small works in wool: Mein tannenbaum hat gar nichts.

Is it risky to use a blog title when you're unsure of exactly what it means? I'm pretty sure I can trust my source. I believe that I'm summoning the German Christmas fairies to come help me decorate my tree. If that goes well, I may have some additional chores for them to help me with . . .

Excellent.

While they're busy with that, I'm going to work on a few other things. Because I have one or two undone items still swimming around upstairs . . .

Unfortunately, it's not stew as in "warm, homey, comforting and delicious goodness", but rather stew as in "why oh why didn't I work on this last August while I was trying to stay cool and watching The Price is Right?" Oh well, I've never missed a Christmas yet.

And the mailing is done. ($151.51 in postage, to be exact. A new record.) That in itself is cause for a celebration! So I had one -- I met a friend for lunch where I had soup and a sandwich and some extra bread. With butter. It's Christmas, right? And anyway, we need some fuel to stay warm this week. We're having a real old-fashioned Minnesota winter so far. In fact, it's in the teens today and I never realized how good the teens can feel! I'm going for a run outside, as soon as I'm done here. You have to be opportunistic in Minnesota if you want to be a runner, whether you feel like going at that particular time or not.

But yesterday at 7:00 am when it was sub-zero and Russ and I were shoveling our fool heads off for the third time this week, I was feeling a little less than patriotic about our beloved home in the north. We're not "true" Minnesotans -- "true" Minnesotans insist on getting the driveway down to the black pavement. We just like to get the car in and out of the garage. We did go out Tuesday night and buy a fancy new shovel that is the most amazing product ever (with the most amazing price tag), and at least the novelty is making shoveling fun FOR NOW. It's supposed to snow again tonight and Saturday night, so the novelty may have worn off by Sunday.

And while I was shoveling I remembered my extensive collection of vintage Christmas cards. What's the point in having an extensive collection of vintage Christmas cards if you don't pull them out once a year and bask in their warm, homey, comforting and delicious glow?

So I'm going to host a holiday parade of Minnesota snowmen for you to enjoy.

Because I'm not building you one outside today no matter how much you beg --it's not THAT warm. And besides, we're out of carrots. Cooper finished them off this morning. In his utter dejection at not being able to spend all day outside because of the cold, he has taken to putting on the saddest puppy dog eyes just about every twenty minutes, which he fixes directly on my face until I give him something to eat. And in order to keep him from gaining 100 pounds before the temperature goes up again, I give him carrots. So I can't build a snowman today.

But who can resist these cuties? And you can enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a bowl of Christmas stew while they track snow across your computer desk!