A Mery Christmas Tale

Once upon a time there lived a family, a mom and dad and their two darling daughters, who grew up and lived in their own apartments in two different states far away from their parents home and hearth. I know that's sad but don't worry, the story has a happy ending.

As with most of life's small details mama was in charge of the family's Christmas card each year. In spite of her babies growing up when she had her back turned for a minute, Mama still wanted to include them in the annual family photo card. She knew it would be silly to have a family Christmas card photo without all family members present and accounted for so way, way, way back in late August she had a brilliant idea.

Her whole little family would be together for a fun filled weekend celebration of baby girls 21st birthday in early September. Mama knew this was her window of opportunity and she seized it. She also knew this Christmas picture would be taken in warm weather under sunny skies so in a fit of creativity Mama decided to add just a splash of the meaning of the season to the photo. She purchased wooden letters from the craft store and painted them a cheerful Christmas green. She even remembered to haul those painted letters through three states to the birthday celebration. Sometimes that whole 'remembering to follow through' part of a great idea is where Mama drops the ball but not this time. No sirree, she was on top of her game.

Let's recap-it was September. Christmas was still more than three months away yet Mama had her whole family together, dressed in non-clashing clothing, smiling for a photographer (okay, brother in law) under sunny blue skies, holding holiday letters she had painted herself. Mama rocks!

The seasons they go round and round and now it's early December. Mama spends hours perusing various and sundry websites to find the perfect template for her photo. She discards all those that are too busy, too wordy, and too tacky until she finally lands on one that is just right. The color scheme matches her family photo to a T and the wording is simple. The photo is the star which is how she likes it.

She ever so carefully enters her text onto the backside of the card template, checking each and every letter as she goes. She reads it back over and over again to be certain there are no errors because a spelling error in the Christmas card might just send mama right over the edge. She hits enter and she smiles.

A week or so later her cards arrive in the mail. She tears open the box, anxious to see how it all came together. She has company in the house though, so she only has a minute to glance at the package and she is happy. It looks beautiful and her carefully thought out plan has come together.

The hubs comes home. She cannot wait to show him the card and as soon as he has greeted their guests she calls him into the other room to see her handiwork. He takes one quick glance and pronounces, 'The word Merry is spelled wrong."

Wait, what?

What did he say? A spelling mistake? That can't be. No no no. Mama had checked and rechecked and triple checked her spelling before hitting enter. She looks at her pretty card again. Mery Christmas.

Mery? Really?

AAAAGGH!!!!

The only teeny tiny bright spot here is that the mistake is not hers. The mistake is on the front of the card in their template. Mama thinks she might cry but instead she sits with her company who are family, and they talk about big serious things going on with people they love and Mama regains her perspective once more.

She calls the printer the very next day and they are apologetic and kind and they give her a full refund and tell her they will give her free expedited shipping and 50% off a new order which makes Mama mostly happy. Since the error was in their template she can't just reorder the same card. She has to choose a new card. Under pressure. So she does. Actually Mama does some of her best work under pressure.

And so a new card will come and it won't be her first choice but the wishes it holds will still be the same. And Mama won't have a picture for todays photo challenge whose prompt was 'stamped and addressed cards' but she will have joy in her heart anyway. Because Christmas is coming, and when she thinks about a baby born in a manger over 2000 years ago she knows that a less than perfect card is not such a big deal.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child." Luke 2:4-5 (NIV)

Grandma Got Run Over by the Hodgepodge-Volume 56

Gosh Wednesdays roll around quicker and more often in December don't they? If you are ducking some holiday chore like baking or wrapping or cleaning then welcome! And if you're one of those super organized, plan ahead, never procrastinate, have Christmas shopping done in September types, well I guess you're welcome too. Actually everyone is welcome in the Wednesday Hodgepodge...here are my answers to this week's questions-

1. Will you be hosting any house guests between now and the end of December? Does that thought make you happy or crazy? Do you do anything special to make your house guests feel welcome? How long should a guest stay?

Will I be hosting any house guests? Do you know us? We pretty much have a steady stream of house guests around here and for the most part that makes me happy. We enjoy having company and most of our visitors are not here for more than an overnight or a weekend. Hubs brother and sister in law were here last night on their journey south and on Friday night we have three or maybe four or possibly six of hubs co-workers spending the night. We're all attending a Christmas party in our neck of the woods which, as the hubs likes to say, is just south of Canada, and since these co-workers all live closer to the big city it makes sense for them to spend the night here. We're hosting my side of the family for Christmas this year so thirteen relatives of various ages, sizes, and temperaments will be here for two, three, or four days beginning December 24th.

As far as making things special...I like to put a little gift bag in their room or at least water and a snack. I make one nice big breakfast and we usually get bagels from The Best Bagel Shop in NJ (literally!)...

Mostly I try to relax so my guests feel like they can do the same.

How long should they stay? I think I'll plead the 5th since potential house guests read my blog and I don't want anyone to feel like they're not welcome to stay as long as they like. They're not but I like them to feel like they are.

2. Walter Elias Disney was born this week back in (Dec 5) 1905...what's your all time favorite Disney movie? Here's a list in case you're struggling...and yes, you have to pick one.

Y'all know I'm not good with the whole 'one' thing, right?

I'm going with The Parent Trap.

3. What's the last thing you purchased that you realized was a mistake after the fact?

I had trouble with this one. I'm not really an impulse shopper and I think buyers remorse is usually associated with impulse shopping. Four houses ago we purchased a couch and love seat that was just eh once we got it in the house. We lived with them for several years anyway.

4. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

Hmmm...more than 50% but less than 90%...math was never my thing.

5. Amaryllis...snowdrop...poinsettia...your favorite winter blossom?

Snowdrops...we had the sweetest little bed of snowdrops off the patio in our UK house...the weather could be a bit dreary there in the winter and these precious little flowers would bloom wildly in spite of that. Seeing the snowdrops pop open meant spring was not so far away. I don't have a photo but you can click here if you've never seen a snowdrop.

6. What is one thing on your personal wish list this year? I think we all want peace on earth so let's make this an actual item.

I want a new ski jacket but hubs informed me that was no fun and I should just go buy one for myself and he'll come up with his own surprise. I would love a fancy camera. Not too fancy because we all know technology isn't really my friend, but one that allows me to zoom without the picture going all blurry would be nice.

7. If you could only use one word today what would it be?

Hope...that word has become our theme song around here since August.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Using the random space today for my Day 7 photo challenge picture...today's prompt is 'wreath with a red bow'...

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register." Luke 2:1-3 (NIV)

Candy canes, cocoa, and questions of course

Before I post the questions for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge (because who has nothing else to do besides hang out online??) I'm going to share a fun little gift idea I found guess where? Ha! Pinterest of course, home to a gillion great ideas.

I have overnight house guests arriving tonite and even though we're family (or maybe especially because we're family) I wanted to make a little gift bag filled with Christmas cheer. We won't see this particular branch of the family tree over Christmas so I put a couple of little goodies into a bag and also added a couple of homemade items.

One is a cute Snowman canister full of granola. You'll find the recipe here and I'm seriously addicted. It is di-vine! The other homemade item is a container of peppermint cocoa mix. So cute if I do say so myself and really simple to put together. You layer the ingredients in a 1-quart clear container, add the directions for serving, and voila-a yummy comforting chocolate treat.

You'll find the recipe here but the layers are powdered milk, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, mini chocolate chips and...get ready for it...today's Photo Challenge Prompt...'a candy cane or five'.

Actually this recipe called for 1/2 cup of crushed peppermint and I had about 20 of the mini candy canes in my pantry so I used those. I put them in a baggie and enthusiastically pounded them with the back of a spoon. Pretty and therapeutic!

Now on to this week's questions...I know everyone is busy but you need a break from the shopping and the wrapping and the baking, right? Here ya go...be sure to come back tomorrow and link answers with all of Santa's elves.

1. Will you be hosting any house guests between now and the end of December? Does that thought make you happy or crazy? Do you do anything special for your guests to make them feel at home? How long should a house guest stay?

2. Walter Elias Disney was born this week (December 5) back in 1905 ...what's your all time favorite Disney movie? Here's a list in case you're struggling...and yes, you have to pick one.

3. What was the last thing you purchased that you realized was a mistake after the fact?

4. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

5. Amaryllis-snowdrop-poinsettia...your favorite winter blossom?

6. What is one thing on your personal Christmas wish list? I think we all want peace on earth so let's make this answer an actual item.

7. If you could only use one word today what would it be?

8. Insert your own random thought here.

The Magic Hat

We had a fun busy weekend that felt as full as Santa's sack on Christmas Eve. I have a sneaking suspicion this post will feel that way too. Friday night hubs and I had planned to knock out a little shopping, but he called on his way home from the office and asked if I wouldn't prefer a glass of wine and a lovely Italian meal at one of our favorite restaurants instead.

Why yes...yes I think I would.

So we did. And it was fun. And not totally unproductive in that I think we do need to just stop the madness every now and then and enjoy what's right in front of us. It was a lovely evening, much lovelier than any mall or shopping center on a Friday night three weeks before Christmas could ever hope to be.

We each had a fairly long to-do list for Saturday which included baking and decorating and a trip to the hardware store and then another trip to the hardware store and maybe a third trip to the hardware store, but we also penciled in a fun midday break. Our little town has some German roots and in early December they host their own version of a German Christmas market.

Oh, it makes me so homesick for my other life. This is the first year I haven't been to a picturesque little European market since 2003. Sigh. Such happy memories of times spent with friends and daughter2. Big sigh.

Our little market makes for a pretty good substitute. We met the very lovely German woman who started the market ten years ago and she knows a thing or two about what's needed to make small town New Jersey feel like a charming German village for one weekend in December. For starters you need a beautiful setting...

add vendors manning stalls selling handmade German smokers...

lots of wonderful food, a few thousand of your nearest neighbors and of course some Christmas music to keep it all festive.

Consider this next photo my entry in the Christmas Photo Challenge for today. Our prompt was 'something warm and tasty' and stroopwafels definitely qualify.

If you've never tried one you must...they're a Dutch treat, waffles made from thin layers of batter with a caramel-like filling.

Set one atop your steaming cup of coffee and the center gets gooey and even more delicious. Know what else is delicious?

Gluwein in a specially designed mug...this is key if you want your market experience to be authentic.

And now I must say a word about the hat. I jokingly call it the magic hat because whenever hubs wears it we make new friends. It's like a magnet. As we made our way thru the crowds he was stopped over and over and over again and asked about his hat. No less than five people took his picture. Several were German and they told us about their childhood homes across the sea and how it came to be that they were eating bratwurst and sipping German beer in the New Jersey countryside.

Hey, even Santa needed a closer look...

The hat is special. It was purchased several years ago in a teeny tiny town in the Austrian Alps, this one in fact-

The wonderful little shopkeeper insisted he take the edelweiss pin to make the hat complete and so it began. He started adding a pin most everywhere he traveled and now that hat is chock-a-block full of flags and emblems and memories. A very special keepsake.

Is this post long? Sorry. I told you our weekend was full. Besides all of the above and a whole lot of decorating in between we also managed to squeeze in two parties, one on Saturday night and another on Sunday afternoon. The Sunday afternoon gathering is an annual event held at the home of hubs former boss.

She and her husband raise money for a local food bank at this event and its possible her hubs walked a llama thru their gorgeous family room. He and my hubs are like two peas in a pod. Not literally of course because her hubs is uber-uber tall, but in spirit? They are so kindred.

Thus concludes the weekend. You are welcome.

Sit a Spell

I don't know what it was like at your house this weekend but our place was hoppin'! We seem to be decorating in fits and spurts this year and even though we decorated two trees the weekend after Thanksgiving, the main tree was minus its top until today.

During the month of December I'm participating in Susan's Christmas photo challenge. Yesterday's prompt was 'the Christmas tree' and today's prompt is 'presents wrapped under the tree' which, let me tell you, was a bit of an incentive to get it all together! Okay, maybe not all together but at least the tree bit. I'm still going to cheat a little though, and post a two for one deal because a. there are only so many hours in the day and b. Christmas will be here in three weeks. Three weeks? Wait, it's December?? What happened to November?

Is your tree up? Decorated? Real or artificially beautiful? Glitter and bling or homespun happiness? I think the soft quiet light of a Christmas tree at night would make my list of favorite things.

"You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end."

Luke 1: 31-33 (NIV)

You want lists I got lists...

I'm participating in Susan's December photo challenge which you can read about here. The idea is to take one photo a day between now and Christmas that goes along with each day's word prompt. There are many wonderful photographers out there in the blogosphere, but sadly I am not one of them. I love pictures and I take lots of them, but I'm not a skilled photographer and I don't have a fancy camera. Today's prompt is 'a list'.

I might have a list or ten around here. Lists of menus for the many meals I'll be preparing over the holidays, grocery lists to go with the menu lists, lists of gift ideas, lists of gifts bought, lists of cookies to be baked, a Christmas card list...there's more. I do love me a good list. That being said, when you consider my lame photography skills I don't think taking a picture of all those lists would be very exciting for my readership. Ha.

As opposed to all these words I've written explaining myself. ahem

So here's my list.

In photo form-

I have a luncheon to attend today and I'm bringing a starter. There will be about 50 people at the luncheon and not a lot of oven space so I opted for something cold. These are the ingredients you'll need to prepare mustard-dill tortellini skewers.

Adorable German Baker Smoker is optional.

He needed to be in the picture I think.

Now I could put the actual list of ingredients and the steps to follow written in list form on my blog today but it's easier to direct you to the source-Southern Living. You'll find the recipe here.

I've made this recipe once before in the summertime and it's delicious. I think with its red, white, and green color scheme it works for a Christmas party too.

Hope you check many things off your list(s) this weekend! It's not too late to join the photo challenge... hop over to Susan's blog and add your link.

"But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God." Luke 1:30 (NIV)

A day in the life

The first of December and the blogosphere is full of posts about decorating and recipes and holiday plans. You might be expecting to find a post related to the season of Christmas here too. Sigh.

Today I give you a peek inside my logistically complicated world. I am doing my absolute best to drive our investment advisor bonkers all because daughter2 turned 21 in September. When your baby turns 21 all sorts of paperwork needs to change in order to keep things legal like. Essentially 'her' account can no longer include 'our' name even though it is 'our' money going in. And coming out...mustn't forget that! Pesky tuition.

I have exchanged no less than ten phone calls and fifteen emails with the investment people trying to get the new account set up correctly. They need a letter stating blah blah blah. They need eighteen forms signed. They need a copy of our utility bill. They need they need they need. They need her SS card. That one seems like no biggie, right? Ha! In our house that's a biggie. Where is that darn card? Daughter2 thought she had a copy but alas, she kept the receipt end and tossed the actual card. Learning curve people. I thought I had a copy so yesterday I trekked to the safety deposit box with my fingers and toes crossed but no luck. She could go get a new card in between student teaching, studying for exams, and completing end of semester projects and papers, except she is in South Carolina and her birth certificate is in NJ and her passport is in DC. Plus, she's under a lot of pressure at the moment and it's highly unlikely spending an entire day in the SS office will do anything to make that better.

Investment people say they can accept a couple of other docs in place of the SS card but do we have those docs? No sirree. Daughter2 can also fax a pay stub to them but daughter2 is in class and can't be given this piece of information. And does she have a window in her day today to do this? And do I have a bajillion other things to be doing besides going thru tax returns and file cabinets in an attempt to find something suitable? Do other people with young adult kids have the same issues? I feel like a part of ours is due to the fact that we are spread out into three different states. I think my girls should just move closer to home, what do y'all think?

I know we'll get it sorted eventually. I also know there will be a few more phone calls and emails exchanged before we do but its December and I am determined to capture a bit of the Christmas spirit around here today. Susan is hosting a little December photo project and I am going to join in on the fun when I can. The idea is to take one photo a day for the next 25 days and post it on your blog. She has a prompt for each day which you'll find here. I may not get to all of them but today's prompt is something red and I think I can manage that one.

It seems only appropriate to include this sweet little ornament Daughter2 made for me when she was in kindergarten. Which was yesterday. Makes me forget my aggravation and remember all that is precious in this world.

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary." Luke 1:26-27 (NIV)