Friday, December 31, 2010

Taking a Break

Clara Clinebell Hogan
November 27, 1927 - December 22, 2010


Yes, I've been gone from the blog for a while.  I'll be back soon.  My mother died recently, and I haven't been able to get down any words lately.

I'm wishing all of my readers the best of everything in 2011!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Christmas Card Re-Run

Since I've been feeling a bit stressed lately, I'm going to re-use last year's Christmas Card post.  Perhaps I'll do a bit of updating.  But not much.  I'm off to my daughter's ballet recital tonight.  There's been lots of practice.  Tomorrow is a choir concert.  So, you see, I've had the holiday parental concerns to deal with.

Here goes:

I received the first card of the season the other day.  It was festive and handmade by a child.  I loved it.
It's pretty much what a Christmas card should be. Perhaps I should call them Holiday cards, since Christmas might not be the winter holiday you celebrate.
Regardless of what you call them, I do have certain likes and dislikes regarding them.

I like them pretty. Cute is o.k. Religious is fine. Snow scenes, glitter, candles, pop-ups, confetti, musical, trees, bunnies, reindeer, Mary, Jesus, Star of the East, gilded, triple-fold, elves, Santa Claus, Saint Francis, birds, are all just dandy.

If I know you well enough, I also appreciate the annual newsletter. I really do want to know (if I like you) where you went on vacation, who got braces or a promotion or straight A's or knocked up. If granny came to live with you, please tell me. If junior has developed a wheat allergy tell me. If that worthless b@stard has left you for another woman tell me and we'll get together and drink some wine. But please do me a favor. Tuck this newsletter into a lovely Holiday card.

If I like you, I will probably like your children. Granted, they may be pesky at times. I really do want to know about them. I actually want pictures of them. School photos are great. Group photos taken at Walmart are good too. But . . . BUT . . . just insert these photos into a lovely card.

I know how convenient it is to make the photo the card itself. But when I display my Holiday cards, I don't want just photos of kids looking at me. I want to see the pretty cards. I want to take the little photos you insert and put them with the other photos you have sent me through the years. After the holidays, I will file them away with the others from previous years and be astonished at how they have grown. Or, perhaps, your kids will have the honor of being displayed on my fridge for the year. If you send me one of those big ole photo cards, its just going to be tossed. How much room do you think I have to store those big photos? Very little. So those big ole photo cards of your offspring will just get tossed away with half-licked candy canes after Christmas is over. That makes me feel bad. But just not bad enough to create extra storage space.

I also know that no one is going to take my advice. You all went to the photo shop back in early October with your red and green scarves and mittens and posed for your Holiday cards. Too late now.

Hubby and I met up for lunch the other day and we did our Christmas card shopping. I chose bears in the winter woods full of bright red Cardinals.  Hubby chose some pop up owls in Christmas hats.  Whether the recipients like them or not, we chose cards that say something about us. And it will say something about you -- that we think you're great and we want to make your Holiday even better. And tucked inside will be a little photo of our wonderful, gorgeous, achieving, talented, loving, gifted, precious, awe-inspiring child.

I'm sure I've offended a few people out there. I've probably been furiously scratched from your Holiday card list. Even more likely, you will still send out that big ole photo card anyway, whether or not you read this blog.

I know your children are wonderful, gorgeous, achieving, talented, loving, gifted, precious, and awe-inspiring. Just tuck their photo (or perhaps a photo of the entire family, including pets) inside a show-stopping Holiday card that I will proudly display.

Happy December everybody.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

For the Love of Bowls

This morning, I paid a visit to the the blog of Robyn Gordon, blogging goddess. So many bowls. So little time. Have a look.

I love a bowl.

I feel that there is nothing that a bowl can't contain.

Bowls are for gathering (receiving).

Bowls are for serving (giving).

My favorite bowl memories are my grandmothers serving potatoes and beans at family dinners.

I took a quick bowl tour around my house this morning, and this is what I saw.





Pinecones.  My favorite decorations (aside from bowls, of course).  Flea market bowl.


Daughter's art class project in handmade bowl.  I went back for more from the artist, alas, she only makes dramatic bowls now.  I like 'em simple.

Ready to hang ornaments in metal mixing bowl.



Teeny tree in artist's wooden bowl.  Love the handcarved leaf decorations.  Note pinecones.



Oh, my darlin' . . . oh, my darlin' . . . Clementines in antique pressed-glass bowl.  We will tell my daughter that it was my grandmother's when we pass it on.  Unfortunately, we have already broken all of my grandmother's glass bowls.  Who am I kidding?  This glass bowl probably won't make it that long.


Game tiles in bowl, ready to be used.


My daughter's collection of rubber animals.


One of my kitchen shelves.  Not my grandmother's glass bowls, black Target bowls, white bowls from my all-time favorite ceramic artist.

I LOVE a bowl.