Sunday Snippets

This morning did not start out all that well, I am beginning to feel the neighbours have joined together in a conspiracy to keep me from sleeping in on Sunday. Two houses down they turned loose the dog, I call him Sir Barks-a-lot, at 7:30 this fine morning. The result of which he barked, howled and moaned until around 8:30 or so when either they let him back into the house or he went hoarse but the barking ceased. I was happy for a brief second until the person in the house right next to mine started pounding on something, He appears to be renovating and today it was time to hammer, repeatedly, for long enough that I finally gave up and got up. Part of the joy of living in the older part of town is that our houses are so close together you can almost hear what is being said in the other house. It sounded like he was hammering right in my living room. You will be happy to know that by 10:30 all was silent and I have not heard a peep all afternoon. Sunday is the one day I get to sleep in, guilt free and I look forward to it all week. Apparently other people have a different plan for me and my Sundays.

The day did get much better as it went along, I went to brunch at the home of the Hostess. We got a peak at her newly renovated living room. She had a mantle with built in cupboards on either side, constructed around her fireplace. Oh my stars it looks lovely. She has made so many changes to that house, its amazing. Teddy Bear was there and our friend KB. We dined on German apple pancake, fruit salad, yogurt and real ham, washed down with coffee and good conversation. We moved furniture around after breakfast and then we coffeed and talked some more. I am going to google up the pancake recipe, it was so good and I would like to make it sometime when my family is here,

I finally hauled the glass to the recycle depot, I can once again walk out of the back porch without fear of tripping. This morning, I did manage to forget to remove the extension cord from my car, so my brand new cord is somewhere between my house and the Hostess' place. Drat! I knew I was going to do that some day. Oh well, I hope it finds a new home. As I promised myself, I stopped at the fabric store on my way home and got what was needed for the rest of the quilt.

Dishes were done and more laundry was dealt with while I happily sewed on the quilt squares for the remainder of the afternoon. I am happy to say that I have all the pieced squares ready to go.

I bought cream coloured material to go in between the squares. The background of the floral print is a cream and I thought it would work. I am very happy with how quickly this quilt is coming together. I hope it quilts up just as fast.

Toodles
Linda

Saturday Stuff

Feeling rather smug with myself this weekend because there is little enough housework to be done. I did the majority of it last week before Busy and the Carpenter got here. Next week I am going to get back on my housework schedule and try to keep the place this way. I know I have said this before but I figure if I keep repeating it, I will actually do it. |Our visit was short but sweet. They should be in Jamaica today, basking in the sun while we, who are left behind, shiver in the cold. Ah I am just teasing, I am perfectly happy to be where I am and I am perfectly happy for them to be off on the holiday of their choice.

This morning, I awoke to the usual barking of the neighbours dog, (sigh) I felt so sorry for the poor thing this morning because it was dang cold out there and he was out for more than an hour, that I know of. It was at least that long as that is as long as I could hear him. So I gave up trying to sleep and got up. Groceries needed to be purchased.

I actually enjoy shopping for groceries. I am not over joyed at having to pay for them but I do enjoy the act of shopping for them. I like doing laundry too, so call me weird, you will not be the first or the last. Back to my titillating Satuday activities, where was I? Oh yes groceries, said groceries were duly hauled home and put away. Lunch was made and consumed. (have you passed out yet from the excitement of it all??). A quick phone chat with the Hostess, I made a batch of laundry soap and then decided at long last to get the material stash out and get going on one of the many quilts I want to make this year.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy digging through the bins that contain my stash, searching and sorting until I  find the right material for the quilt pattern that I have picked out. In no time at all I had my decision made and the material picked, and the bins returned to their hiding places.

I found this pattern on the internet and I liked it. Its so simple and easy to put together but it looks like you have made a really big effort. You start with a regular old nine patch.

Black, grays and burgundy. Like this it looks perfectly fine but with a simple little slice and dice and you get something that looks like this:

I do need to get some plain material to cut the blocks that will go in-between these ones and then I will do the edge of the quilt in the blacks and the grays with a hit of burgundy as well. I will post pictures of course when I am finished. I am not sure what this pattern is called, I hope I can find the blog where I first saw it and get the name.

 I am going to have brunch tomorrow at with the Hostess, Teddy Bear and another friend who has moved away but will be back for a visit. I will stop at the fabric store then to get the rest of the material needed to fill in the plain blocks. If I got my butt in gear I could get the most of the pieced blocks done today, they go that fast.

Tonight I am off to a movie at the local university theater, so I have like 3 and a half hours of sewing time. I only need twelve pieced blocks for the quilt top. Two down, ten to go. Its wonderful fun for me to be in my little house, quilt making on a chilly winter day. Hot cup of tea at my elbow to sip on while I stitch away the hours. Its bliss I tell you, pure bliss.

Toodles,
Linda

Locked and Loaded for Ireland and Lots of Babbling About Other Stuff.

Well maybe not locked and loaded but the tickets are booked and September cannot come fast enough for me. I am going to IRELAND for two whole weeks. There is much to be done between then and now but the first step has been made. Oh the fun I will have making lists, things that need doing, things that I need to get, things to take, what not to take, on and on and on it goes. The Banker and I sat down last night and sketched out a plan of what we sort of want to do and what we want to see, leaving room for happy accidents, etc. I could not sleep last night I was so wound up, like a kid a Christmas. There are pints of Guinness to be drunk, shops to explore, castles to visit and sea air to be inhaled!!

Tonight has been much tamer. I got the nice CAA people to come and plug a new battery into my car so in the morning I will be able to get my self to work in my own car once again. I had so many offers of rides and help, I really am spoiled rotten at how truly good my friends are to me. However I like to not feel that I am a burden on anyone and getting around by my own steam is one of the things that makes me feel like I am not troubling anyone else. B eing mobile again is a comfort to my sensibilities.

That took a good part of the evening because its cold and the CAA people are super busy dealing with the fall out from said cold. Once I got that done, got my passport information for the Banker, made some scrambled eggs for supper, time was ticking away. I have managed to get my sewing room improved, not perfect but improved. It took a hour, which is not a very long time, and the counters are cleared, the sewing table is cleared and things are put where they belong. I have a foot high stack of magazines to deal with. I need to get better at looking at them. As good at looking at them as I am at collecting them.

Laundry is chugging away and I actually have found the top of the table. Yikes!! Things are looking up. Nothing like having family for a visit to light a fire under one's butt. Does anyone else besides me leave one thing out after all the Christmas decorations have been put away? It's  not intentional, I try super hard each year to get it all gathered up, but inevitably, I leave at least one thing out that should not be. Well, tonight I finally noticed this years little escape artist. A snow man jar that has been happily hiding in plain sight on the stove until tonight when it finally registered that it was there and should not be, not at this stage of the game. Off it went to the place where Christmas lives until its time to come out again.

I have tomorrow night to finish off the things that need to be done, then Busy and the Carpenter will be here sometime on Thursday night. I have taken Friday off to hang with them while they are here then they will head off to their plane and Jamaica and I will continue to purge, clean, pootle about and generally do my usual thing.

Its all good!! Especially when I am getting to go to IRELAND!!!


Toodles,
Linda

Sunday Snippets

It has been a cold, cold cold day here. I have no idea what the wind chill is, I think -40 C and the temp is currently -27 c. Brrrrrr. This entire weekend I was only out long enough to shovel the front sidewalk, which takes all of 15 minutes, then I scooted back into the house never to venture out again to day.

I was supposed to go talk the glass to the recycle depot today as its getting harder and harder to get in and out the back door. Too many boxes of glass that needs to be hauled away but it did not happen. Ah well, it can go another day when its warmer and I have more energy.

Things were not nearly as productive around here today. I did laundry, dishes, the walk, knit and puttered about on the computer for a bit. I even spent some time this afternoon watching the cat chase her tail. This made me happier than I can say. Its been ages since I have seen her do that. It warms my heart to see the old lady acting a bit of a kitten. It has puffed her out though. She has spent the rest of the day snoozing about. There is something so comforting about seeing a cat curled up snoozing, someplace soft and cozy. I know she is super tired because I can put my hand on her and she hardly wakes.

Tomorrow night I am off to the Banker's for supper and some serious planning for our trip to Ireland. Oh, I cannot believe that I am going to get to go. I have always wanted to go there, I have no idea why, England should have been my first choice but Ireland has always had my heart. Maybe I lived there in a former life?? Who knows but the plan is to go in September. SO EXCITING!!!

Busy and the Carpenter will be here for a bit on the weekend. They are stopping over on their way to Jamaica. It will be nice to see them. I am looking foreward to having company. I would love to keep him for a day or two and find some jobs for him to do but I will content my self with asking some advise instead of "working them like rented mules"

Well I have run out of things to babble on about. Its time to get off here, Downton Abbey will be on soon and I do not want to miss it.

Toodles,
Linda

One Foot to the East Continued

Fortified by a hearty bowl of homemade chicken soup and a short nap on the couch I was ready to continue on my with my Saturday "to do" list and I tackled the Tupperware cupboard. This is literally one of those cartoon cupboards that the minute you open the doors, an avalanche of plastic comes barreling at your head and one is forced to fear for your life.

I am not going to share what fell on the floor when I took the doors off but trust me there is a pile of plastic littering the laundry room floor. This is what managed to remain inside the cupboard. Sleeves pushed up, I dove fearlessly into the abyss,  I pulled things out, sorted, purged, debated and returned things, pulled them out again, until at last I could do no more and now it looks like this.

Not a dramatic change but at least it will not decapitate you, should you have the nerve to venture into its confines. I am happy to say that now the most frequently used things are at the front and easily accessible. Lost lids have been found and returned to the lid baskets. I do still need to pull the deep freeze out and retrieve all the bits and pieces that have fallen behind there. (Another day perhaps). I have come out of the whole escapade with  more donations to the charity shop boxes and a half a garbage bag full of recycle.

Personally I think the best look for the cupboard is this one.

Toodles,
Linda

One Foot to the East

When I went about redecorating the living room I indulged myself and bought at area rug. It wasn't on sale, I just cracked out the credit card and bought it because I loved it completely. It was laid down and I loved it but something bugged me. Its placement. It was about a foot too far west that what it should be. I decided I could live with it because moving it was a lot of work. Well I stood it as long as I could. Things like this bother me more than I care to admit to .

Today was the day it was getting moved. Here is where we started: We, being the rug and I. The cat took to the upper floors for safe keeping.

I want it so the chairs actually sit on the rug . Means moving the couch, ottoman, assorted chairs and the loom which sits on the opposite side of the room and which I failed to take a picture. Anywho, fortified with several cups of coffee and a promise to myself I would not over do it and rehurt my knee I began.

Soon this looked like this:

Much grunting and groaning later the rug was vacuumed, shifted and finally resting in it proper place. Much more appealing to my eye.

usually for me about half or 3/4 of the way through a project, I get tired, really tired and start thinking things like " who's dumbass ideas was this?", "why did I start this in the first place" and " The place really does not look this bad like this" and "things could stay like this, it doesn't look that bad". I mean really, the couch looks good here, nice and close to the TV. Don't you think? No???? Crap.

Lots of room to walk behind it. How bad would it be to leave it all like this and go sew something or knit something or have a nap??  Oh Shut up!! Stop telling me what I already know. Thankfully I know myself and when I get like this I go have a cup of tea and a break and gather myself together.

One cup of Earl Grey later and the place is starting to look back to normal once again. Now the chairs actually sit on the rug. I love that. It makes me happy.

I even fished the box of flooring out from under the couch so I can eventually redo the floor in the downstairs bathroom. That is is you can see on the bottom right hand side of the picture. The bathroom floor is a story for another day. I won't be able to do it until my knee is much better but one of these days I will get it done.

I moved the floor loom out into the entry and moved the little china cabinet into the living room. it makes more sense this way. Its not how I would like it but its the most practical place for the loom. In my little house I don't have a lot of spare space to store huge things like floor loom but I am not going to get rid of it either.

I have the material to recover the balloon back chairs, the pink velvet does not go all that well with the red couch.  I just have not gotten around to it yet. Maybe I could do one of them tomorrow. Time will tell.

So that was the most of my morning. The whole process was slower than it need to be because of my stupid sore knee but its done now. I am happy, I now intend to eat some soup, then defeat the Tupperware cupboard. I am determined it will no longer throw things at me when I open the doors not to mention that I need to make space in it for the things I use the most often, rather than storing them on top of the fridge and on the kitchen counter because I cannot jam them into the place they should be. Oh it is a never ending process in this little house. The constant pursuit of organized, tidy space.


Toodles,

Linda

Snowstorms and Soup

Finally finally finally I made a pot of chicken noodle soup tonight. I have only been planning to do this for a week now. Honestly, I amaze myself at how I can avoid doing some of the most simple things. It took me 12 minutes to throw all the ingredients into a pot and set it to cooking. I forgot the bay leaf, (I just thought of that now) but really how simple is that. Carrots, celery, onion, chicken, broth and noodles. Throw in some spices and let it cook. Hearty, yummy, and the perfect thing to eat on a snowy winter's night. It will be wonderful to have it to take to work tomorrow for lunch, once the flavours have melded and mingled and deepened and become richer. I need to adjust this thinking of mine that what really only takes a few minutes is a big deal. Work, overwhelming, too much, whatever it is I get stuck into my head. I need to focus on what the rewards are and how little time it really does take.

Panic and gratitude hit me this afternoon. Once again I am grateful for my DVR and that function where you set up the taping of a series. I totally forgot Downton Abbey on Sunday, and today when I remembered I promptly had a panic because I thought I would have missed it. Ha!Ha! I, thankfully, had set up a series recording and I will be able to see it. How I managed to forget that it was on I have no idea. I love that series.

Not much else happening here. I spend my days at work, wishing I could be home, full of plans to purge and clean and organize. It is a new year and I like many others am seized with the need to clean. Then I get home and all I want is to sit and knit or nap on the couch. What is up with this I have no idea but its annoying. I will however get started on the weekend. I want to move the living room area rug and that means moving furniture. Might as well do a good clean while things are moved about. I want to shift the loom to a new spot in the house as well. Its not where I want it to be but its a more sensible spot to have it. I will post pictures as  I work my way through it.

I also plan to start a quilt this weekend. I owe on to the Church at home and I should make another to donate to them again this year. Winter is most condusive to quilting and knitting. Warm and cozy things to combat the cold chilly winds of winter. I think I have found a couple of patterns that I want to try out. One for sure. I am on the fence about the other and may keep looking until I find that one that sings my name.

Toodles,
Linda

Sunday Catch Up

Cold, quiet day here at the homestead. Did the usual Sunday morning things, slept late, made breakfast, then sort of got ready to face the day.I finally finished the great Christmas Clean Up. Well almost, I have to make a trip to the basement with the trees and the outside stuff but I am going to do that later when my knee is done getting better. Its vastly improved now but it still needs a tad more time to be back to normal. Since a trip to my basement is a bit of an adventure, I need all my leg strength.

This afternoon E and I went to see Lincoln. I liked it. I had a hard time following who was who and who was on side and who was not but on the whole I liked it. Daniel Day Lewis did such a good job, you would forget who he was at times. He reminds me of Meryl Streep with his ability to totally become the character. E thought Sally Field was not right for her part but I thought she was just fine. She cries so well.

Some of my afternoon was spent watching The Last Time I Saw Paris, with Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson. I love old movies and thanks to my DVR I will get to actually see the end. I had to leave to pick up E before the movie actually ended and its been so long since I saw it I forget the actual ending. I worked away on my scarf project, sipped tea and watched the movie. A perfect afternoon in my eyes.

Now I am home again. I should actually do the dishes and get the kitchen set to rights but I am not feeling like it. I can do that tomorrow night. Tonight I will flip through some magazines and keep one eye on the Goldon Globes. I usually only ever watch the Academy Awards but there really is not much on TV tonight.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Toodles,
Linda

Saturday Stuff

Funny how a cup of tea and three coconut cookies (gluten free!!) can make you feel so much better when you are tired. I do love a cup of tea when I am feeling weary. This is a good kind of tired because after battling all afternoon long, Christmas it almost completely put away. I have one little tree to deal with and then the garland and a wreath on the front of the house has to come down and I am finished. Happy Drunken Monkey Dance of Joy.  All the pretty seasonal things are back in their place for one more year. Its a lot more fun to get out than it is to put away in my opinion. Its good to have it done and it was time for it to go. The house looks roomier. I was ready to do it this week but I had to wait until to day because of my stupid knee. Tomorrow I will finish it completely.

There you have it, that has been my Saturday so far, groceries and errands this morning. Snow shoveling and then Christmas clean up this afternoon. Now its supper time and I am done in. My knee has held up very well today, I have not had to take any pain killers but I am more than ready to rest it for the remainder of the day as I spend the evening knitting in front of the television. Speaking of knitting I am on scarf number 4 of the 27 I plan to knit this year. Happy with that, I am!!

Even though I feel revived a bit after my tea break, I still am trying to work up the energy to go peel some potatoes. I had breakfast this morning, then my tea and nothing else. I am starting to think I need to rustle up some supper. Have I mentioned I plan to work on my cooking skills this year?? Well I am but I am thinking maybe not today. Boiled potatoes and some leftovers will more than do for my supper.

So that is what I have been up to. Its been a good day. A friend dropped by this afternoon and I did a little favour for her. She brought me a book and I nearly peed my pants I was so happy.

Do my friends know the way to my heard to what?? A book about my all time favourite book and movie. It is a win, win, win all round.

Have I ever mentioned how blessed I am with really really really good friends who are so over the top good to me. I am over and over again, each and every day reminded of this fact. The watch over me, make sure I am ok, call to check in when I am not well and when I am. I am grateful for each and every one of them. They make my life so much richer.

Ok potatoes will not peel them selves, nor can I do it with the power of my mind. I have been trying so I think I may just have to get up and actually go into the kitchen and peel some myself. I wonder if I could talk the cat into trying it out?????????????????

Toodles,
Linda

On the Mend

Well my poor old abused knee is slowly getting better. I managed to stand and wash a sink full of dishes the other day and last night and this morning I can sit at the computer with my knee bent a little for a longer period of time. Its all good, its slow but its good. I can hobble about the house with out the cane today so I am definitely on the road to recovery. I detest being anything less than capable of doing for myself. It makes me cranky. I plan to go back to work tomorrow. I think I can get around enough and sit at the desk comfortably enough that I can do it. Besides if I stay home much longer I will need a doctor's note and I don't want to go to the doctor. He will tell me I'm fat, (like I don't know that) and he will then tell me to stay off it as much as possible and take Advil. I can and am doing that already.

So I am staying home today, babying my poor abused appendage and watching way too much daytime television. I will be so glad when this knee heals and I can get around again without having to think of every step.

Toodles,
Linda

Snap, Crackle, Pop goes the Knee

Short post to day because I cannot sit at the computer very long. Why is that? Well I am at home right now, but sadly I am not happy about it. I snapped a tendon in my knee today going up the stairs to work and it hurts like hell and I am cranky and I want it fixed this instant. There is no instant fix. Crap Crap Crapity Crap.

So I am staying off it as much as I can and it will get better eventually. Patience is not my strong suit. I am not good at being out of commission.

Toodles,

Linda

Another Week Slipped By

It has been a while since I sat down to do a blog post. This last week was the funniest of weeks, it dragged on and on with leaden feet in some aspects and in others it was gone in a blink. I am blaming the fact that New Year was on Tuesday and got everything into a muddle.

So the work week lasted about a million days but the free time zipped by with lightening speed. Whatever was happening I did not do any blogging. Go Me!! I need to get myself back on schedule. New Year, new start and all that.

My Christmas decorations are still out and about. They will be put back into their summer homes starting this week. While I hate to see them go away, it will be nice to have the place back to normal. More room, less clutter, and as with most everyone else the urge to clean, purge, tidy and organize comes along with the putting away of Christmas. The cleaning, purging,etc will start this week as well.

At work this has been a week of goodbyes. Two of our staff are retiring so there where hugs, tears and farewells. We had a little coffee do for one of our men who is leaving, we are taking him out for a proper farewell this coming week at a pub, so there will be booze but the coffee party in the office was a bonus. Snacks are welcomed on these occasions and in that aspect, I stepped out of my comfort zone. I am an passable cook/baker but I am not usually confidant enough to try a new recipe and take it out in public without having done a taste test at home. This week I stepped outside my comfort zone. I had read on another blog, mockingbirdhillcottage.com, about a coffee cake the author makes each Christmas. It sounded and looked so yummy I decided to give it a try. (Having all the ingredients on hand was another plus). I will confess I used pecans instead of walnuts but is came out looking pretty good I thought.

I mean something that looks this tasty could not possibly be bad, off to work it went with me. I am very happy to say it was a hit. I came home with a couple of crumbs on a plate, a head full of compliments and several recipe requests. That to me is a hit. I am definitely moving this recipe into my "make it again" file. Thank you Claudia, even though you have no idea who I am.

The Nurse was here for part of the weekend. The Entertainer did not come with her, she opted to stay home with Grandma and Grandpa so Mommy got some alone time. The Nurse spent her time of Friday visiting with other friends and caught up to me for coffee with the No Cook Friday group. Saturday we spent the most of it shopping, just one small break to take in Les Miserables. After supper she scooted off home to her girl and I retired to my knitting and the television. I am always glad to see her, I have known her since she was 3 or 4 years old, so I am tickled she makes a point of visiting with me.

Today was a super lazy day for me. I did not even get to breakfast until close to noon. I finally got dressed around 1:00 and then did some sewing. I finally made a cover for my beloved Kitchen Aid Mixer. In my small house space is at a premium and the only place I can keep my baby is beside the stove.

Isn't she pretty???? I love this mixer, it tickles me to no end that I finally got one and I want to look after it as best I can. Sitting by the stove gets it all mucky. Today I made this:

This will keep the greasy splats off of my baby and I can throw it in the wash when it needs it. I have had the material for ages and finally, today. got my self round to sewing it up.

I also purchased for myself this jolly little fellow when I was out and about this weekend. I saw him when the Christmas season first came about and I liked him, but I did not like him for $12.99. I like him even better now he was only $4.99. He makes me smile when I look at him. He has a little chip on his nose but that just adds to his charm as far as I am concerned. I think I will call him Dudley. Yes I am one of those people that names inanimate objects. Deal with it.

Season 3 of Downton Abbey starts tonight, Happy Dance of Joy!! I enjoy this series to no end. I like those Upstairs/Downstairs sorts of shows. I had best get off and watch it.

Toodles,
Linda

Its a New Year!! Wow!!

2013, I cannot believe its 2013 already. Seems like just yesterday it was 2000. I really am starting to sound like an old fart. (Soon I will be yelling at kids to get off my lawn).  So before I take a complete slide into geezerdom I have to say I have high hopes for this year. 13 is my favourite number so I am thinking this is gonna be a good year. A new chapter, a blank page and full of endless possibilities.

I did not do much last night, watched the Hatfields and the McCoys on tv and nibbled appetizers, drank a little wine, stayed up til midnight. I let the New Year in the front door, shooed the old year out the back door and then I went to bed. I slept in this morning, got up and was just done breakfast when Teddy Bear phoned and twisted (teehee) my arm to go out for coffee. I laugh because all she had to say was coffee and I jumped on the chance. Coffeee/laundry ........ the choice was pretty easy I have to admit. I love days like this. I thought it would go one way and it took unexpected turns. Wonderful unexpected turns.

T-Bear and I coffeed for an hour or more, discussed all the things we want to do to get our houses in order this year, then we parted company. I headed home and dove head first into my to do list. Finally today I dealt with all the cat blankets and towels. I use these to cover the furniture so her Majesty can lounge without covering the actual furniture in a carpet of kitty fur. Sadly, I take them off, stuff them in a corner and put fresh on. Well I had to deal with them. Honestly I gathered up bales, yes, I tell you, BALES of cat hair. I rubbed, combed, vacuumed, picked and pulled until it was all gone. Then I washed them all, fresh and clean with a promise to myself to keep on top of them in future. This last year I have gotten so good at ignoring the day to day things that need to be done. Need to stop that.

I finally washed the ceiling fan in the kitchen, HAPPY DANCE OF JOY!! It no longer looks like its coated in ostrich feathers. Now I know I have to do the rest of them in the house. Believe me if a chunk lets loose on one of them, it would knock someone out. I will not go on and on about what I did but I got all but one thing done on my list. This makes me happy. I like to start the year out by at least keeping some of the promises I make to myself. Its to early to break the resolutions!!

Then I finished off my day with a lovely, lovely, lovely, roast beef supper with the Hostess. Gawd that woman can cook!! Even when stuff does not turn out as nicely as she would like them they are still delicious. Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, gravy, potatoes, turnip, peas, pickles, wine, brownies for dessert. Amaretto and coffee. Oiy. It was lovely. So much better than the scrambled eggs I thought I would have. All in all I had a great day, I got my list dealt with, and I got the bonus of  the extra two nice things today, coffee with T-Bear and supper with the Hostess. A lovely change to a day I thought I would be spending on my own. Love those friends of mine!!

One thing on my resolution list, (one of a zillion)  I want to get better at cooking. I have always wanted to learn to be a really good cook and I think this is the year I need to get on it. Every time I go to someone's place the food is so good, I resolve once again to practice and get better at this cooking malarkey. Thus far I have not put much effort into the actual practice. This year is the year. I do not know if this counts but I came home and threw together a pot of hamburger soup, now I have something to take to work for lunch this  week. Hardly gourmet but it will be yummy. It took less that 30 minutes. Need to work on that mind set that food prep takes forever and is lots of work.

So in 2013 I want to get healthier, become a better cook, get more organized at home, purge my house, stay on top of the house cleaning, give back more, be more grateful for all of the blessings I have, let my friends know how much I care about them and how grateful I am that I have them in my life. Live a life of gratitude, stop dwelling on the past and things I cannot change. Learn to spin wool once and for all. Work on my looms more and I have a few zillion other things that I am not gonna put on here for the world to see. So there it is, some but not all  of my high hopes for 2013.

Right now I need to go check my soup and get some knitting time in before I need to head for bed.

I hope each and everyone of you had a Happy New Year and that this year brings you all you need to be happy, healthy, wealthy and wise!!

Toodles,
Linda