Beginning to Get Relevant Things Done

 

In trying to keep the momentum going and get productive things done, the focus has turned to Christmas. I do not have a ton of Christmas decorations but they are enough to provide a puzzle for me as to where to place everything each year. I try to take photos of those displays that I was happy with from the prior year. Then all I have to do is look at last year's photos and ditto that.

Of course, when I went to friend Kay's house yesterday and saw all her lovely decor, it made me want to rethink mine. Sigh...If I remind myself that it will all have to be repacked and put back away in a few weeks it might help me curb my enthusiasm.

 This particular day (which was actually Monday) began with an ice storm. We woke to everything coated in dripping ice. It was the perfect day to stay inside and do cozy things.

The first task I tackled was to make and can a dozen jars of jellied cranberry sauce for giving. The red is so pretty in the jars and the sauce tastes great too!

We had the smallest amount of chicken left from Thanksgiving dinner. I used it to make chicken and dumplings for our dinner. It was an amazingly easy and satisfying meal on this chilly day.

 Remember these folded, quilted ornaments that were popular back in the 90's? They are still fun to make! I needed an ornament for a ladies night out so I decided to use some leftover fabric from the quilted tree skirt I made earlier this year (In the photo below). It was fun and relaxing to pin together. I hope it is well received. So, I think we are off to a good start on Christmas! Next up is the decorating...

 

Still Some Chaos Before the Harmony

 Sunday morning started out a little rough with chaos attempting to regain a hold. A light ice storm, forgotten class notes, and a late arrival to church slightly rattled my feeling about how this day was going. But we came back around to harmony that evening when we attended the Roanoke Choir's "Lessons and Carols" at St. Andrew's Basilica. When the organist began to play the Prelude, there was nowhere else left for our thoughts to go other than on this glorious, auditory spectacle. The deep notes on the organ reverberated throughout the basilica and into our bones. The strong voices of the choir soared up to the vaulted ceiling and back down again, creating an ethereal sound. Bible readings of prophecy and fulfillment alternated with the music and brought our thoughts into focus. The song offerings were joyous and filled with hope. I had to fight back tears at the beauty of it all. Oh I do hope this is what Heaven sounds like!

PS. The choir sang all the verses for every song. We don't often sing or hear them all. The audience was invited to sing along to some of the favorite Christmas hymns. I can't say I ever sang the last verse of, "Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel". It was especially beautiful: 

 O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.

From Chaos to Harmony

 

Thanksgiving is a wrap! The house was bustling with extra people, children, and a dog. Our Thanksgiving meal over the last thirty years rarely changes such that it can practically cook itself. However, I still made a mess in the kitchen, cleaned it up, then made a mess again for three days running. In between messes, I had some wonderful time with Claire over morning coffees and bedtime snacks. 

A few weeks ago, Claire bid and won an auction that included a bonanza of cross stitching supplies. She brought a bin of it with her so I could go through it and choose some supplies for myself. I was astounded at the quantity of linen and floss. She had over one hundred skeins of silk floss alone, not to mention four gallon-sized bags of hand dyed floss! There were yards and yards of linen in all colors and counts. It really was a dream. Most of it will be resold but I was appreciative at being given first dibs on some linen and floss.

After everyone left, I cleaned the kitchen, washed all the sheets and towels, then vacuumed and washed the kitchen floor. It was time to bring the house back into order so that we have a clean slate to begin making Christmas preparations. Advent has begun! In a few weeks we will have another round of family and children here to celebrate Christmas with us when Chelsea comes down with her crew from New Hampshire. Plans are being made and we look forward to this joyous season.
 

Gift Finishes: Covered Boxes and Cross Stitches

 

I stitched this seven-inch round piece as a Christmas gift for my eldest granddaughter, Marian. When I saw the pattern at Liberty Hill Needleworks, it immediately reminded me of Mari and her little dog. The wintry wreath reminded me of our ice skating adventure in Vermont last year. So, none other than Mari should have this embroidery.

The biggest challenge with a round embroidery is how to finish it off. I could not find a good quality round frame anywhere. The designer of the pattern had this displayed an embroidery hoop. I thought it worthy of something more substantial than an embroidery hoop display. Since I could not find a frame, my next thought was to attach it onto the lid of a Shaker box. Another exhaustive search yielded no round Shaker boxes that were the right size. Finally, I went with the idea of attaching it to a round paper maché box. I found a website (Factory Direct Craft) that carries all shapes and sizes of paper maché boxes and I ordered a few from there. 

I covered the box with some pretty, coordinating fabric in the "Merry Little Christmas" line by Tilda fabrics. I lined the inside of the box as well. For all my fabric covered boxes, I use Mod Podge for Fabric. (I fell so in love with the Tilda fabrics that I bought enough to make a quilt.)

Once I got playing with fabrics and paper maché boxes, I decided to cover some smaller boxes I already had on hand. My friend Kay had an adorable pincushion in her craft studio that she made a while ago. She told me how to make it and off I went! I needed a gift for our rug hooking group's gift exchange and I thought a set of two little boxes would be lovely. I had so much fun making the first set that I went on and made another set for me. : ) I topped the red set with a velvet pincushion and the blue set with a wool pincushion. I will fill the blue gift set with some notions before I wrap it.

 Finally, I made a little "Winter" pillow to give in another crafting gift exchange. My daughter Chelsea saw the pillow in a video chat we were having and said how much she liked and and could I send her the pattern. I decided to send her the pillow itself as a cheery little gift. She is a hard-working mother to three little boys and what mother couldn't use a surprise gift in the mail? I figured I could make something else for the gift exchange.

 So that was my busy week last week. On to more crafting adventures before Thanksgiving arrives! Claire's family will be here for the holiday so next week's focus will joyfully be food and family.

Easy and Delicious Homemade Focaccia

                                            

I keep forgetting to take a photo before it is sliced! This is a half recipe sized bread.

       

 6 1/4 c. flour
2 Tablespoons salt (You may be able to lessen this. I have not tried yet.)
1 tea. instant yeast
3 1/2 c. warm water 

Mix all ingredients together with a spoon.

Pour into a large, oiled bowl. Pour about 1/4 cup olive oil on top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap. Put into the refrigerator. Leave for at least two days or up to a week.

Take out from refrigerator. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour dough onto parchment and gently smooth out. Let rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Do not worry if it does not look risen very much.)

Preheat oven to 450 F. 

Before putting focaccia in the oven, pat down with floured fingers. Sprinkle with salt and any other seasonings you like.

Bake 25-30 minutes. 

*Warning- this recipe makes a very large focaccia. It fills an entire  11"x17" cookie sheet. This is fine if you want a large focaccia. Other options would be to divide the dough in half when you remove it from the refrigerator and bake two smaller focaccias (Perhaps one to keep, one to give away) or bake one today and another a day or two later. 

We like to use a little coarse salt, freshly cracked pepper, and chopped rosemary from the garden. I have also baked the focaccia for 15- 20 minutes, then topped it with tomatoes, Italian seasoning, grated Parmesan, and mozarella . Bake for another 10 minutes or so. This makes a nice pizza. My friend has made sandwiches with hers. The focaccia bakes up high and fluffy in the center so it can be cut for sandwiches if you like.

 

Dark and Blustery Nights

 The weather turned very cold this week. It was delivered on a biting wind. Combined with the dark evenings, there is no doubt that winter is on our doorstep. Lately, these things remind me of  childhood winters in the north. My mind relates the discomforts of cold and dark into comforting thoughts of our cozy little house and the safe feeling of a mother and father nearby. I do not recall ever thinking about the world beyond our snowy avenue and school. Life felt safe. After we were tucked into bed at night and the house became quiet, we were lulled to sleep by the sounds of water trickling through the radiators. The radiators made a gentle, "tick, tick, tick" sound as the metal heated and cooled. Although the wind was blowing against the windows and snow may have been falling outside, the warmth of our home and the sound of the radiators made us feel safe and secure. The possibility of waking to a blanket of snow in the morning made it even sweeter. Oh, the excitement of going to sleep with these happy thoughts! Even though the house was shut up tight, we could hear the snow at the window. The "ssss" sound snow makes when it falls and the way it muffles all other sounds is palpable and so comforting.

Here we are now. The same dark and blustery nights have followed us into adulthood. But, we have no water heated radiators and rarely any snow. There is no mother or father nearby and we will definitely not have to go to school tomorrow : ) The world is now so much wider than my little avenue and there are so many more people that I love and care about. Sleep does not come easy anymore. But, on these blustery nights, if I can't sleep because of the wind or because life is niggling at my brain, I will conjure up the memory of those ticking radiators and the muffled sound of the snow. Before I realize it, I have fallen blissfully asleep with the words, "Thank you Lord", on my lips.

 

Finishes and Beginnings- It's Time to Stitch and Hook!

 

I finished stitching and constructing the pin drum from last year's Jingle Bell Ball. It was an exclusive pattern for ball attendees. I thought the woodland scene was delightful so I stitched it up. The photo on the pattern makes the linen look like a pretty blue/periwinkle color. In reality, the called for linen is a drab gray. My friend and I were shocked when it arrived since it was nothing like the photo. Apparently a lot of other stitchers were surprised too as we have heard tell from shop owners. Anyway, I still think it is adorable. It was a lot of work, especially stitching all those single snowflakes. 

I have several stitched items that I am working on for holiday swaps, etc. So I will not post those until after they are given.

I needed to begin a rug project so I would have something to take to our monthly hooking group.  I decided to make Karen Kahle's "Compote with Camillias" pattern that a friend gave me. If I am lucky, I will hook this entirely from worms that I have saved. Pictured below is my planning process. Rug making can be messy and dusty. First I need to clean the room to make space to play with patterns and colors. Later on, after I make the rug, the room needs another major cleaning from wool dust, wool strips, and snippets everywhere. In between times, I need to clear and clean the room because it serves as a guest room when our granddaughter comes to stay. Hoping a pretty rug will make it all worth the effort.