I love to decorate my Christmas tree. I have lots of ornaments, both old and not so old, but my tree is usually so small that I need to be very choosy. I start with the shiny ones, from the box that my mother labeled “Tiny Shiny.” Then I move on to the sentimental ones, the bells, and the little sheep. Snow people populate the space underneath. It just makes me happy to perform this small ritual each year, especially when I don’t feel like it, or think I don’t have time for it. This year I got the tree in time to decorate it during the Blizzard of Ought-Nine.
Here’s Main Street in Southampton on the morning after the snow, which shut everything down, including the bookstore. The Village crews had just begun to clear the street and sidewalk, and within about 45 minutes there were parking spaces and walkways so that business could get underway. Good thing, because I was in a knot over having to be closed for even one precious holiday shopping day!
I moved through the week on auto-pilot, seeming to survive on what I could find in the fridge and the cookies given to us by our customers (not entirely, but I did begin to notice that few of my meals contained actual vegetables). Then it was Christmas Eve, which flew by in a blur (I think it might be a good thing that I blocked most of it out), and all of a sudden it was Christmas!
This is one of the gifts I opened in the morning — a beautiful pillow made by my sister Sarah. She’s been trying to figure out how to use some of the yards and yards of old lace trim that our mother had saved over the years. Some of it is really old, probably saved by her mother. This is a wonderful example of the quilting and sewing that my sister does, and I’m so happy to have another piece of her work, especially one that means so much to all of us.
I spent the rest of the day at Judy’s house, enjoying Christmas with Judy, Ray, Michael, Rebecca, Rachel, and Louise. We had fun, ate not quite but almost too much, played with our new stuff (a GPS for me from Judy and Ray — what a treat!), and enjoyed a pretty peaceful day.
Now that the holiday is over, and my knitted gifts have been received, I can post pictures of what I’ve been knitting. This is a Lacy Baktus scarf for my sister Ellen, made with String Theory’s Nano superwash merino…
… and this is the One-Skein Shawl I made for my mom with some acrylic yarn (sorry, I don’t know what it is) because it will have to be washed and dried in a machine. She loves it.
I’m still knitting the second of a pair of Hedgerow Mitts for Judy. When I finish it I’ll post a photo. The yarn is the beautiful Sunna from Spirit Trail, a new blend of merino, cashmere, and silk. It’s delicious.
And speaking of delicious, here’s a picture of my lunch (especially for Clara). Peanut butter and cherry jam on two challah clouds. Don’t worry, I’m having vegetables for dinner!
Not Plain Jane 
Lovely!
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What a beautiful pillow–you must treasure it!
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The pillow is such a wonderful gift! I had to laugh at your comment about the vegetables. My plates haven't included many vegetables lately either, and I love vegetables.
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Oh, that first ornament picture is gorgeous! Sounds like a wonderful holiday – and I'm sure being able to rest after the shopping craziness feels doubly good.
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Yum! Beautiful! Inspiring! Delicious! Yes, I've used four exclamation points in a row. But I mean every single one. I love your ornaments, I love "tiny shiny," I love that pillow, and I hope you might have a smidgen of that cherry jam left? If so, I'll be over in 20 minutes…
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As always, beautiful FOs. And that pillow … I love it! What a treaure!
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OMG I don't think I've ever seen Main Street so full of snow!!! A pain during the holiday season, but how pretty to look at (so says the lady in Orlando!)
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Lucky girl! A sister that sews beautifully, a real decorated tree, hospitable friends, a finished Lacy Baktus (and a gift no less) and best of all Challah and cherry jam! Happy New Year to you-
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A beautiful gift for you and equally beautiful gifts *from* you. Lucky folks all around! What, no photo of your little tree all decorated with those lovely ornaments?So glad you had a wonderful Christmas and I am ever so jealous of all that snow. It just keep missing us, darn it!And your "peanut butter and cherry jam on two challah clouds" sounds like it could be a new yarn color! :)All the best in the coming new year and new decade!
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That pillow is lovely, and so are all of your FOs – and even your lunch. Happy New Year!
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"Not quite too much" is the perfect level of satiation at any feast. I salute your Goldilocks perfection, Jane.Glad you got snowed in for a few days. Glad, too, to see your beautiful knitting – that pink is truly gorgeous. Is it pink? Rose? Coral? Something.We have too many ornaments but we never let that stop us. Our tree hangs heavy under way too many. We always break the Goldilocks rule with the tree.love to you, sister
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Peanuts are vegetables. heehee
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(Peanuts are legumes. /snicker)It sounds like you had a lovely holiday. I can't bring myself to put a tree, but I sort through all the ornaments every year, just for nostalgia.May the New Year be good to you.
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