Trimming the Tree
 
Again we trim the Christmas tree
And gaily deck each bough,
A loving task of many years
As it was then, 'tis now.

[...]
When the task is done we reminisce,
About the trees of the past.
We loved each one, yet vow this one
Is nicer than the last.

And as we gather round the tree,
Remembering other years,
There is a glisten in our eyes,
Perhaps from joy, from tears.

And while reflections of the past
Set every tree apart,
'Tis the same old Christmas spirit
Reflected in each heart.

~ Wilma Willett Fuchs

"Get over it!"
~Ideas from LIFE'S Too SHORT to Fold FITTED SHEETS by Lisa Quinn

Is your house beginning to look like a Where's Waldo book?

• Choose quality over quantity.
• Keep sorting, eliminating, dumping and organizing.
• As you see results, you will be motivated to keep going.
• Traditional toy boxes are black holes.  The smaller toys settle at the bottom. Get the kids a few bins and sort by categories.
• Kitchens are notorious for having redundant appliances, gadgets and food items.  Unless you are Wolfgang Puck, there is no reason to have three food processors and eight spatulas.
• Are you hoarding items that you may need one day?
• Do certain items have sentimental value but you don't want them out in plain view?  Take photos for memory's sake.
• Place two large bins, baskets or bags in your home.  Label the containers "Throw Out" and "Give Away"  Take five minutes a day to find items you no longer need.  When containers are full, throw out or put in your car.
• Paid too much for something?  Embarrassed to admit you made a costly mistake?  Keeping that item is another mistake.  Get over it.

From  "LIFE'S TOO SHORT TO FOLD FITTED SHEETS" *

 "Tricks to Create the life you want without all the hard labor ~ and without compromising your style!"

• Facial tissues with lotion make awesome dust cloths.
• White vinegar will clean almost anything in a pinch.  Mix it with water, and keep it in a spray bottle under your sink.
• Replace all of your abrasive, powdered cleaners with baking soda.  Works great on sinks, tile and grout.
• Most deodorizers contain harmful chemicals.  Freshen up a room by putting a few drops of essential oil on a burning light bulb.
• Aluminum foil will remove dirty buildup on the face of your iron.  Simply lay out a piece of foil, and iron it.  Sharpen your scissors by cutting through six to eight layers of saved scraps of foil; your scissors will be like new.
• Shop with intent, not impulse. It is so easy to get carried away.  Things end up gathering dust and getting in the way.  Less stuff = a happier life.
• The media bombards us with images...
• "Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated." ~ Confucius

* Lisa Quinn, Chronicle Books, 2010

The Avro Arrow

The story of the great Canadian Cold War Combat Jet in Pictures and Documents by Lawrence Miller.

Lawrence's 2011 book, THE AVRO ARROW A PICTURE HISTORY / DRAMATIC IMAGES sold out -- it is out of print.

On order now -- and with our fingers crossed, -- Lawrence's 2014 book, The Avro Arrow.  We hope to make it available at The Neat Little Bookshop. Soft cover $19.95 no tax

~ Canadian Publisher, James Lorimer & Company Ltd.

 

25 1/2  x 20 cm, 111 pages

Update:  Available now in The Neat L'l Bookshop $19.95

In the early 1900s, children were given CHATTERBOX books.  "The acknowledged king of all Juvenile Books published in the English language.  The publishers wish again to emphasize the fact that 'Chatterbox' is not made up of 'rehashed' or old material, but that the stories and illustrations are especially written for the volume, and the aim is to get the best regardless of cost."

Contents include:  "The Bathing Machine,"  "The Muff," "A Christmas Night Adventure," "Grandpapa," "Great-Aunt Anthea's Money" and "The Sweet-Pea Hedge."

~ CHATTERBOX for 1920 Founded by J. Erskine Clarke, M.A.  The Page Company Boston, U.S.A.

Thought for Today ~

"When you've grown up, my dears, and are as old as I,
you'll often ponder on the years that roll so swiftly by, my dears,
that roll so swiftly by.
And of the many lands you have journeyed through,
you'll oft recall the best of all, the land your childhood knew,
Toy land!  Toyland!  Little girl and boy land!
While you dwell within it, you are ever happy then. 
Childhood's toyland,
mystic, merry toyland!
Once you pass its borders, you can ne'er return again.
You can ne'er return again."

~ TOYLAND, words by Glen MacDonough*.  Music by Victor Herbert.
*American lyricist, writer (1870 - 1924)

Smile for Today ~

"Engineering for boys of all ages..."

Christmas Morning has Changed since those days ~ The box says, "Made in England.  You can build HUNDREDS of fine models with this outfit."  George may not have one hundred but we know that he has more than one. Thank you for bringing this fine working model into the bookshop.  Click on the photo and look at those gears!