Well here we are…

Just a week away from Christmas – I don’t know where the time has gone. As many of you feel the same way I’m sure….seems we were just getting out our Fall things and then WALLA…Christmas.
If only it would snow it might have a more festive feeling – although I’m not sure snow would do it as like everyone in the country my mood is not a happy one.  The Conn. tragedy has left a mark on many or possibly all of us I’m sure…when children are involved it is such a different feeling and matter all together – they’re all tragic but this was horrific.  As with all of you I’m sending out prayers to the families and the community.

Things have been going quite smoothly around here lately and I’m not sure why – possibly because I gave up trying to fit EVERYTHING IN..it’s not going to make one bit of difference if ‘this or that’ doesn’t get done…who’s going to know…and I’m better off for it.
Tonight we are going to Emily’s band concert and tomorrow night is Joe’s concert.
Wednesday is shopping day in Janesville and Saturday night friends are coming over and we’re going out for our yearly Christmas dinner.  I was going to make the dinner but AGAIN…I said…WHY…let’s just go out like we always do with them and it will be less stress.  Good thinking huh???   Am I getting wiser or what????

We visited Darren and MaryAnn this morning because I missed the little munchkins and I wanted to give MaryAnn the Penny Rug I made for her along with some candy/cookies we made.
I included a cute little plate with a hand drawn Santa scene on it and the words ‘Cookies For Santa’ and added 3 of my Wool Cookies.

 

Miranda is going through the ‘scared’ stage when she sees people…took quite a bit before we could get her to hold still long enough to get a half way decent picture.

Daddy and Miranda

Aidan didn’t want to get out of his Santa jammies…nor leave his Wii game he was playing

Our daughter in-law Jamie chose one of my Trees For Sale Penny Rugs – she gets hers tonight.  And Heather chose a Flag hanging for hers – which I still have to make.

This past week Doug and I had a day of baking and candy making.
Although one didn’t turn out – we wanted to make soft creamy caramels but the one’s we made were like rocks…looked nice, tasted great but you wouldn’t have teeth left if you ate them.  We tossed the whole batch away.  May try a different recipe later this week.
 

 

Then it was on to Butter Toffee – oh my goodness this is awesome stuff.  Next time though I will put it in a larger pan and use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate (although dark is my favorite).  Once it cools you break it into pieces.

And last we made Pecan Balls.  A must have each Christmas.  Fudge will be this week…if I make it too soon it gets eaten too quickly (by me….)

I am so in awe at the wonderful people in this world…I know this past week we have heard so much bad but today I received a surprise letter/card in the mail from someone I do not know.  This is because of the wonderful world of blogs.
Over the past 4 years since I’ve had my blog I am amazed at the people who make contact and share – why can’t the whole world be this nice…we all seem to have common ground and are drawn by these common threads.  Love of each other, our homes, our families and just loving life.
I did not know Kathy existed as she does not comment.  She wrote (yes, WROTE, NOT TYPED) 4 pages to let me know who she was and to get a better feel of who she was.  She sent photos of her home as well, I feel I know her now. Thank you Kathy for your sweet kind words and for letting me get a glimpse of your life too.  I hope now you will start commenting – I’d so love to hear from you.
So you see…there are wonderful people in our world and they outnumber all the bad by far.

And speaking of wonderful friends…here’s a couple we met just once for a weekend 3 years ago.
Ben and Linda Tittles live in Florida and we met them through a couple other friends whom we met for the Simple Goods show.  From then on Ben and Linda have been such wonderful close friends…they send cards, e-mail greetings, updates on them/their family and send the most awesome thoughtful gifts.  Linda seems to know just what to give.  Last year it was a gorgeous Mercury ornament…pewter candlesticks, pewter goblets and now this year an BEAUTIFUL ‘HANDCRAFTED’ MERCURY BOWL and 3 adorable ornaments.
I do not know what we did to deserve the wonderful friendship from them but we love you Ben and Linda. THANK YOU.

Last week while looking through A PRIMITIVE PLACE MAGAZINE I came across a home who had a wonderful hooked rug on her bedroom wall – I NEEDED IT!  I asked a couple rug hooking gals on the blogs if they knew and one of them did.  Cathy from Orange Sink knew just the pattern designer and led me to her.
I ordered it on Friday and today it arrived…is it awesome or what???  Now I will have something to work on after my surgery while I recuperate.

It came from WOOLEN MEMORIES – she has so many wonderful patterns and her prices are very reasonable.

 
Here’s the one I saw…and I’m hoping to use the same color pallet.
I have some wonderful Ivory wool left from my last sheep rug that will look just great…nice and fluff.
 

Oh my…more old vintage and mercury ornaments…seems I didn’t find all they had last time I was at the Garden shop.  They had several trees with old ornaments on them and I went in again on Saturday and yeahhhh – more ornaments.

THEN….as I was checking the cupboards in the basement I found a bag with more ornaments in them…I had purchased them back in September at an antique shop and put them away and forgot about them….so 6 more went on the tree.
I am now very happy with all the ones I’ve found this year.

 

Last minute touches….I didn’t like the tree in the bathroom so I added some snowmen heads and a couple of banners.

Looking out into the screen room from the family room

Den into family room…see why I love sitting on the loveseat to stitch…I can see into the family room and not feel out of the loop.

Have a wonderful rest of your week and weekend…I’ll be visiting you soon.

Karen