Happy New year and merry Christmas all in one dear friends. The time just flies does it not? We have 7 households of our family here now, and so are much involved in all of their activities. All of our grown children but one live here, and all of our grand children are here, and one great grand and another coming soon! They all need something constantly. Jack's parents are 91 and 97 and a handful for him to care for! They are still in their own home, but no longer drive or go out much. Jack does all the errands and fixing and yard work and on and on, in between times he drives Grandchildren and keeps everything else going! Old John won't keep the doors closed behind his wheelchair so he found and killed a very significant snake in his kitchen sink this am!! Fortunately my fragile little MIL did not see it. Something every minute, but most of it good. Hope each of you are holding your own, Best, E

Sharing our Christmas preparations

Two days till Christmas!

Good morning Rachael. Thank you for sugggestions of a name for my new doll. I have not settled on one yet, am considering Bridgette, we did have a lovely white cashmere goat of that name a few years ago. I miss the goats. Jack is outside now cutting magnolia leaves for me to use in the house. Incredibly there are two lovely white blooms this week, high in the top of the young but tall tree.
Our black Cat Cleopatra is helping Jack, she goes about with us all the time when we are outside, as a dog would. She will even go to the car door to greet guests who drive up and stop. Cleo moved here with us from the farm.
She was running along before me one day at the farm, when I was carrying large flower pots out in front of me and in 8 or 10 inch grass, unable to see where I was walking. If Cleo had not been ahead of me in her friendly way, I would never have seen the rattler till I stepped on all 5 feet of him. Cleo caused the snake the rear up and rattle and I saw it in time to retreat loudly! She is a highly regarded cat!
Christmas cooking and decorating and wrapping are in full swing here. Warmly, Edyth

How do you Store your Feather trees?

Thanks all for well wishes! I am on the mend. We had a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving at daughter Beth's home, and wish all the families in this world could be as warmly happy as we were. 8 of the children and 2 of the adults climbed nearby Enchanted Rock after the big lunch.
Elizabeth painted her new point shoes with artist's acrylics. Her dancing is such a big part of her life, and she has a dancer's barr and mirror in her bedroom.
I love that she paints a bit so am including it as a proud Grandmother should.
Today, Saturday after Thanksgiving, we are getting out our Christmas trees. (No they are not holiday trees) How do you store your feather trees? We store ours in my work area over my sewing machine. Hung from the ceiling in a simple rack they take up no space and the branches are not damaged. Best, Edyth

A sweet fairy tale movie full of music for all ages!

Dear Melanie, this am I was too ill to go out in the early cold, I have a bad chest thing this week, must be well enough tomorrow to watch little Elizabeth dance in Kerrvile production of the nutcracker without coughing contantly. I am on a round of prednisone and it is working. Principal players from san diego ballet company, it will be a lovely performance. she has had ballet since two years old!
Jack was out early to the yard sales and saw an oriental rug we had been waitng for, but deemed it too modern in colors and pattern to please us. We could only see a small part of it last night, the back side at that! It was not high for a large rug, and just the right size for our breakfast room. Leaving that, he went to several other yard sales with limited success, then hit some older things in one, and got two folk art wall shelves, and some old Christmas bead garlands, a little box full for 50 cents. he described the balls he left and I wish he'd gotten those too! Anyway the little beads in several strands tied together have little indents and then long beads alternating, very nice. They will go on one of our trees here in the house. They are pink and silver, rather than a red I might have preferred, but they are dear. He also got at the same old house, a framed Lord's Prayer in German. Daughter Beth grabbed that!
Tonight we watched "August Rush" which we got from net flix on your recomendation. Just precious!! Jack says to ask you for more movies to order! We enjoyed it so much, thank you. So that is the story of my day, I thought of you often with the ornaments you are just starting to collect, and the lovely movie tonight. Hope you will like the little box we mailed you. Love, E

The South is gonna rise again.

Save your confederate dollars, all is not lost. I finally am better. yesterday marked 5 full weeks of the shingles. I still have very active rash and digestive upset, but I have gotten some sleep and am a thousand percent steadier and in much less discomfort. Thank you for get well wishes. I hope all friends will consider getting the vaccine for this when appropriate (after 60 years of age).
It is a bright fall day here and I plan to go to an art show for a little while this afternoon. Best, E

Last week our antique study club, (Brass Bells) gathered at the home of Penny S my very good friend. I have to crow a little as Penny has furnished with many things she has purchased from Jack and me, and it is so good to see them in her magnificent log house. (Not a cabin, but a two story 44 ft long house) Jack made her corner cuboards, dining table, Tasha like chair, and many more things. She bought the old desk from our shop many years ago and this year bought my painting of a gentleman to go over. Penny is a consumate hostess and we had a great time learning about theorems and how to paint them. A day I never will forget, with friends of long standing, on a picture book farm with Penny. E