Christmas planning

It is September, fall, time of harvest and preparing for winter. I am also preparing for Christmas. This year is planned to be different from other years. Since my husband and I have been married, we have celebrated Christmas Day as only a couple. He usually had to work, our children and their families live in other states away. This year, the plans are for my son, his wife and the three little grandchildren to spend Christmas Day with us, unless a blizzard is happening between their home and ours.

Decades back, when my children were young, I started planning Christmas in January. We did not have much money, so I would watch my children and see what they were really longing to have, and buy for a Christmas present or Birthday present when I had the money to do so. Stretching out the Christmas present purchasing to all year long, allowed me to give my children several gifts, instead of just one gift.

I took the same idea to when purchasing food for Christmas dinner. I would buy a bag of chocolate chips or nuts or extra cans of vegetables during my regular grocery shopping a few months before. Spreading out the cost of Christmas dinner over several months was easier on my budget than purchasing the one week of Christmas.

My daughter-in-law and I have discussed the menu, and it is set. Main course is salmon. The salmon was on sale, I was hungry for salmon, so I purchased some. I always buy turkeys and ham when they are on sale during that time of year. I will probably prepare a turkey or ham for Christmas dinner to join the salmon, for those who may not want to eat salmon. The rest of the menu will be purchased, little by little at each grocery shopping day.

A new addition this year is going to be the “Mystery Box”. Since my daughter-in-law and I like to do crafty things. Children love to do crafty things. This “Mystery Box” will be supplied each day with a different Christmas type craft for the family to craft together. One day will be clothes pin snowflakes. I will glue the clothes pins into various snowflake shapes and paint them white before they arrive. Everyone will decorate them with glitter, paints, and other items. The Mystery Box will have an activity of stringing popcorn one day, and another day of making Christmas chains from red, green and white construction paper. I have supplies to make reindeer and decorate foam Christmas trees. All items crafted will be used as part of the decorations in the house. At the conclusion of their visit, they can take the decorations they have made home if they wish.

On Christmas Eve, we will do the age old family tradition of decorating sugar cookies with colored frosting and candy decorations for Santa. The boys will help me make oatmeal cookies for the reindeer. When it is time for bed, we will gather for the poem, “The Night Before Christmas”, and the Christmas Story.

Seems like a lot to prepare for and do. But by purchasing needed cooking and crafting supplies, a little at a time, I will be able to stay within my budget and enjoy a festive time of the year with children and grandchildren.

amtolle

August is beginning and the mark of summer ending with the grandchildren preparing to start school in a few weeks. There will be no more visits with grandchildren until Christmas break. The softball season is over, and other sports practices been going on for a few weeks. The distance apart makes if difficult to attend any games, but we like to keep track on their achievements.

I have been putting the squash from my small garden up for later meals. We eat some and I freeze some. The work of growing food. The tomatoes and bell peppers do not produce fruit in the heat of summer. Once the temperatures start to drop, they will set fruit for a late harvest in November.

In the part of Texas where I live, people plant two gardens, a spring garden and fall garden. The spring garden has been struggling in the heat. Squash produces well in the heat as long as it has water. The tomatoes, bell peppers will produce when the temperatures drop. The brussel sprouts will begin to grow their fruits vigorously with the cooler temperatures arriving at the end of August. Pumpkins will continue to set fruit and grow until the first freeze in mid November.

In a couple of weeks I will plant radishes, onions and maybe some potatoes. These vegetables will grow well in the cool temperatures until we get a hard freeze in January or February. Cabbages do well in a fall garden.

The lambing for summer is done. Due to the drought, the sheep market is flooded with people selling their ewes and rams because winter feed prices are going to be higher than last year. People selling now, means there will be fewer lambs born in the fall. Less lambs born in the fall means fewer lambs for sell in February and March when the lamb market prices are usually high. I am currently breeding my ewes for fall lambing. I have faith I will be able to continue to purchase feed through the winter and hopefully make a good profit in February.

August is the time to settle down and do projects that were interrupted with visits from family. The grandchildren go back to school, and I go back to work building and repairing the shelters for the animals this winter. Projects that improve our place and home.

August is also the time to start the gifts for family and friends. Considering I did not plant cucumbers this year, I will not be making pickles and relish for Christmas gifts. I will have to make the Christmas gifts this year. One of my projects to get completed in August is the leather crafting work table. My husband wants to make belts for the grandchildren. I will need to have the leather work table done for him to be able to complete his Christmas gifts this year.

Another project is to finish some quilts I started last year for the grandchildren. I am going to set up my quilting frame in the spare bedroom, now that there will not be any visitors until Christmas. I hand stitch all the quilting on my quilts. A task that requires time and patiences of placing each stitch in the right place. When the quilts are completed, they are heirlooms for my grandchildren and future generations. Before I die, I want to have completed a quilt for each grandchild. Some have their quilts, but I have a several more to make and complete.

My year is marked out in months for certain activities and events. August is the beginning of work as the season for playing with family is over until Christmas time.

amtolle

Tag: Christmas planning

August Beginnings