Wonder

Song - Amazing Grace by the Czestochowa Pipes & Drums

It all began with the "Cookie Elves" arriving early one morning in December....

 

 The cookies have been baked and decorated...

 Mr. B may have gotten a little overly zealous in his plane & bomb decorations...

...and a few may have been eaten already.....

The tree was delivered and set up for me which was a true treat as I have been sick for the last few months and it just hung on forever....so this tree was a true Christmas miracle (thank you Henry and Andy).  It was hung with lights and then I noticed on Instagram that it's the new holiday look - a green fir with little white lights and NO decorations - and I was in total agreement (except for the silver star that will go on top) - not sure my family has bought into this new concept but I am in love!

The table is set......

...and the stockings are hung.....

Henry (9 months now) dropped in to help Grandma put the lights on the tree.....

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Goodnight!

A Hummer of a Christmas

 Song - Dueling Jingle Bells by the US Navy Band

'Twas the night before Christmas.......and Santa came to visit to the delight of all the children and even some of the adults! The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.......

....and on Christmas morning our three boys and Ashley, Monica, Jacque and Chewy arrived with a twinkle in their eyes............

............and some of them dressed festively for the occasion with outfits from previous years.

We had just settled down to open some presents when out in my office there arose such a clatter.....I sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.......Away to the office window I flew like a flash, closed all the shutters and threw up the sash. When what to my wondering eyes should appear.....

.....but a miniature hummingbird so lively and quick....

Trapped and frightened and we all had different ideas on how to help him back outside.....we opened the windows & took off the screens, opened the doors, gently trying to herd him to the openings, perhaps with a net suggested Mr. B?  As the poor little creature flew near me I gently reached out and caught him in my hand.

His eyes how the twinkled, his nose - what nose - his head and neck like a cherry and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself! A wink of my eye and a twist of my head......told the little creature he had nothing to dread.

We all walked outside while I released him and away he flew, like the down of a thistle.  But I heard him exclaim, as he flew out of sight....Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

"A hummingbird is just like a regular bird......

except it doesn't know the lyrics."

--John Brown

The Big Night

Song - Tarantella by Beppe Gambetto, Carlo Aonzo & David Grisman

On Saturday night our family had a cousins reunion......

let me introduce you to the Malacarne Family!

These are my grandparents, Art & Sophie Malacarne.  They had four daughters and each daughter had three children - my cousins.  The cousins spent a lot of time together growing up because the sisters were so close and........we're Italian. So they are more like my siblings than my cousins.  Great memories there!

 This photo was taken at the family cabin in Lake Tahoe with all twelve grandchildren and our Grandma Sophie (on the right) and her mother Grandma Mary (on the left).

Can you tell we had fun together?

 For many years Art & Sophie would host a Christmas get together on Christmas Day but the families grew too large once we started marrying and having children of our own.  But we still have that Malacarne bond. So every 5-10 years someone would host a reunion, usually in the summer months.
Last year the "boys" decided to host a Christmas party at a local restaurant. 

It was great to get together but the sitting arrangements were to tight to get up and go visit anyone else other than the people sitting next to you.

So Saturday night it was the cousins turn to host and invite the two remaining daughters - my Aunt and Mom at a new place that turned out to be perfect!

Being the family historian, I was in charge of the slide show and music for the event. Six hundred and sixy-four photos later.........they are still talking to me!

We have aged just a smidgen since the photo above in Lake Tahoe.

 But we still enjoy each others company and getting caught up on family events.  Even the "out-laws" have fun. (They are the SO's who are honorary cousins)

A great night and thanks to those "boy" cousins who know how to throw a proper shindig!!!

 Love each and everyone of you!

"The bond that links your true family 

is not one of blood, 

but of respect and joy in each others life."

-- Richard Bach

Where Have You Been?

Song - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall by Bob Dylan

Where have you been my darling young one?

I'm a bad, bad blogger.....I forgot November and December!

Well I didn't really forget them.  It was more like they bowled me over!!!

 I babysat my son's sweet pup Chewy. What a cutie!

We had 22 guests for Turkey Day!

I completed two commissions and started a new painting.

This was from our Spring trip to Scotland - a piper greeted us in the Highlands near Glencoe.

My mom and I had some downtime at Lake Tahoe.

We had a great cousin's reunion which I did a lot of family tree work for.

David, Timmy & myself

And then Christmas just blew by......

And I was sick the entire time (3 months) with some kind of 

flu-bronchitis-pneumonia-cold-cough thingy! UGGG!

And being stubborn - I never went to the doctors.

Lucky for me, my husband and my boys all cook as well do their loveys, so I had plenty of help.

I hope you will forgive my absence for the last two months.

I'm still here!

As a treat I am going to share two special yummy recipes 

Pumpkin Bread a la Monica

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

1 ½ c. flour

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. pumpkin puree

½ c. vegetable oil (I sometimes use ¼ c. water and ¼ c. oil)

2 eggs, beaten

¼ c. water

¼ tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. allspice

¼ tsp. cloves

½ c. chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, salt, sugar, & baking soda together. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, & spices. Pour into bowl with dry ingredients & mix until all are combined. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3-in. loaf pan, bake 50-60 minutes until done in the middle. Remove from pan, cool on a rack.

 

Jacque's Delicious Cranberry Honey Butter

 1/4 c. honey
1 c. butter
1/4 - 1/2 c. chopped dried cranberries
& orange zest to taste

Jacque placed the butter in small canning jars with handmade labels. 

“And now let us welcome the New Year —full of things that have never been.”

—RAINER MARIA RILKE

December 2015

Song - Auld Lang Syne by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards


 My December.....

Discovered an illegal squatters shelter  10' from our property line and overlooking our backyard.  Ugg...... Worse yet my neighbor told them they could build it there because they told her it was really a Mountain Lion Lookout.  Mmmmm......

Mr. B and my brother Tim trying to move my dad's workshop

A friend went to Tahoe and sent me this photo 

because she knows I just love snow on trees! 

Pure beauty!

Mr. B and I went to The Dickens Fair to see our friend Sandey Grinn transform himself into Fagin! So amazing!

Mr. B played Santa this Christmas Eve and said it was the best E-V-E-R! 

Dawn on Christmas Day

 My dear dad spent a week in the hospital and came home on Christmas Day.  This car was parked next to mine as I was leaving the hospital on that day. Brought a smile to my face!

We all received great gifts again this year but the two that really stand out were Mr. B's reflective gear for his early morning walks and.......

....and Tyler's Bumper Dumper that is a camo toilet seat that fits into his trailer hitch to be used when he is out in the wilderness - not in my driveway!

Dad is happy to be at home with mom 

and Mika is happy to have someone to snuggle with all day long!

The best way to take care of the future 

is to take care of the present moment.

- Thich Nhat Hanh