Christmas Week, 2009

Dear Friends,

Here we are to the final week, and Christmas seems to be rushing towards us. To some, December seems endlessly long, but to me it just flies by. I never really seem to be ready, and I never have taken enough time to just enjoy the moment. LIke the rest of the country, December weather never seems to cooperate with our needs to be out and about shopping and working and partying. Here in Utah we had a week or more of frigid weather hovering near the 0 mark in the mornings and evenings, and my soul longed for blankets and books. Teri and I chose this time to take wreaths and wire stands to the cemetery. Truly could there be a more bleak time to be there than in mid-December? We arrived on a Sunday evening about five o'clock, abandoned the car at the turn of the road and headed off across the frozen snowy ground. There seemed to be a brisk canyon wind tunneling down the cemetery as we set out causing a wind chill of at least 50 below-- (Teri says 250 below)--and reminding me not a little of a scene from Doctor Zhivago. We were part laughing and part crying as we made our way to the first set of graves, little thinking that in this cold the ground beneath the snow was harder than a rock. We hammered, pushed, dug and jammed trying to get the wire stand into the earth at least an inch. No way. So we set the evergreen wreath on the rickety stand--Teri even apologized to heaven and air--and started to run across the ground to the next spot. When we got there we saw the the stand and wreath had blown over, so we ran back and set it back up then returning to our final destination where we had to guess the approximate place to set up our pitiful offerings. By then we really were sort of crying--and laughing--and headed back to the road to make our way around and back to the car. By the time we got there all wreaths and stands were flat out on the ground. Teri's suggestion was that next year we get to the cemetery before Thanksgiving. Good idea.

This past week we have had a little break from the cold, but lots and lots of snow. Still not that conducive to shopping, so I am still no further ahead. We have cooked a lot, which is sort of unusual for us. Normally, we just think about cooking a lot and never actually do it. This week we have been making snack mixes --chex, cheerios, etc.--for all the delivery guys who come to us. Every night Teri gets busy and makes a new boat load of munchies and then packages them up into big and little bags to give away. We have to give large bags to the UPS guys and the Post men, and little bags to give to customers on Saturday as well as for our family party. Peter came home this week from school and was happy, but a little bored, so she has enlisted him in her cooking projects which is sort of nice for me, because it lets me off the hook. She and Peter have made many successful things, and I can just hang out and watch without having to help much. She really does have a large number of darling gift bags filled and ready riding around in her car with her. Imagine my surprise when we pulled up to the gas station window to get her bi-daily diet coke and she pulls out a large bag of treats and hands it to the folks inside. Well,OK then.

Here is a recipe for the sweet Chex mix that we made. It is a little soft and very yummy. Just make a big bowl full of it and munch your way through the holidays. OK, sorry, I have to send you this next week. I keep forgetting to bring it from home. Oh well, perfect for January.

Now you might think that we haven't been stitching, but that is not exactly true. I have been working on a tiny tiny fob for New Year's. I should have had it done in 2 evenings, but it has taken me most of December. Maybe that tells you the quality of the piece. Teri has been stitching ornaments. The one that I think is so darling is a new one from Homespun Elegance. She is giving them to friends and has them all finished with darling red silk ribbon. They are very, very sweet! Now she is working on a little snowman one that is a companion. It is so darling.

Well, as you can see, Christmas week has overtaken me. I fully intended to get this off on Christmas Eve, but we've been slammed at work and at home and Christmas arrived. So I am hoping that your holidays have been filled with peace and joy. As the New Year approaches, my wish is for you to have a safe, healthy, and happy new year. We are frantically getting ready for our New Year's Day sale on Friday from 1:00 to 3:00. It will be a blast. I am also frantically working on the new scissors and fob for 2010. I am just finishing packaging the fobs and need to be at the engraver's before he closes. It has turned out so darling. Next week I will include a picture just to tempt you.

Happy New Year!!! If I don't see you tomorrow, I'll write next week.
many hugs,
Tina