Endings and New Beginings

There are a couple of hours left in this year, 2011. I have spent most of today wondering how I feel about it and I really can't say I am sad to see it go. A friend of mine says they feel like the new year is like getting a present and they can't wait to see what they get. I am not in that frame of mind either. I always do hope for good things in the new year but as the evening goes on I am lacking more and more enthusiasm. I am not sure what is up with me today. I do know that I am not going to allow myself to slip into that state of mind where I start to feel sorry for myself. Its not worth it.

I do know that I am not making resolutions this year, this year I am making wishes. Maybe wishes will be more effective and long lasting. I read on the internet somewhere that someone was making wishes this year and I shamelessly stole the idea.

Brace yourself here are a few of them.  I am wishing to clear some of the clutter from my house. (I actually started that one tonight, I sorts through stacks of magazines in my craft room. 99% of which will be either recycled or go to the office for others to read). I wish to redo my bedroom, I wish to paint the red guest room, I wish to start giving back more. I wish to weave, spin and quilt more in the coming year, I wish to get back on track to getting healthy, I wish to be more frugal, I wish to learn to stop wishing for things I know aren't going to happen. I have a million more wishes, for things, for improvements, for happiness, for contentment and for acceptance. Biggest wish of all is that I wish that everyone will have the best year ever in 2012.

So I plan to stay up until midnight, open the front door to let in the new year and then the back door to let out the old year, then I will go to bed. I had Chinese food as per tradition, I watched a really bad movie on netflix and then I sorted magazines. I had a very quiet day. I did not feel like doing a lot of stuff. I had played with the idea of putting away the Christmas stuff but my house looks so nice and tidy I decided against it. If I started putting the stuff away, it would totally mess the place up and I was not in the mood. Tree could still be up come June with this attitude :-)

Last night I had the No Cook Group over for coffee and the remnants of the Christmas dainties after we went out for supper. We had such a nice evening, we chatted, snacked and laughed until 10:30 when everyone decided they maybe should head home. I was tickled to have them. I need to start entertaining a little more than I do. It just laziness on my part and I really need to get over it.

I think I will go and see if I can find something on tv worth watching until its time to ring in the new year. I hope you are all enjoying your evenings no matter how you choose to celebrate.

Toodles
Linda

Last Day of Lazy

Hmmm its back to normal tomorrow, back to work, back to the routine. Yes I know that New Years is still to be celebrated but I'm sorry, its not nearly as big a deal to me as Christmas. Probably because I never have celebrated it all that much. So to me the big deal is over and done and now we slid comfortably back into the day to day routine.

I slept in this morning, snuggled into my bed and waking at the lovely hour of 10:00 am. I rose and ate cookies for breakfast. You can do that when you are the grown up and make the rules. It was shortbread and sugar plum spice tea for breakfast. I did not spend the entire day in decedent indulgences, I did do some sensible things. I stripped and washed all the bedding on my bed, mattress cover, quilts and all. The whole kit and caboodle. One needs a clean caboodle once in a while. I also made the felt cow and horse wall hangings that were ordered before Christmas. It took most of the afternoon but I am very happy they are finished now, another thing off my to do list.

What else did I do to pass the time. Oh yes, I furminated the cat. I am boggled at how much hair that little brush gets out of her. I highly recommend the investment if you have a pet. I plan to make brushing her with it a priority as it really does make a difference. She leave bales of hair around the house and I need to be more diligent on the brushing. The best thing is Minou seems to like to be furminated. She lays content and rolls when needed. She does not fight to get away. From the way she behaves while I am pulling wads of hair from her. I think it must feel good, sort of like when we get our hair done. So its on my list to do more frequently so see if I can cut down on the hair that is everywhere in my house. I really am tired of everything being covers in a grey hairy haze.

Not totally sure what I will do with the rest of my day. I feel a nap coming on and I may just watch tv whilst crocheting for the rest of the night. I have one little mending job to do for a friend at work then I am free. Its a split seem in the bum of her son's pants. A 2 second job at the most. I think I can manage that before the sun sets on this last day of laziness. Three days of work and then three days off. I also think I can manage that.



Toodles
Linda

Monday Moment with Minou

Hmmm yeah, excuse me, Christmas is over, 

would you mind removing these dudes from the stairs, 

they are in my way.

Merry Christmas

From my home to yours come the most sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May 2012 be the best year yet for you and your family. I have high hopes for 2012, I expect big things from it, big, happy, wonderful things.

So far it has been a wonderful Christmas here at the old homestead. Many traditions have been observed even though its only the cat and I here to observe them. Ok I need to say this right off the bat, I am not feeling "oh poor me, all alone on Christmas" not even a smidge. I had a wonderful full on family Christmas last weekend with the near and dear. I was treated royally and the date is not important, its the being together that is important. SO I am not having a pity party I am having a party. I am alone by choice today, I had many generous invitations to join friends for the day.

Back to tradition, I spend last night watching a zillion Christmas movies, I dined on appetizers for supper and quite frankly I over indulged but they were worth it. Wrap anything in puff pastry, make it bite sized and I am pretty much hooked.

This morning I rose late, gave Minou her Christmas tuna fish breakfast, made my all in one breakfast. Another family tradition. Its not the one my family makes, that is a confection known as Breakfast Bruschetta and we have Monkey nuts. (cinnamon pull apart bread). I make a different one and toast, but it looks yummy, no???

I may be eating it for days but its worth it.  So breakfast is cooking away, its time for presents. I have so many wonderful generous, thoughtful friends. I was showered with loot. Not a dud in the bunch. I am totally spoiled that is for sure.

I am munching up my breakfast or maybe I should say brunch because its actually lunch time. Slurping up my coffee in my favourite Christmas mug. The cat is zonked out on my bed, sleeping off a tuna induced coma. I may get dressed at some point today or maybe not, but I am thinking that I will. Apart from putting the turkey portion into the oven and making hash brown casserole I don't have any plans to work too much today. I will watch the Queen's speech, try and catch up on the stuff I have taped and I am going to crochet the day away.

I am blessed and I know it, I am grateful for each and every good thing in my life. I hope you are having a wonderful day.

Toodles
Linda

Christmas Eve Moment With Minou

Hmmph All this Christmas prep and she still hasn't got the rum for the egg nog.

One just can't get good help these days.

Faux Christmas Festivities

I found my camera so I made the choice of doing laundry or doing a blog post, laundry can wait. First of all though I have permission to share the CUTENESS!! Here is my precious grandbaby modeling her new hat made for her by her Grandma Linda, This is the Ladybug!! She is a keeper I think.

So on to the Family Faux Christmas, ( we call it that because we usually are celebrating on another day, not the actual Christmas day) , we had a great time. The Carpenter and Busy were the hosts. Miss Mouse and the Farmer were there along with the Pilot. My oldest brother, the Historian, celebrates with his kids and grandchildren, we don't seem to get together anymore. There are so many of us and everyone works a different schedule, its hard. We have also outgrown the ability to all stay at one house like we used to. Once the kids start having kids it gets crowded quickly.

There were presents, lots of presents, here is a glimpse of the Christmas carnage after a flurry of present opening. We are blessed to be so fortunate that gifts are not a hardship. Santa is most generous. I am grateful for how blessed we are, we can be together and enjoy each others company, everyone is generous with everyone else, its how Christmas should be. We are very lucky to be in this position. I am grateful for that.

 We have such a good time when we gather together:

There is Dancing:

Spontaneous moments of affection:

(Miss Mouse and The Carpenter, father and daughter)

  And of course there is food, lots and lots of food.

here is Miss Mouse whipping up some pumpkin pies for our dessert. Its her Daddy's favourite pie and she is the one who  grows and cans the pumpkin each year. (Like her Mom she is a very good cook). She was a wonderful help, Busy was not feeling well later on in the day and Miss Mouse stepped up and did a lot of the stuff that needed to be done for our supper. Just a note, she is dressed in the Christmas apron I made for her. I made one for Busy as well as part of their gifts

When I give gifts, my favourite kind to give are the ones where I gather a whole bunch of odds and ends and give them as presents, some purchased and some homemade. I find the stuff all over the place and gather it up the whole year long. The aprons were a hit!!

We dined on a delicious prime rib meal. As there are several turkey dinners looming in the future, prime rib was decided on and it was fabulous. Stuffed potatoes, homemade buns, salad, wine and pumpkin pie. So yummy. Plus a never ending flow of dainties, candy and nuts. Many of the treats that show up at Christmas time have been part of our Christmas traditions for years, generations even. It would not be Christmas without them.

Oh yes and how do you know you are having a Saskatchewan Christmas?

Its the firearms under the tree.

Rifles and handguns abound.

The new owners seems thrilled.

( I tried to borrow the hand gun for work but they would not let me take it home.) 

 Santa was good to me and I took home a load of loot. My family is always more than generous with  me. I had a lovely weekend, lots of laughs, lots of fun and good times. I love to get to see everyone.

So now its all done and dusted. Real Christmas  day is still coming and  I hope yours is fabulous. For me I feel like is all over and done for another year. I have already got lists of things to go for next year, decorations to be made and some ideas for gifts.

Toodles 

Linda 

Home again, Home again

I am home again, I have celebrated Christmas with my loved ones, I am content, overfed and very happy. We had a lovely time. I will make a more detailed posted at another time, not to mention that I am too lazy to find my camera to post pictures. Right now all I want to do is sit, and knit, watch tv and relax. I am basking in the glow of a lovely weekend with my family and I want to savour it for a bit more.

I have the Hostess coming to tea tomorrow night which I am thrilled about. I need to do more of this, more having people over.

So more posting later, I will find my camera and share with you, for now I am off to bask.

Toodles,

Linda

Grandbaby fix

My Grandbaby came to the office today to have Christmas pot luck lunch with me (and all the other staff to I guess :-P) it was lovely. She was a little star. She gurgled, she cooed, she smiled, she drooled, she was charming. She didn't get overwhelmed with all the people and all the noise. She was lovely.

Best of all I got to have a cuddle, feed her a bottle and just generally be enchanted by her little self. She smiled at  me and patted my cheek a couple of times. Well the cheek patting was probably a result of my face being close to her and she was aiming for my glasses with that wobbly baby coordination but I claim it as a pat on the cheek from a sweet little girl.

I could have happily spent the afternoon rocking her and holding her but apparently I had to work and she had to go home with Mommy. I think she is just perfect. She is so dainty and sweet. Definitely  a keeper. I would pop a picture of her in this post but I have not cleared it with Mommy first so you will just have to take my word on it that she is adorable, especially in the little hat I crocheted for her. So cute.

Well I have things to do , stuff to pack, Christmas is a comin.

Toodles,

Linda

Wrap it Up!!

I am thinking that the Christmas preparations are almost complete. The house is decorated to within an inch of its life, the last of the baking has been done as of tonight, the presents have been purchased and/or made. Yep nothing left to do but do the wrapping. I didn't do Christmas cards this year but I don't imagine the world will come to an end over that. I have tomorrow night and Thursday night to do the last minute details and then its my family Christmas. I have done a few cards, to people who sent me one.

The Carpenter and The Farmer both have to work on actual Christmas day so we are having out celebration the weekend before Christmas. The date is not the important thing, the being together is what really matters. I am so looking foreward to seeing everyone. I am also looking foreward to getting away for a few days. Its going to be fun.

Right now I am watching White Christmas will I blog for a moment or two. I love this movie, I watch it every Christmas. I have a lot of favorite movies that I watch each year at Christmas time. Sometimes its hard to fit them all in. The sappier the better. Its a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Little Women, the Walton's Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (either version) A Christmas Carol with Allister Sim, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Sound of Music and Charlie Brown's Christmas, to name a few.

Well I have some time left to my evening and I hear an eggnog calling my name.

Toodles
Linda

Monday Moment with Minou

Hmmph,..... I was just sitting there minding my own business and that crazy Christmas lady decorated me!!

Christmas has 'sploded at My House

Its Santa land and then some at the homestead. For whatever reason I am in a total Christmasy mood so I pulled out all the stops and hauled out 99% of the the Christmas decorations. I have not put up my main tree for a couple of years. Its lovely to see it up again. Lets have a little tour shall we. Lets start outside at the curb. We really need just a touch more snow to make it perfect.

Its hard to see in the picture but there is a string of icicle lights across the top of the veranda. The oversized Christmas balls are hung and the garland is draped. One of the bows was lost in the wind but I found it and since this picture was taken I have fixed and replaced it. So lets head to the front door.

This happy little fellow is waiting to welcome you in when you arrive at the door. Lets open it up and step inside.

This is the entryway, it smells delicately of cinnamon thanks to the pine cones in the big basket. That Santa parade on the side of the stairs goes all the way to the second floor. (see)

 The Santa on the chair was given to me by a cousin, I have had him so long I do not remember not having him. His body has been replaced because the old fabric rotted. I could not part with him.

In the entry way you find the first of the Christmas trees. Every year I inflict a homemade ornament on my family. I have been doing this for 12 years and this tree has all of those ornaments on it. Its the Family Tree.

Now lets step into the  living room where the main tree is currently on display. Its a tall skinny tree and I did not put the garland on it this year. I got too tired and I think it looks just fine without it. My garland looks like popcorn, I bought it at Eatons and chances are it will get put on the tree before the season is over.

The new entertainment center got in on the Christmas nonsense.

These guys are out, they are worse for wear but they are out. They keep loosing appendages and they are starting to look scruffy. I wonder what they get up to over the summer in their box. They go in in one piece and come out missing ears and feet, etc.  I need a wooden set one of these years or the Willow Tree set. (I have not made up my mind yet.) I forgot to take a picture of the couch with its Christmas cushions and afghans.So excuse me while I do

I am back and as you can see the snoopervisor is on duty making sure I am doing things right.

Ok moving on to the dining room 

Tree number 3, the infamous Pig Tree complete with piggy carolers ready to sing for their supper. 

My version of a Christmas village, I would love to have more but I don't have the room,so this is it

This is a very shiny example of my theory that if one is good, two is better and eleventy million is freakin' fantastic. 

This is my hand carved Santa collection. (The snowman is only there for balance.) I am not going to tell you which one I carved myself but I will bet you can guess.

At last the kitchen and the last of the trees. This one is the Gingerbread tree. The wreath hanging in the window has been put up in my house every year since my oldest niece gave it to me. She was five or six and she made it with garbage bags and a coat hanger. She is all grown now and her youngest boy is probably the age she was when she crafted it. 

These little snow folk candle sticks were a thrift store find  a couple of years ago. I love their happy little faces. So that's it. That is what it looks like for Christmas at my house. There is more but I missed taking pictures, so it will have to remain a mystery.

Tomorrow is baking, gift wrapping and cleaning. I am finally finished my shopping and the Christmas projects are all completed. Once tomorrow is over I should be able to sit back a seriously enjoy the season.

I love all this stuff. I really do, even when I feel overwhelmed and crazy, I love it. 

Good Night!!

Linda

Saturday Stuff and one big job done

My Saturday did not turn out at all like I had planned it to and I was thrilled. The plan was to get groceries, finish the Christmas shopping and then spend the rest of the day at home working on the last of the Christmas projects. Instead the Banker and I decided to spend the afternoon shopping together. We had this brilliant idea while we were coffeeing with the No Cook Friday Group. I decided I could get groceries, go to the bank, clean the kitchen before she got her to pick me up. Change of plans again, I slept in and did not manage to get the groceries. I did get to the bank, that was most important. The kitchen is still a mess but there is always tomorrow!! (Big fan of Scarlette O'Hara, me)

I managed to fly in the back door just as the Banker arrived at the front door to get me. We started out the afternoon but going to a local tea room for a scrumptious lunch and found some bargains in the attached gift shop. Then we shopped the little specialty stores on the the main drag. I drooled over the hand carved wooden nativity figures that I am one day gonna be able to get for myself, dang-it!! My set is getting a little worse for the wear, some of the participants are starting to miss certain appendages.

We managed to put in the afternoon. I got some gifts, I got a new pig ornament for the Piggy Christmas tree. It was all good. We ended with coffee at her house then I came home and promptly went to get those groceries that I missed this morning.

I splurged and bought myself some sushi for supper but I fear the label on the container lied. I read it carefully before I bought it and it did not mention fiery, hot, throat burning pain.  I bought crispy shrimp. It was neither crispy nor shrimpy and it was hot as hell!! I don't like spicy stuff, I am a baby about it but I ate the dang thing anyway because sushi is not cheap and I was not gonna pitch it out. I didn't care if my mouth burned from supper to tomorrow morning I was not going to waste it, I was going to eat it, starving children all over the world would suffer if I wasted it SO I ate it and I was not happy and really how silly is that???? I'm sure the starving children are sleeping better for it. I am an idiot sometimes but that is a blog post for another day.

Since I was already well on my way to turning into Little Miss Crankypants, I decided to tackle a big job that has been staring me in the face for a while now. I could not keep putting it off, It had to be done, it could not continue to be ignored, not if I am going to get the Christmas decorations up. The entertainment centers needed to be swapped. Crap. At least I moved the old sewing table awhile ago but the corner until was still parked in between the dining and living rooms. This had to change. I pulled up my boot straps and waded in.

I emptied, I packed, I moved, I huffed and I puffed. I got to the point where it was looking like this. Then it happens.

Right about at this point in any venture is where I decide that changing things is highly overrated and what was I thinking and why did I start this and it would not look so bad just being left this way. I could embrace the hoarder life style, bow to the inevitable and just give in. Time has taught me that when I start to think like that I need to take a break and try to talk myself down off the ledge.

It may not look like I have done much but I had. I started to chant, I will get it moved, it will get done, I can move all those wires and machines and still have tv when the dust settles. I am woman hear me roar, blah,blah, blah.

Fast foreward and see all done, all moved and there is cable!! It all works and its all operational. I AM WOMAN!! Ignore the blue and white cupboard, that is going other places eventually. I need it right now for the storage but in the big long term plan of things its gone!!

I cannot tell you the joy I feel seeing the DVR, the DVD and the VCR all tucked away in their own little spaces. No longer throwing the symmetry of the unit off balance and causing me headaches. I need balance and symmetry, it soothes me.

I have the old unit in the dining room now, (sigh) but it will be dismantled and disposed of tomorrow. I thought of donating it but no one wants those units anymore and the second hand stores are full of them. Mine is for the garbage. Everyone I have offered it to has one of their own to get rid of. I will demolish and dispose of it on the morrow. It's a shame but I have had it for a long, long time and it owes no one anything.

The blue and white cupboard will be moved upstairs and where it is sitting now will be another storage unit.................. in time. I have to have it made unless I can find something that will work. It will be a place to store DVD's, photo albums, crap and some shelves for display. Oh yes and in time the tv will change to a flat screen. I have plans!! I have lists!!! It will come to fruition. In the meantime I will have fun shuffling things around until I am pleased with how it all looks. I have already taken the two little doors off the bottom. I like it better this way.

Tomorrow I will bring the trees up from the basement. Then I can spend next week decorating the house. I am really in the mood to do it this year. I also plan to purge out some of the decorations that have seen better days, or that I no longer wish to keep. I did not put up the big tree last year so I need to get it up this year.

Its has been such a good day, in spite of the sushi fiasco. I hope your Saturday was equally as good and that your supper did not turn on you like mine did.

Toodles,

Linda