And here we are... nearing the end of November already! I just wanted to pop in and wish all of my U.S. readers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Are you ready for the big day? I have one more pie to make (I've already made a pecan pie and apple/cranberry pie and will make a crustless pumpkin pie tomorrow). I also made a few kinds of cookies as well as pumpkin cranberry bread and applesauce mini-muffins. That is my favorite thing about the holiday season (besides getting together with my family!)--baking, baking, baking!
This is such a busy time of year so I chose to make my final two ornaments quick ones. I just love this pair from the Prairie Schooler booklet "A Merry Mini Surprise," don't you? For both ornaments, I changed the colors a bit. I used the traditional PS red, DMC 221, and for the green, I used DMC 3362. Like the first ornament I made from this booklet, I chose to finish them into rounds so I added various snowflakes to form a circular shape.
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Two more mini Prairie Schooler Santas for 2024
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I chose the Santa carrying the bag of Christmas greens to stitch for my November ornament. The little embellishment on the ribbon is made up of some small leaves that I removed from my dried boxwood wreath, three artificial berries, and a solitary jingle bell. I just glue them on to the ribbon one piece at a time using Aleene's Tacky Glue.
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My November ornament
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And finally (hard to believe another year of ornaments is over), here is my December ornament. Good Old St. Nick has certainly earned a rest after a busy night of delivering toys to all the good little boys and girls and has taken off his cap. Have you ever seen Santa without his cap? I thought he might be bald, but no--he has a full head of beautiful white hair! I imagine him as waving goodbye to the old year. A very fitting December ornament, I'd say!
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And my ornament for December--farewell 2024!
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I'll be writing my annual "Parade of Ornaments" post soon where I'll show each of my monthly ornaments for the past year--hope you'll come visit me then!
The next leg of our Rhine River cruise finds us in the beautiful...
Black Forest area of Germany
Oh, I just loved this day; after all, I was in my happy place--the mountains! Once again, it was not the best weather--the day was chilly and foggy with a bit of rain, but we still enjoyed our day in the fascinating Black Forest Open Air Museum at Vogtsbauernhof. To give my U.S. friends an idea of what this was like, it was similar to visiting Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia--only much older. The buildings that had been assembled on the 17 acre grounds were moved from various parts of the Black Forest to represent different time periods and building styles. There are lovely little cottage gardens and farm animals spread throughout along with educational displays and exhibits. Here are some of my favorite sights--hope you enjoy them! If you click on the names of the various houses, you can see more photos of the interiors of each one. And, as always, the photos themselves are clickable for a more detailed view.
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The bus driver told us that this was one of the very oldest homes in the Black Forest. It is still inhabited after centuries of use and he said the old man and woman who reside there will sometimes come out to wave to passersby.
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I thought this photo that I took from the bus window on the way to the open air museum resembled a watercolor landscape.
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The inviting entrance to the open air museum at Vogtsbauernhof |
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The idea for the open air museum began with this farmhouse called the Vogtsbauernhof. It is the only building still standing on its original site and dates to the year 1612. The interior decor was left much the same way as when the last owner moved out in 1965. Not exactly what one expected to see when entering a 17th century home!
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This trio of geese was quite entertaining as they honked at us tourists!
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The "Little Castle" from Effringen is the oldest of the buildings dating back to 1407. It is quite shocking to wander inside and see that the home is decorated in the style of when the last owner left in 1972! Imagine the harvest golds, oranges, and greens that were popular back in the '70s and you can picture it quite well.
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I love everything about this scene--the ivy covered walls, crumbling stone, potted red geraniums, and the watering trough. Memories from long ago.
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Such a sweet scene from the white-curtained window. I imagine it is much as it has appeared for centuries.
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The Ortenauhaus built in 1775 is the only building built strictly as a dwelling place for families. In the other buildings, the farm animals occupied the lower floor! Can you imagine the sounds (and smells!) that must have drifted upward into the family's living quarters?
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What a tidy little garden. I imagine it must have been very pretty when it was in bloom.
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A view of the Ortenauhaus outbuildings through a massive wooden door.
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The Leibgedinghaus, built in 1652, was what a typical retirement cottage would look like. The farmer's children were obligated by law to house their parents when they became too old to work the farm and would move them into a home like this until they died. You can see some of the interior shots above which included an eating area and a bedroom.
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The bright red geraniums found on many homes added spots of color to the cloudy day.
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The Hippenseppenhof represents the oldest type of Black Forest home with the steeply pitched roofline. Note the crucifix displayed on the exterior. We saw similar scenes on many of the homes in this area.
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The upper floor of the Hippenseppenhof building had several display areas illustrating the history of this particular section of the Black Forest. The interesting hats pictured above are called Bollenhut which translates into "ball hat." The red balled hats were worn by unmarried Protestant women beginning in the mid-18th century. Married women wore the ones with the black pompoms. The hats consist of 14 of the fluffy balls arranged in the shape of a cross. There is a short 20 second video right here, if you'd like to see them (and the rest of these fascinating costumes) up-close.
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The upper floor also held a collection of carriages from years passed.
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Just a few of the farm animals we met on our walk that day.
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The Hippenseppenhof even had its own tiny chapel where the farmer and his family would gather to recite their daily prayers.
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I so enjoyed walking the grounds of the open air museum at our own pace and not following a tour guide. I honestly would have been happy to spend more time there, but, as always, we needed to be back on our ship in time to sail for the next port. Before we left, we were treated to a wonderful lunch complete with the famous Black Forest Cake! We also spent some time in the gift shop selecting presents for our family and admiring the spectacular cuckoo clocks which lined the walls. I was tempted to purchase a small one as my mom and dad always had a tiny one in the corner of our kitchen that I fondly recall. But, in the end, I decided to simply remember theirs...
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Just a tiny portion of the the hundreds of cuckoo clocks that were for sale.
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It was such a lovely day in spite of the gray misty weather! The mountains always bring me a sense of peace not unlike the times I sit down to stitch.
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Farewell Vogtsbauernhof--we certainly enjoyed our visit.
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Did you enjoy the Black Forest visit today? I hope so! I may take a break from my river cruise posts and get back to them in January. The coming month is just so very busy, isn't it? I still have posts set in Switzerland and Italy to share with you--it was a very busy 2 1/2 week tour for sure! The main reason I write about them is so I'll remember more of the details in my old(er) age, but I hope you get something out of them as well.
And now we move on into December! Are you ready for the big day? I'm way behind having had Thanksgiving hosting duties, but I can't wait to pull my decorations from the attic and get started decorating on December 1st. I'll be simplifying things this year as my sons will all be with their significant others (although I'm sure my middle son who lives locally will stop by for a while with his girlfriend so we won't be totally alone). I may even get a new Christmas stitching start going! Who knows... Anyway, I hope your last month of 2025 is a good one (it seems like I just wrote that about 2024!). Thank you so much for stopping by, taking the time to leave such kind comments and write such nice emails--I appreciate each and every one! Happy Thanksgiving all! Bye for now...
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Wishing each of you in the U.S. a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with friends and family!
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28 comments:
Have a wonderful time in Germanie. Love your pictures.
Happy Tuesday, Carol. It is hard to believe that the month is almost over. My how time is flying by. Your PS Santa's are adorable. I just love them finished as rounds. And the mistletoe embellishment is adorable. I wish you and your family a blessed holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving. Hugs.
Love your PS Santa's so sweet and perfect finishing .
Happy Thanks giving to you and your family .
Also love looking at your holiday photos .
I just wonder where this year went the months are flying .
I can't keep up , I am hoping to slow the New Year right down next year . More time for stitching , I hope.
Enjoy the rest of your month , hugs June.
Hello Carol,
your two newest Christmas ornaments are so cute. I love them.
Thank for sharing the photos from the Black Forest.
OH yes, this year went so fast.
Happy Thanksgiving for you and your family.
Hugs, Manuela
Your ornaments are so pretty.
Thanks for sharing the pics from Germany, very interesting.
Those hats though! Don't you think they are heavy?
I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I can't wait to see your Christmas decor & tree!
Marilyn
Time is certainly flying by so fast. I truly can’t believe December is almost here. I love the cuckoo clocks. I really wish I could find someone to get mine working again. I know the grandsons would love it. Your ornaments are always so precious. I hope to some ornaments in the new year.
Both of your PS ornaments for November and December are darling, Carol. Well done! I really enjoyed the pictures of your visit to the Black Forest. I was thinking they reminded me of the area of Colonial Williamsburg before I read your words. Wishing you a delightful and blessed Thanksgiving.
Those PS Santa's are just perfect, I love that Santa has a headful of white hair!
Thank you for sharing more photos of your river cruse, the scenery is amazing and I love those cuckoo clocks, my ex mother in law had one and i always loved it
Sounds like you are going to have a great Thanksgiving with all those yummy pies. Looking forward to seeing your ornament parade again, it's such a treat to see all your stitched ornaments together.
Lovely pieces! These two fellows look so cheery! Enjoyed the Black Forest overview, especially since we didn’t go on that excursion. The grounds are beautiful!
Nice!
Of all the American holidays, Thanksgiving is my favorite because it means sharing and being with family.
You baked so many delicious things, Carol!
I hope you have a great time and enjoy these wonderful days.
The Christmas birds are ideal.
Kisses from Spain
Carol, your ornaments are so cute and perfectly finished. I just love the Prairie Schooler Santa’s. Time has been flying here, too! I’m not sure where this year went and Christmas has really snuck up on me. I’ll be decorating on Dec. 1st, too! I enjoyed your trip to the Black Forest and especially seeing the cuckoo clocks. My Grandparents had one and seeing them brought back good memories. Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family. Cherie in WI
The Santas are just darling! Well done! Thank you for sharing your tour of Germany. It was so very interesting. Happy Thanksgiving my friend.
these mini Santas are so cute.
I have already visited the Vogtsbauernhof twice, I really like these historic old buildings because they tell true stories. And it's great how everything is preserved.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Carol! As always I love the PS Santas in the round! Because of my hip surgery, I’m behind on my ornaments. Two from the Merry Mini book may be just the stitches for me. Loved the Germany pictures. Our Rhine River cruise did not go to the open air museum but sure wished it had gone there. We lived in Germany in the early 70’s, in a little one room house, that had a corner stone from the 1500’s. It’s a beautiful country.
Thank you for sharing your pictures and thoughts! I loved the gentle clouds! It made it all look more magical.
Years ago on HGTV's House Hunters series they featured houses for sale in France where the animals had previously lived below the humans, just as you’ve said here. No, I don’t think I’d like that!
There’s a lot of charm going on inside these houses!! The geraniums are wonderful.
My husband was stationed in Belgium years ago with the USAF. I asked if he liked it. He said yes, but that they had a lot of dark cloudy days, and he did not care for that.
Those “ball hats” … a single gal would need to have a wonderful smile and pleasant personality for the young man to get past the odd headwear! But then, probably not -- since it was a tradition with them.
Your last 2 stitches for 2024 are wonderful. Such pleasant Santas!
Qu'ils sont beaux vos deux derniers ornements, on les aime ces modèles de Prairie Schooler.
Merci pour le partage des photos de la forêt noire. C'est vrai que c'est très beau, nous pourrions y aller car ce n'est pas si loin de chez nous... C'est très tentant. J'ai un coucou de la forêt noire à la maison, j'ai toujours aimé, c'est ma soeur qui me l'a offert il y a quelques années.
J'ai terminé de faire les achats pour les cadeaux de Noël (je suis une aide du Père Noël... Chut...), ils sont tous emballés dans du joli papier décoré. Dimanche je descendrai le sapin du grenier pour tout mettre en place lundi 2. Je n'aurai pas le temps le 1er décembre car c'est mon mari qui fait le Père Noël au marché de notre village, il sera pris toute la journée. Quant à moi j' apporterai mon aide pour les repas à servir aux artisans qui exposent.
Bon Thanksgiving à vous et votre famille.
Amitiés de France,
Christel
My only reason to go to Germany would be to visit the Black Forest and attend a Christkindl market. Your pictures are wonderful and the 70s decor in the one building would be jarring! We're ready for Thanksgiving, the necessary food items have been bought for our meal. Can't wait! Saw your finished ornaments on IG, gorgeous 🥰 Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello June,
your two new Christmas ornaments turned out really nice again, I'm already looking forward to a photo of your Christmas tree in 2024!!!!
Thank you for the great photos of the Black Forest, I should go there sometime, I've never been there before.
I hope you have time for your Christmas preparations and send you my warmest regards, Jutta
Happy Thanksgiving to you and family Carol. Love your latest PS Santas. Enjoy your wonderful dinner with loved ones.
I love how you finished the ornaments, can't wait to see the parade! Germany is beautiful, you took some great pictures.
I have loved reading about your adventures in Europe! Your descriptions and photos make it seem like we are there with you! Do you think your love of the mountains reminds you of our little village in the Enchanted Mountains (the rolling foot hills of the Appalachians)? I always feel a sense of calm and home when approaching on the Southern Tier Expressway. And your stitchings are beautiful as usual! Thank you for sharing! >3
I did the same thing when we traveled. Journaled on here for me and it was fun to see so many people enjoy it. I sure enjoyed your post. Thanks for taking the time to share.
We went over to my Grandmother's for Friday after Thanksgiving. She invited all my cousins and their kids and it was a full house. She had each person bring something. We were in charge of meatballs and it worked out lovely. She still cooked for 3 days. So for Christmas she wants us each to bring a large pizza from somewhere. She thinks it will help us to try different pizza places. I think it's a fun idea. Thanksgiving day it was just the 3 of us here. But we had a new soup in the crockpot and it was delicious. So we were happy to find a new recipe we all loved.
Hello Carol, Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving and are now happily decorating for Christmas. The Black Forest area is beautiful. Truly, I had no idea of the green rolling hillsides and picturesque homes/cottages even on cloudy days. Wouldn’t it be fun to stay there without the time limits of a tour which is easier said than done. The travel posts are enjoyable and informative. Enjoy the month of December!
Your vacation photos are wonderful...thanks for taking us along!
Your ornaments looks so cute, and I would absolutely love to visit the Black Forest. Your pictures look so amazing. It's funny you say it's like Colonial Williamsburg. When we first started our carpet cleaning business, my husband and I celebrated our first huge pay day by taking a trip to Williamsburg and loved it! Maybe we can visit the Black Forest soon. Thank you for sharing this. I look forward to your Parade of Ornaments post.
Sorry Carol, that was the stress. June and you, you two are the only bloggers for whom I write in English. When it came to June, I also mentioned Carol once. Lots of hugs Jutta
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