Spread Holiday Cheer

The tree is alight and our spirits alight, and now we peer into the edge of the best month of the year. In our family, this is the favorite month. This is the month of birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, holiday spirit, twinkly lights, spicy drinks, hearty stews, sweet treats, and goodwill to all.

I am leaving gloominess behind in November, and I am going to attempt to lift as many spirits as I can reach by year's end. Though it is a favorite month of mine, it happens to also be an awfully cold month. I have decided to pack my vehicle trunk with care packages for those who are homeless or in need this season, and share what I have whenever and wherever I am able. If you have the ability, won't you join me and do the same in your town? I have decided to replenish from my local Goodwill as I need warm supplies, and also from my own knitting if I have anything extra. Goodwill often has handknit scarves and hats for only $.99, and lap throws and small blankets for $1.99 to $3.99.

What do you need in your trunk for winter conditions, especially if you live in a cold climate?
Tire chains, flares, flashlight, ice scraper, snow shoes (if you are in that kind of place), water, food, blanket, extra gloves, hat, and scarf. Oh, and an in progress knitting project, of course!

So, in addition to those supplies, which I am in the process of ensuring are all in my trunk, I am going to put in two extra scarves, 2 extra hats, 2 extra small blankets, and a little extra food of some sort so I have some to give. This year, and in years ahead, it is even more important that we reach out and help each other whenever possible.

What are your suggestions for sharing?

Earthquakes, Typhoons and Tornadoes, Oh My!

First, let me say that I don't believe the global warming farce. I do, however, observe that strange weather patterns and phenomena are occurring with more frequency and force over the last few years, and this year in particular has been a hotbed of earthquake and tornado activity, as well as other troubling weather and dangerous bacteria developments.

Polar icecaps are melting, the strongest typhoon ever recorded has hit the Philippines, the Great Barrier Reef is dying, the ocean pH is changing, the super dangerous MRSA staph bacteria is lurking on our beaches, many U.S. states are experiencing drought conditions, the earth is rumbling across the globe with earthquakes big and small, and manmade disasters like the BP oil spill, dangerous food contamination in the industrial food chain and dangerous products in the medical consumer supply chain have become disturbingly commonplace.

What does it all mean? What is the truth about these occurrences? Is it in the Bible code? These are all questions to be answered by you, the individual, and not by the talking heads. What I do know is that we all need to be asking the questions, probing for the answers, and not blindly listening and following Nation leaders and scientists down the Global Warming road to carbon taxes. Are we in the time of calling good evil, and evil good? Have we traded thought, reason and understanding for football, fast food and the mall?

Have we any Blaise Pascals, Rudyard Kiplings, Great Philosophers, Astronomers or Astrophysicists anymore among us?

Will you be simply a reed that gets bent and pushed by the winds of a Global Agenda, or will you be a thinking reed that seeks out truth and rejects propaganda and false news? It's a jungle out there, and we are on a rocky path. If we keep our heads and use our brains, we might avoid being eaten by tigers.

Do you Black Friday?

I am not a major consumer, and I have never before shopped on Black Friday, but this year, I had learned of some super great deals at JC Penney, so I caved. I bought the St. John's Bay brown suede riding boot called "Amelia" for $29.99. I was in the store the other day and they were on sale for $74.99 from their regular price of $130.00. I think savings of $100.01 off regular price made this worth it! Plus, I bought them online, so I didn't have to brave any crowds to get them. Already tried them on in the store previously, so I knew the item number and correct size to choose. They are leather instead of faux leather, and that makes them even better, in my opinion.

did you do any Black Friday shopping?

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is the sweater that was handknit by someone several years ago. We all take turns wearing it for a short time on Thanksgiving day, just for fun. It started out quite by accident, but now it has become part of the day.

I hope you all are having a safe and happy holiday season. It is cold and blustery and possibly snowy out there, so drive with caution.

We will be having lamb instead of turkey this year, as well as the usual green beans, fresh cranberry relish, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin, chocolate pie with dark cacao, and sugar cookies. I am sure I will be sorry later for indulging in so many gluten containing foods, but I am throwing gluten caution to the wind for a day!

Happy Holiday!

Make a Berry Wreath

For Lori, who deserved better than yesterday's wreath video. I only chose yesterday's video because I did like the fact that the woman had previously had her own shop and taught bow-making. Here is one better...



In other news, Senate Bill S.510 is being reviewed by the Senate as a whole. PLEASE call your senators and urge them not to pass this devastating bill!! (Read Oversight or Overreach? here)

Make a Merry Christmas Wreath

Visit Outside the Garden for the latest in food recall information;

Handmade Gifts: The $10.00 Gift Guide

Sometimes, you want to give something elegant, beautiful and profound, yet simple and affordable. If austerity measures are in your current economic policy, but you want to give an heirloom that will be both striking and memorable, you might find it in this clear glass Pride and Prejudice ornament from Brookish. But, hurry, or I might have to gather it up for my own gift giving purposes!Give her the perfect gift for entertaining in style on Christmas day. The occasion is sure to be elevated to elegant with these Dusty Gold Organza Flower Bobbies from Presumptuous Me.Vintage chic 100% cotton canvas screenprinted Peace wine bag in red from Blooom And Barnacle:No study would be complete without this Vintage Dictionary Art Print - Owl Illustration from littlebluebirdstudios. Waltz into your study and take a gander at the lexicon after the holiday meal over a glass of vintage port that you transported in your newly gifted Peace wine bag...Even Martha Stewart would be proud. With $40.00 (plus a bit for shipping) spent on these four gifts, you have just converted the holiday gathering into a most profoundly civilized and altogether satisfying engagement.

Enjoy!

Cheese sold at Costco in 5 states linked to E. coli

Another outbreak in the industrial food chain:

Gouda cheese from Bravo Farms sold in Costco between October 5th and November 1st has reportedly sickened twenty-five people with E.coli. The cheese was sold at Costco stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.

According to the FDA, no deaths have been reported. They suggest that if you have purchased Gouda cheese from Costco during this period and you are in one of the affected five states, you should either put the cheese in a plastic bag and dispose of it in a sealed trash can (not sure how that stops the spread of the bacteria when the trash gets taken to the heap, however!).

You may also return the cheese to the store; Costco is offering refunds to those who return the cheese.

In other news on Wednesday, it was reported that a Texas food plant tested positive for Listeria. SanGar Fresh Cut Produce in San Antonio was shut down by the Texas Department of Health after four people have contracted listeriosis and died from eating contaminated celery.

It's a jungle out there - Upton Sinclair's jungle? Stay safe!

And so, the Tooth Fairy

Tonight, we send a call out to the Tooth Fairy. Dear Tooth Fairy,

Do come visit our house, for the sake of the little girl who has lost her top front tooth and is feeling very ambivalent about this entire tooth loss process. Now I understand why you visit. It is not to distribute wealth and riches, but to mend and patch little souls who are fresh out of trauma triage after the stormy destruction of Growing Up rolled over them in this mortal realm.

For the last several weeks, they have learned that sometimes a little pain is part of being a kid. The tooth has caused difficulty talking, eating, and sleeping. It has been sore, sharp on top, and finally, unhinging wildly like a barn door after a tornado.

The final gust blows in and yanks the thing out, often opening a bloody furrow in tender little gums. Then there are squeals, tears, and the forlorn look in the mirror - only to see a gaping hole where the pearly white used to answer the call of the dinner chime.

Now, tooth in hand, wound healing, rinse and swish over, a little chink of childhood hurled into oblivion, I see there is a distinct need for some soothing magic from the Tooth Fairy. I remember.

For your ease, the tooth will be in the pocket of the Tooth Fairy heart pillow on my sewing machine table.

Best Regards,

Do you teleport?

(image from http://www.etsy.com/shop/recycledwares)

this morning as i was making my trek down proletarian lane from car to cubie, i was distracted by the squeaking of my right shoe. I was instantly transported through the wormhole to my childhood, to a typical day in my grandmother's house.

The transport vessel arrived in the form of a movie line. Squeaky shoe = "it's squeaky shoes approachin'...hole in the left sole, it sounds like" = instantaneous teleportation to age 8, in the bedroom, portable record player playing my 78 LP of (who can name that movie? - name it and, if you are the first person with the right answer, I will mail you a skein of yarn!)

At that moment, I was calculating what I would give to ACTUALLY be transported there for a day instead of to the place where I trade my time for wages. And what would be even better? If Amilia could be transported there with me to play imaginary horses and doll clothes and sewing and listening to records for the whole day. And if there were fried apple pies when I got there, and my old faithful Huffy bike.

It was short-lived.
The wormhole sucked
me back just as quickly
and I trudged in to the place
of laborious tedium, away
from the place of
wistful wonder.