The First of December

A superboy cape and boy for Tye.  

Planted 145 cloves of garlic before the snow fell.  Now they are all snug in their wintery beds.  With plenty of garlic to spare for cooking (I hope!).

Garlic Onion and Dill homemade cheese.  Our personal favorite flavor.

 

That beautiful wintery snow (above) was the first snow of winter and happened over a week ago.
As I type, the ground outside the window is brown and muddy once again.  A rooster just pecked up some water from a mud puddle and the pasture is empty of livestock, them taking up residence in the barn because of all the rain we've been getting.  But that first gorgeous snow really kicked off the season for us and now, with Advent officially begun, we are getting very much in the spirit of things.  I feel ready and refreshed for the beginning of a new year, a new season.

I grew up in the Reformed Presbyterian church and as such, there was no 'church holidays' to celebrate and certainly no Advent.  I hold a special place in my heart for that heritage in which I was shaped and formed in my early years but I have learned that Advent brings such a focus of truth and renewal and hope and light and refreshment and anticipation. We are moderates when it comes to Advent- there is no fasting in our home and we put up our Christmas tree before Christmas Day.  Even still, there is a richness and fullness to the season that was lacking before.  It is as if our year is marked by the coming and going of Christ than any calendar and indeed, it is.  Two Advent books we are going through this year:  Advent and Christmas Wisdom from G.K.Chesterton and God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas by Bonhoeffer.

Little bits of Christmas are popping up here and there.  The outdoor lights are hung (and with the storms, now a bit wet and droopy.  Don't you love it when you hang lights that are working and then, just a little while later- they poop out on you?  I love it when that happens.  (or not.)  I always buy our christmas lights during the post-holiday clearance sales, so unless there are comparable deals at some point before Christmas, we'll have to wait until next year to brighten up that sad, dead and dark portion of the porch.  The kids are itching for our Trim the Tree party to happen this Sunday.  We'll see.   In the meantime, the dollhouse has a new Christmas tree with fancy lights (I love the new seed lights that are everywhere nowadays! Way better than those strands I used to get at the dollar store with ten little bulbs on them.) I found the strand we have at A.C.Moore, using a coupon of course, and discovered not only are there more than 10 lights- but they actually have several different modes!  Faaaaann-cy!  Adele' has been busy making sculpy clay feast food for the dolls and I may or may not have a few presents to tuck under their tree when the time comes.  ;-)

Christmas making is in full swing and I love.every.minute.of.it.  I usually get started much earlier on the gift-making as our gift lists are so extensive but I didn't this year and for some reason, it doesn't seem to be bothering me.  I'm sure it will get crazy toward the end, as it always does, but I love the feel of this slow-paced, all-the-time-in-the-world lingering over projects.

The glass ornaments (above) were made by filling a container with water and drizzling different colors of nailpolish on the top and then dipping glass ornaments into the water slowly.  The children loved the process- and the results are stunning.  My only regret is not having a more varied color palette to choose from- we just used what I had for my own nails.  And I guess another downfall is the fact that all my nailpolishes are now empty.  hehehe  Two things- make sure you use a disposable container- they are impossible to get clean! And- colors with a metallic luster give the prettiest effects.

Corynn is nearly done her entire gift list (and she gives gifts to EVERYONE!) and loves to rub it in that she is on the tail end and I am only beginning.  And of course, we have another little baby celebrating a birth this Christmas- so there is some birthday crafting for Ineke on the docket as well.  I have two cowls on needles or hook (both gifts), lots of peg people being painted (something I find ridiculously relaxing to do), a birthday dress and bonnet to sew, and a doll much like I made once upon a time, a castle...well, perhaps the gift-making isn't bothering me because I haven't taken the time to really consider the whole list?  So, I'll take this moment to stop considering.  ;-)

Speaking of Ineke~ thank you all for your kind care and concern for her and her mouth injury.  We had the follow-up appointment this week and the pediatric dentist was overall pleased with the healing of her bone and a bit disappointed with the healing of her gums- apparently the attachment of lip to gum is pulling the gums forward so they can't stay in place long enough to heal.  More time is needed there and only time will tell if the teeth (and nerves) are damaged and will need to come out...but today we are very thankful for a girl who seems perfectly back to normal.  We gave her cheerios with her breakfast this morning to celebrate!

(kkco and Ginny's yarn along)