Pretty Paper

Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue… 

Have you ever played one of those ‘dirty Santa’ games at Christmas? You know, the kind where you can pick a gift then someone has the option to take it away if they like it? I don’t even think its fun. In fact, they can become brutal!

All the presents are there, waiting for the first person to pick. After serious scrutiny, the package that is wrapped the prettiest is chosen. But unwrapped, the gift inside is less than ideal.

There have actually been studies showing that nicely wrapped gifts set high expectations and magnify disappointment when the gift is less than perfect. It’s even been recommended that unexceptional wrapping can improve the joy of receiving even a wonderful gift because the wrapping won’t build up any false hope. Who knew? I’ve been wrapping correctly for years!

A long time ago we actually thought it was fun to go shopping the day after Christmas. We seldom had a specific article in mind but rather went for the amusement of finding a bargain. One of the things we usually picked up was wrapping paper. There was some kind of warped thrill in finding $4.00 a roll wrapping paper for fifty cents.

One year we found “Space Jam” paper at an after Christmas sale. “Space Jam” was one of those movies that combined cartoon characters with real people. Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan were the stars. By the time we got around to using it, “Space Jam” was available on tape (back then) and the kids didn’t even know who the man with Bugs was on that paper!

So you’ve probably gathered, I don’t spend a lot of time and money on the outside of the gift. But it’s not a bad thing, especially since it becomes trash the minute the present is opened! Not only do I usually not have the time but I don’t have the skill. Enter one of the best ideas ever. Besides my odd collection of wrapping paper, I now pick up gift bags and printed boxes on sale! It’s the greatest thing yet! Put whatever you want inside, stuff in or wrap tissue paper around and voila! It’s done!

Next time you get your choice of the wrapped presents don’t turn up your nose at the one that’s mediocre looking. It might be the paramount of surprises!

Wrap your presents to your darling from you…

I told you about the knitting Secret Santa exchange. I finally got all mine together and got it sent off. She liked it! Here’s what she said: 

"My box included Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Free-Range Knitting, Mary Beth Temple's The Secret Language of Knitters, a skein of Manos del Uruguay in the most wonderful variegated reds with a little purple and brown. You could not have picked a better color to send me if I'd been with you when you bought it. I also found note cards, a list pad and cupcake cups from Mary & Co., a lovely tape measure from Vintage Impressions in an antique silver finish, a clip-on OttLite with 12 LED's with a peacock feather in purple on the cover, 3 patterns for fingerless mittens, a hat pattern, and the tiniest sweater from Lantern Moon...a key chain. There was also a lovely pumpkin spice candle which I know we will enjoy. Every item was wrapped in glittery tissue paper and tied with red ribbon." 

Secret Santa package going out.

It was fun and sounds like a lot more when it’s listed, but I’ll have to admit I went overboard. Did you notice she said every item was wrapped? ;)

Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue.

Back to December

And I go back to December all the time…

Well, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! And it has been since before Halloween. It sure seems to come around fast these days. And here I am, with all the good intentions I had almost 364 days ago still in the planning stage or forgotten altogether.

One of these days when we come back to December, I’ll have an advent calendar ready. Of course I guess it will just be for Alan, but I’ll still have it ready. I did that once when the kids were little. Yes, you read it right; Once. And that once they really enjoyed it. It was just a little set of cardboard drawers I'd ordered from the Current catalog. Because there were three of them I wrote little poems and clues and put those in the drawers. At a certain time they would gather, receive the clue orally, and proceed to explore until the treasures were found. I didn’t think about it making an impression, but to this day all three of them still speak of the great fun they had with that project.

I saved it for next time, if that time ever comes!

There was a time I had all Christmas presents purchased and sometimes even wrapped in October. Possibly there were a couple of items left but the majority of things were done. Done. DONE! I didn’t know then how good that would feel today. I have started the gift shopping but nothing is wrapped. I did stock up on bags and pre-printed boxes. I know that’s probably cheating but it’s a life saver this time of year. But one of these days I’ll wrap everything and have it all under the tree BEFORE anyone gets to the house. Yes, one of these days.

One year all the presents were wrapped!

Baking and cooking is something I like to do. It’s also something I’m good at. I don’t do anything fantastic looking like what my daughter Callye does with her cookies but at least it tastes good, regardless. Most of the time anyway! I would scour my cookbook collection looking for something easy and good to bake. I’d come up with cakes, cookies, pies and breads. And they would all be ready to sample after stepping in the door. Not now. I’ll have plenty and nobody will be hungry, but it won’t be nearly the spread it has been in previous years. Maybe it will happen again, one of these days.

Yum! Buttermilk pie. My favorite!

Dinner fit for a family!

In the past I had more time. Seriously, more time off. And I had more energy to use that time in a productive manner. This year the last day of work before holiday break is December 21. That gives no days until the guests arrive on December 22. Granted, I don’t go back to work until January 3. That’s a good thing. But I could use more time up front to get things ready.

Maybe, if I start planning now, I can be ready for next year. Because before you know it we’ll be back to December. 

I go back to December, turn around and make it alright.

I’m in an online group of knitters. Every year we have a Secret Santa exchange. It’s so much fun! This year I got a wonderful package from mine, Carrie. She loaded a great project bag with yarn, stitch markers, a handmade Christmas dish cloth, and some Scentsy! A very nice December surprise indeed!

What fun!!

I go back to December all the time, all the time...

This is the Day...

This is the day,  

That the Lord has made.  

I will rejoice and be glad in it ...   

I know you’ve heard before that kids say the darndest things. Well, my kids are no different. In fact, most times I thought they were extremely clever! (It’s possible there could be a bias involved!)

When we first moved to this small town in West Texas, it was a temporary move. That was almost 32 years ago. My daughter was born in the hospital here but the boys were born in a small town about 90 miles away. They weren't delivering babies here at that time and my doctor had moved so I followed him. When Bryce was born my doctor asked my husband how he did that. He meant how we had a boy as he had three girls. Or maybe he was talking about Bryce being born, uh, peeing!

My daughter talked at an early age. She spoke very clearly as well, which sometimes wasn’t a good thing! A doctor once asked me if she was vaccinated with a phonograph needle! Therefore, Bryce didn’t talk. Or maybe it was he didn’t have to (or get to) talk because she was busy enough for the both of them! He did communicate verbally eventually and has proceeded to voice his opinion and speak his mind ever since!

When we moved outside the ‘city’ limits, about three miles, we had some wonderful neighbors named Joyce and Kenneth. Kenneth was a big man, loud and even a bit intimidating if you didn’t know him. I would never have wanted to cross him but he was really a teddy bear inside, especially where the kids were concerned. Joyce is one of the most creative people I know. She’s a true artist and a genuinely sweet person, inside and out.

Kenneth was my husband’s best friend. He was really the age of my parents, so he could have been Alan’s dad, but it didn’t matter; they clicked, from the start. They were a big part of our lives for many years.

One day the kids and I were going somewhere. We used to sing silly songs, either with the radio or just on our own to pass the time. The kids were in the backseat, both strapped in. We sang several songs then they wanted to sing a song they learned at Sunday school. It was simple, and we started singing together. “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it…” We kept singing when suddenly Bryce sang, “Rejoice… and Kenneth” in his little boy voice. It was incredibly sweet and hysterically funny!

Kenneth and Joyce moved to another house in town. The kids and I didn’t see them as much but Kenneth and Alan were still the best of friends. Kenneth passed away several years ago and there are still days that Alan is sad because he misses him so much. Mama Joyce lives in Midland now and we seldom see or hear from her. We need to make the time because we miss her too. In fact, one of the last times I saw her she was talking about Bryce’s sweet song, "Rejoice...and Kenneth!"

I will rejoice and be glad in it...

I got my present from my Secret Santa the other day. I was expecting it and when I looked inside it was a great surprise! She was generous and gave me yarn, notions, a book and candy! Here’s a picture.

I don’t know what I’ll make with the yarn yet, but I’ll come up with something! And speaking of yarn, I entered a contest and have won yarn THREE times! It's all from Sweden! It's very nice yarn and quite exciting (to me!)since my luck usually runs to the extreme opposite direction!

Looking forward to having the time off from work so I can relax and maybe get a little bit of what I want to do done.

This is the day,

I will rejoice and be glad in it…

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas…

Ev'rywhere you go;   

Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again   

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow…   

And so begins my love hate relationship with the Christmas season. Understand, I’m not a Grinch by any means. There are some things I absolutely love about Christmas. But at the same time, some things just make me crazy!

I love the music. I start listening to Christmas music right after Thanksgiving. I have satellite radio and they dedicate several channels to solid Christmas music. I put it on the autotune selections and I scroll through all my favorites. When I taught school my room was full of computers. I had all kinds of Christmas CDs, some good, some not so good. I would put them in and play them in the background during class when school started back after Thanksgiving until the Christmas break. At first some of the kids would resist. They had some silly idea I was trying to torture them! But after a day or two even the most resistant would be humming along.

I like the lights. There’s a park on the south side of Odessa that sets up elaborate light displays. I come home that way every day. I was a bit late the other day and it was dark. I could see the lights at the intersection where I turn. So I didn’t turn. I went straight and I waited in line and drove through the park. I had a good time! It would have been more fun had I had company but when my oldest son gets home I know he and I will go again. We don’t put up lights at our house. Not outside lights anyway. We did once and I really don’t know why we didn’t ever again. We live outside town so there isn’t any peer pressure from the neighbors to do much outside decorating. It’s a good thing. Nobody has the time now. Instead, I enjoy the generosity of others who are so generous with their lights. And I’m thankful they continue to go to the trouble.

Lights at the park

I love the inside decorations. When I pull out the red and green afghans and blankets and pillows and put them on the chairs I get a cozy feeling. I like spreading the knick knacks throughout the house. I like the smell of the spicy candles and the light of their flickering flames. I like the many trinkets that have amassed through the years and take pleasure in the memories as I unwrap each one and place it on the tree. I like the twinkling lights. I don’t care if they are white or multi colored as long as there are plenty. I even like icicles, the silvery strands draped across the branches. When we’re lucky enough to have a cut tree I love the smell of the pine.

Welcome!

I love snowmen. I really love snowmen! I have snowmen dishes. I have snowmen figurines. I have a snowman wreath. I have all kinds of snowmen. I have bathroom snowmen and kitchen snowmen and bedroom snowmen. Snowmen are lovable and I like the fact that they can be legitimately left out through the end of January. I have a lot of snowmen. So many, in fact, that I have found a stray in April or May that somehow was forgotten when the others were returned to their boxes. And if it’s cold the day of the find, well, that makes it okay!

Happy Hook 'em Holidays!

Let it snow!

I like presents, both giving and receiving. I like how it feels to find something that I know is just perfect for that certain someone. I like watching the expression as the gift is unwrapped. I like the look of surprise and pleasure as they gaze at the treasure. I like opening a present that someone took time to think about. I’ll wait until I have everything that was meant for me. Then I’ll tear the paper to reveal the surprise. I especially like gifts from the heart. But mostly I like that someone thought about me.

Presents!

I have an idea of the perfect Christmas in my mind and it’s never going to happen that way, no matter how hard I try. I won’t have all the presents wrapped. I don’t like to wrap and I put it off. Sometimes I’ll get some help and sometimes not. The house won’t be clean enough. It probably is clean enough but it won’t be to me. I’ll see things that should have been done. I’ll worry about it and fret until my stomach hurts. I won’t have all the food done on time. I’ll cook and wash dishes and cook and wash dishes and then do it all again. I’ll run out of time and I’ll stay up til all hours, catch a two or three hour nap and then get started again. I’ll be stressed. I’ll look for a place to hide and I’ll cry.

I know that I bring on most of the stress myself because of that perfect Christmas that’s never going to happen. Nobody else seems to worry about any of it so why should I? Nobody is going to go hungry. Everyone gets a present. There’s a place to sleep and there will be plenty of blankets and clean towels for all. And if I hurry maybe I’ll get it all done.

Christmas is a time of celebration, not just something to get through. I’ll remember that when we’re all together. We’ll eat and play and have a good time. We’ll talk of Christmas past. We’ll laugh and plan for Christmas yet to come. And we’ll love and enjoy our gift, Christmas present.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, 

Toys in ev'ry store, 

But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be 

On your own front door. 

I belong to a Yahoo knitting group. It’s ladies from across the state and I’ve made a bunch of friends, virtually and also in person. It’s called Lone Star State Knitters and if you are a female Texas knitter then it’s open to you! We get together for a face to face meeting at least once a year. Other times, at fiber festivals and the like, if we can, we meet up. Another annual activity we do is our Secret Santa exchange. It’s voluntary and it’s a lot of fun. I’m getting my box ready to send off. I hope she likes what I picked!

Ready to send off!

I made a simple ornament for her that I really liked. It’s a clear ball from Michael’s (or a similar store). I stuffed it with bits of yarn. I gathered the yarn and cut it into little pieces. Then I stuffed it all down into the clear plastic ball. I put the lid back on, tied a couple of pieces of yarn around the top and voila! A yarny ornament for Christmas! Look at some other great ideas over at Our Creative Spaces.

Clear ball stuffed with Christmas yarn scraps.

 

Yes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Breathe in…breathe out…

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas; 

Soon the bells will start, 

And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing 

Right within your heart.