On To Christmas. . . .

Another amazing sunrise makes getting up worth it.

Of course, red skies in the morning Sailors take warning.

We got snow our first real storm of the year. 

We spent the better part of today cleaning up the 10 inches of snow. I know it is a lot of clean up. But oh, how beautiful it is!

I decorated the porch. We are having friends in Christmas eve. 

I did not put up our big Christmas tree, but I did try to do a little something in every room. 

There was a large conversation online about having a year where you buy no more patterns or wool for hooking. I did do that a couple of years ago and truly need to do that again for the next 5 years. But oh, how I love a new pattern. 

And a dear friend sent me a pattern she drew and a couple of pieces of lovely wool for Christmas. I just love him!

And another dear friend sent me her handmade Christmas card with her fun artwork. 

I made a loaf of Anadama bread. My hooking buddy Donna passed on her recipe, and it is wonderful!!!!

When we went to Vermont Country Store. I purchased these. I was horrified when I just bought a roll of foil recently, and this seemed like a good idea. So far so good and they clean easily in hot soapy water.

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I sat in on a class at The Woolen Pear last Tuesday. 

Pam helped me with the sky, and I am very pleased with how it turned out. Now to finish the snow. 

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I hope Santa finds you all happy and healthy.

We are celebrating with our daughter and family. We missed last year so we are more than excited.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Vermont

My Santa from last year. I see things I would do different now. But done is done. The little tree is made from wool and the snowman is new this year. 

I got this fireman at a church fair last week. He is hand carved. My husband has been a fireman for many year. From volunteer to full time back to volunteer again. 

This is my latest project. I am enjoying this rug so much. I am trying to figure out the sky right now. I have wool #2  hooked in and I still do not like it. I am going to see my hooking buddy Tuesday so I am sure it will be figured out then. 

Today up and out early. We headed to The Vermont Country Store. They have a very large catalog sales presents but the store has so much more! It has things you never thought you needed lol. They have large canvas shopping bags. So as you go along you pick things up, then you pass it to the check out person. I felt like I had taken Mary Poppins' bag by mistake she kept pulling things out of that bag yikes!

This kissing bridge is on their property. And yes we kissed on the bridge lol.

After shopping we headed into the little town of Bellows Falls

Husband kept calling it Bedford Falls after it's a wonderful life. 

It was just the sweetest little town. With fun shops all up and down the streets.

This is their old fire station now a store (that wasn't open) such wonderful architecture all over town.  

Also in this town this memorial to two fallen fire fighters.

It is a bronze depiction of their quick hitches. That they jump into at the sound of the alarm. 

on 12/29/1981 the alarm sounded for a very old run down hotel that was on fire. 

Two young men lost their lives saving others on that day.

Dana Full and Terry Brown they were 21 and 23

I did not know them but my heart still ached for their families all these years later. 

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As you can see it really is just the sweetest town. 

But please don't take a seat on our ledge lol ouch!

I did find a couple of treasures in town.

This chippy old santa is chalkware he is about 3 inches tall and he was the right price. This shop took cash only so I couldn't get much. I think it was a good thing because oh I could have gotten so much more!

I also got this tiny little wool batting bird at the same shop. 

How I love old well loved things.

 

The train runs straight through this building! We had to walk down and see the tunnel still straight and true all these years later. 

We saw train cars lined up waiting to be unloaded full of lumber, cars and cars of them. So sad that we can't even move the goods through our country. 

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We had freezing rain Sat morning I will take a foot of snow to that. At least our ski areas can use that. No one can use freezing rain.

I am baking and getting ready for Christmas. Our extended family Christmas was canceled today. I think it was a good move in light of things in this state. 

Have a wonderful week!!!!

Family And Friends=Joy

I am slowly but surely getting my Christmas put out.

A small feather tree we put up in the family room.

Friday I got out of work a couple of hours early to go see my Sweet B dance at the festival of trees. The cute one in the glasses.

It was a small affair and just wonderful!

I slept over and Sweet B read me a Christmas book before she went to bed,I had't seen them since Halloween. They did just get back from Florida ,I asked B what was her favorite. "Hands down Harry Potter world!" She showed me her wand and told me all about it. So glad they got to go. 

Bright and early I tipped toed out of their house and headed for Maine! To my sweet friend's beautiful beach house. For some time to celebrate the Christmas season. 

We went to Christmas in Kennebunkport they have a Christmas Prelude every year. It is like walking into a Dickens village.

We even got some snowflakes! Just to make it all the more festive. 

 

Everything was decorated including the boats. The restaurant letters say LOVE KBP and yes we do. 

The tunnel of lights was fun ,it is a walkway that they decorated. 

 Then coming out of Perkins Cove we see this. We could not be any further from a palm trees but it make a very fun display.

We went to a couple of church sales and found wonderful things for pretty cheap. The acorn earrings really spoke to me, and the hot pad is made from pine spills. I love handmade things. 

I found a Susan Branch christmas book and a cookie stamp (more on that later) 

I found to much to go on and on with. Today when I left my friend to go home I was filled with lots of Christmas spirit! It felt like the old days. We did all the things we use to. 

So here is to a holiday season that fills you with the spirit of joy, peace and contentment. 

Wishes

I found a wishbone from another turkey we had a while ago and I took it to husband and said "make a wish". He was completely blank. He said I have nothing to wish for! Really nothing?? Well finally he came up with something and we broke it, the top went flying and our sides were basically the same. So maybe we wished for the same thing? But I found it very interesting that he had to think long and hard for a wish.

Thanksgiving was very quiet for us. We made the decision to stay home. Our daughter was having a big crowd and we thought better of it. So I took a nice long walk in the morning. It is always pretty quiet but that day it was almost soundless! I met no one and not one car. I heard no barking from the neighbors dogs or even the wind in the trees. It was a true meditation. 

We have gotten pretty chilly here, the woodstove and the fireplace are doing their job. So thankful for both.

It is a family joke about The Griswolds Christmas. My daughter sent us our first Christmas card so fun. My husband has been called Clark on certain Christmas' (his name is David lol) The spirit just get to him and he goes a little over the top. I love it!

I put up my christmas village. I know I show this every year but I just love seeing it appear every year!

You never know you may catch Santa kissing Mrs Clause. Or an elf bringing in the tree.

A funky church with amazing trees, oh it all makes my heart sing.

Because the price of everything has gone up including electricity I was going to skip putting the candles in the windows. Clark aka husband thought I had lost my mind! So as you can see they are in the windows. they are all dusk to dawn candles. Automatic off and on. 

We got out first snow, really a dusting but it rained first and so it was pretty slick driving to work the next day. Not sure what happened to our road crew? (not enough people?) it could be a long winter. 

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I got the yarn I was missing so I am at the finish off point for my shawl. And my hooking is slow but steady. But I am loving it. 

I did order a couple of things on line black friday but really it was on the deals and steals thing so not much. I feel like I am done I just want to get a couple of gift cards and that is it. 

I need to sit down and do Christmas cards, I still like to do cards I know they are expensive too. 

I hope you all had a wonderful time and are filled with good food and good visits. Have a great week.

 

No Reason To Rush

The sun rises have been pretty spectacular lately. With most of the leaves off we have a bit better view. 

The temps have been weird we were in the 40s and thur we were almost 70 then back to the 40s. We saw some snow fly just a little reminder of what is coming. 

I still walk as much as I can. I walk by this yoga barn each time. It is on the little dirt road I walk on and tucked in the woods. Very peaceful but walking even in the cold makes my spirit happy. I love to get back to the house with cold cheeks and tired. So I think I will skip yoga for now. 

Covid is rampant here so we are sticking pretty close to home. 

Lots of family members have had it thankfully we have not seen them since Oct. We have been invited to 2 different Thanksgivings but we have decided to just stay home, have some steak tips and maybe pull out some Christmas decorations. 

Christmas will be busy enough. 

 

I am getting to the last section to my shall. (don't look to closely lots of customizing took place lol.) But I ran out of a yarn! I called the place I bought it from in the first place and lo and behold they had one left! They are putting it in the mail and I should get it this week. I have enjoyed working on this but not sure knitting is my thing. I can not keep my mind on it! ugg

I finished my woodpecker on my rug. I am now working on the trees and the snow. I still have a squirrel that does not want to look right so I have given up for now.  I am working with a much small cut for the woodpecker so it is very different hooking for me. 

 

I am getting ready to decorate the store window where I work. 

Since we are a little used book store I try to do something with recycled book pages. I save books with broken bindings. I saw these stars in magazine and thought they looked perfect for what I wanted to do. 

And speaking of magazines I am also making a few trees from them. for the window. 

We are now going into a very busy time of year and I try to remind myself to take time to enjoy it. It will be so nice to be with family this year we didn't see anyone last year. 

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!