Just What Have We Been Up To?

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I hope you're enjoying the Christmas season, too.

Someone, Pinch Me...

... because I can't believe I'm actually here.

It's been two years since I last visited my parents in Hawaii. Unlike last time when bad weather forced a four-day delay in our actually getting here, we got in to Honolulu only half an hour late. (In 2006, we arrived late at night on Christmas day and therefore missed several get-togethers with family friends.) Our luggage didn't make it because of a close connecting flight, but was delivered to my parents house later that evening.

Our journey started Saturday morning when we drove to Minneapolis. We knew the weather was supposed to get really bad over the weekend, and didn't want to chance not even being able to get to the airport, so we left a few days before our scheduled flight.

Well, the normally four-hour drive took us about 7 1/2 hours because of blizzard-like conditions. The wind was fierce, the roads were slick in spots, and snow got heavier as the day continued, but the most dangerous part was sharing the road with idiots (pardon my French) who felt the need to go the speed limit (60-70 mph) in such conditions. I could feel my car being blown in high winds, and slipping at times, so I drove slowly. Really slowly. As in 35-40 mph. Oh, I was tempted to pick up the pace, but then I saw all those cars, SUVs and semis in the ditch. Nope, 35 was fine by me.

As we got closer to Minneapolis, the driving by others got worse. Everyone was out trying to finish up their Christmas shopping. Did I mention the multiple accidents we saw along the way to our hotel?

We took it easy Sunday, stayed in the hotel and watched the news to see if there were any problems at the airport because of the weather. The news reported that only 500 people were stranded Saturday, and that the airlines should be running again on time by Sunday afternoon. Yes, I was relieved, but I wasn't going to get my hopes up after what happened to us in 2006.

Monday, we were up by 3:30 a.m. so we could get ready and get to the airport by 5:30 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. flight. Everything was running smoothly, until we got on the plane. We were delayed by about a half-hour because the plane's wings needed de-icing (yes, it was a frosty morning). My immediate thought was missing our connecting flight in Phoenix, and having a repeat of 2006. But you know what? The pilot managed to make up the time, and we got to our destination safely and with just enough time to grab a bite to eat.

The flight from Phoenix to Lihue, Kauai, could have left on time, but the pilot either decided to wait or was ordered to wait for several passengers on three separate flights from the East Coast. So there we were, in the very last row of a 757, across the aisle from very vocal babies. FOR AN HOUR! The flight time was six hours, but we were in the sardine can for seven hours, maybe more. That's when I started getting really grumpy.

That hour delay would force us to miss our connecting flight from Lihue to Honolulu. I would have gotten really grumpy had it not been for Just Son. He smiled the whole time, made friends with the screaming kids (despite his sensitivity to high-pitched noises), and just enjoyed the whole flying experience. My contentment lasted only during the flight. I started getting grumpy again once we landed in Kauai.

The pilot made up some flight time (i.e. flew super fast), and got us in to the Lihue Airport about 20 minutes before our connecting flight to Honolulu was to leave. We really could have made it if it wasn't for the fact that passengers have a tendency not to listen to flight attendants. Instead of them remaining seated (the flight attendant asked passengers who didn't have a connecting flight to remain seated), they all got up, got their bags and just strolled off the plane. Did I mention we were in the very last row?

Anyway, we missed our flight. I was tired. I was grumpy. I was thirsty. I was ready to give that pilot who decided to wait for an hour in Phoenix for passengers a piece of my mind. But then I shut up. I was on the lush and beautiful island of Kauai, and not still stuck in an airport. I was that much closer to my childhood home, and would get there before Christmas this time. I was told by the ticket agent at the gate that the next inter-island flight would board in 10 minutes and that there was plenty of room on the plane.

To make a long story short (even though it's too late), Al-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-HA!

I don't know when I'll start posting photos, so I'll leave you with this:

Random Photo Saturday

Just Domestic Diva

Thanks to the Food Network, I've learned that I've always had the domestic diva gene.

I was watching a special on the station the other night, when I saw celebrity chef Sandra Lee create this:

That's a tree made out of donuts and green and blue candies.

I would like you to know that I actually made something like that when I was 12 years old.

OK. It was a gumdrop tree, and not a donut tree.

And it wasn't all decked out with powdered sugar and coordinating candy leaves.

But I made an edible tree. For a party hosted by my mom and dad.

If my mom was dreading the idea of her 12-year-old making a gumdrop tree appetizer, she didn't show it. In fact, she helped me get all the ingredients I would need.

Back then, I had no idea that Styrofoam cones existed, so I insisted on using a cucumber as the base so the entire tree would be edible. My mom cut off one end so the cucumber could stand upright, and I went to work decorating the "tree."

I painstakingly skewered gumdrops with colorful toothpicks, and placed each gumdrop skewer in to the cucumber.

Oh boy, was I proud of my work. It didn't quite look like a tree (I think a Styrofoam cone would have helped), but it was my very own glistening technicolor creation. I placed it on the coffee table, next to my mom's glorious sweet and savory creations.

When our guests arrived, my mom and dad made sure they told our guests that I made the gumdrop tree.

Well, I must have created such an incredible masterpiece because no one ate it. Not even one gumdrop.

But I know it was a good idea. I was just ahead of my time. :-D

Why, Yes, I Do Have One Of Those.

Doesn't everyone?

:-D

The Branch

You know what fills me with joy?

This:

This branch, now covered with snow and ice, is the same branch that catches my eye throughout the year.

In the spring, cardinals and robins are drawn to this branch. In the summer, hummingbirds and butterflies take their turn, and in the fall the branch usually sits patiently for the coming cover of snow and ice.

But why does seeing this branch fill me with joy? It's because this is the branch I see out the kitchen window over my sink each time I make my morning coffee or pour a glass of milk for my son.

It's the branch I see when I prepare meals or treats for my family and friends, wash and dry numerous pots and pans, and then put them all away.

It's also the branch I see when I close the blinds at sunset.

All of that reminds me that while there are many in this world who have nothing or no one, I have a home, friends and a family for whom to cook and care for.

And that fills me with joy.

****

Here's a song that I've been humming lately. It's from the movie "White Christmas."

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

... especially after the blizzard we had yesterday.

That makes today a good day to step inside for a tour of my home.

The first thing you'll probably notice walking through the front door is that I really wasn't kidding when I said I'm not going to put up a Christmas tree this year because of our vacation. Sure, I miss having a decorated tree greet me when I walk in to my living room. But the truth is, I'm really enjoying being able to focus on Advent.

One thing I did this year was dress up the mantle with an Advent theme.

In addition to displaying my Advent candelabra, my angel candleholders and some of my favorite nativity pieces on the mantle, I used purple lights -- bought at a discount during those after-Halloween clearance sales -- and some garland to dress things up a little. (Purple is thought of as the traditional liturgical color of Advent, and it's hard to find purple lights during the Christmas season.)



Here is a close-up view of three of the six nativity pieces on the mantle, with the purple lights on.



Here is one of my favorite nativity ornaments.


I also decided to have one area of my living room be dedicated to the 12 days after Christmas. (For Just Family, Christmas doesn't come to a close until the Epiphany of the Lord, which this time is celebrated on Jan. 4, 2009.)


Here are some Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments that I purchased from The Land of Nod just this year. (Thanks to Sarah for the heads up.) Each ornament features a different day of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" song. The small ornaments with the holly painted on them were actually purchased two years ago from a party supply discount store.



Here's a close-up view of some of those ornaments.



The glass table in the living room is dressed up with a few inexpensive ornaments I found in a dollar store, as well as with some of my favorite Christmas books.



This water goblet filled with candy canes ...



... and this angel also have a place on the glass table.

Yes, that's my favorite Yankee Candle burning: Mistletoe. It smells like a real Christmas tree, and not like Pi*ne-S*ol.


For the centerpiece on my dining table, I attempted my best Mar*tha St*ewart by sticking some Christmas tree branches in a glass ice bucket filled with cranberries and fake snow. Yes, I'm using a shot glass as a vase to keep the greens ... um ... green. There are also some pillar candles on the table, but they're not photographed (obviously).


OK, the centerpiece isn't anything breathtaking to look at, but it only cost me less than $5 for the cranberries and the "snow." I found the greenery at a local store. In the parking lot. On the ground. Shed from some Christmas trees that were displayed outside. :-D


Most of you know about my love for all things Santa (especially Santas with an "Old World" or woodland feel). This year, my Santa collection (just whimsical stuff I've gathered over the years) is displayed in the family room.


This is just some of the stash I've collected. Oh yes, there's a lot more. Not too much more, but a lot more than I probably should have.

I know it doesn't quite seem like a Christmas tour without a tree, so I'll leave you with a photo of what our tree looked like last year.




Merry Christmas, and thanks for stopping by.

For more homes to tour, visit BooMama by clicking on the button below.

Life Would Be Easier ...

... if we all got along as well as these swirls of bittersweet and white chocolate.
Recipe is on my cooking blog -- and it's really, really, really easy to make.

By the way, if you're a member of the prayer group to which I belong, you will be able
to sample these when we next meet.

JM's Top Fives -- The Christmas Edition

(Because I'm sure you wanted to know. And yes, it was hard to narrow it down to just five in each category.)

Songs I Never Get Tired of Singing
1) O Holy Night
2) What Child Is This
3) O Come, O Come Emmanuel (the Steven Curtis Chapman version)
4) It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
5) Breath of Heaven (the Amy Grant or Point of Grace versions)


CDs That Put Me In A Christmas-y Mood
1) The Nutcracker (complete ballet), Tchaikovsky
2) Noel, Josh Groban
3) December, George Winston
4) Christmas Portrait, Carpenters
5) A Christmas Celebration, Celtic Woman (Yes, my guilty pleasure)


Picture Books I Love
1) The Nutcracker (almost any illustrated version)
2) Gingerbread Baby, Jan Brett (any Jan Brett book, really)
3) The Polar Express, Chris Van Allsburg
4) 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (almost any illustrated version)
5) Country Angel Christmas, Tomie dePaola


Must-Watch Movies
1) White Christmas
2) The Nutcracker Ballet
3) How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated version)
4) Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
5) A Christmas Story





Treats That Taste Better at Christmas
1) Almond Roca
2) Peppermint
3) Gingersnap cookies
4) Shortbread cookies
5) Chocolate of almost any kind


Christmas Isn't the Same Without These Drinks
1) Cranberry juice
2) Eggnog
3) Bailey's Irish Cream
4) Sprite with a twist of lime
5) Coca-Cola with an illustration of Santa on the can or bottle


Smells That Evoke Christmas Memories
1) Christmas tree. I've been burning my Mistletoe scented candle by Yankee Candle Company, especially since I don't have a tree up this year.
2) Cinnamon
3) Vanilla
4) Peppermint
5) Sage


Sounds I Love
1) Children (especially my son) laughing
2) Children caroling at the mall
3) Jingle bells
4) Church bells
5) Salvation Army bells


Never Get Tired Of Seeing
1) Christmas lights
2) A gentle snowfall
3) Bright greens and reds on a gray day
4) Snow sparkling in the sunlight
5) The wonder in my son's eyes as he takes it all in.

Merry Christmas To Me!

Thank you, Momma Roar!

And fear not ... the sunflowers will be back. Eventually.

JM Won't Be Putting Up A Christmas Tree This Year

That's right, the woman who started looking through Christmas back issues of Martha Stewart before Halloween, and who couldn't wait until Thanksgiving to take out her Santa collection, won't be putting up a Christmas tree this year.

Have I turned in to Scrooge? Nope. But won't JS miss out on a decorated tree? Nope, again.

You see, the reason I won't be putting up a tree this year is because Just Family will be here, where a decorated Christmas tree is already waiting for her enjoyment, courtesy of her parents.



Alo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ha!



Note to my mom: Yes, we'll have a house sitter.

I Got Hit With A Random Act

Each Christmas season for the past five years, I've made it a point to tip the guy who loads groceries in my car, to slip some dollar bills in to the Salvation Army bucket and buy a meal for an unsuspecting stranger waiting behind me in the drive-thru line at any fast food joint.

I don't do those things because I think I'll earn brownie points and be first in line in Heaven. I do those things because you never know when someone could just use a little bit of kindness in their day. Today, all those deeds came back to me in a surprising way.

I'm a sensitive person who honestly does feel other people's pain. When people I know, both in "real life" and in the blog world, are hurting, I hurt too. I may not always show it outwardly because I try my best to show a brave face, but I definitely cry on the inside.

Well, today, was one of those days. News of the economy, politics and wars -- and how they were affecting people I know -- was just wearing me down. In a small effort to cheer me up a little, I decided to treat myself to a coffee shop peppermint mocha instead of making one at home, like I usually do.

When it came time for me to pay, the owner told me that my order was paid for. She then gave me this card:



The back of the card says,

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, or the smallest act of caring. Use your power to influence a life this Christmas."

Thank you to those who started this movement in my town. I had always been on the giving end, and sincerely do enjoy doing that and will continue to do so. But being on the receiving end on a day when you're starting to wonder about the world is priceless.

Weekend Recap (In As Few Words As Possible)

This weekend, I:


... baked 10 dozen oatmeal-raspberry bar cookies for a bake sale;





performed at two concerts with the community choir; and





went to see this little guy's preschool Christmas program.




Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of this to do, not to mention the rest of the house.



'Tis the season, and it's all good.

Have You Ever...

... leaned out your car window to place an order for a large coffee, but then realize you're sitting in front of the drive-up ATM kiosk instead of McBurger Royalty? Yeah ... *ahem* ... me neither.

Random Photo Saturday

Recipe is on my cooking blog.

Seasons Change

Remember this?




Well, it's snowy now outside, so Just Family's kitchen artwork needed an update.

Because snowflakes won't look out of place even after Christmas (sometimes, even after April Fool's Day in these parts), I decided to have Just Son create snowflakes.


For this project, we used a sheet of 12x12 cardstock in dark blue, some 6x6 sheets of white paper (I cut a 12x12 sheet of paper in to fourths), our scissors and a glue stick.


Fold the white sheets of paper in to triangles three times, and


cut, cut, cut. I had to help JS cut through the folded sheets of paper because they ended up being thicker than I thought they would be. But he did a lot of the work.


I then arranged some of the snowflakes on to the 12x12 sheet of cardstock, and glued it down with a glue stick.

Any guesses as to what I did next?


Yup. I framed the snowflakes.



Now our kitchen reflects the season again.

Brrr...