On the 10th day of Christmas

Every cat that has been a member of my home has slept under my trees.  These three little woodland trees sport small antique ornaments as well as rustic and western themed ornaments and sits this year in my dining room area. Coalette has been pretty good about not playing with the shiny balls and has not shone and interest in consuming the icicles on the big tree.  In the past we have had to "pull" shiny icicles from the depths of the innards of felines who thought it was fancy "grass".  None were harmed in those efforts by the way. 

On the 10th day of Christmas, I drove into Rawlins to lunch and celebrate and exchange gifts with my dear friend of over 40 years.  We have done this every year, except the few years she was in another state and I was in another town.  What is sad, is that now we have a difficult time trying to buy that special gift for that special friend- The friend, who sat with you with sick kids, who helped push you out of snow drifts, the friend who insisted you could do anything, the friend who shared good times and bad. Now we really don't need anything, don't want anything, have everything, and don't want to dust anything new.  My friend bought me a spoon rest 2 years ago last summer which matched my cookie jar and replaced the one I broke. She insisted I take it home, put it up and wrap it to open Christmas.  I did and promptly broke it. This past summer we were at a market and I was directed to a double spoon rest...one for two spoons.  I will admit that it is gaudy and doesn't go with much else in my kitchen, but it appealed to me and although she didn't care for it at all, she bought it for me and I brought it home yesterday and hopefully I won't break it!  It is "special" now!

We also had a wonderful lunch and reminisced about our "early" days, one of which we attempted to make divinity for Christmas.  I had an aunt who made delicious divinity and when I was in school, she even showed my how to make it.  Years ago we tried that.....what a failure that was and to this day I don't make divinity.  I make yummy sugar cookies, old fashioned fudge, spritz and numerous other sweets, but not divinity.  But I have a great memory with my friend and divinity. 

"Hold a true friend with both your hands" ~ Nigerian Proverb

On the 11th day of Christmas

On this day, we actually drove with friends to the big city of Cheyenne to do some shopping and see their son who is attending college there.  It was a beautiful crisp day and as we drove the two plus hours across the mountain, with the sun streaming through the evergreen trees and glistening on the snow, Christmas seemed ever so close.  The snowmobilers were headed out for a day of fun and although we didn't see much of natures creatures, there was one moose watching the activity.  Leaving at 7:00 a.m., it was nearly 9:00 p.m. when we arrived home.  As always, we have a list and enter the big box store with one or two items and leave with a cartload.  Like kids in a candy store, we grabbed for all kinds of things we hadn't intended to purchase, but couldn't resist.  It was such a good day and so great to be in the company of good friends. 

The sugar cookies are baked, soon to be iced and sprinkled, the peanut brittle will be cooked and cooled and the biscochitos (a Mexican cookie made with lard and anise and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon) is on the list along with a few others...rum balls---a recipe from my sister, and white chocolate dipped ginger cookies. 

So above is my staircase to the loft, strung with garland and stockings and hung with a Christmas quilt.  There are now many more cards on the stairs and when we arrived home last evening, there was a deer on our front porch and a large buck near the driveway and another small herd in the back yard munching on grass.  NO sign of Santa!!

Twelve Days of Christmas

So the first two pictures show the large herd of antelope gathering to paw through the snow in order to scrounge for whatever they can find to eat.  They do eat sagebrush, and there is lots of that, but as we began to notice the antelope file from over a hill, we stopped counting at about 250, but they kept coming and coming.  In all of the years we have lived in Carbon County, we have never witnessed such a large herd.  We estimated over 500 in total.  This is a view we saw from our dining room window and because they were across the highway, the picture may be a little blurry.

On the first day of Christmas.....my Christmas tree all decked out in icicles and antlers.  The antlers just happened to be there where the tree needed to be.  The icicles...well, this is for my daughter.  I grew up with a Charlie Brown Christmas tree that dad purchased shortly before Christmas and it had some pretty spare decorations, mostly homemade, and a few lights.  But we NEVER had icicles which were on every tree if you could afford them.  Back then they were actually foil, but now they are a type of plastic I think.  Anyway I always thought trees with these silver shiny icicles were so pretty and I had them on my trees forever until my daughter voiced her opinion.  She did not like them.  So, they have been absent from my tree for a good many years and on an artificial tree, they are not practical.  But we have a real tree which will be recycled and VOILA!--I have icicles.  This is part of my "Old Fashioned Christmas" as the fruitcakes are still getting soaked with brandy and the sugar cookie dough is in the fridge. We put lights on the gutters on the house front and on the tree out front yesterday and actually had to get in the car to drive around to see how it looked after dark.

"Fruitcakes are like in-laws.  They show up at the holidays.  You have no idea who sent them, how old they are, or how long they'll be hanging around your kitchen."  ~ Josh Sens, freelance writer in Oakland, CA

Brrrr.......

 We have been hunkering down because...like most of the nation....we are freezing here at -20 below.
Living in Wy, we have experienced this kind of cold before, but my bones are not as receptive as they used to be to it.  I did not even take a picture of the 5 or 6 inches of fluffy white that covers everything.  The door gets open long enough to let the furkids out and when they hurry to do their business and limp back on 3 legs, I long for those warm summer days when they could sun themselves on the cool lawn.  Luckily, if you are a cat, that is not an issue.  Read the morning paper on line like Coalette and then take a short nap.

We trekked to the forest a few miles from here and with friends trudged through a foot or more of snow to get our tree.  It was a beautiful sunny day before the storm.  Since then, I have been getting lights and ornaments on it.  The tree is the tallest we have had and I had to get the Mr. to bring in a ladder to put the topper on, but it is so great to be able to get a fresh tree again.  The ones at the local store actually have been painted green..the trunks are even green! The snap above was taken at sunset, looking east and was a spectacular site a few days ago, as was the west.  But this glow on the mountain was gorgeous!  We are getting the house decorated (the lights outside will have to wait for warmer weather..or not) and I will begin to bake cookies soon.  It will be an old fashioned Christmas, but it will be a quiet one here on the range. We are blessed to have good friends and neighbors to share with the holiday spirits. 

Fire in the sky

 Yesterday morning there was fire in the sky and this was taken toward the east from my patio.  The other was toward the west and even in that direction, they sky was lovely!!!  I also pulled the living room blind to see deer on the front lawn. The antelope are elsewhere on the prairie, but the deer will spend the winter sleeping in my yard now. We will occasionally see the coyotes, fox, badger, moose and weasels, but the bald eagle perches daily in the tree south of us and the deer are here every evening.

 Snow arrived as predicted, but only a small amount and the temperature is proof that winter has arrived!!  With that in mind, time to turn to indoor activities and below is the first of many projects I have planned for my summer craft retreat with dear friends. Picked up at a thrift shop, I scored 6 wine glasses for $5.00 and this is my version of a painting project for the gals.  My mind is thinking of jack'o lanterns, witches, Santas, lop-eared bunnies.....endless new projects for painting.  With the tea lights on top, what do you think?

"It is said that we do not make our friends, that we simply recognize them." ~ Faith Baldwin

Holiday happenings

 I have been a little lax about posting...working on a quilt and the Mr. and I went to a pool tournament last weekend and I am preparing for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons upcoming.  Almost my favorite time of the year.  Girls, I have a craft project that I think you will love!!!  Just beginning to work on it.  Last weekend I met with several of my friends over in Cheyenne and we went to a couple of Christmas craft shows and that is where I saw this painting project.  My retreat gals like to paint and if the project can be a gift...all the better.  Wait for the finished project soon.  Also, since I am a baby boomer and of the generation that came during the first half of the last century, I still retain that simpler love for life.  Technology will cause that to change for other generations but I have the time and love to bake for the holidays.  Above are real fruitcakes!!  Not the kind you buy at the local market or the specialty stores, but the old fashioned Christmas fruitcakes.  We always had them at home and my dad loved these.  They are expensive to make and were a real sweet treat for those who struggled to make a living for their families..we had them once a year.  Mine is a very old recipe, but there are similar ones on line.  It has 4 cups of sugar, 7 cups of flour 8 lbs of candies fruits, dates, raisins, nuts, molasses, 10 eggs and lots of spices. Then when it is cooled, it is drizzled with brandy, wrapped in cheesecloth, then foil and placed in a tin.  Every few days, I will drizzle brandy over the loaves and rewrap until Christmas.  Yummy!!!  (not everyone loves these, in fact I find that mostly people my age appreciate the traditional sweet, but there are a few that do and I will gift them one)

The leaves are long gone from the cottonwoods and the Canadian cherry tree in our yards, but the pine makes a pretty silhouette against the firey sky sunset.  For us it is way too early for the Christmas decorations, but this pine will get it's lights soon and we are planning our 2nd annual trek to cut our indoor tree. 

When I was growing up, my mom had Thanksgiving dinner with aunts and uncles and cousins.  It was always festive with lots of food, games, a little bottled cheer and lots of love. When my children were growing up, we lived too far away to be with family most of the time and the Mr. and I are too far away from our children to travel at this time of the year.  We still live in snowy, windy country with travel advisories most of the time, but we have been fortunate to have family and friends most of the time.  Even if it is just the two of us and the furkids, I still cook a turkey and have all the trimmin's.  So when it snows and it does regularly, I bake cookies etc. and the holiday happenings have already begun!!

Cold snowy days

 I got a call from my buddy in town (50 miles away) checkin' on me to see if I had been in...and not contacting her, but alas, I assured her that I had not.  I understand why snowbirds travel south in the winters here.  It was a freakin' 9 degrees yesterday and the wind is blowing this morning at a speed that rattles your teeth.  The inch and a half of snow we got yesterday a.m. is blowing like glitter everywhere and NO...I am not venturing out!!  Maybe I will quilt!!!  Above are finally the 1126 or so pieces stitched into arcs for the quilt I am making, but there are many more pieces to add.  The furkids below know how to handle these cold, snowy days which is why I have leather furniture. And I do have alternate seating. 

 Some of my favorite things are the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and even with snow on the range, we still have those.  Thanksgiving is creeping up on us and looking at the calendar, I realize that we have so many birthdays in November.  2 nieces, a couple of nephews, a son-in-law, several dear friends and my sister,  and daddy and the Mr.'s mother had November birthdays.  Could explain those cold snowy days in February huh? 

The eagles still perch in the tree south of us as they look for prey, and the deer are starting to venture near for foraging, but the antelope are now in large herds on the prairie and a little more scarce.  Watching for tracks in the snow that on chance the moose may have visited this morning, the snow was only disturbed by a small bunny that has taken up residence in my garden.  The Mr. wants to feed him, but he is probably preferring the remnants of the flower bed and garden.  They can be ravenous and destroy so much, but I am not launching a battle yet.  Although we have cold snowy days, we don't have most of the natural disasters that much of the rest of the nation has and we are thankful for that and the fact that spring will eventually be here!!