Amigo spent a few nights with a group of men who enjoy singing. He joined them for their Christmas concerts. This was perfect for Amigo. He loves Christmas, loves to sing, and sings very well. He learned the Lead part in the barbershop harmony, got measured for his shiny vest, and got himself ready to join in.
Ready for the Barbershop Bistro show
He plans to continue with the group when they pull together again for the spring. I wonder what they’ll wear?
I was browsing old posts for an encore related to Christmas, and I found several.I also found a little peace in knowing the way some things stay the same. Continuity is good; follow through can be calming in the face of an uncertain future.
Wrapping – or my stubborn attitude toward commercial wrappings and trappings. I gave in and bought curling ribbon because it makes hanging the tags (repurposed greeting cards) so much easier. But I walked past the big rolls of wrapping paper. I stuck to my guns on that one.
Frugal gift giving – I spent money on quality. Both Chuck and I check reviews on expensive products before investing or buying cheaply. I feel like there may be fewer presents under the tree, but they’re worth more and they’ll last longer.
Canning and basic food preservation – I can and freeze summer produce with the goal of feeding the family through the winter. That’s not so different from our ancestors, really. They may not have had the farm markets available that I do, and they didn’t have the huge grocery chains as a back-up, either. The philosophy is the same, though. Quality food preserved in summer will take us through the winter.
Then there is the annual tradition of making and decorating Christmas cookies.
The family decorates!
I was in the kitchen baking the molasses cookies to help defeat the Detroit Lions. Hey, it’s only weird if it doesn’t work.
As seen on Facebook:
shared by at least five on my timeline
“In the tundra, the freezing tundra, the Lions sleep tonight!” – posted by a coworker.
Jordy Nelson responds to his new record, passing Robert Brooks to gain a season-high receiving yardage of more than 1500. “Truly an honor. Couldn’t have done it without my teammates and your support.”
Then there’s this guy. (posted by at least four people on my timeline)
Who is he? He’s not wearing green and gold. His colors are that of stadium staff or security – or maybe part of a TV crew. Whoever he is, I hope he’s available after the bye week. Hey, it’s only weird if it doesn’t work.
This are easy to make, with soft and delicious results. When you’re tired of sweet Christmas cookies, try this stronger flavor. The other options is white sugar and sorghum in place of the brown sugar and molasses. My research tells me the molasses version is more typical of Detroit area moms and grandmas and bakers.
Go! Pack! Go!
If you think I’m a green freak (Amigo does), you may be right. But if you think my attitude toward wrapping paper minimizes the colors in the pile under the tree, you’d be wrong.
Ho Ho Ho! Looks great, ya know!
In case you think I’m obsessive about it, and you’d be correct, take a look at this. I salvaged larger scraps of wrapping paper for later re-use. Compare the pile of reusable papers with the small plastic bag of trash. Not bad, eh?
That’s a creative transformation of a Verizon bag in the background, too.
I did spend a few dollars at the dollar store to buy ribbon and tape. I’m not a total Grinch.
A little time organizing, and we’ll be all set for next year. There will be no need to buy wrapping paper. No need to buy more, family, do you hear me?!
Folks, it’s post holiday, I’m cleaning the house, and even with our small garbage can we did just fine. That’s a point of pride in this eco-green household. Despite the grumbling, our use of one-use wrapping paper is minimal, and it shows when we take out the trash.
La Petite combined grocery bags with pretty paper.
An old card with bright scavenged paper.
A grocery bag acts as trim for a box.
And the tree still looked festive and fun.
I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and good times with family and special people.
I rescued a big stack of bright yellow paper from being recycled at school. It had been crumpled to take up space in science kits, and when the department heads unpacked, they didn’t save it. I intervened, of course. Folks in my school building know that I’m the scavenger among us.
I share this encore presentation because it’s still true. Amigo still insists that I’m a”green freak” and I take my eco-sensibilities too far for his taste. The rest of the family tolerates me, so here’s the rest of the story.
Several years ago I vowed to stop buying wrapping paper. I didn’t say I’d never use it or reuse it, just that I wouldn’t buy any more.
Amigo doesn’t like the philosophy. In fact, he’ll only help me wrap if we’re using real gift wrap. I compromised by using gift wrap I’d rescued from the wastebasket when the school PTA cleaned their closet. We wrapped with rescued and reused papers, and the gifts look great.
He doesn’t object to my green version of gift tags. Every year we take stock of the previous year’s holiday cards, cut them apart creatively, and with the help of a little ribbon and a hole punch, turn those cards into unique and lovely gift tags that cost nothing but a little time. We’ve done this since before he was born; maybe that’s why it feels natural to him.
Thanks to my spreadsheet gift record and my online shopping prowess, the majority of the shopping is done. Maybe I can sneak some of my eco-friendly and frugal methods past my wrapping assistant that time. Or maybe not; after all, he reads my blog.
An encore presentation: it’s all still true. I just got back from a short shopping trip that included Half Price Books and a local dollar store. I can finish the wrapping now.
Folks, you know me. You know I gave up buying wrapping paper several years ago. You know I plan ahead for gift shopping because of all the birthdays that mingle with Christmas. You know I love Christmas music and listen to it – well, I love to listen to holiday music, new or classic.
But do you recall – of course you do. Creative wrapping, frugal gift planning, and finally, the shopping, take a little thought. And then, with a little thought and planning, the fun begins.
Thrift stores! By carefully perusing the racks, I have often found good buys on brand name and quality clothing. Lands’ End, GAP, Old Navy, and my favorite jeans just take a quick cycle through the wash and then look good as new – or better. Better how? Because they’re already worn in, but not worn out.
Thrift stores again – baskets. I enjoy filling baskets with my own canned goods for special people like extended family. My favorite place to find baskets? Goodwill and other thrift stores.
Stores that specialize in vintage. This angle requires good knowledge of the gift recipient. If you’re considering that rabbit fur coat that’s marked 20% off, you’d better avoid buying it for me or for La Petite. But if you see a lovely scarf or classic cameo pendant, go for it.
Stores full of repurposed and crafty pieces. There’s a shop near my workplace that sells wonderful creative and useful household pieces. I look at their wine cork frames and trivets and think “I could make these.” Then I realize no, I don’t have the time or the talent. I’ll buy it from someone who does have the time and talent.
And finally, last but never least, I thoroughly enjoy shopping at Fleet Farm. Don’t bother with Toyland; just stick to my standard departments. Friends and family know that they can buy anything for canning and preserving and I’ll be thrilled. They might even find gardening tools and toys there, despite the weather outside being frightful. We’ve also discovered that the foodstuffs designed for hunting or camping are also good pantry staples. Bear Creek soup mixes, anyone? Yum.
No one fumbles around with the tree in a Green Bay Packer fan household. Diminutive though they may be, these little delights are like prize jewels of the family ornament collection. This roly-poly guy is a jingle bell decked out in Green and Gold and a football uniform.
These two came from a student (oh, she knew me well). They look fragile, but they aren’t. You won’t see them on injured reserve. Tiny and shiny, the crystal snowmen are small enough to fit in a teacup, but they’re prettier near a string of lights that can reflect on their glory.
Sometimes the closed captioning is wrong, and it becomes humorous.
Sometimes it’s the announcer.
There is a media program for the folks who call a football game. It’s a team roster with phonetic pronunciation of the player’s names. Brian Bulaga, for example, is listed as Brian Bulaga (Boo’lahgah). Today’s play by play guy didn’t study the roster before the game. He called him Brian Beluga.
Readers, you’re way ahead of me, I’m sure. We turned it into song, of course. To the tune of Raffi’s Baby Beluga, I give you – Brian Beluga, from the O.K. Chorale.
Brian Beluga on the great green sea.
Block so wild, and you block so free.
Snowfall above, and the turf below,
Just a green and gold guy on the go!
Brilliant, it’s not. Memorable, kinda maybe. But we do have fun watching football.