Especially Special

Most of our Christmas decorations and ornaments on our tree have a special meaning to us - we can tell you where we got them, who gave them to us, etc.  Since today is Three on Thursday, I have decided to share three things are are "especially special" to us.

This wreath:

This is one of the very first Christmas decorations we ever had as a couple.  When The Tim was in graduate school at Notre Dame, and we lived in married student housing, we had a small apartment and the door was in an enclosed hallway.  We wanted a wreath or some kind of decoration for the door, but couldn't really afford to buy one.  A fellow student of his suggested we do what she did and make one using materials from a local craft store.  Success!  This has traveled from apartment to apartment with us, and now to our house, where it hangs inside the front door.  Every year, I expect that I will pull it out of the package and it will be a mess, but it's hung in now since the Christmas of 1978.

This Rudolph and Santa:

(OK so this is two things, but they are ALWAYS together!)  The little stuffed Rudolph was a promotion from Duracell back in 1984 or 1985 - you sent in proof of purchase, and they sent you this stuffed toy, and he had a Duracell battery in his nose - when you press his one ear, the nose lights up!  I have to give them credit, it lit up until 2 years ago, so it did last a good long time.  (You can't replace it without tearing him apart, so we are living with a non-glowing Rudolph now.)  

The stuffed Santa is from a kit bought at JoAnn Fabrics the first year we lived in Philadelphia, which was 1991.  I had gone to look for fabric to make stockings for the kitties and though I didn't find that, I did find this kit.  It was simple to sew together, and like so many of our decorations, manages to look just as good from year to year.  Our cat Hannah used to love the jingle bell on the end of Santa's cap, and would sleep next to these two on the couch for most of Christmastime.

This Yule Woodsman:

I knitted this tiny guy (well, actually I knit two - the one above was for a swap, and then I knitted one for us) from a kit probably at least 15 years ago.  He hangs on our tree every year, and always seems just as happy to be there as we are to see him.  I am always amazed that I was able to successfully make two of these that turned out to look like they were supposed to look, since I was a fairly new - and not overly confident - knitter at the time.  

What about you - do you have any holiday items that are "especially special?"  Or, alternatively - any that you keep, but you don't really know why??

Almost There!

Well, on a day that could have been better, but was not expected to be (I'm referring to the Electoral College), let's see how things are coming along this Christmastime.  I don't know about you, but it will definitely make me feel better ...

All of our packages have been sent, and we already know that one has arrived safely.  :-)  I am hoping news of the others will be the same.  Frankly, once that is done, The Tim and I have a nice long stretch all to ourselves to relax and enjoy the wait for Christmas Day.

This past weekend we finished decorating the tree and putting out all of the decorations.  Then yesterday I [finally] cleaned the house so a) it would look nice for the rest of the season, and b) Santa would not be appalled.  It makes such a difference!  The house gets to be sooo gross with the two of us and our furry companions.  But at least right now, it's looking good.

Today I took a sick day, not because I was sick, but because I had a few medical things to take care of, and they were gonna take the better part of the day anyhow.  First up was my yearly mammogram, very early this a.m.  I took this photo of Rittenhouse Square as I was walking through, because I think it looks so lovely.  I got an all clear result, for which I am extremely relieved and grateful.  (I always think I should get 50% off, and just get a "mam-gram" but apparently that isn't how it works ... )

Then this afternoon I had my eye exam.  Usually it doesn't take all that long, but the person who I had the appt with had called out sick, so they had one optometrist for all of the appts.  My future cataracts have not advanced much, but my Rx had changed pretty significantly, so I have to get new glasses. I can live with that.  The funny thing is, this is the first time for a few years my eyes had not been bothering me prior to going.  Those years, the other Rxs had been affected (computer and reading); this year, it was my distance vision that had apparently changed a lot!  I guess I figured the distance was just naturally a little blurry?

This is a nice short week for me, with today off and Friday taken as my last personal day for the year (I didn't want to lose it by not taking it before the end of the year!).  That is just fine with me.

We have had one casualty, though.  We actually did not put out some decorations, thinking that maybe waiting until next year would work better with Jack.  But this morning, I did come downstairs to discover that a snowman ornament had departed this earthly plane ...

RIP, snowman ornament.  We hardly knew ye.

Cookies.  Cards.  Wrapping.  That's what's left.   I love Christmas!  (In case you hadn't noticed ...)

Christmastime Is Here

In TWENTY DAYS it will Christmas Day.  

But Christmastime is here, and that's even better.  I have found that, even if at first I have to do it consciously, being happy about this makes it possible to enjoy it no matter what else is happening in the world, or how many grumpy, holiday-hating types you encounter.  

And it is the best gift you can give to yourself, and anyone else around you.

Wishing you a lovely Christmastime weekend.  :-)

Festive Friday

Christmas Day is nearly here - only 5 more days to wait!

Enjoy your weekend preparations!

Christmastime Traditions

It's time for Ten on Tuesday again, and this week the topic is:

10  Cultural Traditions You Observe For the Holidays

My background - as you may have guessed - is Irish American, and when my grandparents came here, the idea at the time was to become as American as possible, so you didn't "stick out."  Especially if you were Irish, which was not considered a good thing.  As a result, a lot of the Irish traditions were put aside, so that they could celebrate American Christmas.

However, in the spirit of things, Carole has said that if we do not have a lot of ethnic traditions of our own, we should list 10 Traditions You Observe For The Holidays.  That is what I am going to do, listing a mishmash of family traditions, as well as ones that The Tim and I have created for our own little family.

1.  The definition of Christmastime.  We observe Christmastime beginning December 1 through January 6.  This is something that I have done since childhood.  My mother's birthday was December 2, so we didn't put up any decorations until after that, but we could play Christmas music starting December 1.  And the last day of Christmastime is January 6, the Epiphany, when the Wise Men arrived at the manger.  Decorations never even think of being put away before then.

2.  Christmas Eve.  This has always been a big deal in my family.  It's kind of the ultimate day of anticipation and preparation.  The Tim usually has to work on Christmas Eve, and doesn't usually get home until 7:00 pm or so.  I spend the day doing any last-minute preparations around the house, and making our dinner for that evening, Christmas Eve risotto.  If it's not pouring rain, I like to go out for a little while and walk around enjoying the hustle and bustle.  Once he gets home, we have our dinner, then put on our pjs and watch "It's a Wonderful Life," while having a gin and tonic, then put the gifts under the tree, fill the stockings, and sit in the dark by just the Christmas tree lights until it's time to go to bed.

3.  Christmas Eve Risotto.  A few years back, The Tim found the recipe, and we always have it on Christmas Eve because it has broccoli rabe and red peppers in it - thus red and green!

4.  Baby Jesus gets placed into the manger.  At midnight, our baby Jesus gets placed into the manger, after all of us kiss him and say "Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus."

5.  "It's a Wonderful Life."  This must be watched on Christmas Eve, while having a gin and tonic, and you must be wearing your pajamas.

6.  "The Night Before Christmas" - we always read this aloud on Christmas Eve.

7.  Turnips and holly.  At least one turnip hollowed out to hold a lit candle, and with a sprig of holly next to it must be in one window of the house, so that the Holy Family will know where to stop if they need shelter.  (And don't worry, the candle does not stay lit after we go to bed!)

8.  A too-small dish for the cranberry sauce at Christmas dinner.  This goes for Thanksgiving too, but the cranberry sauce for dinner must be in a dish that is too small.  This is something that we always did growing up, and I found out as an adult that it was just because when my parents were first married, they didn't have a dish large enough for the cranberry sauce!

9.  Holiday cheeseball.  As long as I can remember, my mother would make holiday cheeseball, and for whatever reason, it should only be made between December 22 and 24.  (I have a feeling that this is a case of when she would finally get to it, but I still do it then.)

10.  Kielbasa.  My father's sister married a man from Poland, and they always had a big party on Christmas Eve, which was also my aunt's birthday.  They always had kielbasa, so my father would always fix some for us at our house as well.  Now we make vegetarian kielbasa at Christmastime.  (I will admit that "real" kielbasa is the only meat I actually ever miss, and only at Christmastime ...)

There are other things we do, and that I have always done, but these are the things that came to mind first.  As I said, some are family things, and some we have created ourselves.  They make the whole Christmastime experience better, if you ask me!

Christmas Eve

Christmas is love with all the trimmings

 -- Anonymous

From our house to yours

Merry Christmas!