It was such a nice day today and we enjoyed seeing the sun, at least for a while, in moderate temperatures reaching 29 degrees F. I ran to town to mail out seed packets and do a little last minute Christmas food shopping. Our family will be getting together on Saturday to allow folks to celebrate Christmas at home, with family. On the way down the driveway, I saw a beautiful Great Gray Owl, sitting in a tree. We are so blessed to live where we do.

I loved seeing this Great Gray Owl on the way home, next to the driveway.

While I was gone, Will again hit the wood cutting, on the trailer load he brought home from the Wolf Pasture, of dry, smaller wood that doesn’t need splitting. (I make him carry his cell phone as when he’s cutting this small wood, on the trailer, he doesn’t put on his hard hat nor chaps.) That’s just in case something goes haywire. He does have steel toed boots, ear and eye protection though. Remember, although this isn’t considered “safe,” he’s been a professional logger for decades and can write his name with a chainsaw.

Will, working on another trailer load of dry, small wood.

Since I’ve been back, I’ve been decorating the cut-out Christmas cookies. They’re not as fancy as I’d like, but I’m running out of time. (Who cares if Santa’s eyes are crooked?) I was going to pipe decorative lines and different colors, but that didn’t happen. I’m still not done. Oh well, they’ll eat just as well. Tomorrow, on Christmas, Will and I will take a quiet day together. Yes, he’ll probably still cut some wood (in Northern Minnesota, you cut or split wood on every nice day you can, regardless of how much is in the woodshed!). I plan on baking some German Stollen, a sweet bread with candied fruit peels in it and some squash for pies on Friday. Yes, we’ll sure be eating some for supper. Hopi Pale Grey, for sure!

These are the Christmas cut-outs I made yesterday from the sour cream cookie recipe in my Pantry Cookbook (with a little more flour added to make the dough less sticky). I have a few more left to decorate.

In this time of uncertainty and divisiveness, I want to remind everyone to appreciate what you have. Yes, there will probably be gifts, large or small, homemade or designer brands, but it’s about love for each other and our many blessings. We, the homesteading family, look forward to spring, gardens, and working about our homesteads on jobs that are never done. Merry Christmas to each and every one of you! May your holiday be bright and filled with love. — Jackie

38 COMMENTS

  1. Hi Jackie. Wishing you and your lovely family a very Blessed 2026! I had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends this year. Feel so Blessed to have the love of so many, beautiful food, warmth and peace. Wishing all who enjoy this blog a very Happy and healthy New Year!

  4. Regards from far north California. Our town below us was flooded just before Christmas. Very unusual jet stream. So glad, though, that our reservoirs are filling, and glad we live on top a mountain!

    • Boy, I guess you are glad, with all that flooding! Filling the reservoirs is a good thing, though. Droughts are so hard. I hope you have a very wonderful New Year!!

  6. Merry Christmas to all! Yes, the greatest gift is just getting together…. being grateful for what we have, family, friends, all God’s blessings. We had a wonderful day at our son & wifes home with them and our daughter. Very foggy here in eastern NE, thankfully 40 degrees so no ice.
    Wishing all a Peaceful New Year!

    • I hope your Christmas was wonderful, being with your family!! They’re calling for an ice storm for our area, so not looking forward to that. Snow, I don’t mind, but I sure hate ice.

  7. We host Xmas Eve and the past few years, we see a movie on Xmas Day. The choices this year were ick plus all started after noon (and were like 2, 2+ hours long).
    It was a bit of a downer as another family member was lost to Alzheimer’s. Glad we can be there for her son as were/are other family members. It was not unexpected but sad just the same.
    And yes nice weather in the upper Midwest/North means making hay (or firewood as it may be). This morning required watching out for water covered ice. But normal winter will be back starting next Monday.

    • I’m happy your family could spend Christmas Eve together, even though you did have some sadness to share. I hope the New Year brings peace and joy to you and yours!

  8. Merry Christmas! We had all the family-26 and 2 of the girls boyfriends for Christmas dinner. Exhausting but fun. With the people and wood heat it was so warm we had to open windows. Enjoyable visit. We wish you a blessed holiday.

    • Thank you, Everett. It sounds like you sure had a full house! We’re busy getting ready for our Christmas get-together on Saturday. My daughter, Randie, who has several health issues she’s dealing with, is also coming and this time of the year, it can get cold. Will got busy and installed our old Empire LP heater that Mom and Dad used in the downstairs bedroom so she doesn’t freeze. It’ll also be nice for me when it gets real cold as that bedroom is the furthest from the wood stoves. Here’s hoping for a very blessed New Year.

  9. Merry Christmas to one and all. Also, may 2026 be a great year (hopefully better than 2025).

    Your cookies are beautiful. No baking here this year.

    Today, we planted garlic (80 degrees outside!) and also some seeds for greens of various types. Enjoyed the day playing in the dirt and basking in the sun. However, Monday, our high should be 47 (I know, many in the northern tier of states would love that).

    • Merry Christmas to you too! I used to candy my fruit peels but have been so busy lately, I haven’t had the time. I’ll bet such warm temperatures sure feel good!!

  12. Merry Christmas to you all! That.is a beautiful picture you took of the owl! I.too am happy to live where we can see eagles, owls, foxes, cyotes and the occasional black bear. But not skunks!!! I’m going to drink my coffee and browse.through your seed catalog. Have a wonderful. Holiday and 2026.

    • I hope your Christmas was wonderful and the New Year is even better. We love all the wildlife, from wolves to the chickadees and the woods they all live in around us.

  13. Merry Christmas! Oh, the memories those cookies bring to mind! My mother and I would make those same cookies and she would let me decorate them with colored sugar and jimmies. Then bake them. Fun times.

    • Merry Christmas Holly! Mom and I used to make cookies just like yours and you did. It always brings back memories when I’m doing them today. We weren’t rich by far but I sure have a lot of sweet memories to pull up.

  14. Merry Christmas! Those eyes on Santa look yummy! Loggers are a tough smart people! My dad was . You and Will enjoy the peace of Christmas Day. Love is the greatest gift.Thank you Jackie for always sharing your joy,thoughts, ideas and Recipes!from the rainy Pacific Northwest

  19. I used a different flour this year and apparently not enough because all of the cutouts have the same basic blob shape! LOL. Oh, well, they went into the family gift boxes anyway. Not even iced or decorated – they hold up better without frosting.

    Got my Seed Treasures catalog this week, a wonderful gift. Thank you.

    My family switched to off-day holidays a long time ago – blended families, extended families… It was easier and more enjoyable. No need to choose where to go and how to fit every visit in. Getting together is more important than the specific day.

    Enjoy your celebration!

    • Merry Christmas, April. We find it’s more peaceful to share holidays; we’re not going to argue and spread bad feelings by demanding our family get together on a specific day. Just being together is so very nice!
      Sorry about the cookies. Stuff happens like that to us all. At Thanksgiving, the brownies I made were like rocks. Oh well….

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