It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

One of my favorite things about the holidays is decorating my home.  As an adult, I’ve almost always had a live Christmas tree in my home.  The exception to this is when I lived, years ago, in a very small apartment out by the airport in Fargo, North Dakota.  Even then, I had a small, artificial tree and that’s when I began collecting ornaments for future trees.  That apartment was small and cramped, but I loved it nonetheless.  This year, like every year, I have a live Christmas tree in my home.  Many of my ornaments go back many years and they bring back memories of past Christmases as I hang them on the tree.  The feelings evoked range from happy to sad to nostalgic, and everything in between, but all of these memories are important to me as they are part of who I am and I’m reminded of the people, pets, places, and events that have helped shape my life.  Some of the ornaments have become a bit battered and bruised over the years, but they still go on the tree and will continue to in years to come. 

I took some pictures of some of my decorations to show a little bit what my home looks like over the holidays.  My home is filled with lights, candles, garland, and other assorted decorations, but I only took pictures of some of it.  As a bit of a warning, the lighting is really bad for some of the pictures.  Photography isn’t my thing, but I guess if I sat down with my camera and experimented a little with it I might take better pictures.  Ironically, I’m not posting a picture of my tree as it looks pretty much just like a blur of lights in the picture.  Maybe next year I’ll have to consider doing a video tour of my home and posting it on YouTube. 

This is a little display I made using an extra serving plate and some candles that I got from the Candle and Gift Factory Outlet many years ago. I believe there used to be three locations in the Valley, but since another company took them over the stores have closed and they now sell only online.  I could be wrong about that, but it seems I read that somewhere.  It's too bad, because just browsing their stores was an experience in itself if you like candles, and I do!

This is the potpurri I used in the above display.  It's from the White Barn Candle Company and I've also had it for years.

This is my Christmas tree skirt.

This is a little display on a table in my formal dining room right by the front window.  The candles are also from the Candle and Gift Factory Outlet.

This is a display I have on the buffet in my formal dining room.  This is a shot of the left side of it. 

The right side of the display on the buffet.

The center of the display on the buffet.

The lighting is really bad for this shot in my bedroom.  The walls look like a concrete gray, but are really a beautiful sage green.  My Dad purchased the vase for me when we went to the Titanic Exhibition at the Rio in Las Vegas.

The White Star Line logo on the vase in the above picture.

This is a display that is also in my bedroom.

This is in my spare bedroom. 

Look at those wobbledy, hobbledy legs!

This is also in the spare bedroom on the dresser to the right of the bed.

This is in the spare bedroom on the dresser to the left of the bed.

This is to the left of the hall stand in the front hallway.

This is to the right of the hall stand in the front hallway.

This is on the hall stand in the front hallway.  It really isn't this red!!  The lighting is really bad, but this looks just beautiful with the lit garland and the candles when the lights are off.

This is the same display from a different angle.  I took the picture on the wall down as it was creating a glare.  It's still a bad picture, but you get the idea!  I have these kinds of displays all over the front room and elsewhere in the house, but I'm not able to get decent shots of them.  The whole area is really beautiful and there's a sense of peace and calm when the lights are out and the displays are lit up.



Eggnog French Toast on Christmas Morning

Here’s wishing everyone a warm, safe, and happy holiday season.  May the New Year bring you health, prosperity, happiness, peace, and love.  May this holiday season become a cherished memory, and may you remember fondly those loved ones who are no longer with us and cherish those who are.     

A hearty serving of Eggnog French Toast on Christmas morning has become a holiday tradition in my home.



Here’s a really basic recipe for Eggnog French Toast.  It’s a good basic recipe because you can change it up to suit your tastes.  I usually just eyeball the spices so it’s a little bit different every time.  Yesterday morning I used some cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.  You can also use French bread instead of regular bread, and I believe there is also pumpkin pie spiced eggnog available that you could use instead of the spices.  I use very little syrup and I don’t sprinkle powdered sugar on it when it’s done like I do regular French toast so that I don’t drown out the spices and eggnog flavor.  I’d like to find a really good topping for this to use instead of syrup.  Maybe some sort of cinnamon sauce?  I think this might be really good with some sort of nuts sprinkled on top as well.  I still have some eggnog left, so maybe I’ll have to experiment a little bit and try a variation of this for New Year’s breakfast.   

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups eggnog

1 1/2 T. ground cinnamon

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

12 slices bread

Whisk the eggs, eggnog, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a mixing bowl until well blended.  Pour the mixture into a shallow dish.  

Preheat an electric skillet to 300 degrees F.  Lightly grease the skillet.

Dip each slice of bread into the eggnog mixture, being sure to coat each side evenly.

Place the prepared bread slices into the preheated skillet and cook until golden brown on each side.

Place cooked slices on a serving plate and cover to keep warm until all the French toast is cooked.  Serve immediately.

    

  

Remembering Pearl Harbor - Part 5 of 5

In the last of this series on Pearl Harbor, I'd like to share some pictures I took of the USS Arizona's signal mast and anchor, which are located in the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in Phoenix, Arizona.  While gazing upon the mast and anchor, it's difficult not to be reminded of the many lives that were lost when the USS Arizona was attacked on December 7, 1941.

Remembering Pearl Harbor - Part 4 of 5

The following, dated September 9, 1917, is a letter to Captain J.D. Burgess informing him that the Battleship Arizona Silver Service is paid for.

The following photos are of the Superstitions Bread Basket and a candelabra.  I found this particularly interesting as I've hiked in the Superstitions.  Also in this display case is Montezuma's Castle Bread Basket, USS Arizona Bread Basket, and Hualpai Village Bread Basket.  Montezuma's Castle is an ancient Sinagua cliff dwelling located in central Arizona, and Hualpai Village is a Native American village located in northern Arizona.

In one of the display cases were a number of serving platters, including one engraved with a view of the San Francisco Mountains in Flagstaff, one engraved with an image of the first Captial building in Prescott and the territorial seal of Arizona, and one engraved with an image of the historic Capital building in Phoenix, the current home of the Arizona Capital Museum.

The following photos are of a water pitcher and glass tray.  The pitcher features an image of the Casa Grande Ruins in central Arizona.

I've posted photos of just some of the pieces in the museum.  The museum houses many more pieces as well as many other things, including a model of the USS Arizona and a sewing kit (circa 1918-19) owned by USS Arizona crewman Guy Winston.  I highly recommend a visit to this amazing museum if you should ever find yourself in Phoenix.

Remembering Pearl Harbor - Part 3 of 5

Prior to the attack, there were a number of beautiful pieces of silver and silver sets on board.  This silver service is now on display in the Arizona State Capital Museum.  In "Battleship Arizona An Illustrated History" by Paul Stillwell there is a picture of the silver service on display on the quarterdeck soon after the USS Arizona was modernized.  In the last shipyard period took place an activity referred to as "strip ship."  When war seemed a question of when and not if, items that were not necessary during war were removed from the ship.  Among these items were the pieces that made up the silver service.  So, the pieces that you see in the museum were not recovered from the hulk at Pearl Harbor.  According to Stillwell, after World War II the silver was put aboard the light cruiser "Tucson" and in the 1950s was on the ship "Adirondack". 

This photo shows "The Cowboy Compotes" - engraved pieces that honor Arizona's cattle industry, and "Pima Chief Compotes" - two small compotes engraved with a portrait of a Pima Chief to honor the Native American tribes in Arizona.  The candelabra in the picture is one of two with the Navy emblem and saguaro cactus and features feet that look like dolphins.  The vases are two of four vases used on the USS Arizona.  Pine tree decoration recognizes the diverse ecology of Arizona.

This centerpiece is engraved with images of the Carnegie Laboratory and a Gila Monster.  I found this interesting as I've seen two Gila Monsters in the wild while hiking, which is a bit rare.  They aren't often seen in the wild.  The goblets make up a set of twelve and are decorated with an image of Arizona Rough Rider Buckey O'Neil's Monument in Prescott.

The eagle was broken off the centerpiece before the silver was returned to Arizona.

The humidor in this photo is engraved with ranching scenes and Tumacacori Mission in southern Arizona.  It was used to store cigars and other tobacco products.

This is a set of two smoking trays.  They contained tobacco products and were used to prevent fires aboard ship.

Remembering Pearl Harbor - Part 2 of 5

Here are some photos of some of the items in the State Capital Museum. 

life ring

teapot

boatswain's pipe

bugle

bottle of champagne





Remembering Pearl Harbor - Part 1 of 5

Today, December 7, 2011, marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  I posted a five part series on my other blog a couple of years ago and I think it bears repeating here.  I was downtown a couple of years ago and had some time, so I stopped into the Arizona State Capital Museum where there is located a piece of the USS Arizona that was removed from the superstructure in 1942 and stored at Waipio Point, Oahu until 1995 when it was transferred to Arizona by the U.S. Navy.

The museum also houses a life ring, teapot, a boatswain’s pipe, and a bugle owned by Maurice Vincent, who played with the USS Arizona band in the late 1930s, among other items. Also included in the museum’s collection are a number of beautiful silver, copper, and silver and copper serving sets which were not on the ship at the time of the attack. They are some of the most beautiful pieces I’ve seen.

Outside, located in the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, is an anchor from the USS Arizona as well as a signal mast. I’d seen those before as I’ve been to the plaza for a number of events, but hadn’t known about the piece of the superstructure inside.

Here are some photos of the piece of the superstructure.  I'll be posting photos of some of the other things I saw in separate posts.