Only 258 days til Christmas
Saturday, April 10, 2010
I've put this up on our mantle every Christmas for at least 13 years. Thanks Karen, it's been a lovely decoration all these years. But I'm ready for a change. It will go into the out box for now. If you want it back, just let me know.
Only 328 days til Christmas
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The tree has been boxed up for a week now. It finally made it out to the shed yesterday. Now I just have to put the remaining Christmas cards away and move the ornament boxes back into the storage room upstairs. These are the ornaments I don't want to put back up next year. They will all go to the donation box except for the old-fashioned girl angel. My friend has said she wants it. The pink trumpets came in a bag of lovely glass icicle ornaments I bought at a Christmas fair this year — I don't like them at all.
Gift for a gardener
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
My neighbours are avid gardeners and foodies. I just finished off a plate of Christmas baking they brought over. This is a big hard cover book about growing specific vegetables for recipes in the book. I enjoyed looking at the different garden plans for planting gardens to suit different world cuisines, but I'm not much of a follower of recipes, so it's time to give it to my neighbours and see if they are inspired. There's a great index listing dozens of veggies, which ones grow in which zones, and how to grow them. The plastic bowl is for flower arrangements; floral foam required (not for the neighbours). More of my Christmas tree.
One, two, tree
Monday, December 21, 2009
Have decided that if my husband ever wants to whack a tennis ball back and forth with me he will need a good racquet. This one has a wooden handle and a much smaller racquet head than any new ones — it won't do. My in-laws very generously give us money at Christmas. This year we'll get that extra racquet, some new balls, and I'm going to finally get a proper pair of tennis shoes. Since starting lessons in July I've been wearing a pair I picked up at the Sally Ann. They are court shoes of some kind, but they don't have enough ankle support. I fell last week (flashback to falling and breaking my wrist during a lesson last October), so I need to do whatever I can to make sure I'm properly decked out. This year our tree has LED lights, so these extra bulbs and plug are useless to me. I so enjoyed decorating the tree this year. Here's part of it.
Just following the instructions
Monday, December 14, 2009
Last year at the gift-swapping Christmas party, I received this book. I took it to the party tonight, unwrapped, in the hope that someone would be interested and take it away. They were and they did. Thanks A! I also wrapped up another white elephant gift consisting of an assortment of tree ornaments. The person who picked the ornaments was not pleased, but was fortunately able to trade them later for a book she did want. All I care is that I no longer have to pack them up each year. BTW, I came home with an exquisite miniature piece of art. A handpainted matchbook with a raven on the outside and inside, decorated with gold paint and a bit of collage. Inside the box is a scroll with a First Nations legend about the raven and how light came to the world. And a matchbook hardly takes up any room at all.
Party time
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Party tomorrow night. Part of the fun is the gift swap. Everyone brings an inexpensive, wrapped item, preferably something pre-owned that they don't want anymore. Classic white elephant. Numbers are randomly distributed. The person with number 1 chooses a gift and opens it in front of everyone. The person with number 2 can either choose another wrapped mystery item or steal the gift from the first person. And so on. Anytime a gift is stolen, the person who had it taken away them immediately picks another wrapped gift or steals from anyone else with a gift. There is always one very popular item that gets stolen many times before the game is over. Much bargaining and cajoling and attempts to attract theft for an unwanted item. It's always a lot of fun. I was given this candle holder and candle at a client's Christmas party in 1998. I'm thinking if I haven't burned the candle by now, I never will. This has been put away in the Christmas box every year, and every year I take it out thinking I'll use it. Bye bye. (Oh dear, I just realized I'll be coming home with something new tomorrow night.)
Sent a Claus away, away
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sorry A. I gave your Santa away. Just in time for the season. He will grace someone else's living room or mantel. I'm putting up a tree this year, but that's it. So far we've sent out 7 cards. A few more to go, but they will likely end up as Happy New Year's cards. Tonight is the first party of the season. Our social life is about to become busy. Blog entries about to get shorter — I have to spend time putting on makeup and dress-up clothes. A friend brought us a plum pudding today. Recipe for hard sauce included. Yum.
