Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wrapping it up
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Favorite (Christmas) things, Part 2
This was our very first Christmas ornament. We received it from a very dear friend even before we were married. She made it out of a cookie cutter and it is very precious to us.
In a prior artsy phase, I was a china painter. I could do a really good forget-me-knot and some pretty passable pansies. But faces? Forget it. We had an absolute china painting genius in our church. I had purchased this really beautiful nativity set with the idea that I would make an heirloom set to be passed on. I started on the camel robes and then looked at all the faces and knew I was in way over my head. Bettie Wilmoth graciously agreed to paint the whole set for me. And it definitely IS an heirloom.
This cute little nativity set was handmade by a local artist and I collected a couple of pieces each year. When I started collecting, we had very little money to spend on decorations. I started with Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus and added to it little by little.
Okay, the lavendar-hued lightbulbs on this chandelier in our dining room are a little disconcerting. Fortunately the lavendar hue goes away from we turn them on. But anyway, each year I hang these really beautiful ornaments from it and it is always the last thing I take down after the holidays.
When I was a little girl and we lived in Oklahoma, where my father was a pastor, a lady in our church made a red felt Christmas stocking for me and my brother. I have always loved it. So when Mark and I got married, I made a similar one for him. And then Aaron, and then Christa, and now each of the grandchildren.
Monday, December 22, 2008
These are a few of my favorite (Christmas) things...
Christmas cards...also didn't happen. Mark and I usually find some fun and funky picture taken during the year and that's what makes it to our Christmas card. I don't know. Maybe we didn't do anything fun and funky in 2008. But we love receiving Christmas cards so please don't take us off your Christmas card list. Fun and funky next year--we promise.
And the last of the Christmas presents will be finished today. *sigh* Then I can just sit back and enjoy the lights on my tree.
Lights on my tree...which makes me think of my holiday decorations, which actually got put up pretty early this year. I know. Some people have "themes." The holiday magazines are filled with all these "decorator" Christmas rooms. I love looking at them. But really? My heart is warmed by the things we have put up for years. It is comforting. So my house will probably never have a "penguin" theme.

Nope. Instead we have this little trio. We have had them for years, for so long that I can't even remember where we got them. I think we got the strainer reindeer in Kansas, which means he is over thirty years old. We got the little soda can "caroler" when Aaron was small and for some reason it reminded us of him (I'm sure he will be happy to read that...). And the little basting brush Santa has been around for quite some time too. And they all live happily together year after year.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
How COOL is this?
Reading one of my all-time favorites, How About Orange, has led me to her mother's blog. Now two of the coolest things about this blog author are that she is from southern Minnesota (pretty close to where Mark grew up) and we are becoming email friends, with the very likely possibility that we will meet in person next summer!
But what are the chances that you will ever actually have a post dedicated to you?
I have been telling her how much Mark misses Minnesota winters this year. Well, every year, actually. She takes gorgeous pictures and yesterday she posted this. COOL, huh?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Get Real(istic)
Monday, December 15, 2008
The postcard's in the mail
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sometimes it's the little things
My working life as a medical transcriber involves spending countless hours with my computer keyboard. So the other day Office Max was running a special: buy two toner cartridges and get a wireless keyboard and mouse for free. You know how it goes--sometimes you have to spend money to save money. I figured that some year-end writeoffs might be in order so why not stock up on toner cartridges?
I rushed right on over to Office Max, picked up those toner cartridges (yikes, $97 apiece??) and came home with a box containing my new keyboard and mouse.
I am now wireless, and considering all the other things I have plugged in here in my office (can you say two overloaded power strips...), that is a blessing. And the bonus is a keyboard without lint or dust in those hard-to-reach places.
So here is a picture of my old keyboard (feel free to download this fascinating picture to your own photo album). Do you notice something missing? This keyboard is only a year old and some of the letters are actually worn off the keys. My keyboard and I might need a vacation from each other...
And here is my new keyboard, sans wires. And my cute "jolly" mug? Yep, that's how I'm feeling today.