Christmas in Kentucky

Spending Christmas 2012 in Kentucky will always have a warm place in my heart. We even had a little snow on the 21st. For the last few Christmases, Shannon loves setting the mood by wearing  a Santa hat or reindeer horns on her head.  Mckenna loves to write stories and shared with us her latest work, about how a sled dog in Alaska saves the day.

A small apartment sized Christmas tree was just perfect for their small abode and, as we learned, the decorations need not be grandiose. What matters most attitude, yours and everyone else.
For us being together was the grandest gift of all.  We could all feel the love and appreciation for each other.  As long as we have that then happiness and joy abounds which was certainly our experience in 2012.  I just can't imagine spending Christmas without family.

And of course, we had to make Christian Christmas Cookies.  Why, it wouldn't be Christmas without them!  Frosting them is a labor of love as you can see by these fabulous works of art.  Being  together to making treats, or go shopping and wrapping presents, anticipating the joy of seeing someone open a gift from you.  That was Christmas in Kentucky and the memories will never fade.   Wishing everybody a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year

Barn Quilts and Country Roads

Tuesday, Oct 23 The country around Lexington and Nicholasville is beautiful with rolling grass covered hills divided into pastures and fields by rock walls and wooden fences.  A mixture of old and new homes, some which are graceful and grand and some more simple dot the countryside along with old tobacco barns.  A maze of windy narrow roads provide access and dip and turn with the terrain, keeping drivers inexperienced with such roads from enjoying the scenery.

Today, Ruth took us a a drive and we enjoyed the fall colors of oaks and maples and a variety of smaller vegetation all dressed in fall colors.  John and Ruth have talked about finding a house they could buy in the country so part of today's expedition was to show us some of the homes in the area that appealed to them.  

I was fascinated with the barn quilts that decorate the barns. Barn quilts similar in design to quilts but are painted on large wooden signboard and hung under the peak of the roof above the barn door.