The end is nigh...

Here we are, at the end of another year.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and has something fun planned for tonight.

I got a bread maker for Christmas. MMMMMMM, I can't wait to smell up the house! And my husband bought me jewelry. He's the best jewelry picker ever. In the past, he's picked out things like;

This year I got matching earrings and a ring. I love the settings! He did good :-)

We're ending the year with all the snow that we missed out on last year. The day after Christmas was supposed to be a blizzard, which sort of fizzled. Don't get me wrong, 8 inches of snow in one storm is nothing to sneeze at, but it certainly wasn't a blizzard.

Then Saturday we got about 5 more inches. Today we're supposed to get 2 to 4 MORE inches!  I say, "bring it!"

It's super duper pretty out there;

That's my favorite kind of snow, the sticky stuff. It made me smile when I looked outside.

Yesterday though, we noticed this giant icicle;



We decided to let it grow and see how big it would get. Then, last night, we decided we better knock down. It was almost touching the ground by then and Bill was worried it break off and go crashing through the window. That would be bad! Besides the fact that the weight of it might pull the gutter off! So we knocked it off this morning...it was huge!



Tonight we are headed to a place called The Journey for dinner. It's Bill's favorite because 1. it's a buffet and 2. they have sushi, lots of it, all you can eat. And they have plenty of other things to eat as well. I've printed out a list of all the good things that happened for us over the year. Then I cut them into strips and stuck them in a jar. At dinner, we'll take turns pulling one out and reading it. It's a nice way to remember how blessed your year was. And then we'll be staying in.

Oh and this is what I quilled for Mom for Christmas - they are each 9x12;

So...HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! I hope the coming year is filled with good times, good health, good people, and prosperity.

just things...

Yesterday I donated $20 to a coworkers Special Olympics fundraiser. She's participating in the "Polar Plunge" in February. I figure anyone passionate enough about their cause to jump into a freezing cold lake in the middle of winter, deserves at least that! Go Amber!

Chuck's daughter says to eat drink and bee merry because you might not be here Saturday!
I think that's as good as an excuse as any!

Christmas is ONE WEEK from today! I know there's news about a big winter storm coming but I bet it passes us by.   :-(

This past weekend, my man finished installing his new cabinets in the garage. He's SO happy with all the new storage and that everything is out of sight. I like that part, out of sight. While I was helping him go through some bins, I found my Tickle Me Elmo. It's at leas a decade old. You won't believe this but the batteries still work! Seriously! He doesn't quite shake like he should when he's laughing but he still has that awesome giggle. I brought him in the house because Greta LOVES him! Really, I set him on the chair and she just sits there and looks at him. It's the funniest thing. I'll try and get a picture. She seems to be so curious about his laugh and how I make him do it. Pepper just runs away.

And today, the new cushion for the futon chair arrived. I received a notice that it's on our front porch right now. I convinced Bill to go back to the futon chair because it's the only piece of furniture we've had in the last 23 years that he hasn't totaled. I've never known someone to be so hard on furniture! He thinks everything else has just been 'poor' quality but I'm telling you, even a tank could be destroyed by my husband!

Also this past weekend, Mom and I worked up our Christmas menu. We're already planning on too much food. Usually on Christmas Eve we have pizza. This year we're having the food we're not having on Christmas Day because there are so many yummy things we want to make. Like Lil' Smokies wrapped in bacon. mmmmmmm! And Swiss cheese potatoes! And mini apple turnovers. OMG I can hardly wait!!

latest projects

Finally finished with all my paying customers! whew, that was close!

These were just for fun :-)
(I love Pinterest!)

All about 12

Today is 12/12/12
SO? you say!
Well, 12 is a big deal. Read all about it!

Happy Dec. 12, 2012!


By Meagan McCrary

Good news: The world isn't going to end today (that won't possibly happen until 12/21/12). But it is the last time the month, day and year will all be the same number—at least until January 1, 2101. Consecutive date sequences are both magical and mystical for their rare occurrences and the hidden meaning of numbers. Find out what's so special about the number 12 and why today's triple dozen date is worth noting.

• In Western numerology, numbers are associated with certain personality traits: The masculine one is self-sufficient and driven, while the feminine two is a true partner. Together they form a balanced and unstoppable pair. One also represents new beginnings and two represents union, making today's triple-digit date a propitious day for tying the knot. According to a David's Bridal survey, an estimated 7,500 brides will marry on 12/12/12—a 1,446 percent increase over the prior year!

• According to Chinese numerology, one is considered a yang number ruled by the sun and represents independence and individualism. Two is considered a yin number ruled by the moon and represents symmetry and balance. Combined, the number 12 brings harmony to the yin and the yang, balancing the masculine energy of the sun and the feminine energy of the moon.

• Because 12 can be so easily divided, it's commonly used in measurements. There are 12 inches in a foot, 12 ounces in a troy pound (which is used to measure gold, silver and gems), 12 in a dozen, 12 hours on a clock, 24 hours in a day, and 12x12 (144) equals a gross.

• In the world of numerology, twelve is considered the number of completeness and represents the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. December is the twelfth and final month of the year, every 12 hours day turns to night or night to day and today completes the trice-repeating dates until the next century rolls around. Enjoy the rest of 2012!

But they forgot to mention the 12 Days of Christmas!!!

Christmas shows

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
White Christmas
It's a Wonderful Life
Scrooge/the musical w/Albert Finney
Scrooge/with Alistiar Sim
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause 2
The Santa Clause 3
Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
Polar Express

I know there are more, especially if you're a fan of the Lifetime or Hallmark channels on cable! But these are the ones I need!

So far I've viewed;
How the Grinch Stole Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas
White Christmas
The Santa Clause
The Santa Clause 2
The Santa Clause 3
Frosty the Snowman

I better get busy!

ho, ho, ho

thanks for sharing Mom!! I laughed hardily at the last two  :-)

just some stuff

Well, Bill is back from vacation and he had a really nice couple of days visiting his kids. I'm glad, he needed that. While he was away, I was pretty busy too! I'm almost finished with the latest quilling project;

It's coming along nicely :-)
Someone else asked me last week if I had time to do something for her before Christmas. I wasn't sure but now I can say yes! This is SO fun!!

I got both Christmas trees up and decorated plus some other house decorations. And spent part of a day with Mom shopping in 'real' stores. I didn't buy anything though. I really feel like I need to though.

Yesterday at work, 4 of us decided to have PF Chang's for lunch. It was a disaster. They took too long, left out an order and it wasn't very good. It takes a couple of times before I'll stop going/shopping somewhere if the service or quality is poor. They've blown it several times now but yesterday was the worst! So I clicked the 'contact us' link on their web-site and let them know how disappointed I've been.
Today, they sent me an incredibly nice response and a $30 gift card. They're forgiven :-) Unless they blow again and then it's OVER!

Have you ever noticed that chewing gum takes on the 'smell' of what's it's stored next to? Ick.

For only the 6th time in recorded history, we had a 70+ degree day in December, over the weekend. They said it was going to be a normal winter despite the unbearably hot summer. Uh huh. I WANT SNOW! Not a blizzard, but enough to cover everything on the ground. You know, 5 or 6 inches.

My family tree...

...is full of interesting and colorful people. There's George Ives, the scoundrel. He was so bad that they hang him every year in effigy.

http://www.experiencegoldwest.com/listings/16583.htm

Poor George.

Then there was Mabel Ives. She was pretty cool. Towering over most men of her time at 6 ft. I hear that she owned the town of Ely Nevada once and worked as a seamstress for a Hollywood movie studio when she was committed to a sanatorium after she was diagnosed with TB.

Then there's this fella;

http://garyives.wordpress.com/

He's a published author! That's my uncle :-) Pretty cool! Check it out.

sigh

I'm feeling a little "officially" old today.

Someone that I was friends with in high school passed away last week. Oh, it's not like we kept in touch, we didn't. And we weren't best friends. None the less, he was someone in our 'click' that I hung around with and cared about. He had a heart attack. He was 56. It made me feel sad.

I'm dreaming...

....of a white Christmas....Oh, right, it's not even December yet. But it is tomorrow!!!

This weekend I will be happily putting up the tree and decorating the house and listening to Christmas carols and watching Christmas musicals. Bill is going to visit the kids so I'll be by my cheery self. No, I don't mean cheery because he'll be gone. I mean cheery because I'll have Christmas things to do. What's happier than that?? I'm even going to wrap presents! I can do that because I'm done shopping :-) Yeah, don't hate. hahahahahahaha And do you know, for the very first time, I bought every single present, on-line. A couple days ago a package was delivered and Bill asked me, "did you buy everything on-line?!" I had to think about it...yep, I did. Well, I'm going to get a couple things at a real store this weekend. But still, 97% of everything I got, was purchased on-line. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I'll be doing lots of happy things things this weekend.

Oh, and I still have 2 quilling projects to finish as well. And someone asked me yesterday if I could squeeze in another one before Christmas. I said yes! I LOVE Quilling!!

The 12 days of Christmas

Do you have any idea how much the 12 days of Christmas gift giving would cost for the entire 12 days? HA! I know, you've been wondering your whole life right?!

Well, here's the answer, $107,379.52. Truthfully, I thought it would be more than that.

Tis the season!

OK, Thanksgiving is officially over now...Hooray for Christmas! I love Christmas. I love the sounds and smells and good feelings and joy and colors and all the sparkly things and Christmas music! I got all the decorations in the house but haven't started putting them up yet.

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving though :-)
Did you shop on Friday? I thought I might go out this year but then I thought again and stayed home instead. Bill is putting up cabinets in the garage so I helped with that. Mostly I just had to hold them up. In between, I did lots of quilling. Saturday we went to see Lincoln. I think Daniel Day Lewis made an excellent Lincoln. Also, the "sets" and costumes were out of this world. Seriously! It was so believable you almost felt like you were there. I loved it. But, you have to be a fan of history to enjoy it. It was kind of slow...and it's a long movie. The other interesting thing is, I wonder how many under 30 'African Americans' know what the 13th amendment says. I know that isn't entirely fair, most people under 30 wouldn't know. But African Americans should. Interesting.

The beginning of winter is upon us. It's close to freezing or below every morning now. I hope it snows soon! hahahahahahaha. No really, I do!

What are you thankful for?

You
my health
my family
blue skies
autumn
winter
summer
spring
french fries
malibu rum
a job
love
a car
freedom
books
dogs
music
eyeglasses
humor
coffee
strawberry pop tarts
desk fans
cell phones
slippers
cool ink pens
birthdays
cheerful people
EVERY THING!!!

HAPPY  THANKSGIVING  EVERYONE

Long live Twinkies!

Hello beautiful...

...the sunrise I mean;

I'm not a fan of driving in when it's dark and coming home when it's dark but the time change does have it's perks!

getting stuff done!

What nice long weekend it was for some of us.

Saturday, Mom and I went to our first, second, third and last, Christmas church bazaars. The 3rd one was ok and we actually bought some things but the first 2 were a bust. The first one was like a giant garage sale complete w/used furniture. ick. The 2nd had some homemade things but it was tiny, like an afterthought. But now we can say we've been to one.

Bill built these shelves for me in the hallway - I still have to paint them and put more pictures on them but I LOVE them!! It's like looking at a giant collage! Love, love, love it. This part of the hallway is open to the kitchen and the family room so we see it a lot.

I also finished another commissioned quilling project over the weekend. This one is a gift for a woman who is retiring, favorite color lavender, likes to quilt and grow flowers;

I even worked on some Christmas things! Oh, and it snowed Monday!! It was a good weekend  :-)

KOG

Which stands for, Kokomo Opalesceant Glass. Here's their website;

http://www.kog.com/

It's pretty cool. I know because Mom and I took a tour of the factory yesterday. They only do one tour a day, 4 times a week. I'm not a glass artisan, I don't own any glass art - aside from a couple little tiny things - and I don't seek out glass art. Nonetheless, it was a fascinating tour. The factory itself was built in 1888 and has never been "updated". There is no climate control in the factory. So the winter months are probably ideal to work in. During the summer, the workers come in in the middle of the night and finish up their days work by morning.

Our first stop was the furnace room;

Each one of those costs about a million dollars to replace and they are on 24/7. It's 2600 degrees in there! To the left of this picture they are pouring molten glass into forms;

And to the left of this picture is where they plop down big clumps of molten glass that goes through rollers to create sheets of glass;

Next, we got to watch a couple craftsmen make a floppy bowl, hand blown and twirled;

There is a lot storage for the glass. This a picture of where they put the sheets of glass - about the size of 1/2 of your sliding glass door;

And there are lots and lots of little isles like this one;

And here's a bit of fun trivia ~ every person who has ever worked at KOG, has the signed a wall somewhere in the factory;



Chances are, if you're ever in an old church or building with stained glass windows, that glass was made here at KOG.

I highly recommend the tour next time you have a couple hours to kill.

Moving forward

Did you vote? Did you exercise your right to be heard and counted?

The system is flawed in many, many ways. The media is flawed in many, many ways. The United States is flawed in many, many ways. Long conversations can be had about these flaws. But it's what we've got. If you don't like it, then do something to affect change.

But don't be so overly dramatic (part of pop culture) and say you're physically sick to your stomach or "if (so and so) wins, I'm leaving the country." Unless of course you actually plan to do so. Don't call everyone who votes differently from you, an idiot. It's a free country after all. I know quite a few very intelligent people who voted for Obama. That's their right. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, religion and political beliefs. I don't have less respect for them because they exercised their right to choose. I didn't vote for Obama. But the majority of the people who voted, did. I'm disappointed. I'm frustrated. I don't agree with the Democratic party as a whole. But it's what we've got right now.

So, lets move forward.

Saints and souls

Today we are smack in the middle of a few odd religious days.

First up, Halloween.
"All Hallows' Eve falls on October 31st each year and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself. The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed' meaning holy or sanctified and is now usually contracted to the more familiar word, Hallowe'en.


Today, is All Saints Day.
"In Western Christian theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is a national holiday in many historically Catholic countries. Christians who celebrate All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day do so in the fundamental belief that there is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in purgatory, those in heaven, and the living. Other Christian traditions define, remember and respond to the saints in different ways; for example, in the Methodist Church, the word "saints" refers to all Christians and therefore, on All Saints' Day, the Church Universal, as well as the deceased members of a local congregation, are honoured and remembered."

And tomorrow is, All Souls Day or Day of Dead.
The Roman Catholic celebration is associated with the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to their sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately attain the beatific vision in heaven, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass. In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory.

Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration takes place in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day (November 2). Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

Day of the Dead seems the most celebratory by far!

Happy Halloween!