We won’t have snow….

but we’ll have snowmen.

Santa won’t come down the chimney….

But this sweet little man has visited us every year since 1970.

My grandmother’s jolly Santa presides over the kitchen….

And this one helps him out.

Angels we have heard on high….

                 High above the doorway.

A touch of Dickens….

To satisfy my English soul.

And one new purchase this year…

A winter print I’ve always wanted (and a bargain, to boot.) Found at a flea market while spending a happy morning with my daughter…I’ll remember that morning every time I bring out this print for Christmas.

From our home to yours….may your Christmas be wrapped in love, real love, inspired by that first Christmas gift given so long ago.

 If there is a knitter on your Christmas list and you still need a little something for her/him, here is a great idea:

This was a recent birthday gift from a very special friend of mine, and I love it! Each page has a single helpful hint or just something cute or inspriring about knitting. For example,

“Needles, yarn, a fire in the hearth — Heaven awaits.” Sandy Beers

“If you know that the word ‘frog’ doesn’t always refer to an amphibious creature, you are a knitter. This bit of knitting slang comes from the act of ripping out stitches, as in ‘rip it, rip it; rip it.’ “

“An hour of knitting is cheaper than an hour of therapy.”

“The Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.”

“Knit a soft, snuggly comfort, prayer or friendship shawl for someone going through a tough time. Each time it is worn, the recipient will be surrounded by the love and prayers knit into each stitch.”

That last is basically the motto of our Prayer Shawl Circle at our church. In less than two years, we’ve given away countless prayer shawls, baby items, gifts to senior shut-ins….more than I could list here.

It was such a beautiful thing, the way it came about. We were at a meeting, and the friend who gave me this book shared about the nudge God was giving her to have something for the women in our church (specifically, those who are older widows) to do to feel needed. I confessed the nudge I was getting from Him about a way to share my love of knitting…and voila! Our circle was thus born. There is no question that He has blessed US even more than the ones who’ve received items from us.

Back to the book: it was probably intended to be read a bit at a time, perhaps a page a day while leisurely enjoying a cup of tea. Not for me — the words were so appealing that I had to read the whole thing straight through. But now I’ll go back and read it a day at a time and let each bit really soak in.

“Knit your hearts with an unslipping knotl” ~ William Shakespeare

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” ~Ecclesiastes 9:1

Hooray! Permission given!  

P.S. Here is another b-day gift, from one of “MY” circle friends. Isn’t this adorable??!!

Another way to enjoy Sunbonnet Sue!!!

It was a day to remember…..

The ubiquitous children’s Christmas program at church….

The shepherds were exceptional actors….they POINTED at the star. Don’t you love their sheep???

Then, caroling for our shut-ins and at the nursing home…..

There’s something about little boys singing so tenderly and sweetly…..

Then, going out on the farm to cut our tree!

Addie danced around a lot….

Then back home to put on lights and decs….

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

I’m feeling a little nostalgic this morning. Christmas has that effect, doesn’t it? Brings back so many memories…this picture of Chip in our driveway was taken about this time last year. He’s been gone since March, but just the thought of snow still makes me remember how much this doggie loved it. He had such a warm coat that the cold never bothered him. Best of all was for the two of us to take a long walk in falling snow…he frolicked and played and ran, never tiring of the fun.

My fingers have been busy these last few weeks. Hello Kitty still needs whiskers, but you get the gist of it…

And one day when Addie was here, she picked up a funky ball of yarn and said, “Mimi, this is cool.” A 3-year-old said that…so she gets a 3-year-old-size scarf from cool yarn.

Other projects are finished and some are still on the needles…the needles and the fingers fly at night.

Our prayer shawl ministry contributes handmade items to the gifts given to the angels on our giving tree. This year, two special members made 30-something crocheted goodie bags, and this special member contributed items for the bag. Here she is helping to fill the bags at our meeting Wednesday.

I don’t text. Some people wonder why. Here is why:

I’d have to go outside to do it. Same with using our cell phones here at home….the big rock back of our house is where we get reception. Sometimes it’s rather inconvenient…we still have a land line.

Cutout cookies are so much fun to make! Addie and Wyatt really enjoyed it this year, almost as much as their mommy.

Busy weeks, busy days, busy minutes…it’s all part of Christmas. Hope you’re taking the time to ENJOY your busy times.

For those of you whose husbands buy you nice gifts and fancy cards for your birthday, just ignore this. You will have no appreciation of it.



Today is my 60th birthday. It’s a busy Monday morning, and my farmboy dashed into the house to grab some notes he’d made earlier about fertilizer prices. He overheard me talking on the phone to a friend from Arizona who had called to wish me a happy birthday, and evidently he realized he’d forgotten. So he scribbled this note and put it beside my laptop on the kitchen counter. I found it a half-hour later.

Let me just say that to me this is very sweet….the “husband” beside his name is his attempt at being funny. I laughed out loud when I picked it up and read it…and what better gift could a girl get than the gift of laughter?! In fact, he makes me laugh every day! And while there is no sentimental card to read, I know the sentiments of his heart. That’s enough…no need for Hallmark to spell it out for me.

In years past, I have gotten gifts. He has had assistance from our daughters at times, and I’ve been most appreciative. But as I gain experience, I know the real gifts are the daily ones…the little things that mean more than trinkets. I’m blessed, over and over again, by the one I’ve shared life with for more than 40 years.

We share 60….his birthday was three weeks ago. So we’ve grown along the road of life together, living and learning and sharing, hard times and good ones, happy and sad ones, but always sharing. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

I’m so glad he’ll “see me soon”….that’s my ongoing gift, one I never will wear out or outgrow.

I decided to make a mitten….

OOPS! It’s too big!

So I decided to shrink it…..

And now it’s just right–for an oven mitt!

Actually, this wasn’t an oops…this was deliberate. I love making felted knitted items, and this is about as simple as it gets. Perfect for a little Christmas gift for a friend who knows her way around the kitchen.

What handmade gifts are you giving this Christmas? I love ideas, so share, please!

 Without words, let me bring you up to date on the last two weeks, starting with the day after Thanksgiving:

Okay, I just can’t help it — a few words. In one week, I’ll turn 60. On November 20, the Farmboy turned 60. It seemed to our daughters that the twin occasions demanded celebration. They surprised us. Told us we were going to youngest daughter’s for a hayride, and we acted accordingly. With the help of a conniving friend, they managed to have us stop in town, and there they surprised us. A lot. I’m still surprised. Surprised that I’m going to be 60. Surprised that I didn’t catch on to their elaborate plan. Surprised that I don’t feel old and worn out. Surprised that so many people turned out to surprise us. We loved it, and we’ll have this warm memory forever, to warm us on cold days.

Speaking of cold days, it snowed nicely today, enough to coat the trees and grass but not enough to make the roads slick…the best kind of snow, just right to prod the sleeping holiday spirit that has sadly not stirred in my heart until today. I think I can now get out the decorations and begin to make plans for baking and gatherings.

Another thing that helped kindle the spirit:

Lucy’s first piano recital! (She is six.)

And big sister, Emma, played, too. (She is eleven.)

And then went straight to a b-ball game.

It was a GOOD weekend. And it’s been a good two weeks.

Now for CHRISTMAS!!