Merry Christmas.

It's been a perfect day at the Smith house as we reflected on the birth of the Savior and shared gifts of the heart. Breakfast has been consumed and we are all ready for a little nap.

I hope your Chrstmas has been just as wonderful!

One Star.

This song is performed and written by my friend, David Edge. I am so happy to be able to share it with you on this Christmas Eve.





Merry Christmas to you, my sweet friends. I wish each of you peace and joy this Christmas season and always.

Wish.

Earlier this week I received a little brown box from my friend Robin. She shares the loveliest photos on her blog and, on one particular day, she posted one that made me catch my breath.
I e-mailed Robin with a little request- would she send me one of the things that she had photographed. With a reply of Yes! Yes! Yes!, she gathered the bits of stuff and packaged them up and sent them to me. Can you guess what they are?



Look how sweetly she wrapped them. You would think it was the most treasured thing on earth.

For me it was, because this tiny bag made from the tattered remnant of an old quilt held memories of my childhood - milkweed pods, fairies and wishes.

The memory is clear. Hundreds of opportunities dancing on breezes waiting to be caught. My small self chasing them through the field asking them to slow just a little so I could catch one. One was all that was needed to wish upon.

Inside these seeds are the beginnings of wistful childhood dreams.
I will plant some and hope that they grow. If not, I now have a jarful that can be released on a whim.

My children are now adults and have missed the magic and charm of milkweed fairies. I've never seen them here in Georgia. But, one day, they will have children of their own and this grandmother will be ready to give her grandchildren a memory of chasing shimmering strands of floss across a golden field hoping to cradle one in their hand and whisper a wish.

All because a friend heeded the request of a woman sitting at her computer reminiscing about her childhood.

Thank you, Robin, for your kindness and recognizing the need for me to be that small one chasing fairies through a field. Perhaps that is the thing that has been missing all along.

Tell me, if a fairy landed in your hand, what would you wish for?

Ho Ho Holly Brooch

Yesterday afternoon my friends Cilla and Tara and I gathered for craft day. We wanted to make something easy, but cute, that would not take a lot of time. (Mostly because Cilla had prepared an English tea for us with egg salad and cucumber sandwiches, tea cakes, tiny mincemeat pies, sausage rolls, a beautiful Victoria sponge and wassail which made our tummies rumble.)
We chose to make Heather Bailey's super cute holly brooches. We took some liberties with ours but they have that same holly-jolly feel to them.



A few yo-yos, fabric scraps, some red wool felt (actually from an old winter coat), some buttons and winter white wool felt for the leaves and voila! Cutey-cute-cuteness. We each wore ours to church today. I'm sure everyone wished they had a Ho Ho Holly brooch to wear. ha ha
I have more in the works to give as gifts and to use as package decorations.
Thank you, Heather, for having such a clever brain. Making your pin made our icy cold, rainy Saturday much more palatable. Well, that and a slice of Victoria sponge.

Happy.

It really takes so little.

Moultin' Chicken

It sounds a bit like a spicy Latin dish, doesn't it? Although, I don't think that Pearl would appreciate that I said that. The poor baby is moulting and she looks horrible.

I am so glad that we don't look like this when we moult!

Thank goodness the hair on our heads is much more forgiving.

I am thinking of making her a little fleece coat so that she can stay warm, perhaps something in a nice mustard color to coordinate with her feathers.

Hmm, chicken covered in mustard...........

I'm sorry, Pearl. Please forgive me.

PW

Yes, that PW! Last night I dragged my friend, Cilla, to the Border's book store on Peachtree Street in Atlanta to meet Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman and author of the much coveted The Pioneer Woman Cooks! cookbook.
I thought that we should leave early, about 5 o'clock, as the book signing was to begin at 7:30 pm. Our trip through Atlanta was remarkably uneventful with just a hint of heavy traffic.
After navigating our way around the Phipp's Plaza, Lenox Square area of Peachtree Street we finally arrived at Border's about 6:15. Finding a parking spot was a bit of a challenge as I drove the truck and the parking lot was a buzz with tiny little cars whipping about me like drones to daisies. At last I found our spot, rock star parking really, right in front of the store.
My thoughts of arriving early were clearly present in every other woman in Atlanta, because the store was jam-packed! And the book signing began at 6:00 because there were so many people. Good night above.
Cilla and I purchased our books, placed the green wristbands with the letter E written on them and went upstairs to where the event was being held. On the way up the escalator I noticed a sign for a similar event with Nigella Lawson coming this Friday. All I can say is, if you are planning on going, leave your house very early and arrive at 1:00 in the afternoon. You will thank me later.
We sat for a while and waited as a rather slight man with a very harried expression called out for orange wrist-banded people with the letters A, B and C to move towards the man in the Santa hat to check in. And so it went, all the way through the letters to I. Yes, I. Our prospects were appearing to be very slim of even getting to the point where we could line up to wait in line.
So, we meandered over to the Baby Birthing Book section and took a seat where we fell into conversation with two of the nicest women. One was reading a book on her Kindle and I quickly bombarded her with questions about it. I am now saving my pennies for one. Our conversation turned to a variety of topics- genealogy, the cook book, children and their quirky eating habits, small towns and the minutes quickly passed. At last the much-anticipated time arrived, the even-much-more-so harried man called out, "Green- E." and Cilla and I were on our way!
Not much later, we were the ones standing at the front of the line, watching as Ree gracefully met each of her fans, signing their books and engaging in conversation that was only for them.
I can tell you she is lovely, inside and out and very, very patient. I would be incredibly intimidated by the fact that there were literally hundreds of people coming to meet me and yet you could not see that in her face at all. She was calm, poised, genuine and, for the brief time I stood by her, engaging and attentive, as were her sister, Betsy and friend, Hyacinth, who tagged along. Bless them all.
If you have the chance to see Ree on the last leg of her book tour, go. It will be worth the wait as you make new friends, pester the harried little man in your city and meet someone who really cares that you came and waited just to meet her.

Cilla and Ree.

Cilla with Betsy and Hyacinth.



Me with Ree.

Me with Betsy and Hyacinth.

Thank you, ladies, for making this Monday night one I will not soon forget.