December & Winter Come Rushing In!

Goodness! December is starting off with a bang! My notes for today's post look like this:

-  meteorological Winter

- Christmas tree

- Garrett

- visiting Abby

- alterations

- advent calendar

This could be a very long post!

Meteorological Winter

Happy first day of winter! That is, if you follow meteorological seasons instead of astronomical ones. 

I find they make much more sense since meteorological seasons begin on the first of the month rather than on dates that vary from year to year on an astronomical seasonal calendar.

Our Christmas Tree

For the first time ever since we became parents, Craig and I will not have any of our kids home for Christmas this year. That is going to be hard for us. Teacher Daughter Lisa and Local Son Curt live here in town, so we will get together before Christmas to exchange gifts, but our actual Christmas Day will be a very quiet one.

We've decided we will do a more minimal decor than we usually do, including not putting up a real tree but instead, doing a tabletop artificial tree.

I'd bought a white one from Amazon, but when we "fluffed the branches" as the directions said, four of them fell off the minute we touched them. We've ordered another tree and will return this one.

Garrett

Breyer announced yesterday that the winter animal web special was Garrett, a piebald colored buck on the deer mold.

Garrett is available only to Collectors Club members who are in good standing. 1,000 names will be drawn on December 5 along with a wait list.

I'm a little on the fence about him, but I did put my name in for the drawing. If my name is drawn, I'll buy him and enjoy him; if not, I won't be too disappointed. (The Collectors Club November newsletter came out yesterday, too.)

Visiting Abby

I had a lovely visit with my girl yesterday. Her head went up when she saw my car arrive, and as I began walking to the gate, she started that lovely low nickering that she always does when she sees me. 

She "talked" to me all the way up to the gate, and my heart melted. (It melts a lot around Abby.)

Abby was a bit sheepish when I told her that Betz had painted her portrait. 

Bold Two Socks held her head high with delight and offered to give out hoofographs if anyone wanted them.

I spent a little time with each horse before I left, all of us enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures.

Alterations

It continued to be a busy day - I got two orders for haversacks that need to be cut out, pinned, and sewn, and then a friend called me and asked if I would alter the mother-of-the-groom dress that she had bought online for her son's wedding. I will do that kind of sewing occasionally for a friend, but altering a wedding dress and other bridal party clothing makes me very nervous.

The expectation is so very high and often the nerves of those involved in the wedding can fray. 

But, she's a friend. So, I went over to her home and we did a fitting. I told her that I needed more fabric to work with than the small piece she had, and it will be a week for that to get here before I can even begin. Time is already short - she needs the alterations completed by December 21.

I'm feeling pressure, but I am also glad that I can do this for her.

The Advent Calendar

I love doing a "daily" something every year in December. It's fun and it helps me celebrate the holiday. I've done a Christmas Card of the Day (2021, 2022), The Twelve Days of Horsey Christmas (2020), and an advent calendar (also in 2020). Breyer came out with a new advent calendar for 2023, and that is this year's daily surprise!

The front of the outer box.

The back of the outer box is a bit of a spoiler as it shows all the pieces you will be getting.

I slid the inner box out and the numbered boxes were on one side

 

while the backside is a scene of a barn in winter.

Mini Whinny sized fencing was in the first box. It has some nice side connectors so the pieces can be put together and then stand well.

I assembled them and then set them out in front of the scene. My plan is to recreate the picture on the front of the box.

Door two will be opened tomorrow. I'm hoping to find the first horse of the set.

Stay 'tooned!