Happy New Year!

2010 – A Year to Remember

Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock,
perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it.
Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two,
and I know it was not the last blow that did it,
but all that had gone before.
~ Jacob A. Riss ~

If ever there was a memorable year for hubby and me, it is this one. 2010 was a watershed year, accomplished by a lifetime of planning, hard work, and perseverance.

We built and moved into our new Grey Havens cottage. We thoroughly enjoyed three wonderful vacations, with exciting memories that will last all of our days. Our health was good, with no trips to the hospital (always a worthwhile annual goal). And we continued to successfully weather the economic downturn that settled into all parts of the country.

It didn’t happen by accident. We charted a path a long time ago to reach our dreams, and then moved forward, taking one step at a time, hand in hand. We endured our share of disappointments and roadblocks along the way. Sometimes a little cursing and tear-shedding occurred when circumstances tried to push us off of the path. (Ah, those little stumbles are supposed to build character, right?) Sad to say, there were no “easy buttons”. But we stomped our feet, dusted ourselves off, and continued on the path, convincing ourselves that our diligence and tenacity would eventually be rewarded.

And with a year like 2010, I can now say that the gamble paid off. We reached our destination, that magical place that once was so very far away in the horizon.

2010 has been an exceptionally great year. Thank you, God, for the blessings we received.

And for you, my dear blogging friends, I hope that this personal reflection serves as a bit of inspiration for you to follow that path to your dreams.

Dreaming of Spring Blooms

We’re in the final stretch of 2010! Can you believe it? Christmas is now history and many folks here in the U.S. are already sick of cold winter weather and snow. We’ve had four snowfalls so far in our neck of the east Tennessee woods, which is about double what we can usually expect in a whole season. So we’re already dreaming about springtime!

Last spring was the first in about 30 years that I was without daffodils blooming outside my windows. As you may recall, we lived in a cheerless rental duplex unit while we were building our new Grey Havens cottage. So I was quite determined that we would be resuming our annual love affair with “daffies”. When we returned from our polar bear trip, we bought the remaining few sets of assorted daffodil bulbs at our Lowes store. And last week we finally got them all planted! Now the bulbs will settle in and do their magic in a couple of months.

Grow babies, grow!

Raspberry–Chipotle Glaze

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had a relaxing day and a delicious ham dinner. We decided to try out a new glaze for the ham, spooned on during the last 20 minutes of baking. We loved it! The sauce is a savory combination of raspberry preserves and chipotle peppers. It is an excellent spread on ham sandwiches too!

I have conveniently posted the Raspberry-Chipotle Glaze recipe on Google Documents for your easy reference and printing.

Hallelujah!

Merry Christmas!

From our home to yours,

Merry Christmas!

Grey Havens Christmas – Big Trees

We made room for two skinny Christmas trees this year at our new downsized home. This one is in the dining room, right next to the windows. It is decked with a wide assortment of Santa ornaments, mostly Hallmark ones that I have been collecting for over 25 years. Nearby is an ancient Jackson press cabinet which holds an assortment of blue and grey pottery. The bright red candlestick is a pottery piece that we adopted during our recent Seagrove trip. Peeking out from behind the tree is one of my numerous needlework sampler pictures which hang throughout our home.

The second tree is located in our cozy great room. Hubby declares that this is his favorite tree! Mine too! It is completely covered with handmade ornaments, primarily of the needlework variety. I created over 95% of the ornaments, with the remainder made by friends. (Please pardon my flat lighting, but virtually no daylight reaches this room and I had to use the dreaded flash on my camera.) A little angel bear that we purchased at a local craft show graces the top of the tree.

I used to be a member of a local needlework club. When I first joined, I got inspired to create a bevy of Christmas ornaments after admiring another member’s tree. Some of these ornaments are 20 years old now! Most were created with counted thread patterns. But other needlework techniques are also represented, including silk ribbon, needlepoint, crazy quilting, handanger, and beading.

There are also a few folded star balls that I made with fabric in my stash. If you are not handy with a needle and thread, you can certainly create those! Every year when I decorate this tree, I shake my head in amazement at the hundreds of hours of work that went into creating these treasures! Ah, the memories! I still stitch up a few now and then, but I have slowed down considerably now that arthritis has settled into my hands and my eyesight has gotten dim with time. This tree is also running out of room!

Grey Havens Christmas – My Handmade Santa

I confessed back in June that I was traveling up to Berea, Kentucky, to take a Santa-making class by nationally known doll artist, Lindy Evans. The 4-foot Santa shown below is an example of her work (photo by Jim). Her creations are exquisitely detailed, life-like, and very much sought after by collectors.

I successfully completed her one-day class, though I could have easily used another day to work on my personal Santa creation. Since I had never done any sculpting before or worked with polymer clay, I was incredibly slow and frequently felt inept. I was convinced that my new fellow was going to look like a bedraggled Gimli after a weekend bender of hot buttered rum. It turns out that he appears to look more like Gandalf, much to my relief. Here he is, standing proudly in our master bedroom!

Lindy prepared kits for us ahead of time, so that helped immensely. A wire frame serves as the foundation. No sewing was required in the construction of the outfit. Hot glue and scissors made quick work of the tapestry fabric coat, hat, and fur trim. The bag was already made. Polymer clay was used to make the head and mittens.

We spent the whole class morning sculpting the head. There is quite an art and science to making anatomical features! Lindy went a bit too fast for me (okay, a lot fast, LOL), and I made Santa’s nose too big. By the time I put it on and realized my mistake, she was zipping on to the next step. There was no time for redo’s! Just slap it on there and make the best of it. So let’s just say that my Santa has a decidedly German-style honker of a nose! I could have also fussed quite a while with his hair, but that was another slap-it-on-and-go kind of step.

So my handmade Santa is a true piece of folk art, complete with imperfections. I signed and dated the base under his robe. Perhaps it will make a dollar or two at my estate sale after I kick the proverbial bucket! I may get around to making some more of these later on, since the mystery of construction has been cleared up and I now have a tiny bit of polymer clay experience. But don’t hold me to it! This may very well be a one-of-a-kind piece!

Grey Havens Christmas – Little Trees

This is our first Christmas at the new Grey Havens! To make it easier on ourselves as we stumble into our senior years, we downsized into a home this year that is 40% smaller than our former cottage. As a consequence, we have much less room for our accumulated Christmas decorations. Now, more than ever, it is nice to use small trees to tuck into cozy spaces.

Feather trees are one of our favorites. This cute one is decked with glittery pinecone-shaped glass ornaments and rests in a rustic holiday basket. I made a little wire topper for it years ago. This tree resides on a side table in our master bedroom.

A twin feather tree sits upon a large antique crock in the dining room. It is decorated primarily with miniature Hallmark ornaments. An old Fontanini angel sits near the apex and plays a mandolin.

A tiny artificial tree complements the snowman plate on the bakers rack in our great room. The addition of pinecones, red berries, and a Salvation Army bell (earned from our bell-ringing duties) make for an effortless display.

A diminutive bachelor’s chest used to be a side table, but it is now employed in our entry hall. A sturdy grapevine tree rests here, decorated with tiny greenery, red berries, and a gold ribbon topper.

A primitive, handmade Marty rabbit faithfully watches over the kitchen activities from his perch on an antique jelly cupboard in the breakfast room. The tree here is similar to the feather trees but is made from silk-like threads in a delicious taupe color with a hint of gold. No decorations are ever necessary for this tree. More pinecones, greenery, and another Salvation Army bell complete the scene.

I didn’t put out my extensive Santa collection this time - maybe next year when I have a bit more time and patience. But we were energetic enough to put out some other decorations and embellish two large Christmas trees. You’ll get a peek of those later on this week!

Nontraditional Decorations at Colonial Williamsburg

Most folks are familiar with the Williamsburg Christmas “style” which traditionally incorporates dried flowers, fruit, and greenery. However, with a bevy of creative folks in this historical village, there are bound to be some charming adornments that tilt a bit off the conventional axis. So I searched out some of the whimsical and quirky, and have brought them to life for you here.

This beautiful arrangement was suspended right outside the door of the shoemaker’s shop. It’s the traditional look with a twist! A handmade leather shoe is presented front and center, filled with a scoop of scarlet cockscomb flowers.

The Williamsburg settlement is just a stone’s throw from the coastline, and there is an abundance of seafood in this region. So it is logical, though unexpected, to sometimes incorporate seashells in the local displays. Two ingredients – wheat stalks and a scallop shell – are all you need for this ornamentation.

Oyster shells find a convenient home with wheat, dried strawflowers, and reindeer moss for another window arrangement.

Hanging over a tavern’s door, this display shows off metal beer tankards, hung with cinnamon sticks and overflowing with hops, reindeer moss, and dried orange slices. Bottoms up!

Even the blacksmith gets into the spirit with his primitive wreath of forged metal tools and charcoal briquettes. Dabs of greenery and some red berries make it obvious that he is celebrating the Christmas season.

This wreath announces that you have arrived at the shop where dyeing, spinning, and weaving arts are done. On a coarse burlap base, purple globe amaranth flowers punctuate handfuls of cotton balls. Rustic rosettes, fashioned from hand-woven fabrics, give the crowning touch.

Taupe colored yarn balls accentuate greenery in another textile-related display. Did you notice the red apple tucked in a tiny brick alcove to the right of the doors? The story about the apples at the Palmer House can be found HERE.

During a Christmas Decorations Tour, I got to see a darling little cottage that is tucked away from the general public. An employee rents and lives in the house, and she consistently wins a blue ribbon in the decorating contest, year after year. Co-workers joke that perhaps they should just go ahead and paint a blue ribbon on her cottage! She did not disappoint this season. Matching wreaths hang on the front door and windows with a honeybee theme. She baked and decorated each bee “cookie”, including details such pine straw antenna and clove eyes. The queen bee sits right on top of the hive, surrounded by her minions and directly below two amorous bees poised to kiss.

She also tucked in greenery and a jar of honey in each window corner. Critters reportedly snack on her cookies now and then, and she fills in replacements during the season. And yes, she won another blue ribbon this year!

And here is a decoration that reminds you that Williamsburg is a sacred place where American history was made and our founding fathers gathered. In the center of the American flag, made with dried flowers stripes and cotton ball stars, is a copy of the Declaration of Independence. The flag hangs from a banner that proudly proclaims “In God We Trust”. It took brave souls to form our country. They risked their lives, their families, and their fortunes to secure the liberties and freedoms we have today.

This time of year, Colonial Williamsburg reminds us all that Merry Christmas is celebrated and lives in America!

Williamsburg Christmas Decorations

Can you believe that it’s only 10 days until Christmas? With all the rush-rush of holiday activities going on right now, it’s time for a little merriment! It’s time to see more of the creative decorations that adorn Colonial Williamsburg!

How do you like this stunning wreath comprised of a wheat base, colorful strawflowers, and a few sunflowers? This color combination is especially vibrant on a dark teal door.

The history of their famous Christmas decorations begins in 1936 and has evolved over the years. Colonial Williamsburg gardeners make the decorations for the shops and buildings open to the public. Natural materials are emphasized. The use of fruit would have been greatly frowned upon back in the day of our colonial ancestors because of  scarcity and cost. But it is frequently seen in the Williamsburg style.

A minimal approach to accent pine greenery gives a statement of simple elegance. Shadows dance in the early morning light of this doorway. Bittersweet and whole oranges provide effortless accents.

Decorations are also not limited to wreaths and pine roping. Greenery bouquets are frequently seen tucked into corners of windows, nestled between a painted shutter and a candle light.

There are about 85 residents in the village area, and they participate in a judged decorating contest. A total of six blue ribbons are awarded, with four presented to individuals that made the creations themselves and two presented to professionally created displays. The judging criteria consider creativity and use of authentic materials.

Some of the displays are quite inventive! This one consists of an inner ring made of coffee beans and ceramic coffee mugs.

And architectural features are not left out of the show. Here a porch pediment is bejeweled with a russet-colored arrangement of dried flowers, pine cones, and dried orange slices.

I hope you enjoyed this little jaunt with me!  I’ll have another post in a few days to show you more examples of classic Colonial Williamsburg decorations!

Return Home – Good News and Bad News

We got back home safely on Friday from our trip to Seagrove, Colonial Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that my 3-month old red Outback didn’t fare too well. While going 70 mph, it had a tangle with a Virginia interstate guard rail. The guard rail won. We weren’t injured and no other vehicles were involved, thankfully. My car is torn up and crushed from the front bumper to the back bumper on the drivers’ side. Hubby was driving and still doesn’t understand how it happened. He felt the steering wheel pull to the left, but we don’t know if it was weather conditions (blowing snow and wind) or the roadway that caused it. I was reading and abruptly heard the terrible crunching sound. The doors don’t close well and some of the interior frame is dented too. But we were able to drive it home.

So our Christmas vacation ended on a sad and upsetting note. We’re just counting our blessings because we could have easily been severely injured or killed. Material possessions such as a car can be replaced or fixed. The important thing is that we are okay physically. Mentally, it’s going to take a while to get over the fright!

I already have filed a claim with my insurance company and I’ll be dropping little miss red off at a body shop tomorrow morning. I hope that it can be fixed up. If not, I’ll get another one later on.

It’s going to take me a bit to get some vacation and Christmas pictures pulled together for you. We have the usual after-vacation frenzy of tasks to complete: unpacking, mail sorting, laundry, grocery shopping, and digital downloading. We unwrapped all of the Seagrove pottery pieces earlier this afternoon and none of it got damaged in the accident. We got some really pretty keepsakes! Yes, yes, I’ll be taking pictures of those too. Ah, my to-do list is pretty long this week. I’m glad I got the decorating and Christmas cards done before we left home!

Christmas Decorations Overload

It has been blustery cold here at Colonial Williamsburg.  We were a bit unprepared for the low temperatures this week and didn't pack nearly enough heavy clothes.  The extended weather report we checked last week promised that it would be a lot warmer!  But we have soldiered on and managed to take photos of almost all of the exterior decorations at this historical park.  Tomorrow, we'll also be taking a Christmas Decorations Walking Tour and learn about some of the construction techniques and natural materials for creating their elegant creations.  It will be our last full day here, and then we will be visiting Mount Vernon before we return back home.

Are we close to reaching Christmas decorations overload?  Almost!

Are we ready to get back to our warm home soon?  Yes!!!

P.S. We ARE having great fun! The folks here at Williamsburg Lodge have been terrific and the staff in the historical park have successfully taken us back in to that glorious time of our Nation's early days. 

Williamsburg Arrival

After enjoying a spectacular drive through a snow-blanketed landscape, we safely arrived at Colonial Williamsburg in early afternoon.  We visited this historical landmark in the spring last year, and it looks vastly different at Christmas time!  Each of the buildings is decked out in gorgeous natural swags and wreaths.  I'm going to do my best the next few days to record most of them with my camera!  The crowds were pretty extensive, which is pretty much expected for a Sunday.

After a delightful dinner tonight at the Williamsburg Lodge Tavern, we ducked outside to witness the Grand Illuminations fireworks display in the historical area.  This celebration is held the first Sunday of each December.  Oh. My. Gosh!  It was unbelievably fun to be standing right below the spectacular fireworks on a brisk December night.  I will remember this always, holding on to my sweetie, and whooping with each light burst in the dark sky.  This is one event that lives up to the hype!

If you ever get a chance to visit this destination, no matter the season - GO!!!   

North Carolina Nod

We have traveled North Carolina's pottery highway in the Seagrove area and we have shopped!  In fact, we're totally shopped out and now resting in a comfortable Burlington motel.  When we first arrived a few days ago, we began our sojourn at the North Carolina Pottery Center.  The center includes a delightful museum and also provides a showcase of pottery examples from the local area.  With over 90 pottery artists in this region, this stop helped us formulate an organized plan for our visit! 

We saw some exceptional work in a few short days and met some very personable artisans.  And we purchased some treasures, of course!  I'll show you what we got after we get back home.  Right now, everything is packed up and nestled away in my little red Outback.

We went to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro and were disappointed in the lack of animals, closed facilities (because of the off-season), and arduous design. But we have been cheered by the pleasant hospitality of North Carolina residents. It's nice to visit a place where folks are so polite!

We saw a dusting of snow in the mountains when we traveled between Tennessee and North Carolina.  But today we experienced a beautiful wet snowfall as we arrived in Burlington.  It's not sticking to the roads, so we will have no worries when head on out to Colonial Williamsburg tomorrow morning.

 

Onward!

December – A Look Ahead

Yow! It’s December already! It’s that frantic time of year when we have to do all the holiday tasks in addition to the normal tasks, isn’t it? Check. Oh yes, and it’s supposed to be joyful too! Double check. No wonder we console ourselves with lots of Christmas cookies and treats! And why-oh-why do people drink eggnog this time of year? What a vile concoction. Leave out everything but the booze and I’ll drink it, LOL.

That’s enough of my ruminations. I’m getting off-track here! Let’s get on with a look at my planned December activities!

As I mentioned in the previous post, we’ll be on the road for a while, heading east to Seagrove, Colonial Williamsburg, and Mount Vernon. After I endured a very frisky TSA rubdown on our last airline trip (thanks to my bionic knee), it will be a nice change to travel by car! And I will have some festive pictures to share with you later!

I won’t be decorating our cottage any more this month. I’m done. Kaput! To minimize time requirements and frustration, I decided not to put out my extensive Santa collection. There’s always next year! Later on, I’ll be sharing pictures of our two Christmas trees and other miscellaneous decorations. One tree is decked out entirely of handmade needlework ornaments. I probably have several thousands of hours of work represented on it! There are a few ornaments hanging on it that were created by friends, but over 95% were done by little old me. And the tree is so covered that you can barely see any lights, LOL.

I never did show you a picture of the Santa I made back in June at a workshop in Berea, Kentucky. So be looking for a picture of that grand fellow later on. I think that he looks a bit like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings! It was my very first time to do any sculpting and polymer clay work, but I know that you will be ever so kind in your comments.

My temporary work contract is scheduled to end this month, and I don’t know if they will decide to extend it. I’m fine either way. The workload has greatly tapered off since mid-October, and I am only needed a few hours a week. So it doesn’t interfere with my retirement activities now.

During the last half of the month, I plan to start some sewing projects in my lovely studio room. In the past couple of months, I’ve made a lot of handmade cards which feature my photographs. But it’s been long overdue for me to do some fabric work! I’d particularly like to create some more fabric bowls.

We will be celebrating a quiet Christmas at home. And as the year closes, we will reminisce about 2010, one of our best years ever. It has been filled with adventure, major changes, and many blessings.