Category: Christmas

Thought for Thursday

Lucy Van Pelt: I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that. Charlie Brown: What is it you want? Lucy Van Pelt: Real estate. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” 1965 Charles Schultz

Found: Some Time to Paint

Winter Nest ©2011 Dora Sislian Themelis
10×14 Watercolor on Arches paper

With not much time to give to painting, I stole about 45 minutes from a busy day to paint this still life again. It’s already out and available so it was a no brainer to just go to it. Yes, this one took a little longer to complete.

The method of painting quickly that I’ve managed to work out is keeping me in the game. The least amount of water possible doesn’t saturate the paper allowing me to move on to another area of the work while the just painted area dries. Once dried I go back and add details. The pace moves fairly quickly.

Christmas is fast approaching and there are things that must get done. Painting is one of the things that just may not happen again for a little while. So the fact that I was able to squeeze it in is a big deal.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

by Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne 1945
(click the title and hear Dean Martin sing it)


Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we’ve no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn’t show signs of stopping,
And I’ve bought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,
How I’ll hate going out in the storm!
But if you’ll really hold me tight,
All the way home I’ll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we’re still good-bying,
But as long as you love me so,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!  

Time to Shop, Park, Bake..

Between the Christmas shopping, babysitting, decorating, and all the other errands I do around here, painting has taken a back seat.  That should be only for the time being.  Blogging has also had to wait it’s turn.

I have been writing here for quite a while and it’s a very satisfying activity, but right now it’s hit or miss.  Every day that I go out and do my thing, I return home and hit my head that I forgot to take pictures of my surroundings.

New Yorkers rarely turn their heads at anything.  Most craziness is not that interesting to us.  Okay, we do take note of the nuts that exist, but it’s not like we make a big deal out of stuff out in the open.  But someone taking photos of nothing is something we might pay some attention to.  Since we had the terrorist attacks on 9/11/01 people taking random pics are eyed suspiciously.  A while ago some men were taking photos of one of the bridges leading in and out of Manhattan.  They were suspected of planning some plot.  So yes, I might feel a little weird if people see me stand around and take a picture of nobody.

Anyway, during one of my Christmas shopping jaunts I remembered my camera and peering around that there was no one looking at me I took a couple of photos of the vast, full parking lot at the local mall.  Roosevelt Field was jam packed, but I found a great parking spot.  I mean great because as I pulled into the lot a car was just getting out. Bam! blinkers on and I was in it! Mall parking lots can be cut-throat.

I guess if I thought of it I could have taken a photo of the masses of humanity shopping in the mall too.  You know what?  I had shopping of my own to get done.  My free time is limited so I had to make the best of what time I had.  I must say that yesterday happened to be quite productive. Am I done? I’m not sure. If I have time I will let you know. In the mean time, I have to get back to babysitting now.

I’m coming Baby!

The Perfect Tree

The annual quest for the perfect Christmas tree was accomplished this weekend.  I’m sure everyone has their own little rituals around choosing the right tree to bring home and decorate.  Here at our house, we have our own list of criteria.

Firstly, it must be tall, around 8 to 9 feet so I can trim the height without losing too much.  Second, it shouldn’t be too cylindrical.  A nice upside down V shape is preferred.  Lastly, I like a certain pine needle, but these days I can’t seem to find it unless it’s ten feet tall or two feet short.  So I have to compromise on the last item and concentrate on the first two. I would take a tree that was sparse in branches if it was the right needles. I don’t have a problem with a real tall ‘Charlie Brown’ kind either.

We used to visit the local garden shop as a family on the weekend before Christmas.  There would be alot of back and forth about which tree was best.  Everyone needed to add their input.  Once we were all in agreement we made our purchase and took the tree home where we propped it up in a bucket of water until we were ready to bring it inside to decorate.

When I was little my father would buy the biggest tree and put it up as we slept on Christmas Eve. He loved the shock and surprise we had Christmas morning seeing this huge, decorated tree with presents under it.  My sister and I would be in awe. Later in years our parents told us Santa Claus needed help so we’d get the tree together and put it up Christmas Eve. A little less stress for them, different fun for us.

This year I went with my sister for our trees.  The Mr. was working, as was Son #2.  Son #1 has his own tree to buy for his little family.  We were on our own, which was fine because there was just the two of us to discuss the purchases. I asked Son #2 if he wanted to go, but after he said he had to work on Saturday, and Sunday was out because a rain storm was expected, he told us we had better know what we were doing.  Oh, thanks alot!

Most of the trees were short this year. Most of them were not of the V shape I was looking for, and only the twelve foot trees had those pine needles I prefer.  Everyone at the store was eyeing the trees that did have good height so we had to keep saying “We’re interested in these.” We needed one tree for my house and one for my mom.

With our trees purchased, we move on to the guy who trims the trunk to fit the tree stand.  Thank goodness we had our stand with us or else we’d have to do that job at home, not fun. He trimmed both and left the stand attached to the second tree, hoisted them atop my car and tied them down. The tree stand was hovering over my car windshield, but the garden guy said it would not fall off.  I wasn’t so sure about that, however.  No, no, it will be fine, he assured us.  We drove off for home. I forgot all about taking pictures of our adventure tree shopping!  That would have been fun to see in pictures.

While I was driving, the tree stand was bouncing in front of my windshield. So my sister said we should take a picture of it.  I don’t know why it struck me as funny, but after she showed me the photo I couldn’t stop laughing. We were driving and hysterically laughing. I had tears streaming down my face and we laughed all the way home.