Merry Christmas dear stitching friends!

Well, I finally got the tree up in the music room. Took forever! I also have a bridge for sale near Boston, Pa. if you are interested!

There was a time when I had a tree in every room. It looked like Christmas had exploded in Sewtopia. The worst part was taking it all down and putting it away. Good grief, those were the days. The tree above was copied from an email from Victoria Magazine. My dream read.

I have a bad habit with the decorating business. I start to do something, get sidetracked, start something else, repeat. I am wrapping it all up today no matter what but the joy has rather waned, know what I mean?  I am trying to keep it simple but festive, does that make sense? The studio will get a little buff-up and a Christmas banner (if I get it done!) but no tree. Well, maybe a little tree.....


I had a cute little tree for that room before the quilting frame moved in and I stored it away. Sadly, I didn't pack it properly, the lid on the box was not sealed and all the cute little hand-made cinnamon ornaments grew a charming turquoise-colored mold. It had to go last year and has not been replaced. 


I will host a small Wagilia this Christmas Eve. My FIL coaxed this Irish girl to prepare the feast that he remembered from his childhood. Meatless was not new to us here but the 7 or 9 or 12 course Eve meal in addition to hosting many for Christmas day kept me chained to the kitchen for many, many days and nights. 


It will be small this year. Really small. Today I will mix up the fillings for the Pierogi, roll the dough tomorrow. In addition, we will have a cucumber salad with dill, mushroom soup, pickled beets and eggs, crab and spinach stuffed broiled cod with roasted root vegetables as well as boiled paprika potatoes. Desert will be whatever gets made by then! 


I think of him most on Christmas Eve. He and my Son. They loved the traditional celebration. It was an old tradition that reminded them of better times, the innocence of childhood and the values of faith that were passed from parent to child.   

In closing, may your Holidays be filled with kindness and sharing among family and friends. No matter what Holiday you celebrate the meanings are much the same. Now, on to the work at hand, Merry Christmas.