Anticipation

Emily's really taken to the couch at the new house. Today, she is lounging comfortably, watching Christmas movies on AMC, and probably dozing into dreams of the Sugared Pig Ear Fairy bringing mountains of doggy treats.

Always my good boy, Badum has nestled himself into the pile of presents-to-be-wrapped in my bedroom. Honestly, I suspect he's trying to figure out where his presents have been stashed.

Meanwhile, at work, the restaurant will close after a half day, and we are all looking forward to celebrating the holiday with our workplace family a little later in the day.

No matter what your plans are for today, tomorrow and the next day, I offer my wish to each of you that you find or make the celebration of your choosing, full of love, peace, joy, laughter and smiles.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Our Christmas Tree

It was great to enjoy an evening at home tonight and get our little tree decorated for the holiday. We'll call this year's model Friedrick, since every good Tannenbaum should have a strong Teutonic name. We welcome him and hope his twinking lights will help Santa to find our new location.

In the interests of keeping things a little simpler this year, there is no massive Christmas town sprawling beneath Friedrick's branches; there'll be time and space for that again next year. And so we go the more traditional route, with Emily doing her part to make it a live nativity scene.

Dashing

So, this morning I remembered that this is a garden blog, and so I wandered out to the new border garden to see if there was anything much to look at...and found these very interesting seedpods on the Casa Blanca lily.

After that, it was time to get ready for a day of merrily dashing about, starting with a trip along Route 28, to find a tree stand and hopefully just the tree I was looking for.


Normally, I'm all about getting the biggest, fullest tree we can fit into the house, but this year, considering aging bodies and residual exhaustion from the move, I was looking to simplify, and just get a cute tree that wouldn't allow too many ornaments or lights.

I had planned that I'd do a whole photo essay on visiting the tree lot and trying to find the right tree, but truth be told, I spotted this one as I was parking the car and it was love at first sight. I only remembered to grab the camera once it was tied to the top of the car.

I dropped the tree off at home, and took the time to get it situated in the tree stand, so it could drink for the afternoon before I bring it inside this evening. While I hated to take any branches off, there was one (isn't there always?) that comes off the trunk too low to accomodate the stand fitting right.

So I used that branch to make a spray for the back door, adding those lily seed pods, with some sedum and beebalm seedheads and a nice bit of red ribbon.


And then off I dashed again, to Hyannis, where I visited K Mart (as well as some other places it would be indiscreet to mention before Christmas). The place was not quite a mob scene, but pretty busy. And I thought that everyone was in pretty good spirits, despite the fact the Big K is apparently NOT designed for frantic shoppers with carts to move through.

But apparently, everyone shops there, even Santa's elves!

The Christmas Ball

So, tonight I thought I would take a break from the business of moving to celebrate the approach of Christmas, by focussing on this special piece of our holiday decor, The Christmas Ball.

(If I had access just now to my own computer, I'd have put together a more representative animated gif file to show it off, or maybe even a video, but alas, this slideshow is the best I can manage with current resources. Imagine it a little faster, with the different colors blinking independently of one another. Actually, if you go into the late December archives from 2006, you'll see it featured in the opening of our video Christmas card.)

Anyway, it's an interesting bit of our collection, created by my Granny at a craft class five or six years ago, and arrived to us on New Year's Eve. In daylight, it's not particularly impressive looking, but at night, it totally comes to life. It's crafted entirely of clear plastic cocktail cups, brass fasteners and little bits of plastic webbing. Each cup has a single bulb thrust through the bottom, and the rest of the light string is balled up tightly in the center.

Originally, it was stuffed with one of those "animated" light strings that has all the bells and whistles: flashing, fading, strobing, blinking, twinkling and so on. The second year we had it, we suspended it high in a tree, to show it off to as many neighbors as possible and to give it that Star of Bethlehem look. But a nor'easter made short work of that idea and it came crashing to the ground and began to fall apart.

The following year I rebuilt it, which is when it became a little more egg than ball-shaped. I had often thought it would be cool to make a bunch of these, and string them up in various trees throughout the yard. But that fantasy only lasted until I was faced with the complicated task of rebuilding the original.

This year, the Ball was the first piece of Christmas bling to make the move, and as always, has received a place of honor in our decorating scheme, just outside the living room window.

Greeting the Season, Outer Cape Style

Sunset on Blackfish Creek, Wellfleet, MA.

We all know that Christmas and the other December holidays are coming fast upon us, but when the calendar page still says November, it can be hard to get into the spirit. Already, I'm tired of alternate versions of "Christmastime is Here", which I'm hearing all too often at work, as I deck the halls there.

With the rest of my time lately spent packing boxes or wondering where the things in those boxes will fit in the new house...and a hundred other things, my feelings of festivity come and go.

So when I needed a haircut and a fresh infusion of holiday cheer, I scheduled one for late afternoon...knowing that Provincetown would not fail to perk me up.

Every year on Thanksgiving, in a ceremony celebrating the visit by the Pilgrims on their way to Plimoth, the monument named for them in Provincetown is illuminated for the holiday season.

Down in Lopes Square, they've fashioned a tree from carefully-stacked and decorated lobster pots and buoys which is pretty cool. I hear they had to rebuild it after an unfortunate motorist incident. I think it looks great.

Unfortu
nately, some places have already closed up for the winter, but there are still plenty of [mostly] year -round favorites offering festive window displays to enjoy as you walk along Commercial Street...as well as additional views of the monument.

Provincetown Town Hall, Commercial Street.



If you're free this weekend (I'm not), local businesses will be hosting their annual Holly Folly festivities, which always sounds like great fun to me.

Don't forget to bundle up (it's cold in PTown this time of year!), bring plenty of cash and wear practical shoes!!

As you can see, few but me were out along Commercial Street tonight, but that made situating the tripod an easier business.

And I was glad I had a hat, since there was a bit of a wind blowing.







Man, you can just hear the sleigh bells now, can't you?

Well, everyone says there's still plenty of time. ; )

In Truro, the vineyard is getting into the holiday act, as well.

Our Christmas Card

Doing a bit of experimenting with the newly-discovered video feature on Owen's new digital camera, and put this together to share just before the holiday season draws to a close:


Not bad for a first effort, I suppose. This means you might see the occasional garden tour video this summer!! Woo hoo...always so much promise and hope for a new year, huh?

I wish a Happy and Safe 2007 to each one of you!!

Greg : )

Old Toy Trains and Christmas Gardens

Last evening, as I headed home from work, I made a stop at Snow's Home and Garden in Orleans.


I always enjoy stopping in there to look over the latest Christmas decorations, lights and most especially, the train displays they have going this time of year. And last night, I was also on a mission, as I had heard that they had reduced prices 50%. I was looking for trees: trees of all sizes for my village under the Christmas tree at home.

I was also not above a few minutes of drooling over the Lionel Polar Express.

But I've been "jonesing" for more trees for the village for years, and try to add a couple each Christmas(there's often slim pickins by sale time)...but since getting the ranger tower (lower right above) a few years back, I've wanted more of a forest. And then we found this dusty old burl in the basement, which Owen recently brought up as a possible focus for cat scratching. However, Agent LaChat was having none of that, and after looking at it for a day or two, I realized I could transform it into a mountain in the back of the village. But I was going to need a forest of trees to help in the transformation.


As you can see, my search at Snow's was a fruitful one, as I came home with two bags full of assorted sized-trees for a grand total of about $12. And "Burl Mountain" came out pretty well, too, I think. Not only is a nice backdrop to give the village some scale, but it's big enough to completely conceal the large train that circles round.


As long as I can remember, there's been a village the Christmas tree. Usually, there was a circle of HO trains, and in my early years, just an assortment of glittered and flocked cardboard buildings.


Of course these days, the Christmas Village is big business... and I've collected an assortment of larger ceramic buildings, as well as the smaller, cardboard ones. These days, the village has suburbs...and there's talk of zoning ordinances for next year, tho this tree-planting campaign should be an improvement. It's an all evening project, laying on my belly beneath the tree, figuring out how the town will look this year.


Only recently did a friend pass on this article about the tradition of Baltimore's Christmas Gardens. Mine fits into this mold a bit, since the scale is wildly varied and by now, I've collected all sorts of little bits and pieces.

So...that was this evening's project, bringing us one day closer to the Big Day.

After Dark

Owen took us out for a ride in his new truck (a Ford Ranger) tonight to look at some of the holiday lights. Our neighbors down the road have added more lights and inflatables to their display. We are especially fond of the penguins and the inflatable Scooby Doo!

Tonight we welcomed Tann (short for Tannenbaum, couldn't you guess?), our Christmas tree for 2006. His trunk is a little crooked...but with lights already quite beautiful!!

And once Tann had been stabilized in his stand, and dressed with some lights, it was time to hit the baking pans one last time for a double batch of bright and tasty snickerdoodles...why is it this simple recipe is the one that gives me so much trouble each year?

Also today, DC Comics released their 2006 Christmas card on their website, and I couldn't resist sharing it here!! Now if only I could find a copy of their Infinite Christmas Special in a store somewhere...

Baking Day

After a morning of gift wrapping, the baking commenced full force with a double batch of Chocolate No Bake Cookies.



Once those were cooled and put away, the business of cut-out cookies got underway, turning the kitchen table into a bakery display rack.


This sort of activity brings out all sorts of interest, particularly among those trying to make a show for Santa of what a Good Girl they are.


The piping bag and my icing didn't work out as I'd hoped, but I'm still pleased with the results. Such a festive looking bunch...

...and by the time all the dishes are done, maybe the frosting will having set up enough to be packed away.

Some Time Passes...

And so, at this point in the holiday season, critical momentum is suddenly reached, as various activities multiply and fill up all that plentiful "free time" we are so often heard to complain of having had too much of...

MONDAY, 12/11: A house is cleaned. Halls are decked. Coolers stocked, wines chilled and cheese displayed.


Good times, great friends, good tunes: overall, it made for a wonderful party and a fun night.




TUESDAY, 12/12: A mild hangover, but a surprisingly clean house. The problem with the nice temperatures we've been having lately are the winter moths. They are flying everywhere lately. They almost look like snowflakes sometimes when they dance around the Christmas lights. But their caterpillars eat the heck out of trees around here come spring.

The Midnight Gardener quietly turns 42.


WEDNESDAY, 12/13: A rainy day. The always-great NRHS Honors Chorus visits the Courthouse for a holiday performance on a double shift.

Meanwhile, cookie recipes are organized, and the first trip to the grocery baking supply aisle occurs. Gift lists are also reviewed...the infinite nature of Santa is pondered.


THURSDAY: 12/14: The warm weather also means the continued presence of our frogs who, in most years, would be hibernating by now. I'm thinking about issueing each of them a little holiday top hat and cane.


By Wednesday, word has gotten around about the recented gifted Monkey Slippers. They are quite comfy, and cute as a button. Thanks, Ersi!!
FRIDAY, 12/15: Schedules are organized for the baking to be squeezed between work shifts. More baking supplies are laid in. The gift shopping is finally well begun. Many bags piled for later review and organization.

I'm starting to boost the volume on the holiday music, as another of our local stations makes the transition from regular programming to all holiday favorites, all the time. So many great songs...still waiting to hear a few of my personal favorites, while others are typically over-rotated (is anyone else hearing Wham's "Last Christmas" entirely too often this year?!?).



Anyway, with another double shift, the tunes keep the spirit alive. And we had the good news of the birth of a new Nicholas to make us smile, too.




Weary though we become from dashing about (or perhaps because of it), there's always time for a little holiday merriment and relaxation at home.

It's just that sometimes that time comes close to midnight. Here's me snuggling with my Best Girl, before rousing myself to make the dough for some refrigerator cookies.
Here the Bendable Cat chills with his other Dad.






SATURDAY, 12/16: After sufficient coffee, Mint Chocolate Pinwheels are seemingly miraculously created. More shopping is done. A penultimate holiday event at work and a few presents sorted and wrapped in the wee hours.

Somehow during the Friday/Saturday overnight, I have also managed to see most of "Prancer" on AMC, and mysterious managed a reasonable amount of sleep.

SUNDAY, 12/17: Lists are revised (how does Santa get away with only checking them twice??), a shopping run to Hyannis is carefully executed. Sorry there wasn't more time to check out the mall Santa. It might've been fun to have my picture taken with him.

The evening brought a impressive gathering of local talent to the Courthouse stage, for the 3rd or 4th Annual Christmas Cavalcade, which raised an equally-impressive sum to benefit the NOAH Shelter in Hyannis.

My holiday spirit is restored in the discovery that such a fun evening could do so much good.