Bits and Bites

It has been gray and rainy, quite the contrast to the bright white weekend we just had.  The shorter dark days of December are here, but I find them comforting as I work through my holiday preparations and gifting list.  Spending the evenings sewing or felting is just what I want to be doing, it just doesn't seem to make it to the top other times of the year.
I have been working on this super sweet costume which are at the top of some one's list this Christmas.  A quilt for a special person's bed is in the works, which I am a little (ok a lot) intimidated by.
The house is filled with the warming smell of apples, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg while making some favorite butter in the slow cooker.
 A new treat which will be part of gifts this year is this super easy date ball.  Since Shai is very sensitive to any cane sugar we try and cook with alternatives such as honey or maple syrup.  This is a sweet yummy treat that uses dates to sweeten it.  The recipe is from a friend and this is the instructions she passed on.  Put into your food processor a few handfuls of pitted honey dates, raw almonds, coconut and dried apple rings.  When its all blended into a rough paste roll into balls.  Put some in the freezer right away, because you will eat them all if you don't!s
Something big has been happening at night.  Shai has been climbing into bed with Ben, instead of us.  I loved and completely encouraged this with my other kids.  The three older ones slept together for along time, at different times they have slept in different combinations.  But he is my youngest, my baby.  Even though I have yearned and longed for my bed back for years I am not completely sure I am ready to move on.  sigh. growing up is hard.
To end this jumbled post, a quote from my daughter talking to friends who were discussing wedding outfits "Forget the fancy dress, a wedding isn't about the clothes it is all about the cake!"