A Christmas Post

Random {ish} pictures borrowed from Google Images that show some of my favorite things about Christmas, what I think of when I think Christmas, etc. So enjoy.

I think of snow and snowmen {not Frosty} because I grew up with lots of snow.

Plus they're easy to draw. *winks*

Hot chocolate is a must every winter, usually around Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Pumpkin pie is a classic.

So is pecan pie

And gingerbread men.

And cookies make great stocking stuffers!

Chocolate is good all year long; it just comes in prettier boxes at Christmastime.

Mulled wine {pictured} or mulled apple cider are so good.

Ham is one of my favorite "special" things to eat.

My husband loves yams.

And he makes the best mashed potatoes!

And those stripes sticks of candy, wonderful!

Fudge keeps my man fueled for the holiday decorating. *winks*

The trees can look so pretty this time of year, snow and lights and all.

A wreath for the door

Presents for the loved ones near you

And stockings for the fire.

But the most important part of the season is the birth of Christ, the greatest gift of all.

Christmas Poems

 Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Christmas Bells poem by Henry Wadsworth

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The Carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
‘For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!’

Mistletoe by Walter de la Mare

Sitting under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
One last candle burning low,
All the sleepy dancers gone,
Just one candle burning on,
Shadows lurking everywhere:
Some one came, and kissed me there.

Tired I was; my head would go
Nodding under the mistletoe
(Pale-green, fairy mistletoe),
No footsteps came, no voice, but only,
Just as I sat there, sleepy, lonely,
Stooped in the still and shadowy air
Lips unseen - and kissed me there.

The True Christmas by Henry VaughanSo stick up ivy and the bays, And then restore the heathen ways. Green will remind you of the spring, Though this great day denies the thing. And mortifies the earth and all But your wild revels, and loose hall. Could you wear flowers, and roses strow Blushing upon your breasts’ warm snow, That very dress your lightness will Rebuke, and wither at the ill. The brightness of this day we owe Not unto music, masque, nor show: Nor gallant furniture, nor plate; But to the manger’s mean estate. His life while here, as well as birth, Was but a check to pomp and mirth; And all man’s greatness you may see Condemned by His humility. Then leave your open house and noise, To welcome Him with holy joys, And the poor shepherd’s watchfulness: Whom light and hymns from heaven did bless. What you abound with, cast abroad To those that want, and ease your load. Who empties thus, will bring more in; But riot is both loss and sin. Dress finely what comes not in sight, And then you keep your Christmas right.

Christmas Gifts for Men

Since my post the other day - Christmas Gifts for Women - I decided that the men {fathers, husbands, brothers, nephews, etc.} should have a post all their own, or rather, a post on what to get them anyway. This post, unlike the one on women's gifts, will mostly be ideas and random pictures along with what I'm doing for my husband this year. We currently haven't put our heads together to figure out what to make and sale for men. *winks*

One of the standard things to get a man for just about any occasion is something that has anything to do with sugar and/or eating. So, a box of chocolates is always a safe buy - just don't get coconut if the guy you're buying for is anything like mine who hates coconut. More for me! Another neat idea is to get two or three different kinds of his favorite candy and pour them into a good sized jar, evenly mixing them {he can have the leftovers after Christmas} and tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar. That'd look snug and inviting under the tree, don't ya think? Note: if you have small children, maybe you should wrap the jar before sticking it under the tree - just in case. *winks*

Yes, alcohol is another fairly standard present. Still, who can go wrong with a bottle of champagne or wine? Perhaps he has always wanted to try some of the harder stuff - treating him to a small bottle of brandy or port would make a good impression on him. Don't get him an eighteen pack of his favorite beer - he can do that himself later on. If alcohol isn't his {or your} thing, try a different flavor of sparkling cider you haven't tried yet, an unusual flavor of soda or some exotic coffee adorn with tri-colored ribbons and a new mug.    

A slightly less standard gift idea for a guy, be it brother, husband, father, that kid three doors down, etc. is a puppy. Ya know they're called man's best friend for a reason, right? If your husband is an outdoors man or you own a fair piece of land, get him a big dog such as a collie, Labrador {pictured}, or German shepherd. Or, if he's like my dad and husband, a wrinkly little pug, bulldog or Boston terrier would be ideal. They could keep each other company watching the football game while you're off shopping.

Another creative line of unique ideas is a box of hearts with a note written on each heart. Just picture a rain of colorful paper hearts all over your man on Christmas morning. If he's as sensitive and sweet as my husband, he'll greatly appreciate this type of gift. Last Christmas I wrote my husband a completely original unique poem and hand decorated it with colored pencils and ink pens. I think my gingerbread men came out funny but he adored it. For his birthday I got a nice "manly" journal and copied down every single poem I'd written for or about him in the previous months {his birthday is in April} with two or three new ones he hadn't read yet. He was touched with this gift and still has the journal in a safe place on the bookshelf. If poems aren't your thing, you could always copy down the lyrics from his favorite song, get a new iPod or MP3 player and compile a playlist of his favorite songs, or get him his favorite show or movie on DVD that he's been wanting for awhile.

This year for Christmas I'm getting my husband {among other things} a new wallet. He already knows this so I can post about it here. He's been in need of a new wallet for several months now. His old sturdy wallet has two pockets for bills - a feature he wanted in his replacement wallet. So I shopped around and found several on Amazon. The one I finally decided on has the required two bill folds, with picture windows {he has a thing for pictures}, and plenty of card slots. The final verdict of whether he likes it or not will come on Christmas Day when he sees it for the first time. Find out what your man needs, be it new gloves, a wallet, new phone case, etc. and then shop around till you find the right price and requirements.

Tools are overrated in my opinion; if a guy needs a new tool he'll make it known or he'll go out and get it himself. My husband has made it known he wants a hand-plainer. He doesn't get one this Christmas cause I have no idea how to go about getting it without his help, and he doesn't have any wood to play with anyway. For awhile, my siblings would themselves and our dad lots of tape measures {my dad goes through those like you wouldn't believe} and cool looking flashlights that mysteriously disappear about three weeks after Christmas. Guys like gadgets though so cool looking flashlights, things with buttons, and noise makers with flashing lights are always welcome. You could also give him an electric toothbrush - maybe that teenage son would be more inclined to use it than a regular toothbrush. Next up on my to-get-for-husband-list is a wooden pen. He just doesn't know if it'll be for his birthday or Christmas or anniversary. Muhahaha!

I hope this post has aided you in the daunting task of what to get the men in your life. At my parents' store, BigBear Store and Nursery, we don't have wallets and hand-planers but we do have a large variety of seasonings for the men who love to cook, gift baskets that are easily customizable, and several gadgets in the form of plant shears, snippers, piping gadgets {guys go crazy when they see those}, and thermometers. So come on by and pay us a visit this Christmas season!

Merry Christmas ya all!

Christmas Gifts for Women

Tis December now and everyone is running around, getting their houses all decorated and presents all bought, wrapped and shipped off to friends and relatives. Then again, there are still some of us who are sitting there, at home or at work or driving, wracking their brains trying to figure out what to get So-and-So this year. Well, I can't make those decisions for you but I can give you some great ideas for you to run with. At least, I can try. The gift ideas featured in this post were made by my husband and are for the ladies - wives, girlfriends, aunts, nieces, daughters, grandmothers, the bridesmaid, etc. So, ladies and gentlemen and that bored guy scrolling through the blog listings, check these neat finds out for yourselves.

My husband is good with his hands and fingers, and an eye for beauty when it comes to jewelry. These necklaces he hand-makes in a matter of minutes.

What he does is he takes a small stone that catches his {or my} eye - they're usually about the size of a nickle or a quarter, give or take - and he sticks the stone in a spiral cage. These little cages he gets from a local alchemy store. 

He is something of a perfectionist so he tends to play with the stone for awhile before it fits just right in the way he wants it to, usually showing off the most interesting or majority of the stone, as pictured. Then he slips it on a chain and hangs it up, admiring his handiwork.

With the stone in the cage, it lends the otherwise pretty but plain stone an air of elegance, grace and beauty.

This particular stone, while not captured in this picture, is very interesting in its flaws and colorings. It's also a tad larger than the other stones, and a lovely burnt orange shade.

A crystal clear stone infused with cracks, pits, and veins of a gorgeous golden color highlighted by the choice of a gold cage and chain {optional}, while still retaining its simplicity - and about the size of a nickle, this piece is one of my favorites. This necklace's mate is in my own personal collection.

This is another gorgeous piece in the growing selection of necklaces. A dark burnt orange in color, the "flaws" in this stone are primarily what make it so interesting. Pitted on one side, the stone has the appearance of battle scars. Surrounding the pitted area is a circular vein of color, in three layers that catch and dazzle the eye, looking as though a very skilled painter had graced the stone with a touch of white, light pink and cherry red.

This stone, longer than a quarter but the width of a dime at its widest point, is black in color with a rich depth and so pitted and scarred on one side that you could spend hours tracing the markings and wonder what stories this stone would tell you if it could. Along the surface layer of the stone face are specks and veins of  an earthy red shade, lending more eye-catching interest to this piece.

While this particular necklace pictured was recently sold to a good friend, it is still a wonderful blend of the crackled gold veins and the frostiness of the stone below.

Roughly the size of a quarter and having a noticeable, comforting weight when held in the hands, this stone is quite lovely. Clear with a frosted appearance to it, anyone can easily imagine this stone representing Winter or belonging to a fictional character who in some way or another represents Winter. Or it could be the ideal gift for the woman in your family who was born during the Winter months or who favors Winter above the other seasons.

We are also experimenting with clay jewelry. This is a trial bracelet my husband and I made together awhile back. The beads {which are not uniform in size or shape - my fault - though that does lend the bracelet its own unique look} are a blend of a light shade of blue and a rosy pink, folded over and swirled together in an interesting and pleasing way. The two lighter beads are likewise blue and pink, just different shades and with glitter in the clay. The pendent is slightly glittery purple with one of the main beads pressed gently in the center. Its well-made with a sturdy clasp and simple enough to add a touch of beauty to any outfit for most any occasion. More will hopefully be made soon and we do special color combinations upon request so if your favorite color is brown and your sweetheart's is red or turquoise, you can have a tasteful blend of both worlds in a memorable piece of everyday jewelry.

Tired of jewelry or perhaps the recipient of your Christmas gift has every single piece of jewelry you can imagine and could probably benefit from and appreciate something different? Then you will probably like our new unique Autumn hair clips. Simple and effective, all you need to do is add two or three to just about any hair style or length, and smile sweetly, satisfied with wearing the season's colors in a fun way. You've probably seen hundreds of flower clips and several butterfly ones, but what about Autumn leaves?

This is the clip attached to the leaf. Very easy to stick in your hair and it won't fall out. Trust me, everything falls outta my hair at some point during the day and these don't. We currently offer them in three colors; orange {as pictured}, red and green. My husband, pleased with the success of these hair clips with his test subject {me}, is already making plans to turn real Autumn leaves into hair clips. If that's more to your taste than fake leaves, stay tuned for future updates on his experiments.

Please note that all of these gifts are hand-made by my husband and therefore can be customized in pretty much any way you want. Different colors, different pairings, mix-and-match, two of this - three of that, etc. If interested in purchasing from us - and if you've read all the way to here then I really do hope you're interested in purchasing from us - please contact us at daltonwrites@gmail.com or on Facebook at E.J.'s Library and "Like" us. 

The necklaces, unless otherwise stated, are all only $5.00 with discounts if you know us personally and/or purchase more than two. The clay bracelet {and any other clay jewelry items upon request} are also $5.00. The Autumn hair clips are $1.00 each.

Thanks for reading this! Merry Christmas ya all!

NaNoWriMo and The Clevelands

It's that time of year again, when the leaves change color and descend all over the yard and get into the pool. The pool itself now feels abandoned and who would want to swim in its freezing waters anyway? The squirrels are scampering around hiding their nuts and then forgetting where they hid them; the bears are on high alert, stuffing themselves as much as possible and looking for suitable dens to spend the winter in. People are beginning to retreat indoors sooner in the day than a month or two ago; the rich aroma of baked goods permeates the interior of the house. The family board games are withdrawn from the attic, the closet or under the sofa where they've spent the summer chatting with the spiders and dust bunnies. The wood-stove and heaters are lit by dusk and dawn to stave off Winter's chilling approach. Curled by the fire with a good book, a soft cozy blanket to keep your feet warm, a mug of delicious hot chocolate or perhaps mulled apple cider, and a plate of yummy cookies fresh from the oven is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon or evening in the autumn weather.

While its a wonderful season for baking, gathering around the fire, reading those dusty books of yours while the rain drums rhythmically on the roof, and the air smells all spicy and alive; its also a great season for writing. October is famous for being an Autumn month - after all, its a very classic month; but its November that I'm going to post about today. To a great many writers and everyday people with stories to tell, November is National Novel Writing Month or, as we fondly like to call it, NaNoWriMo. NaNo is that great wonderful time of the year when authors from all over the world get together {virtually and sometimes literally} to each write 50,000 {or more} words in 30 days. Its grand fun, a wonderful challenge and one of the most effective ways to bash out a novel that you can go over later at your leisure and try to translate from a jumble of words into a book that may or may not actually make sense. You can also make quite a few like-minded friends while procrastinating on writing your book.

NaNo first appeared in 1999 and has increasingly grown over the last thirteen years. I first found it in 2010 when my best friend Chelise told me about it. At first, I thought, "Write 50,000 words in 30 days? Um, how is that possible?!" However, I looked upon it as a challenge I was determined to conquer {side-note: my siblings and I were never enrolled in competitive sports despite being very energetic and, well, competitive}, and, despite that particular November being one of the worst months storm-wise we'd ever had, I finished before midnight on November 30th with 50,000 + words. After I did a slap-dash job of editing it in February my word count was just under 51,000. Anyway, I'd had a blast and I was hooked. And my beautiful story, The Cleveland Mysteries, finally had taken form and was on its way to delivery {a.k. self-publication}. Last year, 2011, I again participated in NaNo and wrote the sequel to my first book, the final word count of which was around 55,000 when I was done. I had personal competition from one of my best friends, Joanna, which made it extremely exciting. After NaNo, she offered to edit my book and proceeded to tear it apart and point out everything I'd done wrong. I hope she's up to doing it again this year because I intend to write the third book in the series. I'm not sure about my husband's challenge of "This year, 60,000 words dear" but I'll do my best.

The Cleveland Mysteries was first conceived in 2009 when I was working through my high school curriculum for my Jr. year. I was studying rubies in connection with Proverbs 31 and thought of how I could come up with a more creative fun way for other people like me to learn about gems and minerals without really having to well, learn about them. The answer came fairly quickly: write a book about rubies. I dug around my notebooks where I keep story ideas and character sketches and found one among three or four similar sketches of a sizable homeschooling family. I don't think the sketch had an actual story to it; it was more of the characters themselves and the interplay between siblings and homeschoolers vs. public schoolers. Well, I slapped the two ideas together, tweaked it a bit, renamed a few people, and ta-da! My story was all ready to be written. Volume one, as mentioned above, was born in 2010 and entitled The Lost Rubies {my plan for this firstborn is to revise it over the course of 2013, shake out most of those grammar and spelling errors, and dress it up in a shiny new one-of-a-kind cover my husband designed for me}, the sequel was born in 2011 and entitled The Missing Emeralds - my plan for this one includes finishing the editing process and publishing it for the first time ever, also in a shiny custom cover; and finally, the third installment will be called The Vanishing Pearls and will be written this November. My plan for the third book is to write it, ship it off to the capable hands of my editors, edit it, dress it in a custom shiny cover unique to itself, and publish it. Hopefully by this time next year, when I'm getting ready to dish out the fourth book, I will have all three first ones published.

The first three books are very crucial to the series. The Lost Rubies introduces the characters {of course} who are the Clevelands: Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland, Ardella {22}, Nova {18}, Dermot {17}, Garvey {15}, Orson {13}, and Levina {10}, and Ambrose Donahue {25}. It describes the Clevelands' daily life {which is important}, lays the foundation for the interplay between the characters, hints at the conflict surrounding Ardella and Ambrose's respective pasts, and sets up the foundation for the sequels. The second book, The Missing Emeralds, features Ambrose turning 26. Okay, so that's not all it's about. The sequel dives into the many layers of Ambrose's past and unravels a large chunk of him, revealing to the audience why he's guarded, why he's so fascinated with the Clevelands, and hints at his mysterious habit of showing up at odd times. It also adds another layer to the foundation concerning his affection for Ardella and her own past. The third installment, The Vanishing Pearls, I will be brief about. However, I will tell you that it contains a test of Ambrose's connection to the Clevelands, and explores Ardella's darkened past. The turning point that everything hangs on and which ties Ambrose and Ardella together better and more tightly than they realize, takes place in this book and which will be the trickiest part to write. Obviously it features pearls. 

I plan to hopefully turn out 7-10 books total in the series. That or just write till I run outta good story ideas. Please comment with your favorite gem stone, suggestions, questions or ideas for future stories in the series, and I'll do my best to reply in a prompt manner. Cheers folks and enjoy the lovely autumn weather!

An October Post

October is just around the corner {or is actually here, by the time this gets posted *rolls eyes and winks*}. So I thought I would look up some poems on my favorite month of the year. *grins* This is gonna be soooo much fun!



It Was One of Those Fine October Days

It was one of those fine October days

free from summer’s heat and haze

but not yet gripped by autumn chill.

It was one of those fine October days

when the sky’s so clear

you can see the moon

through the atmosphere

at midday.

It was one of those fine October days

when the trees sport yellow and red

instead of everyday summer green.

It was one of those fine October days

when one draws a deep breath

and is grateful

to be resident on Earth.

~ Richard Greene

October Girl

I married an October girl

but met her in December's cold,

I remember well

that winter of our meeting

you could not say that it was swell

that frosty first time greeting.

I saw her a second time

October in the spring

when light shone from her face

and joined with my light within;

she blew a gentle breeze

with freshness in her haste

to meet again the man

who previously in December

she had not seemed

so keen to chase.

She blew into my life in spring

through summer and the fall

and swirled around the boughs

of my many outreaching branches,

until she bared me of all the leaves

I'd grown throughout my life

and pointed to the roots of me

that held me strong in strife.

October is a blustery girl

with many winds of change

sometimes with an angry squall

that bares wintered teeth

with lightening storms of rage,

but I never did meet a girl

with such a warm embrace.

I married that October girl

we married in the spring

and as I wait to see

what summer's breeze may bring

I know that October's girl

will shine her light within

as I soar up so very high

upon October's wind.

~ David Taylor

{co-incidentally, my husband married an October girl. *winks*}

October

Crispy air and azure skies,

High above, a white cloud flies,

Bright as newly fallen snow.

Oh the joy to those who know October!

Colors bright on bush and tree.

Over the weedy swamp, we see

A veil of purple and brown and gold.

Thy beauty words have never told. October!

Scolding sparrows on the lawn,

Rabbits frisking home at dawn,

Pheasants midst the sheaves of grain,

All in harmony acclaim, October!

Brown earth freshly turned by plow,

Apples shine on bended bough,

Bins o'erflowed with oats and wheat,

And satisfaction reigns complete. October!

Radiant joy is everywhere.

Spirits in tune to the spicy air,

Thrill in the glory of each day.

Life's worth living when we say, October!

~ Joseph Pullman Porter

October

O hushed October morning mild,

Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;

Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,

Should waste them all.

The crows above the forest call;

Tomorrow they may form and go.

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

For the grapes' sake, if the were all,

Whose elaves already are burnt with frost,

Whose clustered fruit must else be lost--

For the grapes' sake along the all.

~ Robert Frost

October's Party

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came-

The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,

And leaves of every name.

The Sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,

The Oaks in crimson dressed;

The lovely Misses Maple

In scarlet looked their best;

All balanced to their partners,

And gaily fluttered by;

The sight was like a rainbow

New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,

At hide-and-seek they played,

The party closed at sundown,

And everybody stayed.

Professor Wind played louder;

They flew along the ground;

And then the party ended

In jolly "hands around.

~ George Cooper

Autumn

All day I have watched the purple vine leaves

Fall into the water.

And now in the moonlight they still fall,

But each leaf is fringed with silver.

~ Amy Lowell

In The Library

The library always smells like this:

an ancient stew of vinegar and wood.

It’s autumn again,

and I can do anything.

~ Dorothea Grossman

Autumn Fires

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

{One of my favorite poems}

And since I'm so nice {and bored}, here are a few more cool Autumn pictures I found while doing this post.