HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 - HEALTH AND HAPPINESS TOO

MY WISH FOR ALL MY FRIENDS FOR 2009 IS THAT THEIR LIVES BE FILLED WITH JOY, GOOD HEALTH COMES TO EACH OF YOU, HAPPY MEMORIES ARE MADE AND SHARED AND EACH OF YOU ENJOYS PEACE IN THE WORLD. HAPPY NEW YEAR DEAR FRIENDS.

THE CHRISTMAS PRAYER

LEGEND OF DECORATING THE CHRISTMAS TREE

I will share with you today my decorated Christmas tree in my home. I have often wondered who started the decorating of the Christmas Tree and why. My tree is all done in pinks with bows and a lot of decorations I have made myself. I like to stand my Victorian Doll with her baby in front of the decorated tree. I will share with you some of the folklore or legends of how trees came to be decorated and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Celebrating Christmas without a richly decorated Christmas Tree would not seem right today. But why do we have a Christmas Tree, and how did it originate? The first known decorated Christmas Tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. Martin Luther decorated a small Christmas Tree in 1535 with candles for his children, to show them how the stars twinkle through the night. This has been recorded by a visitor to Strasbourg in 1601, which he stated: "...a tree decorated with wafers and golden sugar-twists (Barley Sugar) and paper flowers of all colors". Earlier trees were more biblically symbolized as the "Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden" -- the many food items were symbols of Plenty, the flowers originally were only red (for Knowledge) and white (for Innocence). Tinsel Tinsel were invented in Germany around 1610. Only silver was used at that time and machines had been invented to pull the silver into the wafer strips for tinsel. Later they attempted to use a mixture of led and tin to eliminate the tarnishing of the silver, especially with candlelight. This attempt failed as the tinsel became to heavy and branches started to break under the weight. Therefore, silver was used for tinsels right up to the mid-20th century. Back in the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, traveled to Germany to spread the Word of God. Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to the German people. The German people started to revere the Fir Tree as "God's Tree". In the next 5 centuries, the tree became a symbol of Christianity, and was being hung upside-down from the ceiling as a sign of Christianity. The First English Trees The first Christmas Tree came to England with the Georgian Kings who came from Germany. At the same time, German Merchants living in England decorated their homes with Christmas Trees. The British people were not found of the German Monarchy, did not copy the fashions at Court, which is why the Christmas Tree did not establish in Britain at this time. Although, a few British families did have Christmas Trees, probably more from influence of their German neighbours than from the Royal Court. I hope you have enjoyed this little bit of history about the Decorated Christmas Tree.

FIND YOUR JOY

Joy is a light that fills you with Hope, Faith and Love.

Enjoy the little things because one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.
Robert Brault

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.
Mother Teresa

Change your Thoughts and change your World.
Norman Vincent Peale

Burn Brightly without burning out.
Richard Biggs

Sometimes in the Winds of Change we find our true Direction.

Laughter is an instant vacation.
Milton Berle

Sermons are better lived, not preached.

WOMEN WEARING SLACKS - NOT IN MY MOTHER'S DAY

As far back as I can remember when I was growing up, my mother always wore skirts and dresses. I don't recall ever seeing her in a pair of slacks until probably in the late 70's. My mother was a beautiful seamstress and made most of her own clothes. I vividly remember her in pretty floral skirts with a coordinating blouse that she had made and quite often with a dainty brooch at the neck. I can even remember her washing the floor with her skirt kind of pinned up out of her way. I have posted one picture of my mom and I when I was probably around 6 and even I am in a cute little suit that she made for me. The other pictures are her and my dad on a trip to Florida in front of a large fish - no slacks there either. The one picture I just love is of my mom, my grandfather and a lady friend from Chicago at a family picnic and both ladies are in skirts, and playing croquet no less. That is how I remember my mom - always impeccably dressed even when she was doing house work. I don't know how she did it. When I am doing housework or washing the floor - you don't want to see me as it is not a pretty picture.

"Pants for women started in the 1930-1940s. Dress pants or slacks were popularized by Katherine Hepburn who shocked people by wearing wide legged pants, and Marlene Dietrich who wore men's tuxedos tailored to fit her. Jeans for women started in the 1950's, but solely for recreation like camping, hiking, etc. It wasn't until the late 60s to early 70s that jeans became acceptable to wear in public or school. Big designer labels came mostly in the early 80s with Calvin Klein."


As stated above even tho a few of the stars wore the wide legged pants in the 40's - most women didn't wear them until the late 60's or early 70's.

I remember pants or slacks for women were not allowed in the office or schools until probably in the 70's. When I worked for a legal office in the 60's there were no women wearing what we refer to today as the power suit or business suit. That came later.

What is ironic is that in my mother's later years when she was in her late 60's, 70's and 80's - she would only wear slacks because she complained that her legs were too thin to wear skirts. How times have changed. I do know one thing tho - my mother would not have liked the hipsters the kids wear now with their stomachs hanging over the top. She would have been appalled.

REMEMBRANCE DAY - WHY THE POPPY?

Today, November 11th, we give honor to our fallen soldiers by wearing a red poppy. Here is a bit of the history of the poppy.

Why the Poppy?

Today, fields of brilliant poppies still grow in France.

A writer first made the connection between the poppy and battlefield deaths during the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th century, remarking that fields that were barren before battle exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended.

During the tremendous bombardments of the First World War the chalk soils became rich in lime from rubble, allowing 'popaver rhoeas' to thrive. When the war ended the lime was quickly absorbed, and the poppy began to disappear again.

After John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields was published in 1915 the poppy became a popular symbol for soldiers who died in battle.

Three years later an American, Moina Michael, was working in a New York City YMCA canteen when she started wearing a poppy in memory of the millions who died on the battlefield.

During a 1920 visit to the United States a French woman, Madame Guerin, learned of the custom. On her return to France she decided to use handmade poppies to raise money for the destitute children in war-torn areas of the country. In November, 1921, the first poppies were distributed in Canada.

Thanks to the millions of Canadians who wear flowers each November, the little red plant has never died. And neither have Canadian's memories for 116,031 of their countrymen who died in battle.

ANYBODY FOR A PINK CHRISTMAS

Today I am going to share with you some of the pink Christmas ornaments I just finished making. I cut my own wood, paint them with roses and add German Glass Glitter. This is truly a labor of love because from start to finish to cleaning up the sawdust, it is very time consuming. But the good news is I absolutely love making them. I have some for sale in my e-bay shop and Etsy shop. Just in case someone would love to have them. I just did a large white angel for my secret Santa swap and I will show that to you as well.

SPEAKING OF ANGELS - HALLELUJAH

People who are familiar with my work know that I sew and paint roses, however, today I am going to introduce you to some of the angels I make all out of fabric and wool. I use hodgepodge for stiffener, and use myself as a model in the mirror when I am posing their arms and heads. I know you are getting quite a visual with that one. My husband has walked in on me when I was trying to get the arms just right and I was in an awkward contortion of a post - he stood there for a few seconds and then asked me if I was alright. You gotta laugh. I make some of them holding choir books, others lifting up tiny birds to the sky and my favorite of course is the praying hands. The angels you are seeing today I had done for a fund raiser. A lady in our church is raising money to build an orphanage in Haiti and they were having a fund raising social with silent auction. These were made for that event. I always spray them gold and they have no facial expression really, just closed eyes. I hope you like them.

THE MARIE ANTOINETTE AWARD

I have been awarded the Marie Antoinette Blog Award by Debbi of All in My Cottage. Thank you for the honor ! Please visit her blog at www.cgtreasures.blogspot.com.

Here are the rules:1. Please put the logo on your blog. 2. Link it to the person from whom you received the award. 3. Nominate at least 7 or more blogs. 4. Put the links of those blogs on your blog. 5. Leave a message on their blogs to tell them (I'm letting them know here too)And the winners are:~

http://www.foursistersinacottage.blogspot.com
http://www.country-charm.blogspot.com
http://www.mymothersdaughter-maryb.blogspot.com
http://www.owcl.blogspot.com.
http://www.oatmeal and whimsy.blogspot.com
http://www.thejoyof.blogspot.com
http://www.shabbyinthecity.blogspot.com

WHAT WILL TOMORROW BRING?

It has been one of the most beautiful November days in memory today. Blue sky and very warm. I am sure we will pay for this wonderful weather in a week or two with below zero temperatures and swirling snow. Life in the Great White North - you gotta love it.

I am anxiously awaiting the US elections tomorrow as I have been following all of the debates and of course, have my opinion as to who I would choose. Darn - I don't get a vote. What a milestone this election will produce - either way it will change American history and my hope for my American friends is that it helps your economy and gives people hope for a better tomorrow.

Our Canadian elections came and went with hardly a whimper - no big hoop la and no big changes. Some times the more things change the more they stay the same, so maybe there was change and I missed it.

Well - I have got to get to bed as I will be up late tomorrow watching the election results. Should be interesting.

Sandi's Treasures

DOROTHY FROM THE WIZARD OF OZ

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY

Can you believe it - Halloween 2008 - Wish I could put the brakes on the way these Seasons fly by. There will be lots of little ghosts and goblins out and about. My grand daughter is going as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. We took her to the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota this past summer and she has taken such an interest in everything Dorothy since then. I will post a picture of her in costume later. Anyway - hope everyone stays safe and remember to check the little one's candies.

MY JOURNEY TO BLOGSVILLE

Welcome to my Blog - I am hoping you will find my journey down blog lane interesting. My banner is dear to my heart because the two little girls are my sister and I, probably when I was around 3 and my sister was around 6 and yes that is my childhood home. I lived there through the 40's and 50's so that will give you some insight as to my interests , my memories and my era. I hope to talk about many things that have been permanently etched in my being and I think many of you will see yourselves in my musings. I will also try and bring you interesting little anecdotes, some old tried and true recipes, and many topics that have caught my fancy or made me roar with laughter.

I will also bring you a selection of items I have handcrafted, items that I have found and wish to share and many vintage inspired items. My hope is that you will find my blog interesting enough to visit many times, tell your friends, and take a walk down memory lane.