My Everything Corner

I don't notice the cold when the cold looks like this. I can't feel the freezing in this wonderland of bliss. Winter, knowing His visit can be quite unpleasant... Once in awhile, offers this exquisite present.                    Andrea Ostapovitch

For those of us connected on Instagram, this will be a repeat performance in photos. How is December treating you thus far?  As per our family's tradition, we all get colds to varying degrees.  But so far, the illness has been mild as has the weather and so December has been mostly quite joyful.  After my daughter's 16th birthday this past weekend, I put the tree up and have worked my way through wrapping quite a few gifts, a job that continues today, along with decorating the rest of the house.  Then the baking begins. Now there, in the baking department, I must file a complaint. Why have the mint chocolate chips disappeared off the shelf?  I have a recipe of whipped shortbread with mint chips that we simply cannot live without! I haven't attempted it yet, but I intend to make my own.  If you have any experience at all in the art of making flavoured chocolate chips, please share your knowledge.  I would be most grateful. Besides the shortbrea...

I am up to my ears in sweets! Gingerbread houses, (made from graham crackers) and all kinds of different candy; I've baked shortbread, sugar cookies, and gingersnaps.  Then there are all those squares I bought to support our school's fundraiser. If we eat these treats at a reasonable rate, (which some of us will not) we'll still be eating them in July. It really is a lot of fun though, and my 12 year old boy is fairly certain this is what Heaven is all about. I hope you are all enjoying your baking and your giving of baking and your eating of the baking and mostly that you have a very Merry Christmas!

I've got our home into full Christmas swing. I've really enjoyed making Christmas cards and they are on their way.  Next is to wrap the gifts and then into the kitchen for my favourite part, the baking!     I love this tree more every year.  It took me over 4 hours to put it together and I had help putting the lights into it this time.  There are so many memories in its branches, and we add more every year.   I can hardly wait until school is out for the year, and I can cuddle up with my family for Christmas movies and games. Even when we are all off in our separate corners doing our own things, I love the feeling a full house gives me.   This picture was taken just before sunrise.  Every morning, this time of year, I am so lucky to have a fantastic view.  

I relay hate mowing around these trees in the summer months.  Round and round and round, getting slapped in the face with branches, bugs falling off the leaves and onto and into uncomfortable places.  And, I still have to finish with the trimmer to really make it look nice.  I'm too fussy, I know, I know. But just look at them in the winter!  Several months of them looking gorgeous without any attention from me.  In the winter, I love these rows of trees. With that, here is little poem I whipped up.  I'm sure it's destined to be among the greats... Winter Solace A long tunnel of trees Swaying gently in a breeze. The leaves clatter, Sounding like rain. Letting me forget the pain Caused to me all summer. Mowing around them Was such a bummer. Bugs getting in my hair, Missing strips everywhere. Then in Autumn Offering up their leaves, No longer showy in a breeze. Snow slowly gathers round Old Jack, no longer bo...