It's a wrap...

 Last Christmas, we expected grandbaby number two to arrive around December 28th. Since babies are not known for arriving exactly on schedule, I did my holiday shopping and wrapping very early so I would be prepared no matter when the birth occurred. The Cygnet made a late appearance, but it was extremely nice to be so organized in advance. Remembering that feeling, I shopped and wrapped early this year, too, and have had a cheerful pile of gifts stacked in Chris's office for weeks. There have been some last-minute gift additions, and today, I got them all bundled and beribboned. I had adorable almost-one-year-old help. 

Recent rain (and wild winds!) washed away our snow, but it has been cold. This morning it was 15 degrees when I fed and watered the animals. The goats have thick coats and don't seem to mind the brisk air. They look adorable in their festive ruffles. 

Yesterday, we took the girls to Farmer Cheryl's to meet Angelo, a Hackney/Clydesdale cross colt. He is as sweet as they come and has the kindest expression on his face. It will be fun to watch him grow and learn. 

This week we celebrated fifteen years of endless love and devotion from this little character. 

She has a bad heart, a bothersome hernia, a mammary tumor, and cataracts, but she doesn't let any of that slow her down much. She still plays fetch, beats Bravo (who is 5 times her size) up a few times a week, eats with gusto, and rules the house with all 8 pounds of her sassy self. I know we won't have her forever, but we treasure the time we do have. She's been a delightful companion. 

We also celebrated Chris's birthday. (He's been a delightful companion, too!)  We took the day off to be together. There was a nice drive, we did some shopping, enjoyed lunch out, and had a fun family supper. Rachel and Evans gifted him something very thoughtful. Chris has often happily remembered a bank he had when he was a little kid. It had a Santa figure on a chimney. When a coin was inserted Santa's eyes would light up and he would ring a bell. They managed to find one of these vintage items and surprised him with it. How kind and thoughtful is that? A new (old!) family treasure. 

The house is decorated and cozy, the holiday menu is planned, the gifts are wrapped. There is nothing left to do except enjoy these sweet days. 

Decking...

 Many years ago, a Jewish friend visited our home in December and said, "It looks like Christmas came and threw up in your house." She wasn't wrong. Today, it happened yet again. Four oversized totes full of snowmen, Santas, angels, and nativity figures were unpacked and carefully arranged. Seasonal music played, and the woodstove snapped and cracked and warmed our space. I loved every minute of it. 

My mother had two copper angel candlesticks she was particularly fond of. Years ago, a friend saw them and then gifted me several similar ones in various sizes that belonged to her mom, giving me an entire flock of angels. They are all a challenge to polish, so I have left them languishing in the basement for too long. I got them out this week and spent a while cleaning and shining them up. I think the mama's would be pleased. The candle snuffer was a gift from my niece, and it fits right in. 

At dusk, my pal Brenda and Rachel came over. We drank mulled wine, ate crackers and chevre, and decorated wreaths. It was a fun way to spend some time, and we had some lovely results. 

It feels like winter outside, and my house looks like Christmas inside. It's the cozy season, and I am happy. 

Train ride...

 Last night, we took the 3-year-old Owlet and baby Cygnet to ride on a vintage steam engine train in Portland, an hour-and-a-half drive from here. There, we met the girls' cousins (ages 7 and 9), their parents, and another niece of mine. The train and crew are set up to mimic the experience of the book and movie "The Polar Express." 

Everyone gathered in the train station first. Staff, dressed in old-fashioned costumes, greeted the children and answered questions. A lovely woman chatted to the Owlet and showed her where she could write a "letter" to Santa and put it in a special mailbox. The Owlet was all on board with this idea and spent a long time creating the perfect missive. 

She proudly placed it in the mailbox. 

The cousins were delighted to see one another, and it was with great excitement that we all boarded the train. We were in the "Caribou Crossing" car. Soon, the train chugged away from the station, and the Owlet delightedly looked out the window. We passed water views and people walking (whom she waved vigorously at!) There were Christmas lights and an illuminated Santa's sleigh to admire.  Soon, someone came and passed out golden tickets to all the children (most of whom wore their holiday-themed pajamas.) 

The Owlet lost her ticket behind the seat cushion. Her parents diligently tried to retrieve it to no avail. 

Cookies and hot chocolate were served. The story of the Polar Express was read out loud over the speaker while a staff member held the book up and turned the pages. 

The seven-year-old cousin noted the Owlet's parents' concern over the lost ticket. Apparently filled with the Christmas spirit, she kindly offered to give the wee Owlet her ticket. My eyes leaked a little. After a while, a costumed conductor came to punch the children's tickets (with the first initial of their name!) and cheerfully replaced the lost ticket, so all was well. 

Soon, Santa entered the car. The Owlet jumped up and down with glee, her eyes wide. But then she felt a little shy and wiggled up on the bench seat between her papa and me. Santa spent a long time talking to the Cygnet and gave her a beautiful silver jingle bell, but he walked right past the Owlet, hidden between big people. She realized what had happened and said, "C'mon, Lovie!" She hopped off the bench and followed behind Santa. I followed her. She flashed me a mischievous look and gave Santa a friendly tickle. Pleased with herself, she collected her bell from the elf following Santa and scurried back to her seat. 

After our delightful trip, we all gathered at a local restaurant for a nice meal. The entire adventure was an excellent way to kick off the holiday season. There was spirit and sharing, family and fun, cocoa and cookies, and tickles. What could be better? 

Gather...

 Thanksgiving is special to me. I love the preparation, from polishing the house from top to bottom to decorating with all my favorite autumn-themed things and making the place feel cozy. I love planning, list-making, and recipe searching. I love spending the day in the kitchen preparing the feast the day before Thanksgiving. This year, Rachel and I were the ones mixing and chopping with help from her wee ones. The Owlet helped whip up the delicious chocolate cake. 

 Aimee joined us after lunch and entertained the babes. When she arrived, the owlet squealed with joy. I felt the exact same way. Aimee did more than read a thousand books and play countless games; she helped me artfully arrange the food, flowers and table decor. It was delightful to see her work; she has a fantastic eye for beauty and detail. 

I was pleased with how all the food came out. Chris's smoked turkey was delightful, and my more traditional roasted bird tasted fine, too. 

There were fifteen people at the table. Our oldest guest was a feisty 90-year-old, and the youngest was 10 months old. We cooked many traditional favorites but also tried a few new things. I didn't hear any complaints, and nothing but crumbs were left on the plates as I washed them. 

Check out the homemade rolls on those baby thighs. I can attest that they were delicious. 

Rachel did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to cooking. I was right in there hip to hip, but when I look back she did more than her share. Maybe after cooking this meal for 40 years I am slowing down a little? I'm not ready to throw in the dish towel yet, but I can see the time coming. It's good that I have someone to hand the ironstone platter to. 

Making Thanksgiving happen brings me back to my mother's kitchen. My grandmother would help wax furniture, shine silver, and polish brass candlesticks. My mother would create the feast.  For me it has always been a multi generational holiday. This year it was a special joy to be in the kitchen with my daughter and grands, knowing I was helping create traditions and memories for them.

When I smell the turkey roasting, the aromas of onions, garlic, sage, and so much more, I am transported through time, and every moment is delicious. 

Adding, subtracting and organizing...

 I mostly keep our house tidy. But some spots are habitually cluttered. The kitchen cabinets just don't stay neat, and the pantry? It tends to be where we all stash items we don't know what to do with. The area is not very large, maybe 6 feet by 15. There is a freezer, refrigerator, and three shelving units where we stash canned goods, pasta, rice, cleaning supplies, paper products, small appliances like the Crockpot and Instantpot, and bins of grandchildren's toys.  It also houses platters and cake dishes for celebrations, extra plates for parties, vases, extra silverware, candlesticks, etc. It's a wonderful, functional space, but sometimes it gets so messy I don't know where to begin fixing it. I've been thinking about it and recently decided to give up some of my decorative things to make space. 

My wonderful, capable daughter tackled a few kitchen cabinets last week. The difference after she worked her magic was striking. Then she said, "Saturday, we fix the pantry." She's a busy woman with a home of her own to care for and two small kids, but she cheerfully volunteered her time to help me move from overwhelmed to organized. She started by sorting through my decorative things, making a big pile of stuff she thought I didn't need. I argued about some items but let a lot go despite some pangs of longing. It took us (with "help" from the babies) the better part of two days, but now the pantry is decluttered, clean, dusted, vacuumed, mopped, and, dare I say, beautiful! I keep going there just to look at how tidy it is and smile. I have the best daughter. Her excellent attitude, hard work, and encouragement made this odious job (almost) fun. Mimosa's helped. 

On a different topic, about a year ago, I was gifted a toddler bed frame. We bought a new mattress and bedding for it, and I put it next to our bed. When the Owlet spends the night, she snuggles in there but can quickly climb to our bed if she wants to cuddle or jump around like a monkey. It was terrific, but it was plastic and hot pink and that was a little jarring. I meant to paint it, but that project was never near the top of my "to-do" list. 

Last week, my daughter and I found an adorable vintage, wood, and white toddler bed for sale about an hour away from here for under $100. Capable as always, my girl arranged to buy it and drove to get it last Friday. It's wonderful, solid, and oh-so-pretty. There is no hint of hot pink! The Owlet and Cygnet gave it their seal of approval. The right side can be latched up or dropped down, as seen here. It will be nifty for the wee Cygnet when she stays over. 

 

This weekend, we removed a lot of clutter, organized a few hundred things, and added the cutest little toddler bed. And I am grateful beyond belief. 

Greens, oddities and giddiness...

 Every year, sometime in November, my sweet friend Brenda shows up with a trunkload of greenery. She gets to work decorating the metal arbor that leads to our front door for winter. She also fills the planter by the end of the path and the old iron clawfoot bathtub at the end of the driveway. She does things a bit differently every year, depending on what goodies she finds in the woods. Sometimes, there are birch logs tucked into the arrangements; other times, dried flowers or unique sticks. But it is always beautiful. This year, the day was so warm that we had the windows open, and it didn't feel very wintery, but that will soon change. It was fun to see Brenda work her magic. The Owlet stood at the window and gleefully announced, "She makin' a beautiful Christmas tree!" 

Chris had cut a lot of pine boughs for the base filler, but more was needed. Brenda headed out to the woods to haul some. The goats were excited to see her and raced around joyously. While she was out cutting, she found a treasure. A "witches broom." 

There is a plant disease that causes abnormal clusters of branches to grow from a single point on a tree. It can be caused by insects, microorganisms, fungi, bacteria, or viruses. This unusual and unique growth is known as "Witches' Broom." Brenda found this big one in our woods. It's the size of a bushel basket. She kindly cut it and brought it home for me. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it, but I will find a place for it somewhere. It's fabulous. 

It was a happy day because Brenda was here making things pretty, but there was more. Much more! I was giddy because we welcomed a new baby to our family yesterday. My niece and her husband are the proud new parents of a perfectly fabulous baby girl. She was much-wanted and is already well loved by our entire tribe. She is three years and three days younger than the Owlet. She is a precious cousin, future friend, and new wee branch on our growing family tree. 

Winter greens, witches broom, and a new baby. Who could ask for more? 

A Voting Story...

 When my daughter was seven or eight years old, she had multiple opportunities to meet and interact with a young man running for Congress. He was kind and friendly and made a positive impression on her. He was also undeniably handsome.

She accompanied me to the polls on voting day, and I was pleased for her to witness her mama performing her civic duty. We lived in a big city then, and the polling place was a very large room packed with people. My daughter was excited by our adventure and quietly asked me lots of questions, which I answered to the best of my ability in a soft voice. 

When I got to the part of my ballot that led me to choose the candidate she knew or his opponent, she piped up in a thunderous voice, "Mom, you have to vote for ____." I asked, "Why is that, honey?" hoping she would have some insight into what the man stood for. "Because, mommy, he is SO BEAUTIFUL!" The room erupted in laughter. 

It was one of my favorite voting experiences ever. And the beautiful guy won.