Ed here is my haul on winter reading: Daylilies The Perfect Perennial (Hill, 1991) Daylilies (Stout, 1934) The Gardener's Iris Book (Shear, 2002) The World of Iris (AIS 1978) And add to these treasures the latest Daylily Journal with an article from Northern Colorado's own Jean Dietemann. I couldn't be happier curling up in a cozy couch by the fireplace with a good gardening read. Merry Christmas to you from the slushy Pacific Northwest where I braved the drive to spend the holidays with family.

Karen, I tried to talk DH into wrapping up those paintings last Christmas Season, but he was adament he didn't want to go that route. It's a good idea, though. Ncnana, thanks. The door, like most all of them in our house, is handcarved. We had to have a carpenter repair one once and I was amazed to see that they come apart in many pieces that fit together by sliding each piece into the grooves of the next piece. Kathleen, that's what I try to do. I don't have the room (or the energy) to store the everyday pieces we have! I'm so sorry that all these pics seem dark. I need to take my camera in and have it checked out. Something is not right! Lynn

Belle, I would be interested in Santa Primer Santa's Snowmen and More Country Primitives I'll try to get in my craft room and see what I have for books your looking for and let you know. Punk

Two books I most associate with the Xmases of my youth are "Little Women" and a sad, 19th century tome: "The Bird's Christmas Carol." In the latter, Carol is a sick little girl, daughter of the Bird family. It is relieved only by the portrayal of the Ruggles', an Irish family next door, who are struggling to survive. It is now out of print. I have my own antiquarian copy and cannot read it withoug weeping. I grew up in the suburbs of the "old" Atlanta, before all the changes. It was a friendly neighborhood, and we all knew each other. We used to walk the old sidewalks going from door to door for Xmas cheer, when neighbors would have "open house." At our own open house, my father made home-made egg nog --- incredibly strong, with sherry. I think a few were reeling, afterward.... Christmas eve feast were a few relatives and friends, with a large ham served. (never, ever turkey!). The ham was studded with cloves. Alongside it was the traditional southern dish of sweet potato pudding with orange flavor and marshmallows. Dessert was always the traditional southern fruitcake, made with Bourbon. Children would go door to door singing the old Xmas carols in the evening. We always had a live fir tree in the bay window of our living room, decorated with very old glass balls and that dreadful silver tinsel draped over its branches. There was always a fire in our fireplace and it was the one night of the year that our dog was permitted to come into the house to lie in front of the fire. On Xmas eve night, a plate of cookies was left out for Santa. I had been told to write a letter to Santa to state what I wanted. ( really, very simple gifts, by today's standards -- a bike, a doll, a book). I got little sleep that night, as I recall listening for the hooves of 8 reindeer on our slate roof. I would arise early and sneak downstairs to peek at the few gifts under the tree. Later on, the neighborhood kids would all congregate outside on the sidewalks to compare gifts. One of my most memorable gifts was a cowgirl outfit, a la Dale Evans, with boots, a lariat, a hat, etc. One of the boys got a Roy Rogers outfit, so we were quite the pair! We never went to church on Xmas, although there were Xmas concerts we attended, with choirs. Later in his life, my father took to listening to Handel's "Messiah."