Ready For Christmas Morning

Today's Joy: Christmas Eve.

It's finally, finally here, Reader! That most wonderful day before the BIG DAY. Marked by a final flurry of gift wrapping and that obligatory last trip to the store for forgotten sour cream, extra shrimp and, of course, a few more gifts.

I love Christmas, Reader! I've been wishing folks on the street a Merry Christmas since Thanksgiving. My radio at work has been playing Christmas Carols for weeks & when everyone else goes to lunch, I join in, singing loudly. But it's not just me. The whole family has been Christmasing for the entire month of December. Our house is covered in gorgeous light-up snowflakes and the Christmas Dinner menu has been planned since Halloween. We've also been baking cookies for three consecutive weekends (no need to rush perfection, after all).

This week, the house has morphed into Santa's workshop central with an onslaught of gift wrapping. I adore wrapping gifts, Reader. Coordinated papers and packages stacked in gift towers tied with sumptuous ribbon--ahhhhh! Each year after Christmas, I take advantage of the 75% off sales to buy next year's coordinated wrapping scheme. It brings me great joy to watch my friends & loved ones unwrap my patterned package confections. Add to that, the final phase of decking the halls and we are almost ready! Though, I'll probably still be tinkering with my red & white candy tree in the dining room until we sit down to eat Christmas Dinner. Speaking of which, Aunt & I have been plotting the perfect holiday table setting for days. And I won't even get into how I turn into the world's biggest kid on Christmas morning.

Now, having said all of that, I've already gotten what I want for Christmas this year. I have asked God into my heart in a way I've never done before. I have felt his presence almost constantly and am watching Him work small miracles in my heart & in the hearts of others around me every day. For the first time, I am aware in a dumb-struck, utterly humbled sort of way what it meant when that little baby was born in a Bethlehem stable. A promise was fulfilled. It really was to save you & me. And that changes everything.

Just a thought, Reader: while you're opening gifts tomorrow morning, surrounded by the sweet love of family & friends, remember that all the joy in your heart is but an echo of the love freely given by Our Father. What a staggering revelation to know He's done all this just for me. Just for you. May God Bless & keep you and may this Christmas be full of all the warmth, love, memories and illumination your heart can hold. Amen.

The Lovely Folks I Work With

Today's Joy: Our Corporate Christmas Party.
Had a wonderful time yesterday, Reader. Our 11 store managers and the corporate staff gathered at Venuti's in Addison, IL for a last meeting & holiday party to round out the year. The food was amazing and it was great to be able to visit with everyone. I gave out a dozen of my Oreo Truffles to each store manager and they were met with much delight. We also did a gift drawing and I received a cute little lime green Ipod Nano. (Never had one before, so someone will have to show me how to use it!) The company I work for is incredibly generous. What a blessing it is to have this job and be surrounded by great people!


A Sampling of the Venuti's Buffet
(Clockwise from top: salad, green bean salad with white beans, roasted potato wedges, ziti with vodka sauce, cheese-stuffed ravioli, broiled tilapia, steamed broccoli & crusty Italian bread)


Got Some Great Stuff in the Gift Drawing:
A Yoga Mat & matching Ipod Nano

Confectionery Creativity

Today's Joy: Truffling.
Aunt, the English Teacher, has added a new verb to our family lexicon, Reader: truffling. Meaning literally: to truffle. It's an apt description of what I've been doing over the last several days. With the Christmas spirit coursing through me like some sort of holiday energy drink, I decided a couple weeks ago to make Oreo Truffles for all 11 of the stores I work with for Christmas. I love to make truffles and people really love to eat them, so it seemed a perfect fit.

Of course, rolling, dipping & decorating 11 dozen truffles (with an extra 4-5 dozen thrown in for family members and holiday parties) is no simple task. But I'd promised myself on Thanksgiving that I was not going to get caught up in holiday stress & anxiety this year. Instead, this season I'm going to give wherever I can and savor the holiday moments. So I've really enjoyed all the little things, like stuffing a few dollars in the Salvation Army Bell Ringer's bucket, getting gingerbread lattes from Starbucks, decorating my red & white candy tree, drinking Tom & Jerry's and Christmas shopping with my family. Being mindful has made this the most enjoyable Christmas season I've had in years.


The Truffle Assembly Line


But, back to truffling. I'd set myself a serious truffle challenge, Reader. And it took me Sunday afternoon as well as couple evenings this week to finish them all (thank goodness for Aunt's help with the sprinkling!). My favorite part was drizzling the last batch with white chocolate. There's just something Godiva-decadent about drizzle on chocolates. It takes a truffle to the next level. But I digress.

Once all 11 dozen were nestled in their little tins and packed up, I felt so good! Couldn't wait to give them out at the office Christmas party. Funny, how all the joy more than makes up for the work I put in.


Trufflicious

Little Elf

Today's Joy: Giving Of One's Self.
Brrrr!!! It feels more like January than December here in Chicago, Reader. But I was on a mission this morning, so I braved the frigid wind gusts and blowing snow to drive cross-town with my camera.

I have a coworker who's had a big year. Her 2nd child, a beautiful daughter, was born much earlier than expected this summer and required an extended (and expensive) hospital stay before she could come home. Add to that the family's recent move to a lovely new home--plus all the usual holiday hooplah--and my poor coworker is exhausted. She's been feeling guilty about not having enough energy to pack up her significant other, 2 year-old & new baby and stand in line at the mall for Christmas pictures. Well, that is something I can help with.


With Big Brother

So, I volunteered to go to their house and shoot the family portrait right there in front of the Christmas tree. Dog and all! Fast forward to this morning and no amount of cold, freezing rain or sleet was going to keep me from using the gift God has given me to bring joy to a friend. After all, it's her daughter's first Christmas. And long after she forgets how tired she feels right now, she will remember how adorable & precious her children are. This gift I'm able to give will bring joy for many years. It doesn't get much better than that.


The Best Gift This Year

You don't have to spend a lot to give a meaningful gift this year, Reader. Just give of what you have in abundance: your strengths. The effort may well prove to be the best gift you receive this Christmas.

We are volcanoes when we women offer our dreams and experiences as our truth. All maps change and there are new mountains. ~ Ursula K. Le Guin

Today's Joy: Remembrance & Contemplation.
You may have heard, Reader, Elizabeth Edwards passed away this week. I've been thinking a great deal about the graceful and gracious way she lived her life despite several very public & painful chapters. She refused to be defined by the things that happened to her. Instead, she turned each setback, humiliation and tragedy into an instrument of strength with which she made a difference in the lives of others.

What an example she set! If Elizabeth Edwards could accomplish so much as an advocate, political figure & mother--all the while walking in faith and hope--what can I accomplish in my own life with the time I've been given? What could you accomplish, Reader? How would your life be different? How many lives could we change?

I am moved by the words Elizabeth posted on Facebook Monday--they turned out to be her last offered publicly:

"You all know that I have been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces -- my family, my friends, and a faith in the power of resilience and hope. These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined.

...There are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human. But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know. With love, Elizabeth."

An amazing and well-lived life. May we all be so blessed and strive to make the most of what God has given us.

Say you are well, or all is well with you,
And God shall hear your words and make them true.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Today's Joy: A Quiet Evening at Home.
As my appointment book fills up with holiday-related engagements over the coming weeks, a quiet evening at home suddenly seems precious. So, Reader, here I am on the couch, enjoying the glow of the Christmas tree with a pleasantly full tummy. You'd never know it's bitterly cold outside my window. Tucked in safe & warm, I'm blissfully content and feeling very blessed.

When I think of all the things others are facing on this December night that (God willing) I will never have to, I'm deeply grateful for the life I've been given and the people I share it with. Am looking forward to praying tonight for those in need, those in pain and those who aren't as fortunate this holiday season. May God ease their burdens and dwell in their hearts during this blessed season.

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. ~ Arthur Rubinstein

Quotes courtesy of the Quote Garden.

Ginger Snaps

Today's Joy: Cookie Baking Part 1
Spent a lovely afternoon in the kitchen with friends and family whipping up all kinds of holiday cookie joy, Reader. The best part? This group always makes way more dough than we can use in one afternoon. Which means we have to get together again. Ah, ginger snaps, pecan tarts, snicker doodles & fruit-filled whatsits. Here are my favorite highlights:


Our Fearless Trail Leader Shares About Her Recent Trip to Savannah


Grace Grinds Her Own Nuts

World's Best Cookie

Making Snicker Doodles

Tart Dough

The Electric Cookie Gun

A Little Brandy for the Cookies, A Little for Aunt Chef...

Cookie Elf

Assorted Cookies & Pecan Tarts

A Little Quality Time with the Kitchen Aid...

Uncle & Aunt Chef

Aunt Making Ginger Snaps

First Snow of the Season at Our House (HGR Effect), Dec. 2010

Today's Joy: Oodles of Holiday Cheer.
What a wonderful day, Reader! We got our first snow of the season--4 inches of the wet, heavy stuff perfect for making snowballs. All that magical whiteness made the perfect backdrop for a holiday shopping trip to downtown Geneva, IL. Every store Mom & I visited was decked out in Christmas finery and smelled of hot chocolate or spiced cider. We had such a good time being out and about & sharing holiday cheer with our fellow shoppers. It's really nice to see the spirit of the season so prevalent this year. Would that peace, love & good will were always so common!


Mom & I Going Out Holiday Shopping

Carriage Rides, Downtown Geneva, IL

Mom & Brother

Candy Ornaments


Today's Joy: It's Finally Christmas Time!
Hurray, Reader! It's the 1st of December! It's finally socially acceptable to crank up the Christmas carols and walk around with a child-like grin plastered on my face. This year, the holiday spirit seems to permeate everything I do and I just feel good.

It started on Thanksgiving and developed into a full-blown case of holiday cheer the following day when I joined the women of my family for a Black Friday shopping trip. We laughed and oohed & ahhed, filling up the back of a Ford Explorer with wonderful gifts. Ever since, my thoughts have been full of what Christmas really means and all the ways we celebrate it: parties, church services, charitable activities, cookie exchanges, Christmas concerts, gift-giving and waking up on Christmas morning.

The miracle of Jesus is so much more real to me this year than ever before. In my heart, it's as if I'm hearing the story fresh and for the first time. A wonderfully joyful feeling.

This will also be my first Christmas living with Aunt, whose gorgeously-appointed Christmas tree could teach even Martha a few things about holiday decorating. So far, we are having a ball decking the halls together.

My candy cane obsession has reached a whole new level this year. Reader, there is something about the smooth lines of that red & white color scheme that appeals to my inner holiday decorator. Over the last 5 years, I have acquired candy cane serving pieces & accessories, as well as cranberry glass plates & stemware--making for an adorable candy-themed display.

A few new additions this year also mean I have enough ornaments, ribbon & garland to do a candy-themed tree. Aunt was kind enough to lend one of her small, pre-lit trees, which I did up with candy ribbon, red & white ornaments, candy garland and some fab sequined picks that look like holiday fireworks popping on top of the tree. Viola! We have a focal point for the dining room:


Candy Cane-themed Tree, In Progress

Only 24 days until the big day! Hope you're enjoying every moment too! Will keep you posted, Reader, on all the holiday cheer and delish recipes...

Soup Course, Thanksgiving Dinner, November 25th, 2010

Today's Joy: Thanksgiving Dinner with the Family.
Reader, I've been looking forward to this Thanksgiving holiday for weeks. A whole lot of planning & delegating resulted in the most relaxed Turkey Day ever. Every dish that came out of the kitchen was perfectly done & more delish than the last. Had a wonderful time visiting with everyone--I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. So many blessings to be thankful for!


Table Setting



Plate Of Joy
(clockwise from top: greenbean casserole, yukon gold mashed potatoes w/gravy, mussels, stuffing, oyster stuffing, scallop & shrimp scampi (center), cornbread & turkey)


Place Setting

Enjoying Old Photos

Buffet & Serving Pieces

Mom & I at the Midnight Premiere of
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1


Today's Joy: Embracing the Nut Within.
All right, Reader. I try very hard in my lovely little blog not to overwhelm you with in-depth ramblings on my specific hobbies, else my posts begin to bore those of you who don't love orchids, cooking and holiday decorating quite as obsessively as I do. Still, you know the desire to ramble on is there, just as I know you long to acquaint me with the minute particulars of the things you love best. We can't help being passionate about our passions, after all. Don't you find, sometimes, when you meet someone new that it takes all your self-control not to wax poetic for 20 minutes about the activities you love? If not, I salute you.

Still, our pet projects are so much a part of who we are and what brings us joy that they can't be over-looked in a balanced life. So, consider this fair warning. I'm about to talk some Harry Potter.

My mother is about as big a Harry Potter fan as you will find outside the Rowling family. We have both enjoyed the books immensely and always go to the theatre to see the latest film versions when they come out--usually attending the midnight premiere. Last night was no exception.

Brother, Mom & I all attended the premiere of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1. The movie was extremely well done and far exceeded our expectations. By splitting it into 2 parts, the film makers were finally able to truly delve into the nuances of the book's storyline. Thus, all of the things that made it such a great book were well-showcased in the movie. This was definitely a book lover's film.

This was also the first premiere that Mom & I dressed up for. (Yes, I am that geeky about this.)Thanks to Aunt Chef's fabulous, costume-quality, handmade hats, we drew stares from the moment we entered the building and received many compliments. Mom was all aglow with excitement. From the moment we took our seats up in the highest row (didn't want anyone to have to sit behind our hats--they were both over 1 ft tall), we became part of this mass of die hard fans. It was like the whole theatre turned into one great, big Harry Potter single celled organism. We all laughed and cried and cheered as one. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. And we left doubly excited for the last Harry Potter premiere.

So, my suggestion for you today, Reader, is embrace whatever gets your inner geek in a tizzy. Life goes by so fast and that nutty thing you put off doing or don't allow yourself to enjoy now, may soon become out of reach or out of vogue or forgotten when life suddenly puts a curve in your path. When I am ready to move on from this existence, I won't remember the exact date of each movie premiere or the theatre we were at. But I will remember how much joy it brought to share them with my mother and how fabulous we looked in our hats.

New York Strip w/Baby Portabellas in Russian Marinade

Today's Joy: Culinary Therapy

Do you find as I do, Reader, that getting in the kitchen, rolling up your sleeves and whipping up something delicious is probably the best thing you can do with stress or negative energy? I love the idea of making something tender & mouth-watering out of my own frustration.

Tonight, Aunt came home in need of a little venting. As she told me about her day, I defrosted two of our own delectable, farm-raised steaks (each about 2 1/2 inches thick), sliced & sauteed fresh baby portabella mushrooms & garlic in rich butter, then marinated both in Russian dressing (couldn't find any red wine). Then I sliced up leftover potatoes and threw them on the griddle to soak up some of the marinade and steamed a package of chopped spinach (we must have something healthy, after all). In about 20 minutes, we were in steak lover's heaven. All the cares of the day seemed to vanish in a wave of flavor.

Why is it, Reader, that cooking with butter, bacon or chocolate always makes us feel better? It's one of the great mysteries of the universe. Right up there with black holes and the search for extraterrestrial life. Yup, aliens and bacon. Butter and pulsars. Chocolate and the space/time continuum. But, I digress...

Last Weekend's Breakfast: Eggs Benedict with Our Bacon & Sausage

Today's Joy: The Little Things We Look Forward To.

Is there anybody, Reader, who doesn't love the weekend? Whether yours comes on Sat & Sun or in the middle of the week, having two whole days together where you aren't punching a clock for someone else can feel like the best gift there is. Two mornings where you can either sleep in until the sun is well overhead or get up early to do something of your own choosing.

For me, the weekend represents a multitude of little rituals that I don't usually have time to enjoy during the week: fresh-brewed coffee with a designer creamer; fussing over my indoor plants; lounging in bed reading or enjoying a hot, homemade breakfast--all the while not caring what time it is or where my cell phone is at.

Couple any of these with my family's usual kooky adventures and you have my idea of a perfect weekend--the kind you think about for the rest of the week. So, when I have a lousy Tuesday and work is about to kick my butt, I just have to remember those simple joys because I'll be right back there again in a day or two. If practice makes perfect, I'm gonna be the Queen of well-lived weekends. Here's hoping, Reader, that you are too!

Pair of Turkeys

Today's Joy: The Things You Don't Expect to See on a Turkey Run to Sterling, IL.

Uncle & Aunt Chef invited me along today as they drove west to Sterling, IL to pick up a pair of live turkeys. It seems Aunt Chef, who works at a local school for at-risk high-schoolers, will be using the birds as part of a live lesson to teach her students about the first Thanksgiving. The pair of turkeys were coming from a small farm that also raises several kinds of exotic birds including love birds, peacocks & finches. Always up for an interesting adventure, I grabbed my camera and we hit the road.

Uncle decided to take us the scenic route and we saw some gorgeous farmland, rolling hills and several wooded miles along the Rock River.

Along the way, we also saw a most random assortment of sights, most of which are pictured below. We drove past Ronald Reagan's boyhood home in Dixon, IL (a quaint, unassuming little house). We also stopped at Uncle's father's farm in Ashton, IL to see their new Oreo Cows (also known as Belted Galloways) with thick, curly hair and funny expressions. Once at the lovely farmette where the turkeys lived, we saw white peacocks. And on our way home, we stopped at a McDonald's drive-thru for hot chocolate and spotted what can only be described as a Chicken Car parked unassumingly in the parking lot. (Yep, you read that right.) It said Soon To Be Famous along each side and sported painted-on wings.

All in all, it was a most amusing road trip and a great chance to spend quality time together asking each other, did you see that?

Here are the highlights, Reader, so you can see for yourself:

Farm Vignette


Turkeys

Belted Galloway (Oreo Cow)

Love This!

Tom Turkey

Belted Galloway

Pair of Turkeys

Peacocks in White & Regular Varieties

Chicken Car

Today's Joy: Glad To Be Back.

Yes, Reader, it's true. After a crazy month and a half of not blogging, I am back! Oh, how I have missed conversing with you! If you're not speaking to me after my prolonged absence, alas, I understand. But if you are, I have much to tell you.

Around mid-September, several circumstances converged to create the perfect blog-halting storm. First, my well-loved position changed dramatically. Where before, I was receiving invoices and handling paperwork for just one of my company's 11 locations, I am now installed at the corporate office--a much greater distance from my quiet, country home--and handling the invoicing for 9 stores. Truth be told, it is a heck of a lot of work but....I think I love it! It's wonderful to be challenged every single day. Of course, with the increased workload and commute, that leaves much less time for my daily chats with you. This I am still ironing out.

Add to that, a sneaky virus which has been waging war on our home network for several weeks now and I was feeling very cut-off from my beloved blog. But a few well-timed queries from loyal readers have given me the hutzpah to make time in my schedule to get back to what I love--sharing this very blessed life with you.

When I set myself this daily joy challenge on Jan 1st, I couldn't have foreseen any of the changes that have taken place this year. Still, I felt bad when circumstances caused me to miss a few (or ALOT) of days. But this challenge, like life, is not about perfection. A perfect record was never the goal here. Finding the joy that's in each day was. And though I may not always post on time or chronologically, I am always looking for that little something each day that I can share about in this wonderful forum. The funny thing is, when you look, you find so much more than you hoped for.

So, dear Reader, I will do my best to bring you joy in a consistent & timely fashion. But, if I miss a few here and there, I'm not going to sweat it. Just know that I'm out there looking for the joy. I hope you are too.

Uncle Raking Hay with the Team

Today's Joy: Living The Dream.
After more than a year of thwarted planning, I finally got the chance, on this beautiful Sunday morning in October, to photograph Uncle fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams: raking the hayfield with his Belgian Draft Team.


A Good Day's Work

I've photographed Uncle & Aunt Chef doing many things with their drafts this year: trail driving, showing in reinsmanship and cross-country classes at local driving shows, even getting dolled up and pulling a circus wagon in the costume class. But I think Uncle's favorite thing to do with the team is work around the farm.


Having a Great Time

Raised and trained on a working Amish farm, Fred & Ginger have adapted beautifully to our much more play-oriented lifestyle. Still, they don't seem to mind putting in the occasional hard day's work. While they plugged along, pulling a non-motorized rake that gathers hay into orderly rows for baling, Uncle spent the whole morning grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't help grinning, myself! It was a thoroughly delightful fall day on the farm!

Straight Rows Only!


Uncle Has Been Looking Forward to this All Summer

Making The Turn

Side View

Workin' Horses

Uncle & Aunt Chef Making Sure Everything's in Working Order

Hay on the Nose

Farm Dogs Wrestling

Old Technology Meets New

Tessa, Portrait

Hooligans

An Idyllic Life

Backsides