Another idea using canning jars. Insert pieces of pines-usually about3-4 inches long-, 3 or 4 pieces-, fill with water about 2/3 full, put in a hand full of fresh cranberries. I take an inexpensive tea candle, remove the metal holder, make certain the wick doesn't have the tendency to fall out(I usually remove the wick, use a match to melt the bottom of the candle slightly and quickly push the wick thur the candle again). Push the candle down into the cranberries about half way-it will float. light the candle and enjoy. I use different sizes and shades of jars. When done, I drain the water, put cover on jar-aluminun foil works fine- and store in refrig. If you give as gift, I try and find lids for the jars at garage sales. They last for a very long time if kept in refrig.

I typed a long response and then my electricity went down for about two minutes. grrrr Barb, your cutting board is gorgeous! HUGE pic. But gorgeous. A furniture making course -- wow, good for you! I hope you do it. Amity, getting your clay pots at Goodwill was a great idea. You can paint them with house paint, decorate them with craft paint, and seal them inside and out with spar varnish. If you saw my thread about curb appeal projects, that's how I did mine. You can use stencils, and make polka dots with a q-tip, and checks with a flat brush. I'll put a link in for you. Nan, loved the Furoshiki bags video. I'll bet your DS was so proud of himself! Hats off to those of you crocheting and embroidering. We want pictures, please. Mari, thanks for that link! $200 for the basket? You've got a great 'Plan B' there. Tell us more about how you filled the baskets, please. I was wondering if there is a way to make slippers with rice-filled or whatever soles that can be stuck in the micro for cold tired winter feet. A super gift for a baby or toddler is buy a Raggedy (Ann or Andy) and enhance all the features and the heart by embroidering over them with red and black floss. This makes the features just pop. Then embroider the baby's name and b-date on the tummy. Very appreciated. I think some of them have music boxes in them. The Best Present Ever for grandparents is a calendar you make yourself. Use 8.5x11 card stock and get it comb bound by your local cheapie print shop. Put a 5x8 glossy photo of your kid(s) for each month. Dec on Santa's lap, Jan playing in the snow, Aug at the beach and so on. Leave a blank page between each month so if grandma writes appointments on her calendar it won't go through and damage the photo. At the end of the year she'll have a record of the kids growth. Make one for you too! You gals making the jam, are you doing the parafin seal on it? Or is this freezer jam? Please be super careful when pouring a big heavy pot of that hot, hot stuff! Here is a link that might be useful: painting pots

Wow -- it's such a busy time of year I'm so sorry to have not gotten back to this sooner. Joann, thanks for the very kind words. It's good to know you're smiling, and thanks for the sweet wishes. I so enjoy all the photos you've shared with us all. I marvel at your creativity. Newhomebuilder, thank you, you're so sweet. Good for you for collecting and passing on the Peter Rabbit china! I love Beatrix Potter's artwork, and my grandson is getting some of the dishes from me for Christmas. You are VERY talented in building and in decorating new homes. Your photos are just gorgeous. Plus your treat photos are making my mouth water. Thanks for posting the recipe. I want to try those out. Tina, thanks very much. Nice to "meet" you. Lisa, thanks! My daughter-in-law says, "Oh, it's an heirloom!" That makes me feel very good. Patty, I'll bet shell treasure those very special gifts from you. Next time we hope you'll take pictures. First girl in 30 years? Wow. She's a treasure. HeresLucy -- great name, btw. Thanks, you're too kind. Emagineer, what a wonderful, personal, thoughtful, creative gift! I'm sure he'll treasure it forever, and it will get lovingly passed down. Nanny, those stockings are gorgeous! Bless your son, I'll say an extra prayer for him. I'm sure he and his buddies will really, really, really appreciate the wonderful touch of home you're sending. Twin grandsons? Lucky you! Marti, thank you so much. I think he'll have to keep the top clutter free, so he can open it. I like that it has "breathing holes" so no kid can be shut in it, and it also has a slow-close lid that won't bang down on heads and precious little fingers, so it's a good design. Juddgirl, thanks! Boys are harder to shop for, aren't they? Looks like you made great gift suggestions. Merry Christmas to all!

Some of our too-many horses. For a long time we've had a young chestnut mare and an ancient, long-since-retired pasture-buddy mare. However about a month ago my wife decided to move the young horse to a nearby riding facility so she could train and ride it more regularly. That left the old mare alone and lonely, so she asked around, and we got the above two for pasture board. Then a friend moved back to town, and needed somewhere to keep her one of her horses, and just after that the young chestnut mare got a cold, and the barn owner asked us to move it home so the other horses didn't get sick. It was sort-of working with two horses in the front pasture, two in the new back pasture, and the sick horse isolated in the paddock in between, but then one of the horses above figured out how to get out of the back pasture making things even more of a problem.