"Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." ~Goethe~

26 January 2012

13...

A bit of a milestone happened around here this week.

Someone turned 13!


We had a great get-together over the weekend so we could celebrate this milestone with family and close family friends.  A special homemade dinner, homemade cheesecake and then alot of hanging out and enjoying everyones company.  It was a blast.

Then on the big day itself, family alone time with the birthday girl was had.  A special lunch, a box of special treats and a trip to the quilt shop.  Whatever she wanted to do.

She's already got everything figured out for her next quilt.  This one is all hers.

I've had mixed emotions about this milestone.  Sad to see my little one get bigger with each day that passes.  But so very happy to see the beautiful person she has and will continue to become.

It is so true what everyone tells you.
Enjoy every moment you can with you little ones.
Time certainly passes way too fast!
I remember like it was yesterday, bringing her home all bundled up on that snowy day in January not so long ago.

Sniff!

~*~

18 January 2012

Finally...

We were beginning to think that we would never get any of the wonderful white stuff this winter.  Whenever the word SNOW would get mentioned it would make us pout for a bit.  Especially the girls.

Once we heard a storm was coming in, preparations started.
Trips to the store so very important homebody activities could be accomplished.
Making soups, baking cookies, sipping hot chocolate, etc.
Essential outdoor wear were strategically placed for a quick dress and escape outside.

The snow started early this morning and by mid morning everything was covered with lovely white fluffiness. 
This is what winter is suppose to look like.
Love it!

After a quick shoveling of the necessary places, I sat on the front porch and just listened to the snow fall.  It's amazing how quiet things get when snow covers everything.  It's even more amazing to hear those teeny tiny flakes hitting the ground.  Close your eyes and it sounds deafening.

The girls of course went straight to working on their most important snow creations.
Not snowmen.
Creations.

I wondered around the yard looking at the snow where ever it landed.  Trying to see individual flakes if possible.


And trying not to muck up the beauty of the snow by walking in specific places.  And telling little people that some places were off limits so to enjoy the beautiful white blanket.

Yeah.  The off limit ruling didn't last long.  But at least I enjoyed myself before I bailed all the wonderfulness and went back inside to get soup ready for lunch.

After lunch I found myself working on some squares that I have started for a blanket for my dearest.  Don't faint.  It was a shock to Glenn also when he asked what I was doing last night.  I'm sure he started to think that he would never get his very own blanket that he wouldn't have to share with anyone.  I think he may still be a little nervous that something will come along a delay this long awaited blanket of comfiness for himself.




For now the only thing delaying work on these squares is the occasional refill of the hot chocolate mug.  And making the girls come in for a bit to warm up.

Hope you are having a wonderful fantastic day like we are.

~*~

07 January 2012

Diversions...

I had decided that I would unplug from everything during the week between Christmas and New Years and get back into the swing of things the very next week.  It didn't happen.  To tell the truth, I'm glad that I took the extra week to stay unplugged.  I had definitely put too much on my plate this past holiday season and it stressed me out.  I 'finished' the second quilt on the 23rd for crying out loud.  That was just way too close for my liking.  In all honesty, there are a few more stitchy bits that I want to add to both quilts.  I will wait for tah-dah pics until that is completed.  Christmas cookies didn't get made until the 22nd!  So when the 26th came about, I did absolutely nothing the whole entire day.  Unless you count laying on the couch watching a few movies with the girls something.  There were no plans and no expectations made during this 'time off'.  Just take things as they come.  And with some things no attention was paid to them at all.  There wasn't even any resolutions made.  I don't do that.  Too much undo pressure added to myself.  Not doing it.  I would just break them anyway.  Waste of time.


So sometime during that first week I started getting back to myself.  I even started enjoying the lovely little gifts that were given to me by my wonderful family.  Wonderful little diversions during this me time.

My sister gave me this awesome blank recipe book so that I can start writing down treasured family recipes.  She bought herself and my brother on so that we can continue to share and pass on some of our favorites.  When I opened it up the first time I noticed that she had already started filling it up for me with some of our Mom's wonderful recipes.  This is an absolute treasure!  It's going to be fun to keep adding to this book.

Glenn bought another bundle of fabric for me.  It's very handy to have a quilt shop on his route to go to during his lunch break.  Not sure what will become of this lovely pack of bright fabrics.  But never fear, I'm searching for ideas already.

A dear friend bought this cute book for me.  Full of patchy, quilty goodness.  Surely it can help me with the scrap pile that is growing each time the girls and I get the sewing bug.

Em was able to find time make a wonderfully warm scarf for me in the prettiest light green colors.  The two colors look great together.  This picture doesn't do it justice.  It's very warm on those windy days we have had.  With no snow.  It's a bummer.

Santa was very kind in giving me this most awesome Go Baby fabric cutter.  He really shouldn't have, but I'm not complaining.  It's going to be so much easier cutting fabric out of all the scraps now.  Glenn's hoping it will help him get his own quilt a little faster now.  He's first on the list.  Poor guy always waits behind everyone else.  I've got to do better with that issue.

Speaking of Glenn, and the girls.  They gave me one of my presents a few days early.  I have been reluctant in getting one of these wonderful bits of kitchen handiness.  Glenn would want to go get one but I would always say "It costs too much.  Not right now."  And now would never come by again.  I would always have an excuse.  Let's just say that I'm sooooo very happy that he decided not to listen to me finally.  I don't know what the heck I was thinking when I would always say I can do without one for now.  Really!!!  Let's just say that I'm eating my own words now.  I'm just worried that I'm going to burn this baby out with how much I'm using it the past two weeks.  Tomorrow I'm going to give it a whirl at mixing bread dough and making homemade butter!  I'm so excited it's so ridiculous!  I can't live without this glorious piece of machinery.  Thanks Kitchenaid!  I'm sorry I put you off for so long.  I'm a doofus.  Enough said.

During this two weeks of being unplugged, I picked up the needles for a quick little project.  I had two skeins of yarn and thought they will be perfect for this.  I will use up one skein for the first half of the pattern and the second for the next half.  Perfect!  Not.  You can tell by the picture that the second skein  had less yarn than the first and a trip had to be made to get a third skein to finish this 'quick' project.  Frustrating to say the least.  But all is good now and the project is complete.

I've got more plans of just puttering around this weekend and letting things happen when they happen.  Maybe even longer than that.  I'll just have to see how it goes.  But I'll be back more often to share the puttering with you.

Have a wonderful weekend!!
~*~