Good morning and Happy December! I hope it is a wonderful day wherever you are. While we may not always have a white Christmas, we do have a white Sunday this weekend. 3-4” of snow fell from late afternoon through the overnight and it is a virtual winter wonderland outside. Mr. Red Door had just finished up a round of golf(his last for 2009??) when the rain started. By 3 PM snow was lightly falling. It’s the best kind~ it’s wet enough to stick to everything but melt quickly on the streets! It was the perfect excuse to stay in and wrap Christmas gifts. Mr. Red Door wraps a mean present and that leaves me more time for the raffia bows and homemade tags. Bet you can’t guess who has the biggest pile under the tree??
It is always so pretty right after a snow storm. Snow this early rarely stays on the ground long enough for that White Christmas we so love but we will enjoy it while we have it! Today as I was leaning out the window snapping pictures, the sun got brighter and the sky turned more blue right before my eyes. I love how dark the brook looks. This is similar to how the back yard looked the first time we saw this house in December of 1985. We had twice as many trees behind the house back then so it was even prettier. We loved the brook running across the back and down one side.
I also found time this weekend to take more pictures of my Christmas decor. This year I took out fewer things and sometimes just used fresh greens without even changing my everyday decor. Most of my snowmen are still hibernating in the attic until January. Still, there is Christmas in every room of the house. I hope you enjoy these – I’ll share the rest in my next post.
The red candle holder is an antique from Sweden. A family heirloom!
Have you seen the Holiday Featured Home on the APP website? You must!! Sarah has the knack for making the prettiest and most tasteful displays. They are never overdone and always have just the right amount of texture and interest and balance. She gives us some wonderful tips as well so do head on over and enjoy her home all decorated for the season. Congratulations Sarah!! I have enjoyed your home many many times!!
Have you seen the great cookbooks for sale on APP? It contains a collection of tried and true favorite recipes of many of the members of the APP forum. Click on the picture to head on over – they make great gifts.
When I received my order of cookbooks, I found a delightful surprise in the box! Kristine included some additional goodies for me. Thanks so much Kristine! The sign is gracing the family room walls already and the rest will be finding homes come January!
I saw this meme on my friend Audrey’s blog and I just had to join in!!
1) What is your favorite Christmas movie?The Polar Express ~
(2) What is your LEAST favorite Christmas movie? The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I am not very fond of several of the Dr .Suess characters who are so creepy and ugly even though I love the stories.
(3) What is your favorite Christmas Song? Believe – from the Polar Express (click to listen)
(4) What Christmas song(s) drives you crazy? I have to agree with Audrey – Christmas Shoes – it’s too sad!
5) What is your favorite Christmas drink? Eggnog with a little rum! 
6) What is your favorite Christmas memory? The year my mom made me dozens and dozens of outfits for Barbie and Ken – just knowing the countless hours that went into her sewing those teeny arm holes and necklines – what an act of love!
7) What is the best toy/gift you've received on Christmas? The love poems that Mr. Red Door puts in my cards. Sometimes he writes them himself and sometimes he alters a love song to fit us. My heart melts.
9) What do you LOVE about the holidays? I love that so many people are in good cheer, and willing to help others and show the true spirit of Christmas. I love the food, clothing and toy drives and I just wish we could keep it up all year.
10) What annoys you about the holidays? I try not to let any of it annoy me and if it does, I don’t dwell on it so I can’t think of one thing in particular right now.
11) Do you prefer star or angel on top of a Christmas tree? Or something else? I just happen to have a tin punched star but I like both.
(12) What is your family favorite recipe at Christmas? Potato Kugelis of course! 
12 oz salt pork – diced small and cooked well
10 large potatoes peeled and shredded
1 large onion diced
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
¾ cup of milk
3 large eggs beaten well
Mix together and bake in a 9x13 pan on 400 for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 375 and bake 45 minutes more. Can be frozen once it is baked. Great the next day!
13) Are you a Grinch or a Who at Christmastime? most definitely a Who – we don’t need any more negativity in this world!
14) Christmas light displays - Love them or Hate them? I love them. I grew up going for “Christmas light rides”. We took our kids on them with Christmas Carols blasting from the CD player and candy canes to suck on. Mr. Red Door and I still take them!
15) Santa's at the mall - Fun times or Creepy? Fun times growing of course. And later as a teen when he was really Mr. Red Door’s best friend working at the mall boy did my friends and I giggle! ) , and of course even when my kids were growing up.
16) Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no? I do send them though the list is gets smaller each year. I ‘d rather buy more gifts for Toys for Tots or some other cause at Christmas. So if you don’t get a card this year, you’ll know why. Seriously!
17) What is the best thing about Christmas, in your opinion? Being with my family and the good cheer as a said.
18) What is the worst thing about Christmas? The emphasis on buying gifts that some people have.
19) When do you put the tree up and take it down? The weekend after Thanksgiving it goes up and before New Years it comes down. Habit and convenience.
20) Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and item would you want your truelove to give to you? Three French Hens because they refers to Faith, Hope and Charity.
(21) Why do you think that Grandma got run over by a reindeer? Because the driver was talking or texting on his cell phone.
22) Who is your favorite reindeer? why Rudolf of course. I just have to support the underdog!
24) What is your favorite smell at Christmastime? Fresh cut pine
25) What would make you happy at Christmas this year? A cure for cancer and other devastating diseases, no person going homeless or hungry, world peace ~ that would be a good start. But short of those miracles, I’ll be happy to have my family around me knowing they are safe and well.
I’d love to see others join in and answer these questions as well!
I have had several questions about my Swedish Gingerbread Tree. There is a picture on my sidebar that you can click on for the recipe to the ornamental gingers and it’s original source. The tree itself my husband made in 1985 before we even lived here. I had seen a picture of a similar one in an old issue of Country Living and had him recreate it. I didn’t use it for a few years and took it back out last year. The bottom of the tree is inserted into florist foam cut to fit the crock. I covered with moss and hung my gingers on it, added the wheat straw I got at a Swedish shop and there you have it!
If you are a Debbie Macomber fan you are in luck! Tonight at 8 pm on the Hallmark Channel you can see Mrs. Miracle. I watched it last night and it was the perfect entertainment on a snowy evening!
This week I am extremely grateful that a PET scan showed that there was no evidence of cancer in my FIL’s lymph nodes.
Thank you as always for stopping by and making Behind My Red Door part of your day!
Until next time – hugs, Grammy Linda
