merry & bright

my little twinkling faux tree

Well yesterday, Christmas day, seemed as near perfect a day, as a day could be. Spent the morning puttering around relaxing with the gang of animals that share this house, humming Christmas carols, making mince tarts, talking with my one and only sister for a bit, and last minute final touches & wrapping of a handmade gift I was taking with me when I ventured out for Christmas dinner. The weather was mild and precipitation free making for easy driving for all the revellers on the road. I spent an afternoon smiling and laughing, my cheeks sore at the end of it, eating a fantastic huge turkey dinner with all the trimmings plus more. It really was perfect. Perfect in every way ... and I'm a girl who loves perfect.

The wee early hours of Christmas morn were spent cozy and tucked in on my big cushy sofa. Coffee in hand, snoring dogs and curled up cats all around me, a fire crackling, and carols playing on the radio as I opened my gifts from away. Shoe boxes replacing the traditional stocking, filled with presents. Now if I'd been thinking I would've dug out my family stocking, felt appliqued and embroidered, with a jingle bell and lovingly made by my grandmother Flo years and years ago. I could have stuffed all these tissue wrapped treasured into my stocking and really gilded my own holiday lily ... maybe next year.

I received an array of thoughtful and practical (I do love practical) items and when all was said and done these three things seem to represent my favourite things about this Christmas.

My Aunt Sally, my mother's sister (who married my father's brother, so a true double aunt and uncle) sent in her package of goodies, two sterling teaspoons with our monogram SAB. The original owner was my great grandmother on my fathers side whose name was Sarah Allison Borden, then passed on to Sally A Black and now on to me Susan A Black. These delicate silver spoons have been stirring tea and coffee in my family for years and years and now they will remind me of family, and of history and tradition.

Another gift from Sally, this one made me cry, a notebook turned cookbook recipe book belonging to my grandmother Flo. Signed and dated 1928, she would've been 27 and just recently married. In her late twenties, she married late for that day and age, and I'm sure she had been almost written off as an old maid. She'd been busy, attending art college, studying jewellery design in New York city at Pratt Institute and eventually teaching Applied Arts at Mount Allison (formerly The Ladies College). She was an amazing woman and was, still is, an incredible influence on me and my life and I treasure having something that seems a part of her. A notebook filled with her handwriting, pages that she turned ... This gift to me represents love ... I always knew that I was loved by Flo and I did love her also, completely.

And a jar of my favourite, unusual carrot cake jam from my sister Sandra. A blend of pineapple and carrot and spiced with ginger and cloves - homemade and bought at a local gift and craft fair. This gift represents comfort and security. What's more comforting then homemade jam on buttered toast?





my most favourite Christmas card, a pop up card
filled with colour, whimsy, happiness and dogs