My sister-in-law responded to my blog. So, I told her I would dedicate a post to her.

First, let me say DB is an exceptional person. She is a world traveler, going to China many times. She is a student of qigong. DB takes in abused dogs. She is an artist and at one time was a museum curator. She has worked in a JD home, has panned for gold in Idaho, and worked for the Hopi. She writes poetry and played the clarinet in the high school band.

As you can tell, she is very talented. Love ya DB.

Merry Christmas to me and my driveway. Just wanted everyone to see my delightful present only picture it on a Jeep Wrangler. I would have much rather gone on a vacation, or spent money on the house or myself, or bought tons more presents. But, it works great and BF won't have to look or feel like the abominable snowman the next time the white stuff appears.

I just finished the new Tony Hillerman mystery The Shape Shifter. Joe Leaphorn, recently retired, is back pounding the long roads of the Navajo Res. The story involves a Navajo rug that was made during the Long Walk and is known to be disaster for anyone who deals with it. Supposedly, it burned up in a fire way back when Leaphorn was just starting out. The case is closed and the clues pretty cold, but somehow the rug shows up in a magazine feature, a law officier friend is missing, and the case is reopened. Leaphorn uses his Navajo reasoning to solve the crime.

I liked the story because I'm interested in weaving and infact learned most about it on the reservation. I was excited to get back into reading about Chinle and Shiprock and all of the other references that were so much of my life when I taught on the Navajo reservation at Teec Nos Pos. I enjoyed hearing the creation stories and remembered the culture that changed my worldview. I have my own stories about skinwalkers and shapechangers.

However, Hillerman's writing put me off. When I first started, I thought it sounded like it was written by a high school student. I had to stop a few times to reread because I was confused. Not by the clues and such, but somehow I was having trouble. Probably just me. I didn't like his other recent books, so maybe he is just pushing it to make money.

At any rate, Hillerman fans, you be the judge.

Ho Ho Ho! We put up the Christmas tree today. I loved it! We have Colorado Blue Spruce on the farm so Big Fred cut a 10 foot tree. It is the kind of tree with lots of gaps in it so the ornaments can hang down. A little strange at the top, but we pruned it back. Since we had so much snow, we brought it in the house and put a tarp under it to get it to defrost. BF cut off about 2 ft and put on the white lights.

Then it was my turn, I can't believe all of the old ornaments I have. Some from my mom, some I've collected, can't forget nB's canlid and milkweed pod ornament from kindergarten. I have an assortment of Santas that I was collecting for a while, and then the birds.

I had so much fun clipping on all of the birds. I have all kinds. They are really cheerful with their real feathers or metal curlicues. I have some pink and some gold ones my sister gave me from K-Mart, some are fat like mourning doves, some are perky songbirds, many are from Old World Christmas Ornaments, a carved goldfinch, a clear glass hummingbird, a cheeky bluejay, some are antique mercury glass with spun tails, and even a peacock. I thought I would add my bird's nests and it looked great.

As for the top, our old silvered topper doesn't fit since we did the major trimming, so we put a large glass ornament on it for the time being. Yuck! Got to get something new. Joyce , my sister, and I were just remembering that, as kids, we made a star out of cardboard and tinfoil.

But it's up and the presents are under. Big Fred helped and didn't say "humbug" one time. Ho HO HO!