Dreaming Out Loud

Last year my friend Ruthie gave me a piece of art for Christmas.  It was a basket of flowers done in needlepoint.  The best part about it was the phrase, dream a little dream.

Husby and I were talking one night and our conversation led to some home improvements we'd like to get started on after the holidays.  Let's get the lighting fixed in the kitchen, as well as the garbage disposal.  Then we'll have to paint the bedroom and dinette area.  How about getting a new tub in the master bathroom?

The home improvement talk led to improvements I'd like to make in craftland.  That's where the dreaming came in...

Oh how glorious it will be!  A long counter for pouring wax instead of the low, square table I'm using now.  A wall full of floor-to-ceiling shelves for supplies and finished products.  A nook for shipping materials and office supplies. 

It will be a while before all of that will come to fruition because first I have to clean out the cluttered workspace to make room for all of the improvements.  But the dream is at the forefront of my mind.  Starting in January I will be picking up, throwing away, donating, and storing everything in the studio to make way for the new and improved Craftland.  Along with that will come a brand new Etsy shop for Auntie B's Wax.  Same great things you've seen at my current shop, plus a whole lot more.

No matter what improvements you want to make in your life, dream about them, embellish the practicalities, and take small steps to achieve your wildest desires.  Don't ever be afraid to dream a little dream.

Wordless Wednesday

O Tannenbaum

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,

Wie treus ind deine Blätter!

Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,

Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,

Wie treu sind deine Blätter!

 

Today we remember Grampa Mike, who loved Christmas more than anyone I've ever known.  His German heritage and traditions influenced my own Christmas traditions, especially my Tannenbaum.

Snow!

I've lived in Minnesota my whole life.  I suppose some might think that to be unsophisticated ~ after all, when one grows up doesn't one move away from home?  And where would I go if I were to move away?  Sunny California?  I hear San Diego's average temperatures range from fifty to eighty degrees throughout the year and rainfall is minimal.  And it never snows there.  Ever.

To some that sounds like a dream come true.  I've heard people complain about Minnesota winters my entire life.  Temperatures can get down to thirty degrees below zero (and then some), snow can accumulate from two to twelve inches in a single twenty-four hour period.  For me, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I never moved to California because I love the distinct seasons of Minnesota, winter being one of them.  The cold air and snow just add to Minnesota's charm.  While I don't participate in any winter activities like skiing, skating, or snowmobiling, winter is quickly becoming my favorite season.  Why?

It's so clean and white.

It's peaceful.

Sure, it's hard to get up at 5:00 in the morning on a cold winter morning to go out to the day job, but for the most part I relish the briskness of winter.  I love the crunch of the snow with each footstep I take.  Most of all, I don't think anyone, especially me, ever dreamed of a green Christmas.

Winter welcomes warm fires in the fireplace, hot baths, lots of creamy lotion on the skin, and best of all, savory soups, stews and warm breadsticks for dinner.  In so many ways winter is warmer than summer in Minnesota.

While people complain about temperatures and shoveling I roll my eyes, snug in my woolen socks and fluffy sweaters.  I wonder why they don't move to that temperate climate of California and let people like me embrace the stillness and quiet of the snowy winter.

Traditional Meets Totally Awesome

The holiday season has officially begun at the Auntie B's Wax world headquarters. Surely you will witness the festivities and frustrations that comes with gift buying, cookie baking, entertaining, and the indulgence I experience this time of year through this humble chronicle of my life.

One of the most important pieces of Christmas is the music.  The grandiose and glorious music.  The peaceful and soothing music.  Thought-provoking and awe-inspiring, music is about as close to the Divine as you can get while passing time in the physical world as we know it. 

Enjoy...

Just Getting Over It

Thanksgiving was no less than a pivotal event for Husby and me. I'm not going to get into the details ~ suffice it to say we were grateful for being the people we have become because of, and sometimes in spite of, people around us. Getting comfortable in our own skin, as it were. It doesn't get much better than that. Plus, next year Thanksgiving Day will probably be celebrated with steak and lobster rather than turkey and stuffing.

Wordless Wednesday