Christmas dinner and turkey

3 days left till Christmas

Today is Wednesday…usually my day for quilting. But with only today and tomorrow left for Christmas shopping, I will be busy in the stores instead.

Are you making the turkey this year like me? I can still remember the very first one I ever made. I followed all the instructions to thaw it, made lots of stuffing from scratch, and carefully basted it so it would be golden brown when I presented it on the dinner table…just as my mom used to do.

Around the table sat my parents in law along with the rest of my husband’s siblings and their families. I felt so proud when the large platter with the turkey, beautifully decorated was put on the dining table for all to admire. Once we settled in and my husband started to carve the bird, he got a strange look on his face as he pressed the knife into the juicy bird. Not much had been cut before I noticed something strange.

It was a bag…the bag of misc. bird organs!!!  I was mortified and was soon to find out I  was supposed to have been removed prior to baking!!!!!  I remember how embarrassed I was as my in-laws looked on as I quickly removed and brought it to the kitchen trash can. Everyone got a bit of a giggle out of it except me….all I could think about was… how many people were going to be sick tomorrow ….from my turkey????    

Well, no one ever got sick and I have cooked many a turkey after that but when  my daughter told me about the … freezer to oven birds….there was no question…I had to have one. I have bought nothing else ever since.

Only four…days left…three days to shop

4 Days till Christmas...Sage and Zula have already been sniffing under the tree.

Picked up Michelle last night at the airport and stayed up till 2 am talking . Slept in a bit this morning but the house just feels extra good this morning even though every one else is still sleeping. It is interesting how a house comes alive when filled again with the noises and mess of a visitor, especially when it is your child…yes…33..but still my child.  The dogs slept with her last night but are now patiently waiting for their morning treats.

So I will keep this  short….and just give you a Santa …

A close up of the face.

Monday …word for the week

 

Only 5 days till Christmas

Monday…word for the week

logophile

   law-guh-fahyl

lover of words

 

Now, how is that for a new word…I found this one in a site of ..obscure words... and I just had to share it with you. 

Not much time left till 2010…have you been thinking about a New Year’s Resolution?  If you remember I talked about adding something to your life…doing something that will make you feel good …not taking something away. Make it something that will improve your quality of life…something that you can actually do for yourself .  Forget the old ….stop smoking or loose weight…or eat less chocolate cause we all know it just is not going to happen and all that will do is make you feel bad.  At the end of the year of 2010, you should be able to look back and say.. 

Wow…I kept my resolution….now..what will I do for 2011?   

I am still thinking about mine.  Buying only vine ripened tomatoes all this year….was a good one and the only time I could not do it was when they were not available at the store.  So now…what to do for 2010?  Once I have it I will let you know. Any ideas out there??? 

I made this one...the head is made out of a wooden ball.

  

Here is a little tidbit of information…Did you know …  today is the birthday of the Crossword Puzzle?   

      The first crossword puzzle created by Arthur Wynne and was published in the “New York World” 1913 …on this day. He first named his new creation a word-cross, but changed it to cross-word a few weeks later. 

 I love crossword puzzles. Every Sunday morning I take out the Detour section of our Winnipeg Free Press and get to work on their….now….three crossword puzzles.

Oh no…I just realized that I was so busy this weekend , I never even got the weekend paper!!

 

Only a few Santas left…..ho, ho, ho

Six days till Christmas and lots left to do.

The snow is falling and the temps have become mild…well…mild for Manitoba that is.  I attended a Cello concert last night and the music  the artist was able to play from that instrument was mesmerizing.  Kind of like the way a  flame of a fire at nighttime can be visually mesmerizing.  As I listened to the music,  not being a musician of any sort myself, I found if I closed my eyes, the distractions around the room being gone, allowed me to hear each note and I wondered how it must feel to be so connected to something that can make such a beautiful sound.  It surely  felt like Christmas and with the last piece..a seasonal one…it  finished off the evening perfectly for me!! 

Well, I guess I will just have to admire and enjoy such musical abilities.  I suppose  the making of  music is  akin to other passions we all have. I had the good fortune of chatting with the musician…Leanne Zacharias..(who was not a stranger to me) and when she asked me what I had been up to.  I, with much trepidation, told her of my book writing. She instantly became excited and wanted to know all about it…which was such a thrill coming from such an accomplished artist. Made me realize…yes…we are all accomplished in our own ways and thank heavens for that as it gives us a chance to not only enjoy our passions but the passions of others! 

And now to one of my passions….collecting.  As it is the holiday season it is only fitting that I share with you my Santa collection. But in the New Year I will share some of the other collections of mine.        But for now….hereesssss     Santa  !! 

Santa Christmas tree decoration from Susan. I made this Santa. He is made of fabric and is my candy cane holder each year.

A cloth Santa I made ....my candy cane holder each year.

Oh my heavens there’s only seven………days till Christmas.

If you are like us, Through the year we have great intentions of inviting a number of people to our home…but for some reason, life gets in

7 Days left till Christmas

 the way, the year-end gets closer ,and it just doesn’t happen. So each holiday season we have an open house and invite them all.  Last night was that night. It is a fun time to catch up with their lives and just keep a connection…even if it is just once a year.

It was also a time for my Santa Collection to be enjoyed. I am sure there were mixed thoughts..about how they fill up all the flat areas in my home…tables, floor, fireplace mantle, buffet, shelf, and so on.  No matter where you look there is another one!!  For sure it clutters up the house for December… and some people may question my need to display them…however…it is so much fun!!

 Last night,  I  received a new Santa to add to my collection!…. (along with various Santa candies…which I can not count in my collection as they will for sure get eaten up) I am now wondering how many of those little guys I  have. I think next week I will go back and number them all …just for fun. Each one is special in some way and each time I receive a new one…I am so thrilled!!!

There are not many days left till the big day and I hope I have enough Santas to share right till then. But…I will just keep sharing until they have all been shared…..

Another one my mom made. The beard is made of strips of muslin fabric.

Christmas…it’s almost here.

 

 

 

“We begin to find and become ourselves when we notice  how we are already found,

7 days till Christmas

already truly,   entirely, wildly, messily,    marvelously

who we were born to be.” 

– Anne Lamott 

I love interesting thoughts and quotes and if I hear or read a good one I write it down. Ever think about “Who you were born to be?” or maybe should I say…Who you were born to be…right now.  Does what you do make you who you were born to be? If so …then… Right now I guess you could say I was born to be a writer….but…I have and am also a quilter and am becoming a book reader. Or is who you were born to be have anything to do with your size and skin and hair color?  Or does it have to do with your attitude?  I have no idea but I do think who you were born to be includes growing and changing and becoming more than you were 5 years ago…that’s what I think about it.  Enough of trying  to be introspective…which by the way…I don’t think I was born to be, so I will stop. 

I am really in the holiday mood today. Visiting with lots of friends tonight which means I have lots to do so I will stop the ramblings and just get on with sharing another Santa with you. 

 

 

 

Christmas Cheer….Santa collection

The big day is getting closer and closer and I am most excited for my daughter to come home. Do you find the older you get the fewer

8 Days till Christmas.

 things you need to do for the big day and the whole season seems to get more and more relaxed???   That is true for me and I am not sure if I like it or not. Shopping used to be a three month affair and now is a three day event. I used to spend days baking cookies and such but I have come to realize there are lots of wonderful goodies out there and with the swipe of a debit card..theyfind their way to my table.

Ahhh but the decorating…that never changes and in fact it has become a week long event…which my husband feels begins way too early for his liking. I hold off as long as I can but it is not easy. It is kind of like mail…once it lands on the counter I MUST open it …where as my husband can leave it there for days, unopened. I think sometimes he does that just to see how long I can wait before I just have to open it myself. I can wait for somethings…but others  just call out…now..noW…nOW…NOW…!!!! and I have no will power.

I am not sure but some of you may be waiting to see some more Santas… but today I am taking a break for them to show you a different Christmas item I have which I found with my mother in laws items and there was not way it was going to the thrift shop….It looks very old but I have no idea of it’s date…..

This is a little book, bound together with string, with some Christmas thoughts. There are more pages but they look very much the same. The book is about 2 x 3 1/2 inches large and very fragile. …

Ok…I just can’t help myself…just one Santa for you today…

Michelle made this one...one year when she come to our home for the holidays. Last time she moved she decided to give it to me..so he is a part of my collection and very special.

Christmas and Sam are both on their way

9 days till Christmas..I don't know why but I keep getting mixed up with how many days are left. I think I have it right.

Not much to say today. Worked on Sam a bit yesterday and thought a bit about a New Year’s Resolution for 2010. Haven’t yet decided on one ….have you???  Some more of my little guys for you.

The first Santa I bought because I loved the quilt patterned front, the next was a gift, then there is one I made with wild hair and the last one was again given to me.  I actually never realized how many I had until this year when I decided to photograph and share them.

Christmas, year end, thoughts

10 days till Christmas.

There are not very many days left till Christmas which means 2010 is coming fast. It is also a time that people begin to think about making resolutions for the New Year!! However, many people have quit doing that as they find it is too difficult to …STOP eating something or to stop smoking or some other bad habit they may have…however by the end of February the guilt sets in as the resolution disappears.

 So what I have done for the past few years is to …instead of trying to quit a bad habbit….I have resolved to begin to begin a new good one and to  make my life better by adding to it. For example, one year I resolved to  buy only vine ripened tomatoes!! It was not only easy to do but sure made all my salads much more enjoyable to eat. So think about it a bit and I am sure you can come up with something to ADD to your life..and maybe this year you can make a resolution you will be able to keep.  How is that for a great way to start the year.

I got an email from my illustrator today. I asked him for a side view of Sam..to help me in making my little figurine of him. A quick sketch but it will be very helpful.

And now…on to my Santa collection once again……

Believe…do you believe??

Do you believe …there is a Santa???

There is no use trying, said Alice; one can’t believe impossible things. I dare say you haven’t had much practice, said the Queen. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

 Lewis Carroll

Monday…Word for the Week

Crepitus

Crep’i·tus noun [ Latin , from crepare to crack.]

A grating sound and sensation created when two rough surfaces in the human body come into contact – for example, in osteoarthritic joints or fractured bones rub together.     or……

 The noise produced by a sudden discharge of wind from the bowels.

Thinking of Sam and illustrations

11 days till Christmas. Tis the season to be jolly...fa la la, la la, la la, la la.

In my book publishing contract,  it includes 10 illustrations for my little book. That could be ten full pages, 20 half pages, or even 40 quarter pages…any combination to make it ten in total. I was thinking about it all today and hoping that Kurt, my Tate illustrator would email me today with an update on how Sam is coming along. I did give him an idea for the cover …Sam sitting on a pile of shoes with his glasses all askew and a very confused look on his face. I wonder if he will consider it at all.

So once again I am a bit nervous about the next stage of my book and am hoping I will like the images Kurt produces for me. I never realized how important Sam’s Weird Afternoon would become to me but it has. Once the final Sam was created, I realized, he was mine…my very own little alter ego as my sister put it. Now I have one child, two dogs and Sam to worry about. This whole experience is Weird, very Weird!!!

But now, instead of worrying, let’s get on to Christmas and sharing. I have a couple more Santas to share with all of you …..

These three Santas were given to me by my dear friend Susan. Every year she seems to find another different little guy to add to my collection. The one with the only a flat painted face is actually a teaspoon with the handle bent over to hook onto the tree branch.

Snowflakes and Santas

12 days till Christmas...it is coming soon! Another old postcard of mine.

Here I am once again…as usual,  wondering who it is that visits my site and so …again… wondering what should I add to it today?

Snowflakes, I was thinking again about snowflakes….how some melt quickly depending upon when and where they fall ,but how others last through out the many months of winter….some of that is timing and some has to do with temp….and then what about  how when lots of them come together they can make something beautiful like the mounds on the branches of the trees and the edging of snow on the window when they gather or how they fall on the tops of fence posts and make identical post toppings or how they decorate all the outside christmas lights. Kind of like people and how when they come together they can make beautiful things…like choir music or orchastra pieces or even a group quilt!! Wow, when you think about it….we are so much like a snowflake.!!

First off, the  recipe, the one I got from my friend Marty and the one I made and  brought to our family christmas gathering that everyone seemed to like. I changed it up a bit  and now I will share it with you…

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

Ingredients- 2 sweet potatoes, 4 apples, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp salt, 3 tbsp butter…..cook the potatoes till almost tender, cook and slice, slice apples with skin, make layers and sprinkle the sugar mixture over each. I then added a crumble on to the top made of 1/4 cup four, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup pecans. Bake at 375 till done (about 30 minutes)

And now…more of my Santa display. I still have a few more to share with you.

Here are two more Santas. I made the one on the left , my daughter Michelle made the one on the right. Each Christmas that we spend together is a time that we make a craft item together. We have made dolls, and tree decorations and this time it was Santas.

Collection continued

I have some more Santas to share with you today, but first a thought.  Snowflakes…yes…snowflakes. 

13 days till Christmas

I was thinking about how much they are like us, no two the same.  And then I glanced out my window to see thousands of those beautiful little creations falling from the sky as the wind blew them and I thought …life is like a snowflake. As I watch them fall the wind blows it carries them in many different directions. As they fall to the ground, some pile up into drifts while others find a little corner of the sidewalk to land on. Others swirl around and land on the roof of a house while still others find a landing-place on the back of a small bird until it takes flight and it swirls off to another location, only to finally disappear by melting. Life it kind of like that….they swirl around and land…but when a later wind blows by, the snowflake can be carried off to a new site… over and over again.

Life is like a snowflake….fragile, beautiful, full of adventures and opportunities…. with a lifespan that is but a split second long.. in the real scheme of things.  Find joy in where ever your wind may toss you. 

My mother sent me this one.

I bought this ceramic figure and spent a few hours painting him.

I have to go now….big family Christmas gathering today and I still have lots to do. I am making a new dish today which I got from Marty… and if it comes out good I just may pass it on to you tomorrow.  Till then…happy day.

Attention all wanna be writers!!!

http://www.bookcoaching.com/20highoctane.pdf 

for all of you wanna be writers out there…here is a site with some good info. I believe the more you read, on how to do it, the better you will become at doing it…writing that is. Of course you can’t spend all your time reading….especially if you are in the very process of writing. But we all have down times…and that is when to check sites like this out.  You might want to bookmark it for a rainy day. 

 

Zula and Sage still waiting for Michelle. Me too!

Scrooge..the Christmas Carol…original

14 more days till Christmas. Wow the days are speeding by!

Yesterday I got to thinking about Christmas and all the wonderful movies that have been made through the years. My favorite has always been…Miracle on 34th Street when the US postal service in a US court room stated that there was a Santa Claus. I have watched it year after year and still get teary eyed  at the end, happy tears that is.

And then for some reason I decided to google christmas movies and in the process I found out that in 1951, the year I was born, was the year the original Scrooge movie from the story by Charles Dickens…. with Alister Sim came out!!  the same year I was born…How cool that is!  I have watched that one so much that I know parts of it, word for word.

So, maybe that is one reason why I am such a Christmas lover…The Christmas Carol movie  and Me born in the same year.

Any how….let’t get on with my Santa Parade. I am having so much fun documenting and showing them to you. I have no more room for any new ones…but this is like getting them all over again, so here goes…..

The following is a collection of Santas that are about 5 inches tall ,made out of bisque and are very fragile.  I received a small box from the US  ( I live in Canada) in the mail a few years ago to find these little figurines all packed inside. I was amazed they made it in one piece as they were only wrapped with one  paper towel around each, tightly snuggled together in a cardboard box with no lining for protection. Some how they managed to get to me in tact. These belonged to my mom and my siblings thought I might like them so sent them to me after she was gone. Little did they know how very precious they would be  to me and each year I very carefully wrap them in lots of towelling , snuggled tightly together …to make sure their little fragile bodies stay warm and safe.  

 

 

This is an old christmas post card I acquired. I don't know how old it is but on the back it says ...postage...one cent. In my life I don't think postage was ever that inexpensive....American OR Canadian..so that is a bit telling...at least half a century old !!!

Collection of Angels

If you go to my Breast Cancer page, you will find the beginnings of my Angel Collection.  Check it out!

Book Marketing and sculpey clay

15 more days till Christmas.

I have never been the big reader of books but this past year I was invited to join a book club. At first I debated but then I thought maybe this would be one way to motivate me to read.  And I have done just that. I have read …The Book of Negros…The Dance of the Dissident Daughter…Angela’s Ashes…The Diving Bell and the Butterfly so far. I have not read every book the club has discussed but for me I have done pretty good. We meet tonight to discuss The Friday Night Knitting Club….and this one, I have to admit, never got read…too busy with Sam  my blog , shoe laces and my book. Although I had it for 2 weeks, it just stared at me each time I passed it knowing all too  well that it would never be picked up. It went back to the library and I did not even read the back cover.

So again , here I have more of my Santas….in fact I found another box with more of them. I knew I was missing some but had no idea where they went until I found a little box tucked into the back of a closet…. Keep checking here daily to see more of my Santa collection. I have many mor to share. Have a great day.

I bought this little one.Two Santa plates...I have not been able to find any more to match.A little Santa pin my mom made.I had to buy this one because of all the buttons...I am a button collector as well. This collection was made by Ken a past coworker. He grew christmas trees on his land and would make these little guys from the left over branches. Ken has passed away which makes these guys even more special to me.

These Santas were made by my friend Ken W. He used to grow christmas trees on his land and each year he would take the leftover branches from those trees and carve out these little guys. Ken has since passed away which makes these little guys a very special part of my collection.

I made this Santa. He was so much fun making that if I remember correctly a number of my friends recieved one just like it.

I found this very small Santa at a flea market in Germany for just a few euros. He looked a bit sad and dirty until I cleaned him up.

 

Sorry ….my mistake

Hi ….I was just trying to connect with a blog traffic site…and not knowing a thing about what I was doing I made a page and badge that was not correct…I think you may have gotten an email about it…just disregard…my “teckie” error. It should be off now. Sorry for the error.   Have a good day

Only some Santas today

Not a lot on my mind today. It is Wednesday and I will go quilting. That’s all I have to say and now for some more Santas….

There is only 16 days till Christmas…are you ready?

 

Here are three more Santas from my collection.       The one with the glasses and pipe is made out of cloth. His hair gets wilder and wilder each year I take him out.  The one with the red hat and the little bell at the end of it is a tree decoration I made out of sculpey clay many years ago.  The Santa with all the toys I found in the most wonderful Christmas store in a quaint little town in Germany. I have lots to do today and so my entry will be a short one.  If you have a special Santa, send a picture of him my way. I would love to see him. 

I do have to tell you that when Christmas comes along I do wish I was a man. How weird you might think, but that is because I would love to be a Santa and see the magic in the faces of the children when I would talk with them. Friends say…do it …but being only        four feet ten inches tall, I don’t really think I could pull it off. And a beard… a fake beard would just not do.

 Till next time….your wanna be Santa.

Collection…more of my Santas

17 days till Christmas.

I bought the Laces . Yea, one more thing ready for my book launching. I have spent more money on less exciting things!  My lace dealer is very excited…said this is the most exciting thing that has happened with her laces!  Well, I am glad I am able to make other’s days happy ones. 

Interested in buying interesting laces??? Check my Link page and have a look.

Now…for more Santas…

Another Santa I made.

This one is from Jan.

My daughter made this one about 28 yrs ago...he has lost most of his beard but I keep him. Maybe this year at christmas, she can fix him up.Obviously not a Santa...one of my angels...of which I also have a collection.

Monday…Word for the Week

Maybe if I add a photo to each word it might help me to remember it.

pedantic |pəˈdantik

|

a person who is excessively concerned with minor details and rules or with displaying academic learning

How will I ever remember this one?

Susan, thanks for the new word.

Collecting….Santa’s this time.

The snow had to go…it was so distracting and looked more like rain.

Collecting Santas…..I was just having my morning coffee and looking at all of my christmas decorations. I have a very large christmas collection of Santa’s, Father Christmas’, Pere Noel…or what ever you want to call them. For many years I made Santa’s and then friends began giving me Santas and that is how my collection grew. When my mom passed away, she too had a collection which my siblings so kindly sent my way.It is amazing how many different images  people have come up with. I thought this morning…why not share them with you ?  So that is my plan. Each day I will show you some of my special little guys. They pretty well take over the house once they are all out. Fortunately some of them are small enough to go on our tree which is good.  So here are a few for you to enjoy today……

This one is from Carley.

This is one that I made…face is made out of Sculpey Clay.

Some of my mom's collection.

Illustration and Sam’s Weird Afternoon

Eighteen days till Christmas...lots to do.

 Those little black dots you see are not problems with your eyes…it is SNOW!  …yes snow…..it is snowing on my blog.

I know it is Monday but word for the week will have to wait till later.

I am excited this morning….I have made a marketing decision and I am excited!!  Shoe laces!!!  Yes shoelaces!!!!   I have decided that I will give shoe laces out at my book signings.  They are very neat and fit Sam’s persona so well that even my Illustrator loves the idea and is going to change Sam’s laces to match the ones I will give out !!   Now how it that for marketing?

And now I need to get back to working on Sam. I ordered some more sculpey clay this morning…Michael’s in Brandon…and my dear husband will stop in and pick it up for me this morning. Things are going well and Sam’s Weird Afternoon is coming together nicely. I can’t wait to see what kind of pictures are being created for the book. Patience, patience I keep telling myself.

So do you have a children’s book out there you are hoping to sell?  Have you come up with an  interesting marketing idea?

Zula and Sage, just hanging out waiting for Michelle to come home for the holidays.

Words…. did you know there are Words for the Year????

19 days till Christmas.

Tomorrow I am hoping to hear from my illustrator on how it is all going. I must tell you I received an interesting email today…someone read about my idea about using shoe laces to hand out at book signing…and she HAS shoelaces and would love to help me out! I have emailed her and hope to hear from her about different types. I am finding it amazing all the people who have connected with my blog.

Today is Sunday however I want to talk a bit about words…

Words for the year …yes…I just found out …there are WORDS FOR THE YEAR !!  And in my weekend paper, the Feed Your intellect section, that is exactly what they discussed. It seems some of the past words have been, Mom in 1996… metrosexual in 2003, have you ever had reason to use THAT one?? or  purple state in 2004, and millennium bug in 1997…have you heard that one lately???  I am not quite sure of the reasoning for a yearly word, any thoughts on that one?

It seems that in 2009 the word is…unfriend…the heartless act of removing someone as a ‘friend’ on Facebook or other social network.

So I ask you, have you decided to unfriend someone lately??  First of all, I probably have a lot of ‘friends’ who are not really my friends so would it really be a heartless act to unfriend them?  How can an act be heartless if there are no emotional ties between two people? Oh yes, some of my ‘friends’ are really my friends and I suppose to unfriend one of them might fall into that category, but why would I unfriend a true friend? 

So now I am wondering about my next word for the week…..hmmm, what will it be  for tomorrow?