Short & Sweet

I just want to wish you a Safe & Happy New Year!
May this year bring you many joyful surprises,
may you achieve your hearts dream
& may you be blessed with people that love you unconditionally!

GOD BLESS YOU!

If you can't beat them......make lemonade

Growing up in Northeast Illinois on the Wisconsin border you learn certain things

First and foremost "If it's nice outside get out and enjoy it because it WON'T last

It is called the 'Windy City' for a reason

Winter starts around Halloween & ends around Mother's Day

Pick a Halloween Costume that you can incorporate mittens & your winter coat into or that you can hide it under

Easter hats will be blown off you head if they are not tied under your chin

Easter shoes have no treads therefore you will fall down & rip your rights or soil your dress when you walk on the icy snow unless you are being held by each hand and those people can lift you by your arms

Yes your toungue will stock to metal if it is below 40 degrees

There us no guarantee of snow during Christmas Break

Wind chills are real & should be taken seriously

Tornados are random so listen for the tornado sirens

1 week of 90 degrees with humidify is really NOT HOT!


It took me 10 Years here in Florida to deprogram myself of the first leason
The weather is always sunny & warm here it is just a matter of how warm

Thunderstorms back home can be enjoyed by playing outside in them as long as the temps are above 60
You run for cover inside during a storm here unless you have a desire to be toast

Category 1 anything is Kite flying weather!
Category 2 is a spring storm back home
Category 3 is when you plan a party
Category 4 is when the tourists leave
Category 5 is stay inside & pray you don't loose power so the kids will stay entertained & you don't loose the air-conditioning
(this mostly applies to those inland)

When it is 80 degrees at Christmas play tourist & start your tan early!

Here are a few of the FINAL Holiday Decorations
The Mantle

The mantle with the flash
The Tree Before the Gift Opening Onslaught
AFTER
The Kids Gingerbread Houses
Otis w/ his bobo
Emma w/her bobo
Casper w/his bobo
Finally Harley w/his bobo

Don't take photo's with Mom's Camera ....she might put them on the blog......

Soli Deo Gloria

I want to wish each & every one of you a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
May you feel the love that was given to us 2007 years ago,
the love GOD has for us, love enough to become a man, so that he could die for our sins and save our souls from Hell.
Nothing we can buy, make or do will ever amount to the gift we have been given.

Blessings 2 U Friends.

Merry Christmas

Well I can say with 98% confidence that all the gifts are wrapped & under the tree!
50% of our decorations are up this year (some must still be in the attic) but since I am the one to put them up & take them down that is just fine with me!

I also finally broke down & paid another $10 to have the photo's of our PRIMITIVE HOOKERS CHRISTMAS PARTY developed.
Can I just say I think paying $25 for a 'disposable digital camera' to then have to pay another $10 to develop the photos (which by the way are not the best quality) and then they keep the camera to repackage & sell again is a RIP OFF!

Okay now to the pictures.
This is our instructors home, she designed this rug and hooked a square a month. This was supposed to be finished in December, however since she is too good, she finished it in October!
This is her 'formal living room' note the blue Santa with the Cardinal on his arm...The Cardinal was made from her Mothers Coat & Santa's Coat is made from her Fathers saddle blanket.....ISN'T that the sweetest thing? To top it off she made all her sisters & nieces a cardinal too!


These are just a few of the ladies who made the party,
In front left to right is Susan & Amy
on the sofa Sherry, Melanie, Helen (owner of the little shop where we meet), Jonny & Joy. They are ALL such a wonderful group of women!
This is our instructor, Primitive Folk Artist Jonny Scott. and behind her is a little diorama she made of her Grandparents Hardware Store in Kansas.
Well that is it for now, I need to finish painting a raised dog feeder for my eldest daughter, she is giving it to her boyfriend tomorrow. LOVE these late projects!
I am going to take photos of the decorations & tree before the mayhem ensues!

Blessings 2 U Friends
May your hearts be filled to overflowing on this eve of our Saviors Birth!

Christmas Chaos

It would seem no matter how hard I try to leave the commitments in December to a minimum, piano recitals (2), we always have something that needs to be done each day!

I have been trying to finish decorating for Christmas, thankfully not all of our decoration boxes were brought out, yet the tree is still bare!

Gifts remain unwrapped
presents still not made or bought (I am really trying to make them more than purchase)

I haven't written a single card this year usually they are mailed the day after Thanksgiving

I have wanted to post here daily but something else on the list keeps calling

So I thought I would share a couple of recent photos instead

This is a little old Church that someone updated a little then listed For Sale
(of course at triple their purchase price)
I would love to purchase this place and make it into a little shoppe
In my little shoppe I would sell supplies for Rug Hooking,
all types of stitching and of course Coffee & Scones,
while holding classes to teach folks on these arts
just like the mothers & grandmothers did a few generations ago
The front porch would have white rockers with tables so when it is beautiful here (like now) folks could sit on the front porch and stitch or hook the day away enjoying each others company.



While on a business trip in to Chicago my dh was nice enough to take my BFFF's Christmas Gifts up with him.
She ALWAYS sends him home with a gift for me
Let me just say her gifts are NEVER small
enough to stick in his suitcase ROTFLMBO
This is what he brought home earlier this year

After he spent the evening helping his twin brother (they aren't really but her husband and he are soo much alike it's scary) install his big screen high def tv the boys watched Da Bears' had a few beers & smoked a cigar

In return she sent home with him with this gift an antique mantle mirror!!
GOTTA LOVE THOSE BFFF'S
They always know the bestest present & can torture your hubby like no one else can!!!

Okay back to the list of things....almost finished with a swap for my buddy Betty, While Jan's gift dries, then it's time to rotate the laundry....again, unload the dishwasher....again,wrap a few gifts after I find boxes and start decorating the tree....
This is all the decorating I have finished

ICE

Creativity vs. Reality

So today starts off with a bang...not literally.
Let's go back shall we? Back to Wednesday...set the Way Back Machine
Mr. Peabody...
We drove to the Gaylord Palms to experience ICE
Now before you jump to conclusions we didn't go that far back and
YES I have experienced Winter...33years of N.E. Illinois winters.
However my youngest two do not remember what it was like, that
along with the fact that I am OVER these 80 degree temps my eldest
son surprised his girlfriend with tickets & his old mother with her Biirthday
gift.
I will try to add photo's later but if things keep going the way they have been
that won't happen. My to do list just keeps growing longer with nothing getting
checked off.

Apple Rocks!

I got a phone call from the Apple store in Tampa on Thursday. They were so gracious after our disappointing visit Monday. The manager asked me to come back and they would take our check along with giving me a discount. After church today we drove back out to the mall & I got my iPhone! I am blogging from it right now! No more antique phone! I am so excited that I will be able to do so much more from just about anywhere!
So while I learn all I can do with my new phone & get some things finished up around here I want to say from the bottom of my heart
Blessings 2 U friends!

OH JUST SHOOT ME!!!

I had told a few folks I was going to update my 'gifts' on Tuesday or Wednesday...I didn't

See it started Sunday when I wore a pair of 2" heeled shoe/boots to church, all of 2 hours I had these on, and messed up my crooked spine. The muscle in my left shoulder blade area (trapeziod?) started tightening up & gave me a dull headache all week.
I had my scheduled adjustment on Thursday & usually within hours it is better, the headache is gone. Well not this time! The muscle is hanging on almost as strongly as those last 30lbs I have to loose have been!!

Meanwhile I didn't go to work at the Wool Shop Tuesday as I needed to clean the house, decorate for the "Ladies Holiday Party", finish a 1/2 dozen other things along with the daily chores that didn't get done Monday.

My teenager informs me on Thursday night (after me asking 5 times) that the dress pants I purchased for him in May no longer fit.

My daughter also needs a pink leotard, pink tutu as hers no longer fit.....When do we need these you ask ....Friday Night for the 1st recital of course.

Don't forget we have piano lessons Friday afternoon! So we race to 2 stores NO pants in his size, they are all too big in the waist or if they fit they are way to short (GEE imagine the right length pants TOOO BIG in the waist cuz your TOOO THIN). Thankfully the 'sick' elder daughter went to "chinaworld" while we were still at lessons & dance rehearsal and found everything we needed! So now to meet up with her en route home to clean up, eat something fast & change clothes before heading over to the recital.
Okay we survived that rush, the recital went well! I go to bed at 10 pm cuz I am exhausted and still have this stinking headache/muscle thing.

I completely forgot to set my 'antique phone alarm' and of course the dogs all decide to sleep in, not waking up at the usual 6:30 - 7:00 am.
So I lazily wake up at 8:20, which on any other day would be wonderful, except this morning I am supposed to be 45 minutes away at Primitives Class, and should have been in the car 20 minutes ago. No problem I toss on clean clothes jump in the car with a banana, almond butter & Wheat Free Raisin Scone to eat when I get there, Arriving only 20 minutes late I actually hooked some of the challenge piece in 3 hours. Not alot cuz this headache is still there! Now I have to confess I hooked this part last night during the recital but had to pull it out 2 times because I lost a worm and didn't realize that until we were leaving & I made Sparky take one last look under the seats when the lights came up.

After class I race home to clean up & change clothes again before the ladies arrive to find the only pair of jeans that fit me are not dry yet oh well damp it is!
We had a fabulous time eating & talking. I got to chat with our potential Pastors wife, she is so easy to talk to, maybe because she is a Psychologist? I am hoping it is because we grew up in the same general region of Northern Illinois and I think are around the same age!

We had a White Elephant exchange/swap/steal & too much food before it was time to put the leftovers away, get the kids redressed for tonights recital & rush out the door for that 30 minute drive. Still have that headache that is making my eardrum hurt. So on the way home we stop at the corner pharmacy store & pick up some Motrin, a heat patch thingy (which of course I didn't notice is for lower backs & not shoulder area, which I am wearing like Ms. Americas state sash so I can update this finally!
OH I have good news to post tomorrow!!!
In the meantime here are Tuesdays gifts...

Jan (a dear neighbor down the street that I dog sit her Corgi's) came up to sing happy birthday to me and brought me these Holiday Socks & a Custom made card.

Tuesday night Cheryl (who sent me the Hoops & Yoyo card) came by with my gifts....

I also received a Birthday voicemail Monday Night & email from Ali in Athens GA.

Wednesday my eldest son informs me he is purchasing a ticket for me to someplace I can not mention just yet because it is also a surprise for his Girlfriend...so next Wednesday we are going someplace beautiful!

I will post photo's afterwards


In the meantime I will change my music lineup tomorrow, as I am about OVER Christmas music for the week!!!!


I also will try to post some other friends links or banners (when I learn how) in the next week, suggestions & tips for banner links are welcome!


Blessings 2 U Friends

Happy Birthday - Blessings

Well as much as I hate getting older, and my Birthdays in the past usually involved my gifts being 'combined' with my Christmas Gifts (which doesn't mean bigger or bettter).
Today was nearly the perfect birthday!

We we were going to also go to the Henry B. Plant museum to see the Victorian Christmas Stroll.
Sparky didn't remember going 10 years ago (he was only 5) and obviously neither did Mini Martha, since she was only 10 months old

I got to sleep an extra 45 minutes, after the 7am text message from my oldest daughter (THANK YOU JESSICA) wait until your 23rd Birthday!!!!

After waking up with a horrible headache (I watched Pictures of Hollis Woods, the Hallmark movie and cried the entire show) I grabbed some acetaminophen and aspirin with a cup of coffee crawled back in bed for the Traditional Birthday Breakfast in Bed. Wheat Free Blueberry Pancakes with REAL Maple Syrup, Sliced Bananas with Almond Butter (peanut butter with almonds not peanuts). I had 3 gifts to open with Breakfast ...a small Ironstone style pitcher

a copper heart mold

and a lovely handmade ornament from Mini Martha
I also received a Birthday Card with my favorite Characters from Jessica"

A Belgian Birthday wish from my long lost Braski and his wife
"le jour de gloire
happy 36th missy
us from over that big body of water"

I also received Birthday wishes from the PRHG this morning

Even THE QUEEN stopped to post a note


So it started out to be a PERFECT DAY. Right before we were heading out the door I see a small brown and white dog bolting down the back hill through our bushes, realizing Sparky forgot to let Otis in 15 minutes ago. Don't know if the dog was in the busy road behind our house or not but he wasn't injured!
After loading the car up and hitting the bank for cash it was off to Tampa

I got to see photos of the Smokey Mountains (via a National Geographic Sparky brought along) I got to hook on the way, listen to Newsboys/U2/and Pirates Of the Caribbean/Louis Armstrong then we saw Johnny Depp as Jack full size Statue

We ate Soft Shell Crab and ate a Sushi place, stopped at BALLARD Design where realized some of the things they have I can now purchase direct through the wholesale company they use woo hoo!

I bought two balsam cedar sachets for Hubby at Caswell and Massey, purchased a large measuring spoon to match the one I won from CM a few years back at William and Sonoma

saw the mirrors and butterfly decorations at Neiman Marcus again
Had a Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Iced Coffee and Chocolate Mint Brownie do you see the small piece left, I shared it with my dear hubby



So do you notice what is missing?

Look closely


That's right my iphone, apparently you must use a credit card and we only brought cash and checks.....LOVELY do you think they could warn you on the commercials? Or maybe the online Apple Store?, or maybe when you go to the actual stores link to get DIRECTIONS they might tell you that you can only purchase an iphone with a CREDIT CARD?????

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I did get the new OS Leopard for my mac and iwork , so now I can work on our brochures and the CM database for the area group
Oh and I got a $40 dollar boob job
Yes after nursing 4 children they are back where they belong
thanks to my new Victoria's Secret Bra.

The kids were too funny as neither one would come into the store (remember we are talking one is a 15 yr old boy) Mini Martha kept beeping her father from the entry telling him "Stay out of the lingerie store" each time he would go out & the minute he came back to check on my total she would beep him again.

We didn't end up going to the Museum either. All in all an almost perfect day.
Just received another e-card of my favorite Characters from my downline and dear friend Cheryl