News From The Nest

Merry Christmas!

We had a really nice Christmas and hope you did, as well. Mom and Daddy came over this morning. I made Cheese Danishes for our next-door neighbor and Meg and Dennis. I also made one for us. It was a recipe I got off of Facebook and it was yummy! Andy drove the right-out-of-the-oven danishes to our friends so they could enjoy them for their Christmas breakfasts. After eating our danish and coffee/orange juice, we opened our presents. 

Nova, the realtor who helped us with the purchase of our home and also Mom and Daddy with their purchase, invited us for lunch. We had such a good time. It was great meeting her husband and in-laws and seeing her daughters again. Without children at home, it's just way too quiet so being invited out for lunch was very special. It was very thoughtful of her to invite us.

I finally gave up on making the second wreath. Here is the one on the front door. I made it with the boxwood I broke from bushes in Virginia and also used some dried yarrow and red berries. I had to make new ribbons this year as red just does not go with the new house colors. I also brought back magnolia from Virginia that I stuck in the pots on either side of the front door.

I finally got a few Christmas cards in the mail yesterday. That's better than I've done in the past! Sometimes my Christmas cards turn into New Year's Day cards because I don't have time to relax and do them until after Christmas.

The tree is once again full of snowmen. I LOVE them! They make me smile each and every time I look at them. Those silly goofy grins. They're always just so happy.

This is our 5th Christmas in Ohio. Mom and Daddy have been here for each one but this time, they were able to return to their own home to sleep and don't face the drive back to Virginia. The last of their stuff is supposed to come tomorrow from Virginia. This is the truck that was packed on
November 30th. At this point - after 25 days - I'll believe it when I see the truck pull into the driveway. I'll be so glad to be done with this mover and so will Mom and Daddy. We've all had quite enough of him. He hasn't done one single thing when he said he was going to do it. It's been very frustrating - his ever-changing plans, etc. He's made a stressful event a hundred times more so.

Our Christmas Day here in Southwest Ohio is finishing up with a light wintry
mix falling from the sky. Perfect! 

Now, I'm going to go downstairs and sit in front of the Christmas tree and knit. I'm going to try very hard not to fall asleep for at least several hours so I can get something accomplished!

Take care everyone and thanks so much for reading!

The Saturday Before

The Saturday before Christmas finds me with SO much to do! Christmas cards, Christmas letter, make my wreaths, CLEAN THE HOUSE! Why does time feel so much shorter this time of year? 

We have eaten many times at The Golden Lamb in Lebanon during the Christmas seasons - past and present. I can't imagine any place looking more like a warm cozy Christmas than their lobby. Such a relaxing place to go for a meal. 

It's raining cats and dogs outside and all of our beautiful snow has been replaced by puddles. The icicles along the sides of the spillway at Caesar Creek were awesome! Now, they're history.

Mom and Daddy are snug in their place nearby still anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mover with the rest of their things. It's been 20 days since they left Virginia and he has yet to deliver the rest of their things - clothes, some furniture, kitchen stuff, washer/dryer,
etc. He has made a stressful situation absolutely miserable with a lot of unnecessary worry and waiting. He has said everything will be here by tomorrow. We'll see.

We did get the tree up last weekend and all my little snow friends were so happy to see the light of day. There's not much to put under it this year but I love it just the same. 

My birthday is in December and when Mom was pregnant, she started collecting Christmas ornaments for me. I had them on my tree for many many years. Several years ago, I decided I would use all snowmen on the tree. They're so cute and are always sooo happy! I love them! So,
our tree is covered in snowmen, snowflakes, and glass balls full of glitzy red yarn. One of my favorite ornaments is this one - Mr. Snowman is taking a break. He's hung his scarf on the post and kept his top hat on while soaking in a tub of ice cubes.

There is one ornament on the tree that is not a snowman. Mom and Daddy gave me an angel for my tree the year I made it through major surgery for a pancreatic tumor. Lest I forget, the angel reminds me that I am watched over and of how fortunate I am. 

The soap shelves in the studio are loaded with soap if anyone needs last minute gifts for Christmas or New Year's. Handmade soap makes great stocking stuffers, gifts to tuck into a package, or stand-alone gifts. Make up a "pamper basket" for a family member or a friend. You can see what's available at my The Robin's Nest / Bird Bath Essentials Etsy site.

This week, I spotted this one morning as I got out of bed. A moonset. Is there such a word? If no, there should be. On one side of my house, the sun was rising and on the other side, the moon was setting. So, this is a moonset (like a sunset) picture. It gave everything a rosy glow.

Today, December 21st is Mom and Daddy's 63rd wedding anniversary. They were married on a Thursday - probably due to Daddy's schedule. He was in the Army and based at Albuquerque, New Mexico. As the story goes, his sergeant almost didn't let him come home on leave. They honeymooned in Roanoke, Virginia and then Daddy went back to Albuquerque and Mom returned to college in Farmville, VA. 

That summer, Mom attended summer school at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and then they both returned to Farmville, where she finished college. 

That was the beginning of their married life but their life together actually began during their teen years. So, I figure they've got about 67 years invested in their life together. That's a long time! 

Mom and Daddy, wishing you a very Happy Anniversary and may this year bring all the best! Love you both!

Signing off - got to go make those wreaths with the boxwood and magnolia I brought back from Virginia. Hope all of your holiday preparations go smoothly!

Wintry Weekend

This has been a wintry weekend. We had some sleet and then snow on Friday as predicted. Saturday was beautiful and then the snowfall resumed again today.

Yesterday was the Lebanon Horse Drawn Carriage Parade in nearby Lebanon, OH. I wanted to take Mom and Daddy to it so I called the Golden Lamb earlier in the  week to see if we could get reservations for lunch so we'd be front and center on the parade route. No dice. Booked solid. Yesterday, I thought - I bet there was someone who had to cancel their lunch reservations due to the weather. I called again and sure enough, the Golden Lamb had an opening for lunch at 11:00 AM. Perfect!!! Andy and I went and picked up Mom and Daddy and then headed to Lebanon. Reservations meant that we could park right in the Golden Lamb parking lot. Andy went out and placed our chairs on the street along with all those already there for the parade and then we had a leisurely lunch and took some pictures inside the inn. After lunch, we had about an our to visit a few of the cute shops along the street. We made it back to our spots by the 1:00 PM parade time.

This was the 25th year for the Lebanon Horse Drawn Carriage Parade. It takes place twice during the day - 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Andy and I have seen it once before at the 7:00 PM time and it was beautiful! All the horses and carriages were decked out in Christmas lights and decorations. I figured the 7:00 PM time would be just too cold for Mom and Daddy plus, they might be able to see the horses better at the afternoon time. We had plenty of scarves, shawls, blankets, gloves, and hats in the car to pull out and keep us warm.

There were 115 entries this year but I think some were missing due to the weather. My phone/camera battery died after the first three entries so didn't get any good pictures. There were horses of all sizes - miniature singles and teams to the big Clydesdales and Percherons. There were wagons and carriages and carts. So much fun!!!

After the parade, we hit the grocery store and then headed to Baum Pottery for their holiday open house. Love their pottery and their festive open houses! I purchased a large crock to hold all my wooden utensils.

On my knitting needles, I have a pair of socks for Raleigh, a poncho for Blakeney, and a surprise shawl/scarf for another person. I hope all are done by Christmas!

My soap shelves are full! Here are the holiday / winter soaps I have this year. There is still plenty of time to order for Christmas. Handmade soap makes wonderul stocking stuffers or presents for co-workers, family, and friends. From left to right - back row - Balsam & Cedar, Cranberry Relish, Sleigh Ride. From left to right - front row - Woodland Ice, Glad Tidings, Peppermint Twist, Naughty or Nice. You can check out all the soaps by going to my Etsy shop.

Today, it continues to snow - very very fine flakes. It's beautiful outside - a winter wonderland! Mom and Daddy are on their way over to watch the Hallmark movie, The Christmas Spirit. The movie was filmed at the Golden Lamb where we ate lunch yesterday. It will be fun watching it and seeing so many familiar places.

Wishing all of you a winter wonderland of your own and someplace to keep your toes toasty warm!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Today is my birthday! The old birthday suit has a few more wrinkles this year than last. The hair has maybe a little more salt than pepper when compared to last year. 

I don't know where the time has gone. I remember my birthday post from 2012 distinctly. I've always heard that the older you get, the faster time passes. I so wish it would slow down. I need to breathe.

Mom, Daddy, and I left Danville, Virginia last Sunday headed for Ohio. It was a painful departure. They built their home and moved into it three weeks before my birth. Plus, they've lived in Danville most of their lives. Leaving was very very tough.

They have spent every night since arriving in Ohio in their new home and have made great progress unpacking. Their furniture fits the space perfectly and looks so attractive. They really weeded out their belongings - donated a great deal, gave away a lot, sold a ton - but still probably will not have places for all that has come / is yet to come. That's OK. There's always Craigslist and Goodwill.

It's wonderful having Mom and Daddy here! They live about 13 miles from me and less than 20 minutes. I think they're very brave taking this step to a new future in a new location at their ages. I look forward to doing things with them and seeing them often. I hope they settle in and enjoy everything the area has to offer. Having them nearby means so much more to me than I can express in words. 

A special gift for my birthday ---- SNOW! It started sleeting this morning and decorated everything with a layer of ice pretty quickly. Then, the snow started falling around lunchtime. It's still coming down! The prediction is for 6-8 inches. This will be what I call a "serious snow" - a snowfall that covers the grass entirely! Yippeeee!

It's Really Going To Happen

For a bit (well, more than just a bit), I had my doubts. But, it is really going to happen. Tomorrow, Mom and Daddy and I head to Ohio. 

The mover showed up this morning just like he said he would. Definitely, a pleasant surprise to see him when he said he'd be there. He packed from 8:35 AM to about 2:30 PM. Then, he left to go get helpers. He was gone longer than I expected so I was getting a little worried. Then, he showed up with four helpers who got to work carrying boxes out of the house and loading them onto the truck. 

I think they closed the door of the truck around 8:30 PM or so. Couldn't get anymore on it. There is some stuff left in the house, Daddy's workshop, and on the back patio but he will get all of it early this week on a smaller truck. He plans to deliver both trucks to Ohio either Wednesday or Thursday. 

This has been so difficult for both Mom and Daddy. Both have lost weight and are stressed to the max. They've handled it like troopers, though. I believe once we get to Ohio, it will be better. Mom is excited to settle in. Daddy is a little more hesitant. I think both of them will love it and I know we'll enjoy being in such close proximity to each other. They'll be only 13 miles from me. 

I can't wait to have them close-by. I've missed them each and every day since I moved away. I also feel a great sense of relief to have the house in Virginia all packed up and up for sale.

They're arriving at a wonderful time. All the Christmas festivities begin next weekend. Waynesville will have lots going on and Lebanon's Horse and Carriage Parade is next Saturday, December 7th.  

Now, I'm off to bed ---- I'm exhausted!  

Please keep us in your thoughts tomorrow as we leave our hometown and head to Ohio!