Christmas in the Air . . . .

Bit by bit it is becoming Christmas around here.  Since these were taken we now have snow on the ground and likely to stay there for the future due to some very cold weather. headed out way.  With the days so very long right now- sunrise 7;35 AM and sunset 4:35 pm  it is nice to have extra light from a variety of Christmas lights. 

Away but not forgotten . . . . .

Yes, yes, yes,  I know it has been eons since I have typed here and shared the daily happenings of Chestnut Hill.   Life continues to be busy and full with the 3 kids,  3 cats and Edna the yellow lab.  It has been a lovely fall, long, full of sunshine and nice days but we have clearly shifted to a winter pattern just in time for Christmas.   The ground is covered with about 5 inches of snow and more is on the way.   We are to get some bone chilling cold later this week- single digits in the overnight and early mornings and only in the teens by day.   The frogs have all dug in, in the pond and interestingly when we get en exceptionally warm day one or 2 will actually surface for the day and then as it gets cold they once again disappear.  A large snail has joined the pond and I will post that later- some people get hand cream from a sister- I got a big Snail.  :) 

Christmas Light Parade

Village Hall 

The four corners - only stop light for miles. 

 Two mounted patrols - picture did not come out so good. 

Here come Santa Claus

Ski Hill depicted with snowmaking from nearby Fire Company

Cougar Tech 2228 Robot

I liked the way this not so good picture  has cool wheels

Small towns do lots of very cool things and they are incubators for " community" in a world that tries to fragment folks as much as possible.  Every  December for an hour on a Saturday night you will find the community unplugged and watching anxiously on the sides of Main Street for the arrival Of Santa Claus.  In addition to area Fire Companies that will often come 60 miles to participate there is the school district Transportation dept. A few restaurants and our very own Cougar Tech 2228 Robotics team will be found to march down the street.  This year there were 2 bands and it was a balmy 21 feels like 18 out.   Tonight they even had the Falls tinted Red and Green,

 Cheers!  

Happy Holidays from  Honeoye Falls., NY  USA    

Christmas Tree Thoughts . . . .

Do you prefer live or artificial trees? Cut-your-own or pre-cut?

we always get a Cut your own.  We started this when the property that we border on 

One of my favorites

"My grandma made this many years ago"  " I love all the handwork and therefore love that went into it"

"a new ornament for 2015" 

What is your favorite ornament?

Are there any special tree-trimming traditions your family follows each year?
  We try to get it up just after Thanksgiving, each child puts on their own ornaments, my husband does the lights. 

When do you put it up and when do you take it down?

Colored lights or white lights?

 We put it  up the weekend after Thanksgiving, we take it down in January as we can. 

This year we have white lights but sometimes it is multi colored. 

- See more at: http://dawnathome.typepad.com/by_sun_and_candlelight/#sthash.oTzvYevq.dpuf

Fabric Garland . . . .

So here is another little project . . . . a string of 50 White lights with fabric strips tied between them .
Strips are 6 inch long bu 1 inch wide and there are 7 strips between each 2 lights.  It was an easy mindless task, I did not give great thought to what strips went where.  It is looking great in our kitchen window.

Cookies 2013

Put into a Church Auction

For a Bridal Shower

Chocolate Crackle Cookie on my Husbands Birthday!

Part of a Tray for Robotics Saturday Lunch

      Well I have to say that I have always liked to bake cookies.  I am not sure if it is the taste or the size or the pretty factor but something really intrigues me.  To get such flavor out of something so small?  May be that is it. Some Christmas Seasons I bake more than others. Since I had several events to take cookies to , I baked quite a bit  this season but I still did not get made all the kinds that the family wanted.  Some of what I did make are as follows:

• Anise sugar cookie cutouts - family German recipe
• Gingerbread cutouts with lemon icing - recipe from my friends Grandma in Minnesota
• Jan Hagels - Dutch cookie from Jr. League of Holland Michigan
• Pecan Butter Balls- new this year from a book I read
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip - Chestnut Hill Original
• Spritz
• Jammy Dodgers - Tea Cookbook
• Almond Bars- new this year- the yummiest from a woman in Lockport NY
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Snicker-doodles - award winning from my friend Missy
• Plain Sugar cookie cutouts
• Buttermilk cutouts- new from friends MIL
• Chocolate Crackle Cookie- Martha Stewart cookbook
•  Easy Fudge -
• Peanut Clusters
• Cris Cross Jelly Squares - from Sophie-  one of my mom's best Friends

Do you have a favorite Cookie that you like to make?  Does it have a story?
 I make the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies the most often in a year and I really wonder just how many batches I make.  I bet in a year I make 50-75 batches - that would be 100-150 dozen  or 1200 - 1800 cookies - just of that kind.   I am not sure if my Math is quite right or not.  The next most popular is a Ginger cookie. So bake on . . .

PS- I know . . . that's a lot of cookies . . . please realize they go to church, to scouts, to school, to PTA, to Robotics, to neighbors, to stampers, to Quilt Guild,  to worksites, they do not all stay or are consumed in our house by any means.

Edna's Christmas

Edna our 8 year old Yellow Lab knows exactly what Christmas morning means.  Ever since she was a puppy she has seemed to know that under the tree would be something for her.  This year she stole the show over the 3 teens in the house.  She got in the living room and right away she started looking, nosing and smelling everything, definitely wanting the first gift for her before anyone else.  She loves to poke her nose in the wrapping in order to get it off.  Her reward with this one was a stuffed Moose. Edna is very good to her toys, she does not rip them apart but plays nicely with them and they seem to last forever.  She stayed right in by us and the tree all morning. Merry Christmas Edna, Merry Christmas everyone!

Decenber Daily or almost- Cookies 2013

       These are the Christmas Anise Cookies that the family looks forward to and most request.  We have a white anise cookie and a Molasses Anise cookie from the German side of the family.  There is anise in both the cookie and the frosting.  The decorating changes year to year - right now bold colors and marbling are very popular.

December Daily or Almost. . . .

" When hope is not pinned wriggling onto a shiny image 

or expectation, it sometimes floats forth and opens" 

 Anne Lamott

PS- this green is one of my favorite colors - just sayin'

December Daily or almost . . . .

So my purpose in December Daily or almost is to try and capture some shots of the season, to record what we see, do think or experience in this very full and very short season of waiting.  . . . .

This is a favorite decoration of mine . . . . I do not have a Elf on a shelf but I do and could have a pig on a shelf! Growing up we had an Elf on a shelf . . well he sat on the refrigerator and watched us eating morning and night.  We were told that he was keeping an eye on us for Santa. He looked just like the current Elf on a shelf but he did not move around. He stayed there all the time.  He did not play any tricks or anything either, in other-wards he had no special powers.  We were captivated none the less by his powers to talk with Santa and report on our behavior.  It seems that I can remember some tattle tale activities between my sister and I at times.

One might think this pig was visiting Seattle with that Lego Space Needle behind him! ha ha

December Daily . . . Snowy days . . .Peace

As the snow falls it leaves behind a thick blanket of white that quiets all that is around.  It swirls and twirls and ever so gently piles up into inches and feet.  The banks of snow dampen the sound and for a short while the whole world stands still. The humans in their houses and the animals in their dens, trees and homes wherever they may be.  This is the morning after and there are no tracks at all.  This is unusual as coyote, fox, deer and other mammals and birds are abundant here at Chestnut Hill. We revel in the sheer beauty of a fresh blanket of snow. It coats all the trees like frosting on a cake. As it has been very cold out of late this is a dry fluffy snow and not the kind that we can make snowmen out of.  Perfectly fine for sledding though.

December Daily- GingerBread Houses 2013

We Baked 7 small houses and 6 Large houses

These are the foil covered cardboard to serve as bases for the homes.

Partial assortment of candy for houses.

Snipped red twizzlers for bricks and small triscuits for roof- Dorr and entry are on another side.

designing with the Royal Icing

Lots of pattern and Symmetry

Bright colors!

All reds and greens very storybook like - love it!

Gingerbread house in the Tropics with a Yellow Licorice Snowman

Creative cutting of candies