To wish you all a Merry Christmas I'm repeating this wonderful post that my sisters helped me write two years ago...
Christmas time often makes me think of the wonderful times our parents made possible for us. They did not have much money but it was important to them that we had a bountiful Christmas. My Mom, being the industrious and hard working lady she was, came up with the idea of making Christmas candles to finance our gifts. I learned today that she got that idea from a Christmas candle my sister Theresa made at Girl Scouts when she was 10 (the year I was born) and brought home. Theresa and my late brother Roy were out selling Christmas candles probably when I was just a baby.

Our Christmas candles were made with blocks of paraffin wax. A line was scored down the center of one block and the wick laid along that line. Two blocks were then put together and stood on end on a third block and straight pins were inserted to hold them together.
The pictures were old Christmas cards that we saved and also collected from relatives. The old parchment cards were best as they were translucent, allowing the pictures to glow when the wick was lit.

The chosen card was cut to fit the face of the candle and a 'frosting' was made with cream of tartar and melted wax, which was applied warm to the candle and sprinkled with glitter. I remember using a stainless steel bowl and handmixer to beat the cream of tartar and melted wax. It was always quite a production that would fill our kitchen and get us excited about the holidays coming up.

Our father drove us all over the North Country well over a 75 mile radius of Tupper Lake to sell the candles. We'd knock on a door carrying a flat box filled with candles and when someone answered we'd say, "Would you like to buy a Christmas candle? They are only $1.00 and when you light the wick the picture glows." Theresa believes the price increased to $1.50, then $1.75 and finally $2.00. I don't remember.

Our mother (with our help) would make about 500 candles each year and this enabled our parents to give us a wonderful Christmas each year. $500.00 was a fortune in the late 50's and early 60's. We would go shopping in Plattsburgh and Burlington with our bounty. I remember shopping the Grand Way in Plattsburgh on Christmas Eve and Woolworth’s in downtown Plattsburgh (or was it Fishman’s?). I know Montgomery Ward was downtown in Pburgh.

My sister Mary was at a friend's house back in 1983 and the friend was cleaning the previous owner's belonging's out of the cellar. She pulled a candle out of a box and Mary gasped......hardly believing what she was looking at. She asked if she could have it and told the friend of the story of the Christmas candles. This candle is well over 45 years old! The candle comes out in a place of honor on Mary's sideboard each Christmas and then is lovingly and carefully packed away for another year after Christmas. If she were to light the wick - “the picture glows.” Merry Christmas!

I'm very blessed to be having such a great summer filled with good times with family and friends.   That is not to say there has not be difficult times but luckily the scales are tipped with good and happy times.   I've connected with friends I had not seen in years this summer; I'm so blessed to have so many good friends.   I know some who are grieving and dealing with loss and illness as I write.  They are in my thoughts and prayers.

One of my favorite activities is going to Raquette Lake to visit family.   I get to sleep in a lean to on the shore of the lake and enjoyed a little swimming and floating on the lake as well.   I enjoy every moment.

Source: Uploaded by user via Sue on Pinterest

After almost a year I've decided to post in my blog again... I thought I'd start with my Friday message I send to friends. Perhaps I'll use this spot to archive my previous Friday messages. We shall see.

It's Friday! Friday the 13th but that means little to me. Yes I'm superstitious, but I try to stay positive so I look at it as a lucky day! I did wake up this morning. Great to start the day that way! That is something to be thankful for and then I go from there. I had a good week and even took in a Dr. Seuss movie with Bailey & Jenna. We saw the Lorax and it was colorful and animated enough that Jenna remarked at the end, "You stayed awake for the whole movie!" I've been known to nap through a few.

I hope you are able to enjoy the springtime... what a beautiful day in the Adirondacks today. 60 plus degrees and sunshine. I went for a walk with the grandkids - actually Jenna was on roller blades - Bailey and I walked. We both agreed we have zero interest in roller blading. We'll let Jenna have all that fun.

I saw on Facebook pictures from my sister Mary who was out climbing Owl's Head mountain today, another friend was flying into the Chicago airport on her way home from vacation. I love keeping track of you via email, Facebook or whatever methods I can. Makes me think of the vintage postcards I've collected that many people faithfully dispatched home weekly in the 1910s and beyond. I love reading their messages to their loved ones and though they may be brief they were so meaningful and I think how much their loved ones must have enjoyed receiving a postcard in the mail. I enjoy the travels of my friends and share their adventures through their photos and messages. I often go to the internet to learn more about places friends are visiting. Great fun and I don't have to go through body scans! Some of you know Life Flight paramedic Billy Martin - he is having a grand adventure on Mount Everest right now. And yes I have a link to follow his adventure and hopefully find him in the photos they post.

http://www.peakpromotionnepal.com/wms/ebctrek/everest_trek.php

Back to my postcards...

Here's a message from a card mailed from Saranac Lake on Aug. 9, 1931 - mailed to Ogdensburg. From Mrs. Charles Gervais. Back to Saranac Lake again. Good by.

Another card of the Sterling Alaska Fur & Game Farms in Lake Placid was mailed Aug 16, 1954 to Princeton, Maine. Its message: We're on our way back from seeing Stan and Bobbie. They are still looking for the fugitive. We've been stopped three times. Hope you've had a good trip. We're fine. Love, Alice, Jimmie, Rickie

Short messages but how nice to receive a greeting in the mail. Doesn't happen much anymore sadly but we do have lots of other ways to stay in touch. Like this Friday message that wishes you well, hopes you will enjoy every moment and if you get a chance mail a postcard to a friend...someone just might have it for their collection in the next decade.

I think this is a joke - hope you like it! I was mildly amused by it! Will try for something better next week.

Where have you traveled?

I have been in many places, but I've never been in Cahoots. Apparently, you can't go alone. You have to be in Cahoots with someone.
I've also never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes you there.
I have, however, been in Sane. They don't have an airport; you have to be driven there. I have made several trips there, thanks to my friends, family and work.
I would like to go to Conclusions,... but you have to jump, and I'm not too much on physical activity anymore.
I have also been in Doubt. That is a sad place to go, and I try not to visit there too often.
I've been in Flexible, but only when it was very important to stand firm.
Sometimes I'm in Capable, and I go there more often as I'm getting older.
One of my favorite places to be is in Suspense! It really gets the adrenalin flowing and pumps up the old heart! At my age I need all the stimuli I can get!
I may have been in Continent, and I don't remember what country I was in. It's an age thing.

Have a great weekend!

The view from the lean to - slept on a field of daisies... chocolate chip pumpkin bar (w/ cream cheese frosting) and a lemon cupcake with raspberry buttercream frosting from Paul's Bakery. Fabulous treats!



It's Friday! I hope you have a fun weekend. Be mindful on the roads. So
many news reports of careless people texting and driving; drinking and
driving. Not that I think YOU would do that but watch out for those who do.

This summer has just been fabulous for me. I've spent lots of time with
family and friends - visited my favorite place - Paul's Bakery many, many
times for amazing food and great company on the screen porch and last
weekend I finally made it to Raquette Lake to sleep in the lean to. My idea
of heaven on earth. Saw so many people I love and enjoyed the drive
listening a Sue Grafton audio book from the local library to keep me alert.
Now that I'm watching carbs and portions (to avoid diabetes) I can enjoy
Paul's Bakery - I bring home some treats to share and freeze for later.

We raised a considerable sum of money over the last couple of weeks for
North Country Life Flight - to help save lives. I told their Pres/CEO Mary
Jane Connors yesterday that as I count my many blessings over the wonderful
summer I've had I will never forget that without Life Flight I would not be
here to enjoy these days. Almost every day they are helping another person
in need - they get little (none really) publicity or recognition for what
they do. But WE know and thank their team for the dedication and
expertise.

So I get home from Raquette Lake on Sunday - Monday my 95 year old stepdad
has a dr appt in Plattsburgh - finishes at 5 pm. We jump in the car and
head, on a dark and stormy night, to Malone for a reunion of the Franklin
County Civilian Conservation Corp hosted by Marty Podskoch who interviewed
my dad a couple of years ago and has just published a book about the CCC.
My dad was the only "CCC boy" there. The audience of 20 - many with family
members who were once in CCC - were thrilled to have him there and asked him
lots of ?s about his experience. One nice lady even bought Marty's book
for him. We finished around 830 and I said - well we are close to the
casino, lets go! My dad turned his $10 free play into $100 in the slots so
he bought us supper in the cafe and we played the slots till 2 am! I
cashed out $200 at end of night and we headed for home - arriving at 430 am!
He slept for 2 days after this experience but is still talking about it and
reading his CCC book. Two and half pages are devoted to his story. It was
a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm glad we did it. Enjoy every
minute!

The jokes this week I lifted off Facebook! Enjoy!



I was in in the public toilet - I was barely sitting down when I heard a
voice in the other stall: "Hi, how are you?"........
Me: embarrassed, "Doin' fine!"
Stall: "So what are you up to?".......
Me: "Uhhh, I'm like you, just sitting here."
Stall: "Can I come over?" .........
Me: (attitude) "No, I'm a little busy right now!!"
Stall: "Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the other
stall who keeps answering all my questions!

A doctor vacationing on the Riviera met an old lawyer friend and asked him
what he was doing there. The lawyer replied, "Remember that lousy real
estate I bought? Well, it caught fire, so here I am with the fire insurance
proceeds. What are you doing here?" The doctor replied, "Remember that lousy
real estate I had in Mississippi? Well, the river overflowed, and here I am
with the flood insurance proceeds." The lawyer looked puzzled. "Gee," he
asked, "how did you start the flood?"

It's been such a long time since I have posted here. My time is limited these days. We have to prioritize to keep things under control and this has fallen by the wayside.

Thought I'd at least post a photo or two and let you know I am still alive. Hope you are too! Enjoy every minute and take the time for a few deep breaths.

My photos: artwork given to my my grandkids - they have the very best art teacher at Keeseville Elementary and they are both great artists. I love it!

The bike is a tribute to North Country Life Flight's air rescue mission, done by Donny at Saranac Lake Youth Center. The Youth Center is doing these bikes to pay tribute to organizations and business owners can contact the Youth Center to have one done for their business at a very reasonable cost. Life Flight's was donated and someone made a private donation to the Youth Center to help with the costs of flowers. A wonderful project - look for Life Flight's bike in downtown Saranac Lake, right in Berkley Square.

The yummy fruit basket was made by my granddaughter Bailey and her mom Cris when they came for lunch one day! YUM!

Another Friday! I couldn't resist writing with news you can hopefully use! A good weekend to cozy up to your radio on Saturday night at 6-8 pm for the Prairie Home Companion Joke Show! It's on your favorite public radio station or you can even listen via computer. I'm looking forward to it!

As our temperatures plummet to near -20 this weekend (colder in Raquette Lake and Lake Clear I bet) it will be a good weekend to have a laugh. I hope your weekend is quiet and safe. May you have some time to relax and stay warm!

My joke this week is one I altered a bit...

How do you turn your disherwasher into a snow removal machine?

Hand HIM a shovel. I'm lucky to have a husband who washes some dishes... he laughed when I told him so I hope you will too. And he's pretty good at snow removal too! The original version was HER....

And a thought for the week...

Money can't buy happiness--but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Be careful on the roads and stay safe and healthy everyone!