Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tablescape Thursday

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        My Tablescape Thursday entry, during the Christmas season at Between Naps on the Porch, combines tradition and sentiment. 

        This arrangement is at the edge of my dining room.

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        My Christmas china has special, sentimental value .  On the way to my teacher retirement appointment in Austin, to sign all of the needed paperwork (after 32 years in education), I was feeling a little blue. 

        I persuaded my husband to stop at the Mikasa Outlet to off-set my ‘blueness’, and I found these discounted in the back room. This really helped…

xmas collage

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China:    Mikasa Christmas Garden

Goblets:  Vintage Ebay

Sterling:  Reed&Barton Francis 1st

Napkins:  Kohl’s

Napkin Rings:  KMart

Enjoy your Thursday!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Nativities

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        Collecting naturally transfers to Christmas decorations, and I have enjoyed that as much as finding milk glass cake pedestals, interesting hammered aluminum, red 6 sided goblets, etc. 

        My Christmas collections include nativities, and I am partial to nativities from Mexico.

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        The figures in Mexico nativities are painted in a primitive fashion, but mangers were primitive weren’t they , and who could be more down to earth, more ‘this is fine- we don’t need anything else’- than Mary and Joseph? 

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        My collection holds sentimental value for me.

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        This beautiful nativity is from Paraguay and was a gift from my dear friend Anna.

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        If my grandsons were here this morning, while I made them pancakes, I would ask them to arrange this nativity for me, and I would ask them what they have been learning in Sunday school.

        My oldest grandson has such a fine, kind heart.My daughter said he wanted to leave Santa Claus a gift because of all that Santa has given them.

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        This was one of the first that I collected.

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        And then there are the small sets.

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        Before I moved this hutch to the little house, this is where I displayed my collection.

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Note:  I didn’t get selected at jury duty. As a teacher, it is very hard not to stand up and re-organize things.  I didn’t want to get arrested.

 

This morning I am linking to Three or More Tuesday at The Gypsy’s Corner, Decking the Halls at Thoughts From Over the Rainbow, and Second Time Around at A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

Join in the fun!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Daybook December 7, 2009



FOR TODAY Outside my window... my patio is covered with leaves.


I am thinking... about jury duty Monday . I never get picked. Once I took a copy of Runaway Jury into the auditorium. Was that why?


I am thankful for... my husband. He makes me laugh every day.


From the kitchen... I will be making chocolate candy this week and a chicken and wild rice casserole. I will also be planning my next food treat to take to my nephew’s basketball game. Saturday I took 2 dozen tamales and a batch of chocolate chip cookies. He was the MVP of the tournament. For the next game, I may take him a pot roast. I want to continue to outdo myself just to see my brother laugh. I might take the roast into the game in my red crockpot.


I am wearing... one of my crazy silk caftans.


I am creating... a red crocheted ripple afghan, once I find 10 skeins of brick red yarn in the same dye lot. I have been to 3 Wal Marts with no luck. How about a red baby blanket?


I am going...to call my Aunt Mary in Phoenix to thank her for the wonderful pumpkin bread she mailed us.


I am reading... Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and A Matter of Taste, a cookbook I bought at Goodwill in Dallas. It is from the Junior League of New Jersey. Taste travels.


I am hoping... that cold weather will return.


I am hearing… Christmas music.


Around the house...I am arranging and re-arranging.


One of my favorite things... being in my home.


A few plans for the rest of the week… have a health test, wrap gifts, laugh. http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Saturday, December 5, 2009

My Mother’s Shawl

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         The inspiration for my third Christmas tree( and yes, I have three) is my mother’s gold ornaments and her zebra print shawl..

          The shawl, which she made and wore often, is part of the tree skirt I use for this tree each year.

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        Her vintage gold ornaments are evident throughout the tree, but I have added many more over the years.

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       This tree is in our den, which is where we do our television watching, and where I do my blogging.  This tree sits at my right shoulder.

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        This den is the hub of our home.

        Behind where I usually sit is our fireplace and this garland.

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        Enjoy all of the other posts at the wonderful Bella Dreams.  Just click on the button at the top of my sidebar.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Christmas Shopping Food

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         When it is cold outside and a little bit rainy, and you have shifted your focus from Christmas dishes to Star Wars’ Clone Wars figures, all things Thomas the Train, and what a 16 year old nephew might like for Christmas…

because last year , shopping for said nephew, you made the mistake of entering a darkened Abercrombie&Fitch , where the music was pulsing loudly and the clothes looked torn, and a former student who worked there looked shocked to see you in his world, because middle-aged English teachers staring slack-jawed may not convey the image the store promotes…

        At that moment you need/I need an iced cold Diet Coke and a steaming hot, fresh tamale that you can buy at Delia’s or Tamales y Mas, or De Alba’s Bakery, where everyone acts like it is a pleasure to see a middle-aged English teacher.

Add salsita and enjoy.

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Today I am linking to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.