Morning Glory Studio

Oh Christmas Tree...

Today I joined  my Thursday stitching group and did we ever have a treat: our hostess (she fixes the best vegetarian meals)  has at least eight trees, loaded with ornaments - some were from her mother - and delightful displays throughout the house. T'was a real treat to look at all the wonderful  decorated trees - each with a theme - and the displays. And to top it off: brunch was scrumptious. Here's a look:

T'was a great way to spend a Thursday: good food; good friends and delightful holiday decor!

What a treat! Joining Carole and others here...

Cheers~

...and yes, I know this is four...

unraveled wednesday | 13 december 2017 ...

 

 

 

Just think: only ONE Wednesday left before Christmas and TWO in 2017! Whoa! Time flies whether you're having fun --- or knitting ! Now that we can breathe a sigh of relief that Dolly's home, my plan is to knit the Santa Top This hat for one of our  little guys...probably Elias (even if can't wear until next year ); besides, I'm not sure Chris will wear - he seems partial to baseball-style caps, worn backwards, of course...

I haven't done much "reading for pleasure" over the past couple weeks - too tired to read more than a sentence or two before I fell asleep and ...

Life is slowly returning to normal and for that I am grateful. Looking forward to getting caught up with knitting, reading, stitching Elias's quilt and finalizing Christmas preparations.

Joining Kat and others for this week's update.* See you next week if not before. 

Cheers~

*I just spent the past hour with Comcast resolving a connection issue...seems that we need a new box - coming Friday!

Christmas in July...and other random things ...

 

 

Rummaging in my quilting studio closet today, I ran across a plastic bag filled with fabric for several quilted Christmas Tree wall hangings. I thought: Hmmm, never too soon to start either project, especially since one is hand stitched... And that discovery got me to thinking: Hmm -  Christmas is 5 months away  from today...suppose I turn this find , a bit of inspiration, into a blog post...

In honor of today's date, I started to make a list of  25 Random Things* 

1. Five months til Christmas Day
2. 151 days til Jan 1, 2018
3. 22 weeks left in 2017
4. Y is the 25th letter of the alphabet - how about a Yule log? Not needed today, no sirree...
5.  On 25 September,  in 62 days  I'll be in Oregon
6. My 25th blog post was 6 January 2010  - if I counted right
7. My 125th  - ??? - hard to say "cause Typepad doesn't enumerate the posts, just tracks the total number...
8. My 1,125 blog post was July 9 20017
9. My niece Christian is 25 years old
10. I turned 25 on Nov 15, 19__?__ 
11. Norman's birthday is 98 days away...1 November
12. My birthday is 113 days away...15 November ...
13.  - 25.  ????

I've run out of things that have absolutely no significance so, I invite you to share one (or more) Random Things ...

And in the meantime, enjoy Christmas in July! 

Cheers~

 

dec 24 | a musical Christmas Eve memory ...

 

    

                    The other night we watched an old time Christmas movie, well rather Norman watched; I think (know) I dozed off, only to be awakened by a boys' choir singing Schubert's Ave´Maria. I thought at the time...and still do...that Ave´Maria is one of the loveliest of songs, especially when rendered by the tender voices of young boys. The experience stirred a favorite childhood Christmas memory:

On Christmas Eve, after my sister and I had gone to bed (early, of course to hasten Santa's arrival), my parents would sit in the living room, drink eggnog, spiked with a tad bit o' whiskey and listen to Christmas music and arias from my mom's favorite operas. I know this of course because I would wake up - before Santa arrived - and go see if he indeed had. Nope - though I was assured that we would be awakened when he came - but not before midnight. So I was encouraged to return to bed. And, lo and behold, shortly after midnight, Santa came, delivered presents and we were awakened. My parents watched us as we hastily ripped off wrapping papers, accompanied by oohs and aahs... and played with our new toys

After a while, time came  for all of us to go to bed. My sister and I did and fell fast asleep, perhaps clutching a new baby doll or stuffed animal. My parents too fell fast asleep, knowing that they could sleep in in the morning and wouldn't miss out on our joy at seeing what Santa brought. And that we would play quietly until they awoke.

I searched for Ave´ Maria and found all sorts of versions; I chose this one*, by Pavarotti, one of my mother's favorite tenors. I hope you enjoy listening to it and that it brings happy memories for you, too. This version was recorded in 1978 and I thought it was more in keeping with the memory...both my parents were still alive then and would have spent their Christmas Eve listening to music...

 

Merry Christmas!

 

*Sorry, you will need to skip an ad. 

simply a moment | 15 december 2016

             15 december 2016        12:15 pm        25 degrees Fahrenheit        wnw 20mph        sunny

 

        This is a real PJ Day: sunny, albeit c-o-l-d; windy; the 20 mph winds make it feel like 9 degrees F. In the background, seasonal music. Yesterday was tiring, beginning with an 8 am doctor's appointment; a late breakfast at IKEA (my 3rd in less than 2 weeks?) and then, a trip to Columbia - 35 miles and my second in as many days, to meet up with a friend and former VA (virtual assistant), Laura from FL. She was in town for the ending session of the library staff training program I coordinated before I retired in 2010. 

We decided to go to Barnes & Noble to browse, relax and chat and then to Panera for a light supper. Afterwards, I dropped her off at her hotel and drove the 35 miles home, arriving about 8:30 pm. Long, long day.

This morning I've sat and spent the day , thus far,

• resting my weary bones; 
• catching up on email and blog reading; 
• writing my thoughts; 
• making lists;
• listening to the wind blow and the mad tinkle of the wind chimes.

In my journal, I write I am grateful for

• my warm home;
• food in the 'frig;
• two nickels to rub together - one which I'll give to charity; and
• memories tapped by the sounds of Silver Bells...

And as the wind swells and crescendos, I note as I'm typing this draft that Sydney Australia is suffering its hottest December night in recorded history! Go figure! 

Cheers~

 

watercolor wednesday | someday maybe...

 

            The longer I look at this photo, the more I see a quilt in its future...someday maybe...

think write thursday | several favorite Christmas traditions ...

 

 

        The tree!The tree! We never got nor decorated our tree until Christmas Eve day... in fact, I think most of our Christmas preparations: gift buying; cookie making; for sure, present wrapping, were allocated to Christmas Eve day. So, you can imagine how we -my sister, 4 years younger - and I whiled away the days til Dec 24: we'd cut branches from evergreen bushes and make our own trees, using cola bottles or jelly jars as stands. And make the decorations from construction paper and pictures cut out from magazines. And we'd find berries, string them and sometimes, hang a bracelet or a ring or some other piece of jewelry for lights. When Christmas Eve Day arrived, we were beside ourselves with anticipation and excitement as we went with my dad to get the tree and home to set it up and decorate it. My most favorite part of decorating the tree was putting on the icicles; Do people still use them? Are they even available ? Some people meticulously hung the silver tinsels, one at a time. Not me; I loved to stand the correct distance and throw a clump at a time. 

These days, ours is a white artificial tree that comes with lights pre-strung. Last year I didn't hang any ornaments...and I'm debating if I will, this year. I have ornaments from decades ago and I enjoy looking at them, recalling the stories that surround most: when I got them; who gave them to me... but  I'm just undecided about whether or not I'll display them...

Another Christmas favorite tradition is listening to Christmas music, ranging from popular tunes to The Mormon Tabernacle singing Handel's Messiah. My dream, once upon a time, was to sing the Messiah at the Kennedy Center: every seat in the opera house is filled  with plain old folks, some who can sing and others, like me, who can't carry a tune in a bucket...but we all love the Messiah. Alas, tickets to this event are coveted and I've not been so lucky. But I can listen to a CD and I do!

Finally, I have to include Christmas cards and letters --- the hearing from friends near and far if even just once a year. As a child, I remember Sunday delivery of Christmas mail... Even today, tho' sending and receiving cards has tapered off, it's still a delight to get a card from an old-time friend or former work colleague. Following in my mother's tradition tho',  I send New year's cards...

What I most remember and savor about Christmas are the feelings and memories that remembering and revisiting traditions - some old, some new - bring. 

Go  here to read others' memories of their favorite traditions. And enjoy revisiting your memories too.

Cheers~

dec 6 : the story of today - decorating

 

        The temperature has hovered  between 41 and 43 degrees Farenheit all day, accompanied by rain, drizzle and even a bit of sleet. Fortunately, not cold enough to freeze or make sidewalks and roads slippery. Today: perfect for focusing on the #1 item on today's list: Dec -or-ate!

Since about 10 AM, I have been on my feet, setting up the tree - it's artificial; pulling out ornaments, moving chairs here, there, nah, back here, there, nah... listening to Christmas music (enough of stock market babble and mindless chatter about the latest tweet from...) and generally making myself tired...so, I'd  stop for a rest, read a bit and then, resume my project.

It'a 4:50 PM and I have gone as far as I can, today: the tree is assembled and waiting for me to don the ornaments. I'm debating if I want to bother...last year I didn't and enjoyed the lights just as much...Next on my list is to visit my favorite nursery to buy poinsettias, evergreens for the mantle and the dining room table and possibly the window sills; and a wreath for the front door. I think that'll "dood it," as Norman is fond of saying. Maybe I'll go poinsettia shopping on Friday; it's supposed to be a sunny day and that will make for a nice outing - plus, I have to return some items to IKEA and both places are in the same direction on the same main thoroughfare: US 1. Hmmm, sounds like a plan. Yep, I think that's what I am going to do. 

For now, I'm going to pour a glass of wine and rest my weary bones. Read, stitch and rest. And probably hit the bed early. Last night I was up waaay past bedtime; tomorrow I'll have to share that story! Til then, have a great life.

Cheers~

dec 25 | "let there be peace on earth...

...and let it begin with me..."

 

Listen to a rendition by the Harlem Boys Choir here.

Peace ~

dec 17 | lighting the way...

 

        Years ago, I was a children's librarian - always so much fun. Over the course of my career, I graduated to a variety of administrative positions - one of which was manager of a medium -sized library  - where the above photo of me (yep! that's me) was snapped, circa 1997.

The occasion: the last children's preschool story-time before Christmas. As part of the annual event, the children were taken on a parade through the branch - mostly, to the adult side (which they rarely visited). Staff would dress up for the occasion and here you have me in my "Rudolph the Reindeer" gear, a sweater with all sorts of Christmas  motifs and if you look very closely, a turtle-necked shirt with Christmas Scottie dogs.  

I spent most of the day looking for this photo - so glad I found it -and working on my annual December Daily/JYC album.  I thoroughly enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Seeing those antlers reminds me of another memory that involves the bébé's mom - Dolly. I must write up that story for him... TBC...

 

Cheers~