Aw! The sleepover was well . . . SO CUTE, so I had to add in one more photo of the three mice crowded around my rickety white board.
Speaking of mice, Miss Bug received a little mouse to go with her bigger mouse of a few Christmases ago. I adore the face!
I baked a batch of peanut butter cookies, but that was it. We gobbled candy instead. Chocolate is everyone's choice anyway. Sometimes my mom serves chocolates for desert. That's a good idea, right?
Kelli's new house is VERY pretty with lovely Colorado land views all around.
For now, the girls are all in one bedroom (the other bedrooms are downstairs, too far away from Mama and Papa Bear). Doesn't this remind you of Nanny McPhee?
My mom's gift to the girls: their own Christmas trees. Because they moved right before the big day, they liked having their own trees. The decorations are so candy-like. They insisted on angels on top.
This was a horse Christmas for them. Do you see the floppy horse on the left? He's a puppet. I can't wait to play with him when I stay over.
This is what the country looks like in Colorado.
The house doesn't have a pantry, so Bryan found this big barn board cupboard at his favorite antique store. Isn't it funky?
Can you believe the stove? Fancy! I hope I can remember how to turn on the oven.
I'd like a pat on the back for dragging out my ripples. Somewhere, I messed up a bit, so I'm trying to correct. This will be a big pillow, not a blanket.
I remembered the pattern for this alpaca cowl I'm making for a friend and I found another skein of yarn. Yay! It feels extremely cuddly.
I am an amateur crocheter. I really don't get it, but some how I ended up with A LOT of crochet hooks. Do you see the old "60 cents" package? A granny gave that to me.
Here's a bit of my Christmas book love. Annotated Anne? Yippee!
This is FUN to read. Smells and the secrets of smells. VERY good reading.
Bill bought me a very impractical item (x4!) from my Amazon wish list. YAY! When I was a kid, we had a collection of bunny cups that my mom used when serving us cocoa. A few of them were broken over the years and none of us kids could agree on whose was whose. I have such a soft spot in my heart for bunny dishes. Now I have a nice little set of four to use when three nice people come over for second breakfast or a cookie break.
This book is about making a garden a play place. Yes!
I read this book 25 years ago and I didn't have it anymore, so I wanted to read it again. It's a good read.
Polka dot mugs from my sweetie, too. I love spots.
Some people don't like getting household things for gifts. I'm not one of those people. My mama cooked with a cast iron skillet like this and it was so useful. Tomorrow, a pot roast will slow cook. You can make pizza with these lovelies, too. Kelli also gave me new pots! I have to rearrange and give away some of the junk in my little cupboards so I can start using them.
Another little thing, The Poetry Foundation is a wonderful site. There is a very handy free app for your iPad or phone, too. Also, Poetry 180 (Library of Congress) is lovely.
Okay, sorry to hop around so much (I know. I always do.)
Thank you for your friendly visits and kind words of comfort. YOU are a SWEETIE PIE.
Happy after Christmas to you! I have had the flu. I missed Christmas (sad!) because I was in bed. Bill cooked the meal (it smelled very good!) I could hear the girls and their families, but I couldn't get my aching head off the pillow. Ouch. I'm very thankful for a body that recovers from such blows and I'm taking it slow as I revive. Whew!
We have snow this morning. Beautiful! We're going to chug on over to Kelli's new house this morning (I'll take pictures of the land, the barn, and the white scenery) and Jenny, Sam and Plum Cake are coming for lunch. YAY!
I keep a collection of tiny home images and woodsy spots and I revisit them constantly. I have a new gardening book for spring planning, but now pre-January and all, I like thinking about peace and calm, slowing down. Staying home, away from the hustle and bustle, sounds perfect.
Soon I'll be sleeping over with grand kids while parents take a short trip. There is nothing like the slow rhythm of "all day play" days especially because Granny is not a the top of her game just yet. Back to the woods topic (sorry!) and a perfect song by Nickle Creek http://youtu.be/-e0VkWRYaMI
Susan Branch's house drawings are my favorite. This one can be our house in the woods, any house can really.
Being lost in the woods and stuck there, well that's not so good, but walking toward stability and peace is very good.
When I was sick, I watched a little television and I'm even more convinced than ever that I like to limit viewing to peaceful and lovely films. I can't stand the greed and the base assumptions of advertisers. Do they really think EVERYBODY wants and wants and wants? Ugh.
We're starting poetry at school. I hope the students will want to watch words dance and find some familiar voices in verse. They watch the screen way too much and there isn't much poetry on television. Shocker.
I've been using A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson as support beneath my floppy journal. I read the rhymes often and they are comforting. The Tasha Tudor illustrations light up the pages. The whole book has a soft and soothing hum to it.
I hope the air around you hums as December and another year come to a close.
(I've noticed even when I publish some comments, they don't show up. Every now and then I go back into the dashboard and republish them. Weird. I think Blogger is on overload. Thank you for your kind comments. I read and enjoy each one and I never reject them. I'm not sure why that happens. Blogger needs a maintenance overhaul, I fear.)
We have a sprinkling of snow and a busy household! Three sweetie pies slept over. Granny slept on the couch. Ouch.
We're "pausing" from our routine and thinking Christmas thoughts with good children.
We decorate cookies that are so covered in "pretty toppings" that the cookies don't look edible (and really aren't) afterwards. Ha!
About now I feel like perching myself on the bed and reading my book all day. All day.
Sweet women everywhere are thinking about meals and shiny floors. Sugar plums, too.
Elves are finishing up all the delights, right?
All I have to say today in my small "pause" is, "Whew. I'm ready." This weary world needs the Savior. Every moment. Every day. Forever.
I was reluctant to participate in Betty the Wood Fairy's angel swap. I lose track of "dates" and deadlines in December and I didn't want to disappoint. I'm glad I decided to swap because Nancy sent me the most beautiful wood fairy for my tree! I used her photo (I hope that's okay, Nancy) because it is better than mine. Yay for friends who like to swap.
Nancy graciously emailed and said something like, "Don't go to a lot of trouble, Pom Pom. You have a lot going on." How kind! Her generous words inspired me. Bill said, "It isn't really an angel or a fairy." Ha! True! Oh well, Nancy likes my "girls" and their hearts.
We had Advent at our house on Sunday. Miss Bug wore her blue shoes so she could dance to Grampy's guitar carols!
Sweet Christie and Jeff came, too!
As Grampy strummed and sang, the girls danced with glee! JOY!
Notice sneaky Uncle Jeff?
I have two more days of school and then "let the festivities continue" here at home. I had my evaluation/observation at school this week and that is always stressful with lots of paperwork and prep. This Saturday night, three grands are sleeping over. Cookies! Christmas books! Walks! Hugs and kisses! Yay!
I hope you are enjoying the day-to-day joy of the Advent season! Thank you for coming by!
