A Place Like This......

New Year Wishes

I cannot remember a year when I have felt life as fully as I have felt it these past 12 months. Through the highs and lows, all of you have been here right along with me. I am so thankful for your friendship and for all of the inspiration you have given me. I wish all of you a year of health,happiness, and much created living. Happy New Year! I'll be back,next year on Monday! Happy Weekend to all.

 

Happy Holidays

Everything is moving over here. The house is filled with children who are busy and excited about the coming days. I wanted to take just a moment to wish all of you a very happy holiday season with much warmth,family fun, crafting, eating and just plain merriment. Happy Holidays!!!!

Celebration Pie

Last Thursday was the last day of school for the semester. Mimi, myself,aunt Susie and cousins Ethan and Seth went out for a favorite lunch to just pass the time. As we were eating, text messages started to float in that various friends were receiving letters from anticipated universities.

Our mail comes late however, and so after a long lunch it was time to go home and see if the postman had been to deliver our letter. ????????

Nope. He was late. As in about a half hour late. The suspense was killing her...ahem...us. As Mimi went to stand by the mailbox, I got myself a cup of coffee and stood at the 10 foot diningroom window waiting for the mail to come too.

I turned my back for 5 seconds and he came. In she bounded through the kitchen door waving a letter and yelling, "I'm in!!!!!"

Yes dear friends and family, Mimi has been accepted to Vanderbilt University!!!!!!!!

Oh we are so proud of our hard working girl. I think this calls for a little celebration pie. Mimi has been quite a baker of late and so she got right to cooking a newly concocted apple pie. We can't quite give out the recipe just yet. It still has a kink or two in it but when it's worked out we will happily deliver it here. It's really tasty though. To help her bake this wonder were her best-friend "No bake Stacey" and her little brother "O".

Way to go Mimzy.

 


    

   

Enchanted Visions

  I wish I could report that all is well here but the truth is that little "o" and I have been very sick with the flu over the weekend. We've been lying flat on our backs feeling miserable. Today I can tell you that we seem to be moving a little better and still hoping that the lilt in our step comes back soon.  This evening I plan on getting all caught up with my blog visting. Know that I've been missing all of you very much and look forward to reconnecting.

Last year I saw this Finnish movie about the "true" story of Santa. It is such a heart warming, wholesome story. Absent is all of the commercialism that really plagues this time of year. Instead, is a story steeped in folkloric roots. This weekend the mailman brought me the english dubbed version. It is really well done.  

          

           

  There is something distinctly magical about this time of year. Candles and fires are lit, strings of lites are strung on trees and houses, but most of all it is a time to celebrate with family and friends. Something not to be missed is Juha Wuolijoki's Joulutarina/Christmas story. It is a touching story of how Santa Claus came to be Santa.

   

    Hundreds of years ago the world's greatest story was born.......

In a remote village in Lapland, young Nikolas loses his family in an accident. The villagers decide to look after the orphaned boy together.  Each family will take care of Nikolas for one year. At the end of each year, on christmas day, Nikolas has to move to a new home. To show his gratitude to the villagers, Nikolas decides to make toys for the children of the families as goodbye presents.  Over the years, Nikolas's former adoptive families become many, and soon almost every house has presents on its doorstep on Christmas morning.

When the village suffers a food shortage, the villagers have to send Nikolas to work as an apprentice for the hermit carpenter, Iisakki.  Under the cruel tutelage of Iisakki Nikolas develops skills that enable him to create even better presents, and to work even faster. The child-hating Iisakki, however, forbids Nikolas from making presents. The Christmas present tradition is in danger of coming to an end.

  

       

       

       

      

This movie was a sensation in Finland in 2007. Now it is being released internationally. It is a fantastic movie to share with the family. With stunning photography, music, and enchantment. I feel like making every gift I'm giving this year.Oh...I am making every gift I'm giving this year. ;) Have a look at the movie clip and enjoy.

Gnome Week: Rounds and a Winner

Packed in their back packs or loaded on their sleighs , the gnomes head out into the cold loudly singing their holiday tunes. Together they search for animals who may be having trouble getting through the winter.

All the animals know the friendly sounds of singing gnomes.  Some animals who always need help during this dark time of year are mice, weasels,and frogs. Along with food, the gnomes hold hoof and paw inspections, as well as, nest and den repair. All of this is done with a grateful heart and as acts of happy duties.

 

With our semester finished, and everybody home, my little family is all bundled up and heading out the door to start our holiday rounds. Toys will be dropped off at the fire stations, food will be brought to the food pantry and out-grown coats will be given to the coat collection, but the largest part of our rounds is in bringing happiness to others.

Music has been a great source of joy and fun for us.  We love to visit our local senior centers and play the music they love to hear. Along with sharing music , we get to spend time in friendship with the loving elders of our community.  These music playing visits have built a bridge between generations as we make a connection through the music we love.

 

 

 
  
 

Some time ago "O" asked his father "what if you have nothing to give anyone but you feel like you want to give. What can be done?

His father shared this idea with "O".

"Just smile. The kindness from this is enough. If that is all you have to share than give a friendly smile because it gives hope."

I would like to thank everyone for visiting us during our first-ever gnome week on the blog! My family and I wish for you in this new year season many beautiful songs, silly games, witty jokes, grand feasts and all the loving family and friends you can surround yourself with.

 

The winner of our Jump Into A Book tomte and fox giveaway is:

lorena said...

oh how beautiful!!

Congratulations!!!!!

A Gnome's Holiday Table

 

Being nocturnal, gnome’s always come at night leaving for us beautiful round tins filled with one-ders, wishing cookies, and lokum. As we meet nightly for stories, games, and playing music, we most definitely work up an appetite and these little goodies relieve us of that problem.

 

 

 

 
 

One-ders, and not wonders, is a Christmas specialty which let’s little gnomes contribute one nut or dried food they love the most.

 

Filled in a pot fit for “one” of things, the gnomes make a wonderful chocolate treat called one-ders.  The bowl usually contains such items as:

· 1 walnut

· 1 acorn

· 1 almond

· 1 fig

· 1 date

We, on the other hand are large people and so they throw in some extra for us. No two one-ders are ever the same .

Children like the chocolate and coconut version the best. This is very easy for children to do.  I’ve added the nuts and fruit combinations at the end of this recipe.

· 7 tbsps butter

· 7 tbsp sugar

· 3 tbsp unsweetened coco

· 1 1/3 cups of rolled oats

· 3 tbsp cold strong coffee

· Shredded coconut

Instructions:

1.    Mix butter,sugar,coco,oats, and coffee

2.    Form them into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter.

3.    Roll them in the shredded coconut.

4.    Put them in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

One-der mix:

1.    Make a double recipe above

2.    Include ¼ cup of walnuts

3.    ¼ cup of almonds

4.    ¼ cup of raisins chopped

5.    ¼ cup of chopped dates

6.    Mix together well

7.    Form into balls

8.    Roll in coconut

9.    Place in fridge 30 minutes before serving.

 

Wishing Cookies

Stacked high on a plate are pieces of ginger thins.  A true sign of wish cookie carnage.  Every year we have a couple of tins filled with Anne’s ginger-thins already to be wished upon.  Would you like to make a wish?  Take a cookie in the palm of your hand. Make a wish. Tap the cookie three times and on the third tap break the cookie. If it breaks into three pieces then your wish will come true if it breaks into more or less pieces you need to try again. My eldest daughter Zaina, doesn’t eat the cookies, she just leaves the carnage for us to eat. Not that we mind that or anything.  May your wishes come true. Just keep wishing. That’s the only advice I can give at this point.

Lokum

Known as “gift of the squirrels”, these lovely delights are brought to us by the gnomes’ via the squirrels.  Have you ever wondered why squirrels run in front of your car almost getting killed every single time? Well they are collecting nuts, not only for winter, but to keep their energy stores up while they are making lokum.  During the winter, way up in the trees, these sugar pot stirring squirrels are making next year’s lokum. It needs to age before sprinkling powdered sugar on them.  Eat them as they are or squish them up and place them in between two vanilla wafers or other soft cookie to make a lokum sandwich.

All of these treats are served with Glögg or Jul tea.  Add cinnamon, clove, dried orange peel to a favorite black tea.

Enjoy your gnome treats. 

We have one more day on our giveaway!!!!!!!

 

Gnome Week: Game Day

~ Now the night is nigh its noon

    Nimble gnomes beneath the moon ~

 

 

 

It is a winter's evening and there is much time to be together.  All in one place, we have listened to our nightly book.

 

In Jul time, gnomes love to play games. This evening laid out by the fire are three of our favorites:

• Tap the Hat
• Animal Call Out
• The Tray Game, one of our all time favorites

Tap the Hat is a conflict solver and peace maker at heart. Played almost every evening during Jul, it helps decide who will light the candles and who will blow the candles out. It also solves such mysteries as who will lead the tray game. Oftentimes, this game can get quite rowdy, especially with the young at heart sort, children between the ages of 15-20.

Make five little gnome hats out of felt.

 
Wrap them around your fingers and stitch or glue them to size. 

To play this game take a bead, felt ball,wax ball or anything small that can fit under the hat. Secretly, away from prying eyes, hide the ball under one of the hats and place all five hats on your fingers. One hat per finger.

The youngest person goes first.

Tap,Tap the Hat

Tap,Tap the Hat

Where’s the ball at?

Under which hat?

1,2,3,4,5 which one do you pick?

 

If they pick the hat with the ball they get to light the candles. If not, it's the next youngest players turn. Keep playing until you get a winner.

 

Another fun thing we like to do when we are counting the five numbers in the poem is to replace them with numbers in other languages.

 

Animal Call Out

 

Our next game is Call Out but during Jul we play Animal Call out. A combination of charades and follow the leader, this game will have everyone screaming with laughter.

On pieces of small paper write the letters G and P. G stands for Guess and P stands for Player.

All of those with the letter G will be guessing so please have a seat on the sofa. All of the others who will be playing need to stand in a line in front of those who are guessing.

In a sack you will have placed pieces of paper which will hold an animal plus an action. The first player in line takes a piece of paper and once they have read it starts to do the action.  All of the other players in line do the same action the playing leader is doing.

The guessing people have to guess what type of animal it is and what is it doing. When someone guesses, it's the next player's turn.  Everybody is a winner in this game. Once all of the players have had their turn it's time for the guessers to become players and the players to start guessing.

Need some help on the animal clue end? Here we go:

The easy ones:

• A chicken sitting on an egg
• A sleeping cat.
• A dog wagging it's tail.
• A chewing rabbit.

Mid-level difficulty

• A beaver making a house.
• A kicking donkey.
• A herd of buffalo stampeding. (move any breakables.)

Advanced Playing Action

• A snake doing Yoga,pretzel pose is popular.
• A giraffe itching it's head with the bottom of it's foot.
• A gargling whale.

Note of warning:

Millipedes,centipedes, and spiders or any other animal with many legs are absolute mischief makers. Only try these moves when you have reached the expert level.

The Tray Game

Needed:

• 1 piece of paper and pencil/pen per person
• 1 tray
• a variety of items to place on the tray
• 1 towel to cover the tray.

The tray game leader goes into the other room to place a variety of items on the tray and then places a towel over the tray.

Bring the tray into the room and place it on a coffee table or other central location until everyone is ready.

Paper and pencils are down and no one is touching them.

When the towel is lifted everyone has 30 seconds to look at the items on the tray. At the end of 30 seconds the towel is replaced on top of the tray.

How much do you remember? Write down everything you can remember without conferring with "neighbors". Remember no texting, sign language, pig latin or speaking any other language common to you or another. The person with the most correct guesses gets a little piece of chocolate.

Here are just some of the fun games the gnomes have taught us. Don't forget about our giveaway. Mamakopp has made a tomte and a fox for us to giveaway over at Jumpintoabook. For your chance to win go here and leave a comment. Blog about our giveaway and link to it and you will get three more chances to win. The giveaway is open until Thursday at 9 pm est when comments will be closed. Winner announced Friday morning. Enjoy and good luck.

 

Gnome Week:A-Gathering and A Giveaway

 
  

During this festive time of year, gnome's and their homes ring out with the sounds of songs,games,  dancing,joking,and stories. To ensure that those who they watch over will also take part,they leave for us on the Sunday after Thanksgiving a basket filled with wrapped books.

Wrapped in twine and sealed tightly with a gnome's seal. 

There are enough books to last us until Edda Night ( January 6th). To discover each package, we must meet for the traditional "Gathering Time", signaled by the sound of the following song.  

 A Gathering Song

(sung to the tune of We Gather Together)

In the dark of December we gather together,

to raise all our voices in song and good cheer.

Together with kindness we bid you to draw near us.

It’s time for all to come to our gathering place.

 

 

Every year we do a reversed alphabet order to see who picks the book for that evening. Oftentimes we have friends who come to visit or neighbors checking in, so we really never know who will get to pick the book. We always include the cat too. So starting with the person whose name starts with the letter Z gets to pick the book. If you happen to not have any Z's then continue backwards up the alphabet until you find your book selector.

As book selector not only did you choose the evenings story but you also get to decide how it is read i.e. by one person or many, and once it is finished you get to take it to your room with you for the evening. At first mornings light the book is returned to the bookbasket for others to enjoy. Here's a look at today's book.

  ************GIVE AWAY*****************

Oh how I enjoy the work of Mama Kopp. We are so lucky today because Mama Kopp is participating in our giveaway by offering The Tomte and Reynard. Would you like to win this? Go right over here and leave a comment and you will be entered to win. The giveaway stays open until Thursday at 9 pm. Winner will be announced Friday morning.

Gnome Week,Day 1: "Make Magic"

It is not an uncommon practice in Scandinavian countries to talk about the "gnomes" around us. These tales are usually propagated by loving and doting grand-parents. Mine were no exception, and so it was that we would hear of our very own house gnome taking care of the horses,helping in the garden,cleaning up the kitchen at night while we slept (this always seemed to happen on other people's dish days never mine),protecting the chickens,leaving out our rain-boots etc. Gnomes can also be prankster's and persnickety,especially when one has a foul mouth,argues with their siblings,or is disrespectful to nature.

It is at this very special time of year that our house gnomes pull out all the stops. Gnomes, you see, celebrate Jul/Christmas for an entire month and for 6 weeks if you live in the U.S. . They become so jovial and filled with merry making that it spills over into the homes they protect. This darkest time of year signals the coming of the new year, which must be rung in with special blessings. Not to be missed! There isn't a gnome on this planet that would miss this special time nor shall we.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving everyone in the house wakes up to a bundle,sack, or stuff piled outside their bedroom doors or at the foot of their beds. What's in these sacks you ask?

Fabric,yarn,thread,buttons,beads,corrugated cardboard,felt,clay,crayons,springs,widgets,wadgets,used cooking utensils, and many sorts of ordinary things.

The instructions are simple and always the same "Make Magic".

And so begins our celebration of the final month of the year. It is to make those we love, incredible and heartfelt, created bits of wonder aka "Presents".  Our home is a beehive of creating activity. Many moments are shared as we help each other with "projects', many times in hidden corners of the house or yard.

To create a "Make Magic" sack of your very own follow these very simple instructions.

• Take a large cloth napkin 22" x 22". Any size will work. I used this size.

• Wrong side facing you, fold down 3" inches and sew this into place.

• Place the side edges wrong sides together and sew down the side and bottom of the sack. Note: start sewing the sides under the the seam where you folded the top down.

• Flip bag right side out.
• Place safety pin on ribbon and inch through the opening until you get to the otherside. Pull it through and adjust the ribbon to the length you wish it to be.

Now it's ready to be filled with crafting delights by your very own house gnome ;). Please also visit my friend Mousy who was a great source of inspiration for this year's bundles.

Tomorrow we have a wonderful giveaway for MamaKopp and more Merry Making with our house gnomes. At this time let me introduce to you our house gnome Mr.Lottirsson. Purveyor of Fine Merriment.

Oh and for a chance to win a basket of gnomes of your very own, have a look over at gardenmama.

Lucia Madness

Greetings friends. I have not seen my way clear yet today. We are getting ready for Lucia on Sunday and there is always a million things to get done. Top on the list is making LusseKattor,better known as saffron buns. If you would like to know how to make these delicious little buns have a look here.

Tomorrow there will be more about our Lucia celebrations, both here and over at Jump Into A Book. Well, yet again the oven buzzer is going off. Let me get that! Until then, let me tempt your appetite with these.