I had this big, dark green candle. I didn't really like it, so I melted it down for the wax, making sure I kept the candle part with the wick in the center whole. So it went from a fat candle to a skinny one. I made one candle by putting it in a quart jar. The other half, I put in a little round enamel pan red and white ... it is a really old pan ... chipped ... I had gotten it at a garage sale. It's probably 1930s? So, while the candle was soft and in the pan, I put pine cones around it, and over the pine cones, I sprinkled whole rosemary and whole cloves. I had dried some of the tiny red hot peppers this summer, and I put those around the pine cones for color. It made the sweetest old fashioned winter candle and it really smells good, too. When Papa got home from work, he saw it and really liked it. It looks very woodsy and back to the land.
Also last evening, before Jim got home from work and had supper, I changed my big table. We have two leaves in our table because of all the family being here. But I will leave it large for Christmas, too. Anyway, I took the Thanksgiving plastic cloth off and put on a pretty old-fashioned Christmas tablecloth, plastic and pretty. It looks a little like the Mary Ingelbert designs. My table now would seat ten, so it's a long tablecloth.
I get my tablecloths for a song. I only pay about three bucks for them. I get them at the Dollar Stores or wherever. I have to cover my big table in plastic because I use it to work on. My kitchen doesn't have the counter space, or much space of any kind, so I use my big table to roll out pies and noodles and cookie dough. I use it to do my crafts on and canning, etc. I would be lost without my big table. But I do keep it well covered in at least a couple layers of tablecloths.
Last night, I decorated my table. I put my old fashioned candles on it that I had just made. Then a basket of napkins and, also, a rooster cookie jar that I use for crackers. He is sitting there all proud of himself. But his dark red comb was needed to add a Christmas red to my table. Papa had bought some oranges and bananas and I put them in an old red and white bowl and set them on the table. (Always, the old fashioned families had oranges at Christmas.)
For my paper Christmas napkins, this is what I do. I buy cheap white paper napkins and then some pretty Christmas napkins. I put out just a few of the Christmas napkins and use mostly the white ones. It's too expensive to use the Christmas napkins all through the season. For Papa's meals, I give him a nice napkin, and for company. But my kids come in and see napkins on the table and use them for everything. But I can make a nice package of Christmas napkins last for the whole season. Also, I bought the plain red napkins at a sale some place ... can't remember now ... but I will use them, too, if I need to -- if I run out.
I like to have things out on the table in case Papa wants a snack or whatever. I always have a tall cup of spoons on the table, too. One item I always have on my table is my little sugar bowl. It is an enamel blue and white speckled little pot with a lid and bale handle. It looks really old-fashioned and woodsy.
My son John really drew me out when he was home. He admires the old time ways within me and seems to call me out. Both he and his wife Christine do this to me. John remembers me this way as he was growing up. John's drawing this out of me is such a gift given to Mother from her children. He held an old treasure in his heart and drew it out and said, "Mom, remember?"
John went into my pantry before he left and started drawing out of there my old pans and jars. "Why don't ya have this out, Mom? It's neat"
"Oh, Johnny ... Dad doesn't think I should use stuff like that anymore."
