December 11 Hodgepodge

 

Again this week,  I'm joining in with Joyce and the gang for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.  Here we go ...

1. What's one task you'd like a little Christmas elf to sneak in and take care of tonite? 

Make two pillow quilts that I am trying to finish for December birthdays.   Below is a folded pillow quilt from a previous year, for a previous recipient.  As I look at this I realize that this photo was taken in the extra bedroom of a favorite cabin up north.  Apparently I had taken my sewing machine along to work on this (and maybe other) projects during our getaway.  Obviously, I was using my time a lot better then than now.

2. What's your biggest challenge during the holidays? 

Oh, I have several:  time management, healthy eating, the way everything takes longer as we age.  If I'm honest I'll admit my biggest challenge is time management.

3. Are you a cookie baker this time of year? If your year had to be summed up in the shape of a cookie cutter what shape would it be? 

I am a cookie baker any time of year. I love, love, love baking Christmas cookies in particular, but my hubby loves it too and he is the one who does most of the Christmas cookie baking, though I do some.

A cookie tray Mr. T put together for a party

A small plate of favorites to share

 
If my year had to be summed up in the shape of a cookie cutter, I guess maybe it would be a car shape -- yes, they are out there, though I really don't care to own one -- because we have done so much traveling by car this year, both for road trips and for our volunteer jobs.

4. Santa likes milk with his cookies. Do you like milk? What kind of milk is on tap in your house? (whole, 2%, skim, almond, oat, etc). What's the last thing you made that called for milk? 

I do not like milk. Never have.  We don't even buy milk any more.  It goes bad so quickly.  When I need it for a recipe, I dilute half & half cream (which we always have on hand) with water to substitute for milk.  Last thing I made that called for milk was a creamy sauce.

5. Share one favorite line from a Christmas carol or holiday tune? 

I hadn't really thought about this until recently, but this one:

 from the Christmas carol It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Edmund Sears.  If you can't read it, this is the third stanza and says:

"All ye beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow; Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing: O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing."

The gorgeous artwork is by Jennifer Trafton and is from this book: Glad and Golden Hours, by Lanier Ivester.   Its subtitle is "A Companion for Christmas and Advent".

I just received a copy as an early Christmas gift.  Highly recommended!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We got more snow overnight.  But there is rain and warm temps in the forecast, which is to be followed by extreme cold.   Makes me just a little nervous about a repeat of some scary flooding near our camp in December 2022.  You can read about that here.

And that's the Wednesday Hodgepodge for this week!