A CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS CRAFT

I hoped you enjoyed the beautiful music I left you the other day.  I will be sharing more beautiful Christmas music every week until Christmas.

It has been a busy couple of days around here.  I have managed to complete quite a few Christmas projects which makes me feel better.  I am working on some knitted projects for gifts now, so hopefully I will be able to complete those in a week or so.

We had some snow, so the ground is now covered, but the temps are supposed to rise above freezing in the next few days so no doubt it will all melt again.

I have started decorating the main floor of our home.  I have strung some lights, hung some banners, and today I set the tree up.  It is not decorated yet - I will get to that on the weekend.  I wasn't going to put my tree up this early, but my eldest brother and his wife from the Yukon will be here visiting next week, so I thought I would make the house festive for their visit.  It has been a few years since we have seen each other, so we are really looking forward to their visit.

I downsized my tree and my decorations a couple of years ago to fit our small house - now my tree is almost too small for this house, and I could use a lot more decorations to fill three floors of space...

I took this picture to show you my crazy Hoya plant.  See it just behind the doll standing on the floor.  I have two of these, one in the kitchen on top of the fridge and this one.  Since moving here, they have both sprouted long shoots that almost strangle you when you walk by!  I guess they like their new environment.

I will take another picture when I am finished with my decorating.





When I was going through my ornaments today, I came across a small bear ornament that was made by my Aunt about 30 yrs ago.  I made a few of these years ago as well.  It occured to me that anyone looking for a quick and easy Christmas Craft project to make with children could try this one.

All you need for supplies is some walnuts and hazelnuts, some red craft paint -  A package or two of small brown pompoms - the dollar stores have these.  Some red felt, a bit of white cotton swabs or fiberfill ( anything fuzzy and white) you could even use a thick white yarn... and a piece of black ribbon and voila...

You have a bear!

Isn't he cute? These would make a great children's craft for Christmas.

Next week I will have some photos of the things I have been working on the past few months!

Have a good weekend everyone!

WHAT SWEETER MUSIC!

I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted here.  It was not intentional on my part, but I do have a rather lame excuse - if anyone is interested in hearing it!

I always write my posts in the evening between 8 and 11 pm; and I usually write for the next day.  I find it easier to write when I can't see out my window by my desk - because when I can see out - my mind wanders, so evening is perfect, because it is dark out, it is quiet downstairs ( Molly has been out and is asleep, Gary usually is down in the man cave) and I am free to let my thoughts gather so I can write.

BUT

W network has been showing Christmas movies every day for weeks now, and will continue to do this until Christmas.  Have I told you what a sucker I am for those sappy, hokey Christmas movies?  Well I am.  We have been recording them every day, and yes - every evening between 8 and 11 - guess what I have been doing?

Believe it or not - I have yet to come across one that I have already seen - which is pretty unusual, I think.... but there it is!

I don't want to make myself sound lazy or anything.  I have also been hard at work at making gifts, and I have even started my Christmas shopping!

Last Friday night was the Christmas Parade and Moonlight madness where businesses stayed open all evening.  My cousin Lorne and his wife Debra, joined us for the evening and we took in the festivities.  It was not a bad evening outside, we had a bit of snow on the ground, so we watched the parade as it went past our house, and then we walked downtown to do some shopping.   It was a fun evening - made more so, because we shared it with them!

I thought I had set up my camera so I could take night shots, but sadly I let the floats get too close to me and all my pictures turned out the same - black background with big colourful orbs across the photos... not too swift.

Guess I need to do a lot of practicing when it comes to night photography.

What little snow we had then, has all melted, but the next few days we are supposed to get more snow and colder temperatures, so perhaps this time it will stick around.

I am going to leave you with something very close to my heart.  My son was a boy chorister for many years and so it became commonplace for us to listen to the most beautiful music all year long, but most especially at Christmas.  Four years ago I too joined a very special choir where this music was appreciated and performed regularly.

Have a listen to  "WHAT SWEETER MUSIC", by John Rutter, performed by The Choir of King's College, Cambridge  in the UK.  This takes me back to when my son belonged to just such a choir as this... and John Rutter's compositions are a particular favourite of mine.

Enjoy!


https://youtu.be/pZa3vMKwq38

WHERE IS EVERWOOD ANYWAY?

Do you remember that sappy TV show in the 90's called "Finding Everwood"?  I actually did like the show, but it sometimes seemed that the town of Everwood was too perfect -  almost a fantasy town.

Sometimes, I think I have moved to there - to Everwood!  Who knew such a town really could exist !

Seriously, even I who have been associated with small country towns all my life, have kind of been blown away by this town we have moved to.  I don't know what I expected it to be like, really - but every time I turn around, I am struck happy again!

I know, enough already with the " I am so lucky to be here talk"!  The thing is, a lot of people...okay I am going to say most people living in big cities forget the true pleasure of living in their communities...that might be because their community doesn't really even exist in the true meaning of a community.  An area bordered by certain streets does not a community make...only people make a community.  I lived in a thriving community in the big city for 16 years, but very little in that community gave me pleasure or made me feel like I actually belonged to a community at all.

Back to finding Everwood...

Monday morning around 8 AM, I was sitting in my chair in the living room having my first cup of coffee when a tractor went by carrying a man in the bucket accompanied by a bunch of very large snowflakes.  I watched them making their way down the street, then returned to my coffee and my morning check on Face book.

Within 10 minutes they were back and this is what I saw out my sun room window.  Not only did they hang the snowflake, but they also hung a wreath beneath it - and both light up!  So what, you say.  So - this is not downtown Winnipeg, it isn't even trendy Corydon Ave.  where I used to live.  All they could manage when they remembered our street which was supposed to be decorated every year because of the Piazza across the street, was a faded tattered red material bow!

The same fella who is putting that snowflake up, is also the guy who all summer long watered the huge basket of flowers that hung from that pole and the huge tubs of flowers on every corner of the street.  He is also the same fellow who smoothed out the gravel on every driveway approach in town (ours included), filled every pothole in town, and graded every gravel back lane in town, several times.  I'll bet he is going to be the fellow that also clears the snow from the streets and sidewalks, and I judging from his behaviour this summer, I'll also bet that he clears everyone's driveway approach of snow before moving down the street.

To say this Municipality (community) takes pride in it's appearance, is an understatement to be sure.  The residents and the municipality here are proud of this town, they keep it clean, they pretty it up, they keep it safe.  

There are posters everywhere about the Christmas activities here in this town.  I have not seen the word Holiday used once... it is CHRISTMAS all the way.

Families are getting together for a hayride around town, two stops will be made.  One at the nursing home, where all the riders will hop off the sleigh, enter the facility and sing Christmas Carols for the residents there.   The other stop will be at the senior complex where again carols will be sung.  Then everyone will gather for hot chocolate and cookies afterwards.

No cost - just bring your voice, and your community spirit.  This is not an organized group of people doing a nice thing for some people at Christmas, this is a community doing a nice thing for the people of their community.  There is a vast difference.

Sappy?  

Many would say so, but not me.  This is a community where people care about one another, this is where Happiness and Goodwill abound.

Yup.... I am pretty sure I have landed in Everwood!

Incidentally - the snowflake was lit that same night - the darn thing is so bright it shone in my bedroom window all night.  It kept me awake at first because I have become accustomed to the pitch black of the night here...but then I reminded myself of the room darkening shades I used to have to sleep behind in order to block the many street lights on the street where I used to live, and the sirens, and the honking cars and buses...and the next thing I knew it was morning...

COUNTRY COTTAGE HERE I COME

Another weekend, come and gone.  We had beautiful weather here, bright sunny skies, and warm temperatures, so we took advantage of the nice weather, and finished hanging our Christmas lights on the outside of the house.  This house is much larger than our last one, so we were very short of lights.  Good thing for us our new ACE hardware had a really great sale on LED lights.  a sting of 70 lights was only 9.00.  So we bought enough to finish the job.

I still want to buy some pine garland to make swags under my windows like I did at the other house, but that will have to wait until we can get to a Walmart later this month.

Not all the weekend was happy.  I would be remiss if I did not mention the terrible tragedy in Paris on Friday.  There is nothing I can say that has not been already said, but I do want to express my heart-felt sorrow for those who lost their lives, and for the families and friends they left behind.  There are no words for the devastation friends and families of the victims are feeling...  they all are in my prayers.

I am finally able to walk without pain again, so Molly was the recipient of several long walks this weekend.  It was enjoyable to be out with just a light jacket, but my resident weather watcher informs me that all that enjoyable weather is about to depart - perhaps for good. We are heading back into rain, and then some significant snow amounts for the end of the week with much colder temps to go with it.

I am happy about this, because Friday night the town has their parade, and festival of lights.  The whole town switches on, and the downtown is staying open until midnight, with shopping and festivities for everyone.

I started a little decorating inside the house as well.  I have huge windows in my sun room and living room, and so I decided this year I wanted to do something with the windows themselves.  So I bought several rolls of electrical tape and got to work turning my old fogged up windows into gorgeous windows straight out of "Christmas in Connecticut".  Oh, they look so country cottage now!

Here are the two windows in my sun room... aren't they pretty now?  This smaller window needs a wreath or something to hang in it, so I got busy and made a small shabby chic rag wreath that will hang down this window from a wide ribbon.

Here is the wreath before it was done... it is going to look cute in that window beside Chip.

This is the big window in the sun room.  Our Christmas Tree will be in front of this window, but that is a long way off yet.

So if you want to make some of those rag wreaths, they are so easy.  Actually I remember making something like this when I was a kid, only we didn't use material - back then that would have been considered very wasteful.  But we did use the bags that were over your dry cleaning when it came back from the cleaners.  Ours were sort of a blue colour, so my Dad bent a coat hanger until it was round, Mom and I cut the bags up into strips and then into 4 inch long pieces and we tied them on the coat hanger.

It was a gorgeous big blue wreath when we were done.  Mom hung that wreath on her front door for years.

For the rag wreath you can do the same thing - if you want to do a big wreath use a coat hanger ( you can still get them free from the cleaners). For that size wreath I would cut your strips of fabric about 5 inches long - you can always trim the wreath when you are done.

The ring I used was an old macrame ring I had laying around.  It was only about 6 inches across.  I cut my strips about 4 inches, and them trimmed them down a bit after.  Don't cut them too short, or you will have trouble tying them on the the ring.

I am going to do a couple more for my upstair studio windows in a Christmas print... They take no time, and hardly any materials.  Use your scraps of material or if you don't have any of that, go to the thrift store and see what piece of clothing you can buy to cut up.... wash is first though!

My peppermint wreath was a dress I wore in the 1980's -I kept the dress because I always thought maybe I could make something from the material - I'll bet I was thinking a dress for a doll!

Happy Crafting!

REARRANGING MOTHER NATURE

While I have been working up stairs in my studio, trying to get caught up on some Christmas projects, my mind has been on my gardens.  Most specifically next years gardening season.  I have been reading gardening articles, searching stories on prairie gardening, and listening to neighbours and others in this area talk about their gardens.

Sometimes I work at my little school desk from the 40's which sits in the kitchen in front of the window looking out to the back yard.  Truth be told, I really don't get much done there, because I can't take my eyes off the yard outside.  There is so much I want to do to this part of the yard, I hope that this time next year, it won't look anything like it does right now!

Here is what I see when I look out my window from my seat at my little school desk.  Well it is not looking this sunny or green anymore, but I just want you to see the blank slate I am working with.

This is a side yard, we call it the back yard.  It is bordered on the west by three huge Blue Spruce trees and then a row of Karaganda Hedge, which actually takes up a good 6 ft of our property and continues across the back around to the east side and all around are whole property.

The spruce trees most likely will have to go, as they are creating a very acidic garden especially this fall, the ground is covered with pine needles and cones from all the wind and rain we have had. With those trees gone, we can then move the hedge back 6 ft to the property line, creating even a larger area to work in.

  Inside the border of hedge is a very large lawn, and a  huge garden in the shape of a L.  Aside from a few flowers and way too many strawberry plants growing in the garden, it is a blank space.

My brain has been working overtime since we moved here.  I was so tempted to start digging and changing the yard, but something told me to live with it, and take note of things - like where the sun rests at different times of the day; where long periods of shade are; how the wind moves through the yard.  I also gave the garden a chance to show me if there were any perennial type plants that might show up without intervention from me - and I wasn't disappointed!

So I have been watching, and journaling all of that information.  I also have made lists of the things that I know I want to see when I look out in my yard, and what I want to grow.

I want a frog pond... remember I mentioned I have a resident toad and a snake - well my cousin tells me that if you have frogs/toads and snakes in your yard, you have a healthy yard... so I am putting in a small pond for the frogs, and if there are frogs, there will most likely be snakes too...I think!

I want a few raised beds - three, is what I am planning on at the moment.  I want 3 -  4x8 ft raised beds for things like strawberries, tomatoes, beans, beets, lettuce, one will have attached lattice for plants that need to climb such as cucumbers, melons, zucchini - etc.  And one will be for a tea and herb garden.

The ground garden will grow potatoes, squash, pumpkin, etc.

I want at least 2 fruit trees, an apple for sure, and maybe an apricot... there is one in the T&T catalogue that I have my eye on.

I want birds in my yard so the fruit trees will help with that, but I also want houses and feeders to attract the birds.

I want a bee house or two because a good garden needs lots of bees.

I want areas to sit and read, or sit and watch the birds, or the bees, or sit with my camera.  There will be a small patio area for outdoor entertaining, and somewhere there will be a fairy garden - just because.

It is a tall order, and I know it will be back breaking work, but hopefully one day I will be able to sit outside in the summer months in all that is my revamped yard and write my blog posts from one of those areas.

My home has a huge cold room, which right now is wall to wall - empty.

I plan to fill it up next year with home canned vegetables from my garden, my own potatoes, squash and pumpkins... all the things that are so good to eat - grown right here in my own yard.

Now that I have taken measurements, I am going to start planning the new yard on paper.  I am kind of looking forward to spending my winter working on the outside - from the inside.

When spring comes, I hope to be able to start working on my garden plan.  No doubt it will take several years to become the garden I want, but that's okay... really great things often take time to accomplish.

But first I need to finish my Christmas orders and gifts...

SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND!

When I was rummaging though boxes looking for old photographs of my Mother's school, I came across a pile of black and white photos, tied together with some string.  I stood with them in my hand for a few minutes, trying to remember why they were tied together as they were, and where they came from.  I knew they were not any of our original old family photos.

I released the string and started flipping through the photos.  I tell you I struck GOLD!  They were all photos pertaining to my Father's side of the family, and then I remembered that the last time I had seen my Aunt Margaret, who is the eldest of that family, she had handed me the bundle telling me she wanted me to have them.

These photo's are old, but in incredible shape.  My Aunt Margaret always put dates on her photo's and most of these were from the 1940's.  There were some of my Grandpa Fischer on his farm, when his farm looked way different to how I remembered it.  There were some of Aunt's holding babies, some of Great Grandma Effie Owens from Iowa - and then there were about 12 photos that looked like a parade.

I flipped them all over and then pretty much flipped myself!  What I held in my hands were original photos taken by my Aunt Margaret during a visit to Winnipeg in 1949, of a parade in downtown Winnipeg, honouring Winnipeg's 75th birthday!

Can you imagine?  I have these original images of a historical occasion in the City of Winnipeg!

I am not sure what I should do with them.  They belong to me - but really, they belong to the City of Winnipeg as well.

I think I am going to try and take photos of the photos, so I can work with the images.  I would love to have some of these images of old city buildings and parade floats on my walls... any maybe then I will contact the archives.

In the meantime, I am organizing this wonderful pile of memories that my Aunt placed in my hands.  Some will be framed and go on my Family Gallery Wall in the family room, others will go into albums...


I decided to try taking those shots of those old photos before I finished writing this post - it was not as hard as I thought it would be.  I will work with the images a bit more and see if I can get them clearer, but for now I just wanted to share my find with you.

Here are a couple of pictures from Winnipeg's 75th Birthday Parade in 1949

As great as these are the one picture in the pile that really touched me was this one.

This is my Mom, with her three oldest sons.  My oldest brother Wayne, on Mom's left, Mervyn on her right, and Norman on her knee.

I have never seen this picture before, and it is one of the happiest pictures of her I have ever seen.

I am so glad I rummaged through that box of pictures - 

What an awesome day this has been!

BACK ROAD MEMORIES.

I had a lovely weekend - hope you all did too!

On Saturday Gary and I took a drive to Plumas Manitoba to attend their Christmas Craft Sale and because it was a beautiful sunny day and not too bad temperature- wise I took my camera out for some much needed exercise.

We sort of take the back roads to Plumas when we go there now, and we pass right through the community where my Mother was born and lived until she married my Dad.  There never really was a town there, and it is not on a rail line, but mail is delivered there, and perhaps always was, so maybe that is why is is still on a map today.

The place I refer to is Waldersee Manitoba.  At one time there was a store, a school, a church  - now there remains only a church and a couple of houses beside that property.  My Grandparent's original home and farm was a mile or two northeast of the church and that is where my mother grew up.  She attended the one room school there and graduated in 1937.

The school my Mother attended is no more, but this school which sits just past the church, is very much like the one my Mom went to as a child. I actually thought this was Mom's school, but a cousin who has lived in this community all her life, was able to fill me in on the correct information. We pass this school house every time we go to Plumas, this is the first time in many years that we actually stopped so I could get some pictures.

I did some editing on the original colour photo and came up with this photo, which I want to print and hang on a wall here in my new home.  

I love old buildings, and this one is wonderful...what a story it tells!

The Church at Waldersee is a Lutheran Church and always has been.  My Great Grandfather helped build this church.  He rests behind it in the cemetery there, as do my Grandparents, many Aunts and Uncles and cousins.

I still have family members who attend this church, and since we have moved here Gary has been working in the church, trying to restore the old organ that sits up in the balcony now silent for many years.

My connection to Waldersee is strong, and I feel that connection every time I am near this area.  Since moving here, I have felt so close to my Mom... I think this church and this school and this piece of history is why I feel this way.

I drive down this stretch of narrow highway and I can imagine her walking down gravel roads nearby on her way school with her siblings and cousins.  I see a open field and ditches filled with prairie grasses and I know she has been here.  I see this church, and I know she has knelt and prayed here.  I see headstones with my family's names written on them - and I know to whom I belong.

It is a spiritual thing and it gives me a measure of peace that I have never felt before.

My next pilgrimage will be to take my camera down the gravel road northeast of this church, to where my Grandparents homestead was.  The house was still standing several years ago when we went with my cousin and his wife to see it.  We were able to go into the house and it was an amazing experience indeed.  As we left the property that day, I noticed a section of the chimney from the house lying on the ground.  I picked it up and took it home with me...  An old Chimney to some, but to me a priceless piece of my heritage.

SWEET NOVEMBER!

It has been over a week since we saw the sunshine.  For Manitoban's anywhere in this province, that is a long time to be without sun.  I need the sunshine to get myself going in the morning.  I can go a couple of days, but after that I feel myself beginning to drag.

That has been the case here, all week.  I have lots of plans for my days, but no energy to get going on anything.  I can see how easy it could be to become melancholy and blue on these gray days.

I struck me in one of those melancholia moments this week, that November marks a year since our beloved Molly went blind.  To be honest there have been a few times in the past year that I wondered if we would loose her - like the rest of us, she has her good days and her not so good days.

Her blindness causes her to loose her balance sometimes, she steps out cautiously and sometimes falters. She stumbles between pavement and turf - she can't see the difference, and if I don't stop and let her feel the difference slowly - she falls.

Even so, her spirit and her determination is just plain amazing.  We all could learn so much from animals like her.  She hasn't given up on herself - and we haven't given up on her!

But life with Molly can be trying.  We are not saints, and sometimes we grumble - especially now that we can't just open the door and let her out to do her business.  Each time she goes out now requires one of us to go with her.  Whether it be two in the afternoon, or two in the morning, whether it be sunny and warm, or cold and raining or snowing!  We have to put her on a leash, take her outside, down three cement stairs and lead her to the yard.  Daylight or No light - the routine is the same.  She doesn't know the difference, but we do.

We sometimes get to feeling sorry for ourselves, until we stop and chat with people on our daily walks with Molly.  People are so taken with her, and so surprised when they hear she is blind - and pride in her replaces every other emotion we might have been feeling just a moment before.

She has her struggles, but she is still happy - the tail still wags for hugs and massages, and she still gives the sweetest dogie kisses I have ever received.  She is not in pain, but she does love to whine when she doesn't get her own way - why not - she's a female - she's entitled!

This year has taught us so much about Molly and about ourselves.  Her love for us is unconditional, as ours is for her.

I hope we have our blind dog for many more Novembers to come, I just can't imagine our life without our Molly in it - blindness and all!

                                                                     . . .

The weekend is here, and they say tomorrow the sun will shine!  I am counting on that forecast and have made plans to head to Plumas for their craft sale and to pick up and get lessons on how to set a Mole trap from my cousin Lorne.  Looking forward to both events tomorrow!

Have a Great weekend everyone - Stay safe!

COOKIE JAM!

No, sorry - not the game...



How is this for a cookie?

I told you I was going to bake!

I had all these little bags of Reese's pieces (the peanut butter ones) left over from Halloween, and they were driving me crazy every time I passed the cupboard.  So I took them out of the cupboard and emptied all the little bags into a 2 cup measuring cup.  I got a cup and a half...

So I made cookies... and are they good - they are a cross between a Monster Cookie, a Chocolate Chip Cookie and  Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.... UMMMMMM.

I added  half a cup of Chocolate Chips to the pieces to make 2 cups.

Here is the recipe...

1 Cup       Becel Margarine ( use butter or any soft margarine if you would rather)

1 Cup       Brown Sugar, packed

1/2 Cup    Granulated sugar

2               Eggs ( I blew mine out so I could used the shells to make Christmas tree ornaments)

2 Tsp        Vanilla

2 1/4 Cups     Flour

1 Tsp             Baking soda

1 Tsp             Salt

1 1/2 Cups           Reese's Pieces ( Peanut Butter flavour)

1/2 Cup               Chocolate Chips.

Cream butter and sugars together.  Add eggs and beat, Add Vanilla and beat well.

Mix flour, baking soda and salt, and add to the butter mixture.

Stir in Reese's pieces and chocolate chips,

Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 8 minutes or until golden.

Makes approx 48 cookies.

This basic cookie batter could be used with crushed candy such as candy canes, mints.  Jellied fruits, nuts or anything you wish....

These however, are gonna be on the top of the list for my cookie jars from now on...

Now I have to figure out something to do with the OHenry Bars that are calling me from the cupboard.

Remind me next Halloween not to buy so much chocolate!

Enjoy your cookies!

NO SNOW; SUPPORT LOCAL - RANT ON!

I am going to go on yet another mini-rant today.  I discovered something yesterday while shopping at the IGA in a little town near here, that has me really buzzed.

But first - the snow has not materialized... I think we have escaped that for now - good thing too, because we have just realized that we don't have a snow shovel.  We left it behind for our son when he bought our home in the Peg - we will remedy that very very soon, needless to say!

So, no snow - we decided we should go and pick up a couple of things in case it does snow - and we just felt like getting out for a bit - so we drove down the highway to our favourite little shopping mall in St. Rose Du Lac.

We love the IGA store there, it is small by city standards, but it far surpasses any city store in quality, and prices.  I needed a few basic staples like milk, butter, flour.  We were ready to check out and I discovered I had forgot to get flour, so  I backtracked through the store thinking how great it would be if I could get a 10 lb  bag of flour for a really good price.

Bingo - there was a sale.  A 10 lb bag of PRARIE FLOUR MILLS  flour, made in Elie Manitoba -  for $7.49.

What?  Never heard of Prarie Flour Mills flour before, Elie is less than an hour away from Winnipeg, how come I have never seen this flour in any store in Winnipeg?

I bought a 10 lb bag, we made a few more stops at a couple of little shops where I am becoming known as a regular; stopped at Chicken Chef for lunch, then headed home.

I got right on the computer and checked out PRARIE FLOUR MILLS...

http://www.prairieflour.iwarp.com/profile/profile.htm

They have been in business a long time, and an article was written about them in the Winnipeg Free Press Dec 14, 2012 - stating they ship flour to major American Cities such as New York!

So if they can ship to great big New York City and they can ship to little old rural St.Rose Du Lac - how come not  to right down the road, Winnipeg?

Wanna bet it is not the flour company but the Winnipeg retailers at fault here?  They most likely have contracts with the big companies from all over the world, when home grown is right next door.

This is flour made from wheat grown right here in Manitoba!  You bet I am going to rant about this.  To my way of thinking, this flour should be the only flour we see on our grocery store shelves here in Manitoba!

Now that I know this company and their product exist - you won't catch me buying any other flour ever again.

Now I can't wait to get baking!

Is it too early to start Christmas baking?

HAPPY NOVEMBER!

Can you believe it's November already?

In our neck of the woods November means one major thing... SNOW!  We have been under a weather advisory which is continuing through Wednesday for rain ( which we have now had for 3 days straight) turning to freezing rain or snow.  Accumulations - who knows!

Personally I don't think it is going to happen - but if it does - I am prepared!

Yesterday I starched 10 bears, so they need to be put together and embellished.  I have 4 to make for an order and a couple to make for gifts, and will have a few in pieces in case someone wants any before Christmas.

 I also dragged out several containers of broken or needing repair Christmas Tree ornaments that my Mom and I made in the 70's out of goose eggs.   Nothing major to fix, just beads falling off, angels falling out, hangers missing or damaged.  They need a few hours and some new glue and they will be good for another 30 yrs or so.

I haven't been able to source any more goose eggs and I really have a hankering to do some eggs, so I am blowing out chicken eggs and will make some small versions of these type of tree ornaments - and I'll do some baking with the contents of the eggs themselves... no waste there!

I have signed up for a Christmas Swap which has to be in the mail by December 5th, so I will have to decide what I am going to make and get busy on that as well.

So Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow! 

I have work to do!