A Very Special Christmas Wreath

This will be the first Christmas without my dad. But that doesn't mean we won't still remember or think about him. He always had the Christmas spirit in his own quiet way. He and I would get the Christmas tree around my birthday, leave it outside for a few days, and then bring it in to decorate. He always strung up the lights. That was a long time ago, and for the last many years I always sent a small decorated live tree with lights to my parents. My mom still got one this year. So today, we went to American Plant in search of the perfect wreath to place on his grave at the military cemetery. Not wanting to be too outlandish, we selected a smaller sized wreath with some added elements - pinecones and berries - and selected just the right simple red ribbon. A bow maker created a six leaf bow and tied it to the top. We sprayed the wreath with a greenery preservative and got a little stand to place it on. Let's hope it survives the trip and looks as nice as it does today. Santa Claus was also at the shop wearing a beautiful red suit. He asked me what I wanted for Christmas. All I could say was health and happiness, which is quite a lot when you think about it. Thinking of you Dad!

Constitution Avenue is Quiet!

After our every Saturday brunch in McLean, we decided to take a ride down Constitution Avenue on the way home rather than the usual Independence route. The city is really quiet - perhaps because it is only forty degrees - or perhaps because it is just quiet. The sun was shining on us, and the sky and clouds take on a very interesting feel this time of year. The shadows are long, and the landmarks just look different from this angle. There just wasn't a lot of activity anywhere - not even by the White House Christmas tree. The fences around the Smithsonian African American museum have come done, but it still has a long way to go before opening I think sometime in 2016. As we turned on to Pennsylvania Avenue, a large Christmas tree sits in front of the Canadian Embassy, and further down the street the large red bows on Union Station showed some holiday spirit - but even the traffic around this hub was non existent. The Coldwell Banker Christmas window had a couple of takers. Since it is the last full weekend before the holiday, folks are probably doing last minute shopping and such rather than sight see. I prefer taking in the sights anytime - even if the streets are empty!

US Botanical Garden Christmas Decorations

Aside from the trains - which is the main event this time of year - the US Botanic Garden has wonderful Christmas decorations on display throughout the venue. In the main gallery area around the fountains are all of the Washington DC landmark buildings that are made out of plant material. A variety of Christmas trees are also showcased in prominent places. My favorite was the owl and squirrel tree located in the rain forest area. Near the dessert section is a huge grouping of poinsettias in all colors. We have visited here every year at this time of year since we moved, and even before that. The displays change throughout the year, and we usually stop in mid morning during the week to avoid the congestion - particularly now. Milwaukee had three domes that housed a botanic garden like atmosphere. We probably went there a handful of times. This one is just a couple of blocks away and really is a treasure. We'll probably keep visiting for as long as we live here. And it doesn't have to be Christmas time to enjoy it. 

118 Degrees in Washington DC

It has been unusually warm here for this time of year. And I love every minute of it. I set my clothes out the night before based on the temperature and forecast for the next day. I've been doing that since I was a youngster and it saves a lot of time in the morning. Every day I start the morning checking a couple of news and websites and came across a very unusual one yesterday. What made it even all the more amusing is that in our office, the temperatures have hardly reached sixty. Nothing is being done about it, so we all freeze sitting there in our coats. Some of us escape to the warmer corridors for a few minutes just to warm up. When I checked the local news and weather on NBC Washington, it said the temperature was 118! Now I know it was a glitch, but it stayed that way for quite some time. I have noticed some very sloppy editing on a lot of websites. Since I'm a visual person, misspellings pop right out at me - even the ones on the "crawlers" on the bottom of the tv. In many ways I wish it had been 118 - because at about that time I was about to put my gloves on. That to me is cruel and unusual punishment. 

Katie's Coffee House in Great Falls

It was a toss up between Royal in Alexandria and Katie's Coffee House in Great Falls for breakfast. I preferred Royal to a long ride, but the day was lovely for a scenic "road trip" so we headed out past McLean to the Falls. Milwaukee had a famous coffee shop called Miss Katie's Diner near Marquette University, and I was expecting something similar. I knew right away that when we had to order from the counter I wouldn't care for it. The food was good, but it defeats the whole point of going out - although for the younger set, that seems to be the preference. And there is something about getting drinks in plastic cups. I don't particularly like bussing my dishes either. It was relatively busy with non-working types of folks. The ride back was nice - there are a lot if horse farms out that way.  So in the end it wasn't anything like Miss Katie's in Milwaukee. I think I'll take Alexandria next time. 

The Cardinal Christmas Ornament

We rarely buy Christmas items these days. Since we moved from Milwaukee we left all things Christmas behind except for one box of shiny bright ornaments and the stocking my mom knit for me when I was a baby. We usually get fresh greens and hang them around the house. This year we were going to our friends home for dinner and thought it would be nice to bring along a little something. We thought an ornament would fit the bill. So we went to a little Christmas shop in McLean after brunch. We looked to find just the right thing. After searching for a few minutes the cardinal ornament just stuck out from all the rest. It looked so pretty against the snowy backdrop. I like snow in pictures and on objects or on TV - but not the real thing anymore! I've always liked cardinals, and birds, so we decided on this one. Based on the reaction of our friends, it was a good choice. They added it front and center to the already beautiful tree. So if they are anything like us they will remember who it came from - which is the best part of the season!

A Digital Art Painting Framed

For whatever reason, this year I've received a lot of orders for digital art pet portraits for Christmas gifts. This is the fourth year since I opened my Etsy shop, and there is something in the air! Many are memorial portraits, some are cats, and even parrots and parakeets. Once in awhile a customer will send me the final version of the art. That happened recently. A mom was having a portrait made of a puppy for her son. And the end result looks splendid in a traditional mat and frame. The nice thing about digital art is that the image can be uploaded on to a variety of products depending on the recipient's taste - t shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags - just about anything. I'm just touched that folks like what I do. It makes me feel really good to know something I painted is given as a gift so that special pet can be remembered. Someone else was going to make some t shirts. I'd love to see how they turned out. Thanks for sharing E!