Sunday Reruns - Merry Christmas Reprise

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It's Sunday again, and you know what THAT means!?! It's time for Sunday Favorites!!!

Sunday Favorites are RERUNS, not current posts - - - if you want to participate, just repost something you previously posted "back in the day."

Thanks so much to Chari over at Happy to Design for hosting this meme, "Sunday Favorites." You may click on the link to find the rules and see more favorite posts.

Today I'm going back a couple of years and reposting my Christmas greetings. Seems strange - - - same furniture, same decorations, same salutations, same us - - - but NOW we're in a different setting.

Merry, Merry Christmas
("First posted on 12/24/08)

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

I think we're ready.
The Kings are waiting - - -

The tree and halls are decked - - -

Santa left SIX Christmas bags - - -

And the college boy is plum tuckered out!!

Enjoy your family traditions and celebrations
Wherever you may be.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

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There Will Be No Curtains But We've Got Sewing Notions

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OK my goofy blogging public. You are coming in loud and clear - - - you want curtains or paint over my concrete walls down in ye olde FBC.

Well, it ain't a gonna happen, so you might just as well hold your breath and your fingertips when they are tempted to TYPE something to me about curtains in my cave.

There are several reasons for the NO CURTAIN, NO PAINT rule - - - not the LEAST of which is we are RENTING this home. It is NOT my concrete to adulterate with paint. And about the curtain part - - - just how do you propose I HANG curtains on bare concrete?????? Nope, I CANNOT drill holes - - - it isn't my concrete.

And the lesser reason is it is a CAVE. If I paint or bedeck it with curtains it will cease to be a CAVE and become a run of the mill family room. Unless of course I should bedeck the walls with hieroglyphics, Native American emblems, or Aboriginal markings. Again, we are back to reason one, it is NOT my concrete with which to tamper.

Besides, I rather like my bare nekked concrete walls.

I'm just risque in that way. I like nekked concrete for an FBC - - - what can I say??

Now - - - not ANOTHER word about concrete, nekked or otherwise, for we are moving on to the IMPORTANT part of this post.


Meet my new Wisconsinite friend, Stephanie. She is the wife of Shawn. Shawn was once upon a time a wee little baby for whom I used to babysit, but is now all grown up into a husband, dad, and policeman.

Stephanie won my friendship heart upon our first meeting.

Last night we had our first "girls night out." Oh man did we EVER live high on the hog - - -

We went to Ace Hardware.

We went to the Mall. (There is a mall in this town - - - it's no bigger than the one that was in Marion, but it is a mall nonetheless.)

We went out to eat.

AND we went to an adorable antique/junk shop.


While there, I spied this basket FULL of old sewing notions.

IMMEDIATELY it made me think of you, all my bloggy friends who go wild and crazy over anything with the words "old" or "sewing" or "notions" in their title. So I whipped out my camera to capture the moment JUST FOR YOU!


Button, button, WE'VE got the buttons!

Well - - - maybe not "we", but the antique shop certainly has them! I will confess, I AM considering going back and buying some to display in a glass jar - - - to remind me of my mother's button box of years gone by.


Look at all of these still on their cards. Some of them are soooo pretty.


The nice lady that owned the antique shop volunteered to take our picture together.

We had such a great time, and discussed so many other places we'd like to go and things we'd like to do, we decided this was going to be our FIRST of MANY girls nights out.

Now, before I go - - - this one little bit of humor for you.

Fisherhubby received a call yesterday about consolidating several hospital bills into one, something I had requested the hospital to do. The NAME of the billing department girl who called????

PEGGY!!

I kid you NOT, she really was PEGGY!!!!

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Village People, Country Cousins, and Nativity Bears

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Sister Pam was worried that I neglected to put any Christmas "touches" in the FBC. (Remember, that's football cave)

She needn't worry - - - Christmas is springing up all over the place down there.


Before I talk about Christmas coming to the cave, let me address the bare concrete walls.

Some of my bloggy friends said they didn't think they'd like the concrete walls - - - too cold. They suggested trying to put something, like curtains maybe, up to cover them.

I prefer to think of them as a blank slate. Anything I put in front of them looks WONDERFUL by comparison! And besides - - - haven't you HEARD - - - the concrete warehouse look is all "it" these days.

I am NOTHING if I am not all "it."

Oh, there I go cracking myself up again!

When I'm down there enjoying my cave, I have the bare bulb overhead lights turned off and my table lamps turned on which gives a warm yellow glow and I can't even see the concrete.

When your walls are concrete anything you DO to decorate is "right" after that! Very freeing.

Now - - - back to Christmas coming to my cave.

As you can see, there are two kings standing guard beside the entertainment center.


Some of Brunhilda and Borris' kin folk have come all the way from the Northwoods and are nightly performing a bear version of the nativity. Their stage is the top of the entertainment center.


The Country Cousins inhabit the blanket chest in the corner. They are a busy crew what with milking their cows, slopping their hogs, grinding their own flour in the mill, and ice skating in the evenings.


Tonight Ma and Pa Cousins brought in the family Christmas tree. The kids will have to scurry out of their skates, tramp inside, and help with the decorating, don't'cha think?


The Village People have moved onto the top of a bench I bought specially to be their real estate!

(Aside - - - I was pretty proud of my thrifty little self!!! This bench is the new mantle, same general shape! It cost a pittance compared to what a fancy smancy electric fireplace with a built in mantle WOULD have cost.)

As you can see, the Village is a bustle with activity. An organ grinder is working the streets, carolers are caroling, folks are shopping, the street sweeper is sweeping, the business man (there's only ONE in a village this size) is hustling home, and the policeman is policing.


It is quite a journey for the Village People to get to church though. There's that whole hill to climb, not to mention the deep chasm that has to be jumped.

But the stout of heart make it. (They are LUTHERANS, Cass!)


And since every last one of the Village People remembered to pay their electric bill in December, their little village is quite the sight by night.


Behind the FBC, across the Great Divide (which you may have mistaken for a furnace) is my very own Jig Saw Puzzle Center.

Oh the delight on a cold winter's night - - - or any other time for that matter!!!

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Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight!

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Living on the edge of the Great Northern Coniferous Forest where the arctic gales howl and the temperatures have trouble crawling up out of the low teens made me LONG for a fireplace.

Well, I'm NOT going to be installing a real fireplace - - - wood or gas - - - here in a rental duplex. So, I thought about a portable electric fireplace. I've seen them with a lovely mantle and everything!!! And if I got one of those - - - I could put my Christmas village up on the mantle.

Then I googled and saw their price.

Ouch.


Then the other day, while cruising through the Big "W" I met THIS little electric Franklin stove. I turned it on right there in the store and it looked real (enough), kicked out lovely hot air, AND the price was right - a fraction of those big boy fireplaces.

It came home with me and moved right into the FBC (football cave for those of you who don't happen to be regulars over here.)

It doesn't provide me with mantle space - - - but I've also solved that problem rather thriftily. However that isn't about being hot in the old town so you'll have to wait for a later post to see THAT.

Next issue was doing something about the cold "drafts" that I felt on my skin as I sat here at my lappy or even worse when I got in and out of my car going around and about town in balmy 7* weather.


I got some of these. Have you TRIED them???? If you live where there is an arctic blast goin' on - - - you NEED some of these. (Right Tonja??? I was already working on this post when I saw YOURS last night! Great minds think alike.)


This particular pair is festive and fun - - - of course it will be hidden under my OTHER clothing items. Oh TRUST me, I shall NOT be showing any lumpy bumpy pictures of me in JUST this.


They make them in "dressier" shades of white and black too.

Besides being really warm they are soft, lightweight, and thin - just like an extra layer of skin. You don't feel bulky wearing them.

That still didn't solve the issue of frozen ankles. Let me tell you - - - when arctic air creeps up under the cuff of your pants it's "bad news bears" for your ankles!


That's when I found THESE!!! Socks to stay home in. Only I ain't just stayin' home in them!!! No sirreee Bob - - - THESE puppies are on my feet under my jeans no matter where I go!


I got a little variety. They are silky soft and furry warm. There's NOTHING like a -15* day to knock the fashion sense right out of you!


What am I talkin' about - - - I think I AM stylin'.

I didn't say WHAT style.

OK - - - now we're ready for the piece de resistance of this post.

Some of you implored me to get something better than hubby's old Birkenstocks to wear when shoveling snow.


VOILA!!!

Look at THESE big-butt-kickin' bad boys!!! (Thanks to niece Misti for the lovely mode of display idea)


They come up mid-calf, promise to keep my feet warm down to -40*, and have plenty of room inside for my "stay-at-home" socks!


They even have heavy duty traction on the soles to help keep me upright on the ice.

So come on Mr. Winter - - - give me your best shot! I've gotcha covered. I'm READY for a hot time in the old town tonight!

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A Song in My Heart

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I had forgotten that Steve Martin had musical talent - - - if indeed I ever knew it.

I found this You Tube clip over at "The Way I Sew It" this morning and found it fun and funny. Thanks for sharing it with us Miss P.




Funny.

And yet - - - poignant.

For you see, there is Good News, it's called the Gospel, and I thank God it resides in the very core of my being. Especially at this Christmas Season, my heart goes out to those who don't know the One in Capital Letters.

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Finding Room at the Inn

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When I hung my wreaths this year, I really thought that was all the Christmas decorating I was going to do.


I had had ENOUGH of packing and unpacking boxes.

Then one day last week I thought I could just possibly face a Christmas box or two - - - and so I did and here are the results:


This IS our Christmas tree for this year. It is amazing how we have gotten all our "stuff" from a 4 bedroom house into this small duplex, but there is nary a corner left over for a traditional Christmas tree.

I think MAYBE I've figured out how to put one up NEXT Christmas - - - but that will be a story for then.


A touch of green and red with white Moravian Star candle holders.


A snowman, tiny Christmas train, and glass ball ornaments bedeck the sofa table.


A tiny village of "dollar houses" (given to me by my children in Christmas Past) nestles atop the pie safe which is being guarded by the Christmas Cat.

Only kind of cat we allow in this house. ;-)


Kings hold council 'neath the dressing table-slash-buffet while Mr. Swan swims merrily atop bearing bits of red and green.


Another king, far too large for the buffet council, stands at attention near the front door.


And there IS room in this Inn for the Baby Jesus.

"Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there."

From Away in a Manger
Words by an unknown author.
First published in a Lutheran Sunday School book for children.

And with that, I wish you ALL
a Very Merry Christmas.

Hanging Sastrugi

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Which are NOT, of course, to be confused with hanging chads. So, if you are from Florida try not to get mixed up.

Yesterday while I was busy shoveling, at one point when I stopped to lean on my shovel handle and gulp air like a winded dog, I happened to look up. To my amazement, I saw a couple of hanging sastrugi!


Even being a science teacher, I cannot explain to you the physics or the molecular chemistry involved in snow being able to HANG off a cliff (in this case a roof) like this.

I can only stand and marvel.

I wondered why in the world I hadn't seen them SOONER.


So I ran around the garage to our side of the duplex and looked at OUR roof. Well, no WONDER - - - we only have a couple tiny sastrugi, and they are way down at the far end where I wasn't very likely to see them during my shoveling forays.


Some miracle of snow, wind, freezing and gravity causes these.


I'm pretty sure I couldn't form them on my own no matter how hard I tried.


Look closely and you can actually see the layers of how this formed. It's like a sedimentary stalagtite sastruga!!!

More evidence to me of a Master-Mind Designer

Simply amazing.

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Shovlin' In a Winter Wonderland - - -

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This is me.

Yesterday.

Ready to shovel.

I was "home alone", so I shan't give away my SECRET as to how I took this self-portrait, but let me just say this little ASIDE to Cindy and Sister Pam: GIRLS!!! I did it on the FIRST try this time!!!! I was giggling all over in my head remembering that experience we had a few short months ago - - - -

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. LITERALLY at hand - - - SHOVELING.

This is how I first started to hollow out my neighbor's sidewalk.


And here's what I still had to do at that point. It may not LOOK like much, but TRUST me, it took me over an hour.

Well, yes I took multiple lean-on-the-shovel-handle rest breaks!

What do you think I am??? Superwoman?

No I am not.

Let me just say here and now - - - NEXT snow storm, I will keep this walk cleared out DURING the storm same as I do mine.

MUCH easier that way.

Why am I even DOING her walk when she is away in FL for the duration you ask? Well - - - BECAUSE, I am the SELF-DESIGNATED-WALK-SHOVELER for this duplex. That's why.


Here is my finished snow-tunnel HANDiwork.

WHEW - - - let me just say I feel absolutely no need for a trip to work-out in a gym now!!!

Of course, I never DID feel the need of that - - - but that is an entirely DIFFERENT story.


And just look at my little snowmen sled marker!!!!

This side of the duplex had MORE snow to shovel because of wind-piling-it-up issues.

Gotta HATE those.

Then I went inside to take off my layers.

Notice I did NOT say I went inside to "warm up," for in SPITE of the fact that it was all of 8* F, I was sweating up a storm from my "minor" exertion.

But this one thing I DID learn from my shoveling experience:


Fisherhubby's old Birkenstock's just really AREN'T the best footwear for this particular activity.

No traction.

Yep - - - I slid right down, very gracefully I might add, to the ground SEVERAL times while I was out there.

Fortunately you weren't, nor was any one else, around to SEE me and laugh.

Still - - - I think I'll visit Wally World and "invest" in more task appropriate foot wear.

Maybe tomorrow.

Oh of COURSE I'll blog about it when I do!!

TTFN.

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We've Warmed Up - - -

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To a BLISTERING 8 degrees F. I think I'll go out and shovel now.

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More Snow for Those Who Like to See But Not Feel

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I'm simply enraptured by the winter wonderland around me - - - especially when it is so easy to observe through a window. ;-)

Though I will confess, I am also enjoying getting right out IN IT too.

So many childhood memories are crowding into my mind. Ice skating for hours at a time, taking off my skates to hold my frozen toes to warm them, sliding down snow drifts, walking to school with icicles forming in my nose, eyebrows, and hair, dressing in front of the oil space heater, holding my sister by the neck so she couldn't run home faster than me, and playing Fox and Geese - - - to name just a few.


This picnic area was deserted yesterday - - -


I wonder why!? Just a few short weeks ago it was filled with happy folk enjoying their lunch.


Everywhere I drove I saw mail boxes just barely peeping out of their snowy blanket, two to three foot high snow banks along the road, squalls of white snow dust blowing across my path - - -


And homes tucked snugly into their winter whites.

"Ah!" My spirit cried, "These are the joys of winter!"


And this morning, through my bedroom window, I spied sastrugi - - -


Etched into the snow by the howling winter gales - - -


Sparkling with ice diamonds in the early morning sun.


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