Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, and Happy-every-other-celebratory-thing that’s happening this wonderful time of year!!! What I’m doing? Oh lots, but mostly I just wanted to send love, and MUSICA of course!Here I am, on the darkest, shortest day of the year, looking forward to the longest most delicious night, but tomorrow, by the time you read this, it’ll already be the 2nd day of Winter, and we’ll be on our way BACK to the light. That’s why I love the shortest day of the year, it only lasts one day! And the very next day, it’s a new beginning!👏 And now, I have some tiny little Christmas gifts 🎁 for you that won’t even require unwrapping … Because as usual, I’m trying to 

First off, I was asked for a list of my favorite Christmas Movies ~ and for you old friends from way back, you know I have them! Any of them in that list above, even if they aren’t specifically Christmas, will make you FEEL like Christmas, and would be an excellent way to get through the winter in a happy, old-fashioned, everything’s-going-to-be-okay kind of way!💝 But to add to this list, don’t forget to see 2017’s The Man Who Invented Christmas (about Charles Dickens writing A Christmas Carol), 1946 It’s a Wonderful Life, 1947 The Bishop’s Wife, 1947 Miracle on 34th Street, 1949 Holiday Affair, and 1954 Hobson’s Choice ~ Hobson’s Choice isn’t Christmas but it’s old and English and SO CHARMING, try to find it if you can! You will thank yourself! Notice how so many of our classics came just after World War II? To a world of gratitude that the war was over, and a hunger for home, peace, love, family; to know what you do DOES make a difference; they wanted to see innocence in the eyes of their children, the world, so courageous, but so tired, wanted and needed magic ~ all the important, but normal things in life. I feel their humble relief and joy every time I watch one of these movies! I also love 1983 Christmas Story, and of course 1954 White Christmas, 2003 Love Actually, and 1951 A Christmas Carol (in this house, Joe will NOT have any other version, it must be 1951 with Alastair Sim! And it must be every year! And he cries every single time!! You’d think he’d get used to it, but he never does!) ~ and of course, Little Women, my favorite version is 1994 with Winona Ryder and Christian Bale, but I love them all. Toss in a little Palm Beach Story, some Roman Holiday, add Mrs. Miniver, and you will be mush for the season. As it should be!

And here’s something else . . .

Have you heard of this book? Joe and I have been listening to it on our walk, and twice, TWICE, I burst into tears out in the middle of the road. I loved it, he did too. Takes place in England at the turn of the century, it’s a novel based on history of the people who made the Oxford Dictionary . . . It was written by an Australian, and is her first book!!! If you read it, I’d love to hear what you think!

And our next little soul-feeder, it’s time for our yearly tradition . . . your Full Moon Bookmark . . . Gotta have it! It also explains the waxing and waning moon and how to tell whether it’s coming or going!It’s all the dates for the full moons of 2024! Just click HERE to print it out ~ then fold it in half, glue it, possibly get it laminated (they do that at Staples, UPS store, Office Max)  and voila!! A perfect stocking stuffer!🧑‍🎄    

Speaking of soul-feeders, mine anyway . . . Here’s a new page I just did for my 2024 Mini Calendar . . . I love it so much I thought I’d give you a preview. That quote! Doesn’t it just suit us to a T? It’s what we DO. So basically, this is all I’ve been doing, maniacally designing new calendars, over Christmas, if you can even imagine. Had to, supply chain still a problem and means everything is due to the printer’s early!

More preview, here’s the cover of the 2024 wall calendar … I’m ahead of my time (I’m imagining most of you are still in 2022? Not me)! So because of this and other things, we’re having a rather low-key Christmas this year. We helped friends trim their tree last night, drank heavenly eggnog with Bourbon, ate guacamole and chips, listened to Christmas music, and decked the heck out of those halls! Was small and sparkly and perfect. We have warm and cozy places to go and lots of old friends to hug on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Night and we’ve wrapped lots of presents  . . . but since Joe is upstairs at all times fixing floors and ceilings, painting walls and trim, making dust and noise, and I’m downstairs in my studio with Jack making calendars, we are taking Christmas off! We had to do that one other time that I remember, and we were fine ~ all it did was make us RAVENOUS for Christmas the next year. I love that!!I put this recipe on the 2022 December page of the wall calendar . . . so you’ve probably seen it and if so I hope you tried it, because it’s just DEE-Licious! And speaking of the wall calendars, Kellee wanted me to tell you that we’re almost out of them, but we still have the other formats, the mini, purse and large desk blotter, just in cases.

And speaking of recipes . . .

My sister Shelly (the mother of the twins who are now 106 years old, really just 19, but that seems to have happened way too fast!) called the other day wanting my mom’s recipe for Snippy Doodle so she can make it for her boy-men on Christmas morning. Just the mention of that recipe flooded my mind with memories! This was the coffee cake of our childhood! I sent her these photos and thought you might like them too… It’s such an easy little thing to make, I’m going to make it for Joe and surprise him Christmas morning. Inspired by my sister and my mom, a little family tradition . . . Because you know,

this recipe actually came from my great grandma . . .

Here it is in my mom’s handwriting. You can see, she noted that the recipe was hers, her mom’s and her Grandma Orr’s. I love talking about my mom, seeing her handwriting, eating her food, it makes her alive … as she will always be in my heart. I saw the most touching quote the other day  . . . 

Landscape of my heart.💘 Another something I thought would never happen! Growing old OR doing it without my mom! Doing it without Blog Daddy! But despite this total insanity, everything is as it should be, and for that, I have nothing but gratitude, and the most wonderful memories, the gift that keeps on giving. And all kinds of exciting plans for the future. Truly blessed. I would change nothing. Because I know what it is to put on sweet smelling flannel jammies still warm from the dryer and hold a sweet smelling baby wearing the same thing. Talk about Hygge! I know you know what I mean!💖 

So, another bit of soul-food . . . I want to thank all of you who took part in our first auction! I have lots of old things around, things that are now turning into “vintage” … that I put up for auction in order to raise a little money for charity.🎁

Like this teacup and saucer, part of my Lenox Dish collection . . . very hard to find these days. Off it went to a happy new home, and because of YOUR generosity, we were able to send a Christmas check to our local Community Services. They provide SO MUCH help to people on the island.💖 Makes me feel wonderful to do this, and it’s of course, like everything, all because of you.💞 I have more stuff, so we’ll do another one next year, and choose another non-profit charity to benefit. You know, there’s so much negativity these days, but I think there are always bad apples ~ every country, every race, every religion has them, some are rotten to the core, but look at all the beauty, look at all the goodness, it’s absolutely everywhere, in every country, in every race, in every religion. So much more of us than them!!! Goodness is just quiet, going about it’s business, making the world a better place, while bad apples are loud, proud of their badness 📣. Despite them, our cup is almost full to overflowing. So much hope for 2023!🙏

This is me and Jack last Christmas, doing a Zoom party with Hayley Solano of The Enchanted Book Club ~ and here we go again, we’re having another one! You can sign up to join us HERE … it’s going to be on Saturday afternoon, January 7, 3 pm EST, noon in CA, 8 pm in England, 1 pm in Salt Lake, 2pm in Sioux City, and everything in-between! We’ll be talking about starting off the New Year right, about the magic and power of New Beginnings!

I just bought myself these cozy jammie bottoms, flannel of course, and total heaven. No pockets, big mistake, but I LOVE them anyway, love the color, I’m wearing them right now with three sweaters and a turtleneck because I’m going nowhere today but feeling very hygge with all the frost on the grass and trees, so I checked and if you like them, they are now on sale . . .! ❌⭕️ 

I thought I would close with Jack, the perfect little gift that keeps on giving! That’s one of Joe’s work gloves⬆️, Jack LOVES work gloves and boots, goes wild, rolls on them, throws them in the air. Friends come over wearing work boots and he is ALL OVER them!!! Why? We don’t know. He must have been a carpenter in his last life! He’s great on ladders, perfectly fearless!

When he’s not helping me around the house, he’s helping Joe. Here he is, on high-wall bug-patrol.

Buddies. My two men.

On the ironing board . . .

on the sideboard watching me exercise, had to go get the camera to capture the cuteness.

Green-eyed monster at the screen door.

Watching over the world, making sure the squirrels get no where near the front door. Don’t even try it!

Lounging in front of the fire. Our soft furry little petty pet.♥️

Last and actually probably least . . . a little perky green and red for the season . . .💚♥️

And remembering other Christmases, this one at Holly Oak🎄, before the fireplace came in! I strung popcorn and cranberries . . . my little house . . . Notice the fabulous stenciling?🤣Killer weather coming all across the country … places with wind chill below -50º … yikes! Scary! And high winds. 😳 Here it will be a balmy 29º, but this is why God invented the people who invented TEA!🫖 And the wonderful knitters of the world! Stay warm! Shop today! Cuddle up! Turn on the oven and make Snippy Doodle! Be sure all your animals are inside and warm, and remember, days are getting longer now . . . nowhere to go but UP!💞I could not love you more! ♥️