Friday Playdate Update

Some of you may have read the post a couple of weeks ago when I took a day off and went to visit my friend Pat. Now I don't work, all I normally do is play, babysit some, read and do stuff in my studio, so taking a day off is not quite right.

Pat and I visited for a while then we decided to go out and eat lunch. There is the neatest flea market where Pat lives that has a variety things. I am always jealous of what she finds there to do her work with, so off we went. You know friends should share their sources and their bounty sometimes.

These are the pictures of a few of the wonderful things I found. At the top are 2 beautiful floral handkerchiefs. Hankies take me back to the days of my grandmother and my aunts. They never used "tissue" and a lady always had a hankie with her for any emergency.

Don't you love the second picture of the wonderful leaves and rose? The colors are so vibrant and these are soft. They are definitely going into a future media project or a crazy quilt, which I have been wanting to do again. The other picture is - I think- they used to call them candy dishes, not sure if that is right - you sure weren't generous with you candy if that is what you offered. Anyway, I remember my Mother had one and I loved the little wagaon with the horse pulling the wagon.

This last picture is some cut up hexagon quilt blocks. The dealer either cut up a very bad Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt or she bought it in pieces. Pat got some of these too, so we will probably do something with them in one of our "old fabric" creations. I also got an old Needlework and Crafts book with an article about buttons and trims and there was an old single volume of an encyclopedia from 1937. Pat got a copy of another book in the set. We loved the artwork on the cover. Not sure what to do with it but it begs to be used with its yellowed pages.

Pat and I had an enjoyable day and plan on having many more to come in 2009.

I hope that everyone has a creative and happy New Year too. Just remember to "have fun"

Christmas and Family

Do you ever come up with a last minute gift idea? Well this picture of my two sisters, my brother and my Mother has been sitting on my desk. This is the last picture that we were all together in July, 1997. In the back is me, the youngest, the middle is my sister Dotty, then my sister Martha. In the front is our Mother and next to her her is the eldest, my brother Eddie. I took the picture and scanned it, ironed it to 10 1/2 inch piece of fabric and made these little pillows to give them as an additional present. Our Mother passed away on December 15, 1998. My brother lives in the house that was Mother's home and we still have Thanksgiving and Christmas there.

What is funny about then and now. When Mother was alive everyone of my siblings would bring a dish or a dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas. All they would EVER let me bring was cokes and the stuff to make cheese dip. During the 54 days that Mother was in the hospital before she passed away she told Martha and Eddie not to worry about the food at holidays - Brenda will take care of making the food!!! Now I was floored when they told me this, but just as Mother said, I have been very involved with the preparation of the holiday food. I go to Eddies at 7in the morning and prepare most of the dishes we eat - using Mother's recipes that she gave me before she passed away. Now that is a Christmas miracle!!

The greatest miracle of all is the greatest gift of all - the Baby Jesus - that God gave us - God's only son. But then Jesus gave us the greater gift by dieing for our sins - not His sins- but ours. He took our place so that we would not have to die in our sins. May you all have a blessed Christmas and remember "The Reason for the Season".

December Bead Project - Tease

This is a tease for the project I am working on for December. The beading on the seahorse has been started, but like many others I am wayyyyy behind. Now if you wonder what seahorses have to do with December, again it involves my granddaughter Gianni. In December last year right after Christmas I drove her Mom and her to Dallas after Christmas so her Mom could work on an out of state project for her company. Gianni and I got to do fun stuff while Mom worked. Her and I went to our very first (for both of us) aquarium in Dallas. Seahorses were one of our favorite things.

November is not even an idea so I will have to back up and figure that out later.

Now to share a bumper sticker I saw today:

"Things only get better with age;

I'm approaching magnificent"

Have fun and laugh a lot.

Giveaway and Busy Day

No pictures today - I have been busy working on Christmas gifts for my beading group friends.
They aren't much, but I wanted to make everyone something. My tree is up and partially decorated, but I still have work to do. Got to get out my candy recipes and work on them, but tomorrow I am going to spend the day with a friend. That is part of having fun, spending time with friends and I want to make more time to do just that.
Now to the giveaway.
Go to www.lifeinacordwoodcabin.blogspot.com and see a very neat giveaway. I hope she picks my name.
Before I go I want to tell you about last night. It was my husband's company Christmas party. The owner of his company usually picks a very nice place for us to eat. This year it was a place called The Butcher Shop and Steakhouse. My favorite thing to eat out is Prime Rib. However, since my daughter-in-law is appalled at watching me eat what she considers "raw meat", I have not had one in quite awhile. I respect her wishes (that is why I am a much loved mother-in-law). Well lucky me - it was on the menu - it was as good as I remembered. It was a good night.
Not as much fun as I would like to have, but you can always find fun whereever you are.

Thanksgiving, Christmas & All That Fun

As you can see my grandchildren get to have a conversation with Santa Claus one on one long before Christmas. Thanksgiving Eve we have a meal here at Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house then on Thanksgiving we go to my brother's house (which happens to be the house I grew up in ) and eat and get together with the other family members as they pass through. This good looking

Santa Claus is my brother-in-law and he does Santa gigs from Thanksgiving until the Christmas Day. My Gianni and Will think it is wonderful that Santa (aka Uncle Donald) is there for them. Gianni wrote a story for her class about having lunch with Santa. She had a picture to prove it.

To my bead project friends - I am working on December - need to go back and figure out a November and bead, bead, bead. This time of year is so busy for all of us. My tree is up, but undecorated. No candy has been made and I have been sick with a bug. Why do we stress ourselves out??????

Well tomorrow is another day and maybe I will get to feeling better and get more done. To be honest - I am not having fun - but my mind is made up - that will change tomorrow. A new day!!

Ya'll have some fun for me and I'll catch up.