Christmas Past

December 28th:  Christmas 2014 passed in a rush of last minute shopping (Christmas Eve Day) and frantic wrapping.  The piles of presents all have been opened and put away,  cookies have been baked and eaten,   no more "to do" lists for a little while. The New Year is fast approaching and I can't say I ever look  forward to it--I never feel the excitement of new beginnings and resolutions  (who keeps them anyway?). Usually at this time of the year I feel a sadness that the rush is over, that the decorations will soon be coming down, that the last carols have been heard and life returns to normal. But for some reason this year it's not as bad--  Now I can take the time to sit and enjoy the Christmas trees (this year there are two), appreciate the vignettes of scenes I decorated my bookshelves with earlier in the month. Yes, Christmas is Past  for this year,  but there is Christmas Future to look forward to. 

Post Holiday Blues?

The holiday season has just passed by in a blur.  Don't get me wrong--I loved every minute of it!  I am lucky enough to be able to have some time off for Winter Break, so I am able to get a lot more done than most.

Before break ever started, I made some customized tags for gifts--

Once break started, I made one of the grands some chocolate covered cherries--a recipe I found on Pinterest.  They were pretty easy to make with no too many ingredients or steps.  My kind of recipe. 

After about 40 minutes in the refrigerator, I was able to dip them in the melted chocolate mixture.  I used stemmed and non-stemmed cherries.  The stemmed ones were so much easier.  After that, the chocolate covered gems spent some more time chilling.  Of course, I had to try one to make sure they were edible--boy were they!  

Besides making a few goodies, we shopped and shopped and then wrapped and wrapped as evidenced by our Christmas tree--do you see it there amongst the presents?  Have you ever seen so many presents?  That's what happens when you have teenagers with jobs and money to burn.  Luckily a lot of our shopping was done at thrift stores.  We LOVE finding great treasures for just a fraction of the cost.  

So normally as soon as all of the presents are opened, I feel a profound sense of sadness that it is all over, but not this year.  This year is different and I have no idea why.  Usually, at some point during the holiday season, I find myself crying.  Mama Bird and I refer to this as our "Christmas Cry".  My grandmother (Grandma Bird) coined the phrase.  But for some reason this year, I don't feel the cry coming on.  I tried hard not to lose it or get too frustrated this year.   There was lots of stuff that I had hoped to accomplish, yet didn't and I'm OK with that.  There's always next year.  What seemed more important this year was just being with family.  Watching movies with one of the grands.  Shopping, crafting and wrapping with the others.  Even helping Mama Bird wrap late into the night on Christmas Eve.  We all expect this of her--it's been that way for as long as I can remember.  Wrapping presents and watching Fiddler on the Roof.  No Fiddler this year, but up until almost 2:00 a.m. prepping for a great Xmas morning.  And as usual, it was just that--a GREAT Xmas.  

Winter Soltice

Up early today.  Had a hard time sleeping.  Back hurting.  Good timing.  With only 4 days to go until Christmas, I realized I need to be very productive today, yet trying to enjoy the season. So I'm starting the day off with a cup of joe, holiday music, a warm fire and the illumination of the Xmas tree.  

On tap today, flapjacks for the family, baking some cookies, crafting (trying to make "the grands" some holiday canvas'), wrapping presents, watching the Avs game, walking the dog and finally whipping up some potato pancakes for Hanukkah.  Oh yeah don't forget about the laundry!  Yes, that's a lot to accomplish in one day.  No wonder my back hurts!

Maybe I should just be like the animals in our house!

Happy Hanukkah, Winter Soltice and Merry Christmas!

Sweet Tradition

On Saturday December 13, 2014  Mama Bird, Baby Bird and the Grands gathered together to engage in another Christmas family tradition making Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles. I got the recipe from a friend years ago, but I know it is not a "secret" recipe as I have seen similar recipes before. The ingredients are simple and few:

Powdered Sugar, peanut butter (this year we used both smooth and nutty), and butter. Melt 1 lb. of butter and add to 4 cups of peanut butter and mix. Add 1 lb. bag of powdered sugar (to start) and mix (this can be difficult so pick the person with the most arm strength for this step):

                          If at this step it feels too soft, add more sifted powdered sugar:*

                                     Now it's just a matter of rolling into 1 inch balls:

 While rolling truffles, melt 2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips over boiling water in the top half of a double boiler. Keep over simmering water while finishing the truffles. Once all the truffles are rolled, it might be necessary to chill them in the refrigerator or freezer for a short time. After chilling it is time for one of the best parts and that is dipping the truffles in melted chocolate:

We have tried various methods for dipping but what seems to work for us is gently spearing a truffle on a toothpick and carefully dipping in warm chocolate then gently tapping on the edge of the bowl to let excess chocolate drip off.

This can be a messy job, so before to wear an apron and keep a paper towel handy for wiping off your fingers and hands:

                                                        Almost done:

After all truffles are dipped, put trays in refrigerator to chill until firm. Now ready for the best part:

                                                        The TASTE TEST!!

Baby Bird and I have to hide any truffles that we plan to give away or those Grand Baby Birds will eat them all! Once the truffles were all dipped and spirited away it was on to more fun going "thrifting" (which is fast becoming another family tradition).

*Start with l lb. of sifted powdered sugar, adding more if necessary (and it almost always is). Add a little bit at time until the right firmness is reached (you will know because it doesn't fall off the tooth pick and you can "feel" it when rolling if it is too soft). Practice, Practice, Practice...

                                           

Gardens and Glass

                                               

CHIHULY: " Dale Chihuly is credited with revolutionizing the Studio Glass movement and elevating the perception of the glass medium from the realm of craft to fine art." He was born in Tacoma, Washington where he studied interior design at the University of Washington and was introduced to glass blowing. In 1968 he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to work at the Venini factory in Venice, Italy. His work has been exhibited in over 200 museum collections worldwide, including the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Several weeks ago, Baby Bird and I along with two of the Grand Baby Birds toured the installation at the Botanic Gardens. We chose to visit at night thinking that the glass sculptures would be extra dramatic spotlighted by lights placed all around the displays. It was an amazing display unlike anything that we have ever seen. The Botanic Gardens themselves are beautiful but add the dazzling glass sculptures and it was out of this world. Denver is lucky to have had this exhibit.

Holidays Are Hard Work

                                                  Christmas Mantle--2014

Spent the day with Baby Bird decorating the house...Whew! Holidays are sometimes hard work. Still have some surfaces left undecorated (we have to cover everything!), Peanut Butter Balls to make, Almond Acorns to dip, baking to do, shopping to finish and presents to wrap. Wonder if I will survive it?

Reminders

Getting that Downton Abbey mug and bag at World Market yesterday made me think about the friend who passed away in September--she was a Downton Abbey fan and that mug and bag would have made a good gift for her at Christmas. Sad to be without her this year. I think of my Mother also at this time of the year, more than other times because we used too spend so much time making things and talking about making things (crafts mostly). One year, many years ago now, she and I made items to sell at a local craft fair--it was fun, don't remember how much money we made, but it was more the memories we made that are important. Cheers to two people I miss very much!

Traditions

Almost all the leftovers are gone, turkey soup was made, Black Friday is over and tomorrow is Cyber Monday; Christmas is coming at me like a speeding train. Today  Baby Bird and I and  The Grands took our annual trip to World Market Cost Plus. This has become one of our traditions and one we always enjoy; we walk around the store either together or alone, browsing all the fun items for sale, along with speciality  coffees and foods. This year as we entered the store we were given a ticket to received a free Downton Abbey Tea Mug. I don't watch the program, but liked the idea of a free mug!  After spending quite a bit of time looking at almost everything  we go to the register and have to hide items from each other as we have all purchased gifts for one another. Since I spent over $20, I also received a Downton Abbey  Reusable bag. After World Market we all went to Michael's and the Grands also shopped Target, then it was home for lunch. Turkey Soup and Mac and Cheese! From the time we left the house about 9:15 AM to the time we arrived at World Market about 9:35 AM, the temperature had dropped 30 degrees! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Words froze in the air. If you wanted to hear what someone said, you had to grab a handful of sentences and take them in by the fire!