early christmas morning

Christmas

that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia.

Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance -

a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.

~Augusta E. Rundel

a merry day to all of you

filled with love and peace

Susannah & Dollye make Pressed Glass Shortbread cookies for Christmas

pretty little gentlewomen

~ Susannah & Dollye ~

(see news of Susannah & Dollye below)

asked to have their likenesses taken

after they had taken off their aprons and brushed the flour from their noses

Our dear girls both have a new home for Christmas!

Thank you so much,

~~~

Cold and thick fog hangs heavy outside my windows this dark afternoon.

While inside my snug little farmhouse, the air is warm and filled with the scents of fir and cedar,

beeswax candles burning on the mantle and a good apple wood fire crackling

in the big fireplace.

With the last bits of thread and scraps of dolly making swept up

and everything put to rights, Susannah & Dollye have been helping me in the kitchen.

From from the kitchen, the delicious scent of wonderful Christmas cookies baking, comes

wafting through the old house.

We've been baking wonderfulPressed Glass Shortbread cookies

for our neighbors and friends.

~Pressed Glass Shortbread cookies on a lovely old pewter plate ~

aren't they pretty?

~gather your pretties ~ Susannah & Dollye climbed up into the old cupboard and got down some of our old pressed glass drinking glasses to press the designs into the shortbread dough. We used a small tarnished silver salt shaker lid for cutting out tiny cookies just right for dollies and little girls. A butter knife is perfect for lifting the cookies out of the dough after cutting them out. We rolled out the buttery & tender shortbread dough with the rolling pin. Then we lay the pretty pressed glass on it's side and rolled the design into the dough.

The stars and feather'd edge circles make the prettiest cookies. We used an etched glass goblet with a very thin edge to cut out the cookies. We even used an old wooden butter mold with a carved lamb for some very special cookies. We baked them for just a very few minutes on parchment paper'd cookie sheets.

A few of these wrapped in pretty parchment bundles and tied with heavy linen thread or red ribbons with a sprig of fir tucked in makes a wonderful and much appreciated gift.

~~~~ Buttery Shortbread recipe ~ ~~

1 lb. real butter

4 cups flour

1 cup fine sugar

~

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Sift the flour & sugar together. Work the butter into the flour & sugar with fingertips, then knead until blended and smooth. Break into 2 pieces and pat out onto flour'd table. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll out from center to make a thin sheet of shortbread. Roll your pretty pressed glass over the dough to make swirls and stars, feather'd circles & vines. Cut with thin edged cookie cutters, carefully lift the cookies onto parchment Bake until set, with very pale light brown bottoms. cool on paper

~ share them with your friends, family and neighbors. Enjoy!

~Susannah & Dollye~ both now have Good Homes for Christmas

thank you & a very Blessed & Merrie Christmas to you all.

wonderful amazing Jolly Old Santa

Isn't this jolly old Santa wonderful?!

He is just one of many many wonderful old Santa's that my dearest

and oldest friend, Norma DeCamp,

has been making for years.

Norma is world reknown for her

Amazing & Wonderful

Old Santa's and Victorian looking old dolls and toys.

This Jolly old Santa is being offered on eBay

along with more amazingly wonderful

Jolly old boys.

I have one of Norma's Santa's and an Old Woman in a Shoe pull toy

that is just unbelievably wonderful and so old looking.

They make me smile every time I look at them...

~I understand that Tom Cruise and Oprah Winfrey and many more

have Norma's Santa's in their collections~

Please have a look and enjoy him too!

Norma's wonderful Santa's and dolls will surely get you in the Christmas Spirit!

my december moon

~ cold and frosted moon through the bare apple trees~

Last evening, I put on my coat to put the hens to bed

and then followed the moon down through the trees.

We have had such clouded days and tonight the clouds opened up for just a moment and

let the early December moon shine through.

It's such a beautiful peaceful moon, shining through the old apple tree's bare branches.

The grass beneath, crisp and crunching under my boots.

Looking up at it, in the quiet night, I can't help but feel so thankful for our warm little farmhouse

and the people I love inside snug by the fire and thinking how very blessed

we are with good and simple pleasures.

I pray that all of you have such a night.

sending love,

C