 It's holiday party time at the Bausch house. Some how when I'm not going to have a Christmas party I see plates that I just adore and Michelle who has napkins that fit perfectly with the placemats and chargers that make the whole table look great. I begin a plan!  Then there are the red chargers I find at the Dollar Tree and borrow more chargers from Michelle. Instant table setting begins. The kitchen table also gets partied up. I have no more chairs. No more place settings. I wish I could invite the world but this house just won't hold all the friends I would love to be here celebrating.  Leon happened to be busy cooking the whole week before our brunch. Trying new recipes and having our favorites, making one thing and placing it in the refrigerator or freezer to wait for the oven to be lit up. This is what's left in the dessert department. It's my favorite after the meal. Recipe came from a Dallas friend.  I hope you enjoy the holiday festivities with dear friends and treasure the time you have together.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to one and all!
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 It's Christmas time and along with it comes the holiday Gnomes! Members of the Rockport Garden Club created many of these to sell to the public and it became a centerpiece at our final meeting together.  The snacks had us all sampling!  The name "Kate" seems to be popular in our group! Should have no problem forgetting who is in this crowd of women.  Members have passed on and here sits four books the club purchased and donated to the Rockport Library for those who are gone. I will read through some of these when I'm visiting the library.  The gathering was all smiles and hugs until next year when we begin another successful year.  Linda made treats for everyone which were the best ever. Chocolate! Crackers! M & M's! What a wonderful ending to a
great year of being together.  Many years ago when we resided at Eastward, Dana Rodman, a neighbor, painted Chase on a picture-less bulb. I about died when she gave it to me. Every color of paint just perfect, capturing his demeanor. I keep it hanging all over the house, changing it around from place to place as the years pass on. Not only do I look at it but think about Chase and all of the fun times we had together over 13 years.  I was blown away after seeing what Dana did this year. Magically painted all of her dogs and hanging them on a wreath. I remember many of them and just adore her Christmas talents, loving each one of them so dearly. What a gift to have such precious animals in your life and an artist
that makes them become so real.  Leon is still whipping out peanut brittle tastings. We passed our record of over 100 lbs made last year and still making more through December this year. It makes a great gift.  Thanks so much to friends who order every year. It means a whole lot to the chef that's producing it. He's working on my mother's
TOFFEE recipe for next year!  It's Rockport Garden's Holly Berry Market weekend in Camden. Such a festive time members to get together and create!  A hug with the ginger bread boy before I entered the door to see what was available for sale.  I spotted Leon's peanut brittle right away!  Martha's delicious jam can't be beat! Of course, the painted glasses and candy jars that we worked on were sitting right there for all to see.  There happened to be gnomes all around the greenery. Tons of things and more that I did not get a photo of as I was too busy looking at everything!  One purchase I made was this piece, looking wonderful in our summer garden of flowers. Nan made several of these that are just lovely. It will stick in the ground with a bit of sunlight making those colors pop out like magic.  Hats off to Janet and Nan, the club's Co-Presidents, for pulling this off! They worked with club members to help make things for this outstanding, first time, Holly Berry Market! It was truly a success, open til 1:00 today. You should make a trip there to see what is waiting to be purchased.
 It happened to be a day for Christmas shopping to occur. So Michelle and I headed for Augusta to do just that!  Had to pick up a few things at the best Dollar Tree store ever. It had just the things I've been looking for and a whole lot more! Then it was on to that wonderful TJ Maxx. Wow! Many beautiful things. Somebody else was painting those glasses like our Garden Club did.  Of course I had to stock up on treats for Spencer. This should last through February...  as he is such a good boy and deserves every single one of those treats!  The ride to Augusta showed us some pure beauty with the snow covered nature screaming such attractiveness. It was just cold enough to keep those tree limbs ice covered.  Our hands were filled to the brim with holiday bags. It certainly became a wonderful shopping day with a more than wonderful friend.
 A holiday decorated table greets us as we step into a Thanksgiving dinner at the Mikkelsen's, where we spend every November holiday meal each year.  Even the decorated napkins added to the festivities!  Half the turkey was eaten and it was scrumptious. That white meat screamed "eat me first" as I absolutely love it!  Holding the drumstick, Mik just knows how great that first bite will taste!  What a truly fantastic holiday meal sat waiting for us to dive into.  As we leave a Christmas sheep is waiting for the next holiday to arrive. Always have such a great time over that Thanksgiving feast and
sharing it with special friends  The calendar Michelle gave me on my birthday last year read "Let's Prepare a Main Dish" for November. She bought the ingredients and brought them over to the house for us to make Crescent Roll Veggie Bars! Notice the eyes looking on? We had a visitor as the ingredients started to be put in a bowl. I think Spencer's interested in the cooking scene!  After all was vegetables were chopped Leon eyed the cutting board. Now, I prepared the carrots, helped with the broccoli and cut the tomatoes. Just wanted you to know that.  Michelle got the crescent roll, cream cheese and mayonnaise ready and once we put them all together it landed in the oven! Colorful!  Leon and I had to taste it! Absolutely delicious. Another cooking experience that all of us devoured before taking to our Thanksgiving dinner was spectacular!  My birthday calendar that Michelle gave me is coming to an end and I am rather sad about that. Learning to do new things in the cooking world and just being together meant the world to me.
 The Bausch household has so much to be thankful for. Each day whether it's taking a walk with Spencer and enjoying the gift of nature or learning from Leon how to prepare a meal or creating a treasured painting or reading a good book. A life of things to treasure and appreciate. In my world this day is for "giving thanks" and sharing happiness with the friends and family that surround us. Hope this is a day of smiles and laughter.
Happy Thanksgiving!  Rockport Garden Club members spent the day in being creative while painting up a storm on holiday glasses to be sold at the Holly Berry Market. Come see us during Christmas by the Sea events in Camden on December 5th and 6th.  Our mastery art work can be used in other ways as well by placing tissue paper and flowers in it for gift giving. We are working away with those paint brushes. Smiles and concentration appearing on our list in performing the task!  I had to get a photo of Colleen's sweater. It is just what Maine is all about and very festive. I love it!  I was totally surprised and excited when Leslie handed me a bag with this picture in it! I adore it! And what a kind thing for someone to do as it will get framed and placed on a wall in the dining room. Do you see Spencer right there? Cheering for a treat? I can't thank you enough, Leslie!  Back to the glass painting! Thanks so much, Janet, for hosting this painting event and that delicious lunch along with it. We had so much fun creating something that will make someone's holiday extra special!
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