Cooler weather

Monday looked like a perfect day to go hiking. Our roads were somewhat plowed and still quite icy under patches of snow. Going down this hill can always be fun in the winter.

The skies were gun metal grey and the forecast was little or no wind but expected flurries. The temperatures were in the low 20's. Awful you'd say for an adventure, but I've been dubbed as the 'Mad Hiker' so Charlie and I went.

We had been cooped up on the farm for 3 days and had to get out. I figured to do an easy trail. It is called the Wintergreen Trail and is one of my favorites for views of the river and for the Hemlocks and pines that grow there.

Our big surprise is that we were the first ones to break trail in the snow. 

Ok.
Charlie broke trail. The snow wasn't quite as deep here as it was at home. Plus, Charlie has been down this trail so many times, he knows it by heart. What a good leader he is!

We took in the bluff view, but not very close as the snow covered up ice on the rocks. Charlie stayed up and away from the edges.

I did too, but grabbed a shot through the snow of ice formations and chunks floating downstream.

We walked among the Hemlock trees and I marveled at the scent and the snowy silence.

Truthfully, it wasn't much of a photographic adventure. We stayed warm and we enjoyed the snowy views along the river.  The shot below shows all the colors that we saw. Brown foliage and grasses, green Hemlock needles, dark tree trunks, along with a green tint in the river, and of course white snow.

We got back to the parking lot and continued past the Visitor's Center where someone had walked on the upper loop. I wanted to get down to the river and look at it. I check this spot in each season. Here is where I generally find the first flowers of Spring to appear.

We hiked back to the parking area and had snacks before we left. The roads were getting much worse and I was glad I decided to take a short hike.

I think by the end of the week, I may just go check out the ice caves and see if this frigid weather has effected them.

I usually try to see the caves in the first week of December and then again at the end of the month and continue through the melt.

They can be a disappointment, or they can be incredible!

Two years ago in January:

With winter this 'cool' how can you not get excited??

I'm still catching up with my week. Hmmm. It has been different.

I did start this project though:

The Christmas Chair & Charlie

 

Placing the jointed corduroy Christmas Bear that I made over 30 years ago in the seat of the chair marks the finish of the chair-tree. Lots of things will still happen in the seat of the chair, but this means I am done with any touch ups.

Now we just enjoy the light and cheer it brings to the living room especially on dull and dreary cold days.

The wooden crates around it have things in it too. Who doesn't like gnomes? Well some folks. I happen to enjoy the few I do have. 

They don't all spend their time around the tree though. The one below came out hiking with me earlier in the week when it was still quite warm out.

I found this gnarly tree ...

...and it sure felt like a place that a gnome would like to hang out in.

Our weather is changing rapidly this morning. We will warm up out of the below zero digits to a warm enough temp to have snow and freezing drizzle with ice accumulations before it gets cold again.

It looks like the Gingerbread fellow has it all under control for the North Pole. He is tuning up his snowblower!

Last but not least, I had to try this.

Charlie's Christmas Shot.

Finally, as he approaches the age of 7, he is understanding what this posing is all about. This year, it was super laid back. 

I just set him on the turtle stool and put a ribbon around his neck. Here is how we worked it out.

He is very food driven! 20 seconds.... 👇

Out take...

Final. This wasn't the best I've done, but I just wanted to get his 'face' on record for this year. He was a good boy for doing this for me.

Have a great Saturday!

Finally. Christmas Tree Chair

 

Here it is as it is lit up and decorated. I have some ornaments on it. But really didn't put tons on it this year. I used up most of the red colored ornaments I had for some color. 

I also don't always hang my special ornaments, but use them on the chair seat like this:

I'll keep changing what is on the chair or around the chair almost daily. To keep the horses from falling over, I used the string of beads. This chair seat IS flat so they shouldn't fall over, but I liked adding color with beads and ribbons.

I finally got my North Pole Village out and as I arranged things, I started to 'play'. 

I mean, this time of the year gives me a great excuse for more play, right?

Our weather is unbelievable! We went from way below frozen to 50 F yesterday. It will last through the weekend through Monday. I still am contemplating doing a Charlie photo. You know, the one where I make the dog sit in front of the tree and pose. 

LOL. He hates it but will do it for cookies!

Enjoy.

Christmas Chair...slow work...

It's a tree, it's a chair. It's a Treed-Chair? The tree and the chair must become intertwined. I don't know why, but that is the way I think of it.

The chair seat is scratched and old but it provides a surface for magical things to happen 'under' the boughs of the tree.

At one time the little chair held gifts and envelopes [grands grow up and want $$ more than a gift]. I could be a real jerk and get everyone underwear and socks. But I don't. It is a thought though.

I mean come on. Wouldn't everyone in the family think I was more off my rocker than usual? At least no one would forget the year Grandma gave everyone weird underwear. 

Meanwhile, back to the Christmas Tree Chair. 

I really only do 1/2 of a tree, so the tree towards the window is flat and it saves more room. I don't go all the way down the tree either with the branches. 

I started doing the Christmas Tree Chair as a fluke in 2013. The tree at first was supposed to be behind the chair and hide the poor design of the tree that doesn't reach the ground like a real tree does.

This was before we remodeled the house. Dark walls, dark bricks, and ugly carpeting. 

The chair offered a nice way to change up decorations in a small space. The chair was rough and had a cool texture to it. It was beat up and cracked. Not really good for holding a human at all.

Over the years, I used the same chair until it actually fell apart.

The fun of decorating the chair morphed into including some of the wooden boxes I've collected over the years. In 2020 I got an old nesting box for chickens that my mother in law had purchased years ago and used as a coffee table.

This year tried something different yet again. A different chair and a different arrangement.

I start and stop often. Two days ago, I stopped here and let one of the handmade tiny button bears take over. I was tired.

It looks like the bears added a string of colored lights and a gnome has hopped onto the top of the tree.

The rest of the work is still unfinished. Most of what I do with the whole mess is change small scenes often in the boxes and on the chair for the fun of photography in the dead of winter.

Plus, it brightens up our living room with color and light in the evenings.

In the meantime. Charlie and I have been off exploring and looking for more ice formations. More about that very soon!

Why Decorate?

Decorate or don't Decorate its a personal choice. 

For some it is a burden. The commercials flood the radio waves, the TVs, and every store shouts CHRISTMAS at every turn. For some it feels like Christmas has missed its intended purpose. Christmas is not a Currier and Ives Scene, it can sometimes be messy, it can sometimes be wonderful.

An elderly friend in the south, told me she gave up on decorating years ago.

Her life had changed significantly. Let's just say there were tragedies in her life.

Similarly, my mother decided a few years back that she wouldn't decorate anymore. She questioned the point of it and often mentioned her dislike for Christmas.

When I was young, my mother would decorate extravagantly. Outdoor lights, a real tree, delicate glass ornaments, and those large, colorful bulbs were all part of the tradition. We joyfully threw tinsel over the tree. After we stopped believing in Santa Claus, she would pile gifts under the tree as she accumulated them.... which brought us immense excitement.

As we grew older, she opted for a tabletop tree to avoid the mess of fallen needles and the need for watering. It was neater and more convenient.

Children grow up and sometimes move away. Life unfolds in unexpected ways.

Christmas occurs during the darkest time of the year, often intensifying feelings of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The darkness, the family memories, whether joyful or painful, are very real.

Isolation is a reality for many, as are sad and enduring memories.

My mother-in-law, however, never ceased her Christmas decorating. Post-Thanksgiving, I would help her retrieve decorations from storage. She would supervise from her chair as I replaced fall decorations with Christmas ones, set up the pre-lit tree, decorated her balcony, and arranged fairy lights, a wooden goose, and her miniature village.

Her apartment would transform into a festive haven, complete with a 'feather' tree and vintage ornaments. You couldn't even reach for toilet paper without seeing a Yuletide decoration.

When my husband and I first met, he expressed his dislike for Christmas. He didn't want me to decorate. He'd spent a Christmas in Vietnam and it was not a happy time for him at all.

That didn't stop me. I first started out with his tiny 6" tree. 

Eventually, it wasn't about Christmas so much as I wanted to light up the dark cold nights with colors and a sense of warmth. It was also a chance to deep clean the house and move stuff around. 

The Christmas season became a reason to have fun to...

Display toys and let the toys play.
Decorate the dog.
Take photos.
Be surprised, take joy in imagination...

I do it for me as generally I am the only audience for my decorating. It is like creating art that keeps transforming.

At least I have a reason now to 'play'. 

If I can make December playful with the cold days and dark nights, I'm happy. After all. No one who knows me thinks it is weird when I turn the living room into a place of play.
The toys take over as they should.

It even makes Grumpy Gus smile when he walks into the room and sees Teddy Bears doing naughty things one day and the next they are sitting quietly looking sheepish.

Decorating or making the decision not to is just fine. We can be moved to do it or not.

It is such a personal preference.

For many, Christmas can be a source of stress. I often spend Christmas Eve thinking about all the times I'd call my Father late on Christmas Eve. He'd ask me to describe our Christmas Tree. I'd tell him about it and sip a glass of wine. We'd laugh, we'd chat and I'd sit in the dark and tell him tall tales and he would do likewise.

For that, I am grateful for Christmas and the memories it brings to me each year.

This year I have 3 ugly chairs to consider for the Christmas Tree Chair. Which one will it be??

Meanwhile at the tree

Here is another shot of my Christmas Chair and tree. 

It is the light that I really love. Oh and of course all of the toys that are running about.

These are carousel horses that were given to me years ago. Funny that three different people purchased these and gave them to me. The horses match. I've always thought that was amazing. 

The horses were on the chair and I guess that made them vulnerable to the Star Wars Storm Troopers who thought they'd go for a joy ride. I don't mind, it looks like they were having a great time.

I hope my 'chair shenanigans' don't bore anyone. After all, I do it for me and not really anyone else. 

During those cold, damp, dreary, and grey December days with longer nights and shorter days...I generally need something to distract me.

On the chair. Miss LaFleur and Yvette rearrange ribbons and add an ornament to the tree. They are so happy that the chair allows them access to the branches!

Oh my! It looks like the Dinosaurs are back giving Santa a hard time. 

I wouldn't worry too much. Santa usually has these things under control. He just keeps some of Charlie's dog treats handy....

I've heard this year that the dragons wanted in on having fun at Christmas.  I also heard that they took over the space under the chair.

I understand that they are not exactly happy about the color of the string of beads.

I heard one grumble:

I thought you said there'd be gold under this place! I want gold!

Behind the scenes, the Lego elves are getting involved. This one is busy feeding one of the unicorns who jumped off the tree for a treat.

....

and not on the chair we find Rabbit and Bear. Rabbit is always kind to Bear trying to find ways to cheer him up and make him feel better.

Rabbit to Bear:

Here you go Bear, this small box represents all my love and caring for you. 

this time of the year is not easy

for everyone

remember kindness

and

love....

Under construction ...

This year the decorations will be about toys. I have to admit, I like toys.
My toys will have a chance to come out and play.

A lot of my toys and some of the decorations are items that have fond memories associated with them. I'm sure this is true for most of us who have had children and who've seen them grow up.

The red jointed teddy bear is one I made many years ago while making many teddy bears and other toys. I couldn't afford the price of a Care Bear when the boys wanted one for Christmas so I tried my hand at making toys. I found out that I couldn't sew a dress or pants, but could certainly whip together a difficult toy! 

The Christmas Teddy bear is sitting on a Turtle stool.

The stool was made by a man named Orlando Potts who was an uncle or grand uncle to Rich's daughter. He handmade that turtle stool. It is dated.... and signed. I found it in the garage years ago. It was under a pile of junk and it was very dirty. Rich commented that his daughter no longer had a use for it and he didn't know why he saved it, he just did.

I cleaned the Turtle up and put it in our house. The Turtle has a story and a history. Besides, when little people play at my house, they always drag out the Turtle to sit on!

The nesting box for chickens was an item used as a coffee table in my mother in laws house as long as I could recall.

My father in law knew I loved it and promised to build me a replica. He cut up all the boards and was set to do the woodworking when he died.

I coveted this odd piece of furniture for years. When it came up for auction at my mother in law's estate sale I went for it. I probably paid too much money for it. But I wanted it. It suits my house in all seasons.

The boxes on top of the stack are actually drawers from old fancy pedal sewing machines. I found most of them in the shed or garage filled with rusty nails and bolts. I spent a lot of time cleaning them up. I found ones like them for sale at an antique store for a ridiculous amount of money.

Below the drawers is a bolt shipping crate.

On the bottom is a Dynamite box. I'd love to know more about who got a box of dynamite and how it was shipped! The tiny button bears I made live there right now with a cowboy snowman and a felt needled snowman I'd used to decorate my MIL's nursing home room.

I suspect that those toys will move around. The tiny teddy bears will no doubt get into things when I am not looking.

Those gnomes sound like they are plotting against their nemesis: The Elf on the Shelf.

The Lego people are just waiting until I turn my back.

I saw this just before I went to bed!

Santa! It isn't time yet.

He yelled out that he was just taking the reindeer out for a spin to get them warmed up for the big night...

What surprises will the toys have for me? 

Christmas Chair and other things

This year's version
of the Christmas 

Chair

There is no partial tree with it this year. Just the chair in an ever changing environment. I liked how the shower curtian on the windows behind the tree changes the whole feeling and visual of the chair and baskets.

Here is the full living room.

The Honorable jointed Christmas Bear gets to sometimes sit in the chair.

I made him in the late 1980's. So he is an oldy but goodie. The one thing I do enjoy is making stuffed toys. For the life of me I cannot sew a shirt or pants. But give me a complicated toy and I can get it done. I haven't done any in a long time because I simply don't have the space.

Sometimes the chair is host to other things.

It is ever changing. I do something different to it nearly every day.

Around the house I have the usual.

The Elf on the Shelf has been hanging around. I haven't seen him disrupt anything yet. I have to also keep an eye out on my tiny jointed button bears. They like mischief also. I'm sure they will show up.

For me decorating for Christmas has become a way of having fun and thinking outside of the traditional Christmas 'Box'. Instead of one big glorious tree, I like to have little scenes that might sometimes lead the viewer to think of a story.

I want it to be fluid and ever changing. 

It may be more about being able to use my creativity than any holiday. After all, I get to mess with lights and all sorts of decorations...for about a month!

As kids we used to do 'set ups'. Sometimes it was with my brother's awesome train set and little soldiers -- sometimes those soldiers got run over by the train and we got enjoy wonderful derailments.

Other times we'd set up immense battlefields on the ping pong table in the basement. My brother is and always was a history buff with particular interests in large battles. We enjoyed our set ups.

So I continue. I love making small 'dioramas' and changing them. This time of the year is perfect for that.

Photo from when we were kids. Dad may have taken it and it is blurry, but there are the Legos and it looks like Civil War soldiers. This looks like one of my brothers big battles.
Such fond memories of play like this. 

Maybe that is why I continue to this day.