Stepping Away from the Edge

The Icing on Top

We have a long-standing tradition in our family . . . of creating gingerbread houses for the holidays. 

On Thanksgiving Day, in the evening after the feast had been cleared away, Erin and my Mom and I gathered around my dining room table to create this year's masterpieces!

Some of us get coaching and assistance . . .

Some of us get moral support . . .

(I think my Dad was a bit worried about my Mom and her gingerbread house.  If you read my blog last year, you might remember that my Mom took a tumble off my counter stool at a gingerbread decorating party I held for some of my friends.  She ended up with a broken ankle, surgery, and a not-very-pleasant holiday season.  My Dad did NOT want a repeat performance.  He may even have suggested tying her into her chair.  Just sayin'.)

And some of us just get glasses of wine . . .

This year, it seemed to take extra-long for the houses to "settle" and hold up well enough for the true decorating to begin.  I will admit that, for a while, I considered a "Blitzkrieg" theme for my house. . . just bombed out walls and no roof at all.

In the end, though, I went with a chocolate theme.

Mmmmm.  Chocolate goodness from rooftop to foundation!

My Mom was inspired by peppermint.

And despite several wall/roof collapses, she remained safe, seated, and unscathed!

Erin went with color-coordination. . .

coconut. . .

and inspired, artful flourishes!  (Thanks, Keith!)

We had a great time kicking off the holiday decorating season.  (And . . . so much more fun without a call to 9-1-1!)

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Thanks for your warm healing wishes for Jenny yesterday.  The surgery went very well, the vet was able to repair the ruptured ligament, and we will welcome Jenny back home later today.

Fun for the Whole Family

Warning! This post is not suitable for all audiences.  (Self select, please.)

Over the holiday, the kids introduced us to a new party game. . .

Cards Against Humanity.   (A Party Game for Horrible People.)

Best played with plenty of alchohol under your belt, this games is a BIG hit among college students and young adults*.  (I would bet that not many of them share the game with their parents, so Tom and I  feel somewhat honored to have been included in their fun.)

Basically, it's Apples to Apples . . . but with An Edge.

A real edge!

Or, should I say. . . Really Edgy.

Anyway, we had a great time.  Lots of laughter.  Lots of drinking.  And. . . well . . . let's just say that, as a group, we have Incrediby Bad Taste.

Play with your family and friends this holiday season!  (Or. . . perhaps not!)

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*The game can be downloaded for free.

 

Photo Finish

Sometimes, photos just tell it best.

Hope your weekend. . . was as good as mine was!

In the Shape of a Heart

As I thought about this post yesterday, this song got stuck in my head.  So I have to share. . .

 

There's just something about a heart shape that I find charming.

Not just on Valentine's Day, either.  Although that's when they're most plentiful, certainly.

Sometimes even with your name, stuck in little heart-shaped, pink-cream filled brownies from one of your office mates . . . so endearing!

And even more . . . heartwarming. . .  when tied with love. . . from your Valentine!

(Tom crafted this from fish hooks and red mohair . . . just for me!)

There's just something warm and inviting, kind of . . . homey. . . about a heart shape.

Although not as prevelant as my grids, heart shapes appear throughout the year in my home.

On the walls. . .

in the windows. . .

and even in the garden. . .

they inspire.

And make me happy.

Love 'em!

On the Grid

It's February. . . a month filled with thoughts of love . . .

(and chocolate!)

I thought that it might be fun to share some of the things I especially . . . love. . . during the month of February.

I'm not talking about the things you already know I . . . love. . . like knitting and gardening and reading and my family and Jenny.  No, this month, I thought I'd share some of the things I . . . love. . . that you probably don't know about me.

Like. . . I'll bet you'll be surprised to find out that I'm strangely drawn to . . . and love . . . GRIDS!

Grids?

Yeah. 

For some reason, I find things arranged in grid patterns Most Pleasing! 

I have these lovely ceramic pieces hanging on my living room walls.

I adore them! 

Everywhere you look in my house, there are grids.

On the walls.  Propped up on shelves.

When things are arranged in grid patterns, I'm drawn like a magnet! 

(I even have a Pinterest board called "Grids" . . . where I collect images of grid patterns I especially like.)

My attraction is not just to straight-line grids, either.  I like circle grids.

And arched grids.

And grid patterns of all shape and design.

I'm often pulled to grid-like projects. . .

like afghans and quilts.

There's just something about . . . the grid!

I just . . . love . . . them!

And I notice them.  Everywhere!

Grids.

Grids.

Grids.

Love 'em!

Oh, Those Chestnuts!

Finally!  I can share!  Hit it, Nat!

 

If you remember, back in October I joined "SocktoberFest."  Not to make socks.  No.  To make slippers for the people I love!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. . .

(for my brother-in-law, Kurt, and Erin's boyfriend, Keith)

(back view)

Jack Frost nipping at your nose. . .

(for my sister, Di)

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. . .

(for my niece, Jes)

And folks dressed up like eskimos. . .

(for Erin)

Everybody knows some turkey and some mistletoe

(for my Dad)

Help to make the season bright. . .

(for my Mom)

And then. . . the song ends.  For now.  I have two more pairs of slippers to complete -- one for my friend, Sandie (nearly finished) and one for Brian (but, really, who wants to knit for a size 13 foot???). 

Althought it's been said many times, many ways. . . Slippers make a great holiday gift!

(Ravelry details here, here, here, here, here, and here!)

Reports are in:  The slippers seem to be a hit with all recipients.  This photo (sent by Erin) warms a Mom-Knitter's heart:

I'm ready to put the slipper patterns away for awhile -- but it was fun to give warm feet for Christmas!

 

Hit the Road, Jack!

Ten on Tuesday is officially on vacation this week.  But I can't seem to get out of the habit of thinking of ten things on Tuesdays. . . So, join me this week for an unsanctioned, one-of-a-kind Ten on Tuesday list!

Despite my complaining, I really do like Christmas.  I like the decorations, the gifting, the memories.  I like the parties, the dressing up, the festive-ness.  I like Christmas music.  I like Christmas movies.  I like snow.

And, despite the fact that I really do like Christmas, I'm never sad when it's over.  Because . . . by the end of December, I'm ready for the excitement and the hub-bub and the stress to cease.

This year, especially, I'm ready to call it quits on Christmas!  In fact, this one will go down in the record books (tied, perhaps, with my chemo-Christmas) as Worst Christmas Ever.  It's tough to do Christmas . . . when you're also playing Florence Nightingale.  It's tough to enjoy Christmas. . . when you're living in an altered state with your leg in a cast. 

So.  Let's say goodbye to this one. . . in ten different ways:

1. Stick a fork in it; it's done!
2. Put it to bed!
3. Turn out the lights. . . the party's over!
4. Hasta la vista, Baby!
5. That's all she wrote!
6. It's all over but the shouting!
7. It's gone 'round the bend!
8. So long, sucker!
9. Don't let the door hit you on your way out!
10. You . . . and the horse you rode in on!

So glad this one is over! 

Softer . . . and More Beautiful

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale

Enjoy the beauty of the season!

 

Steeped in Tradition: The Pepparkakor

Like most Americans, I have a mixed-bag when it comes to heritage.  A little English.  A little Scotish.  A touch of Irish.  Maybe a hint of German.  And a whole lot of Swedish.

My great-grandmother immigrated to the US from Sweden as a 19-year-old.  Alone.  She came to Rockford, Illinois (a community with a large and established Swedish population) to meet her brother, who was already settled.  She met and married her husband -- another Swedish immigrant -- and they had one child, my grandmother.  Although my grandmother did not marry a Swede, my Dad was raised with significant Swedish influence.

I was also born in Rockford, and spent my childhood there -- surrounded by my Swedish family.  Our Christmas traditions were heavy on Swedish heritage. . . especially when it came to food!  Inlagd sill.  Pannkakor.  Lutfisk.  Lingonberries.  Smörgåstårta.  Isterband.  

As a kid -- an American kid -- I didn't really like or appreciate much of the Swedish fare served up around me.  Never could get past the smell of lutfisk.  Or the texture of the herring.  I really liked lingonberry jam, though, and the pannkakor (pancakes).  Mmmmm.  But what I especially loved . . .

Pepparkakor!

Thin, crispy, incredibly tasty Swedish gingersnaps.  My favorite cookie of all time!

Once my family moved away from Rockford, we left family gatherings full of Swedish food -- and a community of Swedes -- behind.  My Mom (who is not Swedish and doesn't care for most of the foods) embraced tradition and made pepparkakor every Christmas using my great-grandmother's translated-from-Swedish recipe.

When I grew up and left home, I took the pepparkakor recipe with me.

They are not an attractive Christmas cookie.  When I put them out for parties or holiday gatherings, most people are . . . not tempted . . . to pick one up.  But when they do?  YUM!  They never hesitate again!

Tom (not Swedish) and my kids love pepparkakor!  When Brian was little, he used to call them "popper-cookers."  It really wouldn't be Christmas for me . . . without pepparkakor.

Which is why today, on Christmas Eve morning, I was up early to bake this year's batch.  Although we've cut out a lot of fluff for this year's celebration, I needed to keep the pepparkakor in the mix!

Really.  It wouldn't be Christmas without it!  (Sorry, though, Dad.  No lutfisk this year!!!)

***NOTE:  You can find many recipes for pepparkakor online.  Beware of those that don't include cardamom.  "Real" Swedish pepparkakor includes cardamom.  (My recipe - above - is translated from my great-grandmother's original pepparkakor recipe.)

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Mom Update:  Surgery went very well and she's in recovery mode.

 

Steeped in Tradition: The Christmas China

It all started with this little candlestick holder. . .

back in 1984.

Tom and I were living in Austin, Texas at the time.  He was doing a post-doc at the University of Texas, and I was working on my accounting degree.  We were very poor.  We didn't have many "nice" things.  (But we were really, really happy.)

I never dreamed of owning Christmas china.  (Shoot, at that point, I didn't even dream of owning ANY china!)  And, although I already loved blue transferware, back then I had never even heard of Spode.

So I was surprised when I opened my Christmas gift from Tom that first year in Texas and discovered this little Spode candlestick holder.  Apparently, he'd been shopping in a mall department store, and the candlestick had caught his eye.

The next year, he bought me a second candlestick holder.

And, with that, my collection of Spode Christmas Tree china began!

Each year, he chose a piece for me.

Now, I have a full "service for 8."

A tea set.

Various serving pieces.

Even a gravy boat!

I love getting out my Christmas china every December, and setting it up in my china cabinet.  We use it daily -- not just for special meals -- throughout the holiday season.   I love remembering how Tom "discovered" the pattern -- and how he liked it so much that he splurged on a piece for me . . . way back when.  But I especially love using the candlestick holders.  They will always be my favorite pieces.  I think their candlelight glows brighter and longer than any other candlelight. . .

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Mom Update:  Surgery tomorrow.  She is comfortable . . . but miserable.  I thank you all for your kind words of support.  They mean a lot to me -- and to my Mom, as well!  Many thanks!