Advent time = time with friends

Our home is decorated, including the place of the tenants!

Our friend Julie C. had suggested the bow on the nest and the photo. I am sure her photo will be better.
On the weekend I tried out recipes to make them work for the lacemakers' luncheon.

Yes, the table is laid ... by James (thanks for that husband of mine - huge help).
THE Christmas tree in the bay window. Yes you could call it THE tree, the family tree, the main tree (since there are actually 4), but I call it our memory tree. Every ornament comes with a story. I love decorating it. Truly it is not a hardship. And the un-decorating either. Some ornaments are more treasured then others but ALL are hanging.

You can see the Christmon tree in the Sunroom. More about it later. In front of the fireplace (and one next to the front door) pointsettias my husband surprised me with. So nice of him. He laughed and said that they were on sale.

In the living room corner ... the straw ornament tree. So German. Every year before Christmas in my youth I would make straw stars. Ah, it's long ago.
In the loft at the top of the stairs ... the lace tree. Nothing but lace ornaments. Here is a blog I posted two years ago. But there are many more than those 24.

Underneath the tree the nativity figures Helen brought to us from her mission trip to Bolivia.

Second Monday of the month - Colonial Lacemakers' meeting.

Group photo: Janet, Carolyn, Mary, Maria, Lali, Christina and Rachel (in the back).

Janet took another photo with me. Everybody thought Carolyn's husband should photo shop me into the group photo.

Then we did a little craft project. In years past it was a Chrismon but since they are getting a little more difficult and we also really need a table (which was laid for lunch) I thought we could make Fröbelsterne (Moravian stars). My sister had just mailed two kits with colorful strips to me from Germany. Everybody finished one to take home. Here is a picture of my wreath with a whole bunch I made the next few evenings. Once you start ... it's addictive.

Lunch. Since I promised ... here are the recipes:
Flädlesuppe
(My mother used to make something like this for our first meal when we were visiting after spending the night on the plane. The girls remember it)

The main course:
Warm Brusselsprout Salad and Individual Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes

Dessert was "Grandma Burr's Orange Fluff (the family calls it Orange Mould because you could make it in a mould and turn it over on a plate but somehow it doesn't sound so tasty) with whipped cream and an assortment of baked goodies and chocolates.
Tradition: we always have to crack the crackers, wear the hats and read the jokes and trivia.

Yes, the Chrismon tree in the sun room.

On the mantel in the sun room: a little nativity I found at a fundraiser event in Germany two years ago.

On the e mantel on the living room side: two vases with "real life" greenery and the hand carved (whittled) wood figures. The main nativity figures were carved for me when I was a teenager. It was a thank-you-gift from a relative behind the iron curtain in East Germany I had done a favor for. Many years later my father had ordered additional figures made to measure from somebody he knew (also in the then East Germany).
And yes, the little boy in the painting over the fireplace is James when he was 4 or 5.

Upstairs the lace tree and my advent star. I had a hard time decorating the lace tree this year. Almost every other ornament reminded me of my Danish friend of many years Lise Thomsen from Missouri who passed away in November. I miss her so.

The star is older then my marriage. My parents always had one just like it. It is very unique to the little town in Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) were my father was born and grew up. Check it out:
Hartensteiner Adventsstern
Next day I asked whether Sarah wanted to come for lunch. And yes, Caleb was invited too ha-ha.

Sarah had to do a quick shopping and I went along to help with Caleb. Look what I saw on a shelf!

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