The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It is a most wonderful time of the year and very busy time of the year:  baking, shopping, wrapping gifts, mailing Christmas cards.  One of my favorite trees, my all handmade ornament tree.

 Another view of the hand made ornament tree.  AppleJack asks me how many hours he thinks I have spent stitching these ornaments, I have no idea.  Each time I see this tree it makes me wish I had spent more hours.

The snowman ornament took on special meaning today:  It was 73 degrees yesterday and I was raking leaves and sweating.  We awoke this morning to a chilling 23 degrees and snow!  Don't think a white Christmas is forecast but certainly a cold Christmas.   Brrrrr sure glad we have those mugs for hot cocoa

Merry Christmas!  

Feather Trees and Baskets

Feather trees were first created in Germany in the 1880's or 1890's and are considered one of the first types of artificial Christmas trees.  Goose, turkey and swan feathers were a plentiful commodity on the farms and easily transformed into Christmas trees.  Feathers were dyed green and wired to wooden sticks and then drilled into a dowel into the shape of a typical white pine German tree.  Artificial berries were attached onto the ends of some branches and wire candle holders adorned others.  The branches were placed some distance apart so ornaments were easily hung and admired and lit candles would not burn other branches.  The American market was first introduced to feather trees by German immigrants in Pennsylvania and Texas.

AppleJack and I have used this feather tree for many Christmas seasons.  Don't look to closely--some of the red berries at the tips of the branches are missing, our cats, Miss Katie and the General, ate the berries.  The tree is decorated with miniature white oak baskets, some barely measure one inch.  We have been collecting the baskets for several years.  The baskets are a reminder of our Appalachian heritage.  This year we were fortunate enough to find more miniatures at the spring wool festival in Dickson.  The sampler behind the feather tree is Stacy Nash's Christmas at Hollyberry Farm.  Gulp, the design was released in 2012, it took me a few years, but I finally have a Christmas sampler to enjoy.  Kinda makes me want to stitch another Christmas sampler, maybe after I finish stitching And Heaven and Nature Sing.

Christmas Memories by Liberty Hill 2008

December 2008

This Christmas memories box is meant to be a replica of a present that a child, living in about the late 1800's might have received for Christmas.  A handmade box filled with special little presents such as sewing smalls which included a needle book in its own wool pocket, a ring to keep her threads on, a Christmas tree thread winder and a little house to hang on her scissors or to wear as a necklace on a ribbon.  In the decorated box, there might have also been a special ornament for their tree and some candy canes.  As you use this little box, may it bring Christmas memories of your own.

Liberty Hill

One of my favorite Christmas enjoyments!  This Liberty Hill Christmas box is placed under the Christmas tree with the stitched or handmade ornaments and enjoyed from one Christmas season until the next.  Thanks for the memories Liberty Hill.

The Nutcracker Parade

It's time for the nutcracker parade!  The mantel is one of the first things I decorate for Christmas.  Listening to the music of The Nutcracker is relaxing--love the Dance of the Sugar Plum Faeries.

Yum Yum I'll take another cup of that boiled custard/eggnog.

The nutcrackers are standing in their own Black Forest of trees, collected over the years, carefully stored from one Christmas season to the next and delicately placed on the mantel.  AppleJack has a different description.

Hard to resist those toothy smiles and big blue eyes

This year I added a cranberry swag.  

Christmas Mugs and Hot Chocolate

Finally a break in the weather!  Fall missed us this year, we had Summer I followed by Summer II.  There were many days in October when the temps were in the 80's.  Fall I missed you!  This morning when I took my walk, it was 43 degrees and it felt wonderful.  With the arrival of cooler temps comes a change in seasonal recipes.

Last year, I treated myself to one of the Christmas mugs offered by Primitive Gatherings.  Christmas mug 2015 featured a tree, mug 2016 is a snowman in frosty blue color.  Mug 2014 was a star--I missed the boat on that one.  Nothing more relaxing or warming than a good cup of hot chocolate by the fire.  Below is one of Martha Stewart's recipes for hot chocolate.

• 4 cups milk
• 2 split vanilla beans
• 19 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate cut into small pieces
• whipped cream
• chocolate shavings

Heat milk to scalding in a medium saucepan.  Add split vanilla beans.

Let steep 10 minutes

Remove saucepan from heat, strain, and return to saucepan

Reheat milk, using a whisk, stir in chocolate until the chocolate is melted and the milk is frothy

Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream

Garnish with chocolate shavings

Here is an easy homemade Hot Chocolate Mix to be shared with friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.

3 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups cocoa

1 tablespoon salt

In a large bowl, combine, sugar, cocoa and salt and whisk to combine well.  Store the mixture in an airtight container.  For individual services, pour 1 cup whole milk into a microwave safe mug and microwave on high just until hot.  Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix and stir to dissolve.  For a larger batch of cocoa, warm the milk in a saucepan set over medium-low heat, taking care not to let the milk boil as it warms.  Stir in two tablespoons of mix for each cup of milk.

Saint Valentine

Being a history lover, I decided to do some research on Valentine's Day.  I was unprepared to learn Valentine's Day is not all roses. 

 

 

There are various theories on the origin of Valentine's Day, one of the most popular dates back to the time of the Roman Empire during the reign of Claudius II, 270 A.D.  Claudius did not want men to marry during wartime because he believed single men made better soldiers.  Bishop Valentine went against his wises and performed secret wedding ceremonies.  For this, Valentine was jailed and then executed by order of the Emperor on February 14.  While in jail, Valentine wrote a love note to the jailor's daughter, signing it, "from your Valentine."  Sound familiar.

 

 

Many believe the X symbol became synonymous with the kiss in medieval times.  People who could not write their names signed in front of a witness with an X.  The X was then kissed to show their sincerity. 

 

A love knot is a symbol of undying love, as its twisting loops have no beginning and no end.  In the past, they were made of ribbon or drawn on paper to prove one's eternal love.  The most fantastic gift of love is the Taj Mahal in India.  It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as a memorial to his wife.

 

The ancient Romans celebrated the Feast of Lupercalia on February 14 in honor of Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and goddesses, Juno was also the goddess of women and marriage. 

 

 

All these years I have thought Valentine's Day was about selling cards, flowers and chocolates--time for me to expand my world and thought process.

Christmas 2016

Welcome 2016!  While I was packing away Christmas decorations, I found these embossed prints.  One of the reasons, I seldom organize my sewing area is after my cleaning and organizing I can never find anything.

I had "organized and packed" Christmas decorations so well, I had forgotten I had these.  The top one is called Christmas Album and the bottom one is called Poinsettia.  Since I will never be able to appliqué or reproduce such miniatures, I resorted to the next best thing--embossed prints.  Now, that these treasures have been located, I will be sure to include them in Christmas decorations 2016.

And Heaven and Nature Sing

The time between Christmas and New Year's is wind down time for me.  After all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I use this time as quiet time to pack away Christmas, start my holiday list and work on projects.  Each year I try to stitch one Christmas design.  This is And Heaven and Nature Sing.  I asked AppleJack what he thought and he told me he thought it was a Queen Anne coffee table whose legs are gone amuck!  Hmm, guess I need to get busy on that deer.

Country Sampler--Stacy Nash Girls Club

December 25th Pinkeep

Have also been working on the last Country Sampler kit by Stacy Nash--will make a great addition for the dough bowl.  Thank goodness this design does not require a great deal of concentration as AppleJack and I have been watching College Bowl games.  The stitching is much more enjoyable when our teams are winning.

Home for the Holidays

When I moved into my first apartment (a 100 years ago) and started doing needlework, I decided I wanted to have a Christmas tree with all handmade ornaments.

 



It has taken many years and I finally have a tree with handmade ornaments. The tree is a table topper tree and if I decide to go to a larger tree it will involve more stitching.  The tree sits inside my dry sink and is in Grandmother Bessie's room. At night with the tree light's on, the room seems magical.

Each year, I try to stitch at least one Christmas item.  This year I added Just Nan's Merry Christmas.

This is a Christmas quilt I made several years ago.  Oh those HST's they seem to be a recurring theme in my quilt making.

My old dough bowl filled with some Christmas goodness.  

See the date on the deer--he has been around for a few years.

A co-worker asked me if I still believed in Santa Claus.  Yes!  I will always believe in the spirit of giving and unselfish acts of kindness.

Dried oranges and pomegranates--makes the house smell so good.



Fourth of July Weekend

Three day weekends, aren't they great?  We went to a baseball game--the Sounds won!

The game took an unusual turn when the home plate umpire was struck in the forearm.  Ouch!  Poor fellow, he immediately when to his knees.  This is a discussion between the team managers and remaining umpires on how to proceed with the game one umpire short.

The mascot was dressed in his patriotic Uncle Sam outfit.

There was lots of rain on the Fourth, but it did not keep the neighbors from celebrating.  There were bombs bursting in air in the wee hours of the night/morning.

Thank goodness Miss Callie Mae was unaffected by all the noise made by the fireworks.

With an extra day and all the rain, I took advantage and finished Currants, Coxcomb and Rose by The Goode Huswife.  

Three days weekend, they are great!

The season of Red White and Blue

Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays!  It's the unofficial beginning of summer.

Backyard picnics and barbecues, flags flying all over town.

Time to change the spring decorations to summer decorations.

With Memorial Day, Flay Day and July 4th so close together there is lots of red, white and blue to enjoy.

The bow tie quilt, perfect for Memorial Day and Father's Day.

Love me some red fabric!  Hard to choose a favorite bow tie, but this one is in the running.

This star border will always be a favorite and quilted so beautifully by Susan, the long armed quilter.

Yes, the dishes are included in the change of decorations.

There was one uninvited guest for the Memorial Day kick off to summer--poison ivy.  Yes, I'm talking to you poison ivy!  

Red, white and blue--let the summer time of celebration begin!

Welcome Spring!

• First day of spring is also called the vernal equinox.  Vernal and equinox are Latin terms meaning spring and equal night respectively:  twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of darkness (or there about).
• Spring is a season for ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection, and regrowth.

• Plants begin to grow in Spring because of ample availability of water, light, warmth and soil (compost).
• Flooding is common in and near mountainous area because of melting of snow.
• Hurricane season begins in late spring and Tornado Alley is most active this time of the year
• Spring marks the transition from Winter to Summer
• The sun rises in the earlier hours of the morning and sets later on in the afternoon, the days get slightly warmer

• Spring flowers start to appear, birds start building their nest and the farmers deliver new born lambs

882 Curtiswood Lane

Today we went to Bill and Crissy's house to look at their decorations.  Who are Bill and Crissy you ask, they are the governor and first lady of Tennessee.  They have no idea who we are.

The theme for this year was Tennessee landscapes  show casting  Tennessee's fifty-six (56) State Parks.  Some stats on the parks:  200,000 acres, 2,100 campsites, 1,000 miles of hiking trails and host to more than 35 million visitors each year.  In Tennessee there is a state park within an hour's drive of just about anywhere in the state.

This tree (which I thought was a little weird) represents the water basins in Middle Tennessee.  Middle Tennessee is one of the most cave rich areas in America.  National Geographic hailed the Duck River, one of the many rivers in Tennessee as one of four most biologically diverse rivers in the world.  

These acorns were made from yard and pine cones--very cool.

The skirt of this dress was made from willow branches.  

The parks are full of wild life and the Haslam's home was also full of wild life.

Bobcats

Wild turkeys

Davy Crockett left his coon skin hat behind.

I was all into nature and appreciating the natural beauty of the state until I came across the tree using shed snake skin as garland.  Yikes!  Needless to say, being super afraid of snakes, I was out of there.

My favorite tree was the one decorated with corn shuck angels made by area school children.

This year, three of the four Haslam grandchildren were born.  Mrs Haslam asked for four small trees to be decorated and placed under the grand stairwell.  The taller tree is for their oldest grandson, the pink tree is for their grand daughter and the two smaller blue and green trees are for the two grandsons born this year.  The sentimental part of me thought this was a very special touch by a Grandmother for her grandchildren.

Thanks for the tour!