Life is what you make it.
Each year, I see dozens of requests for holiday help on social media. Particularly from those people who have kids. While there are many good-hearted folks willing to help, it’s often impossible to sort out the needy from the scammers. The closer it is to Christmas, the more overwhelming that task becomes. Even the kindest… Continue reading Hard times holiday: Making a merry Christmas when you have nothing to give.
Is there anyone who does not love a Pecan Tassie? These are a favorite at cookie exchanges and the first to disappear from holiday cookie trays. My family did not discover them until fairly recently but once we found this recipe, these treats soared to the top of everyone's list as a holiday "must have."… Continue reading Pecan Tassies
For an explanation of travel plans read "important notes about my travel plans." I designed this plan to immerse myself in all things Christmas. Undecided about who I will be traveling with, I chose options that can be included or removed to meet the interests of my travel companions allowing me to use this plan… Continue reading A Travel Plan: Holiday Break in Central Ohio
I guess it was only natural that my collecting of Christmas tree ornaments would expand into collecting other kinds of Christmas items. That, at least, is what other collectors have told me. A love of Christmas doesn't stop at the tree and I have gone on to collect other kinds of Christmas decor. Nothing I… Continue reading Collecting Vintage Christmas
When I was 10 years old, my mom put my 4 year-old sister and me into the car and drove us to the machine shop where my Dad worked. It was lunchtime on Christmas Eve. The employees, about a half dozen in all, had stopped work for the day and were gathered around the lunchroom… Continue reading Collecting Christmas
Earlier this summer I spotted a Barbie doll while surfing Ebay. It was a red-haired doll called a “bubble cut” from the early 60s. It was one of a mixed lot of dolls that someone was selling for a more than fair price. Feeling nostalgic (this was the first Barbie I owned as a child)… Continue reading Refurbishing Barbie for the Christmas Toy Drive: The Beginning
Maybe it's the drama and tiresome happenings in the daily news that is causing everyone to need an escape. Looking around my small town yesterday, it seems that everyone is getting geared up for the holidays extra early this year. I even saw a couple of homes with outdoor holiday lights brightly blazing. While my… Continue reading A Williamsburg Style Holiday Wreath
When I was about 3 years old, my dad very gently hammered two tiny nails into the wood paneled wall of our dining room. He tied a length of string between those nails and Voila! We had a holder for the first of our Christmas cards that had arrived that afternoon. It was fun to… Continue reading Merry Christmas in the Mailbox
Home at the WhackyShack 