Friends, I could not have chosen a week off with better weather. Barely any rain fell (my rain barrel is empty!) and the sun shone brightly upon my weedy green backyard and comfy hammock. On Saturday we returned to Collingswood Mayfair for the first time post-Covid (we were recovering from Covid last year) and had a great time. They started running some of the booths down side streets which I felt really helped with the usual congestion down Haddon Avenue. And FINALLY the Classic Car show ...
Friday 5: Assimilasian
Happy Friday, which is also Good Friday, National Coffee Cake Day, and National Beer Day. It's been a pretty good week all told. The New Jersey Devils are going to the NHL playoffs and if they win on Saturday they'll clinch home ice. I went to the dentist for a cleaning and have no cavities! I even finished another book! I started baking Easter bread today. I have little Easter gifts for Nephews A&B ready to go. The Lego set intended for A is larger than B's set so I think I'm ...
Our Christmas Village
Yes I'm writing about the Christmas Village in March. The Friday 5 jogged my memory and who knows if I'll still be blogging regularly in December. Listen, if I were actually GOOD at blogging I'd be rolling in influencer cash by now. Many, MANY years ago I started collecting Department 56 Christmas in the City houses. I only had a few because I was in my mid 20s and they were horrifically expensive. Years go by and I end up with WM. And, oddly, the Christmas Village scratches an itch for ...
Valentine card haul 2023
I like receiving mail and it turns out I like sending mail as well. It's one of the least expensive ways to brighten someone's day, and you can be creative as you want. I'm a member of the MetaFilter online community and a small group of people who enjoy sending and receiving cards set up monthly and holiday card swaps. I often write about the cards I make and send out as part of , but I wanted to feature the lovely cards I received in return. Here's my 2023 haul: Some are store ...
Gift Wrapping Tips
Back in college, I worked at the JCPenney department store at our local mall. I got the job a few days before my 19th birthday and because I "seemed bright" I was assigned to the Catalog/Credit/Customer Service department, which was the most chaotic department on normal days. (During back to school season, Juniors/Young Men's/Children's were awful. The week before Easter Children's would be a disaster. Before Valentine's Day, it was Jewelry.) Part of my responsibilities included gift wrap, a ...
Our Christmas Trees
(written while listening to Classic Christmas Music)When we moved to our very suburban, split-level house on Literary Lane, we knew that our Christmas tree belonged in the large window facing the street. And it looks GORGEOUS there. And we were 100% right. ...
Holiday Cards 2020
(blogged while listening to John Denver & The Muppets: A Christmas Together) I enjoy sending and receiving cards for the holiday. It's an old-timey habit that I really thought was dying out a few years back. Turns out, you just need to find people who care about cards as much as you do! In October/November of 2019, I began to dabble in making cards. I knew that I wanted to make some of our cards this year, but I knew that I would be overwhelmed knowing I had to make fifty-plus ...
Candles
This time of year we light candles to celebrate the retreating darkness, to celebrate miracles and survival, to tell the story of a baby born to poor parents who grew up to be the light of the world, and/or to celebrate a shared culture and history. Whatever you're lighting your candles for this month, I wish you peace, joy, and a new year that brings safety, love, and warmth to everyone. until then we'll have to muddle through somehow... ...
Thanksgiving & Black Friday 2020
It was kind of a fraught Thanksgiving in the USA this year, with government officials pleading with people to not travel (people traveled) and keep it small (many did, some didn't) and not to mix households (difficult). It was especially difficult if you're scaredy-Kim. But it's not that difficult some of your immediate family lives in the same town as you. I didn't blog about this last year, but the lovely Kristen, Nephews A & B, and my brother who never reads my blog moved to the ...
Halloween 2020
This year our town decided to go ahead with trick or treating, with caveats. They encouraged everyone to wear a mask, that trick or treating groups be limited to households, and that candy be given away at a decent distance. The hours were 3pm-7pm, which is what they are every year. I was fine with this. While the cases here are on the rise again, trick or treating is an outdoor activity and even scaredy-Kim here felt fine with it. Rather than go overboard with chutes or catapults, we ...
Overdressed Wednesday
It was a strange Wednesday at work, not for anything involving me, but there are Things Going On at the Upper Levels of Management and those vibes always travel downward. We were asked to dress "business professional" today and tomorrow and I did as was asked. I dusted off the shift dress and the blazer and the pearls and was WAYYY overdressed. TNP (short for TNP, but at almost 8 years there it's not so new anymore) usually dresses casually, so I probably should have stepped up to business ...
Snowflakes on Spring Garden
I hate winter, but I'll miss these lights... ...
