Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 2 = Esther and Patrick's Wedding Day!

It has been a lovely day...for a lovely wedding...for a loving young couple! It was fishing themed...fishing poles, fishing lures, a groom's fish cake, gold fish, Swedish fish...perhaps you get the picture! It was perfect for Esther and Patrick, as they consider each other their greatest catch! It was a time of celebrating this newly married couple with family and friends. Here are a couple of the candid shots that I took:

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 1

The day after Christmas...a nice quiet day...another "do whatever" day. That is pretty much what I did yesterday, so today is just a continuation. I declared yesterday a cross stitch day. I started an ornament for me...I didn't ever get around to stitching one for myself this year...so decided that yesterday was the day to start one and I have stitched on it more today...closing in on a finish on that one. I also decided that I would start stitching on the first of the ornaments to gift for next year...did that, too. And, with this next year being the United State's 250th birthday, I plan to stitch several pieces in honor of that...so started one of those, too. So...underway with stitching to end the year and to begin 2026. It has been fun planning new stitching projects for the new year...to add to all those I already have in progress. In stitching lingo "Works In Progress are called WIPs. I have several WIPs going...maybe I will get some good stitching done on those this coming year...along with starting more. It's always fun to start new projects...some I will finish quickly...some will be WIPs for a while...gift projects will usually get done quicker than projects for me. And, the smaller projects, like oraments, are likely to get done the quickest. Enough about stitching...tomorrow I will set stitching aside and head to Esther and Patrick's wedding...a morning wedding. Hopefully I will take at least a couple of pictures to share tomorrow night. 'Tis the season...still! To be continiued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 25: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!!!

Today's ornament represents a family tradition. When we have our family Christmas, we have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Melany has taken over the baking of the birthday cakes...our family has grown so much over the years that it now takes two cakes! A funny tale about the unintended photo in last night's blog. It contained the ornaments that I sent to AZ and AL. Well, my sister looked closely at the photo and figured out most went to her famiky and figured on was hers! Hers is the one on thetop left and most of it was hidden...except for the word "Fa." And, since one of her favorite Christmas sayings is "Fa! La! La! La! La!," looks like she probably figured out which one is hers and what it says! Tonight ends the ornament tales. Starting tomorrow I will start the "Twelve Days of Christmas." I plan to feature photos of nativity ornaments or parts of my Precious Moments nativity over the days between Christmas and Epiphany on January 6th. 'Tis the season...for a little longer! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! MERRY CHRISTMAS 2025!

Ornament Tales: Day 24

(Well, just looked and an extra photo got inserted...that shows you some of the ornaments that I stitched for gifts this year. A Christmas Eve bonus!!!) Today I baked cookies, so I decided that I would share ornaments that represent my love of cooking. The cookie sheet is obvious that it represents baking. Today I made cookies for the family next door who have three little boys. Every time I see the stick of butter on the tree, it makes me smile. Melany and Wade brought me that back from a trip when they visited Paula Dean's kitchen restaurant. Paula is known for her love of butter...though, I do think that recently she has taken a bit healthier approach to cooking. Melany and Wade also gave me the Hallmark "kiss the cook" snowman ornament. Cheryl gave me the cookie sheet ornament. Right in the middle of my cookie making, I got a sad phone call. One of my neighbors, who was so helpful when Woody needed extra assistance at times and I wasn't able to do it alone, was out on a long bicycle ride with a group of cycling friends and when they were about three miles from home, he had a heart attack and died. That has put a damper on the day. I can see their house from my kitchen window and noticed that there were cars at their house today, but it being Christmas Eve day, I just thought that they were celebrating Christmas. It is just so sad and I feel so for his wife, who got up this morning thinking that it would just be a regular day and now her life has changed forever. I returned a little while ago from our church's Christmas Eve Candlelight service. It was a beautiful service and as always it was so good to see so many friends and family. I sat next to Elijah. I found out a few more details about the wedding after the service. Graham is going to escort Kathy's mom and me to our seats at the same time...that's all I know...I will show up and follow instructions. Thank goodness grandmothers don't have a significant roll...just sit where seated! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Merry Christmas Eve 2025!

Ornament Tales: Day 23

Tonight's ornament has several memories with it. It represents several of the presidential homes that Woody and I have visited. This is Mount Vernon, George and Martha Washington's home that Woody, Melany, Nathan and I visited on our way to Massachusetts for a family reuion in 1988. The day we visited was a VERY hot day and, as in Washington's day, Mount Vernon was not air conditioned and the gift shop was very crowded. Due to the heat I wasn't feeling the greatest so we chose to omit the gift shop from our tour. I was always sorry that I hadn't gone in, as I try to get an ornament to represent places like this that we visit to add to our Christmas tree. Six or so years later, Nathan was appointed a US-2 missionary to the Washington DC area (he spent 2 years in DC after he graduated from college). I told him that if he happened to get to Mount Vernon that I would like him to choose a Mount Vernon ornament for our tree. Some time during his two years, he had some time off and made a trip back to TN for a visit. BUT he did not tell us that he was coming home. Woody and I were going to go to visit Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex and for some reason I went to Nathan's room to get something. Well, when I walked into his room, Nathan suddenly jumped up from the other side of his bed...and scared me half to death!!!!! He had slept on the floor, because since we didn't know he was coming we hadn't turned on the heater for his water bed! So when he snuck in during the night, he ended up having to sleep in the floor. Even though he scared me to death, it was good that I went into his room or Woody and I would gone on to Melany's without him! All this story to say that on this trip he brought me this ornament. He had gone to Mount Vernon and remembered his mother's request! So I usually chucklee when I first see this ornament each year and remember the scare that put it on our tree! Today I did a "get ready for the wedding" task = got my wedding haircut. Then the rest of the day I have done a little of this and a little of that. I continue to get things back in order after family Christmas disorder...which this time just means getting gifts, wrap, etc. picked up so things look inviting to look at my decorations once again. I got all the dishes put away that I got out last week for my parties...the ones that go on top shelves were waiting for me to get the step ladder out. I did that and took Christmas serving dishes upstairs to be packed away in the Christmas closet. Then I got to thinking what I could bake for my next door neighbors who have small children. I got to looking in the pantry for ingredients and for some reason decided to clean out the pantry. Good job done...but the baking didn't get done! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 22

Tonight's ornament was made from the photo that follows. The photo dates back to 1957 and it is my mother, Cheryl and me decorating the tree. My father is on the other side of the camera taking this picture. I guess I follow in his footsteps...not in a lot of pictures because I am taking them! This is the photo that made me realize that I was part of the "Leave it to Beaver" generation!!!! I do love this picture and am very happy to have it represented on my Christmas tree. Thanks, Rachel (my neice) for thinking to making it into an ornament! Today has been a get over the busyness of the past week with the culmination at the start of this week yesterday when we had our family Chhristmas! We had a really nice day despite having to be flexible in our plans and change location...thankful that Nathan and Kathy can easily go with the flow! We were all there except for two who were sick, my granddaughter, Erin, and Abigail's husband, Payton. We missed them and probably ate some for both of them! Today I have spent putting things awaay and trying to get things straightened out...again! I think that my adrenaline ran out and this afternoon I just "had" to stop and take a good nap. I went to prayer meeting this evening, came home and had a bowl of soup, and an now settling in for the evening. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tale: Day 21

Today, the fourth Sunday in advent, we lighted the candle of love.

We did have our family Christmas today...a bit of a change in plans, as Payton was sick. So being flexible we went to Nathan and Kathy's house. Had a very good time. The Dorrells and Proctors wish each of you a very Merry Christmas! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 20

Tonight's ornaments I stitched for the trees at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville some time back...so long that I am having trouble remembering the year. I thought that I knew right where some photos of these ornaments were, but I did not find them. Cheekwood some years back did an annual display of many trees. I'm not sure if they do it any more. My Embroider's Guild of America chapter was asked to decorate a tree one year and that it these ornaments got to grace that tree. My chapter at that time was the Cheekwood Chapter. The theme that year was Sugar Plums so I stitched ornaments that reminded me of sweets...that year I was doing needlepoint. I enjoy seeing these on my tree these days and remembering back to how honored I felt to have some of my ornaments displayed on one of the Cheekwood trees. Today I have been busy getting ready to go to Abigail's and Payton's tomorrow for our annual Dorrell/Proctor family Christmas celebration. My contribution is a couple of pans of enchiladas. They are tucked in the refrigerator awaiting Abigail's oven tomorrow! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 19

Tonight's ornament of the three wisemen is special because Mother needlepointed it. See...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...I grew up seeing my mother both sewing and doing needlework and here I am today doing both sewing and needlework. The year Mother made this for Woody and me, she made needlepoint ornaments of a part of the nativity for Melany and Nathan. I know one of them was of shepherds, but at the moment I can't remember what the other one was...now, that I think of it, probably an angel. I know I saw Melany's on their tree when I was there at Thanksgiving. Today Carolyn, Jo, and I had or annual get together for Christmas. We have done this for years. Years back we had another special friend, Linda, meet with us, too. She died some years back after struggling with MS for years. So now it is a gathering of three instead of four. We have such a good time together. Some years we go out to eat and others meet in one or another of our homes. Today we met at my house and had a Christmas tea party...we ate and did lots of talking and catching up. We go to the same church so we see each other often, but it is always good to set aside a special day to celebrate Christmas together. Tomorrow I turn my focus to our family Christmas, which is this Sunday. Our family is going to gather at Abigail's and Payton's home. I will be making my part of our feast=enchiladas tomorrow. I had all the main parts of the enchiladas...sauce and meat...frozen so they are now in my refrigerator thawing. I plan to put the enchiladas together tomorrow and then will let them bake while we open gifts. Tomorrow I have my Cottey bookclub, also. And, also need to finalize the Sunday School lesson for Sunday. I almost have the gifts wrapped to take on Sunday. I hope to finish putting in tissue and adding name tags this evening. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 18

Tonight's ornament has a very special meaning and, you will see, very appropriate for today. Last year I made ornaments for each in our family similar to the one in tonight's photo. These ornaments I made as a memory of Woody. I have already mentioned in a previous ornament tale that cardinals have special meanings to our family...both the bird and the ball team! I used denim shirts that Woody's work gave him over the years. The shirt fabric I used for the front and back of the ornaments and cross stitched cardinals that I sewed to the front of the ornaments. For unmarried grandchildren I stitched one cardinal, for married couples I stitched two cardinals sitting on a branch looking at each other with a heart between them. You are seeing my ornament...one cardinal on a branch looking back at a cardinal flying away. My ornament and the two for our children have different work logos from the shirts on the back. The logo on mine was from a shirt that Woody got in 2000 for AEDC's 50th year anniversary of being a contractor at Arnold Air Force Base. Woody wore his work shirts a lot so that fabric is very appropriate to use on ornaments to remember him. The buttons used are also from his shirts. The year charms on the backs represent the year I gave/made the ornaments. This time, the year charm also represents the year that Woody died. The reason that I am posting this today is because today is Woody's birthday...so the perfect day to share this ornament tale! I am currently stitching on a sampler that I took some of the cardinal patterns from for the ornaments. This sampler, I am doing, is in memory of Woody. The sentiment on the sampler is "When cardinals appear loved ones are near." Today I have been busy getting ready for a Christmas tea party. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 17

Tonight's ornament reminds me of a children's book, The Mitten, by Jan Brett. It's a story about a little boy wanting a pair of white mittens. His grandmother didn't want to knit them for them as it would be so easy to lose them in the white snow. She knits him a pair, as he wished. He headed out and soon one of the mittens fell to the ground without him knowing it. Then it tells of ALL the animals who took refuge in that mitten...stretching the mitten with each addition of another animal. The story goes on and by the time the boy is on his way home, he spots the mitten laying on the ground and happily grabs it up and heads home. When his grandmother checks to see if he still has both mittens upon his return. He gladly hands them to her. It ends just with a picture of a very puzzled grandmother looking at two mittens of two very different sizes. The pictures are captivating...drawn by the author...well, she is really the reteller as it is a Ukranian folk tale. If you have never seen this book, there are several YouTube videos of the book being read. Like I say when I see this moose in the mitten, it makes me think of this story, though a moose isn't one of the animals that seeks warmth inside the mitten. I have had a busy day...another getting ready for Christmas...all kinds of things to do in preparation for varioius activities in the next few days. I went to the grocery store...hoping that I now have everything I need to get me through Sunday, which is our family Christmas celebration. I am going to party, party, party again on Friday so tomorrow will be partly spent on getting ready for my next party. It is about to smell like Christmas around here...I'm making Chex mix...in the past this was Woody's Christmas cooking job! When getting it put into storage bags, we always partnered together as it is easier with two...but one will have to suffice. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 16

Tonight's ornament didn't have a bell when I bought it. Erin was probably 2, 3...maybe 4...so 30 years ago plus or minus a year or two. She was staying with us sometime before Christmas and we were reading Christmas stories. One of the stories was about a little lamb that was a Christmas ornament and part of story was about how the little lamb got a bell. Erin knew that we had a sheep on our tree and she wanted to immediately find a bell and sew it on the sheep's bow...which we did...so I now have a sheep/lamb with a bell just like in the story...thanks to Erin. I always think about that time when I hang it on the tree each year. As I said last night, I was busy yesterday so Linda H. and I could party today. Linda came over and we visited, had lunch, visited more, and our partying ended all too soon! We had a good time...always do when we are together. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 15

I love ornaments with birds on them...especially cardinals and chickadees. Tonight's ornament is one of my favorites that I made with my embroidery sewingmachine. All it took was putting the design into the machine and then changing thread when the machine beeped at me! I have been busy today...so I can party tomorow with Linda H! So tonight's blog is going to be short and sweet so I can do a little cooking! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Favorite Ornament (Day 14) for Third Sunday in Advent: Joy

Ornament Tales: Day 13

Tonight's ornaments represent three generations of babies in my family. The spoon with the curved handle was my father's, the little silver cup was mine, the teething ring was Nathan's. The two card balls I made out of Melany's and Nathan's baby cards...pink for Melany and blue for Nathan. Of course, some of the items aren't really ornaments...but they work well and add memories to the tree! I have been looking for Melany's little silver bracelet to add, but am not sure where I have it stored...I'm sure in a safe place!! I stitched for a while in the early hours of the morning on my current sampler. Then after lunch, I got busy on the ornaments. I have them ready for the last step...so almost finished with fourteen more...then there are two more that are finished differently than these fourteen. I did get the bridesmaid dresses finished last night...so they are hanging and ready for a good steaming before the big day...two weeks from today! I have a little sewing project for Kathy that I have been working on, too. This evening while I worked on the ornaments, I watched the Tullahoma Civic Choir Christmas concert...very nice...so nice that you can watch things like this live stream...one good thing that came from Covid! We are under a winter advisery for VERY cold temperatures...tonight it is supposed to get down to 16° and tomorrow night down to 12°! Brrrrrrrr! Here's the warning that I got: * WHAT...Below freezing temperatures for 36 straight hours, including bitter wind chills as low as 3 below Sunday morning and single digit lows Monday morning. * WHERE...All of Middle Tennessee. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to noon CST Monday. * IMPACTS...Wind chill values can lead to hypothermia with prolonged exposure. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Stay warm!!!!

Ornament Tales: Day 12

Tonight's ornament represents the Fisher Price Nativity that Woody and I bought the children many years ago. I was so happy when I found the ornament to have as a memory of it on our tree. The nativity stayed at our house and the children set it up on the coffee table in the living room...usually after we ate our Thanksgiving dinner. Then they played with it when they came over to the house. It was set up many ways...the ways got funnier as the children grew older...camels ended up in trees, etc. But they had fun with it over the years. I srill have tge set, but no little ones to play with it so it is relegated to the Christmas closet until there are littke ones running around here, again! I am late posting, I wanted to say the dresses were both hemmed...but...after i finished hemming Abigail's I decided that the inner skirt does need to be a little shorter...so once I tap publish I will get to that so I can say the dresses were done before I slept tonight! Grocery shopping got me off my game today and I didn't get started on the dress till 5pm. Did other things around the house that needed doing along with food shopping. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 11

Tonight's ornament is definitely unique...I really doubt that anyone else has one like it on their tree! Part of the uniqueness of this ornament is the way I received it...you are seeing the packaging and the way it came through the mail! This little papoose in a cradleboard was sent to me by my grandfather when he went on a trip to California back in the early 1950s...that's his handwriting on the mailing tag and it took all of 3¢ to mail it...a far cry from what it takes this year to send a flat Christmas card in an envelope! The little papoose can come out of the cradleboard...but these days it is better left in. The leatherlike material the cradleboard is made out of has seen better days...but then it is very old...since I am very old!!!! I'm guessing that it is probably around 72-74 years old. I wish that I could read the post mark date. I see that it was sent in April of whatever year. Can you imagine the reaction of a postal worker if someone tried to mail this, as is, through today's mail system?!? And, I'm sure that he just dropped this into a mail drop box at the tourist center he was visiting. For some reason I think he was on a bus tour...I don't know if I was told this in the past...but there is no one to ask anymore that would remember better than I...and perhaps I was too young to remember myself. Grandpa (my mother's father) was from Massachusetts but came to Arizona for the winter and stayed with us most years. I have given myself the evening off to do whatever I want to, since I got so much done today. I have the ornaments ready to have hanging cords added to them. I finished stuffing them and sewed up the opening in them this morning. Then from late morning till around 5pm, I worked on Joy's bridesmaid dress and I can say that it is hemmed...both the skirt and the underskirt. At that point it was time to take a break from that type of task!!! Tomorrow I will tackle Abigail's bridesmaid dress, and I "think" that I only have to do the skirt on hers and not the underskirt...fingers crossed!!! I plan to watch Matlock and Elsbeth tonight and maybe stitch some more on the cardinal sampler that I have been working on...something that isn't Christmas!!! Or..."maybe" I will work on the finishing touches on the ornaments...it would be nice for them to be finished, also. Plugging along...trying to be disciplined so I won't be doing any last minute ornament making the night before our family Christmas...which isn't all that far away as we are going to have our family celebration on the 21st. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 10

This ornament may make everyone cringe, when they realize just what it is...note the year embroidered on it and then look at the shape and folds/pleats in it. And, it is what it is...a miniature face mask depicting our plight in 2020 with the Covid Pandemic. I decided that I would make small face masks for each of my ornament recipients that year...as I felt that we needed to look back on that year and in years to come be thankful that the pandemic was over! I know that these masks didn't just hang on Christmas trees but some Santa and elf decorations wore them for protection against germs that Christmas season! We will remember that year+ with trepidition, but are now thankful that it is in our past! I'll try to have a more pleasant tale tomorrow!!! I have kept busy with tasks around the house...a little cooking (I made one of those turkey casseroles...so one less frozen package of turkey in the freezer! I also made some homemade hot fudge sauce, as I love to eat my Christmas tradition of peppermint ice cream with some hot fudge on it...a little indulgence of the season! Both hit the spot for my late lunch/early supper today! I managed to get the last of my cards into my mailbox before the postal carrier came today...so all cards mailed out and packages are off. I still have some cards that I will give with gifts and some that I will hand out to local friends. I made a list and have the cards ready to sign and put in the envelopes and put names on the envelopes. I have washed and dried and put away a load of clothes. And, have gone to and come home from Bible study so the day is drawing to a close. It's been a good day. I plan to watch a Christmas movie and work on ornaments this evening and maybe stitch a little before going to sleep. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 9

Tonight's photo has a fun story behind the way I got it. For years we met in someone's home for our Sunday School Class Christmas party. The year I received this cornhusk-style angel we met at Jeannie W's house. For years we had ornament exchanges...if you wanted to participate, you brought a wrapped Christmas ornament. We played various games over the years. The year I am referring to this time we played a type of Dirty Santa...where each participent was given a number and that number was in the "pot" three times, if I remember correctly, and when your number was called, you got to either choose a wrapped ornament or you could choose/steal an ornament that someone else had already unwrapped. This particular game can be quite time consuming and brings about many laughs and disappointed sighs when someone gets an ornament stolen from them that they really liked. There is usually an ornament or two that is quite coveted. And, this angel was one of those ornaments that changed owners several times during the game. I know that I got her and she got stollen from me and in the end my last number got pulled just before the end of the game and I got the prize...in other words, I stole this ornament in order to have her on my tree!!!! I think of that day and the person who gave her to me when I hang her on the tree each year. And, that person follows my blog...so...thank you, Brenda W., she is still being enjoyed all these years later! I have many angels on my tree so she is a part of that collection. I met a major goal today. I got my out-of-state packages mailed today and bought stamps so I can finish my cards. I am always so happy when that goal is met! I have been organizing things so I have room to work on cards again. I put away all the wrapping paper...so slowly the "things" that are gathered here in the family room so I can work on them are gradually being finished and what was needed for them is being put away. Still pretty much a jumbled mess on the card table and several TV trays...slowly but surely these things will be done and whisked away! Maybe in a couple of days I will be finished and get the room back to rights, again! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 8

Tonight's ornament tale is about how my needlework has evolved over the years. Tonight's ohotos show my first counted ornaments...these were needelepoint ornaments done on a blank needlework canvas using a graph on paper to show me the placement of the stitches. I can remember buying this needlework kit when my Aunt Lois was visiting and she got me started on how to do the counting. And, from there I have gone on to follow hundreds of graphs to create ornaments over the years on blank canvases, linen, even weave cloth, etc. for us and for gifts. Speaking of ornaments for gifts. Today I turned to and have been working on tasks that need to get done. Today's Christmas task was to wrap gifts for mailing and get them in their packaging and ready to send. I have been successful and have one package ready to take to the Post Office tomorrow. I have found the receptacle to mail the other gifts. I plan before i go to sleep tonight to have that ready for the mail tomorrow, too. Abigail came over yesterday and I/we hope the hem is in the right place because I plan to hem it where we left it yesterday. The wedding is fast approaching! I also got some more Christmas cards made today. I will get busy on the rest of those when the packages are mailed. I will get stamps when I go to the Post Office to mail packages. So then I can finish the cards and get them mailed. Once I have the card and wrapping mess out of the way, I will get back to finishing the rest of the ornaments. I will say that I did get quite a bit done on the ornaments over my virtual cross stitch retreat. I had them all sewn together before Friday and then when I was looking at things online and visiting with fellow stitchers, I turned and stuffed the ornaments. I still have a few to stuff and then it will be time to do the last steps on the ornaments and I will be able to say that all my ornament gifts will be ready to gift! It looks a little like Santa's workshop in my family room...just not toys...but cards, ornament finishings, wrapping paper, etc. 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

An Ornament Favorite: Day 7

The advent candle of peace was lighted at church today.

Ornament Tales: Day 6

Tonight's ornaments are two that I bought...but not at the same time. We had a little gift shop in our mall in Tullahoma and at Christmas time they carried ornaments of all kinds. I fell in love with the larger wooden Danish ornament and really wanted it for our tree, but it was more than I wanted to spend so...when I found the small sizr of the same ornament I decided that would do on our tree, but still really liked the larger ornament better. You will see a lot of bells on my tree due to the fact that I have a bell collection so it made sense (to me, at least) to extend that bell collection onto the tree! Now, on to the rest of the story about the Danish ornaments! After Christmas all the ornaments in that gift shop were on half price and the larger pair of bells hadn't been purchased and that ornament was still amongst the unsold ones. I wisked that one up and it has joined it's smaller twin on our tree ever since. I know that I bought this ornament when living at our former Tullahoma home... so it has hung on our tree for more than 40 years. And, I still really like both ornaments! Today was a special day for Esther and Patrick. A group of ladies at our church gave a super special shower for them. We had such a good time and Esther and Patrick are more set to start housekeeping! Melany, Alex, and Brooke joined us for the party. This afternoon I have been attending my virtual cross stitch retreat. I have been enjoying it, I have been able to talk with stitchers from the United States and around the world...around the world = Australia, Mexico, Canada, England, and probably more, those are the places I remember. I have also got to listen in on four or five needlework designers and listen to them answer questions that we could type to them. Last night I did what they call "speed dating!" You enter and tap that you are ready to join and they put with another stitcher and you talk to them for five minutes and then that "window" closes and they pair you with someone else. That was fun. I will probably enter what they call a "stitching room" and join several others in that "room" and then have what resembles a zoom meeting and we talk with one another and stitch. I have worked on finishing ornamaents and have also stitched for a while on a sampler. It is amazing to me how easy it is to get to know people who have a common interest with you! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 5

Tonight's ornaments feature cardinals and it was hard to choose which ones to post as I have quite a few cardinals on the tree. There a several reasons that I love cardinals...love their red color...looks so Christmasy on the tree! I haven't always lived where cardinals lived in abundance...like they do in TN. So when I lived in AZ and California, it was always special to see one. But cardinals were really important to Woody! He was a BIG fan of the St. Louis Cardinal baseball team...so cardinals took on an even more important meaning for our family! And, now that Woody is gone from us I think about the saying: "When Cardinals appear a loved one is near." So now I think of that saying and feel closer to Woody when I see cardinals. I am stitching a sampler at the moment that has that saying on it. Last year I stitched a cardinal on each of the ornaments that I gave to family members as a memory of Woody. I am having computer problems...it is not saving what I am typing...hoping that will change! I am in the midst of an online cross stitch event. I have had fun chatting with stitchers from all over the country and one from Mexico...so far. This will go on all weekend and I'm enjoying sitting and talking to fellow cross stitchers. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season! I'm posting this while the posting is good!!!

Ornament Tales:Day 4

Last night I mentioned that some ornaments on the tree reflect interests that our family has. Tonight's barn ornaments were given to me due to my interest in taking photos of barns. These remind of the many pleasant hours spent with Marie in the driver's seat and Carolyn and I along for the ride. The green pastel barn, Melany and family gave me a few Christmases back. And, Marie gave me the gingerbread barn. I have other barns on the tree, too. I guess 'tis the season to hang barns on my Christmas tree! I have reallly been busy today. I got my second group of Christmas cards out to be picked up by the mail carrier today. And, I just barely got them out there before he came by...my timing was perfect today! My next undertaking of the day was working on the Christmas ornaments that I stitched for a good part of the year. Today I pieced other fabric to the stitched ornament and now have 15 ornament fronts all ready to have a back cut and then stitched together and then turned. It is my goal to have the little pillow ornaments all ready to stuff during my cross stitching Zoom event that starts tomorrow. That job took all afternoon. I will cut out the backs while I watch my shows, Matlock and Elsbeth, this evening. Busy, busy times! After all, 'tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 3

Tonight's tale is one about my life, from childhood to now. Church has always been an important part of my life. These ornaments represent two of the three churches that i have been a part of. The gold ornament is my childhood to marriage church. This is the church Woody and I got married in. It's the First United Methodist Church in Glendale, AZ. This ornament was made for the church's 100th anniversary in 1994. This ornament has looked like the top photo since Mother gave it to me. Yesterday on Facebook my childhood friend posted a picture of her ornament that looks just like mine and she stated that she had designed this orhament for the centennial. Then I noticed that hers wasn't flat...I had never thought to bend the thin bands around the ornament...so it is like a new ornament on the tree after 20 years of it hanging flat! I can thank Randi for letting me know a little more about the tale of this orhament! The bottom photo shows an ornament that I just happened upon this ornament at an antique store. I couldn't resis getting it. I don't know when this was produced, as this was the first that I knew of it, when I found it. It can't be too old, as it shows the fountain in the park across the street from the sanctuary. I am glad to have both of these ornaments on my Christmas tree of memories. I like having things on the tree that represent our life and interests. More tales to come! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!I just looked at the photos...sorry about the blur on the middle one...I took it this morning and then hadn't looked at it. You can tell about me bending the pieces to make it 3-D.

Ornament Tales: Day 2

Tonight's ornaments are early Hallmark ornaments. I would say that theye are mid 70s...these look a bit different than today's very detailed Hallmark ornaments...I would say that the price of these ornaments is a lot different than today's also! The card ornament was sent to us from my Aunt Lois and Uncle Don...the little felt/yarn ornament is also from them. Melany and Nathan also got a type of this felt ornament from them the same year we got ours. Theirs are now in their possession. I just think that it is intersting as to how the Hallmark ornaments have evolved over the years. I don't think that the little choir boy is even marked as Hallmark. I'm sure that the card is marked on the back as Hallmark cards are. Today has been a busy 2nd day of December. I worked this morning getting the outside Fall decorations brought back inside and then put out the Christmas/Winter decorations...I don't do much outside...pillows on the rockers and glider and a wreath on the door, a doormat and a yard flag...oh, and, a snowman on one of the tables. While I was doing that I got a package containing new cushions for my glider rocker in the family room. I started getting the chair dusted and polished, but had to quit as I had a haircut appointment at noon and then I headed straight to the church as Donna and I had plans to work in the library. We got out Christmas books to display in the windows and on the top of the shelf for the children. Both this morning and afternoon, I worked on getting Thanksgiving foods ready to go in the freezer. I froze some gravy so it will be ready when I want to make enchiladas next. I also cut up and froze turkey so it is all ready for a casserole or two...perhaps Turkey Olé or Turkey Crunch...both recipes my Mother shared with us years ago. I washed the Fall pillow covers so they will be ready for next Fall. Then I wrestled with getting the chair cushions onto my chair...these are the heaviest cushions that I have ever seen/felt. They are supposed to be such that they won't flatten...I don't think that they will! The hardest was getting the chair back cushion tied on and getting adjusted to the right height since its weight was pulling it down. I think that I have gotten them positioned correctly now. I am pretty tired...but I would really like to go baste around Joy's hem. I got it pinned up last night before I went to bed. It is amazing how long it takes to baste around just one skirt! I need to get these done so the girls can come over and see if they are right or need to be adjusted more. Time is ticking away for this wedding...just three weeks from Saturday. Oh, my! I have a very busy weekend which includes a needlework event online. I am wanting to get the ornaments sewn up so I can stuff them while I am watching and/or visiting with stitchers. But time seems to be getting away from me. I also want to finish my cards and get my packages ready to mail to AZ and AL. All I can say to all this is: 'TIS THE SEASON! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Ornament Tales: Day 1

I have decided to share ornament stories during the month of December. I spent time this morning photographing some of the ornaments that I plan to tell about during the month. I decided to go waaaaay back with tonight's ornament tale...to our first Christmas. Mother and Daddy gave us this ornament our first Christmas...so Christmas 1969...55 years this eggshell ornament has survived...it even survived the year that the tree fell over. I think of it as a snowy Christmas Eve with people going to church for a candlelight service. It has hung on our Christmas trees in five homes and two states, First Tennessee and then California and then back to Tennessee. It is one of three ornaments made out of an eggshell that hang on my tree. It became a tradition in our families to exchange ornaments each year. My family in Arizona would send me ornaments and I would send them ornaments. That tradition continues to this day...the reason that I keep busy stitching ornaments for gifts and one of the reasons that I have so many ornaments! They also sent Melany and Nathan ornaments each year...but those ornaments have moved to their trees. So tonight's tale helps you understand how I have come to have so many ornaments on my tree...and...many others than family have added to my growing collection! Today has been busy. I managed to get the hem turned up on Abigail's bridesmaid's dress and got it basted. So it is ready for her to try it on again with the boots that she plans to wear for the wedding. I'm planning to get started doing the same to Joy's this evening. It's a long way around these skirts! I also started trying to get all my Thanksgiving cooking, which was done on Saturday under control...started getting it portioned out to put some in the freezer. First I ot the broth out and put it in freezer bags and then used the rest to make turkey and rice soup...some of which I plan to freeze also. I squeezed some leftover lemons and froze that juice, also. Lots going on to make a mess in the kitchen. I am about to run the dishwasher after I eat a bite of supper. I'm late eating because of Furnace Room Prayer Meeting. I guess we are settling in for a night of rain. It started to mist a little just asa I got to church, but was raining by the time we came out and I am hearing a nice gentle rain now. I'm glad that I am in and will be in till I go for a haircut tomorrow and then go to work in the library after that. Our overnight low is supposed to be 35 and tomorrow's high is supposed to be 38...brrrrr! But it was colder last night over night it got down to 25 and I think that we have more of those low temps ahead of us. I'm glad that I have plenty to do staying at home...I prefer home to going out when it is so cold! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!