the four food groups ...

yesterday was so lovely and warm ... i worked in the garden a bit (hmmmm if you are raking in december, can you still call it your FALL clean up?) and had to strip down to a single layer because it was so warm ... i think we chose wisely in not putting up our lights a few weeks ago in the freezing cold ...

and hopefully all that rain is dumping snow in the mountains as we are hoping to ski tomorrow ...

my recently temporarily retired groom has been such a help this season ... trimming the tree, putting up lights, mixing martinis ... oh he makes the best cranberry martini ... and a pretty decent coffee one too ...

i suppose, given the weather on the east coast, we should be thankful for power ...

so the house is looking lovely and cozy and we've done a bit of baking ... and some lovely handmade garland found it's way into the shop this year and onto our tree ...

if you must must must have some for your very own tree, it's quite a fun and easy project to do ... i just chopped up bits of felted sweater remnants into one inch (doesn't need to be precise) pieces, warmed up the sewing machine and just fed piece after piece through until i had 5 foot lengths ... they look so pretty on the tree ... AND the dog won't eat them ... that popcorn garland is just not safe in a house with two cats and a perpetually hungry dog ...

this little fellow found his way into my heart and house ... and he was in the FREE bin ... remember my blog about FREE ... how i can't possibly resist a FREE sign ... well now you can see why ...

who could possibly give this little guy away ...

could he be any sweeter? ...

well the skating yesterday was a big hit and after some dinner and drinks we sat down with our friends to watch the movie "Elf" ... now there is nothing better than "Elf" to get you in the holiday spirit ... one of my favorite lines is the one about the four food groups--candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup ...

so must be off now ... the elves need to be busy in the workshop today ... i have a special baby blanket to make for Aric (shhh ... it's a surprise) ...

so enjoy your day and do something nice for someone else ...

deck the halls ...

well we've finally got our christmas tree up ... we went out for breakfast yesterday and then headed to a local tree farm where we got to choose from a huge variety of trees in a range of prices ... i'd have to say it's one of our best trees yet ... jake was pleased because this year the tree did not fall on him as it was being felled ... but that's a story for another day ...

so we put on the christmas music, hauled the boxes of decorations out of the attic and got to trimming the tree ...

i love opening the boxes and thinking about the person that gave us a particular ornament ... or reliving a "moment" ... like the lovely pink "Baby Girl's First Christmas" ball given to us by nanny the year amy was born ... amy who is now almost 14 ... or all the lovely ornaments about friendship given to me by my dear friend karen-anne ... we've got the american christmas decoration given to us by sherrie for our first year living in the united states ...

well at some point in the afternoon, jeff and jake left for a birthday party ... and ...

perhaps you heard me scream ...

inevitably a new real tree from the tree farm brings with it a few friends ... or perhaps the "friend" caught a ride in with one of the pets ... but ... doesn't matter ...

i'm not particularly fond of spiders and i know many of you faithful followers feel the same ... so when i picked up a rug covered in tree needles to shake it out the back door and found an 8-legged friend dangling from the under side of my arm, you can understand how my screams shattered vintage balls on the tree ...

are you familiar with the giant house spider ... giant ... GIANT house spider ... well it lives in and around buildings waiting patiently for some poor unsuspecting soul to open a door ... and it doesn't matter how it got in ... what matters is the GIANT part ...

i screamed and ran for the vacuum, shaking uncontrollably the entire time ... i turned it on and gently guided my daughter to where the beast had scurried ... and when i say gently, it went something like this ... in a very loud commanding (screaming) voice ...

"amy did you get it amy point it closer amy make sure it got sucked up amy amy is it gone amy don't point it at me!" ...

ok you are probably getting the picture now ... me hysterically jumping up and down and amy trying not to laugh and trying to keep the vacuum hose straight and and and ... like something out of an "I Love Lucy" show ...

anyway, my mom tells me i should be pleased because spiders like clean homes and not dirty ones ... but i think that's rather like telling the bride on her special day that the pouring rain brings good luck ...

alas, the house is in the christmas spirit now ... the table has been set with a vintage tablecloth i found for a steal on ebay ...

i've been in the kitchen making some festive treats ... with the help of trader joes gingerbread mix ...

but the best part is spending time with friends ...

we had our "canadian" dinner on friday night, a christmas party last night and this afternoon we are off skating with friends ... we'll come back here and warm up the cider, put on a pot of soup ... share some laughs ...

hope you are enjoying the season ... spending time with family and friends ...

but keep the doors and windows locked up tight ... those GIANT house spiders are always looking for a way in ...

today i met a lady ...

 

a beautiful lady ...

she inspired me so ... 

she had called a few days earlier to order some gauntlets after having lunch with a friend who was wearing a pair ...

she arrived on my doorstep in baseball cap and jeans ...

she had an inner glow ...

she told me she had undergone chemotherapy and showed me her beautiful short brown hair with a bit of wave to it ...

she arrived on my doorstep in her baseball cap and with her wonderful smile and optimism ... and she inspired me so much with her bravery and beauty ... and her hope ...

and i hope she has many more years ahead of her to guide her two daughters ... but she inspired me to enjoy this day ... this day that is a gift ... and she'll probably never know how she inspired me ... but she did ...

(and Anna, have a wonderful Maui Christmas) ...

if you bake it ...

they will come ...

this weekend we were consumed with baking ... or perhaps we consumed a lot of baking (oh thank goodness i'm off to the gym this morning) ...

jake and i made a cake for his cub scout cake walk ... he's recently taken up karate and so he wanted to inspire other kids to do the same ... he made a white belt cake with a black stripe (which means the wearer of the white belt is ready to test and hopefully advance) ...

sweet and simple ...

here's the pastry chef with his piece de resistance ...

it was a "delicious cake" according to the recipe with yummy buttery icing on top ... and did i mention homemade ...

well lucky jake's number came up first on the cake walk draw which meant he had the choice of ANY cake his heart desired ... so naturally he went straight for the safeway cake with oreos ...

meanwhile back at the house ...

while my recently temporarily retired groom was traveling to the great white north also known as canada for business and pleasure ...

the kids and i carried on ... with the usual weekly activities ...

there was some chilly fun when nearby ponds froze over and amy and friends were able to slide around on them ...

yesterday, i put on some christmas music, lit the candles and made some of my favorite cookies from childhood ... the scotch cakes ...

we made circles and rectangles using mom's old cookie cutters ...

don't they look delicious ...

amy had a friend over and they added the icing and sprinkles ... it took me a while as a mom to figure out that this is the part the kids enjoyed the most ... not the baking but the decorating ...

we are counting down the days to when school gets out ... and until santa arrives ... it will be lovely to take the kids skiing and skating and we may even brave the tubing hills ...

hope you are enjoying the season with friends and family ... and that your holiday season is as sweet as ours has been ...

next thing on the list ... tree and lights on the house ...

and did someone say "christmas cards" ...

where are those little elves ...

this is the time of year when we could all use some little helpful elves ... to work while we sleep ... but alas those little elves are probably in hiding, trying to keep themselves warm as the temperatures plummet in the northwest ... but on a bright note, don't these cold days bring the most beautiful cloudless skies and sunshine ...

kids are counting down ... until school gets out and santa arrives ...

i'm counting down too ... but on a completely different level ...

packages are arriving from canada and beyond ...

my dining room has been turned into a mecca of wrapping ...

but day-to-day stuff still carries on ...

tonight jake and i have a cake walk to attend ... last night we made a cake and, according to the recipe book, it was titled "delicious cake" ... we set aside a bit of batter to make cupcakes and i think both amy and jake would agree that the cake is aptly titled ... delicious it was ... jake wants to make it a karate cake ... we'll work on that ... dark chocolate sprinkles for the black stripe on the white belt ... he's recently taken up the sport at karate west and is really enjoying it ...

amy is wrapping up projects at school and excitedly making plans with friends for over the break ... one plan is to spend a whole day watching horror films and eating popcorn ... nothing says christmas like some scary flicks and popcorn ...

jeff is still in toronto wrapping up some matters regarding his dad's estate and visiting with friends and family ...

and i must say that each year, as this season is upon us, while i miss being with my whole family for christmas, i am also so thankful for them and for my friends and all the good that is in my life but i do also try to remember that not everyone will be celebrating the season this year ... i can't imagine that there will be a whole lot of joy in the homes of the police officers that were murdered in seattle this year ... or in the homes of all those people who have lost their jobs this past year ... or the homes where sickness is a part of life ... or for the people who don't actually have homes ...

so perhaps take some time to try and make someone else's life better over the holidays ... help out your local foodbank, donate toys, etc ... and hug your families close ... there's more to christmas than bright lights and pretty decorations ...

and here's my hope for you today ...

and may you make someone else's day "merry and bright" ...

santa hats ...

and other signs of christmas ...

well the tree's not chosen ...

and the house isn't lit ...

the cookies aren't baked yet ...

and the gingerbread house is still a dream ...

but there are some sure signs of christmas in the newfeld household ...

kids are sporting santa hats ...

the advent calendar has more open windows than closed ...

and we've received our first christmas card ...

(thanks Dawn) ...

hope you are enjoying the season, no matter what your celebrations might be ...

happy valley arts & crafts fair ... first annual ...

i would be remiss if i did not share some sentiments with you regarding the recent, first annual (hopefully) happy valley arts & crafts fair ...

how many years have i been thinking about having a craft fair on a grander scale ... too many ... and i finally met someone willing to take a chance with me, kim suver of the fabulous me & e line of clothing ... could there be a better partner? ...

let me start by saying how beautiful the valley was on a gorgeous december morning ... here's what i saw at 7:00 a.m. from the porch of the happy valley grange ...

and looking in the other direction ...

there was a higher hand at play here than my own i have to say ...

friday night set up allowed vendors an opportunity for a more relaxed start to a craft fair, well as relaxed as these things ever are ...

special thanks to alison cook for so kindly offering her advice to kim and i over the past few months and to the crafty person who knit and "yarn bombed" our happy valley sign on 202 ...

thank you to all the attendees who chose handmade goods ... and supported their local artists and crafters ...

and a heart felt thank you to all vendors who participated in the craft fair, it's been a heck of a ride but the first annual Happy Valley Arts & Crafts Fair was a smashing success ...

THANK YOU ...

'tis the season ... or is it ...

is it just me or does the whole christmas season start way too early?

before the thanksgiving turkey carcass has hit the simmering water, the christmas trees are up and the houses are lit like an airport runway ...

so needless to say, i am feeling a bit behind in all the christmas preparations ...

but i'm okay with that ...

i think i might just have to go with the minimalist style this year ...

in the meantime, i had a friend say once that she enjoyed sitting with a cup of tea and having a knobby knees read and i've been thinking that i've been quite tardy in the writing department ... so i decided to put the decorations away for later (there's always later) and catch up with you here ...

have i lost you all yet ...perhaps it's not too late and i can win you back ...

stay tuned ... for more blogs ... rejoice fellow tea drinkers ... we shall spend more time together now that craft fairs are behind us ...

corsages are adorning jean jackets and purses throughout the northwest as we speak ...

the scarves are down to a scant few ...

and there can be nary a hand in the northwest not sporting a pair of gauntlets ...

'cause i know the heartfelt shelves are bare ...

but you know me, the knitting needles won't be idle for long ...

so in the meantime, put the kettle on and let's spend some time together ...

christmas is still 19 days away ...