365 / 365 That’s a Wrap!

With this entry we wrap up the year, putting a bow on our blog as we thank our faithful readers for following us on our 365-day adventure.  Although I am leaving daily deadlines behind, you can follow me over at my Tree Fishing blog, where I’ll be adding entries as the spirit moves me.

I wish you all the best in 2012… take care.

364 / 365 Transition Time

During the last few days of December I feel a mix of nostalgia and anticipation as I wait to cross over into the new year.  Yesterday my sister S and I sifted through fifty years of family slides, culling twenty-one trays down to a thousand keepers.  Today I’ve been going through a stack of old photos S gave me of relatives long deceased.  It’s been a week of honoring the past.

363 / 365 Hangin' Loose

Nature has her own ornaments.

362 / 365 Grade-A Memories

Today I’ve been taking pictures of some of the Christmas ornaments that my sisters and I made as kids under Mom’s direction.  I’ve always loved these egg ornaments, but they are extremely fragile.  The only surviving one that Mom made herself is on the far right… it’s over forty years old.

361 / 365 Within Reach

Yes, this is a pool cue… and no, we do not have a pool table.  This was a creative Christmas gift from my loving husband who wanted me to be able to reach the Hush™ Button on my new smoke detector (also a thoughtful gift).  It seems I have a tendency to set the current one off when I’m cooking, and H thought of this win-win solution.

360/ 365 Tea Time

I’ve been trying to cut back my coffee intake and broaden my appreciation for tea.  My thoughtful sister L gave me several varieties of bulk-packaged, full-leaf teas for Christmas.  I’ve tried three of the six and love the black teas, but one of the green teas is going back on the shelf.  Who knew that tea could taste fishy?

359 / 365 Merry Christmas to All

A holiday breakfast… Santa surprises… a family gathering… a wonderful day!

358/ 365 A Piper Piping

Every Christmas our decorations include this charming nativity that my sisters, Mom, and I made many years ago.  The scene is pretty standard, but if you look closely you’ll see an unexpected piper playing a merry tune.  I’m not sure where he came from, but he’s always been part of the setup.  H refers to him as the “Kenny G of Zero A.D.”

357 / 365 Mug Shot

My niece J and I spent the morning at a local pottery studio honing our creative skills.  We each chose a mug from a collection of unglazed earthenware and decorated it.  Once the pieces are fired next week, the flat colors that you see will transform into rich and brilliant hues. 

356/ 365 Up in Smoke

Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest, darkest day of the year.  Although it is the official beginning of winter, the date is also associated with change and rebirth as the days begin to lengthen.  Tonight, in the spiritual company of a group of women all over the world, I created and burned a symbolic bundle representing the “stuff” I want to release for 2012.

355 / 365 All Wrapped Up

A small Korean congregation holds its Sunday services at the church where I work.  Today Reverend K and his wife surprised and delighted us by giving each of us a case of Korean pears.  These huge fruits were exquisitely wrapped and absolutely beautiful in their packaging.  We were touched by this thoughtful Christmas gift.

354 / 365 Services Rendered

Because the forecast called for rain, our yard crew (see previous entry) transformed itself into a box-recycling crew, moving inside to break down several years’ worth of old cartons.  This is the invoice they presented to us after their raking and breaking work was completed.  (Note price differences between large, medium, and small boxes.)  It’s good to see math skills being put to practical use.

353 / 365 In the Bag

For a small fee, my two nephews A and M are happy to rake and bag leaves for us.  The yard looks great;  M, however, has an interesting technique for opening the bag. 

352 / 365 A Glow in the Night

This evening H and I visited the Garden Lights/Holiday Nights show at the Atlanta Botanical Garden… close to one million lights, glowing and twinkling throughout the gardens.

351/ 365 Putting on a Show

The Chattahoochee Nature Center has a Wildlife Department that focuses on education and rehabilitation.  Several aviaries house injured birds of prey that cannot be released back into the wild.  H and I observed this Turkey Vulture stretching in the sun. You’d never guess that she has nerve damage in her right wing.  She won’t win any beauty contests, but I found her magnificent.

350 / 365 Here We Come A-Caroling…

This charming little village sits on a table at my sister S’s home.  It reminds me of going Christmas caroling as a kid… all bundled up, joyfully singing, and enjoying a mug of hot chocolate on the return.

349 / 365 Comin’ to Town

Santa is everywhere.  He just makes me smile!

348 / 365 Standing Guard

This fellow stands guard with three other sentries on the porch of a historic home turned office in neighboring Roswell.  The columns are huge and the soldiers are well over seven feet tall… a most impressive showing.

347 / 365 The Tip Top

The Christmas tree has been decorated, but the job is not complete until this delicate glass tree-topper takes its rightful place.  It has been a treasure of H’s for over twenty years.

346 / 365 Hold the Fudge, Please

Tonight at dinner we had this healthy salad – a nice change from all the crap we’ve been eating.

345 / 365 Making a List

This little Santa watched over us as we ate breakfast this morning at our favorite local restaurant.

344 / 365 Winter Walk

H and I spent the afternoon hiking the Gold Branch trails of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.  The day was crisp and clear, the woods full of energy.  H took a panorama shot while we stopped by the water’s edge.  Take a peek… you’ll feel like you’re right there with us.

343 / 365 Ringing in the Holidays

H and I took his mom M to the Christmas Festival Concert at a local church this evening and had a delightful time.  When the music ended, M stood up and announced:  Now the season can begin.

342 / 365 Fold and Crease

These gorgeous origami ornaments were created by one of the teachers at our church’s preschool… she brought them in to decorate the children’s Christmas tree.  I’m mesmerized by the intricate handiwork.

341 / 365 A Frosty Gathering

The snowmen are assembling for the holidays across the street at our neighbor’s house.

340 / 365 So Good

Don’t let this beautiful fruit fool you… it is actually made of marzipan, a sugar and almond paste.  These treats were left last night by St. Nicholas (see previous blog), no doubt as confirmation that H and I have been so very good all year long.

339 / 365 A Visit From St. Nicholas

In the lowlands, 5 December
Is a date that all remember
As the birthday of St. Nicholas,
Known to the locals as Sinterklaas.

Along with his helpers, good old St. Nick

Travels by horse… you can hear the clop, click…

To deliver small gifts to good girls and boys

Into shoes they’ve placed to receive their toys.

Much to our surprise, St Nicholas left treats for us on this side of the Atlantic.  Just this afternoon, H’s mom was astonished and delighted to find this wooden shoe filled with a chocolate letter and marzipan fruit.  Gifts are often accompanied by clever poems… which is why I felt compelled to write one myself.

338 / 365 Winter Wonderland

No, it hasn’t been snowing here; in fact, it was in the mid-fifties today.  These are flocked Christmas trees, encountered at the local nursery.  H and I liked their look, but eventually opted to go for an old-school live green specimen instead.  We picked ours up this weekend and began the process of decorating today.

337 / 365 Good Enough to Eat

H and I met with friends tonight for our annual Christmas gathering at a private club that happened to have a gorgeous gingerbread house on display in its lobby.  This thatched roof is made of Shredded Wheat biscuits, icing, and candy toppers.  It was quite magical.

336 / 365 Past Becomes Present

With the holidays gearing up, I’ve been going through my cookbooks and files looking for the perfect treats to make.  Mixed in with a collection of favorites from family and friends are these recipes of Mom’s.  I love looking at them because they’re in her own handwriting… a small thing, but it keeps her in the present for me.

335 / 365 Simple Goodness

This sweet little note was on my desk when I arrived at the office this morning.  It’s the handiwork of the associate pastor’s young daughter.  What a lovely way to start my day.

334 / 365 Going Nuts

A closer look at nature’s bounty… when you get right down to the detail, it’s amazing.

333 / 365 Let it Shine

Early signs of Christmas are popping up everywhere.

332 / 365 Drama in the Sky

This dramatic sky greeted me when I left work… a fitting end to a cold and rainy day. 

331 / 365 Watch Your Step

Taking pleasure in the simple things today… a small patch of moss in the middle of the driveway.  What a gorgeous shade of green.

330 / 365 Early Bird Special

H and I were taking a walk in Roswell Park before going to dinner and almost missed this beautiful hawk on the branch above.  I’m sure he was thinking of his menu options too.

329 / 365 Parade of the Sprouts

This picture was taken as I worked on preparations for the afternoon Thanksgiving get-together with family.  Brussels sprouts aren’t a huge hit, but we have a few lovers of the miniature cabbages – including myself.  Our group of twelve enjoyed turkey, ham, nine side dishes, and five desserts.

328 / 365 Thanksgiving

Well, the Monopoly game did not turn out quite as I had expected, but fortunately H was (as always) a gracious winner.  The dinner was delicious and well-received by our honored guest (H’s mom). This most excellent fruit tart was a fitting conclusion to the meal.  We all have much to be thankful for.

327 / 365 Game On

Thanksgiving day at our house is pretty quiet since we don’t gather for the big family event until Friday.  We usually have a nice breakfast, watch the Macy’s parade with H’s mom, and enjoy an elegant dinner in the evening.  This year, H and I have also scheduled a friendly early-afternoon game of Monopoly.  H was in charge of the snacks.  Thank goodness he picked out his favorites, because he’ll need plenty of consolation when he loses big time!

326 / 365 Late Bloomer

Today I discovered that a camellia bush in our front yard, which has never bloomed in the six years of its existence, is covered in flowers and buds.  Their centers look a bit like sea creatures with waving tentacles.  I’m completely in awe of Mother Nature.

325 / 365 Birds of a Feather

I love looking at the preschool art projects, especially during the holidays… they just make me giggle.  With this Thanksgiving theme (featuring turkeys and owls on fence posts) I feel like I’m walking through a quirky aviary.

324 / 365 History is Made

For the first time in over a century, stores in certain cities and counties in Georgia can now sell alcohol on Sunday.  The county where we live has not yet voted on the matter, but the city of Roswell (five minutes up the road) has… and so H and I stopped by a local supermarket in that fair community to pay tribute to the new law.

323 / 365 Tea Time

Today was overcast, windy and quite cool… a perfect day for a cozy cup of tea.

322 / 365 The Big Move

This large lump of plastic is actually my mother-in-law M’s new sofa.  It arrived early this morning, and we all held our breaths at its unveiling.  M grinned after the movers left and announced, I think it’s pretty gutsy to buy a new couch at (almost) 91 years old.

321 / 365 Autumn Leaves

In the last twenty-four hours the temperatures have been dropping dramatically, and so have the leaves. 

320 / 365 Vigilance

This is Saint Rose, the patroness of gardeners (among others).  I bought her several years ago and placed her in the Secret Garden, where she keeps an eye on things.

319 / 365 Crystal-Clear

I’ve been collecting rocks and minerals since I was a kid, and I have small bowls of these earthly artifacts scattered all over the house.  I’m particularly fond of this little grouping, which I keep in a small ceramic leaf that belonged to my great-aunt.  There’s just something very tactile and soothing about them. 

318 / 365 Order in the Court!

This week I’ve been called for jury duty, something I’ve never done before.  I’ve always heard that there’s a lot of waiting involved, but my experience today was relatively speedy... there at 8:00 am, selected and on a jury panel by 9:30 am, and done by 4:30 pm.  I hope the rest of the week is just as efficient.

317 / 365 A Snack in Hand

It feels like H and I have been eating non-stop since our travels began last Thursday, and yet, stuffed as we are, it’s difficult to turn down the snacks that await us on the flight home.  This buttered shortbread cookie was one of today’s treats.  If we don’t explode tonight, we’ll be back to routine eating tomorrow… thank goodness.

316 / 365 Traditions

Each year H and I celebrate an early Thanksgiving with family (three generations on H’s side) in Arizona, where the house is filled with chatter and laughter, food and games.  We follow the same traditions each visit… Dunkin’  Donuts in the morning, a field trip to a local park, expert turkey carving by nephew G, a scrumptious meal, and a rousing game of Taboo to complete the evening.  The ships you see here are part of a festive table setting.  They’re salt and pepper dispensers that have been part of the family for many years.