christmas 2010

Christmas is over for another year.  It's SO over, that we already have our trees down and decorations put away!  It just seemed the right thing to do. 

It was a good Christmas.  Josh, Nicholas and Shodie were here to join us this year.  It's been a few years since we woke up to a big Christmas.   

Then we had a long wait before the rest of the kids joined us at 4:00.  Dinner was made.  Table set. 

Then the chaos that is Christmas. 

It was Avery's first Christmas and she knew exactly what needed to be done. 

It was a good day.  A long day.  But an even longer day for the big kids and grandkids.  I'm thinking we need to rethink our Christmas Day plans next year so the kids might be able to enjoy the spirit of Christmas rather than watching the clock to see where they need to be next....

front porch

I can't help it. I love love love the golden colors of Fall.


My idea of a perfect Fall would be adding the adventure of visiting a pumpkin patch. It's on my list of things to do.

Later. Nancy

leaves and beads

We try to do crafts at least once a week. Both the grandkids seem to love doing them, and it keeps them busy for a few minutes.

Last week we collected Fall colored leaves and made these little hanging decorations. They strung the colored beads and I added the leaf for them.

They get great enjoyment out of sharing their creations with their moms and dads. I hope the parents enjoy them as much.

Later! Nancy

keep it cozy

With fall just around the corner, I start dreaming of a simpler life.
A quiet life.
A cozy life.

I dream of cozying up in a snug little cabin in the woods...
with a fire burning to keep me toasty warm....
a cup of hot chocolate....
with mini marshmellows floating on top....
and my favorite book waiting.

This is the life I dream of. The simple life.

autumn

I love the amber colors that are autumn.
The golds. Reds. Yellows. Browns.

Winter crops.
Crispy, juicy apples. Winter squash baked with brown sugar.
Baked goods.
Pumpkin bread. Pumpkin desserts.
A second cup of coffee on a dark and dreary day.
A potpourri of oranges, cinnamon, cloves,
simmering on the stove, filling the room with its sweetness.

Plaids. Sweaters.
Scarves wrapped loosely around your neck.
Gloves to keep your hands toasty warm with the colder temps.

The slight glimmer of a candle or amber light glowing in the dark.
Enjoying an evening with good friends or relaxing with a good book.
These are some of the things that make wrapping our arms around the upcoming winter just a little easier.

a fall day

I think our summer is done.... It was certainly nice while it lasted. This was an incredible summer with weeks of sunny, dry weather. And temps into the high 80's! This is so not typical for Juneau where it rains all the time. Or so it seems.

Today was an incredibly stormy day. So much that I'm sitting here, in the late afternoon, sipping coffee. What a nice thing for a day like this. Some Baileys would have made it better, but I didn't feel like getting out of my chair to get it.

I was supposed to work outside all day today. Our yard is going to be part of the Master Gardener's Tour this year and I have lots to do yet to get it ready. Well, not really. It's in great shape. I just feel like I should be puttering out there, pulling every single weed that sticks its head in my direction. But it was just too nasty to be out there. I'd be fearful for my life! A branch might come flying in my direction! And the rain. Did I mention the rain.....? Lots of it. So I decided to make some zuchini bread instead. Oh, I did donn my rain gear and go out for an hour and a half while the bread was baking and it wasn't so bad once I got outside.

But I feel like today is the turning point from summer to fall. And what better way to "give in" than to light candles, turn on dim accent lights, and plug in the little twinkle lights (without the twinkle) that I have in various places of the house. NOW it really feels like fall! But it's one of those dark and dreary days and we need a little extra light to cheer us up.

Today is also my daughter, Tracy's, birthday. We're going to grill pizzas outside on the bbque. They are so so yummy! We'll let the men do it. They can take cover in the garage (partially out of the rain) while the pizzas bake and us ladies will wait inside in the nice, warm (and dry) house, waiting to be served upon. Yes, we will. And the men will. We have good men.

finally, spring

I had a good evening. Spent a good deal of it visiting old friends. Blogs that I hadn't visited in a very very long time. Catching up. Seeing what was new. It seems everyone has just continued on, sharing their homes, their craft projects, their family.

Here, in my town, we survived another winter of way too much snow. Our winter was too long. Too cold. The good news is, we've had an incredible spring so far. For a change. One thing you need to know about Juneau is it rains all the time and if it isn't raining, it's dark and dreary, and cold, and damp. It can be a very depressing town. And we've had horrid summers the last few years with winters being even worse. So we definitely deserve decent weather. For me, weather in the 60's is just perfect.

It poured down yesterday, for the first time in a few weeks. We definitely needed the rain to soak our soil good, so our plants and trees could grow. But as luck would have it, my husband no sooner finished fertilizing every single plant, shrub, and tree in our rather large landscaped yard.... that it started to downpour.... I hope it had a chance to do some good before being washed away.

But here it is almost June and our gardens are just starting to come to life. The leaves are out on the trees now and our earliest spring blooming perennials are in bloom. One of our earliest spring bloomers is the Trollius, or Globe Flower, with its cheery yellow flowers. Beautiful and so cheery!

My grandbabies are due any minute, so I better run. Hunter is now one and a half years old and Ellis recently turned one year old.

Until next time.... Nancy

baby it's cold outside!

Brrrrrrr. It's been cold here the last few days. Down to about 6 degrees at night. Here's some wintery pictures I thought you might enjoy.

This is what our Rhodies look like when it's so darn cold outside. They just close their leaves and hunker down until it warms up. If it was only that simple for the rest of us!

No angel should have to endure this bitterly cold weather, but, still, she sweetly smiles, thinking of warmer days ahead:

One of my favorite scenes in the winter is this old, rotten pallet, broken hoe, and rotting bird house. I hate to throw anything away.

A pathway less traveled in my back yard. I love how all the shrubbery takes on a mystical look with a little snow and ice crystals on the branches and leaves.

My favorite bird home on a stump. This little house has had more pictures taken over the years than anything. I wish birds would actually use it, but they don't.

I love including yard art in my gardens and most of what I have isn't fancy stuff bought at a high end nursery. It's throw aways or other treasures I've found at the thrift store. My son brought over a metal bowl this summer. It's nickel or aluminum with some patina to it. They were going to throw it out but figured I could put it to good use. So I set it on this stump to use as a bird bath and then added a rock in the middle for the birds to sit on. Perfect!

A star is born. I got interested in topiary this last summer as a unique and perfect addition to my gardens. It's funny how your likes and dislikes change. Just the previous year I wondered why anyone would want something like this in their garden. Now, here it is a year later, and I have one in my garden. But I love it and it adds just another element and dimension to the whole picture.

Even though our gardening season is over for another year, it still brings me such great pleasures. I love wondering through in the early mornings, or when it's still a little dusk, snapping pictures of the unique shapes. You never know what you mind find. Cheers! Nancy

Holiday cheer

My husband, who is solely a beer connoisseur, made an interesting comment the other night. He said, "we should have a Holiday drink." Hello....???? I've been making one for the last couple years and no one has (a) noticed, (b) partaken, (c) really cared. But it is nice that he's contributing to the Christmas preparation; he usually leaves all the details up to me. So I'll start looking through magazines or go on-line and see what I can find.

Do you have a favorite drink that you serve at Christmas time? I made this pretty little thing for Thanksgiving this year. It was pretty, but tasted pretty bad.

It was a recipe from Food Network and looked really good and fun! Ingredients included whole cranberry sauce.... mint, lime, and vodka. I still think it's festive and a perfect looking drink for the holidays, but I won't be making it again.

What do you do? Do you have a special drink for the holidays?

please call before stopping by....

In the olden days, I loved it when company stopped by; unannounced; to enjoy a cup of coffee and some gossip. To me, that was a pure sign of friendship, knowing you can just drop in on your friends without them worrying about appearances--unkept hair, messy home--welcoming you with open arms. Today, if someone dropped by unannounced, I would worry they'd break a neck!

My home used to be neat and tidy. Everything had its place; all the clutter and "stuff" was organized. We're "seniors." We're retired. Our kids are grown. So it's only natural that we would keep a clean and orderly home....

I love having every thing in its place.... But does this look like a neat and tidy place?! I think not! This is what our home looks like most days a week!

Let's see.... two car seats, an Exersaucer, a walker, a stroller; two dog beds, dog toys; coats and hats thrown on the floor. Big toys, little toys, push toys, stacking toys. Toys everywhere. Books stacked; books tossed; books on top of books; everywhere. Blankets on the floor; baby blankets on the couch. Bibs, wipes, diapers. Bottles. Can you see the vintage wooden bowl full (or half full) of oranges.... on the ground.... oranges usually rolling all over the place....? Barricades in the middle of the room to prevent exiting and access to other places; barricades to trip over.... Oh, and did I mention two dogs and two babies?

Yes, this is our home.... Four days a week.... Please call before you drop by so we can make a pathway from the door....

And the culprit of most of this mess? This is Hunter, my one year old grandbaby. One year old, moving quickly into the Terrible Twos, I might add.... and can you read what it says on his t-shirt in the photo below? Messes just follow me around. Messes indeed! You pick something up, try to put some order into your day, then turn around and it's back on the ground again!

But isn't he adorable? It seems like just yesterday that he was born, and here he is, already one year old.... My husband and I get to babysit him two days a week. He arrives with a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face. He's definitely a boy; into everything. If he's on a mission to touch something, he'll get there. Then he turns and looks at you, with his hand hovering over the item of his interest, as if to say, "see what I'm doing...?!"

I thought my "baby proofing" days were over, but here we are again, watching two precious little grandbabies. The focus on our daily routine is now--what can Hunter get into and where can I put it.... You won't see any magazines or books or journals or other organized clutter on the coffee tables most days. Candy dishes are put up out of reach. Things are tucked behind doors. Four days a week, this home belongs to the babies.

Even though Christmas decorations are minimal this year, I wanted those I did put out to be special, for the grandbabies. They needed to sparkle, to have lights, to be touchable. I didn't want my grandbabies to be denied the marvels of their first Christmas at Grandmas. So whether they're gigglin with the rockin penguins or ringing the jingle bells, I know they're feeling the spirit of their first Christmas at grandma and grandpas.

Now this sweet little thing.... she's my granddaughter, Ellis. She's 7 months old and just as sweet as can be. She definitely has grandma wrapped around her little finger. We babysit her four days a week. She loves her grandma and at any point during the day, she' can be found watching me, just staring; then as soon as I look at her, she opens up this beautiful smile. Yea, she loves her grandma. And her grandma loves her.

These precious little babies.... They'll bring a whole different meaning to Christmas this year. They're going to bring the spirit of Christmas back into our lives. Give us a reason to Believe again. To have Hope that Santa really DOES exist. Santa, or the Spirit of Santa, has always existed in my heart. This year the Holiday Spirit has been a little more difficult to produce, but I there's still hope. And I know just the two little Christmas miracles that can help.

winter is on its way

It appears winter is on its way now.... This isn't our first snowfall of the season and it won't be our last. I wish Fall didn't leave us in such a hurry though, but would find reason to linger a little longer. The colors of Fall are such a simple pleasure, and even more so once you realize that it wasn't so long ago when the only landscaping here was the color of ice....

With the Mendenhall Glacier just down the road from us, we've been watching it recede for years. As huge chunks of ice break off and melt, more of the mountainside underneath becomes naked; now a bare canvas to the possibility of cottonwood, spruce trees, and other foliage transforming the bare rocks with a carpet of color. And it is!

When I moved here in 1970, I found it to be a very difficult transition for many reasons. But one of the biggest was that there wasn't any color in the landscape. Despite rumors that nothing would grow because of our weather and the poor poor soil, die-hard gardeners plunged forward, finding the perfect blend of plants and colors to transfer our gray town. Slowly, over the years, seeds are deposited in the forested land and new foliage takes hold. Today our town is filled with color all season long! Cottonwoods have found their niche in the Tongass National Forest, adding their personal touch to the landscape painting. We have nurseries that bring the perfect addition to our yards.

Our color is all gone now. For another season. And, in its place, we'll have the color of black and white for the next several months. The darkness that winter brings and the snow that helps lighten the days. But that's okay because it brings its own mystic to the landscape and goes perfectly with the winter Holidays!

Have a wonderful weekend! Nancy

seasons come and go....

but rain stays forever.... At least here in Southeast Alaska. Lordy lordy have we had our share of rain this summer. Most recently, 32 straight days of "precipitation." And here it is fall; technically, our rainy season. Still, fall is probably my favorite season, despite the forecast for rain rain and more rain.

Yes, I love fall. Especially my gardens this time of year. I used to think the key to a gorgeous garden was flowers in bloom all summer long. But over the years I have come to appreciate the silent beauties. The oranges, golds, yellows, and reds that only fall can produce. Now my gardens are planted with fall in mind and the burst of color that comes just before the dreariness of a long and dark winter. (Wentworth Viburnum and Tor Spirea in the front)

Fall brings with it a mystery of what's yet to come. There's nothing more exotic than morning dew that lays gingerly on the tree branches, looking like single droplets of swarvoski crystals. As the weather turns colder, our morning dew turns to frost crystals. And fog gently weaves in and out of our massive spruce trees, hovering as if slowly unveiling the day to come, letting just a hope of blue sky to peak through.

Yes, we welcome today with open arms, lapping in the beauty that fall brings. And tomorrow.... with winter just around the corner.... well.... let's just say tomorrow is another day. Nancy

tell me it's not so....

Pussy Willows. Skunk Cabbage. Denticulata (primrose). Chives. Red knobby heads of the Rhubarb. More daylight. Dick. Spring King. These are signs of spring in Juneau.

Did I say "spring"? Could it be? Spring? Yea!!!! Yes, I do believe spring has finally sprung in Juneau. It's been sunny AND warm the last few days. So much that I have a tan! Yes! Hard to believe, I know. But I'm back working part-time at the nursery (plant nursery) and it doesn't hurt that I get to be outside all day. This is my therapy.

When I'm not working, we're babysitting my precious little grandbaby, Hunter. He's just so cute, all you want to do is look at him. We started babysitting last week and so far, so good. We've got a nice little routine down, one that works for all of us, and we've only had one temper tantrum.... so far.... Today we're going outside to do yard work. The snow is gone and we're able to rake and do spring clean up. This is the best part of spring. Getting the yard back in shape after a long winter of snow and ice and debris that's been blown around.

Our friend, Dick, arrived last weekend. He comes every year to fish for King Salmon. He stands on the rocky shore of North Douglas, casting his line at the first crack of dawn. Waiting.... Hoping the seals won't return to take their share of the catch.... Dick arrived at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and by 8:45 a.m. on Sunday he had his first King Salmon of the season. Fish on! That's all he needs to say when he calls and we know to have the barbecue ready. I wish I could describe just how good this first King Salmon of the year is. We look forward to it for months. Our mouths watering. The fish is processed within minutes of being caught and slapped on the grill before you can blink. The key to a fabulous dinner is hot coals and Old Hickory Smoked Salt. Mike has this process down to perfection. The heat of the coals. Only minutes on the grill. Cooked just until the fish is no longer raw. The oils still oozing out of it. The best fish ever.

Yes, spring has sprung!

just waiting

I'm still here.

Just sitting...

and waiting.

For spring.

traditions, a good thing

I'm not certain what I have to write about as I start this post but just feel it's been so long since I've posted anything. Let's see.... we recently returned from three days in Seattle where I went to get my hair cut. Yes, we have hair salons in Juneau, but I'm so tired of getting a not-so-good cut. On our way back from Sedona in June, I swung into a Gene Juarez studio and got the best cut of all times. I absolutely loved it and have decided that all my hair cuts will be done there. Okay, so maybe I won't be flying down every ten weeks just for a haircut but we'll see. It was a good excuse to go buy baby stuff!

But the best part of any travel is coming home. To our Sadie. To the rain. To the cool, brisk clean air. Yes, there's no place like home. My nephew and his significant other house/Sadie sit for us when we leave. Shodie always has the house looking so clean with little bouquets of flowers everywhere. I commented on them the other day and she said it's a family tradition. Forgive me that I won't get this story correct but you'll get the gist of it. I don't tell jokes either because I can never remember the punch line.... Anyway, when her mother was a young child, they would walk down the road to her mother's house and along the way would always pick wildflowers to take. Whenever Shodie comes for dinner or to house sit, she always brings flowers. Always. I think it's a wonderful tradition!

What traditions does your family have? Fall traditions? My mom always had the house decorated for every holiday. Nothing extravagant but she had this little nook, the area behind the wall oven, that she would put decorations. I decorate to the extreme, with decorations everywhere.... It's tasteful though! I think! Isn't it, Tracy?

Fall is the beginning of the baking season for me. I think that should be a season all it's own, don't you agree?! I have plans for baking an apple crisp for dessert tonight and then pumpkin bread, monkey bread, and a blueberry buckle for tomorrow. We're also having our first of the season turkey dinner tonight. Not quite a full menu but turkey, dressing, potatoes, fruit salad, rolls, and miscellany. So baking and large cooking is definitely my tradition.

I've still been doing a lot of planting in the yard. The nursery where I work is winding down for the year and any perennials and shrubs not in great shape are getting tossed.... Into my car! I'm sorry but I just can't bring myself to throw them out so bring them home. They're just poor, pathetic things but I'm hopeful that with a little tlc, they'll be just fine. But it's been a lot of planting trying to incorporate the salvaged plants into some new, vibrant, gorgeous shrubs. I love all the fall color right now.

Okay, enough rambling and back to traditions... Let me know what your family traditions are, whether they're generations old or newly created by your family. I'm going to come up with some too. Have a great fall day! Nancy

a fall day

Rain, rain, and more rain....
For two days straight.

Spent the day sorting through closets, drawers, and cupboards. A Fall activity.
Read a trashy novel. A Fall activity.
Turned the heat up. A Fall activity.
Made stew for dinner. A Fall activity.

If it feels like Fall...
And it looks like Fall....
Does it make it Fall.....?