Caramels, Cards, and Christmas Books

When I arrived home from Thanksgiving in Seattle, my challenge was clear--put together and mail out the Christmas letter; make 2,000 caramels; create grandchildren's photo books; extract vignettes about my children's families from my journal and arrange them as "2018 journal addenda" for my four children; help Lisa with the Spendlove family calendar; and figure out a family history present to give to children, grandchildren, my brother's families, and my cousins.  There was no time to waste!    

I rarely watch TV, other than when ironing or wrapping caramels.  This Christmas I went through four-episode TV series on "Italian Gardens", "French Gardens", "Wildlife of the Pacific", and "Tidying Up."

The result--three big bowls of caramels for my office and sixty boxes to give to friends and relatives.

Creating Shutterfly photo books for my grandchildren is a happy time of focusing on the beauty and special talents of each of those adorable children.

 I hoped to pass out copies of my book about my grandfather, Hyrum Calder, this Christmas.  I didn't get that book done, but I got it started.  Instead, I handed out pamphlets about Hyrum's parents, George and Mary Calder, including stories about how their children were raised at Calder's Park, the first amusement park west of the Mississippi River.  That pamphlet will form the basis for the first chapter of my book about Hyrum.

Christmas:  I love it!  Bring it on!