Wedding Anniversary

Badger's having a snooze snuggled up to Mom while she watches a Christmas show

The little pillow with star and snowman are made from wool and was a gift
The teddy bear quilt was given to me one Christmas (1996 maybe) by Randy

Homer Kitty surveying his kingdom

Today's our 13th anniversary. The best 13 years of my life. I had to look high and low to find my best buddy, but search I did, I 'perservered', and as they say "to the victor go the spoils". LOL

I've been in my 'stewdio' almost all afternoon with a backhoe shoveling off the cutting table. I'm happy to report that job has been accomplished (picture to follow of CLEAN table later LOL). I've decided it's such a job that I shall break it down into segments. Next up is my big board ironing board which catches the overflow from the cutting table, and you have to shove stuff aside on it to actually use it for ironing. *laughing* THEN I will remove all and sundry from around my sewing machine so I could actually sit down and sew with ease--in other words, without trying to catch something that I'm knocking off the table from beside, back of, wherever, as the fabric feeds under the pressure foot. ROFL It's actually gotten as bad as this is portrayed, so here I am being brutally honest, folks!! :) I've 'kitted up' (to borrow a fellow blogger's idea) my WIPs which include Autumn leaves, country scrappy pattern I've been playing with for several months from one of the zillion quilt magazines that now litter the floor like confetti, snowmen, angels, a Little Quilts project from back in the Summer...I'm sure there are more but I don't want all of you thinking that I NEVER start and finish a complete project. ROFL

I'm going to finish up a bit of handwork while I watch the VA Tech bowl game that has just started. ;p I'll be back tomorrow with New Year's Eve wishes.

Christmas Pictures

Christmas Pictures: Handmade gift from neighbors, Sug on Christmas Eve, pottery from Santa

I've spent the last two days trying to catch up on laundry and getting some of the dust up from the floors. I MUST get the small guest bedroom (Christmas box repository LOL) cleaned out. We may have our daughter and her boyfriend overnight on our anniversary, which is the 30th. I'm not EVEN going to attempt to dig out my sewing "stewdio" (and it's a real stew right now!!) until after New Year's Eve. Maybe I will start that room ON New Year's Eve so I will have a semi-clean slate in there to start working on a Christmas quilt for moi (Tree Angel). I'm really really itching to sew. Linda J had linked to some redwork snowmen patterns that I printed off last night and thought I might work on...I think I could actually get to my muslin *G*. They would be a great handwork project for night time, and I may have to copy her (hey Linda, I hope you don't mind) and use blue floss for them. :)

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here today. You would never guess that it's December 28th. I think the high is going to be somewhere around 60. Now that Christmas Day is another memory for the scrapbook, I would just as soon the weather stay like this now. I took the "boys" out for a short romp yesterday afternoon since it was also a really pretty day, and I have plans to go for a short walk with them again this afternoon. All three of us are moving a bit gingerly today LOL. Guess that's a good indication that we need to get off our butts and start moving again. :D

We will probably have a nice quiet New Year's Eve. Randy usually rings it in by snoring to the tune of Auld Lang Syne (glad he doesn't read this LOL), and I usually am propped up in bed reading waiting for the ball to drop. We both did more than our share of partying in days past, and I'm so thankful that we are both most content right here to usher in the new year. *S*

I have one more load of laundry, and I am going to bake some of the sugar cookies that are mixed up but never made it to the oven. Catch ya'll later. :D

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with my sister, BIL, and nephew. Sug cooked the turkey, ham, green beans, baked mixed potatoes, Skoby's corn (yummm), pumpkin pie......what did I leave out, Sug? and brought it all to my house. How's that for being taken care of? LOL Even had some neighbors stop by for a short visit.

Christmas morning is always a hoot with the wienie dogs...if you don't have kids in your house for Christmas morning, then you should have a dog...mine LOVE their stockings. They were moving around so fast that the picture is a bit blurred. LOL Badger (blue collar) is always so excited over his new Santa toy, and Dewey (red collar) always goes for the treats first. Then Badger will walk around for days with his new toy in his mouth. He looks soooo funny when you glance up and see this short-legged little dog walking around with a toy hanging out of his mouth. ROFL

Then we headed out to Randy's niece's house for Christmas with his family. Pit stop at my sister's to pick up a last-minute Home Depot pickup for us LOL, and back home by dark o-clock. And I was whipped.

Today has been veeerrry quiet. I have a lot of cleaning up to do, but that will keep until tomorrow, and will be done in stages. :) Hope everyone had a wonderful day full of all of the good things in life. ;D

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Merry, merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas day crammed full love and peace and everything that is good! Angie, Randy, Dewey, Badger and Homer Kitty too :)

Happy Holidays!

"Happy Holidays, Happy Holidays, may your every wish come true..."

Christmas Memories

Stockings were hung by the chimney with care...and Badger Baby wasn't budging from there!! LOL We thought he was "down in his back" again because for several days he's laid right in front of the stove...or so we thought. We finally deduced last night that he was actually lying in wait for that stocking of his. ROFL So today the stockings had to go to another room until it's time for Santa to come and fill them up.


These two little doll ornaments are my earliest memories of our Christmas tree when I was little. I can remember looking and looking at our tree until I could find these two ornaments. So, after my Mom died, and my other sisters went through her things, they gave these to me. They are priceless to me.
This angel was a rather expensive piece that I treated myself to one year. She just has the sweetest face, and has a place of honor near the top of my tree.

I got my car back today. Had to have wheel bearings put in. So, on the way home I ran by Wally World and did my Santa shopping, and got in the groceries. And the rest of that story is -- if it's not here now, we're doing without---LOL

I'm going to spend tomorrow doing some baking, and I'm going to work on a few hand-made ornaments that some blogger friends have shared patterns for. I do hope it will be a grey day, since it's supposed to be 60 here, which definitely does not feel like Christmas to me!! At least if it's cloudy and/or raining I can pretend the snow is on the way! :p I know, I know, Sug, you love it warm---but that's why you're usually further South this time of year! LOL Me, I wouldn't mind a bit of what Colorado has--oh, not quite as extreme as it is out there right now, but a bit of it would be just perfect!

Now, I'm heading over to Finn's for a cup of Christmas tea with her. Finn, put that tea cozy on the pot cause it will take me a few minutes to get there, but I'm on my way!

Mantel and Christmas Tree

We had a wonderful visit with my brother, Den, and my sister(-in-law), Vickie. And of course, Den did an excellent job with the mantel. We LOVE it!! We actually didn't realize how 'unfinished' the fireplace looked until Den got it mounted for us. Of course, I put a couple of Santas up there right away, and Den made an adjustment on one of my oil lamps for me, and then I put a pair of them up. Now I'm going to get my stockings and hang them, and then I'll take another picture. :D

I had made a couple of loaves of sourdough bread, a big pot of beef stew, and of course fudge in anticipation of their visit. I also mixed up a batch of gingersnap cookies, which are Randy's favorites. :) We ate lots LOL and watched the movie, "A Christmas Story" on TV on Friday night. Yesterday, we put the finish on the mantel and got it up, then headed out for a 'walk about'. We discovered mistletoe in a couple of trees here at the house, and had to go check it out. :D I haven't seen mistletoe growing in the "wild" since I was little, so I was really excited about it. We decided to just leave it as it is and admire it in it's natural habitat. :)

The Santa on the bench was made by my friend, Evonne. It's one of my favorite things to get out for Christmas, along with the two elf dolls, one of which is a wind-up and her head moves which Glorie gave me a couple of years ago, and the one standing that she gave me this year. I LOVE elves. I have quite a few that I get out each year, but this year I really haven't gotten that many of my decorations out. Just haven't had the energy for it, although I've certainly had the enthusiasm! I'm ALWAYS one big kid at Christmas. LOL

The last picture in the bunch is my brother, Denson, and my sister (IL), Vickie.

Wishing I Hadn't Switched :(

I'm seriously wishing I hadn't switched to Beta blogger. Every time I try to sign in I have to go and recover my password which means changing the password -- every time. :( At least, this is what has been happening with me each day. So, I'm not very happy right now with how Beta works.

Yesterday I thought I might have been finished with Christmas for this year...as in NO Christmas tree lights!!! Panic attack!! The tree lights are my favorite thing at this time of year. What would it be like to have a tree all trimmed but no lights burning on it! :0 Started unplugging and replugging and got them back on. I have no idea what they all went out in the first place!! I can tell you it gave me a new appreciation for my tree lights!!! LOL

I have to get a batch of fudge made today so I can give it to my brother for his Christmas gift. :) If he's willing to bring my mantel and put it up for me the least I can do is make him some old-fashioned fudge, right? :) And I whipped up a little gift for my SIL yesterday which I'll share a picture of some time next week. So in spite of this danged fatigue that just won't quit I'm still getting a bit of Christmas "made". :) I've taken a picture of my tree which I'll post later.

Beta Blogger Question

Do I have to "sign in" every time I want to create a new post? And do I have to "sign in" first before it will recognize me when I'm leaving comments on others' blogs? So far the biggest problem I've had is with it remembering my password and also that it doesn't want to let me leave comments for others. So to all of my blogging friends out there, I've been by, I've tried leaving comments, but so far it won't let me. So I just wanted to let you know that I'm still reading even if I can't comment.

Christmas Time's Acomin'

I just switched over to Beta Blogger....have I made a major mistake here?

I made this little wallhanging last year, and I must say it's one of my favorites. I'm slowly getting my tree "dressed" for the Holidays, and should have that finished tomorrow. :D I'm also working on a couple of little Christmas gifts so I can't post those until that Jolly Man in the Bright Red Suit has made his midnite visit, then we can share those. LOL

My brother made me a fireplace mantle and is bringing it to put up for me this weekend. I'm sooo excited about it! Santa will find stockings hung by the chimney with care for sure this year! Do hope he brings stuff to put in them. LOL All of these blogger friends of mine that have those counters shouting at me that there are "x" number of days until Christmas are making me nervous!!! ROFL I could have sworn I had at least another month to get it all together for Christmas....so how can it be only 2 weeks and counting??? LOL Gotta get off of here and go get on with the Holiday preparations.

Working on Christmas

Glorie sewing on her tablerunner I just read on someone's blog that they think of a million things to post about, and then when you sit down in front of the computer to compose, those thoughts have flown the coop (at least for me anyway) LOL and you wonder what to say. :) I have made six loaves of banana bread this morning, put boneless pork ribs in the crockpot for barbeque for dinner tonight, and hung 4 ornaments on the tree. LOL Wouldn't you say that I'm off to a roaring start today. :D Of course, yesterday I accomplished NOTHING, zilch, nada, and went to bed last night really mad at myself for wasting the day. All I can say is that I have those days now, and according to the dr., it's due to the thyroid and beta blocker for the heart. I saw the endocrinologist this week; the mass has not shrunk any, the thyroid blood levels are still high, and he increased the beta blocker. I go back the second week of January, and if things are still the same then, he says we will have to decide what the next course will be. Since my heart is still stuttering and stammering even with the medication, I'm thinking surgery is still out of the question for a while longer. So, we shall see. Now a bit about last weekend's quilt retreat with Glorie. :D First of all, I whipped up these little curtains from a border print that Glorie brought with her. :) Aren't they cute?? Well, "whipped up" would be an exaggeration cause I can NEVER whip anything up---that implies that you know what you're doing and that you don't have to figure out how to fix it when you cut it too short ROFL. You see, I've never made even the most basic, simple little curtains before. Rabbit Stitchings I'm not!!! I do wish I could convince that girl to come up here and make curtains for my house. LOL Glorie got most of a tablerunner done while she was here, and she made the snowman door hanger. She decided not to stuff her's, just leave it flat, and I really like hers better than the one that I did and stuffed. I'm hoping to get another couple of those made for little gifts for Christmas, and I think I'll leave the stuffing out of them. I got started cutting blue strips for Libby's Tree Angel. It doesn't sound like we accomplished a lot last weekend, but you have to understand that we have to spend the first day on show and tell, and catch up on all of the family doings. Then on Saturday, we started figuring out what we wanted to work on, then snuggled in by the fire with projects and Christmas movies to watch. Of course, we had to do quite a bit of eating in there too, LOL, and of course we had to take time out to cry with the movies. ROFL This is probably the first time ever that we've gotten together and DID NOT GO OUT!! We usually take one of those precious days to go check out fabric at Ben Franklin, etc., but we stayed in ALL WEEKEND! We both had a wonderful time, and Glorie went home feeling rested. It was a perfect weekend, and a wonderful Christmas gift to myself. :D Now, I'm going to go put a few more ornaments on the tree. If I don't hurry up with the decorating, it will be time to take it down!!! :0 And I would really, really like to get into my sewing room sometime today. I haven't been in there since Glorie left last weekend. I'm running out of time if I want to make anything to give as gifts. :) Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.

I'm so sorry that I've left everyone hanging all week long with no post on my fun, fun, fun (and quite relaxing for the two of us!!) weekend with Glorie! *Fretfully rubbing my brow* :0 I've had two days this week (today being one of them) that I was gone ALL DAY for drs. appts. and the other days I had to work sooooo...I'm only letting you know tonight that I didn't drop off of the face of the earth LOL. And to promise once again that I AM going to do a post to tell you all about our weekend and post a picture or two. But I'm just too beat tonight to do it. I haven't even transferred my photos from the camera to the computer yet. Hopefully tomorrow I can get that done. My tree is up and has the lights on it, but that's all so far as tree decorations are concerned. I have a couple of Santas out, and a wreath on my door. I'm most definitely behind on my decorating. And yet I feel as if "I'm dancing as fast as I can". :) Of course, some of this tiredness/anxiety goes along with this dratted thyroid mess. But it does make getting my act together a bit more difficult. :D It's 17 deg (wind chill 9) right now. Man, that is COLD! I can't help thinking about the homeless and those less fortunate than we are, and even more so when it's so life-threateningly cold outside. We have a roaring fire in the stove and are huddled close to it...and I wish I could share it with all of those "out there" that have none. So I'm sending up a prayer tonight for all of those people to be able to find some shelter and warmth.