Christmas Thoughts and Gingerbread-Pear Muffins

Hello, Dear Friends, I hope that you are finding some 

sweet and special moments at this busy time of year.

Thank you for your dear and kind visits, 

which make my days extra sweet and special, too. 

****** 

We have had a long stretch of clear skies with the 

most beautiful of sunrises, here in the foothills 

near Mt. Rainier. 

I caught this illuminating moment as the sun rose

over the mountains, just as it was framed by 

my little wreath in the glass door. 

The garden tuteur on the deck creates an exaggerated 

mimicry of the Christmas tree topper through the lace curtains. 

Here you can see it on the other side.

It's hard to believe that my white sweet allysum is still 

blooming! We've had several inches of snow in November, 

along with two weeks of cold nights in the 30's since then. 

This small area gets full sunshine all day and is elevated 

about 5 feet, so I am sure that has helped. 

I am certainly not complaining!
So thankful for the sunshine and the little flowers to
brighten my day.

The light has been lovely, but all things must pass, 

and we will be returning to our perpetually gray skies

by the weekend. 

I met up with my daughter, and her sweetheart's little girl,

for lunch and shopping last weekend in a nearby small town. 

I tried to get some shots of the beautiful store windows, 

but the sunlight caused reflections of the buildings

across the way. 

Charming, old brick buildings

 in an historic farming and railroad town are now 

antique and specialty shops, 

with a few little restaurants and cafe's. 

This little dog made us smile :)

This was painted on the side of one of the buildings. 

You can see how large it is - the blue sky shows above, 

and the sidewalk is below. 

This region is known as 'The South Sound', 

as it lies between the southern end of Puget Sound 

and the Cascade mountains of Washington State. 

Our slogan is 'Live like the mountain is out'. 

When Mt. Rainier is 'out', it can be seen for many miles

all around and means it is a beautiful, sunny day :)

Just to prove the point, this para-glider was making 

the most of our slogan, inexplicably flying 

over the major arterial on my way home. 

Just to the left of here lies open farmland, 

where I am sure it was headed for a landing. 

The mountain was certainly 'out' and framed 

beautifully by our lovely forestland. 

I drove home thinking of how fortunate I am 

to be living here, and to be spending the day 

with my beautiful daughter and a precious little girl. 

After all of the struggles that Ramblin' Man and I 

have had - starting out together so young, 

moving 3000 miles from our childhood

 homes in New England, 

and raising a family while building our own home

on raw land - we are now enjoying the results 

of all those years of hard work and perseverance. 

xoxo

It was truly difficult at times. 

But I wouldn't change a single day. 

It made us who we are, and gave us an incredible

sense of gratitude for every tender mercy of help along the way.

I found a few little treasures while I was out shopping, 

and of course this little angel had to come home with me. 

I found these glittery white pine cones

which filled my pressed glass bowls just perfectly. 

For my old cupboard - 

the sweetest little vintage box.....

It's just right for my collection of vintage post cards. 

All the decorating and shopping has put me

in the mood for a holiday treat.  

Here's the easy recipe.....

Gingerbread Pear Muffins

Makes 12

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

*****

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup light molasses

1 egg

1 medium pear, peeled and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper baking cups

Whisk all dry ingredients together in large bowl

Whisk all wet ingredients together in medium bowl. 

Stir in pear. Add to flour mixture, stirring just 

until moistened. Spoon batter evenly into prepared cups. 

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers

comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan

and cool on wire rack 10 minutes before serving. 

Yum! 

So good with a hot cuppa of your favorite brew. 

I love pretty seasonal napkins. 

This little frame was another shopping find. 

I was going to put it on my vanity, 

but decided to use it for my holiday table first. 

The sweet scene is cut from a Christmas card. 

You can't have too much sparkle this time of year :)

We had a little dog like that years ago, 

a border collie named Twiggy. 

Her name came from the iconic model, 

as her legs were as slender as twigs. 

I rescued her from the pound and she was 

a loving companion until the end. 

She loved fetching and could find any ball 

no matter how far into the woods it was thrown. 

She especially loved when Ramblin' Man 

practiced his golf game, and would bring 

back most every ball. 

Once in a while, one would be lost, and we 

have found them years later, wedged in rotted logs

or in the roots of stumps. I found one as recently 

as this summer - and it always brings a little tear

and warm thoughts of this sweet little pet. 

So thankful for the devoted companions

that spend their lives with us. 

As I clean up, I am enjoying the late afternoon 

sunshine out the window. 

A miniature winter scene....

I crafted this fragrant vignette

 out of clove-studded mandarins, cinnamon

stick bundles and whole allspice. 

My little bird keeps watch as I put my cup away. 

*********

This time of year can be stressful for all those who 

are the keepers and creators of the 'Holiday Spirit'. 

The unsung heroes and heroines who put in those extra 

hours to 'make spirits bright'. 

There's the decorating, the shopping, the gift wrapping, 

the gatherings, the charities, the cooking and baking - 

all extra activities on top of normally busy lives. 

If you are the primary spirit brightener, please 

remember to give yourselves a break. Look for 

ways to lighten the load and don't forget to treat yourself

while you are treating everyone else. 

And if you are one of the lucky ones who get to 

just 'show up', please remember to appreciate 

all the hard work and care that goes into

 making your holiday a special time of year. 

Sometimes we forget to personally acknowledge 

all that goes into the making of a special day. 

Be somebody's angel and let them know 

how truly wonderful they are. 

xoxo 

Today I am linking with:

Thankful Thursday

Won't you join the fun?