These objects each hold memories from childhood. The pictures show the maternal grandparents who raised me after the death of my mother. It was taken around the time of my birth in 1939.
I very rarely had a babysitter. They took me everywhere they went, whether to a dinner at a friend's house, followed by an evening of bridge, or to Gram's "Sewing Circle" afternoons. Somehow I managed to amuse myself and was never bored. I was always welcomed in these homes. The adults never talked down to me.
The other objects recall different moments of childhood wonder. The little vase bears a Japanese symbol in a circle of words which read, "Goldcastle Made in Japan." The beauty of this vase drew me. I studied its details and made up stories about who the lady and gentleman were. The lady was obviously a musician, and composed wonderful songs which I sang while she played and the gentleman listened. When the music stopped, I received rich gifts of gold, peacocks, and spirited horses.
Sometimes the man was her father, at other times her husband, but in my favourite scenario, he was a handsome prince who came to rescue the lady from a wicked magician. In the latter case, he had to cross the ocean between them and face many dangers. Gigantic 
sea creatures were, naturally, among these dangers. Since he was the hero, he always conquered.
The seashell, ah! the seashell! Gram said an uncle who was captain of a ship that sailed the Great Lakes gave it to her. "If you put your ear to it", said Gram, "you can hear the sea." I did, indeed, hear the waves crashing on some distant shore, and heard mermaids calling.
Childhood is, or should be, a magical time, when anything is possible. Belief knows no bounds. As we grow up, the myths of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, fairies and elves (although I'm not quite sure these last are myths) are exposed. We enter the world of reality, which useually less pleasant and more complicated than our childhood realms. But we should never lose the ability to dream and let imagination soar, which means we don't become cynical, whatever trials adulthood brings.
We must retain the ability to shape reality with our best dreams and imaginings. How else do inventions come about, astronauts travel to the moon and beyond and scientists discover cures for maladies unconquerable yesterday? Hold onto reality, but take time to dream. Then make a plan to realize those dreams.
Just as the song of the title says, there's been a change in the weather here. I suspect it was blown in by the heavy winds we had yesterday, continuing today. The weatherman says that it's 34°, but feels like 23°. It feels even lower to me! But, as always, there's cause for rejoicing; the colder it gets here, the sunnier it is!
There's a lot of glorious sun out there, trying desperately to warm things up, but the wind has other ideas. Don't you love it when everything works together to create confusion?
The card immediately above, was made for my older granddaughter, who will become a teenager next month. The House Mouse one will be a Valentine for someone.
To answer the headline question, yes! Far, far behind! For three days now, we've had low temps--30's!--plus Jack The Ripper fogs at night, so thick they precipitate. When I venture out in daytime, it's like walking in an imaginary land where all is muted, no hard edges. Headlights of cars disperse, unable to pierce adequately the clinging mist.
But all this is not a harbinger of an early spring. Oh, no, not for us hardy too-far-northerners! Never fear, snow will come again. This is just a respite, and a chance to let those 8-foot snow banks melt a little. I do not exaggerate about the 8 feet. Admittedly, they're that tall because of the trusty snowblowers, clearing streets and filling lawns. Soon, the thermometer will
plunge and more snowstorms will come.
Below, two cards made for Ink Stainers challenges.
The paper used to make these stars is flocked.
Below, two ATC's
Card made with red cs background, same flocked paper as above, stamped SU tree, Sizzix poinsettia. The Sizzix image was used in the Cuttlebug. Gotta love the bug!
The countdown to the New Year has already begun, and I have art projects to do before it begins! Not panicking though. Well, not much, anyway. One project is the "Where are you from" for Michelle Ward's December Crusade. The other is for the "Blissfully Journalling" Yahoo group. Wish me luck in getting these done, and done well!
The Second Cup Coffee Shop is my favourite place to have a coffee with a friend, or, in this case, my younger son. Marc was with me for Christmas, and we had a great celebration and much conversation. He returned to Montréal this morning.
Second Cup viewed from the entrance.
Welcome! This is the small entrance room to my apartment.
I made a couple more cards with House Mouse stamps yesterday. I went wild collecting these stamps a few years ago, and decided to use all of them with a Christmas scene this year. I stamped a few more images last night, coloured them, and they're now waiting to be put on cards.
My porcelaine crib scene, inherited from my grandmother.
A closeup of the crib scene.
The very special American Heart ornement given to me by my cousin, Mary Anne.
Carol-singing Snow Babies.
March of the penguins. They must like the wolf harmonizing with the Snow Babies.
For many years, I've been in the habit of reading "A Christmas Carol" in the days before Christmas. Haven't gotten to it yet, but I will. Scrooge, visiting his Christmases past, invites us to do the same. How lovely, on a snowy Christmas Day, to muses on pleasures past, experienced with people long gone, or no longer close. I have many fond memories of childhood Christmases, and of those spent with my children and husband and his family.
Thinking of past Christmas celebrations doesn't make me melancholy. It makes me grateful for the blessings of those family feasts, and for those of the present, which will be added to my stock of memories.
I'm definitely in Christmas mode, and here are the cards toprove it.
