Crochet Galore

The crochet front has slowed a bit (a lot) ... I still love crochet.  I'm ever so slowing adding rows to my grannyghan ... six rows to go and counting.  Have to admit haven't picked it up since before Christmas.  I still wander to the yarn section of any store that carries it and browse.  (Notice the word browse ... not purchase ... my abundant stash will not allow any more!)  I continue to search for the "next" project (probably twenthieth in line at this point) and I'm thinking of trying to be a bit more creative in some doily designs next year ... but the hook moves ever so slowly these days and in the next week to come.  

Carpal tunnel surgery for next week for the worst of the hands, my right (I'm left handed so go figure).  I'm looking forward to the relief that many have told me they received and happily all for a fifteen minute procedure.  Isn't it just amazing at what can be done today?

Today you will know the Lord is coming, 



and in the morning you will see his glory.

Giving ... from the heart.  There is no treasure worth more.  Priceless, weighted beyond measure. 

Last week, arriving home after a long day to find a card tucked among the mail in the box.  A card that had traveled from far away lands.  A message of holiday blessings and with it a crocheted star.  Delicate and beautifully made.  A treasure.  It will be displayed during this Christmas season to be enjoyed and to remind of a giving heart, of joy received.  It will then take its place in my daily prayer book, a forever treasure.  Thank you dear sweet girl, Tammy.  You are joy.

 

The temps have taken a drastic drop.  A night to be tucked in and under a crocheted afghan ... mmmmm, cozy. 




My favorite chair, surrounded by several in progress works of yarn and hook, is calling me to come and sit.  With peppermint moca coffee, I think I will also grab the granny throw and settle in.  Its lapghan size now.  I think it will get one more color sequence (ten rows) and then edged.  Crocheting afghans during the winter months is so comforting.  Its like being covered in a blessing.



                                   

I find it such a delight to see the cars transporting their newly purchased Christmas tree.  Strapped to the top of a car making its way to its place of prominence.  This sight alone brings me such holiday spirit. 

During the next week I hope to be more aware of the season and its reason and to celebrate each day for the gift of all time that is given us.  God's blessings to all.   

Met at a friend's house the other day to learn to make a kissing ball.  They had made them before but this was a first for me.  Didn't realize that the base of the ball is as small as an orange.  They said that the juice from the orange would keep the greens good.  In seeing the orange size I never would have believed the size these become.

Supplies were put out ...
the oranges were tied with twine and we started inserting the greens, holiday music in the background ...
can't forget to mention the peppermint tea and fresh from the oven cornbread.  It was delightful!



And look at what we got!  We liked their fullness and decided not to trim into a more round shape.  Found two birds in the ribbon box so on the ball they perched.  Each of us now has our home made kissing ball on our respective lamp posts.

I have declared this a tradition.  What a lovely way to have shared time with friends. 

This truly makes for a Merry Christmas memory.

(written December 2009)
Sometimes when you think of presents you picture a beautifully wrapped gift with all the trimmings ... not always so, the fondest and most cherised memories are those wrapped in love ...

A friend once asked what was the best Christmas present ever? She described walking into her grandmother's house and there stood three red barbie doll suitcases ... one for her and each of her two sisters; she was probably about 9 years old at the time. Listening to her describe her delight when she saw them was priceless. What had made her think of it was she had been thinking of how to wrap her grandchildren's presents thinking that they might enjoy ripping off wrapping paper rather then pulling them from a bag with tissue paper. It was with this thought that she remembered those red suitcases and the fact that they had been unwrapped had made no difference, in fact, I think from listening to her speak of having "walked in on them" had an amazing element of surprise ... I guess so, for forty something years later the impact remained. This gift is closely held to her heart, a cherised memory. But the gift is more then a little red suitcase, its a grandmother's love.



I related to her childhood memory and thought of the anticipation and excitement of which my brother and I would approach Christmas morning. Carefully displayed around the tree was the bounty of Santa, in all its glory, every item standing unwrapped. When I think of Christmases at those times, I was probably around 8 or 9 years old, I remember a Christmas afternoon ... Million Dollar Movie was on, the theme song from Gone With The Wind ... even now I hear it and I remember being sprawled on the floor with a coloring book and the big box of crayola crayons. I loved my gifts, each and every one, but coloring I adored.



I would color the pages in succession, never skipping around, until the book was completed. On some pages the entire picture would be outlined in black, then carefully select colors to use within the black lines. Sometimes the different items in the picture would be outlined in a darker shade of the color I used in that space. Sometimes I would color in circular motion, sometimes back and forth. For me coloring was an art. I loved it! It was my greatest memory ... for a moment ...


I think I was 19 or 20 (the year being 1969 or 1970). I had stopped (and I cannot remember why, I think maybe my mother had asked me to pick up something there) at the showroom of a coat factory in town a few days before Christmas. Maxi coats were in fashion and becoming more and more popular by the day. There in this store was a most beautiful coat. It was a wool, orangey red with a hood, and had a tapestry strip that ran up the front, around the hood and down. It was absolutely wonderful! You should have seen the size of it ... all I'll say is that its "several" sizes smaller then what I wear now, and it fit like it was made just for me.

Later, while we were making preparations for Christmas Eve dinner the following night, I spoke of this coat and then thought no more of it. Christmas Eve was always very special, although we didn't have family any where nearby it was always a grand dinner, set up in the dining room, the tree was also in the dining room in front of double glass doors making it very pretty during dinner. The four of us, my parents, brother and I. This would have been the last time I had ever celebrated Christmas with my brother, but that's for another time.

After dinner, before or sometimes during dessert, we would open our gifts. A warm, cozy Christmas Eve exchanging presents. After everything was done my mother asked me to go to her bedroom, for what now I do not remember, but when I walked into the room, there hanging on the closet door was the coat. Unwrapped, just hanging on the closet door! I think I almost fell over. How my mother ever got to get this coat, I don't know. And when I think of this now, how she did that for me. And so, what was my best present ... the coat? ... No... its discovering a mother's love and five seasons later, in my 60th year,  its so very clear. Thank you mom.

Seems like my theme for the Christmas season is Joy. 




I saw these saucer sized little dishes in The Christmas Tree Shop and just fell in love with them and came home with a bunch.  So glad I did.  They've become the favor for this Christmas.

Filled each little dish with candy, topped with an ornament and shrink wrapped. 


Found these ornaments and cards at a local dollar store ... the card's sentiment of joy inside ... goodness ... matches the ornament.  I love it when that happens.  Hadn't planned it! 



Cut out the Greetings and the inside sentiment, laminated them together.