Gifts from our children are always among the most special.  So cute when they are small…it’s always fun to see what their little minds will come up with.  As they become older, their gifts become different.  It’s obvious when they begin to really think about their gifts and the likes or dislikes of the one who they are giving to.    That is an important skill to have, I think.  It is so easy to go into a store and get a gift…any gift…whatever is closest to the cash register…and if it is already wrapped, that makes it all the better.  But, to spend the time to really think about what the recipient would like, or to really think about what message you want to send by the giving of the gift, is a skill that is sometimes hard to learn.  Can’t you tell when the giver has really put thought into choosing your gift?  And, isn’t it obvious when they haven’t?  I’m not talking just about children and family here, but friends, as well.

Several years ago, Alex gave me this piece from the Willow Tree Collection.  He said the sweetest words to me.  He said,  “You  hold my heart, everyday.  I could not make it without you.”   Well of course, that melted my heart.  He and I are very close, and we are together every day.  I am his legs, when he needs something.  I am his sounding board, and I am his friend.  And, I am blessed to be whatever he needs.

Ian has given me gifts through the years, but I’ll tell you about 2 of them.  He was fortunate enough to take an extended trip to Europe several years ago and to Ireland and somewhere else across the ocean the next year.  While he was in ‘somewhere’, he discovered the wonderfulness which is Burberry.  He started sporting a very nice Burberry wool scarf in their signature plaid.  What can I say?  I like the good stuff, too.  It just looks and feels better.

On Christmas morning, we began opening gifts.  First he handed me a small, flat package.  I opened it and saw the box said Burberry.  I thought he had just reused the box that his scarf came in.  I opened it up and there was a Burberry wallet!  Needless to say, I was shocked.  I can’t believe he used his money to buy that for me.  But, he did, and I love it.  I use it everyday.

  There was another gift from him that day.  And, as much as I loved the wallet…this is the one that brought tears to my eyes.  He had chosen another of the Willow Tree figures.  This one:

He said that this reminded him of the way I had always covered him with love and care.  My, my…my heart is melted!

And recently, he did it again.  He went looking for a sign, and when they didn’t have it…he had them to make it!    I love words and things that say words of encouragement or affirm our faith.  So, this was a wonderful gift.  Here it is in place!

Now that oldest son of mine and his sweet wife have been very kind in their gift giving.  Suzanne has a talent for always choosing perfect gifts.  She puts a lot of thought into each one. I love beautiful pottery and she has given me some that is fabulous!   But, this one was Adam’s doings.  For a while he was seeing a doctor in Montgomery and was not able to drive.  So, I took him up for his appointments.   Now I have been travelling back and forth to Birmingham since I was in college.  And, to get there from here, you have to go through Montgomery.  A few miles before you get to Montgomery, there is a cluster of old buildings.  They have been there ever since I first began travelling this road.  My favorite of the buildings is the smallest.  It had the most unusual shape to it.  I used to wonder what it was used for.  It was really too small to live in, but not big enough to be a meeting place for very many people.  We stopped one day and Adam climbed over the fence and made lots of snapshots of the house.  I was the look out, in case the police came to arrest us for trespassing.  Which we were…at least that’s what the sign on the fence said!    I don’t usually condone a  flagrant disregard of the law….but this was just too enticing!  I mean, the architecture of this building was so interesting to me that I just NEEDED a better look! [ And, hey, this is the South!  I’m pretty sure that if I tracked down the owner and told them what I wanted to do, they would have said,  “Well, Shug, you just go right on in and make all the pictures you want.  Stay long as you want.  And, if the Sheriff comes by in his police car, lights flashing, and siren blowing…just tell him Billy Bob said it was just fine!” ]   Adam was happy to be my partner in crime.   Actually, I think  the whole thing  was his idea, really.  Yes, I’m pretty sure it was.  🙂   I could see the headlines in the local paper….

 **********LOCAL MOTHER AND SON ARRESTED BREAKING INTO  PADLOCKED GATE ON RARE OLD SOUTHERN BUILDINGS.  THEY SAY THERE’S A PERFECTLY GOOD EXPLANATION……(BUT DON’T THEY ALL)  STAY TUNED FOR A LIVE INTERVIEW FROM THE  SOUTH MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL…BUT REALLY WE ALL HAVE COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION…THE MOTHER WAS THE RING LEADER OF THIS GANG, AND IT WAS SHE WHO LED HER UNSUSPECTING SON DOWN THE PATHS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!  FILM AT 6:00! *************

 But, at Christmas, he surprised me with a large print.  He had it printed on a metallic paper, and had framed it beautifully!  It is a treasure.   {This pic does not do it justice}

A closer view…..

 Before Adam and Suze gave me the large print, I had taken one of the snapshots  that showed the unusual shape and framed it and placed it in the library.  When the people came to hang the drapes in the house, one of the men asked me where the picture was taken.  I told him and lo and behold!  he had some information about the place.  He said back in the woods behind this place, there was a small settlement of people.  They all worked for the same man as farm hands.  The farmer paid them well and looked after their well being.  This little place was a church. 

He built it big enough to hold all the adults that worked for him.  I suppose he was not interested in church growth.  Anyway, it is very good to know what it was used for.  It is my dream to have that exact little building sitting in my backyard!  Since I probably will never see that…looking at the picture lets me dream about it anyway.

And, one of the best gifts of all time…for me, at least.  When my Pop took off to Africa, to work with some missionaries for a while, I asked him to bring me a zebra skin.  Well, he took my request seriously.  Several months after he returned this and several other skins arrived.  Turns out that the herd of zebra where he was, needed to be thinned out.  Because of famine, there was not enough food to keep all the animals alive.  So, the government sanctioned the shooting of several of the older zebra and some of the sick ones.  Pop was very fortunate to get in on this.  And, fortunate that he was able to get the hide shipped out of the country.  They did not allow the skins to leave the country anymore.

When this came, I was so excited to see it!  But, it is big!  Mom did not want it to be displayed at her house.  When I first married, we lived in a small apartment in Birmingham…..no room there.  Then when we moved back to Dothan, our first house was tiny…really tiny……no room there.  Then we bought the house we lived in for over 30 years.  There was no space to put it out there.  Well, it could have gone on the floor in the den, there, but there were 4 wild things that lived in the house with Don and I.  3 human males and 1 canine male.  Wild, I tell you…that zebra  would have been drug round the house and yard before I could turn around good.  I was able to share it quite a bit through the years.  I would take it to schools and churches to show it.  But for the most part of 40 some odd years, it stayed rolled up in a garbage bag in a closet.

But, I always said, that one day I would have a place to display it.  I wanted a library with the zebra skin on the floor.  I wanted that skin to be seen and appreciated.  And, no one else in my family, immediate or extended, cared one little whit about this beautiful skin.  So it was now or never.    That was one of the things on my ‘HAVE TO HAVE’  list when we began planning The Creek House.  So, there it is…on the floor in my library!  And, I love it!  Isn’t it amazing how beautiful and artistic the black marking are?  Did you know that the stripes go right through the mane?  So, thanks for the skin, Pop!  It’s finally found a place to rest!

I must add this one.  It may not meet all the other requirements…but it for sure was the funniest!  Here you see me opening a gift from Joy. 

 It is a lap desk, which I really loved because I had a new laptop.  If you look closely at the picture, can you tell that Joy is looking for something?  Well, she was……she was looking for the gift I had given her just a few minutes before.  She loved it.  Because she had a new laptop!  Yes, we gave each other the very same gift!!!

AND…when we returned from Maui last year, she had been a little sneak!  When I opened my luggage…tight on top was a wrapped package to ME!  I hurriedly opened it and this is what I found.  Joy had bought this beautiful sun catcher of the Bird of Paradise flower, which grows wild, I might add.  It was just a little surprise to always remind me of the wonderful time we had on our Maui Adventure.  I hung it in the window right next to the day bed in the studio…and there it hangs still.  Such a sweet reminder!

Oh, I could go on and on…but, this could get old for my readers.  Let me just say that I am so blessed to have wonderful friends and family who care enough to search for gifts that are different and unusual and suited to my aesthetic.  And, I try to do the same!  But, as wonderful as all these things are…that is just what they are…things!  Not worth much in the grand scheme of things.  And, I mean the REALLY grand scheme of things!  Not a single one of these will go with me when I move on to Heaven…and when I get there, I won’t be wishing I had any of it with me.    So, it’s all just ‘icing’….that yummy little extra on the top!   Fun to have and use…but no lasting value.  Fun for me to search and plan and purchase for others in my life…but, if I have  not told them about the GREATEST GIFT…then the other things are as dirt.

We read in the Bible that “Every good and perfect gift comes from above…”  James 1:17.  Now if this is so, all these wonderful things that are such treasure to me are all gifts from God.  Have you ever thought about gifts that way?  It is God who allows us to have pretty things.  It is He who allows us to have gifts that make our life easier.  It is He who allows us to receive such pleasure from the little treasures we obtain along the way.  I don’t think He minds this at all.  He gave us the capacity to appreciate and enjoy the things that the world offers.  But, I DO think He expects us to give to Him first.    And, He expects us to love Him above all other people and things.   Because when you get right down to it…..the best gifts do not come wrapped in tissue and placed in a beautiful gift bag with ribbon tied to the handle!

I do not mind staying in the bed, IF I am sleepy…or IFI have a book…or the computer.  I can not just lay there and be still and quiet.  Too many thoughts running through the brain with nowhere to go.  If I have a great idea…it gets lost and I can’t find it again.  I’ll remember that I had a great idea…but not what it is.  Isn’t that ridiculous?  And, frustrating…very frustrating.

So, when I wake up at 4:47 or 5:22 or 3:23…I get up.  First to the kitchen to get a little something to eat.  If I use the microwave…I have to push the door to verrrrry carefully.  Then watch the numbers and pop the end button before the 5 dings that signal the food is warm.  Those dings sound all through the house.  Don hears them and is not happy in the least.  Finn hears them and thinks a bandit is breaking in and announcing his arrival with dings.  Alex never hears anything.

I take my food into the studio, usually…and watch the news.  Fox News is always on, with perky people looking fresh as a daisy telling the world what happened while we slept.  J*y Beh*r reruns are also on early too…but she just makes me ill.  She is so negative about everything, and really refuses to see another side of a situation, other than her own.  To be truthful, she is better on her own show that she is on The View.  I really want to ring her neck when I see her on The View.  Not that I condone violence.  I’m just saying…  BUT  if I time it just right, I can watch a whole Joyce Meyer message.  I really like to hear her speak, as she hits you right where you need it.    And, she is a much better person for me to listen to.  She has lived a hard life and come through the other side.  I would love to hear her in person one day.

Today, however, I went into the  living room and sat next to the Christmas Tree.  It stands there. in the corner…shining its heart out.  The sweet angel, that belonged to my Mom, continues to stand guard over the house.  At the moment, it is in the highest position in the house, looking down on all that is happening in the lives below.

And,her gown!  Oh, her gown!  It is made up of every color in the spectrum!  In the form of beautiful mercury glass ornaments.  They are wired to the tree to keep them safe.  And, there is not an empty space on the 10 foot tree.  Originally, when I started to collect mercury glass ornaments…they were hard to find.  And, as such, my collection grew slowly.  I was always on the look out for some and found them in the strangest of places.  Then, I suppose, the world heard about me collecting them and decided to copy me and collect them, too.  So, they began to be manufactured by several companies.  Some are as light and fragile as an empty egg shell.  Other ones, which I prefer, are very substantial.  You really feel the weight when you hold them.  Then, you know you have the more authentic ornaments.  I started with only the silver…which is still my preference, but as the tree is so tall…I had to get it filled up.  And so, I started grabbing colored ones, too.

  The first Christmas that we were in the Creek House,  Alex gave me 3 of the most beautiful large red ornaments. 

 There is such depth and mystery to them…almost as if there is something magical hidden deep inside.   Who knows?  Maybe they are just filled with the ‘magic of Christmas’.

Here are some of the different sizes and textures, as well as colors.  But, many more colors than shown.

 Standing so regal, there in the corner, she wore the most beautiful presents as her shoes. And, oh what a beautiful throw in shades of red and blue and yellow, lay there to keep her tootsies warm when the cold breezes blew. “Pretty paper, pretty ribbons of blue…” and all the other colors, too!  But, now on this day, December 28, she stands in bare feet.  The hard, green legs of the tree stand, the only bit of color there. 

 And, as soon as I get some new boxes, the lights will go out and the ornaments will come off .  Then someone taller and stronger than I, will separate it into 2 parts and put it in its bright red bag.    The lights stay on.  That is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

A Christmas tree is meant to be a festive accent in our rooms as the presents we will share wait underneath.  But, when the presents are gone…its job is done for the year.  It looks a little forlorn standing at attention, when its work is over.  So, I shall work quickly to get it to its resting place.  Then it can hibernate until it’s called into duty again 11 months from now.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.  I am not fond of cold weather.  I WAS NOT created to withstand the onslaught of icy wind and freezing temps!  I don’t mind having to wear a sweater, BUT, to have to wear cuddle duds, t-shirt,sweatshirt , knee socks, jeans and a cape is not my idea of being fashionably attired.  And, then add ear muffs, and gloves…and you pretty much are rendered incapable of movement…much less ‘power shopping’.

I know…it’s really not pretty, is it?  But, it was 16 degrees, friends.  16 degrees!!!!!

We left Dothan on Monday morning in the very cold weather in Dothan, so we were sorta prepared for what was coming.  But the promise of fun and laughter, and time away with my sister, was overpowering.  Now, she has a broken foot…and has been wearing a big ole cage type boot on her foot.  So, I gracious offered to drive and let her rest her leg.  I sure didn’t want her holding me back when I got to the stores!  🙂  But, no-ooooo…she showed up at my house in her year old Volvo and shoes on both feet.    Yes…it still beeps when you are withing sight distane of any other vehicle.  Yes, it’s still supposed to stop if it gets close too close to another car…but one time, it didn’t. The great and powerful, invincible Volvo was a little down on its game.  We stopped at a big barn-type store (Sikes and Kohn) to peruse the shoes.  Let me just say that they had done a wonderful job of stocking their store with the shoes that make girls giggle with glee and swoon with silliness and start  a shoe trying-on frenzy!  6 boxes made their way to our car!

Well, getting back in the car, heading on our way, the year old Volvo started sending us a message.  “My tires are feeling a little flat!”  I told Joy it was just a cruel joke and to just drive on.  She did…but it sent us another message that said, “I TOLD YOU I’m feeling a little light in the rubber!”  So she stopped and called someone who knows most everything there is to know about anything you would need to know.  And, he said not to worry…check it at a gas station when we get to B’ham.  I told her again that it was because of the cold.  I know these things.  Really.  We made it on to our destination safely and missed the turn off we wanted to take…so we took the next one.  And, do you know what was staring us in the face when we got to the bottom of the exit ramp? 

And that was our first stop!  They were happy to check the tires.  They said the cold was the culprit!  That was NOT news to me.  But, the wonder car was, indeed, not holding his air.  4 pounds low in 1, and 5 pounds low in the other 3.  They were happy to give us aid and soon we were on the road to our first shop!*****Isn’t it amazing how God watches over us even when we don’t realize it?  We prayed, as we always do, before we left Dothan.  We asked God to keep us safe and station His angels around our car to protect us.  Obviously He did…and obviously He decided the car needed to be seen about.  We didn’t just ‘miss’our exit, it was closed to us by our Father.  And, because He loves us and knows that we are not always the wisest ladies when it comes to car maintenance versus shopping…He led us straight to the dealership and a man who was very happy to stop his work and be our hero.  Isn’t that just like a loving Father?  Isn’t it wonderful to know that wherever you are and whatever you do…He is going before you and preparing the way? Always leading us to what is good for us.  I love Him so!*****

And, so the shopping began.  All the top spots…the Summit, Homewood, Patton Creek, and a few in between.   We hurried from the car to the store and back to the car.  None of that leisurely strolling.  We stopped about 4:00 and headed to PFChangs.  How nice to sit quietly and eat and rest our feet!  We decided we were quite revived when we finished…and since we were at the Summit, anyway, made a quick stop at Pottery Barn.  Did I mention that it was cold?  Very cold. This is the fountain in front of Pottery Barn.  Isuffered in the cold just to take these pics for you!  🙂 

And, then, to the motel, get our things to the room, and crash!  Whew!  we were tired!  And glad to have some covers to get under and warm up!  Just a little bit later, Ian came over to the motel to visit.  It was so nice to sit and talk with him and hear about his new job.  He is blessed and happy and enjoying his life. 

Next morning we set about our appointed rounds…and then backtracked to a couple of places, grabbed a sandwich, and headed home.    We talked non stop there and back, and enjoyed the time together so much.  We made it back home about 8:00.  And, today, I am tired!

This morning, my friend, Lucy Jane, came over to make cookies.    She opened and poured…

and stired and cracked and mixed.

Unfortunately, we had to take a do-over with the egg!  We used this funky pan I bought last year after Christmas…I don’t know why.  It is made of silicon.  I scoop a small amt, and Lucy would press it into the pan.  After I went back over them…into the oven they went.  I was a little concerned.  I had never used one of these silicone pans before.  AND, the recipe on the back of the package say to roll these out and cut with a cookie cutter.  It doesn’t say anything about using a baby gingerbread pan.  But..I’m a rebel…and don’t mind living dangerously when the situation calls for it.

Out they come…smelling sooo yummy!

During the wait for the cookies to finish, she played with my scarf and these 4 little stools.  9 minutes can be an eternity to a little one!   You put this on the cookie sheet…and when they come out, we had to wait about another 10 minutes for them to cool!  And here’s the finished products.  A perfect sized to pop into your mouth for one bite!

Now, I’m heading to bed…fighting an allergy to something.  And, I’m keeping sweet John Thomas tomorrow.

Three days spent with people I love.  Nothing could be any better..such a sweet gift during this Season of Love!

Pantone just released their Color of the Year for 2011: Honeysuckle

They chose the color for its ability to instill “the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.”

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

HONEYSUCKLE?

Watermelon…maybe…or red/orange…..or something !  But this color is definitely NOT Honeysuckle.  I imagined a warm yellow/green….but never THIS!

THIS is honeysuckle.  It grows everywhere in these parts.  And, is filled with a single drop of amazing nectar, that has delighted the tongues of many child on a hot summer’s day.

But, when I googled the image of  ‘honeysuckle’…I not only found the above image, but this one, too.

I was amazed!  I had never heard or seen of honeysuckle this color!  Will wonders never cease?  It’s very colorful and it actually looks sorta…kinda… like the Pantone color of the year…2011.

Do you think it’s possible that Pantone, the color specialist since forever,  actually knows more about colors than this grey haired mama in South Alabama?  NAH!  Not a chance!  🙂

—————————————————————————————————

FROM THE PANTONE WEBSITE:

 A Color for All Seasons

Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

While the 2010 color of the year, PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise, served as an escape for many, Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother color red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

Eiseman continues, “The intensity of this festive reddish pink allures and engages. In fact, this color, not the sweet fragrance of the flower blossoms for which it was named, is what attracts hummingbirds to nectar. Honeysuckle may also bring a wave of nostalgia for its associated delicious scent reminiscent of the carefree days of spring and summer.”

Honeysuckle is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. It’s a striking, eye-catching hue that works well for day and night in women’s apparel, accessories and cosmetics, and in men’s ties, shirts and sportswear. Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Honeysuckle for a dynamic burst of energy in the family room, kitchen or hallway.

OK…here’s the rest of the decorating.

As you come up the front steps, you are greeted by two large red bows and 5 foot lighted trees in bronze urns on either side of the door.  You’ll have to take my word for it, I didn’t get a pic of the trees at night…and they are not very pretty if they are not lighted.

The old butcher’s table in the foyer is filled with a collection of my silver mercury glass ornaments.

There are the 3 trees to the right…

And on the other end is a small lamp I found with a mercury glass base.  I really need to get a different shade, but no time yet…And next to the lamp is a set of bells that I found last year.  I finally found some hooks to hold them, but decided to only use one of them…

In the middle, is a big, very rustic box.  In it I put all the largest of my silver mercury glass.  Mixed in with pine and holly and all piled up high!

Moving on to the back foyer, I put up a tree with only top branches and a wreath and more balls at the bottom.  I used this table for the desserts at the party, and with the this tall tree it freed up a lot of space.  On the branches are a few of my favorite birds.

The big kitchen cupboard is the last place we will visit.  I so enjoy decorating this space for the seasons.  Here I put my Mistletoe Manor angels.  I had 3 of them, and had always wanted to add to the collection. 

But they were discontinued last year, so I thought there was no chance.  I had been on line looking and no luck.  Then, one day, on a stroll through TJM, there they were!  Sitting up high on the top shelf!  Just waiting for me to come and get them and bring them to their new home.  And, since they were waiting just for me…could I disappoint them, and leave them there?  Why, no…of course not!  I did the right thing and brought them home.  And, they seem so happy here, I’m glad I did. 

  And, lo and behold!  The next time I went, I found the Santa and Mrs. Santa.  They are from the same collection, but I had not intended to get them.  But, once again, I went all soft, and let them talk me into coming to live at my house. 

And, they look just perfect here in the kitchen, don’t ya think?  Yes.  Good decisions, both.  On the top shelf are three topiaries with colorful berries, and a decorative plate, vase and sign.  The little music box is a favorite treasure we bring out at Christmas each year.  We gave it to Alex on his first Christmas.

And, last but not least, in the studio, an old red pick up truck  bringing home the Chrismas tree!

I  have such fun playing with all my treasures, and placing them here or moving them there.  Nothing in this house is ever in the same place 2 years in a row.  I just don’t like ‘sameness’. (Is that even a word?)  And, it usually takes me several weeks looking at a particular vignette to decide if I like it or not.  Like the mantel…I do not like it this year.  There is not enough color, and it seems to fade into the stone.  So, next year…who knows where they will end up?