Merry Christmas

I certainly hope everyone had a great christmas and received everything they had wished for.
Our christmas was very quiet. This year the children all had different plans and we couldn't get together. We have however, set a date for 12-31-09 to get together to exchange gifts and have dinner together. So I still have something to look forward to. All my grandbabies anxiously waiting for their gifts from Grandma and Papa.

But our two little girls did have a good christmas. Here they are opening their gifts. Or trying to. And then ofcourse there was fighting.

Zoey received a new coat and scraf from Santa, and she actually begs to wear it. She thinks she is going somewhere.

Since christmas was a quiet day for us, (Bill napped on the couch) I did get some sewing done. I worked on some baby bibs and also burp clothes. My nephew and his wife are expecting in Feburary of 2010 and next month will be her baby shower. I already have the baby quilt done.

And I finished up this Wizard of Oz quilt top. This quilt is a gift for Bill's niece who gradutaes from high school in the spring. So not a real hurry to finish it up. I will have some time to deceide how I will be quilting it.

And there you have it, our christmas. But it was nice, we enjoyed it. We were together, and we are healthy and that is all that counts................

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

Trying to slow down

After being talked to again from the other half of this relationship, it was again strongly suggested that I fill my days with too much stuff and I am keeping myself way too busy.

Well then, lets see how I do at trying to slow down.
First, I had to run to the salvation army on saturday morning to drop off the christmas gifts for my adoptive family. They had times of 9am to 4pm for the drop off of gifts. And since I had to be in Oshkosh by 10:30am for this young man's big "5" birthday party, I needed to do it first thing in the morning.

Ivan had a wonderful birthday party and received alot of wonderful gifts and too many toys. Here he is trying to protect his cake from his younger brother and two cousins. They all wanted a piece of the action, or should I say a finger in the frosting.
And when we got home from there, Bill took a nap while I scrubbed the kitchen floor and finished up the wash. Later in the evening we were invited out to dinner with some friends. That was a wonderful evening with good food and good friends.

Sunday morning we got up and ran to Target to pick up a DVD portable player. Mine had broken a couple weeks ago and since they went on sale Bill bought me an early christmas present.
One we got back home we were off again to Bill's brother's home to see his son. Tyler had just turn 12 and Bill wanted to make sure that he got his present from his Uncle Bill. We did make it home in time to sit and relax to watch the Packers/Bears game, while I did a couple dozen chocolate chip cookies.

After the game, I manage to get these 9 patch squares whipped up. I think I might cut them in half before sewing them together. The disapearing 9 patch. Just kind of winging it with these squares.

And there was a pile of mending that needed my attention. Three pairs of pants that needed heming too.

So there you have it, my attempt of trying to slow down. I think this weekend was a bad example don't you?

Snowday

We were hit hard with that horrible snow storm! This is my view while driving to work this morning.

My goodness, it will take us forever to dig out! Thank God for snowblowers. My back is aching just for the little bit of shoveling I did for the dogs. Oh and I shoveled the front steps and walk too. These old bones can't handle that heavy wet snow like I did in my younger days.

And of course, because I am the only employee that lives in town, I had to go to work this morning. Everything got called off. No court, no appts, and most of the area businesses were closed. So why were we open????

We had one quick appt this afternoon at 2pm that my boss drove into town for. And after that he said, "Why are we here?" "Lets go home"

Well, someone should of said that to me about 5 1/2 hours sooner!!!!

But hey, at least I am home early. I could of gotten stuck there by myself all day.

Remember when we were kids and we used to just pray for these snow days. "No school!" "Yeah!" Oh to be young again.

At least I have a chance to get at my sewing. It has been way too long since I even sat down at this sewing machine.

Black Friday......no way!

It is Black Friday and already the newspapers are carring stories and pictures from early morning shoppers. My daughter that lives in Green Bay called me last nite to tell me about all the shoppers camped out in their little tents at Best Buy. My God, what has this world come to?

No Black Friday for me. I am sitting here at my computer with my cup of coffee in my jammies. Planning on doing some sewing and maybe finish up the chritmas wrapping I started Tuesday nite. Just a quiet day planned for me and my sewing machine.

It is not like I never went out on Black Friday, in my younger days I did. Get up early and rush to get in line to wait for one item. But like I said, in my younger days. Now I would just assume stay in bed.
My girl friend already has called me to report her finds at Menards at 5AM, and she is making plans for us to go out to eat and to a movie later tonite. So at least I will have part of a quiet day. And tomorrow Bill comes home, and there goes the piece and quiet. But I miss you honey.

Oprah in Person!!!!!!!

Well the day was finally here. The day that we have been waiting for. We finally got our chance to see Oprah in person in Chicago this past friday. We spent more time waiting in line than we did actually sitting down to enjoy the taping. But it was well worth it. A very nice show, and it will air on November 25, 2009, the day before thanksgiving.
I feel I don't need to tape it, cause I was there while it was going on. And I really don't think from the area that my sister and I were sitting in that there is any chance the camera caught us. A nice trip to Chicago and we did get a chance to see some of the sites as well before we made the long trip home. A memory for me and sis.

And speaking of memories, my little bug, Hailie broke her arm two weeks ago. Just a freaky accident when her sister jumped on top of her and landed just right. She broke both bones in her wrist. She is such a trooper, even this little cast does not keep her from using her arm.

Saturday was a grandma and Ivan day. We went to a Kris Kringle shop here in town. The grandkids refer to it as the North Pole. Ivan sure thought that was were he was at. Here he is all smiles with a train ornament he picked up from his visit there.

He was so good, and very intent on finding just the right christmas ornament. Grandma even had it painted with his name. He was so proud.

Sunday was another babysitting day but it ended early and gave me enough time at home to finish a camo fleece quilt for Ivan's dad and I manage to cut out material for the BOM project from the Thimbleberries Club monthly meetings.

And while Bill is still gone, (till the end of the week) the house remains quiet and lots of housework is getting done. I even manage to get some christmas baking done.

I haven't figured out yet, why it is when he is home I don't seem to get as much stuff done. But I am still pondering it.

Busy Busy Busy..........................and more Busy

My goodness! It seems like weeks since I bloged. Maybe it has been.

Three table shows this month for my sister. Not good for table sales, but I did get alot of orders for her. The economy is bad on all of us, and with the holidays coming everyone is very frugal with their paychecks. I am too! So the fact is that while everyone loved my sister's artwork embroidery, no one wanted to buy. That's ok. We all understand where each of us are coming from. We all are going thru the same thing.
It is just great getting out and meeting different people and experiencing different types of products and different ways others display their wares. Very interesting.

There was one day of babysitting somewhere in these few weeks, and a birthday party for one of the grand daughters. Oh yes, a quilt club meeting, work outs at the gym, housework that I got behind on, grocery shopping.......................and a partridge in a pear tree...............smile.

Enough already!!!!!!!!! When was the last time I sat down at that sewing machine and where is it anyways???????????/

Treat or Treat

This was halloween weekend, but it just was a weekend of treats for me
I spent saturday morning with my oldest grandson. He had a swimming class and this was his last one. Since I have never been able to go along, my son in law invited me to go with them for this final class. Grandma was so proud.

That's Ivan, the second from the left splashing around.

I had to be home for the little ghosts and gobblins that come trick or treating in our neighborhood. And these little cuties showed up.

They had to show off their costumes to grandma before they went out to seach out the neighborhood for the best candy and treats.

I sent a nice quiet evening cutting out the material for my next project. So relaxing working on my next sewing project in a nice quiet house. I hope deer hunting goes on forever...............just kidding Honey.


Oh and sunday, another table show. The holiday craft show in Chilton. Not really big, and not reallybusy. Actually it was a small place with a poor attendence. But hey, I spent the day with my girlfriend, and we really didn't mind at all. It has been quite a long time since we spent a day together, and it was great that she volunteered to come and keep me company for the day.