Christmas afterglow...

 

Carl Larsson:  I call this

"Reading by the Christmas Cactus"

Our kids have all gone back to school or to their homes.  The Christmas tree still stands -- lit and beautiful, the wreaths remain hanging festively on the doors and windows, there are a few Christmas cookies left to nibble along with coffee.   I have a couple packages for friends still unopened underneath the tree that must wait. The Christmas cactus refuses to stop blooming and now my orchid has a tiny bud forming (!).  Both live in my laundry room as you know. I've thought about cleaning up Christmas, but I think I shall go on celebrating a little while longer in the afterglow like the Christmas cactus does, and remember all the loved ones who were here with us to celebrate.  You too?

Hubs and I took our 20-year-old baby to the airport yesterday and then did a little post-Christmas bargain shopping. It was fun, and we both found a few things -- necessary clothing items -- and of course, a couple tiny things begged picking up for our new grandbaby, Ruth. Sometimes we call her Baby Ruth even though it's the name of a candy bar. She is sweet after all! 

I took a long, snowy walk today, even though it was quite cold. I buckled on my snowshoes and kept to the shelter belts to avoid the wind.  Upon my first steps into the trees, I saw a pair of owls sternly looking at me and wondering why I should enter their domain with such loud tramping.   And there was another owl in the North Shelter belt who was skiddish of the dog and me tramping in his woods.  Still, it was a joy to watch them fly whenever we got very close  -- so graceful and silently they wooshed past.  I didn't see any jackrabbits today.  I know they are out there.  The tracks are everywhere, but they are not to be found much in the daytime, or perhaps they are just too hard for my eyes to see when they sit ever so still in the snow.  They've turned totally white now and blend in perfectly.
 

What's happening at your house these last days of December?
God bless you, my friends!
Jody

From the workshop...

A little girl's play kitchen made from a 1970s thrifted coffee table.

More play kitchen ideas here.

 Dolly diapers, pattern here.

 

Dolly crib, pattern here.

My carpenter-son helped me with this one.

 

Bibs for a new baby boy.  Tutorial here.

This granny had a lot of fun getting creative this Christmas season.

Delivered...

Our little granddaughter was delivered

December 22, 2012

Ruth Kathryn

She's a beauty.

All is well.

I can't help thinking about this scripture:

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

(Luke 2:19)

So many things to wonder about, to look for, 

to wait for, to see manifested in a small  life.  

Anticipation...

Carl Larsson (Swedish Realist Painter, 1853-1919) 

Lisbeth with Yellow Tulip

(doesn't she look like she's waiting for a baby to come soon?)

This particular Advent Season, my family and I are waiting for a baby.  To me, it is a prayerful, hopeful anticipation of the day we know is coming soon.  In these last days of our daughter's  pregnancy, I awake each morning and think, "This could be the day.  Perhaps we will get a phone call."  Every week I see my daughter as she goes to another doctor's appointment, heavy with child, and the realization becomes more and more clear and evident --she is one day closer to her delivery.  The waiting and wondering and concern for health and well-being will be over, and we will be glad that the child is born.  We will touch and smell, we will cuddle and coo, we will smile and bless, and praise God that the child is with us.

Until that day, we pray and watch, anticipate and prepare.  As we wait for a new life to be delivered to us, it reminds me that this should always be my mindset and my hope in Jesus.  I remember well one Christmas Eve long ago when we were singing Oh Little Town of Bethlehem in church.  When we came to the verse that says, "Be born in us today," my heart melted.  As a mother, I knew the oneness I had with a child living and growing inside me, and I knew the exhausting work of labor and then the joy of delivering a child.  In that Christmas hymn, God showed me how very near He is and how near He will always stay.  

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of His heaven
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

(A Pause in Advent)

If you give a mouse a cookie...

 

Today I had the cookie baking bug.  I made our favorite Soft Molasses Cookies and then I decided to try out a Snickerdoodle recipe.  I didn't grow up on Snickerdoodles and neither did Hubby and so therefore our kids did not eat Snickerdoodle.  It is not a cookie that is in my repertoire, but today I baked my first-ever batch of Snickerdoodles from my worn out Betty Crocker cookbook, and like I so often do, I made an alteration.  I dumped a cup or so of Hershey's Cinnamon Chips into the dough.  Oh dear, these were so good.  Next up was a cookie that I've made a few times before.  It's from Susan Branch's book, Christmas from the Heart of the Home, and the recipe is Annie Hall's Butter Cookies.  They are scrumptious in their own right, but today I was thinking of Pecan Sandies so I made the butter cookie recipe, rolled the dough into small 1 inch balls, dipped one half in course sugar and then smooshed a pecan half into each ball and baked them as per the recipe.  It was just as I had imagined -- buttery, sweet, with a rich nutty crunch. 

I've been sharing cookies and coffee today with three Hereford ranchers who came to look at bulls.   They liked the bulls and the cookies.  Hubs and I have been "off sugar" for a couple months although I occasionally will have a cookie (a single cookie) now and then.  Well, today I had 4.  Or was it 5?  I'm really not sure now.  I lost track.  If you give a mouse a cookie, she'll ask for another one.  That's how the story goes around here!  Hubs....well, he didn't even have one!   He just had a few pecans.   He's a good boy!  

Are you baking cookies?  What are your family favorites?

All creatures great and small....

 All things bright and beautiful,  

 

All creatures great...

 

and small,

 

All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell, 

How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well. 

 ~Cecil Frances Alexander

(read the whole poem here) 

Is it any wonder that our Lord Jesus was born in a lowly place amongst the creatures, great and small?   I know the song, Friendly Beasts, is just a sweet old English carol, but I like to think of it when I'm out walking in nature this time of year.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD!

~Psalm 150:6
(A Pause In Advent)

Breaking a trail...

 

It snowed!  Finally, it has come!  We've been waiting and praying for moisture for so very long and at last it has arrived in the form of snow.  We'll take it!  Just 3-4 inches fell, but it is glorious and wet and beckoned me out for a walk to the mailbox.  The snow fell straight down last night --  just like in the movies.  Then this morning it continued to fall gently and stay calm.  I figured the wind could begin to blow any time, so I took advantage of the moment and broke a trail on the road.  I love to be the first one to walk down a path covered with fresh snow.  I did see a rabbit trail that was snowed over, but otherwise, Sue and I were the first to trek up the road today.

The horses were happy with the new-fallen snow and were out romping and trotting all about the pasture like young foals.  Then they began to roll in the snow!  Snow angels perhaps?  Or maybe it felt more like taking a shower.  See how wet Copper's back is?  They were all soaking wet when I went to pet them.  They thought I had a little cake in my hands to feed them, but all I had to give was my love and a hearty pat around the nose and neck.

 Horses in the snow.  Pretty, isn't it?

The birds were fanatical at the feeders today.  I filled the feeders to the brim and watched from the office window as they cracked sunflower seeds and spit the shells on the ground.   This little fella is a Common Red Poll.  You can see the red blush on his breast, but he also has a red topknot on his head that identifies him.  His wife was here too, but she is plainly clothed and more subdued in color.  

  

Photo from Cornell "All About Birds"

One of the neighborhood Northern Flickers took a try at eating seeds from the feeder today.  Never mind that he and his friends have dug holes all over my yard eating ants this fall.  Now the holes are covered over with snow so I suppose they are hungry.  I need to set out some suet for all my winter birds.  I'm so delighted they stayed on with us, and I want to reward them with a treat.

Fresh snowfall seems to bring great joy to all creatures.  It's fun to see their footprints everywhere as they, too, break trails into the fresh snow.  It's beginning to look wintry again, and I'm glad for it.  It's a whole new world out there!  What is it like where you live?

Starz...

 It's time to be making paper stars again.  This is a re-run of an old post, but with some updated photos.  This is a fun project to do with kids and the results are very impressive.

What you will need:

Star pattern
Card stock
pencil
scissors
exacto-knife or sharp knife
adhesive spray
clear crystal glitter

What to do:

You will want to begin this project by finding a good five-point star pattern to print and trace. I found three sizes here and a large star template here.  Just print stars onto card stock and cut them out or you can cut them out and trace several on a sheet of card stock.

Lay your star onto a cutting board. Take a heavy ruler and lay it across the star at each point and angle. Gently score with an exacto-knife or sharp paring knife, making nice, straight lines through the middle each time. Next, you will gently fold the star on each line and then lay it on the table to squinch up the star so that each point is folded upward and each angle is folded downward. You'll see what I mean when you start to play with your stars.

Now the fun begins! Take your folded stars, newspaper, adhesive spray, and glitter and go to the garage. The smell of the spray is a little strong so you want to do this in a well-ventilated area. Spray a light coat of adhesive onto each star and quickly sprinkle clear crystal glitter over each one. Shake them off and turn them over onto a dry sheet of newspaper to glitter the backside if you want to. Allow your stars to dry indoors especially if it's cold in the garage. Pour your excess glitter back into the bottle.

You can set up your stars on a mantel, shelf, or hang them by punching one tip of your star with a needle and thread. Hang in windows at varying lengths for a pretty effect. I have also hung stars on the Christmas tree. I think they'd be cute on a gift or tucked into a wreath. These are every bit as attractive as the tin stars that I have seen in gift shops.

I made a new tree topper today out of pages from an old hymnal and then glued a glitter star into the middle.  I was inspired by Dawn at 4:53.   I'm happy!  You too?

Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee...

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is setting up the creche.  

This year it sits on a log underneath the Christmas tree.

Our creche is very small -- just 2.75" tall, but the details are large.

See the faces of the determined ones who say,

"Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, 

and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

(Luke 2:15)

 Young and old seek Him....

...so do the wise, the rich, and the poor, 
the strong, and those who are weak.

Angels adored Him...

...and proclaimed Him singing out to those who had ears to hear,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, 
peace, good will toward men."

(Luke 2:14)

His name is Emmanuel

 which means, "God with us."

 

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

(sharing a Pause in Advent) 

O Come, O come Emmanuel 

The moon, Little Women, and twinkle lights...

 Full Moon taken at 7:30 pm MST

Have you been out to look at the moon tonight?  Oh, it's glorious as always, but tonight at our house there is a rainbow-type ring around it which usually means moisture is in the air or that it's coming soon.  We call it a "moon dog."  I'm not sure if it's a real term for this phenom, but I know that a sun dog is a true term for a ring around the sun.  What all of us will see near the moon tonight is the planet Jupiter and the bright star Aldebaran with faint Pleiades above.  I brought over this good picture from Sky & Telescope where I like to check out the things I see in the sky.  I love this site. 

 
I also like to read about the names of the full moons so here's what the Farmer's Almanac tells me:  "Full Beaver Moon – November This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon."  We have beaver on the river where we lease some land.  It is absolutely fascinating to me how those big yellow beaver teeth can cut down great, old cottonwoods in a very little time.  They are quite destructive and it's sad to see such beautiful trees that took so long to grow destroyed.

Besides moon-gazing, I've been reading on my "Christmas Book," Little Women.  Oh, how I'm enjoying it!  Just take a listen to this part:

'What in the world are you going to do now, Jo?' asked Meg, one snowy afternoon, as her sister came  tramping through the hall, in rubber boots, old sack and hood, with a broom in one hand and a shovel in the other.

'Going out for exercise,' answered Jo, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

'I should think two long walks this morning would have been enough.  It's cold and dull out, and I advise you to stay, warm and dry, by the fire, as I do,' said Meg, with a shiver.

'Never take advice!  Can't keep still all day, and, not being a pussy-cat, I don't like to doze by the fire.  I like adventures, and I'm going to find some.'

Meg went back to toast her feet and read 'Ivanhoe;' and Jo began to dig paths with great energy.  The snow was light, and with her broom she soon swept a path all round the garden for Beth to walk in when the sun came out; and the invalid dolls needed air.

 Isn't that just fun reading?  I think so too.  I feel much like Jo a lot of the time.  As much as I enjoy a good book to read, I really can't sit still for very long before my hands get fidgety and my legs begin to ache for want of exercise or something to do -- mostly outdoors.  Are you more of an adventurer like Jo or a pussy-cat like Meg?  Or perhaps you are like Beth, taking care of her invalid baby dolls or Amy who is petted and spoilt by her older sisters.  Each girl has her noble qualities and each has her shortcomings, but    altogether they compliment each other and challenge one another to be better people, moving ever closer to that Palace Beautiful as told in their Pilgrim's Progress.
........................................

Ours is still the only house "on the block" which doesn't have it's Christmas lights strung  and lit.  Peach asked me why I didn't have my Christmas lights up, and I replied to her,  I had the porch light on, wasn't that good enough?  Bless her heart, she told me it was very nice, but it was not a Christmas light.  One thing Hubby and I did put up is The Star on the Barn.  Travelers-by will see it shining in the night, and I hope they think about that Star of Bethlehem.  The Littles love to go see it at dark.  It's a mile up the road to the barn so someone has to take them, just like you would in town when you want to go out driving up and down the streets to see the neighborhood Christmas lights.  Simple little things is what they love most.  Me too.  I hope your eyes light up with each strand of twinkle lights you hang and every candle you light.  You are making someone's holiday special when you do it. Every new day brings us a little closer to that Joyful Day.

Homemade (healthy) chocolate...

Now we're talkin' --  Homemade.  Healthy.  Chocolate.

May I also add, easy?  Yes, easy!  I was browsing one of my new favorite sites for healthy eating and healthful living and stumbled upon this delicious, I mean really delicious chocolate recipe.  Not only is it the most delicious chocolate I have ever eaten, it's healthy.  Why?  Because it's made with whole ingredients that are packed with vitamins, minerals and good fats.  That doesn't mean I'm going to eat a panful.  I'd like to try, but it's so rich and creamy that you only need a little to satisfy. So without further ado, I give you the recipe, by Wellness Mama.  Print it out.  You'll thank me.

Just a note on the chocolate I made....I didn't have coco butter, so I substituted coconut oil as suggested in the original recipe.  Wellness Mama said it wouldn't be as creamy as using coco butter, but I thought it was VERY creamy and smooth.  It also doesn't harden as much, but I have a fridge!   I can't wait to try it with coco butter next time.  I  added in 1/2 cup of chopped almonds to my batch.  Just so you know, I ran the recipe (with almonds added) through a calorie/nutrition calculator and came up with these statistics.

Cut into 16 pieces.  Calories per piece: 197

Fat 20 g, Cholesterol 0, Potassium 174 mg, sugar 9.4 g, protein 3.6  

A good source of magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin E.

I hope you try it.  Please let me know what you think if you do.

The day after...

 

As I sit here typing at the computer, I'm chewing on the last leg of the two turkeys I made for Thanksgiving.  Oh, we had a jolly day with all the family home, minus one son and one fiance'.  There was lots of delicious food and I must say, I enjoyed the flavors and textures of this year's dinner more than any other.  I think it has to do with the fact that Hubby and I have been eating healthier -- no sugar, not much starch, and mostly eating meat & veg.  It's a great way to eat and feel good, but I admit that I really looked forward to the country dressing, the cranberries and the pumpkin pie.  I was not disappointed.  Today, we're back to the everyday food of our everyday lives.  The goodies were all packed away and sent home with the kids who will appreciate nibbling on leftovers this weekend.

Back when I was a young mom with lots of kids at home, I loved Thanksgiving Dinner mostly for the leftovers.  I made enough food so that I didn't have to cook for the next couple of days.  It was glorious to have time to do some of the things I wanted to do without having to stop and cook meals.  The family was free to graze from the fridge and I was free to sew or embroider or read.  

This weekend I will carry on the tradition of spending some time doing those same creative things.  Because I am a responsible, first-born, I have finished up my bookkeeping in the office first so I can spend the afternoon reading Little Women and drinking hot tea, thanks to the suggestion of the Left-handed Housewife.  I've wanted to read that book during the Christmas season for years and years, and never have gotten to it. Today, however, is the day that I will begin it.  I am so looking forward to it!  I also have another tea towel on the hoop and I will spend some hours stitching on it too. 

The evening sunsets have been gorgeous against the dark leafless trees.  The young owl was out again, but it was much too dark to get a good photo of him.  Tonight we hope to see a good display of Northern Lights.  We'll stay up late to see what we can see, or we might set our alarm clocks to get up in the early, early morning hours to see what's happening in the sky.  This is the time when secluded, country darkness is a good thing.

I hope you all had a happy, bellyful of Thanksgiving, and I hope you'll have a weekend of enjoying special-to-you things to do -- even if that means a nap.  A nap sounds lovely too, doesn't it?  Now I'm going to throw the dog a bone!

Do you see him?

As the deer pants for the water brooks, 

So my soul pants for You, O God.

~Psalm 42:1

I'm taking lots of walks on these sunny November days.   It's good for my soul.  Temps have turned warm here, and I'm able to walk with just a sweatshirt and no stocking cap. I'm soaking up the sun and warmth while I can.  It's good.

This fellow (above) surprised me as I was walking through the trees.  I don't think I would have seen him had he not moved.  I saw his movements before I saw him.  The deer are hiding out in the shelter belts during the day, and at night they come out to drink from the tanks and nibble the leftover sunflower seeds that fall from the bird feeders in the yard.

The chickadees are still here!  I see a Downy Woodpecker and a Flicker now and then too.

Several evenings lately I've seen and heard a Great Horned Owl hooting and barking from the limb of the old Cottonwood.  I think he's a young one.  As I walk home from the chicken coop at sunset, there he is, and each time I go in for my camera he flies -- he's young and nervous.  One of these days I'll capture him on film or video.  I'd love for you to hear him "talk."  Listen here for a sample of what he says.

Every story whispers His name...

Whenever we have the Littles at our house, God shows me new things or refreshes old things.  He is so good that way.  I love to read aloud to the grands and so last night I grabbed one of my favorite children's bible storybooks -- The Jesus Storybook Bible -- and told a story.  I chose David and Goliath.  It's funny how little ones can wiggle and fidget around while you are reading, making you think they aren't listening or getting anything at all, but indeed they are.  I remember that with my own children when they were young -- that's God refreshing my memory.  Anyway, after we read that story we read the story of the Nativity, "He is Here!"  The way Sally Lloyd-Jones tells the story is just so amazing to me.  It's so heartfelt, so simple, so easy to hear, and so true.  Listen to the end of the story from the nativity, "Mary and Joseph named him Jesus, 'Emmanuel' -- which means 'God has come to live with us.'  Because, of course, he had." 

After I had finished reading, Peach decided that she would like to read a story to me (and to her little sister).  She always finds the very smallest, old books of mine that are far over her head as far as reading goes, but they are the perfect size for four-year-old hands to hold and they have lots of words written in them which she loves to see.  This little girl does not really know how to read, of course, but she makes up her own stories to pretend-read, and I love to listen to her stories.  The story she told was about how God changed a mean lady into a nice lady because He wanted to.  Woven into the story were words like, "God always wins" and "He loved her and wanted her to be nice" and "God loves people and wants to save them from their sins."  I doubt Peach knows what sins are, but she knows God can take them away.  Another story she told incorporated the shining stars (from the nativity) and how "God makes everything because He loves us."  Spirit-words soaked into her spirit, and life-words spoke through her lips.  I thought to myself, "Truly, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise... (Matt 21:16)" 

As I thought about this sweet time, I called back to the days when I read God's Word to my own children.  Even to this day they have each told me how they loved that time together, and my youngest who is now 20 years old tells me how he misses that time with me.  I always prayed quietly that God would plant the seed of His Word into my children and let it grow and produce fruit.  Now I am seeing again through new (older) eyes God planting seeds again -- this time in my grandchildren -- and it's a beautiful thing.

If you have Littles in your life, I highly recommend this paraphrased version of Bible stories for children.  I sometimes read it for myself because I like it so much and always, always God shows me something new or something beautiful.  It would make a wonderful Christmas gift for a family, for a grandparent, or for a special child.  It's The Jesus Storybook Bible (Every story whispers his name) by Sally Lloyd-Jones.  Enjoy!

Natural coconut oil deodorant...

I know it's weird to share a deodorant recipe while other bloggers are posting their most delicious  Thanksgiving recipes ever and beautiful holiday tablescapes, but I wanted to share something with you that I really do love -- coconut oil deodorant.  This all-natural deodorant works! If it can keep a sweaty ranchwife like me smelling sweet, it'll keep you smelling fresh as a daisy. This is not an antiperspirant so it won't stop you from sweating, but it will keep the stink away. I have been using coconut oil deodorant for several months, and I made a fresh batch of it today.  It's easy to make, takes only four household ingredients, and you can make it in about 5 minutes.  And did I mention.....it works?! 

Coconut Oil Deodorant

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 10 drops lavender essential oil (opt. fragrance)
• 3-4 drops patchouli essential oil (opt. fragrance)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl sift arrowroot and baking soda. Add coconut oil and essential oils. 
2. Using a fork, combine well (as if you were cutting butter into flour). 
3. Next, using the back of a large serving spoon, press the mixture together to work it into a smooth paste. 
4. Pack mixture into a glass jelly jar (1/2 cup) and it's ready to use. Store at room temperature as you would any deodorant. 

To use:

Scoop a small amount onto your fingertip and apply to underarms. Your body heat will almost instantly melt it and you can easily rub it in. 

Note: For people who like an "invisible" deodorant, this may not be the one. The baking soda and arrowroot may leave a bit of white under your arm, I don't find it to be much at all, or a big deal. 

    ~Recipe from Beauty That Moves

Update:  I made some of this deodorant recipe for my daughter and she's having a red bumpy rash reaction.  I think it is the baking soda so I am going to make some without the soda and decrease the coconut oil by half.  We'll see what that does.

Chilly happy weekend...

It was a cold, cold, cold day here today.  There is a little bit of snow on the ground and quite a lot of frost.  We had foggy mist for two days in a row which collected on the bare tree branches and then it turned frigid.  In the afternoon sun, the branches looked like glass.  YoungestSon came home for a long weekend from Tucson where he goes to college.  He says he has officially arrived on the Frozen Tundra.  Yes indeed!  From 95 sunny degrees to a raw 15 degrees is a great leap.  The whole family was out to the ranch today for a visit.  What a Royal Rumpus we had!  There were squealing little girls, rough-housing, gun-shooting young men, chatty grandmas, napping grandpas, and visiting mommies.  It was great -- the stuff memories are made of.

Stitching...

It's November already.

Time to make the needle and thread fly!

I have a few fun projects to complete before Ho! Ho!

(Dating Dishware pattern here.)

The only gift is a portion of thyself.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson