By special request

Marigold and Mrs. Micawber
both asked for pictures of the wreath my dad made
(with bow by my mom)

and the complimentary
freshwater pearl and white topaz earrings
from my Cheerfulness post.

(Funny they didn't want to see the replacement headlight, too.)

First snow

We had our first snow of the season overnight.

Very light, but enough to record the movements
of some little creatures.
Squirrels, rabbits...

...and my favorite, a hopping bird.


Oscar helped me look.

Transformed

We've been using cloth napkins at all our meals for three or four years, but I realized a week or so ago when I got out some red placemats that all our napkins are in shades of blue. Not the effect I was looking for at this time of year.

And now that I'm used to cloth napkins, it's very hard for me to use paper ones and throw them away. I can't believe I've indoctrinated myself so to cloth napkins, but there it is.

I wanted something sturdy, machine washable, and not so delicate it would need ironing. So I bought several packs of assorted dishtowels that had some of the same patterns, making sure to avoid packs that included waffle dishtowels.

I chose two of the patterns and cut each dishtowel in half. Folded the cut edge over and pressed it, then folded it again and pressed it.


Stitched the folded edge down, one napkin after another.



Stopped occasionally to pat Oscar. You're such a good boy!


Folded in half, then in thirds.



So now I have 4 of one pattern and 6 of another. And the rest of the dishtowels I can use as...dishtowels.

And - my Reasons to be Cheerful for this week (besides being happy with my new napkins)!

1. I had a burned out headlamp on the car, mentioned it to Elizabeth, and she told me to buy the replacement lamp at AutoZone and they would install it for free. I didn't even have to act helpless. Saved me time and money.

2. Received an offer in the mail from a jewelry store for a free pair of freshwater pearl and white topaz earrings. Somewhat doubtful that there were no strings attached, I went in anyway, and was given the earrings (and a very mild pitch to buy a matching pendant, which I declined). They are really nice! Not sure how the store got my name - I asked the woman at the counter, and she said, "Past customer?" I don't think so.

3. My dad made a beautiful wreath for our front door with fresh greens from their yard, and my mom made bows for it and for the corners of the windows that are draped in pine garland. The outside of the house looks so well dressed, it pleases me when I look out the windows (because we can see the garland and wreath from inside) and when I pull in the driveway or back out of it.

For more cheer, visit Penny - she's the one hosting this wonderful weekly boost of thankfulness.

Sinterklaas

Today is the Feast of St. Nicholas, celebrated on the Eve, December 5th, in G's homeland , the Netherlands (as well as in some other countries). In a post last month I mentioned chocoladeletters (chocolate letters), and Mrs. Micawber wanted to know more about them.

Sinterklaas or Sint, as the Saint is affectionately known in Holland, brings a chocolate letter that matches the person's first initial to boys and girls, young and old. He also brings other sweets as well as presents. When we were first married, I asked G's daughter K about the tradition and how it related to Christmas, as here in the U.S., Christmas is gift-giving time. "No," she said, "Sinterklaas is the time for gifts. Christmas is a religious holiday." Oh, right. Imagine that!

We used to be able to buy chocoladeletters from a Dutch shop not too far from us, but they closed, so now I order them from a shop in Holland, Michigan. Who orders them from the real Holland.

G used to be a wonderful artist. He would draw an image of Sint with his bishop's hat and shepherd's crook (mitre and crosier) on each of the white-tissue-paper-wrapped chocoladeletters we were giving to family and friends. When it began to be clear that G wouldn't be able to continue doing the artwork for much longer, I scanned one of his drawings. Now I print the drawing onto a card, so that part of our tradition continues.


A few weeks ago, Sinterklaas arrived in the Netherlands, as he does each year by steamship from his home in Spain. (There's more about the whole tradition, here.) He rides a white horse, and his arrival is a very big deal, broadcast on national television. Families, if they aren't close enough to the arrival city to be there in person, gather around their TV sets and watch the spectacle. K was kind enough to take some pictures (of their television screen!) of the event for us to see. Including her daughter M's share of the Sint-watching treats.

Sint and assistant Piet on the ship

Coming into the harbor

The crowds!

Sint on his white horse.

Sint-watching goodies.

Tromp l'oeil

We have a big pine tree in the back yard.

It used to be little.

For Christmas, we would twine it with white lights.

As it got bigger,
it required employment of a telescoping pole
to drape the lights at the top.

And then a step ladder plus the telescoping pole.

Then one year I decided
(because by then I was doing this on my own)
the tree had gotten too big for me to continue the tradition.

The back yard looked so dark.
It made me sad.

* * *

The next year, a lightening bolt idea.



Since then, it's all been easy.

Susan Branch says putting lights outside your home is a gift to your neighbors.
This tree is a gift to me, too!

Edited to add: Linked to Thrifty Household's Making Winter blog hop!

Anniversary

Today is our wedding anniversary.

When I woke G this morning,
I told him what day it was and got a smile.

It was a lovely day for me:
I drove my mom to my niece's new apartment,
and we spent several hours with her and my sister-in-law
and my sister-in-law's sister-in-law,
having a delicious lunch,
admiring my niece's new place,
and trading news.

G stayed home with Elizabeth,
which was a much better prospect for him.
A third floor walk-up would be testing the limits of his endurance.

After I got home and Elizabeth left, I fixed a special dinner,
and after dinner, I asked G what he would like to do.

Do you want to watch the wedding video?

How long is it?

I don't remember - maybe an hour?

Maybe not.

So we looked at our wedding album,
commented on how we looked,
how little the nieces and nephews were,
on how many members of the choir were still around,
and what a fun day it was.

When I tucked G into bed this evening,
I told him that we would end the day as we began it,
by remembering that it was our anniversary.
And I got another smile.

Anticipation

Mrs Micawber has suggested we use Advent to look back at favorite memories from this time of year. She has a wonderful story about her grandfather, his northern California farm, and the important role he played in her childhood Christmases.


When we were kids, my grandmother provided us with an Advent calendar each year. The five of us took turns finding and opening the little windows. It was always exciting to search for the next number and then to see what tiny picture waited behind the window. Those calendars had 25 windows, one for each day of December (not exactly Advent, but close). Modern ones now have 24. Maybe everyone is too busy on the 25th to care about the last window? Who knows.

When I was in high school, I sewed a felt Advent calendar wall hanging. I don't remember where the idea came from - maybe something my mom had seen. It has a green felt Christmas tree and 24 red felt pockets (because that's what fit neatly in three rows of eight, and I wasn't creative enough to add a 25th pocket) which I filled with tiny toys and trinkets. Each one fastens to the Christmas tree with a little safety pin, so over the 24 days, the tree is decorated. A few years ago my mom gave the calendar to my niece Sarah for her little boys, and they are carrying on the tradition. I asked her to send me a picture (quick!) to include in this post, so she got it out of the box it has been stored in for a year - it's a bit wrinkled. And, of course, undecorated, since it's only the first of December.


The year our courtship began, I was anticipating G coming from the Netherlands for a Christmas visit. I found this small, greeting card sized Advent calendar, bought two, and sent him one so we could both count down the days until we were together again. Bears baking Christmas cookies - oh, so cute. Whimsical and humorous. Lots of adorable mousies hiding in plain sight or inside of drawers (which are only discovered when that day's door is opened).


Later I framed mine, and I bring it out each year at the beginning of Advent. I love looking at the tiny details in the picture and in each window. And remembering that time of great anticipation.

The artist had a sense of humor - behind one door, next to the baby bear, is a pacifier

Since we married, I've sent Advent calendars to G's two daughters and their families each year. Their kids are older now, and I've asked if they still want me to continue the tradition, and the answer is Yes! The calendars for next year are already waiting.

But nothing beats that tiny calendar that marked our courtship.