Saw this display at the Giant Eagle in the Waterworks. Right near the refrigerator cases of juice and milk. If you were invited to a Holiday (Ugly?) Sweater Party, I guess you could pick one up along with your food.
The window of the hardware store in Etna PA
Burl Ives Snowman on Sale Now
Just south of Galion Ohio. We were on our way back from Thanksgiving at the Farm.
I was the passenger with my camera at the ready. James was able to tell me when we were getting close.
Although Laura slowed down, she couldn’t stop.
Not really possible to get a good night photo while driving by this front yard filled with colorful
Christmas lights.
Want to see a better photo of the display? here is a good one in this article in the Galion Inquirer
Nowhere to stop or drive around a block. It was a two lane highway/road. I pressed the shutter as fast as I could.
You get the idea and can appreciate all the effort this family went to decorating. WOW. Turns out they have been doing this for twenty years. After reading the article I see they welcome people to drive in through the lighted arches and turn around in front of their garage. We didn’t realize it at the time we whizzed by. Maybe there will be another opportunity.
It was something to see, even if the lights went by in a flash. Like an unresolved three D image.
Silent Sunday
Silent Sunday.
Granddaughter Maura (just turned ten) texted me a night photo of a Christmas house. For the blog!
Last night, after Steve and I grabbed a bite, we drove through a neighborhood in search of a few more photos to add to Maura’s.
It’s dark so early now as we approach that shortest day of light.
Here’s the house in Columbus Ohio that Maura sent.
Thanks for the good idea, Maura. What a lot of colorful decorations!
Below are a few Pittsburgh houses, mostly taken from the car except for the snowy animals. I had to get out.
Hungarian Nut Roll. A Pittsburgh Christmas tradition.
Hungarian Nut Roll video -Pittsburgh
Post from five years ago 2013
Today Jaclyn and her sister Shannon baked nut rolls together, carrying on family tradition.
Their mother, Theresa, passed last February. (2013) This post is to remember Theresa, those who knew and loved her and to send hugs to Jaclyn and Shannon as they are missing their mom, especially at Christmas time.
Theresa was one of the four sisters in this slideshow (baking the pizelles) showing the three sisters making nutroll in Pittsburgh- Linda, Georgeann and Theresa, while the fourth sister Marlene communicated via SKYPE in Virginia.
You might remember the previous post of the 15 greased nut roll pans where the retro recipe card is photographed in case you want to make them.
Marlene and I share grandchildren and her daughter Erika is married to my son Mark.
One of my favorite photos from long ago, taken by unknown photographer. Theresa, their mother Marion, Bride Linda, Marlene and Georgeann
https://rutheh.com/2013/03/01/a-mother-grandmother-sister-aunt-and-friend-remembering-theresa/
An early Christmas gift, created by Marlene (my DIL’s mom-we share four grandchildren). This year she and her husband hosted Thanksgiving Weekend in Hardy, Virginia.
Know you’ve seen me on the blog more times this week than the rest of the entire year but I wanted to show you her thoughtful and creative gift. Marlene’s Cricut machine skills are amazing. She purchases and downloads an SVG file from the computer, cuts it out of different colored vinyls, centers it, then uses a special machine to press it on thoroughly. I love how she made the heart a sparkly red.
Marlene knows I enjoy knitting so this design* was perfect.
Thanks Marlene. I can’t wait to wear it.
Photographed by Erika
*About the design- It’s from an Etsy Shop specializing in SVG files- Sammo from Vicksburg, Michigan
I’ve been to Harmony, Pennsylvania but not Harmony, Maine. Recently I watched a Kristy Glass Knits knitting video where she told about Bartlett Yarn Woolen Mills (since 1821) manufacturing yarn.
The man on the video featuring Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool said, “Bartlett is a mainstay for us. This is your grandma’s yarn. This is real true farm yarn. Or your great grandmother’s yarn. At Christmas, a lot of people buy it to make stockings .” Well, I’m getting a head start this year. My friend Deb has been knitting Christmas stockings and inspired me to knit them for my grandchildren. You might remember her gauge difficulties with her Christmas stocking- I blogged it last January.
The grandmother who taught me to knit was born 126 years ago on February 7th.
That very day, I got on the phone and spoke with a nice woman and told her what I wanted to knit. Three days later I got a box of yarn from Harmony, Maine. She helped me select Spruce Heather, Cranberry and Natural. I added the other heather to create sock monkeys on the stockings, which I graphed. Mark’s old stocking from childhood served as a guide and I found a vintage knitting pattern from the 60’s on Etsy to serve as a template for the actual stocking. The woman who knit Mark’s stocking in Clarion PA was named Jane. My plan is to knit one a month and have them ready for NEXT Christmas. For the grandchildren. Getting an early start this year. And yes I did finish James’ sweater and he loves it!
Knitting bowls gifted from Toni, Laura and Bill.
Already I realize my monkey is a bit too tall. Back to the drawing board. 
There were years when my Christmas decorations stayed up in my front hall for months. The straw roofed manger on the dining room mantle ALL year with the olive wood figurines – the garland hung passed Epiphany, passed Chinese New Year, passed Groundhog’s, passed Valentine’s. Don’t think I ever added Easter eggs to the fake evergreen boughs in my front hallway, though.
So when I drove by this today (February 6th) I was reminded of my leaving holiday decor up long after the Christmas season.
