New Year, New Datebook

For Christmas the older boys gave me the coveted and beloved Barnes and Noble Desk Diary. I have one for every of the past fifteen years, except for last year when the spines were defective and B&N sent them all back. For the past year I have had to "make do" with the New Yorker one which contained amusing cartoons but just didn't produce the same spirit. I love having the entire week at a glance, with lines for 8 AM to 8 PM, with lines between for half-hours. I can plan my days very well with a calendar like this -- especially with its beautiful thick cream paper. My sepia ink looks wonderful on it. And quotes from various books -- aaah! This year the theme is famous first lines -- this very first week of the calendar exhibits the first lines of Tolkien's The Hobbit with additional information about the work at the bottom of the page. Aaahhh, I will get my writer's spirit back with THIS baby!

Small Town Christmas Decorations

Over the highway stretches four of these decorations which light up the main street at night....



And in several locations along the highway that runs through the center of town are handmade decorations about four feet tall, created by our own small town Christmas elves (several of whom are on the library council with me).

Friday: Summers Past Farms

Summers Past Farms is one of my favorite places in San Diego; I take guests here often (including Carol and Nikki). A family-run operation, the east county farm contains a huge barn open as a gift shop (selling tea things, gardening paraphenia, candles, fairy garden things, etc., and a smaller barn for selling hand-milled soaps, plus a nursery, a coffee bar on the large patio, and gardens to enjoy no matter the season. I've made friends with the Siamese cats who lounge in sunny spots inside the gift shop and with the rooster who patrols the gardens just outside the soap shop. Weekend classes are taught in soap making, wreath-making, gardening, etc., and often musicians play live on the patio. The farm also holds art fairs several times a year on the back lawn and they also host an amazing Mother's Day brunch which showcases the gardens at their most fragrant and beautiful. Despite the chill in the late morning air, Summers Past Farms put forth its best face to my camera on Friday, and I had a difficult time culling my shots down to only three:



The Japanese-style bridge in the gardens.



Sundial surrounded by pansies.



Geraniums for sale in nursery.

Double Vision????

We're dog-sitting Dash's younger brother, Sammy, for a few days. They're from the same parents but a year apart, so not litter mates. They growled and barked at each other for about thirty minutes and are now best chums, chasing each other around the house and playing games. E sure is enjoying her double-dachshund fun!

Second Day of Christmas

Our nativity scene is arranged by E each December, with the Holy Family in the center of the mantel, with the shepherd, angel, various animals on one side and the Magi arriving to worship the Christ Child on the other, camel in tow. We both love the delicacy of the figurines, the depth of detail, and the gold highlights. Of all our decorations for this time of year, it's our favorite.

Christmas Day

We enjoyed Christmas dinner with my side of the family and with my parents' friends who lost their home in the recent fires. This was our eleventh Christmas celebration at my parents' small cabin atop Mount Laguna (6000 ft elevation).



With a high of 34 and with most of the day in the high 20s, the boys enjoyed a few forays on the iced-over snow outside the cabin. It looks nice, even if snowballs aren't a possibility.

If you would like to see more Christmas photos, click here.

Monday: Christmas Eve

We have many traditions for Christmas Eve which we always spend with Keith's side of the family. We have a kind of "Dutch Lunch" dinner with sandwiches, veggie plates, hot finger foods, etc. We sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus, and the little ones get to blow out the candles on Jesus' birthday cake. We open gifts to one another. And Keith's dad always reads us the Christmas story from Luke's Gospel.

A blessed Christmastide to all!

Fourth Sunday in Advent

We lit all four candles tonight, including the Angel candle. Advent is one of my favorite holy seasons of the year; in fact, I'm almost sad to see Christmas come in a weird, weird way....

My Only Source of Snow....

We rarely have snow in Southern California for Christmas; if it snows at all, it's usually in February and March. We were fortunate to have a couple of dustings of snow earlier this month, but we have only warmth and sunshine in the forecast through Christmas. So I must look to my collection of little snow fellas to give me a bit of holiday chilly cheer at this time o' year....

O, Christmas Tree!

The shopping and wrapping are done -- everything is under the tree and awaiting Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. It's a much smaller pile of presents due to our finances, but every package was wrapped with loving care, and we are celebrating Jesus' birthday and not our own, anyway, right?

Celebrating Advent....

B looks on as T reads from Isaiah in our celebration of the third week of Advent.



Then T also reads from the second chapter of Matthew from the 20th pocket on our Advent wall calendar made by Keith's sister for us when we first moved to the mountains. He also enjoyed the small knight toys he found in the pocket after he read the Scripture.

Wednesday: Here We Go a-Caroling....

Our town held its first annual caroling party along the main street. The church set up a sound system and Power Point words on a screen while everyone gathered around fire pits like the one above that T snapped while I sang. ;) Hot chocolate and hot cider were available, along with tables of Christmas cookie treats. It was a great time for the whole town to come together, chat, and sing carols. We'll definitely be back next year.

Tuesday: At the mall....

The Viejas Outlet Center is the closest "mall" to our town. Next to the Native American casino run by the Kumeyaay band, it houses some great name-brand stores with good discounts, and it's the only mall I actually LIKE because the parking is easy and the outside mall is so pretty, with running water, statues of native wildlife, and lots of native plants.



The outdoor mall also has a HUGE Christmas tree that can be seen from the freeway. Those are our kids at the base, just to give you an idea of the height of the tree. :)

Monday: Christmas Angel.....

Our Christmas angel is lovely, but she's too heavy to top our little tree. Instead, she graces our dining table as a perfect centrepiece, a beautiful reminder of the joys of the season.....

Sunday: Family Photo

Keith took our annual Christmas family photo right after church as usual (when we're all dressed in our best and the boys haven't had time to trash their good clothing yet). However, thanks to computer issues and glitches, we couldn't print them as usual to insert into our Christmas cards. So, anyway, here we are in digital form to wish you a holy Advent, a joyous Christmas, and a blessed and healthy New Year with love from T, B, Susanne, Keith, E with Ronald the rat, and J. (Sorry, but Dashwood our dog was not cooperating, but you've seen enough of him on this blog already.)

Saturday: Christmas Cards

I spent nine hours on Saturday and another five hours on Sunday writing Christmas cards. I'll post our family letter on my regular blog for anyone who wants to read it. We send out about 140 cards each year, so it's quite the production to write greetings, sign our names (all six, and our kids do not have short names!), include the letter, and then address all by hand.

I know well that there are easier ways, more technological methods. But I take great satisfaction out of writing with a metal nib on a rosewood pen and dipping into a crystal bottle of green ink. It's one of those old-fashioned traditions that I revel in -- it just doesn't feel like Christmas until green ink flows over thick paper, and my hand is cramped and stained by writing loving greetings to friends and family around town, at church, and all over the country.

Library Grinch

Our town Christmas elves who have decorated our town have set up this wonderful Grinch right outside the library. Gotta love the creativity of our elves!

Christmas Greetings....

... on our front door.

Dash at Play...

The kids allowed Dash to join in their soccer game this morning. They love it when he joins in their PE games, but he does tend to hog the ball a bit....

19th Annual "It's a Wonderful Life Party"

Tonight Kim held the 19th "It's a Wonderful Life" Party. I don't remember who created this sign for Kim's porch, but it's been around as long as I can remember. So, for the 19th year, a bunch of pajama-clad women bearing assorted goodies gather at Kim's home to watch this Christmas classic. Alternate years we watch a different Christmas film so we don't get tired of "It's a Wonderful Life." Kim already has plans for our 20th party next year, but she's not letting the cat out of the bag yet. This party is such a wonderful time to slow down, eat sweets and popcorn, drink hot cider, and laugh and cry with friends. What a wonderful life!

Monday: Second Week in Advent

Here's our Advent wreath which graces our kitchen table. Almost every evening the kids and I gather around and read Scripture, pray, read a devotional on various Christmas carols, and sing. This is our sixth year celebrating Advent at home, and I hope that we're creating memories together as a family as we gather around the candles in the weeks coming up to Christmas.

More SSSSnnnnnoooowwwww!

I sneaked out early in my robe and clogs this morning to snap this photo of the meadow in front of our home. I loved the ice and snow on the meadow grasses ... very cool! We had a light snowfall the last two mornings -- such a change from 100 degrees last Tuesday. Weird So Cal weather for sure. :)

"Oh, The First Snowfall of the Winter...."

A minor earthquake jolted Keith and I awake this morning just before 6 AM. The kids didn't wake, but the dog did, so E took him out and reported that there was snow on the ground! After she brought the dog back in, we both stood at the front window, watching the snowflakes fall on our front yard and simultaneously broke into singing from our Bing Crosby Christmas CD: "Oh, the first snowfall of the winter,/The first snowfall of the year...." The pre-dawn quiet was awe-inspiring, but unfortunately too dim to get good photos, although I tried.

So I'm afraid I had to settle on what I saw when I got up the second time which was well after four kids and a dog had romped to their hearts' delight for well over an hour:



Sorry it's not a pristine scene. Snow is a big deal in Southern California, and the old-timers are calling for an unusually cold and snowy winter for us. We're very excited! We've had winters with no snow and winters with just one or two snowfalls. This is the earliest snowfall we've had in our seven winters here, so perhaps a cold and snowy winter is indeed in store for us.

It is very hard for me to contemplate that on Tuesday we had record highs ofnearly 100 degrees, and five days later we have snow on the ground. Obviously life in Southern California can be strange in more ways than one....

Happy Birthday, B!

Our "baby" is 8! (Sssshhh! Don't tell him I called him a "baby"!) Here he opens a box of Legos....



After a day at the Natural History Museum, we came home for pizza and ice cream. B thoroughly enjoyed his day, although he certainly didn't enjoy our singing of "Happy Birthday" to him. (Our family is rather tone-deaf, so I don't blame him....)

Arts Council Meeting

With mimosas, of course! (and Denise, our director, in the background)

Our Creative Arts Council Board of Directors met today for over five-and-a-half hours to brainstorm ideas for the next calendar year. The mimosas were lovely, but we did get a bit silly. Actually, more than a little silly. The spinach quiche, lemon scones, and asian green salad helped quell the giggles, as did the chocolate truffles shared for dessert. We got a ton of work done, and I managed to type up four pages of official minutes afterward....

A Christmas-y Spirit

Our fireplace is the central focus of our living room; it's the first thing one sees when entering our home. And now it's decorated for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, thanks to E who delights in setting up the nativity scene and surrounding elements each December.

Warm Winter Weather

Such a lovely day! I drove around El Cajon today with the A/C on. El Cajon (Spanish for "the box") is the town where Keith works, where I grew up, and where we went on our first date. This photo was taken from the top of Grossmont summit looking east into El Cajon valley, surrounded on all four sides by mountains, hence its name.



I took this photo around 2:30 PM on our front porch. It was a HOT one today -- a real respite from the winterish rain, hail, and highs in the 30s this weekend and the same coming next weekend. We opened the windows to heat the house this afternoon ... natural heat always helps with the propane bill. :)

Advent Begins....

Keith's sister made us this large (30" by 40") Advent wall calendar quite a few years ago. Each hand-decorated pocket contains an attached laminated card printed with a Scripture verse that sort of applies to both Advent and to the picture on the pocket. The year that we received the calendar, Karla filled the roomy pockets with little toys for each of our kids -- four little things in each of the 25 pockets.

We've simplified our Advent traditions over the years. Some years I've put four chocolates in each pocket; other years I've placed one toy in each pocket so the child whose "turn" it is to read the Bible verse receives some small toy; still other years it's one chocolate per pocket, again for the child whose turn it is to read from the designated card.

To see more about how we celebrate the Advent season, check out my regular blog by clicking the top of the sidebar.

Sunday: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree...

The kids decorated the tree this afternoon after church. I snapped a few with all four kids, but B was in a bad mood and frowned terribly in each one. So here are some happier countenances: E and J obviously enjoy their work!

Delectable Dinner

Keith's Chicken Parmigiana is, simply stated, a work of art. The recipe evolved from a veal parmigiana recipe at first, then Keith put his own twist (and a gluten-free one at that!) on my converted recipe, and the result is a melt-in-your-mouth chicken, sauce, cheese, and pasta dish that merits a glass of Riesling and a cloth napkin in your lap. Perfection on a plate.

Rainy Day Dog...

T dries off our wet doggie who had to stay outside in his pen (under his shelter, of course). Dash is very glad to be back inside with his peoples, even if he must endure the indignity of a towelling off....

Thursday: Class Day

Our Class Day site is very nice -- we love the patio with palm trees and other nice foliage, and there are classrooms above and below this main level. Years and years ago, Class Days used to be at Lake Murray but the school outgrew our church very soon, and Del Cerro Baptist is a much better fit.



Although she was reluctant to return to Class Day, E is enjoying herself quite a bit. Biology lab can be strenuous, but she loves her self-defense class and making new friends.

Gr-Gr-Gr-Gr-Grading....

Getting sick last week put me quite behind on my grading for my Class Day writing classes. Then there was Thanksgiving, the surprise party for my sis-in-law, and the Holiday Art Fair all in the past week while I've still been recovering.

I like to spend about 15-20 minutes per paper (each 3-4 pages long), and I still have about 20 more to grade. Tonight. For class tomorrow.

Guess I'm putting in my earplugs while working tonight so no one disturbs me....

Tuesday: Holiday Art Fair

Our creative arts council held our second annual Holiday Fair in our town's community clubhouse. We had an okay turnout of purchasers, and filled twenty artists' tables (although some definitely fit more into the "crafts" category). It was a lot of work, a lot of fun, and I'm very glad it's over for this year, especially as the secretary, I've been the one organizing the artists, planning who will be showing what where, and dealing with time changes and some rather persnickety artists at times, although the vast majority have been lovely and definitely had a good time.



An overview of half of the clubhouse, with Teri playing Christmas music for all to enjoy. The food table was very popular, as was the coffee, hot cider, and cocoa.



David showed his plein air oil paintings for the very first time tonight, and he sold not only his first painting ever, but his second as well. He (and we) were thrilled!



Margo's work is incredible. She's also on the art council board (co-treasurer), and she's a lot of fun as well as an amazing and meticulous artist. I'll put other samples of her work on my Extras blog -- see sidebar.



And here are Myrna and Judith, the heart and soul of our council. Myrna (in the wheelchair) is our children's coordinator, and Judith is our associate director. This whole baby (the art council) was her brainchild, and she's a terrific poet as well as a wonderful friend. More photos of the art fair will be on my Extras blog.

Monday: Up a Tree...

We stopped by one of our favorite city parks for a quick picnic lunch between dentist and optometrist appointments. T was quickly up this huge tree as soon as he swallowed his last bite of sandwich.



This is the tree that all three boys were climbing -- its size is really something else, especially if you notice that those two dark things at the trunk of the tree are J and B as they prepare to join T up in the branches. BOYS!

Logos Group Meeting

Our literary discussion group from Lake Murray met at Guy and Kitty's home for a lovely lunch and even lovelier discussion. (And if you knew how very delectable the lunch was, it's remarkable that the discussion could surpass it!) Cry, the Beloved Country is Guy's favorite novel so he led the discussion here, surrounded by Judy, Bill, and Kitty.



I had never seen Bill, our Sunday School teacher, on his bike before. He's one cool accountant and also enjoys Saturday Mass as well as teaching Sunday School at Lake Murray.