Wild Car Ride

(My brother looking over a snow bank at his rolled vehicle.)

Wow, it’s been a wild holiday season for us this year. I was so excited because this was the first year I was to host the Christmas day festivities. I had been planning for sometime. Had the house spotless from top to bottom and decorated just right – not too much, not too little. I even washed and ironed the curtains which my mom found funny that I went to such lengths. I had the perfect menu planned, table was all set with the “fancy” dishes, music list set to play, activities for the younger people (and young at heart) planned. I thought I was all set to go. The only thing I didn’t plan on was Mother Nature. She sure can put a damper on your plans sometimes. Of course, she decided to hit us with a nice rain/snow storm. Making the roads very slippery for driving.

Needless to say we rescheduled the Christmas day plans. Not a big deal really. Only problem is that when you’re rescheduling something like this, that involves so many people, it’s difficult to find a one time that works for everyone. There are work schedules, people who have to make travel arrangements and other holiday party plans that always get in the way. It never fails to happen. It’s no different in our family. Everyone always seems to be going a million different directions and to pin them all down at the same time just doesn’t work.

So we rescheduled for the day that most of us could get together. We had a good time in spite of the missing members and more food than we could possibly eat. I sure did miss the family members who couldn’t make it, however. Somehow it’s just not the same without everyone.

Of course, the day always comes to an end at some point and everybody heads for the comfort of their own home. After everyone left I sat down with my son & his girlfriend and my hubby to relax and unwind from the day. The dishes were all washing in the dish washer and the food was all stored away in the refrigerator. All of the sudden my husband sat straight up in his chair. I asked him what was wrong and he said he didn’t know he just had to catch his breath for some reason.

I knew it that instant. I wasn’t sure who it was but something was wrong. About 5 minutes later the telephone started ringing. I knew it wasn’t good news. No I’m not, nor is my husband psychic but sometimes you just have those feelings. Apparently my brother hit a patch of black ice and rolled his Denali on the way home from our house with my mother and nephew (his son) in the vehicle. Everyone was conscious and going to be ok.

We bundled up and headed down to the hospital emergency. We were there until very early the next morning. My nephew didn’t have a scratch on him and my brother just had some minor cuts and bruises. Mom, however, got the worst of it with a broken collar bone. I have to say there sure must have been some Christmas angels still about that night. I’m shocked and very thankful my family members didn’t receive more injuries than they did.

I told them all that next year someone else is hosting Christmas and they will not be allowed to eat as much food!

Merry Christmas

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and share a fun song I've enjoyed through the years at Christmas time with you, if you care to listen. (It’s an oldie so some of you might have heard it before.)

The Coffee Table

When we bought this house there were 3 missing interior doors. 1 bedroom and both bathrooms were missing doors. We discovered one outside in a heap of garbage. I don’t know how long it was sitting out there but it was there for at least one winter covered with snow and on into spring. As soon as I found it, I put it inside the barn so it wouldn’t have to suffer any more outdoor elements (spring brings a lot freezing, thawing, re-freezing and rain up here). This door turned out to be too warped to re-hang in the house. We suspect the other 2 were burned in the wood burner for heat as we found some door hinges in the bottom of the old wood burner. You would think they could have at least taken the hinges off before burning.

Needless to say, replacing the doors has been one of our projects. Finding the right doors for this house was the first hurdle. For about 5 months we searched a few stores in the metro that have old doors from old buildings that were either remodeled or demolished. I really wanted to match what doors were left in this house. Unfortunately, of all the doors I’ve looked at were either the right fit but wrong style or the right style and wrong fit. Trust me they have tons of doors but just not the right one for this house. So we ended up doing a special order door for the bathroom on the main floor to match the basement door and 2 pre-hung doors for the upstairs bedroom & bath.

In the end I’ve somehow ended up with 2 extra doors. The one that is still sitting in the barn that I found in the garbage pile and one we purchased at one of those demolition stores. For some reason I just can’t bring myself to toss these 2 old doors so if I can’t toss them then I figured I better come up with a use for them.

I did a little surfing and found some great uses for the old doors. One idea I love is a picture of a coffee table made from an old antique door. There ya go! I don’t have an actual coffee table. I’ve been using a hope chest that my father built years ago for my mother. Given the hope chest’s sentimental value (my father has since passed away) I’m kind of touchy about the hope chest. I don’t like people putting their feet on it or sitting on it and I get super nervous about someone spilling something on it. If I could make a coffee table from one of those old doors, I wouldn’t worry so much.

So off to the hardware store I went to find some legs and some trim work that I thought would like nice. I needed some nails, stain, lacquer and really big screws. Of course, my husband had to help me with some of the cutting and put together work. But I think it turned out pretty nice.

Now for the other door……

Old Memories

Some years ago my husband and I bought our first house. It was just an average little ranch style home. Nothing special to most people but it was our first home, so it was special to me. It meant independence. No more renting from the brother-in-law or renting an apartment. It was a place of our own.

Our first Christmas in the house is ne I’ll always remember. I decorated every window with lights. Put up a tree and decked out the kitchen. I had all he presents wrapped and was real excited to spend our first Christmas in the new house.

So it was late Christmas Eve and we had climbed into bed. I felt like a little kid and could hardly sleep. It was just before midnight and I heard a loud bang. I thought of Santa’s Reindeer and kind of chuckled to myself thinking how silly I was. I started to nod off and was awaken again with a loud bang. This time I woke my hubby. We waited for a few moments (I’m not sure exactly how long) and there it was, another loud bang. This time it seemed to shake the house. We got out of bed only to realize the temperature in the house had dropped considerably. So he went downstairs to check the furnace. There we were on Christmas morning at 12 a.m. with below freezing temperatures outside and a furnace that just took it’s last breath.

We were able to find a very nice heating/cooling guy who came to our house very early Christmas morning and installed a new furnace. I will never forget how nice the guy was to us - not grumpy at all that we had bothered him so early and on Christmas.
 
Fast forward to this past Saturday, now living in our 4th house, I’m having some minor flashbacks. Not as bad. At least it’s not Christmas and this time it’s not a furnace.


No, this time it’s a supplemental heat source. The wood burning stove in the basement has bit the dust. We’re a little older and wiser now a days (I hope) and had money set aside for things like this. You know they always happen at Christmas time. At least for us they do.

My husband and his dad installed the new wood burning stove yesterday and it’s still a bit smelly in here from the new but it is much warmer. With temps outside going below zero in the evenings it stays nice and toasty warm in here.

The 2nd Wreath

Here's the second wreath I made.  I'm sure you can easily figure out how it was made.  I simply took some of my favorite family pictures and turned them into black & whites.  Took an old wreath wire base wrapped it in ribbon and glued the pictures on.  Then glued on some matching berries and ribbon to the top.  Very easy and very cheap.  You can use as many or as little pictures as you like.