for her house (photo to right).  Maybe not enough for a snowman, but still enough to get out the windshield scaper, right?  Makes me want to make a big pot of soup...bake some bread and some cookies...and stir up some spiced tea.  Winter's on its way!

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