Batten the Hatches Down

Well dear one's, it look like the northeast is going to get socked right in the pus big time with the first nor'easter of the season. The monster storm is to start tonight sometime and go right into Sunday morning. We here in Philadelphia are to get something like 10 to 18 inches and our good friend in Washington DC is to get around 12 to 25 inches!!! In addition, it is too be cold as hell with winds whipping some nice fluffy snow drifts. I just knew I should have stopped to retrieve the fur chubbies out of cold storage. And it will be a no go for the Christmas parties for this weekend.(Note to self to quick run and get big bottle of Tanagray.) Anyhow, I say let the damn thing come. It's pretty much a wrap at work now and I only have to get till Wednesday when my Christmas vacation starts. In addition, my Christmas shopping is done as is the decorating, cards sent, and for the most part my once a year Paula Dean cookie baking spree is just about done. I will bake some more this weekend and that's it. I also was able to get all the donated toys from our toy drive that the visual department over saw to the Toys for Tots program and I even got the non-perishables to the food drive dropped off. But it was pure evil hell getting home tonight. It was like a evacuation or something. And I'm not even getting into how long the Mistress waited in line at the grocery for just a couple items. Lets just say I can give you all the soap opera gossip you want to know. Did you know As the World Turns has now been cancelled? Who knew. So the Boy-Toy and I are all set for the weekend. So let the storm come. As Billie Holiday would have sung, We Got Our Lov'in, I mean Love to Keep Us Warm. To much fyi? Just say in. Tootles!

I Love Nuts

The Mistress has always been a lover of the nuts! I love the small nuts,the big ones, I love the black ones and the brown ones too. And my favorite nuts are the Brazilian ones. And I love picking just the right shaped nut and giving it a good twirl of the fingers before I pop it in my mouth to savor. Get your mind out of the gutter people! I'm talking about the nuts that are in the ground and off the trees,not the ones attached to some really hot hunk.



Although they are a favorite too. No,I love this time of year to place a big bowls of nuts out so we and our company can crack the little suckers and eat them. And they are good for you. I stopped the other day at the market to get my supply of mixed nuts for the holidays. I usually go way over board buying way to many. After Christmas whatever is left, will go out in the yard for our very friendly squirrel, Bouvier. He enjoys them so. But what's more fun is cracking them. And this time of year most people have a beautiful nut cracker to put out on a mantle and table somewhere in there home. Standing nutcrackers were metal ,iron or wooden in the forms of soldiers and kings in the Sonneberg and Erzgebirge regions of Germany by 1800's and in 1830,the term Nuusknacker appeared in the dictionary of the Brothers Grimm. It was defined as 'often in the form of a misshaped little man,in whose mouth the nut by means of a lever or screw, is cracked open." These first nutcrackers did not appear until 17th century and were at first simple designs,however it wasn't long before these various designs of nutcrackers arrived.



Today,many wooden toy soldier nutcrackers are manufactured in Germany to meet the demand of the many collectors in the US,who can find designs in the characters from the ballet as well as hundreds of other designs.



While the Mistress and the Boy-Toy don't own a wooden nutcracker we have one that probably most people have. I have always found the faces to be just a bit creepy on those soldier and king nutcrackers. What do you think?

Grande Dame of the Week

The healthy green leaf herself....Hedda Lettuce!



Hedda brands herself as the world's first eco-friendly drag queen! Hedda has been entertaining since before this ho can remember, and she is just sick and hilarious, and acclaimed for her poised characters, startling satire, and original music. She just lures you in at one of her shows with her funny scenarios on stage with her shimmering wit. Hedda has been in cabaret venues all over New York City, to many to mention, and always takes part in high-profile charity events like Broadway Bares. And for her work is why we love her. She can be currently seen in her show Lettuce Rejoice at the Metropolitan Room. Dates can be found at her site Hedda Lettuce.

A Christmas Pyramid

A Christmas Pyramid is a Christmas decoration that has it's roots in the Erzgebirge area of Germany,but has become popular throughout the country. It's a kind of carousel with one or more levels depicting Christian motifs such as angels,manger scenes and other secular motifs such as mountain folk,forests,and other scenes. The spinning motion of the pyramid is traditionally achieved with the help of the candles whose heat spins the propeller above. Generally pyramids are made of various woods. The origins of the pyramids date back to the Middle Ages. In this period it was traditional in southern and western Europe to bring evergreens trees into the home and hang them,in order to ward off moroseness in the dark and cold winter months. In the northern and eastern parts of Europe,candles were used to achieve this goal. The Christmas Pyramid would eventually unify these two tradition's and become a symbol of Christmas celebrations. Over time craftsman added wooden figurines and scenes to enhance the season,to the Christmas Pyramid we see today. Two years ago my Aunt and Uncle got us one for a Christmas gift,and we really treasure it. I could watch the propeller spin for a time, and watch the design it makes on the ceiling. This is the one they got for us.





In the Mistress's opinion,the Mueller Company probably makes the most fabulous Christmas pyramids. The Mueller family started making them in 1899 and still continues to, till this day.


Here are just some of the ex samples of there work and craftsmanship. They really are just beautiful.






A very elaborate Christmas pyramid!



This is another form of the pyramid you may also remember from when you were a child,the Swedish Angel Chime. I was thinking of ordering one on Ebay ,to bring back the sound and memories from the Mistress's childhood. Did you have one of these?