Favorite Things

I need to update my bio on my blog. I am now the grandfather to two wonderful little girls!  The wife and I just got back from visiting the new grandchild.  It was so good to see the new baby.  I was really moved by all the love at my daughter's home.  It was magic!

We exchanged some Christmas gifts.  I got a gift from the oldest granddaughter that is my FAVORITE gift of the year!  More about that it in a moment . . .

We traveled back yesterday, and I was greeted by a pile of snow an ice on the porch.  Those areas of the roof without snow guards decided to leave me a present.

After shoveling for an hour and using the snow rake to knock back the big piles, it was time to come inside and dry off the old boots.

I realized that I had my LL Bean boots for 20 years now.  These are the best shoes I ever bought!  Where does the time go?  Maybe I can get another few years out of them . . .

Oh - as to my FAVORITE Christmas gift - it was a glass ornament of 'Beaner' boots!  Awesome!

It's already on the tree!  We'll be taking the tree down this week, but I can't wait to put it up next year and display this beauty!  Thanks Jula!

Getting Ready

We have had cold temperatures and snow flurries the last few days.  The winterizing chores are done, and we look to the holidays and the winter.

All is quiet around the yard.  I hear the the calls of Chickadees in the trees.  All is still . . .

Like clockwork, we put up our Christmas Tree.  It is an old family tradition to put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Hundreds of ornaments, each with a memory and a story.

Most of our holiday shopping is done (we hate the crowds at the mall).

Now to start on the Christmas cards . . .

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  Hope you are all having a safe and wonderful day!

A Christmas Tale...

T’was the night before Christmas.

Pay heed to my yarn

About the strange happenings

Around my old Barn.

I went to the Barn

To check on things there

Hoping that all

Was tidy and square.

The rush of the water

In the rain-swollen creek.

Was all I could hear -

But then there’s a "squeak".

I went to the hay mow

To find it was still

Not a varmint about

In the cold winter chill.

The stables were empty

The barn was all dark

Not a chirp or a peep

Or a growl or a bark.

When rounding a corner

I was taken aback!

Someone had sharpened

My saws and my Axe!

To the workshop I went

And climbing the stair

To find someone had

Been cleaning in there!

And looking about 

I startled myself

Off in the corner

I saw a Barn Elf!

He scurried about

And kept cleaning the place

I couldn’t keep up

With his very quick pace.

He suddenly stopped

Once he was all done

He was smiling a lot

(I guess he had fun!)

He spun ‘round three times

And then pulled his beard

In the blink of an eye

He just disappeared!

I heard a faint noise

As I turned out the light.

"Peace be to all ,

Be safe, and Good Night!"

Christmas Scenes...

We have been about getting our Christmas errands completed.  We have been up to Church Street in Burlington for some shopping . . .

. . . as well to the Christmas Loft.  We like visiting the 'village' at the Christmas Loft.  While there we came across a scary elf!  Enough to give you nightmares!

I'll try to be a good boy - I don't want this guy to visit!

An Uncle Tractor Christmas

Our family tradition is to put up our Christmas tree over Thanksgiving weekend.  We don't decorate our entire house (a wreath on the door, some white candles in the windows, a little greenery on the porch).  But we really go all out on the tree.

We decorate our tree in glass ornaments.  The wife and I have been collecting them over the years.  We have old family ornaments, those we have found at antique shops and auctions, ones we get get from various shops, and those we pick up from the places we travel.  In total, we have well over 400 glass ornaments on our tree.

In keeping with the theme of 'The Barn Board', we have barns.  Traditional barns like ours . . .

. . . and classic Shaker round barns!

There are little snow-covered houses . . .

. . . snow covered cottages . . .

. . . churches . . .

. . . fanciful buildings . . .

. . . quaint cottages . . .

. . .  and even fine hotels!

I need to find a few more buildings.  Maybe an outhouse!

Merry Christmas

I thought I'd share a few pictures of our tree.  As you may know, my wife and I love glass ornaments.  Here's what our tree looks like.  Enjoy!

The wife and I wish all the world a Merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season.  Peace.

We Couldn't Help Ourselves . . .

Anyone who knows us well knows my wife and I love glass ornaments. We have been collecting them for a very long time. We set out to do some shopping. We had a light snow, Xmas music was playing in the car, and we found ourselves in one of our favorite antique stores.

Wow!

We found a bunch of nice glass ornaments (and had to buy them)! Quite a few were contemporary (mainly the Santa ones). There were a few mid-50's vintage Shiny-Brite type which we picked up. Shiny-Brite was the maker of a lot of the common glass ornaments in the 50s and 60s. We have as smattering of Shiny-Brite ornaments from my parents. Most were simple glass balls with basic paint schemes. We found a few different shapes which we did not have. When I told one of the shop owners that we 'collected' glass ornaments, she pulled out a box of larger, older glass ornamaments. They appear to be older German ornaments. A few were very nice (interesting indented shapes and really good paint). We just had to have them!

When we were putting up the tree, it seemed like we had no room for any more ornaments. Well, we found room. I posted a video below of some the ornaments on the tree (a special thanks to our daughter for the rotating tree stand - we can see all the ornaments easily as the tree rotates)!

And what would this blog be without a few photos of barn ornaments. The round barn ornament was one we picked up at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont. The other barn was a common one we picked up in the last few years.

Enjoy the season!

It Has Started

Last week I was driving to the airport, and one of the local radio stations was already playing Christmas music. Given it was only November 8th, I thought it was a little early. However . . .

Today I made my famous Christmas fruitcakes. I know, most people don't like fruitcake. But I have to tell you - everyone who has tried mine likes it.

I use a recipe from Jeff Smith (aka the Frugal Gourmet). It is for a bourbon fruitcake recipe that has some melted chocolate in it. This is a real fruit cake - it has liquor in it (not like the store bought junk). The dried fruits marinate overnight. When the fruitcake are done and cooled, you dip each side in more liquor. I vary the recipe. Fewer walnuts and raisins more dried fruits, double the chocolate, and triple the liquor. Instead of bourbon, I use rum to marinate the fruits, and Grand Marnier for dipping the cakes.

You need to let the wrapped fruitcakes rest a few weeks before you cut into them. So I started this Christmas tradition today. The cakes will be ready by early December.

I guess the season has started! (We also signed over 6 dozen Christmas cards - we'll start addressing them this week so we can mail them right after Thanksgiving).