Relationships

Sometimes, reading this blog, you might get the impression that it's all about the sales at the markets. If so, I've given you the wrong impression. Of course, any business, mine included needs sales to stay afloat, however, the relationships you form are nearly as important, or at least it is to me. You may say, you're a lucky gal who doesn't need to live off her earnings, and you'd be completely justified to think that way. It's oh so true I'm one heck of a lucky gal.

Heading off to the Winter Garden Market on Saturday morning I mentioned to Bruce that I was going to take a few cookies out for the family I've become friendly with. Cookies? What cookies you ask?

Friday, instead of a road trip, I baked. Or at least partially so, because the gingerbread dough is still in the refrigerator awaiting it's fate in the oven. Do you think this organic cinammon I used will elevate the taste?

Unlikely, but we'll see. What I did manage to get done were the sugar cookies. Ordinarily I make a drop sugar cookie, contenting myself with decorated circles. Because I bought some new cookie cutters I decided to give them a try using the included sugar cookie recipe from Wilton. Delicious friends, delicious.

The dough is on my new handy pastry mat from Amazon, actually made in Ocala, Florida. In the foreground is the cutter for what is supposed to be a snowflake. Not really, more like a flower when it's all said and done.

In defense of my baking skills, the photograph makes them they look a tad browner than they do in person. But, if I were you what I'd be noticing is the silly looking frosting attempt. Using a recipe from All Recipes, which had exemplary ratings by the way, I was not nearly as enthusiastic as most reviewers. Entirely too thick. Wouldn't spread worth a darn, as is plainly evident. Another reason I might be hesitant to re-use this cutter is the excessive browning on the little legs while the middle requires further cooking. Prior to actually making the dough I got out the egg carton and picked out an egg. Well, of course I did if the recipe called for it! What I noticed is that it seemed much larger than usual. Thus, I lined them all up to compare the size of what is in a carton of large eggs.

When baking, measurements are so important that it made me wonder just how much liquid does a large egg represent. Perhaps, the disparity makes a difference. This sounds like a Tom question to me.
Where is he when I need him??? Why, in London of course!

As I mentioned above I made a little gift box for TJ, Ellen, Meghan, Emily and Torrie, hoping they would come to the market and they did! Meghan made me an adorable card, complete with an oversheet meant to be the envelope. Her drawn stamp had a little heart in the middle. :) The family also brought me a gift bag which held this homemade ornament. You know how I love ornaments that are memory makers.

Very sweet. Speaking of sweet, while at the market I picked the brain of my German pastry maker friend. We discussed my frosting dilemma and he gave me a few pointers on baking in general. He suggested I mix confectioners sugar with a little lime juice and paint it on my gingerbread which is what I intend to do after blogging. Moreover, he shared another trade secret for cake baking. Simple syrup. Yep, you brush simple syrup on each layer of a cake prior to adding the frosting which he swears is what makes bakery cakes moist. Can't wait to give that one a try.

So, the sales were dismal but my encounters with friends can't be measured in dollars and cents. Dana even arranged for a Santa Claus to be there for the children.

And a pretty impressive Santa he was.

Saturday night we went to Bruce's annual department party. The invitation read, "holiday cocktail attire", however, from the looks of the things, it seemed as if Bruce and I were the only ones who followed through. I got pretty glammed up, although I've no pictures to prove it. I didn't have anyone take our picture, nor are any of the pictures I took at the party worth sharing. At the risk of sounding like a bit of a grump, I hate parties where you pretty much have to bring everything. BYOB, BYOF, BYOG. Bah humbug!

Sunday morning was a bit crisp and chilly, however, Bruce brought my little heater, as well as put up the tent sides to block the wind, creating a cozy little atmosphere. The day was cram packed with visitors, many of whom I didn't properly get to chat with. I was making introductions all around. Seriously, it felt like a daytime party! While Trish was there, a fellow came into my booth and after a bit of chit-chatting, I asked him what he did. He said he owned quite a number of hair salons along the east coast, as well as one in Las Vegas where he lives on the 35th floor of a condo building overlooking Caesar's Palace. Okay. He related how he was in town scouting an Orlando location before driving to visit his Tampa salons. Furthermore, he claimed to be a bit famous in the "hair styling world." Somehow, don't really remember how it got to this, but I believe he was responding to a question about his reputation as an employer. He said, and I kid you not, "They think I'm God, but, really, I'm just me." Unbelievable. Oddly enough, Monica, my stylist for those of you who don't already know this, came by a little after 3. Because I wrote his name down, I asked her if she'd ever heard of him. "Who?" I thought so.

Our Sunday Santa served a different purpose. The caption on this one should read, "No Kids Allowed."

Yeesh!!! Who has their dog photographed with Santa?  Because I was so busy myself, I never got back around to see if a line formed....

I brought a plate of cookies to the market, hoping to share them with my customers and a few vendors.

Because that frosting was so darn thick, I thinned it out considerably with milk, either dipping the cookies in it, or spreading it on with a knife. Much, much better.

My sales were just fine and my Square worked like magic. After the market Bruce and I visited with Dana who has a idea for our business which you'll learn about sooner, rather than later if you stay tuned to Camera Crazy. That relationship thing? Ah, yes. Bruce bought some ornaments from the children's art booth;  next year as I get all the ornaments out, will, to the best of my ability, fondly remember him helping them out. Encouragement goes a long ways.

Off to the kitchens, my gentle readers....

Responders

This came in the mail shortly after my last post:

Dear Gail

Thanks very much for sending your blog to us. I’ve circulated it around the office and everyone thinks it’s great! We love the picture of the Lantern feeder with the Cardinal, I’d love to have Cardinals in the UK!

Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Kind regards

Jacqui Cudd

Office Manager

And then there's this:

Dear Gail,

Thank you for contacting AppleCare.

Apple has agreed to send you a(n) MICHAEL KORS ZIP WLLT iPH4 BLK PYTHN-ZML. I will be handling the product order, and following up with you to confirm that you have received it.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please call me at 512-674-2500 x 40390. If I am unable to answer, please leave a message. I will call you back within one business day to answer your questions. Please reference your Case ID (270461930) at the beginning of your message.

Sincerely,
Jesse Borjas
Corporate Customer Care Administration
jborjas@apple.com

Funny how Jacqui from The Nuttery didn't say a word about the squirrel! I vacillated on how to respond to the email in light of our new discovery. In the end, I went with honesty, of course, adding I regretted to do so. 

At least my time with Apple was not entirely spent in vain. I successfully purchased the phone insurance and what's more, as you see from the above email, they are giving me a Christmas gift. At the end of our conversation, Brian, the last gentleman I spoke with, offered me something for my trouble. He suggested I look on the Apple website for a phone accessory under $100. Because I already have my cute little purple cover I couldn't imagine what else I could possibly need until I saw 

this. Well now. 

The other day on my way to Clemons after my WalMart run, I drove through the peacock neighborhood. Oh my goodness! I counted over 50! The male tail feathers were not their summer length but beautiful just the same. I love the golden tips.

It seems as if I always find some cool cat while I'm in that neighborhood. I vacillated on which one to show you because they were both so cute. This one is on a mission:

Because I now have the handy search thing going on with my blog I checked last year's posts from around this time. Just as I recalled we'd already endured some freezing weather by now. I should have known it wasn't going to be nearly as cold because the acorn drop, while large, was nothing compared to last years. There's something to be said watching the natural world for clues. This one, on the other hand, really took me by surprise.

You've seen the peach blossom before, in fact, possibly more than you cared to, however, you have NEVER seen it this early. While walking Baxter the other afternoon I was floored to see it blooming already. I knew the camellias were starting early, but seriously, this one is a real shocker. From what I can tell, it seems to be about a month early. Our backyard is awash in color; for that matter so is the side yard. I was thinking our typical winter is like an English summer, milder temperatures and the sun not so blazing hot. As such, everything is blooming with ease. There are the pansies you saw, petunias, impatiens, jatropha, hibiscus, bougainvillea (finally!), purple, peach, red and pink geraniums, red salvia, white and purple angelonias, and those dahlias I keep raving about. Gorgeous everywhere! That said, a little cooler weather would be welcome this time of the year. Nothing in the forecast however. Bruce was in the Boston area yesterday, saying it was warmer than usual there as well.

After bridge yesterday I stopped at the Maitland Art Center gift shop for a unique gift for Bruce. Nothing doing. I did walk through the grounds and their water lily pond was responding to the weather much like my yard. Lots of blooms. This one will probably open any day.

Fuchsia perhaps?

Wrapping gifts is underway here, particularly since I bought some bows. Frequently discussed is  Bruce's prowess at gift wrapping, particularly ribbons. In his absence I'm relying on pre-made bows.

That's some gift tag isn't it. Messing with the soft focus on the camera....

Speaking of gifts, this blogger must get going to do more of that wrapping after a late breakfast. Reminder to self--eat before blogging.

Happy weekend to all,

Gail

Sad, But True

Could it be that the squirrels in Florida are more wily than those in England? More athletic? Perhaps more desperate for food? Within minutes of my last posting, I went into the kitchen. Remember I said I was going to eat some Cinnamon Cheerios? Very tasty, by the way. Anyway. as I walked past the front door, who should I see but Mr. Squirrel hanging onto the Nuttery for dear life. The nerve!

So, what I was thinking is that maybe he's just dumping all the food onto the walkway and then eating to his heart's content. Boy, was I wrong. Here he is this morning having breakfast.

Albeit upside down. Earlier Matt suggested I send the Nuttery photos proving what a great design they've come up with and how, despite their best efforts, my Florida squirrel family was coming up empty handed. So, I did. I've yet to hear back from them, and maybe that's all for the better. I'd hate for them to know the truth. By morning's end, the feeder was empty. Mrs. Cardinal was left to eat the droppings.

In other yard news, I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd planted a ton of pansies, as in maybe thirty? They've gotten large enough to show their true colors. I've got myself a little misfit.

I mowed the lawn today after finally cleaning house. Nancy would be proud. Although no q-tips or toothbrushes were engaged today, 409 was definitely in the house. It's been warm. In fact, it's been so warm that there are mosquitos around, one of whom had the nerve to bite me in the middle of the night on my face, thus waking me up. I turned on the bedside fan, hoping it would blow the pesky bug away. Eventually I went back to sleep, but not before I covered my head with the sheets! I wore shorts today. Where is winter?

The title of today's post is "Sad, But True. There's the squirrel issue, and then there's something that's really got me bummed. I had to give in and take my beautiful blue shiny loafers back to Nordstrom. Try as I might, I could not break them in. It was either my feet, or the shoes. Thus, it seemed a bit disingenuous to leave the header when the shoes are no longer with me. I asked the guy at Nordstrom for one last look before I let them go. The return policy is so amazing at Nordstrom. When I mentioned that the receipt was in the box, he said I've got a sticker right here on the end; never even looked in the box until I asked for my parting glance.

Even worse, the general contractor on two of Bruce's jobs is declaring bankruptcy. It's a big fat mess, leaving Bruce scrambling to finish the jobs which both were near completion. What with traveling five days this week and now this? It's times like these when you say to yourself--at least he has a job. A very, very hard one though.

While walking Baxter the other morning I thought you might enjoy seeing a dragon fruit as it grows in a neighbors yard. What, never heard of a dragon fruit? It's crazy looking and some I've found online are even crazier than this one.

So, that's the fruit. I believe I've shown you the flower before but it's so darn beautiful that it's worth a second look.

This flower opens during the night, closing about an hour after sunrise. It's hard to imagine that this is a cactus flower isn't it?  Amazing that there are no bees in this photo because believe you me, it's a bee magnet! Some flowers are. Some not so much. Another bee magnet is the bottle brush tree. Oh my! You take your life in your hands trying to photograph that blossom!

Last night I made some Brocoli Risotto. I also put my new phone to use in the process. Looking at my depleted stock of food in the refrigerator and freezer, I spied some frozen chopped brocoli. Hmmm....
So, I thought of making risotto for myself and wondered if anyone else had thought of such a dish. Why, of course they had! I spoke to Siri and she suggested we search the web. Instead of running back and forth to my office, I merely opened the NY Times recipe and went from there. I then used the phone to photograph my efforts. Scaling down the recipe somewhat, the only change I made, aside from the frozen brocoli, was to add some lemon zest. Brocoli without lemon is a no-no in this house.

Not very well, but you get the drift. Seriously, this was my best attempt at making risotto. The parsley is from my garden. The tomatoes are not. It was so creamy and delicious! In fact, as soon as I'm done here, I'm having leftovers.

All that mowing and cleaning made me hungry for lunch. Except I had no chips. I considered running up to Publix, then thought better of it, making do with the crushed bits at the bottom of the Lays bag. Then I went to WalMart. Can you believe this bread?

Who names a bread BIMBO? Actually, I think it is Spanish, so maybe there's a good reason for calling bread Bimbo that escapes me. Sort of like the new Arctic Monkeys album Matt put on my iTunes. He explained to me that Suck it and See means something entirely different in England. As in a box of sweets. Makes sense once you know the culture. That said, Angela is constantly complaining about Americans love of sugar. I think she's entirely mistaken on this one. She'll leave out huge quantities of sugar when baking with predictable results. Seems to me that the English are no slackers when it comes to loving sweet stuff. Generalizations. Which means nothing right?

Today's Topics

• In the News
• Christmas Cards
• Big Lots
• Magnifiers
• Apple Care +

Let's expand upon those, shall we?

During our last meeting I mentioned magnifiers. These are like filters that you screw onto the front of your lens, coming in various strengths. I was first introduced to them when I purchased an old film SLR, a Canon, from Elmer, a retired photography buff.  Professor Stout, who taught Art with a Camera at Valencia, required the use of one for class. The name is a bit misleading, or at least it was for me, mostly the class was technical. At the time I was not ready to make the expensive plunge into the world of digital single lens reflex cameras. I found the camera on Craig's List and made the trip to Sanford for the purchase. I'm sure his wife was just dying when I purchased not only the camera, but about twenty filters and four expensive lenses all for $100. Using it for the class, albeit with difficulty, I stored it in the closet until last year when I gave the whole kit and caboodle to a young woman who thought taking photographs with film was romantic. At any rate, once I finally bought the Nikon D60 I picked up a set of the magnifiers to give them a go. (around $30)

I mentioned the weather was rainy and gloomy yesterday, perfect for taking flower photographs. Getting the magnifiers out, I attached them to the Nikon and went out into the yard to practice. Just as I thought, I'm not good with them at all. In my hands, although I laid down in the wet grass and all, I cannot get a good crisp picture using them. In photography language they call that kind of picture "tack sharp." I'm actually not so great at that even without the magnifiers! Anyway, after taking more than fifty shots, I managed to salvage a couple, one of which I'll post here:

I do like purple these days. I also like turquoise. And Mr. Baxter

who is still sporting his grooming kerchief, printed with little snowmen. When Bill was by on Saturday evening he asked if Baxter had lost weight. No, I replied, only hair.

Speaking of that photography class, I still have my notebook filled with notes I barely understand about stepping up and down. The one thing I do understand is his remark that a successful photograph draws a reaction. I'm working on that one.

In the news today I'm delighted to report that Valencia Community College is now ranked the #1 CC in the nation. I could have told them that. Actually, for those new readers, this blog began during my student days and I had my ups and downs, but for the most part, it was a very good experience. The vast majority of my professors were top notch. One, not so much, but there's no good reason to drag that up again. Let's just say I'm not happy making a B.

Our paper also has a front page story about a renewed effort to ban texting and driving. Duh! The sooner the better is what I have to say about that.

It's true that I have a fair amount of money tied up in Apple products. What's also true is that my experiences dealing with Apple Care have not been great. In fact, they've pretty much all been extremely frustrating. And so it was with trepidation that I waded into this latest expenditure. Apple Care + is for mobile devices, providing replacements if damaged as well as tech support. So far, so good. I called the provided number and after about twenty minutes the young woman apologized, explaining that she could not sell insurance in Florida over the phone. Please make your way to the Apple Store, which I may have already told you about. 8:10 was my appointment time. I arrived, only to wait. But, not for long. Same fellow, Nic, who worked on my iMac for seven hours earlier this year. Sorry Gail, I can't sell it to you in person. Please call this number, using this reference number, and they'll take your money. Except they wouldn't. After an hour on the phone, speaking with various people, I finally have my product. Two said the same thing as girl #1; eventually one person said, sorry, they are all wrong. Credit card please...

The iPad is all the rage at the Apple Store. Ever seen one this empty?

The apps! Amazing how these terms enter and stick in the popular vernacular.

I wonder if Steve Jobs was involved in the window displays? Always clever those Apple folks.

Some might say I was foolish, but I spent an inordinate amount of time searching for Christmas cards made in America. Lots and lots of looking. Finally, I found some at Barnes and Noble yesterday and working like a little beaver last evening, my task is nearly complete. I purchased two books of Christmas stamps and still it wasn't enough. Several envelopes will not look very Christmassy, what with Gregory Peck on the front and all, but the recipients will know that we care for them enough to send a card. You can't have escaped knowing there is a huge movement to "buy local" and I'm all for it. Surely it can't hurt to pay attention and if possible buy American. Our folks need work, as if I needed to tell you that! One person at a time, and maybe, just maybe we can make a difference.

Look who is back:

He was hopping around under the Nuttery yesterday morning. I'm slightly concerned with the volume of seeds on the ground. Could Mr. Squirrel have found a way into the Nuttery? Perish the thought!

Heading up to Big Lots, I drove around Lake Como. I stopped. I pulled onto a side street. Something about the gray day, the orange cypress trees and the still lake forced a pull over.

That sphagnum moss is really something isn't it? How about that tree? Rumor has always been that Lake Como is bottomless. The truth, at least to me, is unknown.

Big Lots is, as you already know, is my latest place to treasure hunt. I also wanted to pick up some bread, discounted nearly $2.00 a loaf. And, whatever else I discovered and couldn't live without. I've no idea how these darling, Canadian sodas taste, but they sure are cute. Lime Rickey Soda anyone?

The above is my phone picture of the day. Still learning.

Speaking about drinking, Kathy was kind enough to bring another bucket full of tangerines from her yard so that I may make some juice. I do love tangerine juice.

Don't let their perfect appearance fool you. She scrubs each one before bringing them to me, letting their orange perfection shine!

Finally, the biggest local news is Dwight Howard. Will he go or will he stay? Today's paper states that he'll stay if the Magic get their act together. My biggest concern is for the folks who work at the brand spanking new arena. They need Dwight to stay and fill seats with people who need to park, enter the building, and consume food and products. So stay Dwight--please stay.

Ready to try my new Cinnamon Cheerios picked up at BL yesterday...

So long,
Gail

December 7, 2003

For the world at large, December 7 is recognized as a day that changed the world, Pearl Harbor Day. While this is also true for us, December 7 will always be remembered for events much closer to home. Yes, this week the date came and went, however memories always flood back.

You see, it was on that date in 2003 that our Mother was laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery. If that weren't bad enough, later in the day, while guests mingled at our home following the funeral, the phone rang with news from Bruce's brother Cris, that their Father had just died. I know, hard to imagine isn't it?

As if you needed further evidence that I married an extraordinary man, early on that Saturday morning Bruce began to fret that perhaps the funeral home was not carrying out Mom's wish to be buried with a Calla Lily. Because her diagnosis of Stage 4 ovarian cancer came in late June, she had plenty of time to make her wishes for her eventual death clearly known, including having an Elvis song played at the church! I don't think I ever knew exactly what significance the lily had for her; just the same, that's what she wanted and in Bruce's mind, that is what she should get. Thus, he went to check, discovering that indeed they had not followed through. It was a closed casket funeral, so if not for his diligence, we would never have known otherwise. Placing the lily on her hands himself, he was the last family member to see our Mother's body.

And then, barely eight hours later, the phone call came with the news that, although not entirely unexpected, was certainly untimely. Bob, my father-in-law, had knee replacement surgery early in the summer. Things went wrong, terribly wrong. The details are gruesome; suffice it to say that he spent nearly all of the next six months in various hospitals trying to beat the MRSA that invaded his body. No amount of $1,000/day antibiotic could make it go away. To make matters worse, his Mom spent nearly all of that time by his side, however, she made an exception by coming to Mom's funeral. She was not there when he took his last breath which I've no doubt was doubly heartbreaking for her. Bruce was taking Matt to the airport for his return flight to Atlanta when the call came in. It broke my heart to have to tell him the news. He then rushed up to the hospital, well I say rushed, but, maybe he took his time to collect his thoughts. I stayed home with the remaining guests. Really, by then, there was no hurry. Three days later we cried our way through another funeral.

I need not tell you how rough that time was for us. The specific details of the day grow dimmer with time, however, some will never go away. Even for a memory challenged gal such as I!

Moving on to more pleasant topics, but before I do, this author did an excellent job of writing about bed wetting. Although our paths are different, her descriptions of what it feels like to be a teenage bed wetter rang very true. I'll tackle that topic on another day!

Baxter got a much needed haircut the other afternoon. Our groomer comes to the house with a trailer every six weeks or so. Normally I am either not here, or don't check it out, but this time I did and was pleased that he was being a good little doggie.

She did a wonderful job as always. Here's my phone picture of the post:

I am trying to practice and maybe, just maybe I'll get good with it.

I must say I'm pretty pleased with how my Christmas plans are coming together. I sat down the other evening to write Christmas cards

after finishing the tree. Fewer and fewer folks are sending them which I think is a darn shame. An e-card is better than nothing, but for me, I love going to the mailbox, opening an envelope and enjoying whatever card might be in there. Two people I can always count on to be the first cards are my sister Lisa and niece Laura. This year Lisa won by a day!

I took the above photo by placing my camera on the buffet and setting the self timer. I had to find room to do so because Mr. Bruce made this little display which takes up most of the room.

I do like my little vintage Mr. & Mrs. Claus!

Friday, Bruce took an earlier flight home, arriving in the early afternoon. Over the phone I'd mentioned how much Baxter loves to walk at Cypress Grove Park so he suggested we head over there. No problem from me! He decided to take his fishing pole along to try his luck in Lake Jessamine. A man and his dog:

From there we headed over to our friend Harris and Jimmy's warehouse to check out some carpet he's offered to sell us. They are cat lovers, rescuing cats like nobodies business. Patches and Baxter had their moments. Tolerate is probably a better description of the encounter.

Behind their warehouse off Pineloch Avenue are some railroad tracks which I naturally had to explore while Bruce and Jimmy were talking.

Second iPhone picture actually. Wonder what this was all about?

Once Harris returned we went over to see their beautiful new home on Lake Davis. Harris claimed I said "Wow" about a 100 times and he might just be right. Seven bathrooms! Elevator! Fake grass!

Statues, columns, floating stairs, library, gallery, and the list goes on. Last year it was the National Homebuilder's House, truly an amazing place. Dinner with them at Sonoma followed and you are all caught up with this blogger.

I'm home today, skipping the Winter Garden market because my darling is traveling next week-- not two, not three, not four, but FIVE days. I couldn't bear to leave him.

It's Hip to Go Square

Sunday, rain was in the forecast, as in a 60% chance in the afternoon, leading me to wonder how the sales would go. Wait--I'm always wondering--just more so when the weather is predicted to be iffy! The tent was all set up, including rain sides, when I arrived. From there I took over, hanging the pieces, albeit differently than Bruce normally does. I went with sort of a red theme, leaving the turquoise canvases in their box. As well, the take down was already on my mind because Steve and Barb's Christmas party was to be next on our agenda. Festivities were slated for 3:30-7:30 meaning we had to hustle getting out of the market and to their place in Lake Nona.

So, the day began with a blank slate and I mean that almost literally. I keep my sales in notebooks, which I know sounds old fashioned and all, but it's quite helpful for both ordering and as a history lesson. Using my last page of the old notebook, I bought this cute new one at Marshalls.

There it sat in all it's newness, however, not for long! Shortly after setting up a trio of lovely ladies arrived. As she was looking through the baskets, one of them was wild for "Aging Gracefully." Mentioning that I had a 20x30 canvas of it in a box, she said, "May I see it?" I'm no fool--"I'd love to show it to you." And so she bought it. Furthermore, she agreed to be photographed for this very space.

Apparently, the ring on her finger is also something new which her friends insisted I must include in the photo! I used the Square. It worked beautifully, requiring only a few swipes before it took. The thing is, you can swipe and swipe, each time it tells you to re-try. I never know what I'm doing right or wrong, but I will say, later in the day I was getting it to go on the second swipe. I'm here to tell you it is fantastic! Not only do I love it, but people are amazed with the speed and simplicity. I'm still having the customer type in their email address for the receipt as I've not completely mastered touch typing.

I am, on the other hand, getting the hang of my new iPhone 4S, using it to listen to music in the car. I was pretty amazed the other day while doing just that; Bruce called and when I touched the accept button our conversation took place using the car speaker! I'm successfully using the iMessage on occasion AND I used FaceTime with Matt. Pretty quick learner aren't I?

The canvas she bought has been wildly popular, something I can NEVER predict. Within minutes of taking the above I saw this scene and was sure it would be a winner.

Except it wasn't. I had one smallish canvas made of this and it took forever to sell until a man came along and bought it taking it to California. I learned my lesson. It does have what I consider one of my best titles: "Time Shares." Still, it doesn't sell. Oh well, there's plenty more to choose from. While looking at the St. Augustine album, I scanned some other albums from that time. I've never printed this one

however, I think it's pretty intriguing. I never really got the hang of the magnification filter I used on this. Maybe I'll pull them out, giving them another chance?

The Square came in handy a lot yesterday; in fact, it was the best day I've had in nine weeks. Early Christmas present it was. In all the years I've been using PayPal, I thought it was just fine. Sure, it extended each market day and I never knew if a card was good or not, but I dealt with it. Now however, I'm in LOVE with the Square. I can't tell you how good it feels to KNOW that a transaction has cleared at the point of sale. If only I had it back when that lady scammed me for $175. Plus, she took one of my favorite canvases. The meanie.

My last customer yesterday was a sweet young man who recently moved to Orlando. He's bought from me before (God bless those repeat customers), and he bought something again yesterday. This time he had his visiting Mother here. She was down from Saratoga Springs for his birthday. It was so sweet when he told his Mom that I was one of the first people he met in Orlando. Nice, nice folks.

Lisa surprised me with a visit, however, I barely had time to chat. After meeting Sean, my niece Emily's newish boyfriend and his daughter Emma, they all headed to the playground. I must have still been busy when they returned to listen to Joseph Martens, our fantastic entertainer. Early last week, my brother-in-law Danny had a heart catheterization and he's all clear. Very, very good news indeed.

Bruce arrived right around 4 and we took things down at a break-neck speed; within minutes of our arrival home it began to rain. Yeah for small favors! Driving to their home in the rain, we still had time to eat, drink and be merry with friends. Poured all the way home and into the night leaving our world very wet indeed. The skies are gloomy matching my feelings that Bruce will be gone for the week. I'll have no excuse not to have things looking spiffy upon his return Friday evening!

I sort of lived with this while Nancy was here, and in truth, I could use her presence again. Sitting down in the sun room just now I noticed my glass tables are lacking shine. Dust, perhaps?

Time to go unload a bit of my car from yesterday. Because we were in such a hurry, not to mention the rain, we left it as is. I must clear at least a bit of space for this week's shopping!

Happy Monday,
Gail

O Christmas Tree

I dare you to read the lyrics below and not sing along in your head!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me;
How often has the Christmas tree
Afforded me the greatest glee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Much pleasure thou can'st give me.

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
From base to summit, gay and bright,
There's only splendor for the sight.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee! !" 

Knew you couldn't do it--maybe you didn't know all the lyrics, but I bet you knew some of them, and most definitely the melody! Call me crazy, oh yeah I do call myself crazy, but I love a traditional Christmas tree. No themes, no color schemes, just the life of a family all in one place.

I do like white lights, however, that's not what I grew up with. I know there are some  readers who fondly, wait a minute--that's a joke, remember those big fat lights which invariably didn't work. One went out and the whole strand was plunged into darkness. I needn't remind you how unfunny that was.
I used to put red bows all over the tree to make it all the more festive which I no longer do. That said, I still use much the same ornaments as I ever did, many dating back to our first year of marriage. With that in mind, I thought I might just show off a few of my oldies but goodies.

I can't remember if it was Bruce or I who painted this little happy home--a precursor of what was to come. There's no doubt I wouldn't paint one purple and red these days!

It's old and worn, just like the two of us, but still in love!

Bruce's Mom often gave us thoughtful ornaments related to our interests. You can guess who this was for:

And this one:

Her daughter followed suit, each year giving our family ornaments going back to when the children were very young. When I pull them out each year I think about the saying that there's nothing in life not subject to change. The children grow, marriages break up, parents die. All part of life.

On the left is the last ornament Bruce's mom gave us before she died. The star is one my sister-in-law gave us when Matthew was quite young, the red stocking came from who knows where, and the one on the right has a little Gingerbread boy cross stitched on front with David's name. The back has a little tag with love from Aunt Michele and Uncle Paul, 1989. They eventually divorced and Paul has subsequently died an early death. Time passages...

To break the little maudlin spell I've got going, I believe this has got to be the weirdest ornament we have. Purchased maybe from Pier 1, way back when?

It's a tea strainer of all things!

Michele, Bruce's sister, gave us one of my favorites:

Reminding us of the true reason for the season.

During his world travels, Matthew often picks up an ornament for us and this year was no exception. He left behind this sweet little thing from Sweden:

And then there are the ornaments the children made. I'm thinking schools probably ban that activity today?

On the left, the crazy looking little church building, is one Jonathan "made" when he was 4. David, pictured on the tree, was 10. Good grief he looks so adorable and sweet! The soldier below is from, you guessed it, our first Christmas.

Our daughter-in-law Michelle LOVES decorating for Christmas. Before she and David married I can't remember anyone, or at least anyone who admitted to it, leaving the Christmas tree up WAY past December. She and David happily enjoy the tree into January. She also loves giving ornaments, including these sweet ones from their first year of marriage.

It is hard to believe they've just celebrated their third anniversary! And then there are the ornaments I've no idea who gave them to us but I still love them.

I have two of these little cuties and they make me smile every time I see them. So, finally, I've put the boxes in the garage and am done. If my sister Carol were to see my feeble decorating, she'd tell me things weren't festive enough, however, for us, it's enough.

I did have to go back to my last year's Christmas decorating post to remember what the heck I put on the table! So, things are all very festive here. How about your place?

Happy decorating friends,
Gail

p.s. Maybe too close for comfort?: Blog Breakdown