WREATHMAKER

Here are a few shots of our church this evening, a wonderful carol-sing and candlelight service. Merry Christmas to all of you, dear friends!

This is my favorite shortbread recipe. It was handed down to me many years ago. The secret is to make sure it is kneaded for a long time. SHORTBREAD 1 LB. BUTTER 4 CUPS FLOUR 1 CUP FRUIT (BERRY) SUGAR 4 TBSP. CORNSTARCH In electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until very smooth. Add cornstarch and flour and mix until mixture begins to clump together. Remove from mixer and knead until cracks form, (see photo) Roll out about 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick and cut out. Prick with a fork. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour or until cookies are firm and there is a faint touch of brown on the bottoms. Decorate as desired.

This morning we awoke to see this lovely pattern on our bedroom window...we had been leaving it open a crack just to have fresh air for sleeping, and because of the moisture, Jack Frost was able to paint these beautiful designs. The temps are really low today...with the wind chill factor it is -45 F. My hubby has some snow shoveling to do, and keeps coming back inside to warm his hands. I refer to Jack Frost, but to me this artistry really shows that it is God who is in the details! If you click on the photos, especially the first one,you can see the intricate patterns.

Here are some photos of our house this season http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/ is also hosting a tour The dining room china cabinet contains Lenox Holiday and Lenox Winter Greetings china, as well as other teapots and misc. dishes. We have decorated our downstairs family room in a woodland theme with some antique accessories. Rowe pottery

I have decorated the mantel with two different pictures in the background, and don't know which is best. What do you think? By the way, this is the same scene last year:

We are going to a Christmas dinner tonight and I am to bring a baked stuffing, (baked separate from the turkey). This is a recipe I often use, and it turns out well. The quantities of the ingredients can be adjusted somewhat to suit your own taste. I use dried parsley instead of flat leaf, and am careful when adding the broth. The mixture should not be soggy. CRANBERRY-CORNBREAD STUFFING SERVES 8 To 10, WITH LEFTOVERS 4 ounces (1 cup) pecans 1/4 stick unsalted butter 1 lb. mild Italian sausage, removed from casings 2 large onions, cut into ¼-inch dice 4 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch dice 2 teaspoons sage or poultry seasoning 1/2 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade, or low-sodium canned chicken broth 5 cups crumbled cornbread Day-old white bread crust on, cut into 1-inch cubes (4 to 6 heaping cups) 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped 1/2 c

Sandi, at: http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com/2008/ has awarded this award to me. I am humbled and honored! Thank you so much! I am to list things I love, and things I do not support: I love: 1. All the spiritual elements in my life; The Lord, our church, and the people we worship with. 2. My dear hubby, son, daughter, and their respective spouses, and our 3 grandchildren 3. Canada, in spite of recent goings-on 4. Gardens and flowers 5. Camping 6. Home decorating Things I don't support: 1. Lying 2. "Gloom and Doom" conversation 3. Gruesome movies 4. Media propoganda 5. Greed I like to visit so many blogs I really have a hard time choosing a few to pass on the award to, so I will just say that if I am one of your followers, I AWARD THIS HONOR TO YOU!

We're getting there!

I spent yesterday finishing up the Christmas tree, and put out a few other decorations . The ornaments shown here are from Dept 56, but I think the series is discontinued now. I decorated the sofa table with it's usual silvery garland and some glas balls.

This morning we lit our first candle of Advent at our church. We are anticipating the celebration of the world changing event which occured so long ago. My collection of bells seen here is one of the decorations I will be putting out.

One year we decorated a small live tree in a tea theme, using my bone china cups tied with red ribbon, peppermint tea bags, and red berries. Melissa at "the Inspired Room" is hosting a Christmas ideas event.Check out Melissa's site for more ideas: http://theinspiredroom.net/

Mildred, of http://nalleyvalley.blogspot.com/ recently tagged me with a MEME award. Thanks so much , Mildred. The rules of this Meme are: 1. Link to the person who tagged you. 2. Post the rules on your blog. 3. Write six random things about yourself. 4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. 5. Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. 6. Let the tagger know when you have posted your entry. So here I go!!! Six random things about myself: 1.I started school when I was 4 years old, and graduated from high school at 16. I enjoyed every day of school. 2. I am afraid of heights. 3. My hobbies include gardening, floral arranging, and reading magazines on home decor. 4. My hubby and I have been married 51 years! 5. When my daughter was in kindergarten, I went back to work, and discovered that I loved accounting, so I have always enjoyed my work. 6. I believe that God has a plan for everyone, myself included. I will postpone tagging oth

I am sending special Thanksgiving wishes to all our American friends, and would also like to say that I am thankful for all of you who welcome us warmly when we venture South of our borders.

Here are a few more photos of the home tour we went on yesterday. This jolly snowman was on a shelf in the mudroom pictured below. What a cheerful mudroom! There was a whole wall of red cabinets across from this bench. Oh, to have all that storage space! The bureau in the main entrance had this display. The "desserts" were really cute, actually sherbet dishes with a large football mum, with a strawberry in the center. They looked just like whipped cream. Another nice table vignette ...popcorn anyone?

Today 3 generations in our family took a tour of homes . We would have had 4 generations, but my Mom wasn't feeling well, so my daughter, daughter in law, granddaughter, my sister-in-law, and myself headed out to homes in the City and out in the country. The first 2 photos are of a bathroom decorated in a woodsy theme. The bathtub surround was piled with pine and birch, and there was a fairly large stack of birch logs beside the tub, giving the impression that there was a wood stove in the bathroom (there wasn't!) An old sled, or possibly a reproduction, was crafted into shelves for towels, decorated with more pine. We helped ourselves to packages of hot cocoa mix, from this little vignette of candy canes, etc. We received a small gift at each of the homes, ...candy, a small barn star, etc. Nice touch! The fireplace pictured below was in a home decorated in the theme of "country with a twist"...a very cosy and livable home situated on an acreage. There were lots of