Did you receive many Christmas cards this year? We did not get as many as we have in the past.
I sent cards to those on our list as I have done for as long as I can remember...I think it was our first year as a married couple way back in 1974.
Do you think sending cards and writing letters is falling out of fashion?
I like getting newsy letters at Christmas...well anytime is nice but people these days are far too busy to sit down and put pen to paper.
These days I look upon letters and cards as a luxury.
I have not penned a long letter in ages but filled our cards with snippets of our highlights over the past year.
Joys of grand babies, family events, the cats and their antics, the new boat, and my retirement to name a few.
Blogging has replaced my tendency to write letters or keep a journal.
It's interesting how many changes have come about with the technology that we have available today.
I know that I am rambling on...
this is a rather disjointed post!
I took this picture before the paper whites bloomed.
Chester did his best to hide the bulbs about the bungalow but I stumbled onto his hiding place and saved them.
(under the guest bed)
(where I might add I also found a pea pod and a string bean!)
One of my dearest friends found out on Christmas morning that she is going to be a grandmother!
I love to have a knitting project on the go so I have started a baby blanket.
Cotton Bernats Crafters Yarn
the ecru shade should go with any nursery decor.
The pattern has a garter stitch border and alternating blocks of knit and purl squares.
Easy to do if you put markers in between the boxes which alert you to the stitch change.
My friend Claire at the wool shop shared this tip with me after I had to rip out a few rows on the first blanket I made for Isla over 4 years ago now.
Look at the big ball of yarn!
I love using these as they are one continuous strand so there is no need for a join in the project...
unless one of the cats chews though the yarn, which has happened, but thankfully not on this project so far.
I get a lot of satisfaction out of making things myself.
It is not just the process of making it.
It is also the knowledge that time and effort went into making something useful.
With any luck it will be appreciated and become a keepsake.
I made split pea and ham soup and while it simmers on the stove I am going to sit and knit.
I think of soup made with leftovers as a "free" meal.
In the spirit of thrift I embrace soup making.
It uses up what might be wasted.
"Waste Not Want Not"
My grandmother made pots and pots of soups and stews in her days.
The butcher knew that they were struggling to make ends meet and he set aside bones for her and when she went in to buy a joint of meat he would wrap up a few of the bones and put them in her bag for free.
My grandmother always had a fresh loaf of bread on the counter to help sop up all the tasty goodness in the bottom of the bowl.
Did I mention that my grandfather always picked up wayward strangers who were down on their luck and brought them home for dinner?
My grandmother never knew how many would be sitting down to eat at her farm sized kitchen table!
Homemade soup is a hearty and inexpensive way to keep people fed and warm.
Hence the many soup kitchens in church basements and local shelters.
Enjoy a bowl of goodness.
A silicone chick perched on the rim of the pot holds the wooden spoon.
Friends gave this to us last year for Christmas.
I use it a lot.
~ Split pea and Ham soup ~
Soak 2 cups of split peas in water for an hour.
Boil a ham bone with cubes of leftover ham in 6 cups of water.
Add several diced onions, a couple of carrots chopped and a sprig of fresh thyme.
Add pepper to taste.
(I don't add salt as there seems to be enough in the ham)
Simmer for an hour.
Add the split peas and water, Simmer until the peas are mushy and soft!
Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy.
Share some soupy goodness with your family and friends and see if they like it!
Hostess
