Our household has always been big on handmade gifts. This year I have been busy in the kitchen and the studio creating a number of home crafted items…salted caramel sauce, loaves of cranberry bread and Christmas stollen, several pairs of knitted socks, and an assortment of salves, facial creams, and lip balms.Some members of the family like to wait until the last few days before Christmas before beginning their gift projects. Our son, Noah, is one of these people. He makes up for his ‘wait until the last minute’ approach however with his talent in woodworking. He pulled down some of the beautiful walnut boards we have been storing in the barn loft to make some pretty sharp looking cutting boards. They are beautiful! I am so glad this tradition of making gifts has been passed forward. Pleased that something offered to a friend or loved one does not require a day of shopping. A gift from the heart, time spent with others, laughter, and love, ….these are the things we cherish and pause for.
Happy Holidays everyone, hope they are filled with wonder and delight!
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas”. Calvin Coolidge
Fernwood Nursery & Gardens 
I am so 100% with you on this! I love hearing about what you make and think it’s wonderful that you instilled the same values in your offspring! Happy, happy, merry!
Teaching the kids early on that Christmas was not about the abundance of material things under the tree. it was about gathering, about gratitude for having enough…always, and about sharing time and goodwill. I don’t think they ever missed the piles of gifts or hoopla that Christmas can sometimes represent. They have always been happy to open the doors of our home and share in the handmade…cookies, a pork roast, a pair of wool socks,…..and a finely crafted cutting board from homegrown trees!! Have a MERRY, DOUBLE MERRY, Christmas, Kerry!
It must make you very proud to look at that beautiful cutting board. I can’t imagine a nicer gift. 🙂 Happy Holidays to you, Denise, and may your gatherings with family and friends be merry. Happy gardening in 2017. 🙂
Happy Holidays to you as well, Judy! Love the exchange of these homemade goodies and I am pleased that my kids carry on the tradition.
Oooooh – what a beautiful cutting board! I too prefer to make or receive a handmade gift, they’re the best! Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year
to you and your family Denise!!
Happy Holidays to you, Paula. Loved watching the walnut that we carefully cut down, then milled,turn into this beautiful piece of work!
Sorry to have forgotten your name but I’ll introduce myself: I am Cyndi Cassidy who went to high school with your Mom and met you a couple of summers ago and you shared with me your lovely wool and knitted items. You and your husband are so talented in many ways.
I am with you as far as hand made gifts are the best and mean so much more.
The cutting board idea that Noah came up with is just one of those examples and I guess it doesn’t take as long as our knitted items.
I am always working months in advance.
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a very happy, prosperous 2017.
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Hello Cyndi,
Yes, I remember meeting you! Wonderful to hear from you. I do start knitting a month or so before Christmas, but have a couple of ‘quick knits’ ( 1 skein mohair mittens) that I can make in a day or two. Happy holidays to you and thank you for writing 1
My granddaughter made me a cutting board when she was in hi school shop class( boys had to take homemaking, girls had to take wood shop) She said ” hang on to this gram, it’s one of a kind. I’ll never touch a tool again” She’s a nurse now, using different tools.
I think in all the years I only remember one or two gifts but I treasure the family get together, gramps stories, traditions. Merry Christmas
What a great story, I hope you still have that cutting board! The gathering of family and friends is top on the list of what we love most about the holidays. And isn’t it fun to be creating a handmade project with some special person in mind? Happy holidays to you, Sue!
When I was a kid my grandmother taught me to embroider tea towels to give as gifts at Christmas. Money was short and these may have been strange gifts from a ten year old, but they seemed to be appreciated. Long long time ago.
I surely bet if you reclaimed your embroidery skills, many would cherish your handy work as a Christmas gift! Not strange at all. What a nice memory of your grandmother taking the time to teach you this skill….lovely!Happy Holidays to you!
At the time, I wasn’t so sure that I wanted any of my buddies to know about it. But now it’s something of a family joke…particularly the part when I embroidered the tea towel to my jeans.
Obviously, you taught your children well (and thoughtfully). A cutting board from your own tree is special to start with. Combine that with your son’s time and care … Very special. I hope your holidays are full of love Denise. Enjoy!
Thank you, Brenda. A Marry Holiday to you as well! It is nice to see the process through, from a giant black walnut that needed to come down,to a beautifully crafted cutting board made by one of the wood choppers…Noah! Enjoy the winter, stay warm, and thank you so much for following along here at Fernwood!
Just catching up on past posts!! (never enough time…) The cutting board is beautiful, I LOVE walnut!! ~Do you a favorite facial cream recipe? I’ve been scanning thru Pintrest trying to find one that sounds just right… like the Porridge in Goldilocks…. :)))))
Spectacular cutting board and big cheers to you and hubs for passing on such values.
Great job on the cutting board Thanks for sharing