Handmade Holiday Soundoff

This year’s handmade gift list included:

Knitting

• 4 pairs of socks

• 1 pair of baby slippers
• 1 baby sweater
• 1 pair of Toasties
• 1 cowl
• 1 Neighborly
• 1 pair of Legwarmies

Sewing

• 4 pair of pj bottoms
• 1 nightgown
• 2 doll dresses
• 1 little doll

Food Stuff

• Peppermint Bark
• Orange Bark



• Great-grandma cookies
• Jam shortbread bars
• Apple bread (oops–we ate that instead of gifting it)
• Salsa (made in summer)
• Pesto (made in summer)

Much as I love creating with my hands some of the gifts we send to others, I am exhausted.  All of the lovely people in blogland that craft their hearts out with such graciousness, my hat is tipped to you.  I haven’t learned that knack yet in the making, only in the giving, which I so dearly love to do.

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Signs of the Season: Candles and Hot Chocolate

Traditions, rituals, call it what you will.

. . . Our Solstice celebration this year began with a feast . . .

. . . continued with our candle ritual. . .

. . . was merry with a rousing photo-shoot. . .

. . . bright with the joy of watching another sunrise together. . .

. . . and sweet with handmade love gifted at last. . .

I hope whatever your beliefs, that your winter holidays have brought you moments of peace and joy. Now that I can breath deeply once again, I am able to look back and reflect on those moments in our own holiday chaos.

It’s been nearly two weeks now since the unfortunate medication incident.  Thank you for the concern for L3 through the blog and other communications.  He is perfectly fine and is now happily enjoying his winter break.

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Could I Please Rewind?

This morning, that is. I’m waiting to hear back from our doctor’s office because both L1 and I gave L3 his medicine this morning. I’m not letting the boy go to school until I hear from the doctor.

Meanwhile, L3 is out in the frigid morning air with Jasper.  It’s so cold that they won’t be out for long.  I watch from the window while I wait and try not to be as worried as I feel.  Thus, I write to help pass the time.

*** Edited to Add ***

Finally heard back from the doctor.  He said L3 would probably be fine, but suggested that I keep him home the remainder of the day and gave me some symptoms to watch out for and call him immediately if any of them were observed.  My boy has done some of his school work, played a bit outside with his sister more, and most recently has been doing Mad Libs with me.  He keeps asking to go sledding because, “there’s nothing exciting to do here!”  I’ve had enough excitement for today, buddy, thanks.

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Another Year Younger

Happy Birthday to you, dear partner. Your way of being makes my world a brighter place. I couldn’t wish for another with whom to walk this life.

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The More the Merrier

On the crunchy bandwagon, that is.  I’m enamored of pop culture figures who use their popularity for good causes.  L1 just had us watch/listen to this song.  It’s witty and silly.

Let me know what you think of it–hope you enjoy.

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Signs of the Season: Making Connections

As every season turns into another, and throughout each, L1 and I are constantly making connections for and with the kids about the turning of the Wheel and the interconnections of it all.  They teach us, of course, with all the details they notice or the bits of their lives that they remember and share with us in conjunction with the yearly cycle.

Sliced tangerine for solstice decorations.

This year while the darkness deepens for longer each day, I’ve found myself having conversations with our younger child that I must have had with the elder. We discuss questions of what is solstice, how it fits into the rest of the year, talk about how this time of year isn’t meant to be about gifts, how gifts do fit into the bigger picture, and finding delight in all the familiar rituals.

(Please ignore the crumbs that were cleaned out soon after this picture was taken!)

It’s so good to talk about the whys of it all. It is such a good reminder for me. Even as I pledge to step back, reevaluate all of the gift-giving craze, I don’t always do it. The on-going dialogue in our family this season is a good reminder.

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Decoration Inspiration

I love seeing all of the beauty in blogland year round. Right now I’m especially inspired by all of the lovely traditions and decorations. Two recent pieces, in particular, stood out to me. The first was a little wall quilt from The Purl Bee.  The second piece was by Val of Collecting the Moments.  She created a Yule Log Candle Holder. Perfect for our solstice celebration.  And so L1 and I crafted the above for our family table.

We’ve been eating by candle light most nights for the awhile now and so these new creations will be a part of our family meals everytime we gather round the table for the holiday season. Hopefully on the nights when we’re all tired and maybe a wee bit cranky, these centerpieces will help draw us back to the moment of togetherness rather than angst from the day.

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Still a Work in Progress

I am in a state of indecision about this project. I’m still in love with it, and L4 was excited to try it on when the seaming was all done (see above photo). The lining is currently causing me much consternation. I fitted it into the finished product was saw that it wasn’t fitting well in the sleeves and shoulder area. The lining was set aside and L4 and I proceeded to give Roo a bath.

After blocking, it became apparent that the shoulders of the lining were far too narrow and the sleeve openings were tight.  I have since added width to the shoulders, after taking the sleeves off and am now at a standstill.  I wanted this to be a coat more than a sweater, but I don’t think the sleeve openings will allow for the extra fabric.

What should I do?

• Should I leave it without the lining and simply sewn in the zipper?
• Should I add the lining without the sleeves (basically the body and the hood)?
• Or should I continue to fiddle with the sleeves to try to make them fit (they would be quite ugly because I need to cut open and add fabric to the arm scythe, though I’m not sure how much of this would be visible.)?

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Crafting Community Sharing

First is the new e-zine, Rhythm of the Home, created by Heather of Shivaya Naturals Bernadette of Sugar in My Bowl, and a group of other contributors.  It is a ‘zine about family and seasons, with a focus on Waldorf  ideas and includes articles and crafts.  It is absolutely lovely. My favorite article was this one.  The idea of stewardship and simplicity for the holidays resonated so strongly with me.  I also loved the gift ideas at the end of the article.  🙂

The second piece that of sharing about which I’m excited is The Creative Book Exchange, hosted by Julia of Adirondack Mama.

This exchange involves sharing crafting books from your library with a partner. A blog and flickr group are set up as part of the exchange. I think there are still spots available if you’re interested! I’m looking forward to learning about so many books and meeting new people, as well as seeing what people have created with these books. The spirit of sharing in this exchange is going to be a wonderful way to begin 2010.

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Cycling His Heart Out

L1 has officially surpassed his total riding days of all of last year and it is only December.  Yes, he rode his bike to work on December 2nd.  Cold, but no snow today.

Riding has saved approximately 13 gallons of gas (possible more, I’m using his car’s average fuel efficiency, but most of his riding has been in warmer weather when the car does better) which has saved approximately 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere (conversion found here).

Of course there are other factors that I can’t measure, like the production costs of the ebike motor and battery.  L1 might be able to give some ideas about the energy costs of those.  However, his commute time is virtually the same.  More than that, he has expressed the shear joy of being part of the world around him as he rides rather than, “stuck in a box” as he drives.  And lest you think he’s just sitting there letting the motor do the work like a moped, my man is still pedaling his heart out, to the tune of between five and ten pounds lost (give or take when Thanksgiving was thrown into the mix) since the beginning of the school year.  Not only is he doing his own body good, but he is a role model for his students and coworkers who know about his biking oddessey, as well as his own children.  What can I say?  I’m very proud of what he is doing.  🙂

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