Happy Holidays! and we have a winner (part II of the Christmas crafts post)

well, first, what was the contest? Answer: me racing against the calendar to get the wreath finished before Christmas, of course. I have some kind of weird sprain or strain just underneath my ankle, nothing fractured, but walking or standing don't agree with me these days. Unfortunately the last stage of assembling the grand project required standing and walking around it to identify bald spots and places that could use a little tweaking. The temptation to find a box large enough to store away the wreath and the leftover wire and old cards was great. I resisted and pressed on, driven by the certain knowledge that if I packed it all up and tucked it away somewhere I would be unlikely to find it next winter, or even the one after that. No, its time has come, now is the hour, carpe diem, the day has dawned, and stuff like that.

Here it is:


About that foot injury, it requires no medication stronger than Advil, and I am seeing a wonderful physical therapist. If you're curious about how someone who has been known to take a bus for one stop rather than walk managed to injure a foot, it's this way: our yellow (regulated) taxis rarely provide as much leg room as an airplane seat in Coach class. Depending on how much room the driver has reserved for himself with an immovable barrier, you can find yourself balancing above a leg-and-foot space as little as 4 inches. No exaggeration, I once measured such a space against a 3x5 card that was in my purse. So if you're in a hurry and put one leg down and then try to slide across to get the rest of you into the cab before the light changes, you can put very strange pressure on the first leg to enter the cab. And if, like me, you have very long and narrow feet (like elves), getting them out of the cab one after the other similarly requires a series of unnatural and desperate balletic moves. There are still a few comfortable cabs on the road but they're an endangered species.

Anyway, the wreath and a few strings of lights on the terraces are about all the Winter Solstice decorating I can manage, and the lights are there because I never took them down from last year. Nevertheless, they're cheerful. As am I, now that the project is finished.

And to all a good night!


23 comments:

  1. Sorry about your injury. Hope it heals quickly. The wreath turned out great. Well done.

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  2. Very nicely done, wff! No wreath making for me this year. I ordered mine from QVC already decked out in lights and on a timer to boot...absolutely love it, too!

    I'm sorry to hear about your foot injury, and really hope that it heals quickly for you. Yay for advil at least. :)

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    1. Thanks,Melissa! For years I would order a large wreath made go variegated holly with a big red plaid bow and no other adornment. I loved them. Then the company - deranged ivy-loving elves in the woods of Wyoming, their catalog wasTDF - went out of business, Sigh. Tried a few other sources, no joy. Last year I made a wreath out of wine corks. Someone pointed at a cork that said "mis en bouteille au chateau" meant Merry Christmas! "Oh you bet it does,"I joyfully replied.

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  3. Lovely wreath. C'mon ankle, stop fussing already! :)

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  4. I am very impressed by your lovely wreath. Best keep it on the inside of the door so that you can see it and marvel at your creativity while you are resting your ankle. I am glad you make use of your terraces. When we are in the city, especially during perfect weather days, I make a point of looking at terraces outside many of the buildings. Only once have I ever seen anyone out on one. It was a woman tending her plants. So let your lights shine! Adding to that delicate taxi ballet, I normally have some pencil skirt on when going out in the evening. I have yet to master the get in and slide over maneuver with one ounce of grace or dignity. Rest up and enjoy your fabulous wreath!

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    2. Thank you, Teacups! Remember when Martha and Kmart were first having their issues? A lot of Martha's stuff got marked down, and while I don't do themed trees, I sure do lights. I grabbed a cartful, paid, brought them home and stashed them. From time to time a small container of lights turns up. This year I found an unopened container of green lights. I'm going to take that as an omen - green lights, no? - and add them to those already installed.

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  5. Sorry about the foot - sounds painful. I hate those barrier things they have in Cabs - we have them here in Australia too. It would be so much better if we could have London style cabs where the driver is in the front sealed but for a sliding window, and the back is big and open for bags and people and legroom!!
    The wreath looks fab!

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    1. thanks, Heidi!

      oh I so love London taxis and drivers who know where things are! Actually our Taxi & Limousine (hah!) Commission experimented with a few London cabs some years ago. NYC bumps & potholes: 10, London taxis 0. Most of our streets have kind of a 3rd world feel if you're riding.

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  6. Ouch! How can you carry home packages with a bum ankle-- this must stop! Nothing like a crackerjack physical therapist, though, so heal up quick( Weak). I too have skinny feet with high arches and narrow heels, making shoe shopping akin to underwear shopping to me. Ugh.

    Charming wreath!

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    1. hi, Lane, shoe shopping isn't good for my temperament, either. Ankle is coming along, I spoke very severely to it yesterday.

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  7. Hope you heal well. Everyone here now users because the cabs are so awful. The wreath is fab! Well done.

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    1. hi, Jen, thanks! I've been promising myself to try Uber, but I rode one with a friend to a major hospital and the driver went right by it and had to circle the block. Twice. Oh, well.

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  8. That is just beautiful, I do not have creative bone in my body.

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    1. thank you, Tabitha, it only came about because I couldn't bear to throw out all those Christmas cards. And I don't believe for a minute that you aren't creative.

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  9. Ditto to Tabs - that is just the sort of decorations I love. I think about doing something like that, then just get really really tired. I'm so sorry about you saw food - get better soonest! Glass of wine always works wonders. I remember I hurt my foot really badly skiing when I was younger, but come the evening with a couple of glasses under le belt I was doing high kicks in the arcade. Oh youth...

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    1. Oh that would be foot, not food...and I'm not even drinking

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    2. Well, six or seven years' worth of old Christmas cards stuffed into shoeboxes suddenly began to prey on my conscience - and then after I finally finally figured out what to do with them, I had a few sporadic bursts of leaf-production which was boring in the extreme.

      About 10 yrs ago I broke a small bone in my leg - Sunday night in NYC, so what kind of fool goes to an emergency room? I went home, everyone chanting REMEMBER R-I-C-E at me. So, ok, rest - lay down on couch. Ice - plastic bag, check. Elevate - pillows, check. No idea what the C stood for. Finally it came to me. Cognac! Bring it on, M. Hennessy! it was the perfect thing, and I totally recommend it.
      ,

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  10. Sorry to hear about your ankle, glad you are cheerful and luv the wreath!

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