"Winter Wonderland" or "Kindergarten 101"

A wreath made from cutouts of all our hands.

As I said last evening, calls to the help desk are few this time of year.

Please note: no calls were neglected and we provided our own supplies for the following decorations. All this has been done between calls over the past two weeks.

A rare item not made by hand: the door Santa. Snowflakes and the three-dimensional star, however, were hand made.


By day's end our stockings were hung on the fireplace with care.


It is like working in a slow motion snow storm. The air currents make the snowflakes move gently. It is actually rather magical and is basically what got us going on this major kick.


The snow scene in the window. It started when I drew a snowman. Then a snowwoman. Then the snowchildren. Then the brick house and the walkway thereto. And I could not rest until the whole scene was sketched in. One deer is on the window wearing a pilgrim hat left over from Thanksgiving. Click to see detail. And then their are the reinducks (see below).


Small rubber ducks are handed out in the department as prizes for this and that. One of our coworkers used pipe cleaners to make antlers for nine of the ducks and put a red nose on one. Voilà: reinducks! Another colleague, realizing that ducks fly in V formations, arranged them thus and they now fly over our snow scene. On, Dasher! On, Dancer!


A gift-wrapped door. Yes, lots of paper chains were made also.


Although premature, we are ready for Kwanzaa.


And we have been keeping Chanukkah after our fashion. Every large flame has been put in place with the blessing in Hebrew recited aloud.


Over my desk, of course, is the Virgin of Guadalupe. Each rose drawn and colored and cut out.


Our corner of this three-section suite was looking a bit naked. Today three of us collaborated on this three-dimensional tree made of green wrapping paper. Notice the presents under the tree.


There is more to come but most of it is done now. Judging is next Tuesday. May I say this? We had better win!

I would also say this. We work well together and have had an enormous amount of fun doing this.

Adventures in a mock winter wonderland

Starched shirts picked up at the cleaners? Check.
Antihistamine supply renewed (inexpensively)? Check.
Fridge restocked with large blocks of sharp cheese (a staple)? Check.
And another four pounds of butter (it's the holidays)? Check.
Supper of chicken salad on awesome multi-grain bread? Check.
Artificial Christmas tree purchased? Check.
More decorating materials for the office? Check.
One hundred pounds of playground sand? Check.
One hundred brown paper bags? Check.
Ninety-six votive lights? Check.

All in all, a productive trip home from work.

The last three items on the list are for luminarias (or farolitos if you're from Santa Fe instead of Albuquerque). We want to line the walkway to the church on Christmas Eve. I have half that many bags and candles for my own house on Christmas Day, to welcome guests for dinner.

The last few weeks of the year are a very slow time at work. If historical patterns prevail, things will ramp up in January. So we have turned our slow moments into decorating the office. There is a major winter wonderland theme going. I don't know how many paper snowflakes the ten of us have cut out in the past couple of weeks but a host of them hang from the ceiling, slowly moving in the air currents and thus evocative of a slow motion snowfall. I cut out eighteen of them yesterday afternoon alone.

Today I finished a snow scene in the window. It began with four snow people. Then a brick house. Then the walkway to the house. Then more snow and trees and bushes. Finally mini-snowflakes in the sky. I am taking the camera in to work, so you will see the result.

Each day we add a paper flame to the paper menorah in the glass doorway.

Today I also drew, colored, cut out, and applied twenty small roses to a print of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Tomorrow I will prepare a kinara for Kwanzaa. I am thinking a little Stonehenge for the Solstice.

Any ideas of graphics for Ramadan?

Finally I will put together a small Nativity scene. I don't believe in mixing church and work but we are being as equal-opportunity as we can here.

There were See's foil-wrapped chocolate balls today. Heaven. One thing I miss about California is See's candies. Anyone who wants to ship me a box of See's Nuts and Chews, I will give you my address.

On the down side, there was secular Christmas music in the background, but more softly than yesterday, thank goodness. And when I left Home Depot this evening, blaring into the night was Jingle Bell Rock, on the top of my loathed music list. I could not get in the car and drive away fast enough.

No Advent meditations here. But fun.

--the BB

Hannukah Sameach

This Hanukkah song is in Ladino, the language of Sephardic Jews, a variant of old Castilian with Hebrew, Arabic, and other influences. Easy to sing along (and understand if you speak Spanish).

OK, who's making the latkes and when should I be there? (I suppose latkes are more Ashkenazic but without them it ain't Hanukkah.)

h/t to Jane R who put this song up on FB.

--the BB

get your groove going with the giblet gravy

Paul Cezanne, pommes et oranges

Eileen tipped me to Mary Sue's list (via Elastic Waist) of "Top Ten Comebacks for Well-Meaning but Obnoxious Relatives." We all have some relative or friend who will open mouth and insert foot making a gratuitous comment about eating over the holidays.

Why do people assume that OUR bodies are THEIR business? I find it irritating as a male. The womb-enabled half of the population gets this odious projection compounded by people, usually old men, who want to tell them what to do with their bodies as though being able to bear a child makes you someone else's property. WTF?

If you haven't read the list yet, head on over and enjoy. It starts like this:
Oooh, do you really think you need another biscuit? “I don’t need it. I WANT it.”

I rather think this should be said with a face that implies that the offending party, in the interest of continuing to draw breath on this planet, would do well not to come between that biscuit and oneself. Give them an inch....

[I borrowed the title line from the intro to the list.]
--the BB