Party of Five

Just so you all know that it really did get finished, wrapped, and opened by a special little princess on Christmas morning.... The bed that was created , the bedding that was sown , and what I have more or less obsessed over since Thanksgiving when the whole process started.

My future Christmas...next year...many years from now even....I would want every Christmas to be similar in that it would be spent with those I love.  Finding my kids incredibly happy to come home to spend time with their mom, and not dreading having to make the trip from wherever their lives have taken them. Looking forward to seeing their cars pull into the driveway...future grandchildren even (lord help me, that's a long ways away!) jumping out of the car and practically tripping over one another to be the first one up to the door.   Trays of chocolate mint cookies, buckeyes, and thin& crispy oatmeal cookies greeting them...appetites being spoiled...and yet, satisfied with food that only mom knows how to make this special time of year. Yes, I have dreams of what Christmas will be like in the future.  But I think I'll be content in knowing my children are all happy right here and right now.  That even though lil' D is currently miserable with a...

Today's visit with the ghost of Christmas present finds me busying myself in my kitchen.  Appropriate, I suppose, considering Dickens' version of this particular ghost enjoyed his food and drink. This afternoon and now into the evening, I've been baking....baking....and still more baking.  And making dinner.  I was baking last week too, even managed to make every variety of cookie that I had planned to.  That's not to say they turned out well...edible?  Yes.  Pretty to look at?  Eh...not so much. Since last week, I was alerted to a yummy new cookie recipe, and I had M&M's apparently reproducing in my refrigerator (2 bags full!)  So today was all about the new cookies, as well as a retake of last week's M&M fiasco.  Looking at the clock, I've been at this for about 4 hours, and cookie round #2 is a success!   But this post isn't about my lack of decent baking skills.  It's about Christmas.  Christmas Pre...

Christmas is usually a time of happiness, cheer, joyful and triumphant, and so on and so forth.  Usually.  One Christmas...12 years ago...not so happy.  Not so cheerful.  There was no joy.  Bear with me.  This is a memory that I have every year...I have no idea why I feel the need to share it.  Maybe to make myself a little more "human" in the eyes of my loyal readers.  Three days before Christmas, it is not the stereotypical feel good blog post that you would expect to read.  Then again, I'm not always very stereotypical either.     This little angel sits atop of my little Christmas tree.  Every year she is the first ornament I take out.  She will also be the final ornament to be put away.  She has two neighboring crystal angel "sisters" that hang next to her.  But she has the priviledge of being the first and the last. I purchased her to hang on the tree in 1998.  It was something that I needed...

This Christmas season I have learned the joy of using power tools - a table saw, a circular saw, a cordless drill, and a nail gun.  The nail gun was probably my favorite.  I have sanded and I have painted - not a new skill by any means, but this time the project was...personal.  I have also sewn Christmas lights onto neckties, and polka-dotted glittery ribbon onto a dress, pants cuffs, and a fedora.  For the record, I prefer power tools over a needle and thread.  I did manage a round with a sewing machine.  A very quick round, as my accident-prone self just kept seeing a disastrous accident happening with fingers and that needle bobbing up and down.  And of course, when it's usefulness was ended, I had to wield the seam ripper to remove the Christmas lights and polka-dotted glittery ribbon from the aforementioned items.  Can I be honest?  That was the scariest part for me.  Out of all things, that little tiny tool scares the snot out o...

Sore muscles. I shouldn't complain.  I know there are other people in this world who hurt much more than I do right now for much more serious reasons.  But since it is my blog, and since my muscles are screaming at me right now...I'm going to whine a little bit. Funny thing is, I'm so busy during this time of year, it's hard telling where the soreness comes from.  I have an idea.  A pretty good idea actually.  But at the time, I really didn't think I'd be hobbling around like an old lady later in the day.  There was certainly no pain involved in the activity at the time.  Just like there is no pain involved in just sitting here right now in my chair typing. But when I get up to walk away from my computer, I'm going to groan.  And I may moan a little too.  The moaning and the groaning usually go together.  And the hobbling.  And the falling into the closest chair just so I won't hurt anymore for at least a little while.  A...

Just for the record...IF the man you share your living space with has an obsession with blue Christmas lights, do NOT attempt add to his lighting collection without his prior approval. Mr. D, has such an obsession.  A few weeks ago when we had an incredibly warm weekend, I was able to "encourage" him to get up on the ladder and hang his freaky blue lights outside on the house instead of waiting and having to do it in the dark and cold weather elements. His blue lights are the ONLY decoration he has any control over.  He didn't like being pushed, but he listened to reason and got them hung up outside.   In the meantime I began decorating EVERYTHING else inside the house, including this 3 foot tree that sits in our front window. It's really not as bad as a "Charlie Brown Tree", but it's just a tiny little thing that I like to put in the front window so that there is some sign of holiday festiveness shining through. You know...besides t...

Young Joseph. An even younger Mary. I wonder what it was like for them...were they in madly in love with one another?  Was their betrothal arranged or was it longed for?  Did they sneak away just to catch a few moments with one another?? "when Joseph looks at me it's like drowning sometimes, almost too lovely to bear.  And his touch, even his hand on mine!  I dare not even imagine what the rest of it will be like...A thrill of longing pierced her as she thought of the impending hours, months of waiting.  Waiting for the beloved to come unto her.  Yet surely there was reason in postponement; surely it would only enhance the time when they could truly be one. She smiled....The Lord will give us both strength." I don't think they could hardly stand for this time of waiting to be over.  I think they would sneak looks at each other in the synagogue - her from upstairs, gazing down on the man she dreamed of being with.  He would catch her eye ...

Christmas - 1981.  In my 9 year old mind, the greatest Christmas ever.  Under our Christmas tree that year was a Miss Piggy hand puppet (complete with purple satin gown and gloves),  and on our Christmas tree was an ornament I would treasure for years until her little felt wing would one year turn up broken.  She has since been retired to "the box"...my collection of old ornaments that I just can't bring myself to get rid of.  I suppose I could probably ebay some of them (not the Piggy of course), but all of those other Hallmark collector ornaments...every "grand-daughter" ornament my grandmother gave me year after year after year.  It's not as if they've made it onto the tree any time recently.  It's not as if I foresee them making a comeback.  And Grandma passed 11 years ago, so I don't think her feelings would be hurt either.  I don't say that to be heart-less...just realistic. But no - these ornaments will remain packed away for ...

There is a book that I pull out every December.  "Historical Fiction" is what it is classified as.  Historical in that, yes, these people did exist.  But fiction - we just don't know much about them, so an author has taken some creative liberties in writing about their day to day lives. Two From Galilee is the story of a young man, Joseph, and a young girl, Mary....and their lives as they were chosen and touched by God for such an important moment in time. Unlike his father, Joseph was rather sober, albeit he had a quick smile and a radiance about the eyes very pleasant to behold.  Called forward to read the Scriptures on the Sabbath, he came on a light, quick, pounding tread that seemed to stir all the girls seated in the gallery.  Even Hannah (the mother of Mary) felt his strong masculinity throughout her whole spare yet vital being.  She did not miss the little tremor that ran through them, the unconscious leaning forward.  All but Mary who...