The next day I noticed through out the whole day my granddaughter was being pretty quite. She is a natural born talker so it's not like her to be so quite for that long. After we had all ate dinner and were still sitting around the table I asked her what was bothering her. She said this Christmas would be Maci's first and she didn't have any thing to give her for Christmas. Every one got real quite then. I thought for a minute and then remembered all the craft stuff I had packed away and all my books on crafts. I told her not to worry that every one would be getting something for Christmas. I then went and got all my craft books and set them on the table. I told everyone to look through the books when they had time and pick out something they wanted to make for some one. Once they decided what they wanted to make let me know and chances were good I had everything to make what ever they picked out.
I had thought about everyone drawing names but figured that might now work with some of them as they would want to make more than one gift and I was right. The next day John and Dave caught me alone and said that since they could not get out to work with the tools like they use to none of the crafts in the book would help them with their gifts so I asked them what they had in mind. They came up with the idea of making bows and arrows for the guys but they would need some one to get the wood for them and to make sure they got extra since they were going to have to figure out how to make them. I asked if instructions with pictures would help and they popped up and said "Heck yes that would help". I went and pulled out my binder of How To's and opened it to the homemade weapons section. In it I had instructions for making several different kinds of bow and arrow set, swords, knives and more. They picked the one they wanted to use but said they needed hickory wood, remembering that my neighbor had a hickory tree in his yard I told them I would see what I could do.
Later that day I got lucky and saw my neighbor out in his yard. I went out and asked to talk to him for a minute and he agreed. I told him that John and Dave want to make the guys bows and arrows for hunting but they needed hickory wood and I was wondering if he would let the guys cut 3 thin branches to make them. He agreed on the condition that they also make a set for each of his two sons. I went back and told John and Dave what he said and they agreed so I had the three younger guys get the saw and the big ladder out of the garage and we went over to my neighbor's. I knocked on the door and he answered. I told him that we had a deal so he came out with us and helped the guys pick out the branches we needed. The guys had no idea why they were cutting the branches off the tree but they had learned there was always a method to my madness and even if I did not tell them why I needed something that it always benefitted all of us in the end.
I had to guys place the hickory branches on the front porch and later after Steve and Mike took their nap before taking guard duty I brought the brances in and hid them under the couch so John and Dave could work on them when the guys were busy with out door chores.
Mike came to me the next day and said he had an idea of something that he wanted to make for everyone and asked if I would help him. I told him yes. He had tanned the both of the deer hides and now he wanted to use them to make moccasins for everyone and he wanted to know if I had the instructions for them. I told him no but I was sure we could figure it out. I told him to sneak around and trace everyone's shoe prints when he had time and I would make patterns using a crochet pattern I had of a crocheted moccasin. How he every managed it I have no idea but he came up with a tracing of everyones shoes and even a tracing of my great granddaugters foot. I made the patterns from butcher paper I had, showed him how to cut a pair out and sew them together. He also wanted to know if I had any beads that he could use to decorate them. I got him out all my seed beads and pony beads, my nylon sewing thread and let him do things his way.
Nikki wanted to make Maci a doll or a stuffed animal so I got out the pattern I had for making a cloth dinosaur and everything she needed to make one. I showed her how to pin the pattern on the material and then cut it out, showed her how to use small stiches to sew it together and how to embrodier eyes, nose and toe nails on it. My sil had pick out a doll in the craft book to make for Amy so I got her everything she needed.
My daughter does not like to sew. She never has. I got out all my jewerly supplies and told her she could make stuff with that if she wanted. I had JR set up a folding table for her in their bedroom and she could make her gifts in there were no one could see them. JR was going use the patterns I had for making a wooden train set and some wooden cars for Kyle. I had plenty of scrap hardwood pieces out in the garage so he had what he needed to work with.
Every one had a craft that they were making for some one except for Steve. I asked him if he had any idea what he wanted to make and he told me yes but I didn't have what he neede to make them and he did not want to talk to me about them because one of them was for me. I suggested he talk to Mike and maybe between the two of them they would come up with a way for him to make them. A couple of days later Steve and Mike said they needed to make a supply run and they would be back in a few hours. When they came back after about 4 hours they had a small load of pieces of wood and some pylwood and a bag full stuff that they would not let anyone see. They spent the next three days out in the garage working. We had no idea what they were doing but we heard the saw run a few times and heard the drill going and the hammer pounding. What ever they were making only they and JR knew what it was since JR was out there making the train and cars for Kyle.
Everyone spent the days up till Christmas using every spare minute they had to make their gifts. I had a large supply of wrapping paper and tape so we didn't have to worry about how to wrap the gifts. The guys had went out and cut a Christmas tree since all I had was a very small and we all made decorations for it. We had clothspin angels made from clothes pins lace, glue and marker faces, crosses made from beads and thin wire, snowflakes made from computer paper popcorn ropes and ribbons. Everyone agreed it was the prettiest tree they ever had.
Christmas Eve day Tammy, Jen and I worked together to make cutout Christmas cookies and once we had them all made we took them into the house where I made a simple frosting to decorate them with. I had sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped peanuts and raisins that they used in decoration. Tammy, Nikki, Jen and my sil helped Kyle and Amy decorate the cookies while I worked on my last minute Christmas gifts now that the guys were not using the garage any more for their gifts.
After dinner I told everyone that we were not going to be holding guard duty because I felt we were safe for now. I had the guys start up the generator while I made a big pot of hot cocoa. We all sat down and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed then we watched "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye while we are Christmas cookies and drank hot chocolate. After the kids were asleep we all pulled out the gifts we made and placed them under the tree then we went to bed.
Even though none of us had any money to buy gifts and there was no place open to buy any if we did I had a feeling this was going to be one of the best Christmas any of us ever had because there was more meaning to it this year. We were surviving and what better gift can you get than that?
I had thought about everyone drawing names but figured that might now work with some of them as they would want to make more than one gift and I was right. The next day John and Dave caught me alone and said that since they could not get out to work with the tools like they use to none of the crafts in the book would help them with their gifts so I asked them what they had in mind. They came up with the idea of making bows and arrows for the guys but they would need some one to get the wood for them and to make sure they got extra since they were going to have to figure out how to make them. I asked if instructions with pictures would help and they popped up and said "Heck yes that would help". I went and pulled out my binder of How To's and opened it to the homemade weapons section. In it I had instructions for making several different kinds of bow and arrow set, swords, knives and more. They picked the one they wanted to use but said they needed hickory wood, remembering that my neighbor had a hickory tree in his yard I told them I would see what I could do.
Later that day I got lucky and saw my neighbor out in his yard. I went out and asked to talk to him for a minute and he agreed. I told him that John and Dave want to make the guys bows and arrows for hunting but they needed hickory wood and I was wondering if he would let the guys cut 3 thin branches to make them. He agreed on the condition that they also make a set for each of his two sons. I went back and told John and Dave what he said and they agreed so I had the three younger guys get the saw and the big ladder out of the garage and we went over to my neighbor's. I knocked on the door and he answered. I told him that we had a deal so he came out with us and helped the guys pick out the branches we needed. The guys had no idea why they were cutting the branches off the tree but they had learned there was always a method to my madness and even if I did not tell them why I needed something that it always benefitted all of us in the end.
I had to guys place the hickory branches on the front porch and later after Steve and Mike took their nap before taking guard duty I brought the brances in and hid them under the couch so John and Dave could work on them when the guys were busy with out door chores.
Mike came to me the next day and said he had an idea of something that he wanted to make for everyone and asked if I would help him. I told him yes. He had tanned the both of the deer hides and now he wanted to use them to make moccasins for everyone and he wanted to know if I had the instructions for them. I told him no but I was sure we could figure it out. I told him to sneak around and trace everyone's shoe prints when he had time and I would make patterns using a crochet pattern I had of a crocheted moccasin. How he every managed it I have no idea but he came up with a tracing of everyones shoes and even a tracing of my great granddaugters foot. I made the patterns from butcher paper I had, showed him how to cut a pair out and sew them together. He also wanted to know if I had any beads that he could use to decorate them. I got him out all my seed beads and pony beads, my nylon sewing thread and let him do things his way.
Nikki wanted to make Maci a doll or a stuffed animal so I got out the pattern I had for making a cloth dinosaur and everything she needed to make one. I showed her how to pin the pattern on the material and then cut it out, showed her how to use small stiches to sew it together and how to embrodier eyes, nose and toe nails on it. My sil had pick out a doll in the craft book to make for Amy so I got her everything she needed.
My daughter does not like to sew. She never has. I got out all my jewerly supplies and told her she could make stuff with that if she wanted. I had JR set up a folding table for her in their bedroom and she could make her gifts in there were no one could see them. JR was going use the patterns I had for making a wooden train set and some wooden cars for Kyle. I had plenty of scrap hardwood pieces out in the garage so he had what he needed to work with.
Every one had a craft that they were making for some one except for Steve. I asked him if he had any idea what he wanted to make and he told me yes but I didn't have what he neede to make them and he did not want to talk to me about them because one of them was for me. I suggested he talk to Mike and maybe between the two of them they would come up with a way for him to make them. A couple of days later Steve and Mike said they needed to make a supply run and they would be back in a few hours. When they came back after about 4 hours they had a small load of pieces of wood and some pylwood and a bag full stuff that they would not let anyone see. They spent the next three days out in the garage working. We had no idea what they were doing but we heard the saw run a few times and heard the drill going and the hammer pounding. What ever they were making only they and JR knew what it was since JR was out there making the train and cars for Kyle.
Everyone spent the days up till Christmas using every spare minute they had to make their gifts. I had a large supply of wrapping paper and tape so we didn't have to worry about how to wrap the gifts. The guys had went out and cut a Christmas tree since all I had was a very small and we all made decorations for it. We had clothspin angels made from clothes pins lace, glue and marker faces, crosses made from beads and thin wire, snowflakes made from computer paper popcorn ropes and ribbons. Everyone agreed it was the prettiest tree they ever had.
Christmas Eve day Tammy, Jen and I worked together to make cutout Christmas cookies and once we had them all made we took them into the house where I made a simple frosting to decorate them with. I had sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped peanuts and raisins that they used in decoration. Tammy, Nikki, Jen and my sil helped Kyle and Amy decorate the cookies while I worked on my last minute Christmas gifts now that the guys were not using the garage any more for their gifts.
After dinner I told everyone that we were not going to be holding guard duty because I felt we were safe for now. I had the guys start up the generator while I made a big pot of hot cocoa. We all sat down and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed then we watched "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye while we are Christmas cookies and drank hot chocolate. After the kids were asleep we all pulled out the gifts we made and placed them under the tree then we went to bed.
Even though none of us had any money to buy gifts and there was no place open to buy any if we did I had a feeling this was going to be one of the best Christmas any of us ever had because there was more meaning to it this year. We were surviving and what better gift can you get than that?