Sunday, December 30, 2012

My Word for 2013

CELEBRATE

I've thought and thought about my word for this New Year!  It needed to be a really good one...it needed to be one that made me think of all of the things in my life that I have to be thankful for, but I didn't want to use the word thankful...and then Celebrate came into my head and I knew it was the one.  I checked online for some definitions and synonyms...

Part of Speech: verb
Definition: commemorate occasion, achievement
Synonyms: beat the drum, ceremonialize, commend, exalt, glorify, hallow, honor, jubilate,  laudmark with a red letter, memorialize, praise, rejoice, revere, solemnize

Yup, that was exactly what I wanted...that was my word...how could I go wrong with "mark with a red letter"?   2012 was not one of the better years of my life, but it sure wasn't all bad...I learned so, so much from the events of this past year.  I learned about "true" friends...friends that will stick with you even when you're not very pleasant to be around.  Friends that just call or drop a note to say "thinking about you", "are you doing OK?"  Friends that you know it's OK to pick up the phone and just cry if that's what you need to do.  I learned that "true" friends are really the angels in our lives.
I will CELEBRATE friends this year!

I learned that people come into our lives, some stay for a really long time and some stay for just a short time, some leave for a while and come back...they all come for a reason...but where I made my mistake for all of these years was beating myself up trying to figure out what I did to make them not stay for a long time.  I learned to accept the fact that they were in my life...and not dwell...I learned that there are NO coincidences in this life.
I will CELEBRATE always learning!

I learned (well I really knew it all along) that Andy (aka Mr. Quilt Holder/ Mr. Brown Quilts) is the BEST!  He listened to me, he pushed and guided me when I wasn't sure I could go one more step, he made me laugh when I wasn't sure there was a thing to laugh at and then he made me laugh again.
I will CELEBRATE Andy this year!


I learned (well really because I started paying attention) the beauty in the simple things around us every day...I see this camellia bush
every single day when I come in the driveway...I really see it this year.  I see these bougainvillaeas
in our side yard, but they seem so much prettier this year. I see sunsets out my back window everyday

...but it seems so much more magnificent. Or the beautiful full moon off my front porch with that wonderful contrail
...seems brighter!
I will CELEBRATE the simple beauties this year!

I learned that this Howie of mine

is a funny, sweet boy...very full of personality.  He always had been the more "stay to himself" dog...Zack was always the one that needed to know what was going on and where everyone was..well in the past 4 weeks Howie has become very social, wants to know what's going on and where everyone is...and he always knows when there just might be some food around.
I will CELEBRATE Howie this year!

I guess I've probably gone on long enough here, you get the idea...this is going to be a happy year, this is going to be a good year...and it all goes back to that day last month when I had that light bulb moment.  Now there's no doubt in my mind that there will be things that happen this year that will not be all that wonderful, but how I let those events affect me, how I respond, how I accept those events, my attitude and my behavior are all my choice...I learned from that dark time last month that I don't want that to happen again, I don't want to be angry and bitter...I want to CELEBRATE!  And CELEBRATE I will...Happy 2013 to all of you!












Wednesday, December 26, 2012

YUMMERS!

Another Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have come and gone...I was reading someone's blog this morning and she mentioned that it comes and goes faster every year...I don't think I've ever heard a truer statement.  We were invited to our neighbor's for dinner Christmas Eve...they just couldn't have us being home by ourselves for Christmas Eve...it was wonderful.  The meal was out of this world and the company was better.  We had such a good time...it was an evening I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy...first Christmas Eve without Mom, but our neighbors made it a great evening.

I have to share the most yummy dessert recipe...when our neighbors invited us I said we'd love to come but that I really wanted to bring something...Joy asked me to bring dessert...so off to Pinterest I went...yes I am the one that wasn't going to Pinterest, but we've already had that discussion..LOL!  Back in October Sherri over at A Quilting Life was taking part in the MODA Sweet Celebrations Blog Hop...part of her blogpost was a dessert recipe...I had pinned the recipe and when Joy said dessert I knew exactly what I was going to take...Angel Food Ice Cream Cake
...OH MY GOODNESS!  This is positively "lick the plate clean" yummy...and it was easy to do. Everyone at dinner just raved about it...I will surely do this again...thank you Sherri! 

Just have to share this second picture of the cake...Andy held it down a little further to see if I could get a better picture and there came Howie...
...he needed a better look! 

Friday, December 21, 2012

I Think We're Ready

Like everyone else we've been shopping (mostly online for the kid's stuff), wrapping, hustling and bustling (whatever that really means) and making treats for our neighbors.  We've been making this every Christmas for our neighbors since we moved here in 2005...

and the neighbors all get very excited when we ring their doorbells with these cans full of yumminess in hand.

If you haven't known me since then I'll post the recipe for this treat for you so you don't have to go searching for it...

Here you go...Santa's White Christmas

3 cups Cheerios
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
2 cups Lightly Salted Dry Roasted Peanuts
2 cups pretzel sticks
16 oz. bag M&M's
24 oz. White Chocolate (the Wilton white candy coating at Joann's works perfectly)
Sprinkles (We love the little red, green and white balls)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Melt the white chocolate, pour over the dry mixture, stir well until the mix is well coated.

Spread onto wax paper lined cookie sheets and add your favorite sprinkles...let it harden. (I put it in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes)

Break into small pieces. Store in an airtight container.

It's easy to do and I promise you'll be the hit of your neighborhood!

Our Christmas will be a little different this year...well a lot different I guess.  Andy and I will be celebrating Christmas quietly together with Howie.  We aren't getting caught up in all the craziness of a huge meal and lots of presents.  We both decided that we truly have everything we need or want...health, happiness, a wonderful family and friends...how can we top that?  So we will focus on the true meaning of Christmas...and then on the 30th the kids will be arriving...we've decided we're going to have a big WELCOME 2013 celebration.  We have banners, and hats, horns and table decorations...we're going to say Goodbye to 2012 and Welcome 2013...we are looking so forward to this New Year...new opportunities, new memories...I've been thinking about my word for 2013 and I think I have it...I'm really excited about it.
So for today, Merry Christmas to all of you...make the time to ENJOY every minute of it...don't stress...no stress here, I'm still stitching binding
on my Countdown to Christmas quilt (don't you just love the strip of white fabric I had to add to the backing fabric...that's what happens when I order fabric, don't really know what I'm doing with it and then wait a year to use it...LOL!  It worked), maybe I'll finish just as the countdown comes to it's end...I'll be just in time...remember why we celebrate this day!

Friday, December 07, 2012

I've Been Staying Busy

Keeping my hands busy, playing with fabric and listening to my machine whir is good for my spirit...each day this week has gotten better and we're getting used to our "new normal"...Howie's doing well...as we've gotten better, he's gotten better.

I finished my ornament quilt this week and I'm lovin' it...
it's a combination of Twelve Days of Christmas and Joy both by Kate Spain and the pattern is a Thimbleblossoms pattern by Camille.  It was so fun to do...enjoyed every minute of sewing this one.  Yes that's Mr. Brown Quilts holding up the top...he loves doing his Wilson pose.

Monday, December 03, 2012

My Sweet Man

My Sweet Man went to heaven today...Zack we love you and we'll miss you...

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Thank You My Friends

My heart is full...you all sure know how to make a girl feel soooooooooooo much better.  As I was writing my last post I kept thinking "Well, I just hope they don't think I've gone off the rails"...you know I was also thinking "I wonder if I'm the only one that ever does this to themselves and feels this way"...and you all were so wonderful and made me realize that I'm not alone...there is much comfort in that.  So thank you all from the bottom of my heart...I was truly humbled by your comments and so very thankful.  I've saved every single comment and will be writing each one of you a note...you have touched my heart and just have no idea how much you have helped me.  Blogland friends are amazing!

I've been sewing this week and having lots of fun...playing with Christmas fabric...this won't be ready for this year but I'll have a new quilt for next year.  I've used pieces of Twelve Days of Chritmas (Kate Spain's group from 3 Christmas' ago...I had a ton of it) and this year's group Joy...These ornaments
that Camille designed are just so darn much fun to do.  I'm going to be sad when I don't have anymore to do...I have one more to put together tomorrow and then the sashings and borders.  So much FUN!

I have to share this little cleaning tip with you...pipe cleaners or as they call them now...chenille stems...they bend
and get into those nooks and crannies that we can't get to...I use them when I do a real clean of my machine or just a little touch up like I'm doing today
...they work great...the dust bunnies stick right to them, they're cheap and when the get icky, just toss them in the trash and start over.

And just have to share this pic of my boys...
they were waiting for their Sunday scrambled eggs...Zack is doing pretty well...he's still eating great, loves his walks, is happy as he can be and getting around without problems.  He's so sweet...we go back to the vet on Wednesday so we'll see what she says.  Fingers and toes crossed for me little old man.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!