Christmas Bells!!!

Sleigh bells...they bring to mind Victorian paintings of families in horse-drawn sleighs out for a ride in the beautiful snowy countryside in a time before automobiles.  They conjure memories of seeing Santa ride through town in the Christmas parade before the world went crazy and banned the term "Christmas".  They're nostalgic, and while they are heard only infrequently at most nowadays, I love them.

"Sleigh Ride 1838" by Thomas Birch

"Sleigh Ride" by Thomas Kincade

I mentioned last year that I had purchased a set of antique sleigh bells from our local antique store.  Knowing that the place I wanted to send them for restoration, Classic Bells, would be quite busy around the holidays, I waited until January to send them off for cleaning and re-setting on a leather strap.  Earlier this week, I received a notification that my bells were finished and on their way back home, and I was so excited to see the finished product!  I highly recommend them to anyone who has antique bells to be restored.  Their finished product is well worth the wait!

Before:

After:

I absolutely love them.  It's hard to believe that they are the same bells!  They are just as I imagined they would be...the perfect size for the door, and just in time for Christmas decorating!

We just got our Christmas lights up this year, and our decorating is almost done.  I love decorating for Christmas, but since it's a short time between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, we're just going to put our fake tree. 

Also because of the short Christmas season this year, I'm going to take a break from blog posts until after the first of the year.  I wish everyone a blessed and joyous Christmas season!

It's Getting Closer...

It's here.

The word that many dread.

The weather phenomenon that instills fear in the hearts of drivers young and old.

That four-letter word.

Snow...!

No, we don't have any yet.  It's in the weather forecast for this week, though!  It is a little early, but not unheard of.  I remember going trick-or-treating as a child with a heavy winter coat on, and snow on the ground some years.  It's been a while since it's been forecast this early, but I don't mind it--I always anticipate the first snows of the year.  I just think it's beautiful, and I love being inside, bundled up in a quilt, snuggled up all nice and warm with my hubby watching a movie.  Plus, it means that the holidays are getting closer!  I love this time of year.

Speaking of quilts, I received an early birthday present this year: this quilt that my mother-in-law made for me.  I've always wanted a hand-made quilt, but no one's ever given me one made especially for me.  I love it; it's just gorgeous!

I love receiving hand-made things, so it's perfect.  She made it with Christmas fabric, which is great, because it's my favorite holiday.  I love all things Christmas.  Bronner's Christmas store in Frankenmuth, Michigan is my favorite store.  If you've never been there, it's worth the trip, I promise.  You know, I would leave Christmas decorations up all year if I could.  Except for maybe July.

Well, that's it for now.  If you're anywhere in the northern half of the US right now, stay warm!

The Twelve Days of Christmas Recipes, Day 9: Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

Howdy!  We're truckin' right along through the Twelve Days of Christmas Recipes.  Hard to believe how close Christmas is!  Won't be long before we're all counting the days until warmer weather and spring showers.  Until then, here is a recipe found on The Pioneer Woman website.  It's so simple--just throw a few ingredients together and stick it in the stove for about six hours.  Think of what you can get done in those six hours while it's cooking...gift wrapping...cleaning...more cooking...hiding from the guests with a glass of wine and your IPod...This is a great recipe for pulled pork, and really, if you need a break from Christmas turkey, this would be a great substitute to serve to your holiday guests!

Day 9: Spicy Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 whole large onion
1 whole pork shoulder (aka pork butt), 5-7 lbs, bone in
Salt and pepper
1 can, 11oz, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I don't like really spicy stuff, so I use a 7 oz. can)
2 cans Dr. Pepper
2 tbsp. brown sugar

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Peel the onion and cut it into wedges, and spread the wedges across the bottom of a large roasting pan or dutch oven.  Salt and pepper the pork, rubbing the seasoning into the meat with your hands.  Pour the entire can of peppers (sauce and all) over the top of the meat and into the pan.  Pour in the Dr. Peppers and stir in the brown sugar.  Place the lid on top of the pot and place in the oven.  Cook for at least six hours, turning the meat over a few times during cooking.  After six hours, remove meat from oven and test with a fork--if the meat pulls apart easily with the fork, then it's done.  If it doesn't, place the meat back in the oven and cook for another hour.  Once the meat is cooked and falling off of the bone, remove the meat from the pan and begin to pull apart with forks.  Discard juice, onions and fat pieces.  This makes a ton of pulled pork, and it tastes incredible!!

To see the original post of this recipe, click here.

Luke 2:15: When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

Twelve Days of Christmas, Day 6: Homemade Beef Stew

We love comfort food in the winter.  I found a recipe from Paula Deen online a while ago, and adapted that recipe for our tastes.  This recipe works for venison, too, which is a rare but welcome treat in our house. So, without further ado, I give you...
Day 6: Homemade Beef Stew
Ingredients:

We used venison in this pot

2 pounds cubed trimmed sirloin (or venison)

2 TBSP olive oil

2 C water

3 TBSP beef base (bouillon cubes can be subbed)

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Garlic powder

Crushed dried bay leaves

Onion powder

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Dash of ground allspice or ground cloves

3 large carrots, sliced

3 ribs chopped celery

3 medium red potatoes, cubed

2 TBSP cornstarch

Directions:

Heat olive oil in stock pot.  Add meat, salt, pepper, and garlic powder (all to taste) and mix together.  Brown meat.  While meat is cooking, mix water and bouillon powder together well.  Add water mix to browned beef, and add Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, onion powder, paprika, and allspice to mix (again, to taste).  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.  Add more water as necessary.  Add veggies, simmer another 45 minutes or until veggies are tender and potatoes can be pierced with a fork.  In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of cold water with 2 TBSP cornstarch until dissolved.  Scoop a small amount of hot liquid from the pot and stir it into the cornstarch, then add mixture to the stew.  Allow to simmer until desired thickness. 

Luke 2:10-11: But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

How Was Your Christmas?

We are back from our rounds of holiday visits, and brought back some pictures of Christmas dinner and yay, a cold.  A great way to spend my vacation week between Christmas and New Years--sick on the couch.  I could go on a tirade, but instead I'll just share some photos of Christmas dinner with you.  My mom loves to cook and entertain, and she did a great job again this year with dinner.  We had pork roast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, squash, rolls, and so much more.  Drool and enjoy!

Mom's Christmas tree

Some desserts...more were added later

Lunch is served!  Yes, those are little sausages wrapped in bacon.  Yes, they were good.

Snack plates!

The Abominable Snowman, from Rudolph

Intermission during Ben-Hur--the menfolk watched while the womenfolk worked.

The rolls

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Finally Finished

The Big Unveil...

Well, it took two extra days, a lot of stress, many extra trips to Lowe's, and four sleepless nights at a hotel, but we finally have our new bathroom!  It was a frustrating experience, to say the least, and completely extinguished any desire to remodel again, but everything is new and updated and fixed.  We might only have one bathroom still, but it's definitely nicer!  Below are before pictures:

And a picture of a layer of old vinyl:

And after!:

 And yes, in case you were wondering, we did get the faucet and vanity that I mentioned a while ago in another blog post:

We have a bathroom that is approximately 12' long by 5' wide--a typical bathroom size for an older home.  To make it feel larger, we chose better lighting, a light-colored wood vanity, and kept the walls a lighter color, and even though we chose a larger tub and deeper vanity cabinet, it still feels like a larger space.  The porcelain tile gives it a much more polished and refined look, especially as a shower surround.  We also updated our towel bars, toilet paper holder, and towel/robe hooks to a more modern brushed nickel finish, with tied everything together well.  We like it.  I don't want to do this again, but we have a nice, updated bathroom.  It should help us sell the house in a few years without a problem.  Woohoo!

Christmas Partyin'

We attended hubby's Christmas party on Saturday night.  It was a good time, with lots of good food, live music and dancing.  There are always a lot of people there, but it never seems crowded, unless you spend the night near the open bar.  Here are a few phone pics and videos (I apologize for the quality--I need a phone that takes better images).

The local high school orchestra played before the band arrived.  They were very good!

I also took video of a couple who was really enjoying the music, and this guy had sweet moves!  I'm guessing they were in their late 60s to early 70s.  The video won't load onto the blog, but it was fun to watch them all night.  Just take my word for it.  I ran into the lady in the bathroom and she told me that he was from Greece, and that they just really get into their dancing over there.  Sounds like fun!

Staying Occupied

I've been staying very busy filling online orders lately.  I appreciate all of the support that family and friends have given me, as well as the support I've gained on Etsy, the website, and Facebook.  Thanks, everyone!  And there's a good chance that I won't have another entry before Christmas, so I want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and happy New Year!!

I've been reading an online devotional from Chuck Swindoll.  Right now, he's discussing the story of Esther, another favorite story in the Old Testament.  God's not mentioned in this book, but He's certainly orchestrating everything that happens in it!  What a brave woman Esther was.  And smart, too!  She wasn't vain, she didn't aspire to be royalty, she had patience, and she understood timing in the events that were destined to occur.  She was all of these things because, through her life, God had made her into the person He needed her to be to save her race.  While she didn't necessarily want the palace life, she was obedient to not just her uncle, Mordecai, but also to God in what she was instructed to do.  Her humility caught the eye of the king, who had dismissed his previous wife for her unwillingness to obey, and this landed Esther in a position to save the Jews and fulfill prophecy.  Whew!  Good thing for that!  I wish that I could have more of Esther's attributes.  To read the book, click on this link: Book of Esther.

Here We Go!

With Christmas just around the corner, there is a lot going on right  now.  We did finally get our tree up, and it looks nice and cheerful.  Sets the mood.  I didn't go all out with decorating this year, and I think it's because I feel so cramped already in our small house that I couldn't bear to add to the clutter.  I still wanted to decorate, though, so I went with the less-is-more option, and just set out some items.  Still, it looks like Christmas for sure!

We begin remodeling our bathroom tomorrow.  I've taken some before pictures, and I'll take some during and after pictures, and post them on here for anyone who is curious.  Hubby and I are both very excited for our new bathroom, and will be even more excited when it is all done!  It should look wonderful.

We also have my husband's Christmas party coming up next weekend.  We were able to go last year for the first time since moving here, and it was nice, although some people there looked like they were attending their prom (yes, seriously, prom dresses).  It should be fun, though, as we will be hanging out with some of hubby's friends there.  Doesn't hurt that they have free food and drinks all night, too!

Hope everyone has a good week!  And, in the spirit of the Christmas season, here is a passage from Luke: "And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”  But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.  The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."(Luke 1:28-38).  Celebrate the real meaning of Christmas!!

Thanksgiving!

Hello!  I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  Ours was filled with family and delicious food.  Our brother-in-law did the turkey honors this year and provided us all with two delicious smoked turkeys, cooked to perfection.  We all thought it was absolutely wonderful.  We also enjoyed homemade rolls, corn casserole,  mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and of course, pumpkin pie.  It was a wonderful dinner.  None of us participated in Black Friday shopping, so we just spent the day doing some relaxing and a little bit of afternoon shopping (it was brief, but fun, and deals were still found).  We ended the day with pizza, and left Saturday around noon.  It was a beautiful day Friday and Saturday, too, with sunshine and temperatures in the mid 60s.  Unusual for this time of year, but quite enjoyable!  After returning home, we did some yard work and I got to do some Christmas decorating--something I've been waiting all year to do!  I didn't get everything done, but I also think I won't put out all of the decorations that I have, too.  So, with the exception of the Christmas tree, I may be very close to being done with decorating.  I'm okay with that.  It's supposed to rain/snow for the next several days, so we'll certainly get the tree up between now and then.  Happy decorating, everyone!

Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure:

I feel I must explain this first picture.  Every time we go to see my husband's family, we pass this farm just outside of Celina, Ohio.  This sign is actually the name of the farm, and I had to share it with you.  The first time we saw it, we both did double-takes.  And then we laughed hysterically.

 

Decorations for Christmas:

Candlelight:

Hello All!

Time To Get Out Of Dodge!

There's not much to talk about right now.  I did have another Art-See-Mart on August 20, which was depressingly slow.  It took four hours to make the $10 booth fee back!  But that's just how it goes sometimes.  I'm investigating the possibility of doing a few large craft shows in the area, so hopefully I'll have more luck next time.  I have felt for a few weeks now that there is not enough time to work, do housework, and try to get TSFT up and running.  If only the days had another four or five hours!  I'm left with no time to do anything else.  Hubby and I are contemplating a long weekend trip out of town, because I think we could both use a little time away.  It would be nice to take a trip with him for a change!

Conner Prairie Farmhouse, 2009

Conner House, Conner Prairie, 2009

 The Dreaded C-Word
Now that the ninety-plus degree weather is gone, my thoughts are beginning to turn toward fall.  I'm looking forward to the beautiful days and cool nights.  The days are already noticeably shorter.  It won't be long before the trees change, and I'll be anticipating the excitement of the first snowfall, and Christmas!  Of course, the stores have begun displaying Christmas items already--I think Hobby Lobby started their Christmas section last month!  Even too early for me.  But, I am looking forward to Christmas decorating--I've dreamed about it twice now!  I found an interesting blog that has a cute idea for a Christmas decoration: Christmas trees from fabric scraps (click on the link to go to the instruction page). I came across it while searching for something else, but thought I would share it with you in case you felt crafty.  I'd love to give it a whirl!

Finished Christmas tree--Photo from All Things Heart and Home (click the link in the Interesting Sites box to the right to check out the blog--she has some great decorating ideas!)

Beans, Beans...
I finally got a decent harvest of green beans out of the garden.  I took a gallon Ziploc bag out with me and filled it up halfway, then added another good harvest to the bag that was keeping in the fridge.  We cooked them last night and still have plenty for another meal.  Finally, yay!  The garden will soon be done for the year again.  Hopefully, next year's garden will be more successful.

There has been some strange happenings lately...an earthquake along the East Coast, then the first hurricane to hit the States in three years (also along the East Coast)...it would seem as though America is under attack from nature!  But there is nothing to fear; God controls all.  Simply put your trust in Him! "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." (Hebrews 11:1-3)  God has power that we cannot even try to understand.  So why do we fret over things we can do nothing about?

Christmas Events

Lights Before Christmas

We took our annual trip to Toledo last Friday to the Toledo Zoo's "Lights Before Christmas" display.  It's always a neat trip.  The animals are all in bed by the time the zoo opens at night, but walking through a zoo completely covered in all sorts of Christmas lights is so fun that you don't notice that the animals are not on display.  There were a few animals out (we saw a polar bear--gasp--you mean they didn't all die from global warming??), and the reptile house and aquarium were open to view the animals there too, but that was it.  It was okay though.  The zoo was quite busy, due to it being a Friday night, but it didn't take away from the awesome light displays.  Last year when we went, we saw these dripping icicle lights (for a YouTube video of what I mean, click here) and they looked so neat!  When we were able to locate them at a store, it was no wonder why we'd never seen them around before--besides being new, they were extremely expensive.  We first found them at Bronner's, a Christmas store located in the tourist town of Frankenmuth, MI, and they wanted around $140 for a string of 5, and add-on strings were about $120.  Needless to say, they won't be hanging from our eaves anytime soon!  Oddly enough, our downtown sidewalk trees are decorated with them this year...even though the city couldn't afford to have the leaf pick-up program again this year.  Ah, politics.

Christmas Program

Well, the McKinnis house had our annual Christmas program again this year.  It was a good time, and it is always a special treat to see the house lit entirely by candlelight.  There is a coziness about it that cannot be described, but has to be experienced.  We had live dulcimer music, baked goodies, Christmas carols, and a little Christmas tree, cut from the surrounding wilderness.  It was a great time, and everyone who volunteered had fun.  Please come out to see one of our programs if you are ever in the northwest Ohio area!

Christmas Party

The day after our Christmas program, we had our second annual McKinnis volunteer Christmas party.  Yes, it was a busy weekend, because all three of these events took place last Friday-Sunday!  It was held at the McKinnis house this year, and probably for the years to come.  We had fires going in the fireplace and woodstove, and it was quite cozy again, as a winter storm was dropping snow outside.  We had a gift exchange and carry-in lunch, with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, lasagna, ham, cranberry relish, fruits, and a full table of desserts.  Yum!  The gift exchange, which was a white elephant exchange, had all sorts of neat gifts.  I left with a gift basket of homemade goodies--caramels, applesauce, and cranberry-orange bread.  Very festive!  It was a good time, and I look forward to starting the new year of programs in early March. 

With Christmas always come New Year's Eve/Day.  I always wonder what the new year will bring--will it be good, bad, sad, exciting?  These past few years have been trying, but I feel confident in saying that it will be better this year!  But really, it all comes down to our perspective and the faith we have in our God.  We don't know what the new year, or future will hold, but God does.  Jeremiah 29:11 urges us to trust in God regarding our futures: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  No matter what happens, we should count it all  joy, because the Lord is in control of every situation.  What a comfort that will always be to me!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Holiday Baking

I've begun my holiday baking again for this year.  (Look out, Mom, I'm bringing some with me!)  So far, I've made chocolate no-bakes, chocolate fudge, 7 layer bars (hubby loved these--I'll post the recipe soon), and a tweaked chocolate cookie to which I added peppermint extract and subbed M&Ms for the prescribed chocolate chips.  Not a bad experiment!  I still plan to make chocolate-covered pretzels and peanut blossoms, then give them all away.  I remember when I was young, my mother would spend days baking all sorts of delicious Christmas cookies, because she and the other neighborhood women would all exchange cookies.  No one seems to do that anymore.  Everyone is diet-crazed and acts like Christmas cookies are a disease on a plate.  It makes me sad, because it was such a neat tradition, and an excuse to get together and visit with others around the holidays.  Wow, seems like those days are looong gone.  I think I'm getting more nostalgic as time goes by.  Does this mean I'm an old woman already in an early 30s body??

Beautiful Snow

It seems as though winter has finally arrived here in Ohio.  As I type, snow is falling softly and silently outside of our office window.  It's beautiful, and so peaceful.  We have had small amounts and dustings of snow all week.  I feel like I live inside of a snow globe!  There is something about the purity and silence of the snow that is so attractive.  A snow-covered farm landscape or cozy home seems like the perfect setting to me...the snow covers the dead brown grass and bare trees with a striking contrast of dark and light and seems to make everything clean.  How I long to live in the middle of the woods, in the middle of winter!  There would be nothing more peaceful and perfect as being curled up in front of a blazing fireplace with a quilt and my husband and watching the snow fall outside.  To me, that would be heaven!

Christmastime 

Can you believe that Christmas is two weeks from Saturday??  Where has the time gone?  I love this season, but it seems to go by so fast anymore.  We are done with our shopping for this year, except for one more gift to purchase.  It's nice to have that done, because now I can sit back and relax.  I am not one for crowds anyway, so I try to get Christmas shopping out of the way early so that I'm not fighting crowds at the stores.  This year I finished later than usual.  I did a decent amount of shopping online too, which is something I don't do very often.  I just found some really good ideas/prices online this year.  Now we are free to enjoy the holidays, which includes a few Christmas parties coming up.  Should be a fun time, especially with the snow that is being forecast for this weekend!

This time of year is the best time, in my opinion.  However, it's easy to lose sight of the real reason that we celebrate this time of year.  When we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we celebrate the real gift that God gave the world, and the ability to spend eternity with Him if we choose to do so.  So when the snow falls, and the presents are opened, I hope that everyone remembers the Gift that was given to wash away all of our sins and make us pure and worthy of a relationship with God: "...though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." (Isaiah 1:18)  Praise the Lord for the incredible gift He has given!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season, and that you carry it in your heart all year long!

Here Come the Holidays!

Things Slowing Down 

Well, for the time being, things are slow here.  That will change soon, with the holidays fast approaching.  I'm very much looking forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's--I'm ready for the turkey, Christmas tree, Christmas music, and all of the other fun things that come around at this time of the year.  It's always been my favorite!  There's always something to do, whether it's shopping or baking or visiting, and I look forward to it all year long.  I have great memories of Christmas from when I was younger, and me and my family would go downtown to the annual nighttime light festival, where there would be a visit from Santa, Christmas music and carols that everyone there would sing, and then at the end of the festival, the switch would be thrown, illuminating a big city Christmas tree and dozens of other trees decorated with lights all throughout the park.  My mom would always decorate the house with all sorts of decorations, from strings of lights to bells, wax candle figurines, a Nativity that someone hand-painted for her, and so on.  There were always Christmas sugar cookies to eat and decorate, and I swear that there was more snow back then!  The tree would be assembled, and it seemed to just drip with all of the ornaments and decorations that we had.  A few presents were always under the tree a little early, just to tease us, and I admit that I would shake one or two when I thought no one was looking.  Christmas is such fun when you are a child.  We counted down the days to Christmas break, and we looked forward to playing in the snow with our friends.  I don't wish to be that young again, but I do wish that I could have that innocent view again.  Ah, the commercialization of Christmastime!  I really long for a Christmas devoid of material focus for a change.  I was in Kohl's last week (among other retail chain stores), and many of these places were already playing Christmas music!  While I don't mind it, it does seem to be a bit early for it.  I am guessing that the current economic state is prompting stores to try and get people in a spending mood earlier so that they can make their season goals this year.  But, regardless of what the stores want us to focus on at this time of the year, Jesus is and always will be the focus of my Christmas season (and all the rest of the year)!

Black Friday 
Well, now that you know how anti-materialistic I feel about Christmas, I thought I'd share with you a few websites that offer sneak peeks at Black Friday ads.  I don't--won't--go shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.  It's an unbending rule of mine.  Why on earth would I want to get up at the buttcrack of dawn--nay, before the buttcrack of dawn--to go and fight with a whole bunch of (fill in the expletive) women who have no concern for anyone around them, but just have to get the (fill in the hot toy/gadget/electronic fad) before you do, because if they don't, the world as they know it will end and the person for whom the gift is intended will, in fact, die if they don't receive it.  There is nothing that will get me out of bed that early to deal with that.  Ahem.  But for those who do enjoy the shopping experience, there are a few websites that post ads for many chain retailers weeks in advance:
Black Friday Ads-- they update their list whenever something new comes out.
Black Friday Info-- they offer several national chain store ads.
Black Friday--again, many chain stores. 
Black Friday 2010-- I think you get the idea.
Black Friday @ Gotta Deal--same as above. 
So, if early morning shopping is your preference, you can start planning now.  Hope this helps!  I'll be sound asleep, digesting waaaay too much turkey and stuffing.

White Fluffy Stuff
Well, I saw the first flurries last Friday.  What a thrill!  I was so excited.  I love snow, and I enjoy wintertime (for a while), and always eagerly anticipate the first significant snowfall of the year.  I love to have white Christmases and New Years.  It just seems to wipe clean the slate of the new year, and for many, a new start at accomplishing goals not attained the year before.  I don't really make resolutions at the beginning of the year; it seems too daunting.  If there is something I want to try and do, I just try to do it.  But others make resolutions every year, and that's fine!  Anyway, there's something great about watching the snow falling silently outside, while I am wrapped up nice and cozy in a big quilt drinking hot chocolate with a giant marshmallow on the top watching a movie with my best friend.  It's relaxing and a perfect way to spend a snowy day!

Where Did All of the Craft Shows Go?

I remember when I was younger that my mother, my sister and I would spend our Saturday mornings running around town to all sorts of holiday craft shows/bazaars.  You could find the neatest little handmade gifts at those things!  I loved to go to them.  I even sold something once, and did really well.  I have been going to a few craft shows in the area here, and what has happened??  There is nothing really to choose from, nothing original.  As someone who values hand-made crafts, as I am a crafty person myself, this makes me sad.  There is not the interest anymore that there used to be.  Everything is mass-produced and made in China as cheaply as possible, so no one is willing to pay for something made with quality and craftsmanship.  Half of the items for sale came from the Oriental Trading Company magazine!  So, I guess that if I want to give hand-made crafts this year, it looks as though I will have to make them myself.  Has anyone else noticed this?  Or am I the only dork that still goes to these things?

We celebrate Christmas in December of each year.  How this came about, who knows?  There is no evidence that Jesus was actually born this time of year; this is just when someone decided to make it a holiday.  Regardless, six weeks before the date of the Christ's birth, Mary must have been anxiously awaiting this event and His arrival.  Can you imagine what that must have been like?  What incredible excitement, and what a blessing, to be chosen to be the mother of the One who would die for our sins?  I can't!  Mary was indeed special for the Lord to choose her.  Joseph knew this as well: "21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."  (Matthew 1:21)  This is the true reason for why we celebrate Christmas every year.  I pray that you will keep that in your hearts, not only now when the holidays approach, but all year 'round.