Laowai

Thanks for reading my blog. 

Here are the ornaments I made this year.  I do love to make felt ornaments! 

Thanks to mmmcrafts and Elsie Marley for the patterns. And I get my lovely wool felt from this Etsy shop in Plainfield, Illinois.

And here’s a snowglobe ornament that Bea made for one of her teachers. She sculpted a little dog and a squirrel in the tree. Hard to get a picture that shows just how cute it is.

Christmas Mem’ries

(The Rosemary Clooney version is best)

Singing carols, stringing popcorn
Making footprints in the snow

Memories, Christmas memories
They’re the sweetest ones I know

Cookies baking in the kitchen
Cards and ribbons everywhere
Frosty, Christmas memories
Float like snowflakes in the air

And, oh the joy of waking Christmas mornings
The family gathered ’round the tree
We had a way of making Christmas
As merry as can be

I close my eyes and see shining faces
Of all the children who now have children of their own

Funny, comes December
And I remember all the Christmas’ I’ve known

~Bergman and Costa

We’re in Wilmette now. We’re enjoying time with friends. And I’m feeling all the warm fuzzy feelings from Christmas music and over-the-top Christmas lights and Mexican food.

Here’s my sweet little sugar on the airplane:

We get good ice cream and chocolate on Swiss flights but the space is pretty tight for my long legged husband:

We flew over the Mackinac Bridge and it was nice and clear. I don’t remember doing that before. More warm fuzzy Michigan feelings:

We are so thoroughly and sweetly taken care of. We arrived home and our fridge was stocked with fruit and milk and OJ and a pile of goodies like croissants and cookies. I can’t describe how nice it is to come home to a house with milk in the fridge! And if that wasn’t enough, my dear friend and her daughter Mabel decorated the sweetest ever mini Christmas tree and put up a Merry Christmas banner too. Gah!

Tomorrow we’re off to Michigan and I can’t wait for the hugs.

Here’s a wreath that I’ve made for my dear mom-in-law. I’ve been making her a wreath each year for many many years now. I wonder if she is growing tired of all these wreaths? And this year’s wreath is a little goofy. Like I’m just challenging the idea that I can make a wreath out of any old thing. I can make a wreath out of noodles. Place them in a circle shape – slap on some gold paint and it’s a wreath.

Merry Christmas Joan. I love you. And I plan to keep on making wreaths for you for a very long time!

Claire got to sing with her class as part of the Zurich Singing Christmas Tree last night. The singing Christmas tree is part of a Christmas market right near the main train station. The area is sort of like Chicago's Michigan Avenue – lots of shopping and always busy. Her class did a great job and it was really fun to watch her up there. Here are some photos:

There she is below – third row from the top on the left – her red glove is out front.

We celebrated our Swiss Christmas last night. It’s our time to give gifts to the girls and to have a yummy raclette feast. It felt very special – the way the girls were excited and happy and getting along. I, unfortunately, had a headache all day so I sort of laid low. But Brian and the girls were sweet and gave me lots of hugs and we still had fun.

Now the house smells like pine and gingerbread spices and cheese (hmmmm not sure if the cheese smell is good). And the girls are working together assembling a new lego set. Brian went for a run and the rest of us are still in our jammies. We don’t have snow but It’s been stormy and windy so the house feels cozy. And I feel grateful.

And now I have a week left to enjoy Zurich Christmas and to get ready to for our trip to the US. Here are some photos of our Swiss Christmas – the befores and afters.