* 16th Birthday *

We celebrated the 16th birthday of our oldest son today, along with some of his closest buddies and their families. The evening was filled with friends, a great dinner, chocolate-frosted cake, ice cream and lots of laughter!




Even as a baby, he was already making logical points on all the issues important to him. In those early days, it meant "negotiating" over nap time, discussing which diaper was more comfortable overall; cloth or disposable, and which food was the tastiest and most nutritious!



Harvard boy ~1990~ we bought the sweatshirt when we lived in Boston and hubby worked in Cambridge. I was working in Arlington (near Lexington) while pregnant with our firstborn.



Birthday boy ~2004~ (His self-portrait)

Snow

Dd exclaims, "Twice in the same year?"

~ Let it Snow! ~

~ Seasonal Bargains ~

These are some examples of my favorite types of things! I found these all in the last week at antique stores or bargain shelves. The linen towel says "All Linen Drywell Cloth." The autumn placemats were bought for 80% off, so I purchased 10 of them for our table. I was surprised to find that many, even.

I got a great idea from one antique shop owner. She told me to string the antique cookie cutters to use as ornaments on the Christmas tree. That'll work well, since I collect red-handled kitchen tools, and I've already got miniature red kitchen tool ornaments that I found on clearance last year.

The carved bird was just something extra special that I found, and bought a few for presents.

Lost Stockings!

I don't know if any of you out there can relate to this, but every December, when we go into the attic to retrieve Christmas decorations, something always turns up missing. One year, it was Santa in a musical, rocking chair. Another year, it was a glass nativity. Oh, the nativity box was with everything else, there were just no figurines in it. The next year, it was a lighted, ceramic, snow-covered schoolhouse. And yet another time, our mice, mantle-stocking holders were not with our Christmas decorations. THIS year, we have not been able to find our stockings! Isn't that weird?

I spent most of the day today up in the attic, checking the boxes and bags, to find these goodie holders. Our stockings are the main attraction of our family Christmas, so it has been a little traumatic for the kids this year, not seeing them hung at the mantle. After Christmas, 2003, everyone took their stockings back to their rooms with them after we opened presents, so that is part of the problem.

Every year, there are always stray items that didn't make it into the main boxes of Christmas items. These end up going up to the attic within a couple of weeks of the original clean-up of Christmas decorations, so I'm guessing that the stockings ended up in that stray bag or box...or were sent to the thrift store in a donation box! We may have to just make do with hubby's knitted, knee-high "house booties" from Afghanistan (he has two pair)or some of our big socks! Come to think of it, the Afghan booties will work alright, but they're not very wide. I just don't know if the kids will go for it, but they may just have to deal with it!

I hope you all are finding some special, quiet moments in this season of busy-ness. I prefer peace and quiet. In fact, I enjoy staying home! I do *not* get out to any store after 3:00, 'cause I just can't stand the crowded streets or stores. FORGET the mall, unless I'm caroling there with friends, as I've been known to do!!

I DO love Christmas Carols, and four or six-part harmony. Most of these songs are just beautifully written, unlike too many songs we hear today... sigh.

Underwater "Cliff Dwellings"

While walking through the park with the kids last week, the boys noticed crawfish swimming in a stream down away from the playground area. They dubbed these crawfish homes "underwater cliff dwellings" since the crawfish living in our neighborhood just pile the walls of their homes up above the grass in our yards.

I thought to myself "these are very clever boys," as they talked about the actual cliff dwellings we climbed around in last year in New Mexico, and how much these lowly crawfish homes reminded them of Bandolier National Monument.

Autumn Leaves

I love Texas in December, and I'm an Okie!

~ Another View ~

inside the handbound journals

Handmade Books

I made these journal books using all archival-quality materials, hand cut, pasted, and sewn. These are Christmas presents, made to fit the person they are going to (and I've many more that I've yet to make). I guess the cat is out of the bag, so to speak!

We finally got the tree up!