monday's mulling: time for a visit to the eye doctor

Christmas stockings have always been a big part of Christmas in my family. My mom made each of her four children a stocking from a kit - red felt, Christmas figure cut outs and rick rack, all glued onto the stocking. That was a '60s thing. When each of my children were born, I followed in Mom's footsteps and made each of my children a Christmas stocking. That was back in the 1980s when counted cross stitch was popular and I did their stockings on linen. Fast forward to 2018 when my son got married in September. A new family member who would need her own stocking hanging on the mantle. I wanted the look to be similar but didn't want to do an entire stocking on linen. The solution: cross stitch the name on linen with some Christmas ornamentation and then attach it to fabric. Voila! That's what I have done for my two sons-in-law and recently finished the last one for my new daughter-in-law. Rather than whipping through it like I did for the last three, hers one was a chore. I put my reading glasses on and they helped but I needed more light. I sat by the sliding glass door with my readers on and that was a little better but it was still slow going. At that pace, I'd be finished by Valentine's Day. I needed more light and more magnification. The solution? Buy one of those magnifying lamps that have LED lights. And I did. The sewing was much easier and quicker.

It's been a while since going to the eye doctor and I've noticed the ole eyes aren't quite what they used to be. This Christmas stocking is the kick in the pants to schedule an appointment...after New Year's. Here's a little preview of what caused my eyes to go buggy. I'll share the finished project once Christmas has passed.

winter solstice

 It’s that time of year...

The winter holidays are upon us once again. Twinkling lights, decorated trees, candle lighting, gift giving - all the usual trimmings for this time of year.

It’s also the winter solstice and one of the most enduring symbols of this solstice is the importance of light. In the depths of winter, when days are short and nights are long, people have long sought ways to bring light into their lives to combat the darkness and cold. This is reflected in the many winter solstice traditions that revolve around light, such as using candles, fireplaces, and lanterns to brighten homes and public spaces. And much of this naturally overlaps with Christmas and Hanukkah. Whether it is the warmth and comfort of a fire, the light of a candle, or the twinkle of holiday lights, this is a time when people come together to celebrate the return of the sun and the promise of new beginnings. From this day forward the days will start to get longer and we experience more daylight.

Today is also a big day at Stonehenge. The stones of Stonehenge have silently marked the winter solstice for thousands of years. The Druids of ancient Britain also saw the winter solstice as a time of renewal and rebirth, and it was an important event in their religious calendar. 

This was a few years ago at the Tree of Lights on Solstice Day. It was turning dark  and I was waiting for the lights to bring brightness to this day with the shortest daylight hours.

"After the longest night, tomorrow we sing up the dawn. There is a rejoicing that, even in the darkest time, the sun is not vanquished." - Dacha Avelin

the santa tree

Ho, ho, ho...Merry Christmas! This little Santa tree is placed close to the front door where it greets anyone who comes through that entrance. Quite a few years ago when decorating the big Christmas tree, I noticed that there were a lot of Santa ornaments amongst the other tree baubles. Why not have them all hang out together?

This guy is the STAR of the tree. Back in my teaching days, Wendy, the creative App Tech teacher, was the head of the "Morale Committee," where Super Teachers Are Recognized. One year before our holiday break, she hung this Santa ornament on each classroom door. I always think of Wendy when placing Santa star on the tree. Her classroom was a couple doors down from my room and we had so many wonderful conversations. Lots of good memories from those hallway chats.

The trains underneath the tree are a nod to my Dad. He loved trains and as a young boy started collecting Lionel trains. He carried this hobby through his adult life. He discovered a Lionel store in Cincinnati, made friends with the owner who called Dad whenever he found something he thought Dad might want to add to his collection. Every Christmas Dad lovingly set up his trains around the Christmas tree. He put the smoke pellets in the engine and blew the whistle, would dump the cargo when it passed over a switch and would switch the trains to go right or left. It was such a treat to see Dad act like a little kid. My brothers now have the trains and occasionally will  set them up. When my grandchildren get bigger, I would like to borrow the trains to set up around my Christmas tree so they can experience the magic of their great-grandpa's toy trains.

 

the friday feed: tiramisu

One last Chicago post...

After a lovely evening of driving through a huge Christmas light display in Northbrook, we stopped for dinner at Tutto Fresco. We all enjoyed our meals with everyone requesting a take home box. You think you put a big dent in that bowl of pasta but when you're sufficiently full, there's still enough left over to make a meal for the next day. Anyway, as full as we were, my daughter with the sweet tooth asked if anyone would want some tiramisu. How can you say no to that light, fluffy, whipped-creamy with a cherry on top dessert? We sure didn't!

Spongy decadence

With caffeinated sweetness

  Need spoons for five, please.

conquering the sky: december 17, 1903

The Starfield in the dome of the Schuster Performing Arts Center portrays the constellation in the night sky over Dayton, Ohio, on the night of December 16, 1903. 

The following morning on the sands of the banks of Kill Devil's Hill, North Carolina, at 10:35 a.m., December 17, 1903, two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright , changed the world.

Orville flew the first flight for 12 seconds, covering 120 feet. Three more flights occurred that day, with the longest by Wilbur covering 852 feet in 59 seconds. The landing from the last flight slightly damaged the aircraft, the Wrights intended to quickly fix the Flyer and attempt yet another flight. Unfortunately, a sudden gust of wind picked up the aircraft and tossed it along the beach, causing extensive damage. The world's first successful airplane would never fly again, but that didn't deter Orville and Wilbur from moving forward with their dream of powered flight.

 

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

A trip to Chicago for a few days. At my high school reunion, when making conversation with people you remember from 50 years ago but haven't stayed in touch, one of the questions was, "Now that you're retired, do you go anywhere for the winter." My answer, "Cleveland and Chicago to visit my grandkids." That always got a confused reaction.

Friday morning my daughter and I took the little guy to daycare so we could spread Christmas joy to school children. Such a pretty sunrise over the bitterly cold city as we started the day.

The Museum of Science and Industry's annual Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light was a fun excursion to get out of the house. It features more than 50 trees and displays, each decorated by community volunteers who share family and cultural traditions drawing on their global heritage. This beloved annual exhibit started in 1942 as one tree to represent unity during World War II and has since turned into an engaging winter wonderland. It brings a whole world of holiday joy under one roof.

The United States' tree has an ornament for each of the 50 states. We had to hunt for Ohio and finally found it in the back of the tree.

England and France's trees. England's tree topper is hard to see but it is a crown. The sparkling Eiffel Tower tops France's tree.

Todd and my son-in-law were supposed to go to the Cleveland Browns v. Chicago Bears football game but it was too bitterly cold. The wind chill factor was around -10°F (-23°C) and as much as Todd loves his Browns, watching them in the bitter cold was not appealing. However, my daughter, who loves football as much as her dad, did go to the game with a bunch of her crazy friends and appeared on the television screen for a brief moment. She's the blonde in the left corner.

My little grandson loves to organize his animals. As he lines them up, he says each one's name, and then looks at Didi to repeat what he says. This was a great source of entertainment and now I hear his little voice, "brown bear, turtle, tiger, toucan, crocodile, flamingo, elephant..."

The I-65 wind farm is always a boredom buster on the journey to and from Chicago. 20 miles of driving through snow-covered, frozen Indiana farmland. 

We got home to witness this knock-your-eyes-out sunset. Mother Nature sure put on a color show.

 

monday's mulling: christmas spirit

In western Chicago, there is a preschool which provides educational programs for children with multiple disabilities - physical disabilities, health impairments, autism, severe/profound cognitive impairments and developmental delays. This school is specifically structured to help children with their milestones and struggles early on. 64% of the students are low income and 75% have IEPs (Individualized Education Plans). These young people have started their lives with some big strikes against them but in this building are the teachers who give their all, their hearts, to these children every day. This small school in the Chicago Public School system offers big services to give children a strong start in their education. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is not financially sound. This where some Christmas angels step in to help one little school.

My daughter and son-in-law’s company has adopted this school and every year before the children go on their holiday break, through the employees’ generosity as well as that of friends, family, and the corporate office, they bring toys to each student and provide funds to the school and teachers for technology and classroom supplies. This year my daughter invited us to come to the school to watch the festivities.

My son-in-law dressed up as Santa and almost every child walked up to him to receive his or her gift. Some were timid, some were quite confident, some were downright scared but each child, regardless of the confidence level received a gift. After they got back to their seat, they opened their bag and smiles lit up the room.

Children and Christmas…it’s pure joy.