Thanksgiving Relaxation

This year our son’s fiancee asked if she could host Thanksgiving. You mean not have to clean my house, not have to cook, not have to find extra seating, not have to clean up afterwards and not need a 12 hour night of sleep to recuperate from it all? Took me all of 3 seconds to respond with a hearty YOU BET! The result was that yesterday was a wonderful relaxing day for me to enjoy my kiddo’s, their loved ones, the grand boys and Faith’s bff Brittany.

Faith did great job…set such a pretty table…not something that happens at my house! The food was perfect…we were treated to her family’s recipe of sweet & sour red cabbage…plus the regular items of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry chutney, stuffing, salad, biscuits and Brittany’s garlic green beans….oh and Dennis’ famous homemade pumpkin pie! Daniel was in charge of cocktails and made us nummy peach Bellini’s and a Sangria that I even liked. Faith had a cold and still managed to pull off the day.


Here is our hostess with the mostess busy with last minute food:

The gravy was really nummy...I wonder what her secret was?

Dennis and I did our best to help...I with the dishes and Dennis with his usual chore of deboning the turkey...notice who is watching Dennis very intently. :)

And right when I'm relaxing with a full tummy a strange urge overcomes me.....???

Requisite napping to end the evening:

David's Dedication

Last Sunday we went to participate in our grandson David’s dedication at Jenn & Jon’s church. I love dedications. I don’t even have to know the little one being dedicated. I just love the whole idea of them.

Ted Weis (from an article on bible.org) explains dedications better than I can. So here is a little excerpt for those reading who don’t really know what a dedication is about:

“Children are a gift from God. Psalm 127:3 proclaims that "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him." As believers we are called to recognize that children belong first and foremost to God. God in his goodness gives children as gifts to parents. They not only have the awesome responsibility of caring for this gift, but also the wonderful privilege of enjoying the gift. Because children belong to God and are given by grace as gifts to parents, it is only proper and appropriate that children be dedicated back to God.
Dedicating a child acknowledges God's sovereignty not only over the child, but also Mom and Dad. Parents present their child before God and His people asking for grace and wisdom in carrying out their responsibilities. Parents also come praying that their child might one day trust Jesus Christ as Savior for the forgiveness of sin.”



David with Mommy....he's pooped out from all the excitement.....missing the reception of cookies and punch.

Nana with Liam.....who is not missing the cookies and punch! :)

Back at home.....Liam being silly with David while they are playing on the floor. David laughs at the silly things Liam does....which totally encourages a 3 year old to be even sillier!

The day is drawing to a close and little ones are getting tired....oh....and the big 'uns are getting tired too!

Hubby and I had a nice time being part of the newest generations dedication to the Lord.

Feet Friday

What do you think? Some ancient torture devise?

"B" for barbaric....barely sane.....bimbo.....bonkers.......boeotian.......beastly......brain dead.......backwards......bastinade.......bogus......blimey, I can't stop!!!!! LOL!

Whose idea was this anyway?

Notes to self:

You are NOT 10 years old anymore.

Your body can NOT handle the bumps and jolts of sliding down a flight of stairs.

You WILL pay for it the next day.

Your hubby told you not to try it...you may want to listen next time.

And lastly......who cares? IT WAS FUN!!! Let's do it again....this time with better equipment. Maybe we'll go faster. :)

Hobbies

What is a hobby? The Webster 1828 dictionary has 4 definitions:

1. A strong active horse, of middle size, said to have been originally from Ireland. Really? That’s interesting. Didn’t know that.
2. A stick, or figure of a horse, on which a boy rides. Ok.
3. Any favorite object; that which a person pursues with zeal or delight. Oh, oh…that’s me and my quilting, for sure!
4. A stupid fellow. Ah, now this one I found very interesting. Shhh…we won’t name names! LOL!

A more modern dictionary just has one definition: a pursuit outside ones regular occupation engaged in for relaxation. This is probably what we all think of, right?


I know there are tons of hobbies out there and an equal number of opinions about the value of each pursuit. I can’t tell you the number of times folks have said to me that they just can’t understand how I like to cut up fabric into lots of little pieces and painstakingly sew them back together again for hours and hours. Heck, one can go to Wal-Mart and get a quilt for $40…why bother? Cuz, I LOVE IT!

Some of my delights:


I have to admit to my own….uh….judgments opinions…about hobbies. My hubby is a WOW gamer. And I have caught myself asking him on more than one occasion, “How can you sit around and play that game for hours and hours?” I just don’t get it. But, he LOVES IT! And of course, one must game with one's favorite beverage! :)


I remember when our kids were teens and I took them to a Mycological Society Show! for a learning experience…a.k.a. field trip. Our daughter took a friend along. None of the kids understood how a sane person would study fungi for hours and hours…surely this is what happened to you when you got OLD. Nope kids…they just LOVE IT!

Despite my occasional bout with being miffed at certain people for their hobby, I do love them. I believe strongly in hobbies. Everyone needs ‘em. They are stress reducers. They are social outlets. They save marriages. They educate us. They make us laugh. They make us proud. They bring us friends. Who wouldn't want one?
What’s your hobby?

Pretty Things

Tink and I went shopping today. I needed some fabric for a couple of Christmas gifts I'm making. I did find the fabric I was looking for but a quick side trip into a fun store..."just to look around"...ended with a spur of the moment purchase of this fun lamp! It has the colors I have in my living room plus the quirky whimsy that I love. I'd call it an early Christmas present to myself but I want something else.....guess we just have to chalk it up to simply a case of the wants. :)

Here she (yes, she) is in her new home:

Took another pic with the lights off so you could see the lamp colors better.

Felted Bags

Years ago a good friend gave me a beautiful handmade felted bag. I was amazed (again!) at how creative and talented she is and thankful that I got to be a recipient of that talent.

My knitting skills at the time were scarce. I made scarves out of the bulky yarns so that any mistakes were hidden! One winter I made about 8 of them…they ended up being used as “ribbon” on gifts….see, I was “green” before it was hip to be “green”….used to just be called frugal.

Anyway. My knitting skills haven’t really changed but my confidence has so I decided to tackle felted bags myself this year. I bought Eva Wiechman’s book “Pursenality Plus”. So many cute bags! I tried a beginner pattern and was surprised how quickly it knitted up. My friend had to talk me through a couple of things I didn’t understand…..why do beginner patterns assume you know things??? And I had to knit away from my cat who has this obsession with real wool and will not stop trying to snitch it. A week at my Dad’s gave the perfect opportunity to get the bag done.

Here it is before its felted:

I felt so proud of myself that I went out and bought more wool for a second bag. Another week at Dad’s and voila, number two done.

Now it was time for the felting process. Easy peasy. And look how cute they turned out:

I still can’t believe I knitted and felted two bags in a month. Not generally my speed. I speak of finishing my projects in terms of years to make not months and totally not weeks.

Now hubby wants a felted hat. Woo hoo! :)

Feet Friday

Celebrating!

Happy Birthday sweet friend!

Wordless Wednesday - Friends

Anne, I have loved you as long as I can remember. I need you.

Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favorite stories. I have to confess I have never read the books….gasp, I know. But I love the show. We must have watched it a dozen times while the kids were growing up. It’s the perfect love story...the perfect coming of age story…the perfect family story….just the perfect story. One of my favorite quotes is “Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it”….can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that to myself as I was going to sleep at night. We all need to hear it when the day is just crappy!

Yesterday hubby and I went to Seattle to see “The Drowsy Chaperone” at the 5th Avenue Theatre. It was an interesting show….a musical within a comedy; the playbill said….a type of show we’ve never seen before in our years of attending. How does this relate to Anne of Green Gables, you ask? Guess who was the main character? Jonathan Crombie…or better know to Green Gable fans as Gilbert Blythe. Oh the memories. I’d say he has aged well, don’t you?

Nooooooo!

I went to the grocery store once I got home from Dad's to refill the frig with healthy food....lots of vege. Only to find THOSE evil orbs! Its like the Borg in Star Trek...resistance is futile!!! I *must* buy them....2 boxes please.

Getting rid of the couch potatoness I earned while away will just have to wait. These evil orbs only come out this time of year....healthy eating can happen any ole' time.

Feet Friday

Taking Dad's dog, Passion, for a walk on a beautiful fall day. Both of us got off the couch! :)

When Not At Home

A simple math equation:

THIS:

+ THIS:

= THIS:


Oh dear!