One can enjoy a wood fire worthily only when he warms his thoughts by it as well as his hands and feet.

~Odell Shepherd

It arrived last weekend. It’s heavy, black, intricately patterned and required a lot of huffing & puffing to install it.  It was met with great resistance on my behalf! It is messy, time consuming and isn’t necessarily fitting into my overall design scheme of the family room.

It is a wood burning stove, something my Prince has wanted since we built our house 11 years ago.   He loves the dry heat and stoking the fire.  I’ll even venture to say he enjoys splitting the logs, a very manly thing to do! It was easy for me to line up the excuses when the kids were young……..’Sweetheart, what if the kids touch the stove?’ or …….’Love, the thermostat is in that room the rest of the house will be freezing!’  He has even had my Dad lecturing me about adding the stove, cost savings etc.

So the time has finally come that the kids are older and three heating zones have been installed in the house, and I’m out of excuses.   As all good wives do, I did my best to embrace my husbands latest addition to our home, it not too bad.  Something I won’t admit to my Prince or my Dad.   There is the savings to be had, one cord of wood equals 150 gallons of oil on average, a difference of approximately $175.00.  Wonder what I can purchase with the newly found cash?  The stove does show the flames in the door so I haven’t lost my love of seeing the roaring fire.   Still most importantly the addition has opened up a new design challenge! Design challenges are something I live for!

We discovered quite quickly with the location of the stove in the family room cooking away at 75 degrees, the dining room dropped to a chilly 60 degrees.  Basically the family room is a ‘dead end’ and air can’t circulate out of the room.  That’s where my design challenge was created!

I needed to come up with a creative, reasonably priced way to add a second opening to the room.  The room (pictured below) has three exterior walls and one interior wall.  Sounds easy enough, add another cased opening……problem…the only remaining wall backs up to the staircase to the second floor.  I toyed with the idea of having the landing also open to the family room.  This of course was quickly ruled out, by the cost and doubly when I realized my future built-ins wouldn’t be able to happen.

So I started flipping through design books, looking for inspiration and came up empty handed.  I riffled through past issues of This Old House, as always I found great projects & homes with great technical guidance but still not the perfect solution.  The stove needed a fresh load of wood, so aside I set my books and magazines and headed out to the porch for a load.  As I stood on the porch I could see inside my husband’s workshop………that’s where my inspiration was found.   I loaded up the stove and headed to the shop.  I picked up moulding pieces, iron brackets and planks of antique chestnut ……… creative juices started flowing! As I moved the chestnut pieces I saw a stack of old shutters and there was my solution!

I found a petite shutter, it was perfect in every way the paint was crazed, it was weather beaten and it was a perfect size.  I paired the shutter with the antique chestnut and began designing a window for the stairwell wall.   This would be perfect!  The shutter would give me the ability to control sound moving up the stair case.  The antique chestnut would be a beautiful sill and with the combinations of mouldings I could create a unique surround for the ‘window’.  Design Challenge solved!

Now, my Prince is also my carpenter for hire.  So the status today is the hole is cut, opening framed and sheetrock repaired.  This week I hope the mouldings go up, walls painted and shutter installed……..I promise to post an update!

It’s 20 degrees outside tonight, brutally cold……but not in the here.   Ashley has taken up residency in front of the stove and is knitting a scarf.  Joe & Joey are curled up watching abc Family and I typing away here on my laptop.  Besides the cost savings and warmth there is another bonus to the wood stove ………….. we’re all together in the family room.  Best bonus ever!

So here it is folks, my 2009 Christmas Letter……Merry Christmas!

Laughter on one’s lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.

~Hugh Sidey

Over a decade ago on a brisk November weekend, my Mom cleaned out the master bedroom closet.  She took it upon herself to toss the ‘junk’ that just was not needed anymore.  Trust me; my Dad likes to hold on to his ’stuff’ for a very long time “Ya never know when you might need it” he says.  Well, as instructed my dad took the ‘toss’ pile to the dump.  He was about ready to pitch the bag at the dump when something caught his eye…..a tweedy, ragged, tattered sleeve.  He leaned into the bag curious; he recognized the coloring but could not place what he saw. So he reached in deep and pulled his favorite sweater out of the garbage bag.  He held it up, his eyebrows knitted with confusion, and thought, “Why would she throw this out? It’s a perfectly good sweater!” Now, my Dad has a unique definition of ‘perfectly good’.  The elbows of the sweater were completely blown out, the neck is frayed, tar (yes, tar) is permanently smudged on the front, and  when he did wear it, it sat three inches above his waist! Still, in his mind it was still a ‘perfectly good’ sweater.  He folded the sweater, and placed it in the cab of the truck.  Some men would have returned home with a tongue lashin’ about the sweater, not my Dad instead he saw an opportunity! His eyes danced with mischief as he thought of how he could playfully seek revenge…………

My Dad is a simple man, hence come simple gifts. Dad’s Christmas gifts are almost always practical, except for the year of ‘perfectly good sweater’ disposal.  It was a typical Christmas morning his girls, son-in-laws and granddaughter gathered around the tree, ripping through presents.  Dad seemed particularly excited that morning; he almost resembled a child, keeping one special box tucked under his chair.  When all the gifts were exchanged, my Dad waded thought the sea of torn wrapping paper and boxes, and presented Mom with one last gift.  Mom tore through the wrapping paper to find a ‘Macy’s’ box.  She sat there for a minute stunned at first, then excitedly squealed ‘You went to MACY’S for me?!” Honest to God, I think I saw her eyes well up with tears.  With her face beaming, she jerked the box top off; and pulled back the tissue. Her  glowing face quickly clouded over, as she pulled from the Macy’s box the ‘perfectly good sweater’.  The roar of laughter shook the house; you see Mom had told all of us back in November she finally tossed Dad’s sweater, without him knowing!

My Dad has a great sense of humor. His laugh is contagious, paired with his twinkling eyes and his recently ‘gone white’ beard, he resembles Santa Clause himself.  The year of the ‘perfectly good sweater’ Dad was Santa.  Although, my Mom may argue that it wasn’t the gift she ‘asked’ for, it most indeed was.  Dad gave not only Mom, who by the way did laugh until she cried, but all of us the gift of laughter.

The sweater keeps popping up every few years.  My sister Kimberly received it at her bridal shower, it was in the Yankee Swap pile one year……..At this point I’m not even sure who the last recipient was, but it’s gotta be surfacing soon! Along with the gift of laughter……..

This gift doesn’t come wrapped in a beautiful box, unless of course it’s the ‘perfectly good sweater’. No the gift of laughter is the sweetest when it’s unexpected.  When this gift can be received without inhibitions, then the recipient does have a ‘good grasp on life’.

Will you share the gift of laughter this Christmas season?  You can bet your Santa hat we will.

Warmest Christmas Blessing to All………..and a good Laugh!

~The Davenport Family

Let me paint a picture…………

It’s December 24th, 4pm.  The dinner table is set, delectable aromas float from the kitchen and the tree is filled with twinkling lights.  Guests begin to arrive, hugs and kisses are  intermingle with the pass off of heavenly dishes  and stacks of gifts.  Grandma yells ‘No running!’ as children weave through the crowd with cheeks rosy red, filled with excitement and anticipation.  The snow is beginning to fall, its going to be a white Christmas…….Grandpa laughs and belts out a “I’m dreaming of  a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know…. where the tree tops glisten & children listen……..” just as one of the babes run into his knee.

Then there is this picture on the other side of the world……….

It’s December 25th 4pm, a solider walks the streets of Iraq, his holiday meal was acceptable but not Mama’s roast and potatoes.  He greets a young child with a kind smile and a small gift …….. he misses his own children. His body aches, and his feet are sore.  A sigh,  and with a chuckle he says “Aw, what I’d do to stretch out on the sofa and watch ‘Elf‘ with the kids!”  Back to the base he goes as the sun sets, fully knowing his family is just staring their holiday celebration.  He wonders if his wife is wearing his favorite red sweater, is his Uncle Dave having his annual playful argument with Aunt Sue?  Did his brother ask his girlfriend to marry him? ………….

So many families are missing a loved one this Holiday season.  Two years ago I sat across an empty place setting at the dinner table. I wondered how my Cousin Mike, a Chief in Navy Reserves  was enjoying his holiday meal.  Joe and I did the best we could to make Mike’s three kids and terrific wife have a great holiday. It was the least we could do for Mike, he like many were giving so much……….Still we couldn’t replace him.

There is a very special gift arriving tonight and tomorrow morning here in Connecticut! No Santa won’t be sliding down the chimney with this one, there is no way the recipients will want to wait till Christmas morning.  You see, this gift is the Connecticut National Guard (specifically 250th Engineer Co. & 1st Battalion, 102nd Infantry).  I am proud to share with you that my partner Ed & I, along with Suzi Craig of Fathom, CT Tweet Crawl and the Hartford Restaurant Group raised over $14,000.00 towards the Home for the Holidays effort.  Tomorrow morning we along with many others will welcome these guys and gals home.

Next time you pass a soldier at the mall, grocery store, or walking the streets of your home town ………… stop him or her and thank them for their service.  They give so much, give them the gift of thanks………….

Here’s a touching tribute to our service men & women.  Enjoy! Soldier’s Silent Night

Uuuggghhhh…….holiday travel! It’s that time folks, pack the car, say a prayer and hit the road.  Oh, I feel for anyone who has to travel this week.  When my kids were much younger we had family living a couple hours away, every few years we’d make the trek on Christmas morning to have breakfast with them.  It was torturous some years!  Besides the stress of the holiday itself, I needed to think about prepping for a trip.  There was the midnight pantry hunt for snacks on Christmas Eve, or the sudden realization we didn’t have ‘blankey’ after we were on the road for 2o minutes!  Well, after a few years of complete havoc, Joe and I had the prep and trip down to a science.  Here’s a few fun ideas on how to take the stress out of traveling with your ‘bunchkins’ this holiday season.

For the younger babes……

~Food! Stock pile some great snacks. Goldfish, crackers, raisins, Cheerios (my fav)

~Beverages! In moderation of course, keeping pit stops to a minimum.

~Security blankets or toys!  It’s gonna be ugly if you’re two hours from home with out ‘Thomas Turtle!’

~Puppets, use these for an impromptu puppet show

For the older kids……..

~ABC Game, its a race through the alphabet! Use the first letter of a word, title or licence plate.  You must go in order and a letter can not be reused by another player! First one to ‘Z’ wins!

~Count Santas, Stars, Reindeer………anything to celebrate the season, the person to get to 10 first wins!

~Sing-a-longs….Oh yea! The older kids love this! We mix it up by changing the words.  ’One the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me scalding hot cup of tea!’ You’ll be surprised how creative you can get!

~ Scavenger Hunt, this requires a bit of prep, give each person a list of items to find while driving……Red pick-up truck, Nativity Scene, Cow, Speed Limit 45………you get the idea, mix it up with really crazy stuff and easy stuff!

~Story telling, kinda like mad-libs, this requires a stop watch or a time keeper & a bag of words………one person starts the story, every 30-45 seconds the story teller must stop and some one else fills in the blank with a word drawn from the bag…….then the story teller continues for another alloted time frame…….Don’t think you can pull it off? Buy a book or two of mad libs!

For the Adults

~Strong coffee

~Lots of Patience

~Christmas Spirit

~Sense of Humor!

You probably notice I didn’t list iPods, Gameboys, DVD players…… It’s easy to stick your kids in front of electronics and keep them quite, and yes it does give you a break too. Yet, remember the road trips you took as a kid? It was just you, your family, and the open road.  You survived, your parents survived and you spent time together!  I even bet you have some pretty fond memories of those road trips….wouldn’t it be great to share those with your kids?!

There’s a part of me that misses wild ride each Christmas morning.  Even though it was hectic and hair raising at times to pack up the kids, once we got on the road it was fun!  If your traveling this week, pack up your tolerance, humor and your smiley face and enjoy the ride. Be safe out there!

It’s a family tradition to ‘check out the lights’.  Right after Thanksgiving it begins, the search for great holiday lights.  With the sun setting at 4:30 pm there are a lot of opportunities to search out great light displays.   My son is still young enough that he enjoys the thrill of the hunt, my daughter at 17 believe it or not hardly ever turns down the challenge and I have to say even my husband is a good sport.  It’s pretty typical for me to shout out, “let’s take the scenic route home……there’s gotta be cool lights”

We search out the most outrageous light displays.  Living in a rural area of Connecticut we get to see some really fun  exhibits!  There’s a barn down the street that follows the roof lines with icicle lights, blue and white ……. no rhyme or reason to the layout of colors I think Dave just pulls them out of the storage box and hangs them up, three white strands, one blue, one white, two blue, one white……… Joey loves catching the tractor one town over,  every once in a while theres a bonus, Santa’s sitting on the Tractor!  Ashley’s favorites are the houses that go all out! The more outrageous the more she loves them.  Her idea of a perfect light display usually includes lights framing every window, lit dancing hippos,  inflatable characters, and of course a LED candy cane lights lining the walk way.  Joe usually is drawn to anything he knows I would find tacky, threatening to do the same to our house next year……..he loves to try and get my goat.   Then there’s me, I love the classic holiday decorations, simple spot light on the front door with a beautiful wreath. Sometimes a tree finished off with some white lights……my family finds those houses boring!  I will admit I do enjoy thebright, over the top displays. I appreciate the work, planing and electric bills those homes put forth for our enjoyment.

Each year on Christmas Eve, before we head out to my Aunt Trudy’s for a traditional meatless Polish Christmas Eve celebration, we visit Hubbard Park in Meriden CT.  The display doesn’t change much from one year to the next, although somehow we find something new each year.  Funny I can’t imagine not going there before I dig into my fried fish or perogies.

I’ve been a touch under the weather the last few days, so I’m also behind in some of my last minute shopping! Still as I trek home tonight from shopping for the stocking stuffers, I’ll take the scenic route.  Who knows maybe I’ll find a dancin’ inflatable Tigger……..or Santa in a grass skirt under a palm tree…. No matter what I find, its sure to bring a smile to my face.   Take the time to drive home the scenic route this week and enjoy the sites!

Apparently I am supposed to slow down a bit. Yesterday I woke up feeling like I was Mac Truck.   You know the feeling, your eyes burn, your head pounds, your throat is raw and your body just doesn’t want to move.  As I shuffled to the coffee maker, I took the black sharpie I store in my head and started to review my list of things still left to do.  Oy vay, it didn’t look good! Frankly, it still doesn’t look good. When life starts dishing out more than its share of tough breaks, I always try to add a little humor.  Van Zant has a great song ‘Help Somebody”, in this song which talks about lessons from grandparents, there is a poignant line If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans……

God’s getting a good chuckle!  So, the  baking has come to a screeching halt, the last minute shopping is put off another day, and the blog is on hold.  I do have a ray of sunshine in the storm cloud I’m under, my Prince.  He’s got his list for today and he’s off.  He’ll finish up some shopping, stop by the post office and hit the grocery store.  I’m hoping to get through my day at the showroom and after a good nights sleep, be as good as new…….check back tomorrow!

Growing up in New England, the Yankee Swap is a holiday staple.  I couldn’t imagine a holiday without participating in at least one swap!   I found it fascinating that the Yankee Swap’s origin dates back to the Civil War.  Legend has it the Yankees & Confederates ’swapped’ prisoners as a game to ease the overall mood, leading to the phrase ‘Yankee Swap’!  Now how it translated to gifts is still I’ll never know!

Yankee Swaps are very popular at office parties and they usually come with a dollar limit.  After purchasing one or two Yankee  Swap gifts its easy to run out of ideas!  Fear not friends I’m hear with a fresh new list!  Each one of these gifts you should be able to complete for $10 to $15 ……………

~Deck of playing cards, bag of microwave popcorn, instant hot cocoa all inside a fun holiday bowl! Lable it “Emergency Snow Day Fun!”

~Chia Pet…..this one may put you a touch over $15.00 but its a great throw back to your childhood! It will clearly get a good chuckle!

~Daily quote calendar…..take a red sharpie and highlight your birthday, along with a list gifts you would like to receive! Who knows, maybe when the recipient comes upon your birth date they’ll remember you!

~Large measuring cup, fill it with a few of  your favorite recipes and a few non-perishable baking/cooking needs (vanilla, cinnamon, or other spices) if budget allows throw in some measuring spoons.

~ Refrigerator magnets and local take out menus! All hidden in a recipe box! (get it?)

~ Photo frame, finish it off by inserting a funny holiday cartoon, again…great gift with a little laugh.

~Box full of canned sardines, pickled herring, garlic stuffed peppers …….. and a box of Altoid Mints (peppermint flavor!)

How you wrap your gifts is really important, it can take the fun to the next level! You can have the silliest, more ridiculous gift, but if you’ve wrapped it to the nines, people will be fighting over it! It really is a lot of fun watching people battle over your gift!

In the Davenport house we participate in two annual Yankee Swaps each year with our families, one on my side the other on Joe’s.  A few years ago we put a spin on our Swap…..the White Elephant Yankee Swap.  This swap requires NO shopping, the challenge is to find something to re-gift! We’ve gotten some real beauts, and have had great laughs. Here’s some of the classics.

~mismatched coffee mugs (clean of course)

~4′ light up santa clause (honest to God it had to be from 1950!) This one keeps popping up every few years.

~A box of souvenirs! Gosh, these were funny…coasters, mini statues, shot glasses, snow globes…….the tackiest stuff you can think of!

I’m already digging around the garage, storage closets, and the basement for my white elephant gifts! I wonder what I did with those plastic place mats my great aunt gave me a few years ago…….oh and there’s that tuxedo apron my husband got as a grab bag gift……….wonder what else is kicking around!

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.

~Burton Hillis

A happy family, all wrapped up in each other….yeah, that is the best gift of all!  But, lets be honest everyone likes to open a gift, not only children!  If you’re a long time reader of this blog, you know that the gifts from my Prince leave something to be desired in their wrapping!  In last years Holiday Blog I poked a little fun at his wrapping talents, thank goodness he is a good sport……he didn’t punish me with no gifts, just horrible wrapping of the gifts!   No  matter where I am celebrating the holidays I love guessing which gifts are from who based on their presentation, I find this sometimes as much fun as receiving gifts!

For many of you the holiday shopping is just about complete and the wrapping is now ready to begin.  I still have some shopping left to do but Wrapping Central will be set up in my dining room tonight and the fun will begin!

This holiday mix up the red and green traditional wrapping paper with some of these unique gift wraps!  Here’s a bonus most of these ideas are less expensive than traditional wrapping paper !

~stock pages from the newspaper (I love to use the Wall Street Journal)

~sheet music, holiday music is my favorite….mass produce this wrapping paper by running it off on a copier! Larger gifts will require assembling multiple sheets.

~maps, new or old! Neat idea for someone who loves to travel

~movie or play posters

~children’s finger paintings on newsprint, I promise grandparents will love this one!

Consider some different options for tying off your gifts.  Use some of these alone or in conjunction with traditional ribbons.  The layering will give your gifts visual depth and excitement …….

~Twine, colored string, jute or natural yarns …..use alone or layer this over a thicker ribbon

~ scarves, the thinner ones work best

~men’s ties……this is a fun way to boost up a shirt gift!

~ wire garlands

Keep thinking outside of the box, no pun intended!  I have found over the years the more festive and beautiful a package is, the more the recipient takes their time opening and enjoying the gift!  I think I’ll go rummage around in my storage room for some cool wrapping materials, you never know where ideas blossom from…..

and everyone looks like they wanna hurt me…

~Buddy (as he enters the mailroom) Elf

My workshop isn’t smelling like mushrooms, nope cinnamon and spices fill the air!   Let’s be honest if you’re a child I’m not going to hold a candle to Santa’s workshop.  My kitchen isn’t cookin’ up a boatload of Wii’s or iPhones, and I don’t have a army of elves working either! Tonight in my workshop kitchen I’m whipping up on a delectable gift.

Streusel-Topped Banana Bread

~1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

~7 tablespoons uncooked oats

~1/3 cup flour

~1/3 cup cold butter cut into pieces

~1 1/2 cup flour

~2 large ripe bananas

~1 teaspoon vanilla extract

~2 large white eggs (at room temperature)

~1/2 cup sugar

~1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

~3/4 teaspoon baking soda

~1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine first three ingredients. Cut in 1/3 cup of butter with a pastry blender until crumbly

In a large bowl beat banana and next four ingredients until smooth.

Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour with next three ingredients.  Add to banana mixture beating until dry ingredients are moistened.  Do not over beat.

Spoon batter into 3 mini (3X5) loaf pans lined with parchment paper.  Fill pans about 2/3 with batter, then sprinkle each loaf evenly with streusel.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack for 5 min. then remove from pans to cool completely.

I like to bake these then return the loafs to decorative ceramic loaf pans wrap in clear plastic wrap and tie off with festive holiday ribbon.  These banana breads are easy and always a hit…….boy do I wish I had a few elves to clean up this kitchen…….

Its about a 300 foot walk from my front door to the mailbox.  Bitter cold, biting sleet, snow piled high or torrential rains couldn’t keep me from that mail box this time of year!  I love receiving holiday cards, I love the personalized notes, letters and pictures included in so many each year.  It is my one opportunity each year, to catch up with many friends and family.   The Davenport Family receives over one hundred cards each holiday season, everyone of them is special and cherished.   I truly believe these treasures should be displayed and showcased as a reminder of how blessed we are to have such dear friends and family in our lives.

Here are a few ways I have displayed our holiday cards

~On a closet door. Run ribbon three times down and six times across and staple or tape the cards to the ribbon.

~My partner Ed’s wife cherishes her cards too, she strings rows of white lights from her mantle and attaches the card to the lights.  Consider bead garlands, tinsel garlands and ribbons as other options to string your cards!

~Fill a large vase with winter berries and hang the cards on the branches like ornaments.

~Surround door casings.

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I just wish the mail man could deliver today too! Shucks, I guess he deserves a day off too!