Keeping Busy

I don't know what got into me this morning but I started about ten projects. These are two I more or less finished... I bought a special punch at JoAnn's Fabrics with some of my gift cards to make the above gift tags. I am pretty happy with them. They didn't take me all day though!

I also worked pretty extensively on my December 2010 journal. Its almost finished. It is always a bigger job than it was meant to be. But, I have all our Christmas memories in that one book, and this year we really enjoyed looking back at last years' book.

.....

I also pre-washed a bunch of Christmas fabric for grandchildren quilts, and best of all came up with a great idea of how to use them! (that is half the battle!).

.....

I read about half a book. I tried not to, I tried to keep away, but it was way too interesting.

We had a quiet stay at home day. Phil's getting better, but still not really feeling like doing anything much. Walker's always happy to be left to his own devices.

.....

I cooked something yummy for dinner. No photos, but just imagine: I put three pieces of tri-tip steaks in the crock pot; Covered it with a jar of Trader Joe's green Thai curry sauce. Let it cook until the meat was so tender. Served over jasmine rice with steamed carrots on the side. Yum yum, no leftovers, not a drop! (and easy!).

.....

I was looking for frozen vegetables in the outside freezer and had no luck, but I found an unopened carton of peanut butter cup ice cream! score! I better get to the store tomorrow. I hear we might have a snowstorm on Wednesday and I want to be prepared.

.....

Baby Girls and Baby Boys

Ok, I'm about 24 years old here - with my own baby girl (about 3 years old) and baby boy (2 months?). My dad just sent this to me, he always has some funny old photo to dig out and make me laugh! Those glasses are back in style now aren't they? So, what goes around comes around, and now that baby girl is expecting a baby girl in April ... Grandma has gone shopping for flannel to make some receiving blankets!

Pink enough for you?

And baby boy ...

... is expecting a baby boy in May!

Lucky grandma gets one of each in 2011. This is going to be a busy and exciting year for us.

Coffee keeps me going...

I am getting so spoiled. Yesterday I got up, and I didn't smell the coffee! That was so weird! I stumbled around and found hubby curled up on the family room couch, not feeling well. Poor guy! But, he is the one who always makes the coffee! I had to make it myself. I used to make the coffee all the time but I'm out of practice! I made it, but it was way too strong (not enough water!) and it seemed like it took 45 minutes to completely brew! Argh! Get well soon Phil! Both my guys have been under the weather. They are just drifting through this week like a couple of beetles in a pool of molasses. I'm hoping tomorrow we can all go to a movie and out for Thai food. If not tomorrow, maybe Saturday.

just for today...

I swiped this from My Abundant Life. I think it is beautiful. I hope you enjoy it too.

Just for today...
Mend a quarrel. Search out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Share some treasure. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Keep a promise. Find the time. Fore go a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Listen. Apologize if you were wrong. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Appreciate. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh.

Celebrate Christmas all year!

I picked up missy T after school today, and we headed over to my mom and dad's. Mom had offered me some of her Christmas fabric, to make quilts for her great-grandchildren. T and I had such a fun time sorting through this - better than any fabric store! It gave T many ideas of things she wanted to make!

I think I am going to turn her into a sewer of gifts!

I really liked this one, all silvery and sparkly and music-ly.

I thought this might make a great Christmas Stocking for a new family member or two coming before next Christmas!

I have to start now, or I'll never have anything made for next Christmas! Don't tell, but as soon as W goes back to school, I am going to turn his room into my sewing center!

Recap Carnival!

Happy New Year!

(one more time) My daughter and granddaughter have posted "Recap Carnivals" in their blogs,

which is the first sentence of the first post of each month of the past year.

Here is my version:

RE-CAP OF 2010

January: Do you know what a "blue Moon" is? That is a month that has two full moons .. very rare, so that is where the saying comes from "Once in a Blue Moon' meaning, "not very often".
...
February: Groundhog Day: Camouflage cat! Look how she blends with our living room carpet. She loves to hide there - its one of our favorite color combinations too, that black and gold and coppery color.
...

March: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I was cruising the Internet for some other idea, when I ran across this idea from a Martha Stewart site. I have corralled my earrings on buttons and put them in my jewelry box this way.
...
April: Happy April. We had a stormy day here, but not as bad as predicted.
...
May: A trip to another planet. "The Camera Show" has always been a family mystery to me. For the last thirty years my dad would load up his largest vehicle with boxes of cameras and snag one of the grandchildren for a helper and head off to the camera show.
...
June: A butterfly, Latin, and radishes. A happy day when I receive something via snail mail from my granddaughter. T made this card for me, as a thank you for a 99 year old Irish postcard I sent to her!
...
August: I didn't take any pictures today. But I had this in my archives. I think these brunettes are having a wonderful day in the sun!
...
September: What did we do before cell phones? Talking to W has been a favorite activity most nights.
...
October: Things "Fall-ish". I haven't posted anything for a couple of days - just nothing photo-worthy. I've gotten a second wind though and hope to make up for it today.
...
November: Transition: We actually ran out of candy for our trick 'r treaters last night. We had to turn off the lights and hide out in the family room watching tv with the curtains all closed.

...
December: Sing we Clear! I performed with this choir tonight. It was really fun and uplifting!
...

It may not seem earth-shaking. But, it was fun to look back over the year and see what I have felt was worth blogging about. I think it was a very good year for me. I have taken thousands of pictures, many hikes, attended many family events and cooked lots of vegetables!

Happy New Year!

We spent New Year's Eve eating (Tandoori Chicken), playing (scrabble), watching (old John Wayne movie, Inception)...Kind of a typical evening. This morning was frigid! Look at the pretty patterns on my car window. oops, you can see I'm outside in my pink fuzzy bathrobe!

And the Mughos were frosty too.

Undecorating the tree today. Not my favorite activity, but I got into it. This is one of the ornaments Walker and I made a few years ago. We made a dough out of cinnamon and applesauce, cut out the bird shapes, and then sprinkled with glitter and beads. I love them! We have about 8 of them still.

I found the directions in a Martha Stewart magazine article.

And, a new tradition? We had a turkey dinner today, to make up for the Thanksgiving Dinner we didn't have with Walker this year. Our turkey was great. Its nice to cook when its just us. I kept it simple and everything was hot and delicious!

See the kitty waiting for her share? She has her back to me and is staring at where her plate should be! (It's on the counter, cooling down for her). She is definitely paying attention to what I am doing though.