It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

Well we are really thankful to those grandchildren who thought we should get a live tree big enough to fill the living room. Heading north to Whitehall we did find a great tree. With the help of the son-in-laws and grand son we managed to get it to the house and inside.

Our daughter helped us get the lights on the tree and we continued to decorate it over the next two days. Everyone else helped us warm up to the Christmas Season.

 

 

 

 

11-12 foot tree first live tree at the house in the woods

A close up of a section of the tree

Of course, once you have the tree you need to decorate the outside. I spent the greater part of the yesterday getting the outside completed. Here are a few shots of that work. These were taken after the overnight snow storm so you will see a bit of snow here and there.

Garage entry door

 

 

Garage light

We did get a bit of snow so here is the view toward the front and back of the house.

Front view

Back view

Relaxing Thanksgiving Day at Home

We are spending a relaxing day today. Just chilling out at home. Baking pies, drawing, and preparing for tomorrow. We will be getting our tree with all the family except the Germans. We will try to Skype them once we have the tree in the house.
       We will have a real tree again at the request of many grandchildren. So with our high ceiling we are shooting for a 9-10 foot tree. Of course this has become a new chapter of Christmas preparation. New topper was needed as the old small one would get lost up there. A new stand as we had parted with the other when we went artificial. and then new lights, more ornaments. and who knows what else we need once we see it up in the living room.

Here are a few glimpses of this year's Christmas card in it's pencil drawing state. I will begin the inking process today. Keep posted as I present more small glimpses as we head toward card completion.

Early Cristmas Card

Earliest card that started a tradition

Working as a teacher with limited income in a small rural community I found the list of cards needed was bigger than my pocketbook. That started the tradition of me creating a card drawing and then printing them as standard letter size prints. We could write a message on the back, fold them in thirds and stuff them into letter envelopes at minimal costs. We would also print them in black and white and hand color each card. It made the winter evenings go by comfortably as we sat at the dining room table adding color, addressing envelopes and conversing.
        This little Santa was the first step in the development of the card drawings. Here he tokes on his pipe as he concentrates on the Christmas Star an contemplates the Christmas gifts he will be bringing to the children. The toys are those you hear of in that old song Up On the Housetop. That has always been a favorite of mine since childhood. Probably because of the use of Will/Bill as a name in the song. I would hear it played on the radio as Gene Autry would sing. Radio is and has always been an influence in my life. As a child I wanted to be the singing cowboy. now I am just Poppy.

          Up on the House Top Gene Autry version

                 Written Benjamin Hanby 1864

Up on the housetop reindeer paws, out jumps good old Santa Claus

Down through the chimney with lots of toys
All for the little ones, Christmas joys
Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't go? Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't go?

Up on the housetop, click, click, click
Down through the chimney with old Saint Nick

First comes the stocking of little Nell
Oh, dear Santa fill it well
Give her a dolly that laughs and cries
One that can open and shut her eyes
Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go? Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go?

Up on the housetop, click, click, click
Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick

Look in the stocking of little Bill
Oh, just see what a glorious fill
Here's a hammer and lots of tacks
Whistling ball and a whip that cracks

Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't go? Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go?

Up on the housetop, click, click, click
Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick

Some Christmas Memories

Thought I would just post a few glimpses of past Christmas cards. This year's card is in progress and slowly it will be finished before Christmas. I hope! Enjoy the recaps. I have a collection Thanks to my good Friend Gra. of almost every card since 1972, I will be posting some of the earlier cards over the next few weeks with a short explanation of the significance in my family's history. Enjoy and do leave a comment if you wish.

Christmas Night in the Woods

Gaelic Christmas

Up on the Roof Top

Catch a Falling Star

Santa's Workshop

Another Snowy Morning

Well mother nature is blessing us again with a little light snow dusting. It makes the day appear to be brighter and disguises the fact that the sky is gray, the trees bare and black, and the ground brown. As winter approaches I have finally finished the leaves  mixed media project. Water color gouache, permanent ink, and colored pencil were the medias use to create this painting.

" Lake Superior Leaves"  William R Fritz artist - mixed media painting

First snow arrives and then is gone

We were surprised this morning with about 1/2 inch of the wonderful white stuff. Glad I got the leaves blown back the other day. However, it quickly departed by 10:30 am. More is predicted for tonight so maybe a pleasant surprise tomorrow morning. I always find November depressing with it's gray skies, it's dead brown fields and bare black trees. However, with a dusting of white snow the outside world becomes enlivened and the darkness seems to disappear. I know many people curse the snow season but it is one time of year I eagerly look forward to, along with spring, summer and fall. It's just November that brings me down, unless it snows.

Further progress on Leaves. Have begun to add green. I need to complete this soon as there is a Christmas card that needs to be completed. Again a warning to my collectors this card will begin to see some changes in my design.

As the weather turns and the leaves depart

under wash scarlet

additional wash yellow and green

Beginning wash layers to bring out colors

Spent a few more hours blowing leaves. Love the trees but I still curse the ever abundant falling leaves. As I said earlier we compare the leaves to snow and we often can be heard saying "It's leaving again!"

The weather is turning slowly and the anticipated first snow will be coming soon. Just hope I have gotten all those oak leaves in the proper place. Some to cover the gardens until spring, adding warmth to the perennials and bulbs laying beneath them - nature's blanket. All of the rest banished to the outer limits of the forest floor to serve as a mulch mat to keep down the undergrowth.

Progress is being made on the maple leave painting and soon I will begin to work on the yearly Christmas card. I am planning a departure of sorts for this year's card so don't be surprised if you are a collector. Just as I am aging so i=s the rest of the world. And change is the only constant in life I have experienced so far.

The glimpses of the progress on leaves continues. The three above show the progress in the last few days.

Progress on Leaves

I have made some progress on Leaves. The next step is to start adding watercolor washes to the leaves. It is taking a longer time to complete because living in the woods means I am also dealing with the leaves outside. So far I have cleared the surrounding yards and gardens 5 times and I am sure there will be more to do in the next few days. I am anxious to start the color work but who knows where it will go. Also It's time to begin to form my idea for the annual Christmas card. Will try to keep you all posted as I progress with my work.