Gingerbread Tree

Earlier this month my daughter asked for a Gingerbread house kit.  So yesterday when I was out and about, I stopped and looked over the choices.  First up was a Gingerbread house - Traditional, but upon reading the "you will need list" my eyes glazed over and I knew that wasn't the answer.  Considering all the effort involved in a single house I knew the mini village wasn't for us either. After all we're first timers!  While it might be odd the third choice of lollipop style cookies didn't sit well with me.  It's not that I'm anti-lollipop but I'm not really pro-lollipop either.  Guess I just never cared for them as a kid.

What a smile for our Tree

Then came the Gingerbread Tree.  Sure we can make the tree!  After all there's no math and as trees lean you don't have to be perfectly careful so that's all good too.

Firstly I didn't read the directions.  Hey I read the box in the store that counts for something right?  After all I'd had a long day and my leg was angry enough that even my knee was hurting so we dug in and got started.  The first batch of icing I made per the directions but it was more like dried toothpaste than icing, so "I fixed it" and then didn't bother being so careful with the second bag of frosting.  Of course my thinning down made the frosting run, so it doesn't look like the picture but we had a good time.

This morning I even had one of the cookies.  I thought I was going to chip a tooth so I dipped it into my coffee biscotti style - now that was good.  Today I need to clean and I have a pair of lounge pants that need made for Christmas - wonder which will win my attentions?

Zaphod's 12th birthday

My all time favorite famous Meerkats had a bit of a celebration the other day.  Zaphod just turned 12!  That is a wild accomplishment for a wild meerkat. Everyone is now looking forward to his continued health and well being for if he lives to be 4448 days old  (Feb. 12) he will be the oldest Meerkat ever to be studied in the Kalahari Meerkat Project - Go King Zaphod!


Yes Zaphod is still the dominate male of the Aztecs with Monkulus (Maybelline to you North American Animal Planet Watchers).  You can read all about Zaphod's birthday here.


Now here is the heart stomping news Caroline Hawkins and her Oxford Scientific film crew who brought us Meerkat Manor as well as Meerkat Manor: The Story Begins has been back to the Kalahari Meerkat Project and has been filming for a 3D Movie! 3D Movies give me a headache, but I think I'll take a Tylenol when this movie releases.  National Geographic plans to air it in 2D so I'll be able to watch it then too.  Of course the best source for all this info is the Friends of the Kalahari Meerkat Project.

Good Morning Florida!

This morning I turned my back for a moment to check on a fabric measurement and when I came back to the kitchen window it was Grand Central Station at my bird feeder.  These are red wing blackbirds (all males on the feeder) that I know from experience migrate through here each year.  My mother lives about 20 minutes North East of me and she had red breasted robins that visit her.  What do I get?  A Hoard of Red wing Blackbirds.  LOL our feeder has been so lonely for birds even an occasional dove has been welcomed.

Some couldn't stand to wait their turn and began picking ravenously at the ground.  Now will you believe me if I tell you these two pictures combined only show about half of the flock total?  When I noticed some were sitting on an empty bird bath I thought they might like a drink to go with all that food so I went out and filled it.  Being a flighty bunch they've left but I'm sure they'll be back.

Santa Claus is Coming!

Have you hung your stockings with care?  Just this morning my five year old started screaming "11 more days until Christmas" when she spotted the construction paper ring garland she made in class at the beginning of the month.  Of course by this time on the 25th I'll be enjoying the hearty brunch that my sister has planned for us.  For dinner our numbers will swell and I'll have 8 so I'm planning on a nice smoked ham along with a couple of other things I can shove in the oven and forget about.

Our Tree

Our tree is decorated and most of the presents are wrapped.  The elves will round those up and place them under the tree on Christmas Eve so no need to worry about anyone snooping under the tree.

New Stocking

I even made a stocking to hang up with the others.  Nothing fancy just some beautiful fabrics from my friend Vicki, sewn double layered with french seams and then hand stitching the name.

Hung with Care

Do you have any family specific traditions?  We are a one present at a time house.  That means the presents all stay under the tree and are removed one gift at a time and given to the recipient to open.  Are some of you thinking how long your Christmas would take to do something like this?  Well DH and I love it as it allows us each to enjoy each moment.  Besides my favorite part is seeing the joy of someone receiving my gift (even if it is a fake smile the size of the Gulf of Mexico that looks like it was taped on with packing tape) and I'd miss that if we all ripped everything open madly.

I love the tranquility of the Christmas season.  It's hard to find in and among the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but you can smell the crisp clean love if you stop in the snow for just a moment (yes you have to forget about being cold for a moment), you can hear the peace as you pause in front of your Christmas Tree.  Don't believe me?  Close your eyes and breathe.  Ah now there it is.  Or was that the cat box you forgot to scoop?  Either way from my home to yours I wish you all the love and joy this holiday season has to offer.

Old Style Christmas Cards

Merry Christmas!  I love this time of year.  Here in Florida we don't often have snow or even cold weather for that matter but this most recent cold front has me thinking of Christmases gone by.  Year after year my mother would dig out boxes of Christmas cards.  Different themes for different people and then she would sit down with them all in this lid+box system and hand write each and everyone on her list.  Before I could write cursive myself I recall letters arriving to the house filled with cursive.  Each letter from one of her dear friends or relative.   A good part of the time the cards were so filled with writing it went well onto the back of the card.  

I knew that when I grew up I wanted garlands filled with notes from friends and sure enough when I set out off on my own they came.  A trickle at first but then more and I discovered even more came when I sent my own cards out as well.  So I bought boxes of Christmas cards jimmy rigged a lid and box writing system and wrote my Christmas cards. Each card I wrote something different that I thought the person I was sending it to might like to hear about. Years have gone by and the response cards have gotten shorter and shorter I have understood each time and even sent found wishes and prayers to that busy person.  Sometimes the notes changed into those dreaded newsletters.  You know the ones, they're fine and all but in world where everything in the mailbox is mass printed junk and bills there is just something a little lack luster about it all.  But still I cherish each card.  I happily hang them on my garland and even as my own hand aches with tendonitis from writing I still try to send cards out each year.  This year I'm half done and have come up against the harsh reality of having not purchased enough cards last year.  Now would you believe I ran out of return address labels on my very last card?

Enter Shutterfly.  They had the best deal going on some custom mugs I made that I can't show you yet.  Now I know what you're thinking something custom will never get here in time much less to write all that I do and get them sent back out but I think you'd be wrong.  My mugs were ordered Black Friday and where shipped out the very following Monday.  I'm still amazed that my custom order arrived before the prints that I also ordered.

So now I can order my holiday cards and my labels and have everything sent out in time to keep my in-laws happy.  Who knows I might even do something kookie and make them match!