(ending the year)

I was over to Maggie Ann's this morning and she had such a nice picture of her tree....so I was prompted to post one....last....tree... pic before we dismantle it. I will miss sitting in the dark, looking at the little white lights....

It has been a little over a month that the blog has been up. There have been about 50 comments and according to my site meter, numerous other visitors. I just want to thank all of you who have stopped by to see what is happening in my corner of the world. You encourage me to continue. Thank you, Kim, Mizboo, Robyn, Maggie Ann, Lyn, Randi, Linda, Amy, Vicki, Rebecca, Rachel, Sparrow, JennyB, Peggy, Jackie, Homemakerang, me at flying pig, and crafty girls gal...

...and a special hollah to Miriam and Janet...two of my DD#1's circle of friends....I KNOW you're checkin' on me...makin' sure I'm behavin' myself. :o)

Enjoy your New Year's Eve. Be safe.

...later...

*~*~*~*

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

(review)

The questions included in this review of 2005 are from The Prattling Pastor's Wife.

When you compare this year to last:
1. Happier or sadder? Happier...rejoicing in all things.
2. Thinner or fatter? The same...
3. Richer or poorer? The same...
4. What do you wish you'd done more of? Studying and reading.
5. What do you wish you'd done LESS of? Hmmm...maybe eating cookies?? :o)
6. How did you spend Christmas? We spent it with our family here at home and with our "family" at church.
7. What did you do on your birthday? My son took me out for lunch at our favorite deli - The Upper Crust.
8. What was the best book read in '05? I read many, but none can ever surpass the Scriptures....so I'd have to say ...The Bible.
9. Personal fashion concept? Casual and dressy casual....does that make sense?
10. What kept you sane? Prayer and the knowledge that God is sovereign.
11. What new thing did you do in '05? Started this blog.
12. What valuable lesson was learned? Trust God and TRUTH matters.
13. Did anyone close to you give birth? My nephew and his wife had their first...a sweet baby girl, Ella June.
14. Did anyone close to you die? My neighbor and friend, Jean. What a special lady she was! If I had to use one word to describe her, it would be ...grace.
15. What was your biggest achievement? The big one for me this year was finishing the quilt that I had in the works for several months...and a scrapbook for DD#1 that chronicled her life from birth until now.
16. What were you REALLY excited about? Replacing the roof on the front of our house after living here for 20 years. No. more. leaks!!!
17. Best thing bought? A silver PT Cruiser!
18. What date from '05 is etched in your memory and why? I really can't think of a specific date, so I will have to say today. It is the only day we are assured of...the precious present. I need to ask myself every day.... What are you doing with the "present" that you've been given?
19. Special song lyrics? Ooooo, too hard to pick one.
20. Special scripture theme for '05?
II Peter 1:3-11 His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

So...what say YOU??

*~*~*~*~*

Blessings on you for 2006! Redeem the time!

...later...

(relax)

I am listening to Bach for RELAXation today. A gift from DD#2. I highly recommend it. A very good CD for kickin' back and relaxin'.

...later...

(recoup)

How was your Christmas day? We enjoyed a wonderful church service in the morning and the afternoon was spent here at our home and later at my in-laws. The sweet little one pictured here was our free entertainment. It was a joy to watch her opening gifts, collecting gifts into a bag to carry about, and finally-watching her ride her new car from her great grandma. She loved the ornaments and the lights on the tree. With her finger barely touching one, she would say, "ohhh"...with wonder and delight...

Today we are straightening the house, snacking on leftovers....cookies....rubbish...and awaiting our other daughter and family to arrive. The fun has not ended just yet!!!

We are getting a fresh white blanket outdoors. It looks much nicer after the weekend thawing. DD#2 was startled out of sleep this morning when a huge chunk of ice and snow tumbled off the roof! GOOD MORNING!!!! :o)

I have more pics to share...

...later...

(loose ends)

Today is my day for getting the loose ends tied up in a bow. The last of the presents will be wrapped, the dinner rolls made for Sunday, household details seen to and the *"rubbish" prepared for the grands.
*rubbish=hershey kisses,m&ms, candy canes, etc... :o)

I hope you all have a very Happy Christmas with your family and friends!

...later...

(one more)

I am having entirely too much fun with these things. I should be baking cookies!!!

DH brought me home an album filled with these cabinet cards and at the time I was not sure what I would exactly do with them. I have no idea who this gentleman is...but I hope he would not be too offended with the fun at his expense. Under the hat, he actually has spikey hair!!

Keep smilin'..

...later...

(greeting)

I am posting this early for DS#2a...(If and when he gets a chance to check the blog between now and Sunday, he will know how much we will all miss him for Christmas.)

Merry Christmas, sweetie pie....

who loves ya, baby?

...later...

(three amigos)

One of the three amigos is coming for a visit! DS#2b will fly in this afternoon from San Antonio. It will be so nice having him home for Christmas. The last two years he was in Japan.

We are getting a new blanket of snow today. I went out for a walk to the village post office....ooooo so cold and slippery!!! My house felt nice and warm when I returned.

I have the Christmas tunes playing and I really need to get some last minute things done....I would really rather just chat with all of you.

....off I go...

..later...

(praise)

In an earlier post, I included a link to Shea's story and asked you to pray for her. I am thankful to God for the healing He has done in her life...in just one month! She is not finished with her total recovery but has made significant improvement. For one who was considered a fifteen out of a ten as far as injuries..this is truly amazing!! So, I am just praising the Lord today for all He has done. God is good....all the time!

The wooden ornaments above are part of a set -- The names of Jesus-- one for every letter of the alphabet. There were a couple of challenging ones to come up with..like the letter X...ended up with eXcellent one. Yeah, works for me. These fit amongst the rest of our fun ornaments..to remind our family of the real reason why we celebrate Christmas.

I have enjoyed all the posts showing your family ornaments or decorations. It's like getting a peek in the window of your house. I can remember when my folks would drive us through the different neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights at night....I would think to myself..*I wish I could see inside..* :o)

...later...

(scraps)

I'm using up scraps....making some coasters from the leftovers from the two recent quilt projects...and also a couple of cell phone cozies. DD#2 ordered those for a couple of her friends. Almost makes me want a cell phone. :o)

...scraps...
...makes me think about what I am giving the King of Kings this Christmas season. It is easy to get busy with all the details of preparation for family and friends, gift buying...OR gift making(!)...gatherings, festivities...that can squeeze the time that one needs daily to enter into His presence and ...be still...
I don't want to be guilty of giving only the scraps..

...later...

*~*~*~*~*
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 29:1&2

(Ella's elephant)

I am finishing up some little projects today. I made this for my nephew's new baby girl. When I saw the sweet elephant on molly chicken, I knew I wanted to make one similar for Ella June. I have been told that her mom and dad intend to collect elephants for her nursery.

Here is my version of a wee - the tutorial courtesy of Hillary over at wee wonderfuls.

I have a few more things to get together..I'll post them...

...later...

(favorite)

I was over to mizboo's at Quiet Life this morning. She asked us to post our favorite ornament on our blog today...and to explain why it is our fave. That was a tough one for me..since I have an entire TOTE full of them..each with special memories attached. I have to make choices. The tree could not possibly hold them all!!! But every year..along with the children's baby shoes...this ornament (there are actually two that match) is on our tree. It was made by one of our twinnie boys when they were about three. Simple..popsicle sticks and glitter...but I love it. Those days hold precious memories for me and this represents that time in my life.

...later...

(stars)

Thanks goes to Jenny B. over to allsorts for the pattern and inspiration for these stars. If you have never ventured over there, take a minute and have a look-see at her colorful blog. If you have little ones there at home, they will enjoy the Zoe dress up doll. Anyway..I made one star for each of the grands... The buttons are from Mimi's button jars.

I have been cleaning out the "dust bunny convention" that has been going on in my bedroom. Oi vay! It seems good to have that "over and over" work done.

I have a few more cards to address. So..how about you? What is going on in your little world today?

...later...

*~*~*~*~*

He counts the number of stars; He calls them all by name. Psalm 147:4

(woo hoo!)

Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!!! I finally finished the quilt this afternoon!!!! Doin' a happy dance for sure!

Now on to the other odds and ends projects that await...
...later...

(progress)

Here is Plain Spoken from The Modern Quilt Workshop thus far..this afternoon.... ready to be pinned together. The only difference is...I obviously did not use plain fabrics - opting for the earthy fabrics that DD#1 and her DH love. I am about half done with the machine quilting and ready to hit the hay. Tomorrow I will do the rest and celebrate!!

Good night, all.

...later...

(happy birthday!)

Happy Birthday, R!! Today is my firstborn's 31st birthday...and I am sitting here wondering how my sweet little red haired girl could actually be 31 already when I don't feel much older myself! But those of you with grown children know what I mean. (sigh)

I was pokey getting the card made and sent...so here you have it on the DAY...and it should arrive sometime this week. late. :o)

Have a wonderful day!......and remember who loves ya, baby....

...later...

(pray)

If you have a little time, please read about Shea, the niece of a friend of mine. She was recently in a bad accident that took the life of her boyfriend. She has a long road to recovery, but already it is evident that God has His almighty hand upon her and her family. She has a CD coming out soon and there is a link on the site for you to hear her lovely voice.

Please pray for Shea.

...later...

(crazy)

Crazy, Crazy, CRAZY!!!! That is all I can say about the shopping experience today. I have never seen so many out and so much traffic...the economy must be good. I just wanted to get my things purchased and get back to my quiet little house. It isn't that I don't enjoy the hustle and bustle..but this was waaaaay more HUSTLE than I really enjoy. Did I finish??? Well, no...but I am close to it. I am now enjoying a nice cup of hot coffee. mmmmmmmmmmm
On another subject... I did get some little ice skates finished last night. I was so inspired by Vicki over to turkey feathers! I don't have nearly the variety that she has but I am satisfied with these and plan to make more - maybe next week - for some gift toppers. Before making more of those, I do need to finish the quilt I am making for DD#1 and her DH for Christmas...One day should do it. I had to get more fabric for borders so now I am ready to get it totally done. I'll have pics of the quilt later this week.

...gotta wrap some gifts...
...later...

(nativity)

This bamboo nativity has been in my family since I was a child. It was gift from my uncle and aunt who were then missionaries in Taiwan. There is a star that is hanging inside the wreath above it. I can remember when it was sent to us..and my mom thinking it very unusual. It must have seemed a departure from the normal sort of nativities that one would have seen in the early sixties. I loved it from the first time I saw it..so of course, I was given it when DH and I were married.

Do any of you have Christmas decorations that have been a part of your family? If so, I'd love to know about them.

...later...

(baking)

Not the usual Christmas cookies??? Well, for my friends "down under" who are baking in the heat...these are for you!! Notice the gentleman on the left with his holiday colored swimwear and super cool sunshades...and the lady on the right... hoping that the vertical peppermint stripes are slimming.....! ;o)

Off to bed...

...later...

(sunny afternoon)

It is a beautiful afternoon...a brief respite until the next big projected snowfall...tonight. It is cold and crisp outdoors and inside the sun is revealing each and every speck of dust in the house!!.. So you know what I have been doing?!?!?! :o)

It is the kick in the pants that I needed to just get at it and clean!

Hope you are having a grand day!!

...later...

(traditions)

I was over to ms*robyn's at Daily Parcels yesterday and she was talking about giving her grands an ornament each year. That is a tradition that our family has had. My mom began giving ornaments to our children each year and by the time they were ready to leave the nest, they each had quite a box of ornaments. I have continued the tradition with our grandkids. The girls receive angels and the boys receive a snowman of some sort. The angel above is one of a series that I made a few years ago...from vintage hankies, lace, buttons, and a piece of vintage quilt made by my Mimi. DGD#1 has one and DGD#2 will have one this year on her package. Sometimes I make the ornaments - like this one - and sometimes I search for them at local craft fairs or end of year sales. Either way, it is a fun process for me.

Another tradition from our home is hanging the children's first baby shoes on the tree. These mary janes belonged to DD#2...I have all the first white ones--even a pair that belonged to my DH with his little necklace from the hospital..and a pair of mine that had been bronzed.

Sooo...what do you have stashed away that you could include on your tree?

Have a look-see.

later...

(snowing)

We are getting even more snow today... another foot expected here in the snow belt.

Wow...a foot of snow...I wonder how many billions of snowflakes are in a foot of snow. To think that each snowflake is different is amazing! When I was a child, I can remember catching snowflakes on slides and hurrying inside to look at them under my brand new red microscope ...I was awed by their beauty. I still am awed by God's creation.

During this busy time of year, take a bit of time out to stop, slow the pace, and be still. Take a walk and enjoy the outdoors....throw some snowballs....make a snow angel....whisper a "thank you" to God for your blessings.

Look around you and really see the vivid red of the poinsettia, the warm glow of a candle, the sweet face of a child as he looks with wonder at the lights and ornaments on the tree...look for ways to bless someone else with a kind word or deed...
....just look..
Helen Keller once said, "Those who see actually see very little."

...later..

(remembering)

Here I am at age 2 with Santa at the May Company in Cleveland, Ohio...1954. You can't see them, but I was wearing little red rubber boots that had the button closures....does anyone remember those?
I don't remember this particular day but I do remember dressing up and taking the train to downtown Cleveland at Christmastime with my Mimi and mom....to shop and look at all the wonderful window displays. I was sooo taken with all the large glittery snowflakes that hung from the ceilings...the enormous soldiers dressed in red with their high hats standing guard at Santa's big throne of a chair. We would rush about to finish shopping for one last gift and Mimi would make sure we stopped for hot cocoa before the ride home.

The memories are still sweet.

.....and now I am a Mimi....

later...

(chillin')

<

It's been one of those days....just catching up on things...a little of this...a little of that...phone calls from the kids..

chillin'.....

We have had more snow and are expected to get more in the next day or so. Not the blizzard thing...just an amount to whiten things up a bit. I like it...so pretty. It reminds me of the old hymn "Whiter Than Snow".

Today's pic is a stocking I made a few years back from an antique crazy quilt piece given to me by my mom. The laces are some made by DH's grandmothers. The buttons are from their button jars.

One can never have TOO many buttons!!!

later...

(tree)

Let the December festivities begin!

DH and DD#2 are in watching Holiday Inn.....already!?!?! OK, so it is a family fave and we know Christmas is around the corner when that video comes out!!

I went to Memory Garden today to decorate my mother's room door. It is all snowmen and snow angels and crocheted snowflakes and Mom is delighted with it! The home is having a door decorating contest and of course, Mom hopes she wins!!! She is happy...and that is all that matters.

Tonight we are attending the first Christmas concert of the season at the academy. Where did the time go??? Only "yesterday" we were watching OUR little people all gussied up in their sweet little smocked dresses and little shirts and ties... singing their hearts out. (sigh)

It will be a good way to begin the season..children singing about the real Reason we celebrate.

later...