Welcome to Debbie's Domain

I love all of the holidays, but Christmas is my favorite. It makes me sad that so many people forget that it's a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Some will argue that it isn't even His real birthday. That's true. Nobody knows when Jesus was born. Some believe it was in the spring or summer. That could be true. Many argue that our beloved Christmas traditions are of pagan origin. That's also true. The newly converted Christians didn't want to give up their colorful and festive holiday traditions. The church was wise enough to to see the problem and offer a solution. They started a new holiday close to the old, to honor the birth of Jesus, as told in the books of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament of the Bible. They gave new meanings to old symbols and customs. They named it Christs Mass. The people embraced the new holiday and many of us celebrate it still today. Many people want to reduce it back to a pagan holiday. They have ...

Hi! I'm back. Had some computer problems for awhile. I've been busy lately with new projects and new hobbies. I've been making jewelry. I get most of my ideas off Pintrest, but of course, none of them look exactly the same. My daughter works at an animal shelter. She asked me to try my hand at making some animal jewelry. I made a horse's head and behind from copper wire. Then I needed a chain to put it on.I decided to make it using recycled materials. I used a strip of cloth and some old pony beads that I had salvaged from something else. Here are the results; I also made a cat from copper wire, then added a pretty red bow. I did some more recycling for the chain. I took a strip of red cloth and wove it through some pop tabs. This is how it turned out; I'm working on a few more and will let you see how they turn out after they are completed.

Halloween is a delightful holiday for children, widely celebrated in the United States. Children dress up in colorful costumes, and go door to door chanting "trick or treat", and are usually rewarded with candy. Homes are decorated with pumpkin jack-o-lanterns, witches, skeletons, and ghosts. Nobody really knows exactly how Halloween and it's various traditions began. Some people believe that Druids from Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales used October 31st as a night to honor their gods and make sacrifices. It is a common belief that human sacrifices were made, as well as crops, and animals. The Celts of that time period did not write, so they left behind no records of their beliefs or activities. Most information about the Druids, Celts, and their traditions came from their enemies, the Romans. The Romans also wrote that Christians sacrificed their own babies. They don't seem to be a very reliable source. The Celts of England, Ireland, and northern Franc...

School has started and Labor Day is past. Time to get ready for the holidays. You don't want them to sneak up on you. It's time to prepare, so you'll be ready. Fall festivals and street fairs are starting everywhere. Most of them are free. I don't know about all of them, but many have contests you and your children can enter. There are contests for canned foods, baked goods, homegrown fruits and vegetables, needlework, art, costumes, just to name a few. S is entering a pet parade with her german shepherd pup as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. A plans to enter it with his grown german shepherd as Batman and Robin. M plans to enter her zucchini, and maybe a loaf of zucchini bread. If that is not your cup of tea, some people will be entering horse pulls, tractor pulls, or demolition derbys. Some places even have kiddie tractor pulls. Some of these may be free to watch, but some may charge a fee. To keep down costs if you have children, make sure to pack...

Indoor Thanksgiving decorating ideas are as easy as a walk in the country. In Autumn, the red sumac berries and the orange and yellow bittersweet berries are bright and beautiful. They can be cut and put in a vase alone or in combination with some twigs of brightly colored leaves. The berries also look nice in wreaths. Another easy decoration I like to use is an arrangement of dried grasses and different kinds of dried weeds that often can be found out along a country road, while you are out hunting for your berries. Cut them fairly long and you can trim them later when you arrange them in a vase. They, of course, need no water. They can also be used for making wreaths. While you are out hunting, be sure to look for some grape vines. You will want them to be as thin and long as possible. Take them home and soak them in some water overnight to make it easier to shape. Then you just start weaving it around in the approximate size you want it to be. Tuck the ends in, an...

There are all kinds of instructions on ways to preserve a jack-o-lantern and make it last longer. Some work, some don't, some work better than others, and some are just too much trouble. If you want the jack-o-lantern to last around 2 weeks, untreated, keep it out of direct sunlight. Bring it inside when not in use, as it should not be too hot or too cold. You can put a wet towel in it, wrap it in plastic, and store it in the fridge if you want. If it starts to dry out you can also soak it in the sink a few hours. There is a product named 'Pumpkin Fresh' that you can buy at the store that will also preserve your jack-o-lantern for about 2 weeks. Keep it out of the weather, and spray it inside and out everyday. To make it last even longer, put it in the freezer for about 2 hours after spraying. Store it in a cool, dry place. Another way is to carve your pumpkin, then let it soak for 8 hours in bleach water. Use one teaspoon of bleach for every gallon of water. Spray i...

Some people don't believe in celebrating Halloween. It is often hard for children when all of their friends are getting so excited about it. There is no reason for them to miss out on all the fun. You can have a Happy Autumn or Happy Harvest celebration instead. Decorating is easy. Just stick to the basics. Uncut pumpkins, gourds, squash, hay bales, corn stalks, Indian corn, mums, colored leaves and scarecrows all make good decorations. Window clings with leaves, acorns, and scarecrows are sold in many places. Children can make a lot of their own decorations with construction paper or felt material. To make decorations water proof, cover with Contact adhesive plastic. Another perk to these decorations is that they will fit right in with Thanksgiving. There are a lt of fun places to go and things to do with the kids. Many places offer corn mazes, the apple or pumpkin farm, and hayrides. Some towns and schools have fall festivals. You can also make your own fun....