Holy Frozen Nose Boogers Batman!!!

Holy frozen nose boogers Batman, its cold outside!! Not just nippy, not just crisp, its down right freezing out there and I don't want to go out. In fact I have managed to stay snugly tucked up inside for the most of the weekend. Go Me!! However..............

Yesterday when I got up it was a blizzard. Snow, blowing snow, freezing winds, snow drifts, just the perfect day to stay inside but I, loon that I am, got up and headed out to Wally World and the grocery store. Both Minou and I need supplies, so I had little to no choice. Well that is not true, I could have stayed in and waited out the storm which ended at noon, then I could have gone out in a million degrees below frozen hell. I chose to brave the winds and get groceries. Which I did in record speed and then managed to get my self back here and stayed put. I stayed put even though I was invited to go see Saving Mr Banks, which I really really wanted to see but could not convince myself that going out in the cold was worth it.

Now I am trying to convince myself to go out and shovel the back path. I made myself get out and shovel the front sidewalk to day. Frozen nose hairs and scuttled back inside even thought the back desperately needs doing. I snowplowed my way through knee deep snow  on Saturday dragging things in from the car but it was no fun at all. Needs a shovel but I am having little to no luck talking myself into donning coat and mitts to do it. Sad because it will only take a very few minutes. The cold is not the only deterrent. My ankles, knees, and lower back are aching something fierce today. The cold does this old lady no good at all. I feel like the tin man out in the rain, if I get much stiffer, I shall cease to move at all. Yikes.

So, while I debated with myself, I finished quilting on my wall hanging. I have literally had this material for years and only now have gotten around to making it up. I finally finished the quilting and the binding to day.

I had forgotten about it to be honest, but on of my co-workers has one hung up in her office this year and it reminded me of my own. I am glad to have it finished. Now I can move on to the next project, a new little hat for Tater Tot.

I also go the last of the Santa's for the Santa Parade this year. This Jolly old elf is the last one to complete the staircase. I found him at Stupid Store and I love the fact that he looks like he is in his sweats, ready to relax until next year. A very round little chap isn't he? There are 18 Santa's in the parade. A storage nightmare but I like them so I deal with it.

Not much else going on here. I plan to make soup, porridge and some sort of supper at some point today. Soup and porridge for breakfast and lunches in the coming week. I am looking at getting back to living more frugally again and that starts with cutting out eating out as much as I do. Not to mention its far healthier to make your own. Steel cut oats on a cold winter morning are just delicious!!

Well I am running out of excuses and time. Shoveling needs to be done and done soon unless I want to be out there in the dark.........not!! So since miracles are not happening and the snow is not melting, elves are not out there doing it for me, I am going to get me boots on!! Sigh. I just keep telling myself how good it will feel to have it finished.

Toodles
Linda

All Done but the Clean Up

So Christmas is finished and Boxing day is complete. Now is the time to start looking at de-decorating the house, getting back to normal and starting the cleaning that comes after Christmas. I don't know about you but I always get the urge to purge after the holidays. I am going to take advantage of the feeling this year. I dearly want to purge out some of the Christmas decorations that I don't put out anymore. Some of them I am just tired of and oh my Lord I have a lot of Christmas decorations!!. That's just me, if one is good, eleven is better and a hundred is best. Sigh, I missed out that minimal gene in my make up.

Today I had just planned to stay home. There are no bargains out there to tempt me to go shopping today. I am just not able to stand the crowds anymore. So I planned to stay home, watch the Mrs. Brown's Boys marathon on BBC Canada and quilt on a Snowman wall hanging. I have had the hanging for literally years, long before I moved into this house but I just never bothered to quilt it. So I started it yesterday and planned to continue on today. Happy Surprise, I did not stay home, I got to go out for lunch.

The Hostess was in town so she called me up and we made a Sushi lunch date. Teddy Bear came too and it was lovely. We got to have a visit, eat good food and spend some time together. I like sushi but I only seem to go with the Hostess. We has a long leisurely lunch, then scattered to the winds. The Hostess to the mall, Teddy Bear back home and I back to my quilting.

Its back to work tomorrow, only for one day and then its the weekend. (Not a bad week this). Not sure what I will do with my weekend. I could start to put away the Christmas stuff. I should but I have not decided yet. I may leave it until after Jan 1st.  I shall leave it as see how I feel come the weekend.

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas.

Toodles.

Linda

Counting My Blessings

Still no lights 

So my Christmas at home began at 1:00 pm yesterday when my office closed its doors and Teddy Bear and I went out for lunch. On the way home I stopped and got tuna fish for Minou. Its her treat and everyone deserves a treat at Christmas. I came home, had a nap, made tea with some lovely homemade cookies which were a Christmas gift from one of the No Cook ladies, then I cleaned the kitchen. The table is still junk free so it took no time at all. I also finally got the cover put on the air conditioner, what a difference that has made in the house temperature. How I forgot I will never know!!

Christmas eve supper was scallops, bacon wrapped chicken, coconut shrimp, spring rolls and brie and fig cups. Chocolate cream puffs rounded off the meal as desert. Yummy!! I have lots  left overs to use for New Years Eve. I then watched Christmas in Connecticut and White Christmas. I was going to indulge in a Christmas Carole but I just could not stay awake. Annoyingly I  have developed a chest infection and a rotten cold, so rest was more important.

This morning, I got up, did not get out of my jammies, I simply came down stairs, lite up one of the trees, flipped the fireplace channel onto the tv and made myself ham, eggs, toast and hashbrowns. I then sat down and while I munched up my breakfast, I counted my blessings.I have may blessings to count, to name a few, I have a warm house, , family and friends that love me, a full fridge and freezer, a job that pays the bills, a good car, presents under my tree and I could go on and on. I am blessed in a million ways and am grateful for each and everyone.

Breakfast completed, dishes done, presents opened and admired, the Queen's speech watched, now I am looking foreward to more old Christmas movies, some crafting, more coffee and maybe a nap or two. I may not get dressed today, I may just stay in my pj's and lounge around. I will see how I feel. This infection and  cold are still here but its not getting worse so again I am grateful. Oh yes and I am grateful for the Buckley;s cold pills I found in the cabinet.

I hope your Christmas is lovely and as wonderful as can be.

Toodles
Linda

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

Ok I could get used to this. Days off, home with the family, come back, work two days, two days off, work a day and a half then two and a half days off, work one day, two days off. Not a bad schedule if you ask me. I have been having the best weekend!! I don't want it to end. I am in the middle of this wonderful short work weeks and its just the best!!

My wonderful weekend started with No Cook Friday as always which is great fun. Those friends of mine are so fun to spend time with. Saturday allowed me to get out and get some errands done then I did some fun shopping. I have a few stores that I like to go to each year around Christmas time. I had not done that yet so I hit a few of them up on Saturday morning. I also went to a couple of second stores. I totally scored at one of them

Partylite candle Thingys that I would not have bought full price because they are rather expensive, Great quality but pricey.  I got these for $3.00 at a second hand store. There is one more piece that I want so I need to keep my eye open for it. I am completely tickled at my find.

Shopping is not all that I have been doing, I have been finishing some projects that have been lingering about my house for a couple of years now. First one was this wall hanging, I got it two years ago and have just now gotten it quilted and hung for the season

Its the 12 days of Christmas. I have it hung at the top of the stairs over the Santa Parade. Glad to have it finished.

Today I fished this poor abused sweater out of my "possible projects" pile. A co-worker washed this lamb's wool sweater and shrunk it, felted it and generally made it unfit to wear. I saved it from the garbage can and today turned it into this:

I did not get the foot cut out quite right but I am pleased with the result. It makes a nice Christmas stocking and it now hides the legs of the table I stuck the Pig Tree on in a last minute decision. I really should have totally unfolded the table cloth under the tree before I decorated but I didn't. Its like the lights on the tree, I just forgot but now its hidden and the stocking looks ready for Father Christmas to fill.

It would not be Christmas unless I made one or two Christmas runners. I love runners and I like to make them.  This one I made for E as she is really hard to buy for but she does appreciate a handmade gift. I may make myself one but I have to think of where I would put it, I am running out of need for runners, (I have several don't you know. )

It has not all been fun work around here I do get out to play once in a while, last night I went to see Frozen with a couple of friends, what a sweet little movie. I recommend going to see it. We were out for coffee afterward then I stopped at Stupid Store to pickup a couple of things for Christmas Eve. I wanted scallops. Stupid Store has cheap scallops. I fully intend on observing the appetizers for supper tradition on Christmas Eve even though I shall be here and the family will be other wise engaged. Appetizers, White Christmas and A Christmas Carol (with Allister Sim) on DVD will be my evening. I was not going to brave Stupid Store during the day, its a mad house but at 10:30 pm it was not so bad. During the trip there I got the last Santa that will complete the parade on the stairs. There is literally no more room there for any more of the Jolly old boys. I have not taken his picture yet but I will, he is the roundest of the Santa's and totally a cutie

Iam going to make candied pecans with the rest of my day, wash the bathroom floor and the hallway, put fresh clean sheets on the bed and crochet until bed time. Thanks to Scentsy my house smells totally of cinnamon and cloves. The lights are twinkling in the Dickens village and one of the trees. (yes I have not put lights on the one I forgot and it looks like I never will)  Candles are flickering in the Partylite pieces. My home looks wonderfully Christmasy. Its cold outside and I am snuggly tucked up in my little house, no place to be but at home, relaxing and taking it easy. Yes I could get very used to this!!

I hope you are having a wonderful time on this lead up to the Big Day!!

Toodles
Linda

Tonight You Are Going Down!!

Tonight I face my nemesis..........my kitchen table. Once I am finished scarfing down some Christmas cookies and tea that is. For some reason this year my table insists on being totally covered in piles of stuff!! My fault, totally my fault because the table is right there.......right there by the back door, where I walk in with stuff, easy to put down stuff and leave it there until its piled so high its dangerous. Seriously it could decapitate you if it ever decided to slide. I have to spend an incredibly long time sorting and putting things that should have been sorted and put, days ago once I decide to clear it off. I do clean it off, yes I do, I pinky swear I do but I turn around and its back to the way it was before because I cannot seem to grasp that simple idea of put stuff away where it belongs!!! Argh, childhood issues opening up all over like a big old can of worms. So tonight, I am going to once again clean that sucker off. Will I have learned my lesson???????? I hope so. Then if I have learned that maybe I can apply it to the rest of the house. ( why am I hearing laughter in my head???). Being a work in progress is so hard.

So many issues to be dealt with, so many things to be improved on. Oh well, I suppose as long as I keep working away at it, one thing at a time I have hope.

Cookies done, tea done. Wish me luck I am going in!!!!

Toodles,
Linda

PS: I have triumphed!! For how long God only knows. Hmmm, perhaps I should switch the sunflowers for poinsettias considering its Christmas time.

Feeling Blessed

Inhaling deeply and exhaling, feeling relaxed, happy and very blessed. Its Christmas time, my favourite time, and I am enjoying it to the fullest. I am finished with Christmas shopping but I do have two gifts left to wrap, then deliver them and one more.  I am having a hard time to think that Christmas is still coming. You see I have already had my Christmas. We celebrated last weekend and oh what a good weekend we had!!

Last weekend as the only free time we all had to get together so that is what we did. We gathered at Miss Mouse and the Farmer's house. The Pilot, the Teacher, the Carpenter and Busy and me all got together to exchange gifts and pass the Tater Tot around for much cuddling, kissing and marveling at his new ability to smile. Not easily caught on camera, this new smile, but oh so much fun to coax out of him. He is just the sweetest little thing. Smiling or not.

I started calling him Farmer Boy but Tater Tot is what pops into my head when I think of him so its easier for me to use that name for him.

Weather and road conditions cooperated to get me there. I arrived to find Miss Mouse and Busy cooking up a storm, music playing and Tater Tot snoozing, content as could be in his swing, right in the middle of all the hubbub. We gossiped, laughed and carried on until we had to wake the baby to feed him. Little man was snoozy, he could not really even wake up to eat. The Farmer and the Carpenter were hauling grain and the other two guests did not get there until later around 9:30. 

Once we were all present and accounted for we had our traditional Christmas Eve supper of appies and drinks. Super scrumptious as always. Off to bed to wait for Santa to come and he did. Miss Mouse got her wish of sleeping through the night as Daddy and Grandma were more than willing to do feeding and diaper duty through the night. 

We are very lucky in this family, we are able to give and receive with out hardship. This year it was fun to indulge the Tater Tot. We waited so long for him and he is such a precious gift, its hard not to give him stuff.

Not to mention his parents have lots of friends and family that are celebrating him this year. We could hardly find him in the pile of his presents.

Lots of books and clothes in this pile. A few toys and one big wagon to ride around in when he gets a little bigger. This picture makes me smile. I don't imagine we will be able to make him wait for his presents next year. All the years of having no little ones, we got into the habit of opening one gift at a time while the others watch to see what you got. I think that little tradition is on its way out. Tater Tot will take care of that in short order.

Busy has taken up the role of doting Grandma with amazing ease. Not to mention the Carpenter does a very good job of being Grandpa.

It was nice to see the Pilot and the Teacher again. Its been awhile. They have good news, she has a shiny new rock on her finger. Looks like she is a keeper. Wedding plans were a hot topic for the weekend.

The rest of us joined in on the gift opening. 

We had a lovely weekend but this is what makes me the happiest, seeing Miss Mouse snuggling her baby boy. That is just simply the best thing ever. I love how he sits with his little hands clasped. If I could just get a picture of him smiling.

We dined on our usual Christmas morning breakfast. Breakfast Bruchetta, Monkey nuts, Fruit and Mimosas

Beautiful flowers where a birthday gift to Miss Mouse from her parents, another tradition. Prim rib for supper instead of turkey. Totally delicious. The evening was spent playing games. We all had to go our separate ways on Sunday. A short and sweet family gathering. I am so blessed that they include me in their Christmas. I am included and wanted not just tolerated out of duty or obligation. There is a big difference and believe me a person knows when they are merely tolerated. 

Lots of hugs and good wishes on Sunday as we all scattered to the winds. The weather coming home was not the best, lots of snow and blowing snow but I made it, safe and sound. I took three days off from work to relax and get ............. I am not sure what but I can tell you now I am wishing I had taken the whole week off. Whatever I hoped to get on these three days, I could use more of it. I don't know where the time is going or what I have been doing but all I know is that tomorrow is Wednesday and my house still looks a mess. I have made a Christmas runner, three pairs of pajama pants and a crocheted hat in the last two days. I guess I have managed to do something but not any house work it seems. 

Toodles,

Linda

Tired but Happy...Getting Christmas Stuff Done

The baking is done, the baking is done!!! I am one happy little Christmas Elf.  Yesterday I did this

And then today I did this

So I have the baking completed to take with me for Christmas. I enjoyed every minute of it but I have to admit I am tired. I am looking forward to an evening of crocheting and movie watching.

The lights, ornaments, wreath and garland plus bows are up on the front of the house.

We have more snow this is an old picture but the house looks the same. 

The Santa's are parading down the stairs

Mom's tree is the center piece of the Christmas Village as it is each year:

And while I did not put up all the trees, the Pig tree is up. It has no lights because I have not worked up the energy to put them on but its up. I got a bigger tree this year. I am still collecting ornaments of the piggy nature so I need more room to hang them. I usually do a large regular tree, a ginger bread man tree for the kitchen and a Family tree for the entry. The family tree has all the little ornaments on it that I have made each year for the family.

So I think the house is as decorated as its going to be this year. Not a fraction of the stuff is out but that is fine, its nice to downplay it some years. I am pleased with it all and while I have some things to finish up I am feeling good about things. One gift to purchase, three to finish making and then presents to wrap. Stocking stuffers are done, decorating is done, baking is done. Its good.

So I think I will go have a little nap, get up and tidy the house then spend the rest of the evening crochet hook in hand, snuggled in my favorite chair watching some Christmas movie. Sounds like the perfect end to the evening to me.

Toodles, 

Linda

Christmas is Nipping at my Heels

Now that is a pretty visual but its true, The sand in the hour glass is sailing along at warp speed and I am dancing as fast as I can. We, as in my family, as in my brother and his family and they include me are having Christmas on the 14th. Everyone can be together on that day so that is when we will gather. I have a mile long list of things I would like to do, things I always do and things that I think I can do. Some of it will get done, the always do list which is of course gifts and baking, that is under control and will definitely be done.

The decorating will be drastically toned down this year and it will get done. Inspite of the fact that I managed to put up a smaller tree this year, totally decorate it only to discover I missed putting the lights on it. Sigh, my days as a fruit loop are getting more and more often. Thankfully its the smaller tree I usually have in the dining room so I can redecorate and add lights once I get the essentials taken care of. I am only doing two trees this year not the usual four. The Santa parade will line the stairs but I am not sure if I will put out all the Santa's. I will see how the time goes. The Dicken's village is out and just needs Mom's ceramic tree to complete it. Thanks to the Hostess I have enough houses and stores for my village now, it is complete. I used to always give my Mom grief about her ceramic tree but she loved it. Now she is gone I put it out every year. It has become a cherished decoration in this house. I look at it and think of Mom and it makes me happy. It lives in the center of the village in pride of place and I would have it no other way.

Christmas lights will go up tomorrow night on the veranda, since I finally got them out of the basement, along with the garland, bows and giant Christmas balls. It will take no time at all now I have them up and ready to be hung. I have to say I love how my little house looks, all dressed up for Christmas. Saturday morning will see the last of the Christmas shopping done.

Tonight I mixed up the first two batches of cookie dough and it is chilling in the fridge to be baked up over the weekend. Every year I happily make snackens, lemon crunch, cherry refidge cookies, candied pecans, butter tarts and this year I am adding gingerbread cookies. These treats will be produced and packed for consumption over the Christmas festivities. I love to bake and its a treat for me to have a chance to do lots of it. I have to say again I LOVE my kitchen aid mixer. I zoomed through the cookie dough tonight. Whee!!!!  

Stocking stuffers are present and accounted for. I am almost finished making the last of the Christmas gifts that I had planned. I have mended Miss Mouse's quilt and finished the Blarney night quilt for last year. Just did not have time to get this year's made to take with me. I will quilt it up after Christmas. All in all I am feeling good about what I have done and what I have left to do. I am not going to be able to do all the things that I wanted to but that is ok. I can aim for it next year.

My kitchen is a disaster and the house is a mess but oh my goodness I am going to go nuts this weekend and getter done!! I am going to stay home except for shopping Saturday morning. No more goofing off, just buckling down and getting my home ready for the holidays. I love this time of the year.

I hope your Christmas preparations, if that is what you are celebrating, are going well.

Toodles,
Linda