so sweet... and fibery!

 as if they hadn't long ago secured a life-long hold on my heart...my grandkids came up with yet another very special treat for me!  Alex carded this luscious luxury fiber batt for me with silky sparkle and lots of purple.  that gorgeous spindle is one that i'd "favorited" on etsy... and is even better in person!

and Zylie gave me this BFL roving that she'd dyed for me.  i mean... really! have we got a family thing going on here, or what!??

i could go on and on and get really sappy, but it all comes down to lovely gifts from my grandkids that are just totally perfect!  as are they.


ETA:  he's 11 and she's 9.

D.Landreth Company Heirloom Seeds

i recently ordered and received in early december the catalog from Landreth Heirloom Seeds and it's one of the nicest catalogs i've ever seen.  besides the fact that they have a huge variety of seeds and sets, there is a section with color photos of the actual flowers and vegetables... not airbrushed or drawings... real photos!  if it sounds like i'm on their bandwagon, well it's because i am!  i saw mention of them on facebook and went to their website.  Landreth, like many small family businesses is struggling to stay afloat.  i guess part of my reaction to this company was that it is a small business, the oldest seed house in the US and they supply" heirloom seeds and classics for the garden"... and i want to support them!  so, check out their website, order a catalog.  i've started a list of seeds to order for next spring and summer.

2nd annual cookie making day at dome central

this is the best cookie in the world... has dried cranberries and white chocolate chips and butter and cream cheese.  don't know its name but will put up the recipe later.

tree still needs some pruning.... it grew as a volunteer in the pasture and we harvested it, lopped off the top of it... and here it is.... and it's a hell of a lot cheaper and easier than going to a tree lot somewhere, looking at every one of the 250 trees to find the "perfect" one, finally settling on one that you don't really want but you are getting wet/cold/tired/find it difficult to appreciate these trees now that dark has set in, wrangle it into the pick-up bed, .... see? i remember this gathering in of the xmas tree and found joy in not having one for the past several years.  actually the aluminum festivus pole makes so much sense!  uh oh i'm feeling that familiar grinch setting in and must get more coffee in the system and hope for the best.

olives and stuff

during the summer i posted these photos of our very young olive trees (there are 3 of them).  they seem to be thriving.

and Jim brought in the harvest last week.   and here they are... all 17 of them.  they are on day #8 of the curing process  which i found online.  i did this curing thing a couple of years ago with a couple of handsfull of olives i brought back from crete, and they turned out quite good.  hoping next year will bring a more plentiful harvest.

and time marches relentlessly on toward xmas... and i'm slowly getting dome central and myself ready for the multitudes of family that will be here for dinner and festivities on  the 25th.  that is also the day that brother Curbhead has suggested for the planting of a tree over my dad's ashes on the hill overlooking the vineyard that he and mom planted almost 40 years ago.  that was Pop's wish, and with all the family here, it seems to be the right time.  the holiday decorations have been brought up from the basement and going thru them, it seems to me that i jettisoned probably half of them in the downsizing blitz a couple of years ago.  so i made a trip to my local friendly good will to find some candles to fill in the spaces... scored 7 that were totally brand new still in their  cellophane wrappings... bravo.  and the tree will go up on Sat., providing J carries out his assignment and finds one.  cookie making happens on monday with Maggie, Jordan and Maisy for the second year which i guess makes it a tradition.  for one kind, we will make the absolutely heavenly cookie that Kate makes.. it features white chocolate and dried cranberries and is ohmydeargoddessdropdead delicious.  might have to make 2 batches.  need to get going on gift wrapping... wonder how long i can procrastinate that damn chore.....ooops, the inner grinch slipped out there for a moment..

short days of winter

and it's 13 days now til winter solstice... time for bonfires and dancing and the beginning of longer days.  bring on the light!!  i found the following quote on Skippysgarden blog -

"I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
'We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September',
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December."
-Oliver Herford

last roses

 the last roses of summer, and that seems so strange to say of roses picked on dec. 3 here in what is usually the rainy wintery time in the PNW.  but, whatever... makes me happy to have roses from my garden sittin' on the counter 3 weeks before xmas.  and that reminds me... ta da... i'm officially squelching my inner grinch this year and will put up and decorate a tree in the living room and also will bring out the decorations and put them around.  well, after i banish the layers of dust on every surface... the left-overs of summer on a farm and dogs that seem to spend their outside time attracting dirt into their fur.  altho i have been told that the dust helps protect the surface of the wood furniture.  i would like to believe that.

and the inspiration for all the festivity at dome central?  well, the kids (grown and grand-) will come down on the 24th and it just doesn't seem right to have santa-believers in the house on xmas eve and not have a tree.

here's the latest update on the time piece (i love calling it that!!)
all this has been fused on now, 2 watches have been attached... i found some fine almost-invisible thread which i think will work to keep the watches in place, tho i might have to use super-glue in places.  and i learned something about using dupioni silk as a foundation fabric... don't do it!  that's what the solid green is and it's stretched and puckered and is creating a challenge.  so, there will be a LOT of surface embellishment on that piece.