Merry Christmas!

The nearly three weeks since I last published a post on my blog have gone by like a breath! So, I thought I would share a quick pictorial recap.

Elric came to visit and was very mischievous during his stay. It was sad to see that he was gone on Christmas morning, but we know he will be back next year.

Advent keep Jesus as the focus while preparing for the big day!

We did our fair share of baking.......

Panata for Christmas Eve

Pumpkin pies for the neighbors

Honey clover rolls for Christmas dinner

Cookies of course!

Trimmings decorated the house

Stockings were hung with care

The tree was trimmed and packages wrapped neatly with bows.

There were cookies for Santa and carrots for Rudolph

Requested handmade gifts.......

...and of course a birthday cake for Baby Jesus

Knitters' Christmas 2015

The Heartfelt Knitters have been together for 10 years, and during those years many new friendships have been formed. Last evening we spent time visiting, sharing good food and exchanging a few gifts with our "secret" pals.

 

My secret pal seemed to really like the gift I made for her.

I was truly surprised and touched by the gift I received.

The Heartfelt Knitters (minus three or four)

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Project Hope

Yesterday was sorting day in preparation for the annual Christmas dinner  held for those in need of our small city. Those attending the event receive a hot meal, bags of groceries and clothing.

 There are so many generous people who share their time, talents and treasures.  It is heartwarming to be connected to such a dedicated group of volunteers.  

Artist at Work

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend time with my artist friend, Nancy Bossert. As we sipped our coffee, she mindlessly sketched away; it was relaxing for both of us.

You can view more of Nancy's artwork here.

Elric

There's an elf whom has been visiting my house every morning for the past few days.....such fun!

Things to be Grateful For

 This year we put a "grateful" jar on our table. We asked guests to write out a slip of paper for each thing they were grateful for.  After we said grace our granddaughter read each out loud. So many things to be thankful for this year!

The tradition of my husband and our granddaughter building a gingerbread house continues. This year she practically built the house single handedly.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Brining the turkey. This is something I had never done before, and although everyone raves about how much moister the turkey will be, in all honesty, I couldn't tell much of a difference.

My 97 year old mother peeling apples from a friend's tree for  apple pie and applesauce.

Yummy pies!

Herb rolls, which were a big hit. I found the recipe online and have posted it  here for you to try.