Happy Christmastide

Not only two posts within a week of each other, but three posts in a month.

Shocking, I know.

It is, however, Christmastide after all .... something that is rarely observed in recent decades and all but forgotten.

Recent generations rush to get Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving and, in many cases, rush to pack them up the day after Christmas.

But, in my world, Christmas Day is just the beginning...the beginning of Christmastide.

Christmastide (also known as Christide or Twelvetide) is the 12-day period beginning December 25th and ending January 5th.  (Start singing - in your head please - The Twelve Days of Christmas.) 

While it is, technically, a season of the liturgical year in most Christian churches, it was also, historically, a period of hospitality and celebration with Christmas Day being Day One.

There were religious services, yes, but it was also a secular matter as well with parties and feasts, gift-giving and general merry-making.

Perhaps due to my father's strong evangelical Lutheran background, our family followed the old ways growing up.

Our tree was not put up until Christmas Eve (or Christmas "Adam" - the day before Christmas Eve) and gifts were opened on Christmas Eve after the evening Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Day was a morning church service and then a more formal dinner.

And then...then the round robins began.

We would visit my great grandmother and great aunts on my father's side, then all the aunts and uncles on my mother's side, and a few close family friends - and they, in turn, would come to visit us. 

Each day saw a new visit or new visitors.

Those days are long gone, but I still think of Christmas as a season rather than a day and I (stubbornly) refuse to give in to the notion that Christmas is over and done with on the 25th. 

My decorations and lights will stay up for several weeks yet and, yes, on occasion, I will listen to Christmas music or indulge in a favorite Christmas movie.

I also continue with a few Christmas projects.

This year, I finally pinned and laced "Merry Olde Christmas," a design by Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm which I stitched two years ago.

I finished it in this metal ornament frame because it was on hand.

Jury's still out on whether it will stay there but, for now, I'm calling it done.

I also stitched and finished a new seasonal insert for my hanging clock:

This is called "November Ornament" (I think?) and is a free design from Birgit Tolman of The Wishing Thorn.

I had wanted to do a Santa for it but haven't settled on a design that will work well with the dimensions of the clock case.

I also finished hooking my Stag rug - a pattern by Lori Rippey of Primitives by Lori.

It took me a ridiculous amount of time to finish hooking it, and I am not thrilled with my color plan/wool choices.  I suspect Mummy D. was expecting a photo of the completely finished rug but it has been commandeered by Liza Bean and has not even made it through the steaming process.

I also treated myself to a Christmas read.

This book was outside of my typical genres but a fellow blogger (who no longer blogs unfortunately) recommended it to me. 

Her recommendation turned out to be a beautiful gift.

Ms. Silva imaginatively recreates the inspiration behind Dickens' beloved A Christmas Carol.  Although fiction, Silva seems to channel Dickens himself and uncannily recreates 19th-century London and the streets Dickens perambulated during the six-week period of the writing of his famous tale. (Well, not that I would actually know what 19th-century London or the streets of London looked like but, in my head I think I do. 😉).

Whimsical and charming - and utterly believable...I definitely recommend for a heart-warming holiday read.

And, finally, for "Sissy"...because you asked.

I hope 2025 brings renewal, sees your hopes fulfilled, and makes your heart glad.

Merry Christmas...

Wherever this day finds you on your life's journey, my wish for you is that your day was filled with warmth, your night filled with light, and your heart filled with a bit of Christmas magic.

Diddling

 No... Not that kind of diddling.

I mean the aimless, unproductive, kind of diddling.

It's been almost a month since my last post, and it is only 10 days until Christmas and I... well, I am wholly and completely unprepared for it.

I've gotten a bit of decorating done. Not as much as I used to do by far, but definitely more than the past several years. Other than that, though, nothing much in the way of shopping, wrapping, baking, preparing.  😳

{Vintage Christmas ornaments on my mantel.  How I wish they were all vintage/antique Kugels but, alas, Lauren has all of those.}

Procrastination is a curse I am most familiar with.

I could post daily about things I have left undone.

Finding things I've done to post about takes a considerable bit more effort.

There are just so many squirrels to chase and rabbit holes waiting for me to fall into.

 So what have I been doing? 

Like I said, decorating. 

I haven't changed things up much so you've seen most everything before.  But I don't think I have posted these before.  

I got them last year on a (rare) antiquing jaunt with the hooker down the road.

Of course, when I first saw them, I immediately thought "Santa and Mrs. Claus!"

But actually, they aren't.

They are The Contented Man and The Old Woman of Capri.

Two vintage prints of works done by two different artists at two different times.

The Contented Man was painted by the Italian artist, Eduardo Forlenza (1864-1931).  The Old Woman of Capri was painted by Sydney Bell (1888 - 1964).

Prints of the paintings became popular as a pair, and they were commonly given as wedding/housewarming gift in the 1950's. (Hence, they are actually quite easy to find.)

My prints are in rough shape - and I paid far more for them than I should have - but I found them quirky and fun.

And I like quirky and fun.

As for the rabbit holes and squirrels, I've been making spun cotton candy canes.

Tedious, yes...but addicting.

...and kringles...

I haven't stitched at all as I've been having some hand issues, but I did get this little tuck finished...finally.

I think I finished stitching it 2 years ago...and just now have it completely done. 

Yikes.

{Love & Joy by Heartstring Samplery.  Stitched on 36ct "Tea Set" by Graham Cracker Fabrics.}

It has been a month of gloom here in Nod so true colors are difficult to catch in photos, but it is stitched in WDW Tarragon - a beautiful green and one of my favorites.

And, I have been wreath wrestling....

It is larger and heavier than it may appear in this photo and, no matter what type of hanging mechanism I've tried, it will not stay on my glass storm door (and I don't have any other place for it).

I cannot use the over the door hanger as my door has a "lip" at the top to open and close the glass and screen.

At this point it has lost so many greens, berries and pinecones I could probably   make another smaller wreath.

As of today:  Wreath 7; Crow 0.

So, as you can see, if one diddles, one ends up with diddly squat.

I have some rustic artisan carrot bread proofing that needs shaping, another rise, and baking, so the diddling continues.

I hope all is well with each of you. I know I owe a few of you a reply to messages. I promise I will get there....

Miscellany

Like the thoughts in my head of late, this post is just a random tangle of things.

My streak of bad luck seems to be continuing...and I'm not willing to believe it' this charming fellow's fault.

I'm still trying to get things back to working order from the lightning that struck the end of September.... The wells, pool system, backup generator, and septic pump have been repaired or replaced and I'm (slowly) adjusting to the new pc.  I'm having problems getting the lighting on garage working though. The contractor has been here three times but was successful in getting only one of the lights working.

For every issue resolved, however, it seems a new one (or two) presents itself.  The concrete sink in the master bath cracked and now leaks...and, on Thursday, the huge vanity mirror glass in my bathroom disconnected itself from the frame and started slipping down the wall.

I seriously think I'm beyond sage and Palo Santo...I need an exorcist.

I've not accomplished much in the handwork department.

I put my needle down for a bit and picked up my hook but don't have enough progress to properly share. (OK...actually, I'm too lazy to take it off the frame to photograph.)

I am trying to focus on getting some things fully finished (ha!) and did get Lucy Nowlen (a Pineberry Lane design) framed.

I initially thought I would go with a very simple, stark, frame...but changed my mind wholly and completely.

What can I say?

While I am NOT an early Christmas decorator (I still have remnants of Halloween up), I transformed some old peach crates into Santa crates and I am (for the most part) happy with them.

(I intended to do only one but the first one, below, I did upside down on the crate, so had to do another.)

I'm not certain what I will do with them but, hopefully, something will come to me.

The weather continues to be fairly mild here - although the nights are cold and days extremely windy it seems.  Tomorrow we are to have winds of 42+ mph.

I am not fond of the wind...it makes me uneasy and make me edgy (edgier??)

Some of the sunsets, though, have been spectacular. 

And since I haven't done one in a while, an episode of what I've been reading:

When you've read as much material as I have regarding the Salem Witch Trials, you can be more than a bit skeptical about yet another telling.  But this...this was a welcome surprise.

As many of you know, Rebecca was my great aunt (7x removed) and her sister, Mary Easty (also hanged as a witch), my grandmother (7x removed).

The book is based on Mr. Gagnon's primary source research (love me a book with footnotes) and while it addresses the myriads of events and circumstances leading to the perfect storm culminating in the trials that other researchers have brought to light, it is one of the few I've encountered that traces the history and biography of the Towne and Nurse families so thoroughly.

Obviously, this is not for everyone...but for anyone with an interest in this historical tragedy, or in legal history, law, and religion, this book is a definite must-read.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

That's all I've got....

Have a great new week ahead! 

{Oh...just a blogger note:  Like everyone else, every single commenter on my posts is now coming up as being from a "no-reply commenter" even though the commenter has their settings configured to allow replies. This means that I can no longer reply to comments personally/privately (when and if they miraculously find their way to my email).  I prefer individual/personal replies (rather than using the reply feature that appears on the actual comment list).  If I have your email, I have attempted replying that way but if I don't, I can't.  If you would care to receive a reply to your comments, please share with me your email and I will do my best to do so. (You can just click the "email me" link on my sidebar and I will keep a list for future reference so you do't have to repeatedly make it publicly available.)

I have received so many wonderful comments and I feel very neglectful when I cannot reply.}

Extending the Branches....

 Many Several A few of you have asked for photos of "the wedding," and I am finally obliging.

. 

But a little backstory first as I know at least one person was a bit confused about the "order of things."

Well, the "order of things" went a bit wonky.

My son, "Little Crow," had proposed to his love and she accepted.

A date for the wedding was set and they were just about to proceed with the serious planning when they discovered they were expecting an "unexpected" blessing.

The wedding was accordingly postponed...and then postponed again when the little blessing arrived earlier than she was supposed to, and complications ensued.

A year later than planned, though, the wedding happened.

Now...on to the pictures.

{I was honored to have Miss Mia walk me down the aisle...}

{They had a cupcake bar so the actual "cake" was quite small. They already had the cake topper before they adopted their dog, so Mrs. Little Crow added the dog figurine on the bottom.}

A precious gift from Mrs. Little Crow.

Though I have lost much the past couple of years, I have also gained much and my heart is full.

(PS....Happy Belated Halloween...)

The Truth....

 

The truth is I never really want Halloween to come.

I just want it to always be October.

Yes, I love Halloween madly...but just imagine if it was always October and you could always be looking forward to it and anticipating it!

And when it's Halloween, we start all over again.

{View from my laundry room window.}

Just a thought....

Anway....

Fall came upon us fast and furious.  Like many of you going through droughts, I didn't know what we'd have for color - everything just looked brown and dead.

But it came - and was gone just as quickly it seems.

The harvest full moon was spectacular, although I'm disappointed I didn't catch the comet.

Due to the wedding, the work involved in the aftermath of the lightning strike, and a mess of doctor appointments and procedures, my Halloween decorating was significantly minimized this year.

Even if it weren't, you've mostly seen it all before in other years' posts so it's just me missing it.  😉

I do have a few new treasures. (So much for that promise....)

A little racoon paw holding a bouquet:

Definitely not everyone's cup of tea but, if you don't know it by now, neither am I.

And this little guy is "Comfy in the Crypt," by the very talented Cyn Tennant.

He's carved from clay and makes his crypt in an antique mold form.

It was difficult to get a great photo, but the detail is amazing.

I also finally finished up two cross stitch pieces.  The first is "October 31st 1693" by The Blackberry Rabbit.

This piece almost was given the Marly treatment (i.e., meeting its end by fire.)

It is stitched on a 32-count pre-printed linen by Fabric Flair.

First, I am NOT a fan of 32-count.

Used to be, but not anymore as it most usually (and did in this case) requires two strands of floss...which, in turn, requires railroading each stitch (if you're a stitcher, you know...if not, just know it makes stitching more time consuming).  I much prefer stitching on 36-count or, better yet, 40-count.

In addition, I struggled with judging the actual borders of the linen due to weird selvedge edges and misjudged.  I had the witch 3/4ths completed when I realized she was too high and if stitched as charted, I would cover the "October 31st 1693" header.

There was too much to rip out without seriously damaging the linen or my by-then fragile state of mind, so I ordered a new piece of linen and started over.

Then, to exacerbate my frustrations, the "newspaper print" on both pieces of linen was VERY light. 

I decided to distress it after it was stitched using a fine paintbrush and walnut stain.

I wish I hadn't distressed it, but I am NOT stitching this a third time!

And this is "Trick or Treat Cat" by M Designs.

Not necessarily my typical fare but it appealed to my love of vintage Halloween.

This was a kit (I think?) which was started by another stitcher who decided she didn't care to finish it so she offered it as a giveaway and I was the lucky winner.

I confess I undid quite a bit of what was stitched and really changed up the floss colors.  The "as charted" were just too neon for me.

I also removed a smiling Jack-o-Lantern in the lower left corner and added another bat instead.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Seven days and counting....

Teaching an Old Crow New Tricks...

 I've not much to say...but I finally got the new pc set up and wanted to see if I could actually manage a blogpost.

Fingers crossed.

I know some were expecting wedding photos and I promise I will share some...if I somehow manage to figure out how to transfer what is salvageable data from my old hard drive here...and figure out where, exactly, my photos go when I try to upload them.

Change doesn't come easily to me and I get very attached to old ways.

And, frankly, I haven't had time to experiment.

The lightning damage is worse than I initially realized.  I have managed to get the backup generator and the pool system repaired and, obviously, replaced my pc. This next week will be spent trying to get my wells up and running.

No small task given that replacing the pump for the main house involves cutting down my tree (Lauren...I feel your pain intensely), removing plantings and landscaping and trying to relocate a very large...and very heavy...concrete birdbath.

I sometimes feel as though I just can't handle anything more...then I think of those who lost everything in the wake of Helene...and I feel ashamed.

Anyways....

What you get today is just some random photos that somehow managed to migrate to a place I can find them.

Halloween decorating has been put mostly on hold for yet another year.

I have pulled out a few favorites or easily accessible pieces and will call it good.

One piece that somehow didn't find its way back to where it was supposed to be is this piece I stitched last year.  I don't think I've posted it...if I have, my apologies.

 "Pumpkins Three" by La-D-Da. (Sorry for the glare.)

The frame should have been larger, but it was a premade frame that didn't come larger...and I liked it, so I forced it.

Seeing it here, I may decide to reframe it....

Or not.

On the fun side of things, my daughter-in-law and I took little Mia for her first visit to the pumpkin patch at the orchard.

It was a picture-perfect day and I'm glad to say Mia found a pumpkin she loved enough to bring home.

We are under a frost advisory for tonight and I should move a few plants that are still thriving indoors.

But I won't. 

I'm truly tired of watering.

Hoping your Sunday was good to you.