These are pictures of this year’s CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) Holiday Train. We live in a very small community, but each year CPR makes our community one of its stops for its Holiday Train. (CPR may be making up for the fact that we must tolerate the trains as they whistle right through the middle of town several times a day!) This year, the Holiday Train passed through our community on December 19.

Thank you CPR!

The tree is up and surrounded by presents, the house is decorated, the breakfast has been made (I make a make-ahead breakfast called Christmas AM Wife Saver), and the baking has been taken care of (Thanks Mom! ). There is nothing to do now but wait for morning.

We went to the Christmas Eve service at our church and true to tradition, after we got back home, while everyone is still wearing their good clothes, we took our traditional Christmas pictures. We usually take the pictures in front of the Christmas tree–however, everyone has grown up now and we all dwarf the tree when we stand in front of it. So the next best backdrop is one of my Christmas quilts in the dining room.

This is the latest quilty thing that I have been working on. I dug out my tried and true stocking pattern and directions last night. This is a stocking for my daughter’s boyfriend. He will be joining us Christmas morning so he needs his own stocking.

Like every year–my list of things that I want to accomplish before Christmas usually exceeds the time I have available. This was the last thing on my list and I thought I had run out of time. I considered buying a stocking but after going out looking Friday night and seeing what was available, I decided that I would find the time to make one. I can’t believe what junk the stores are selling.

This stocking is particularly suited for the recipient as he considers himself somewhat of a cowboy. My husband says it is even “cowboy sized” as it is plenty big enough for stuffing full of all kinds of things. It even has a picture of the “red guy” that is usually banned from my house. Those of you who understand my preference for snowmen over Santa will understand that comment. *LOL*

This post is in response to the Calico Cat’s inquiry. The quilt on the chesterfield or couch in the previous post is my son’s Christmas Quilt. The quilt is lap size–47 1/2″ x 71 1/2″ and was made as a Christmas present for him in 2002. The pattern is Cobblestones. You may know this pattern by other names as it has certainly been in the public domain for a very long time. This was a fun scrap quilt to make using up all sorts of bits of leftover Christmas fabrics. This picture was taken on Christmas morning in 2002 of my son and his new quilt.

That same year I made my daughter a Christmas quilt too. Her quilt is the Chinese Coin pattern and it too was made from the same Christmas fabric scrap bin as her brother’s quilt. This is a picture of my daughter on Christmas morning in 2002 with her Christmas lap quilt.

This is the recipe for the cookies that my daughter is shown baking in the previous post. This cookie recipe is “no fail” and has become one of the favorites of our family.

Smartie Cookies

1 cup margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Smarties or M&M’s for decorations

Cream butter and both sugars together. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Press Smarties or M&M’s on top of cookies using 3 or 4 per cookie. Bake in 375 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 4 dozen.