Sunday, December 04, 2022

Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Starts Today


 


The Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Blog Hop starts today and is also my day.  This is hosted by the fabulous Carol @Just Let Me Quilt.   This is the 5th year I have participated in this blog hop, and I think it is my favorite of the year.  The entire line-up is at the end of this post.  

This is the challenge this time:

Challenge: (recipes are optional)
You can share a recipe or not.
Share Christmas quilts or projects.
Tell us about your Christmas traditions.
Show off your Christmas decorations/tree.
Spill your funny Christmas stories.
If it's about Christmas, we want to hear about it!

Every year I make about 10-12 types of cookies and pack up boxes for my family and neighbors and friends.  I like to try a new one each year.  There are old family favorites that have to be made every year, such as typical Christmas sugar cookies out of a 1970's Family Circle cookbook.   I never felt like taking the time to roll out and cut out the cookies.   My husband John for many years made the sugar cookies.  He made them with my daughters, and grandchildren.  I took over when he was not able to do so any more.  Jaeger is now going to college.  



Another family favorite is fudge.   My recipe can be found here on the Virtual Cookie Exchange from 2018.  Another favorite is Crunchy Peanut Bark and the recipe can be found here.   Another favorite is the Chocolaty Melting  Snowmen, and the recipe can be found here.  


What I made new this year are Andes Mint Cookies.  Mine aren't as pretty as her picture, but they are very good.  The recipe can be found here.  



My house is all decorated with the help of my grandchildren.  



I've made a lot of my decorations.  The grandma and grandpa dolls I dress in Christmas clothes every year.  The large Santa on the left and the dolls behind him I also made long ago.  


I made the angel and the guy beside her and the big and little carolers I made long ago and sold at a Christmas craft fair.






I painted this sleeping Santa years ago too.  



This was one of my first quilts, and I painted the angel ceramics above them a long time ago.  



Be sure and visit the other bakers/makers below and see what everyone has to share.  Thanks again Carol for hosting this wonderful hop!

December 5

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Slow Sunday Stitching

It has been a couple of weeks since I posted.  I got busy with  preparing for preparing for Thanksgiving at my house, and having a house guest, my step-daughter Dawn came to spend Thanksgiving with us.  Grandson Jaeger was home from college and his girlfriend Cali joined us.  They also ate a second dinner at her family's house.  Also joining us for the first time was my son-in-law Jeff's parents.  His mother helped me set up the table the day before, and cooked the veggies and 2 pies, and a delicious appetizer.  I usually mostly cook the entire meal myself, so this was quite a treat!  Jan also brought 2 beautiful cornucopia flower arrangements.  


I made some new napkins for Thanksgiving.  



This was our entire group


Jeff and his parents


Keaton seemed to be loving his mashed potatoes.



Jaeger and Cali


My two daughters, and stepdaughter Dawn

-


 My grandchildren



This is a picture of my driveway on Thanksgiving.  Good thing it is circular and has entrances at both ends!  


Anyway we had a wonderful Thanksgiving and much fun was had by everyone.  Right after Thanksgiving my grandsons helped me get my Christmas stuff down from the attic, helped set up the tree, and get my Christmas houses down from the shelf in the living room.  

Last week our guild had a 5th Wednesday workday, where we get together at a local church and either quilt community service quilts, put together tops, some people put together pillow cases which we distribute to children's wards of hospitals.  I started quilting a small quilt, which I still need to finish.  I wasn't able to upload my picture for some reason.

I also made some of these hearts.  What these are for is for mothers of babies in the NICU to put against their skin to gain their scent, and then they put in the babies isolettes.  


Also in the past couple of weeks I finished up these Christmas ornaments and turned them in to our boutique to try to sell.  I found these mostly completed on the free table at a guild meeting.  



This week I have done a couple of non-quilt related quilt projects.    A friend of my daughter's and mine asked me to shorten and hem some drapes.  Grandson Keaton asked that I put his new patches on his letterman jacket.  



Friday night daughter Kristen's family and I, and Keaton's girlfriend Addie attended a Trans Siberian Concert which was fantastic and quite a show.   We got back to town quite late, and had a delicious late night dinner at Mel's.  



Next up in the coming week is to get my annual Christmas cookies made.  I have my list made and my ingredients purchased.  

I haven't had much time or energy to do any slow stitching lately, but hope to remedy that.  For Slow Sunday Stitching this week I will be working on this Kathy Schmitz project that I seem to have fallen behind.  The goal was to do one section a month, and I am a few months behind!


I'll be linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching.  Head on over and check out what everyone has been up to.  

Monday is the start of the Virtual Christmas Cookie exchange and also my day.  Be sure and come back and check it out.  

Thanks for stopping by!

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Friday, December 02, 2022

Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Blog Hop Starting Monday



The Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Blog Hop starts Monday, hosted by the fabulous Carol @Just Let Me Quilt.  I can't wait.  I think this is my favorite blog hop of the year.  The updated line up is below.  

These are the fabulous maker/bakers you'll meet:

December 5

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Monday, November 28, 2022

Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Blog Hop Coming Soon

 


Carol @Just Let Me Quilt is again hosting the Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange Blog Hop, which starts next Monday, and also happens to be my day.  This will be the 5th year I have participated in this event, and it is also one of my favorite of the year.

This is the challenge this time:

Challenge: (recipes are optional)
You can share a recipe or not.
Share Christmas quilts or projects.
Tell us about your Christmas traditions.
Show off your Christmas decorations/tree.
Spill your funny Christmas stories.
If it's about Christmas, we want to hear about it!


The entire line-up is below.  Hope you can come back next Monday!

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Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Music Blog Hop, My Day

 


I was so excited when the Music Blog Hop was announced hosted by the fabulous Carla @Creatin in the Sticks. 


This was the challenge that Carla gave us:  "Create something to do with MUSIC. Do you have a song that inspires you or a tune you listen to when you sew? Do you love a particular instrument or know someone who does?Maybe something, anything, is music to your heart.

Does your Mary have a lamb? Do you have music fabric you need to use? You decide!  
The theme is really your own interpretation, surprise us!"

The entire schedule for this blog hop is at the end of the post.

Music has been a part of my life as long as I remember. My father listened classical music. When I was 13 I received a record player for Christmas and 4 records, Sound of Music, West Side Story, South Pacific and Camelot. I listed to those over and over, and could sing the lyrics to every song.

When I got to Middle School I wanted to take chorus for an elective, but I mother said I could take Home Ec instead, that I could sing anytime I wanted. While I resented it at the time, I am glad that I learned how to sew and cook.

After we had moved to California our family life got pretty chaotic and music and books were my solace. I would play music for hours in my room. I joined the choir in my church, and taught myself to play the piano, when I was the only young person in the Sunday School room some Sundays. I recently joined a music group at the community center across the street from me and we perform at various nursing homes.

From the very first time I heard Neil Diamond I loved him. For my 21st birthday the guy I was dating at the time took me to a Neil Diamond Concert in San Diego.

When I first started dating John, my husband he played me Neil Diamond songs on his guitar, and I instantly knew he was the one for me. He also played Cat Stevens, Jim Croce, Peter, Paul and Mary, James Taylor, and a little John Denver.

This was the guitar he had when I first met him and the one I still have today. It is a handmade Goya, a Swedish guitar made in the 60's.


John played throughout our marriage, until he injured his right hand fingers in a woodworking accident. While the fingers healed, the sensation was gone and he found it too hard to play.

He said this this song, Juliet reminded him of me.


And also this one, Play Me


When John was upset about life, he would play this one.  

Bob Dylan - Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Official Audio)
YouTube BobDylanVEVO
3 minutes, 39 seconds
Mar 11, 2019


When he got to these lyrics, he sang them so convincingly I thought he was going to walk out the door:


… So it ain't no use in calling out my name, galLike you never done beforeAnd it ain't no use in calling out my name, galI can't hear you anymoreI'm a-thinking and a-wonderin' walking down the roadI once loved a woman, a child, I'm toldI give her my heart but she wanted my soulBut don't think twice, it's all right


John  treated my passion for Neil Diamond by taking me to at least 19 Neil Diamond Concerts throughout the years.  I went to 3 more without him, but he always bought me tickets.  In the early days I couldn't afford to get programs, but I do have 15 programs from the concerts.  It was easier counting the programs than the albums, CDs and tapes that I have.  




When this blog hop was announced, I asked for this day, November 16 specifically.  This would have been our 47th anniversary.  John, the love of my life, passed away last April 29th.  And this is what I made to honor John, and the music he always brought into my life.  When he could no longer play the guitar, he loved watching The Voice, America's Got Talent and American Idol, and loved watching different musicians and bands on You Tube.



The top picture on the left is John playing for our oldest daughter, and the picture on the right is her daughter, Kyleigh sitting on John's lap.  The bottom right is our grandson John.  A number of years ago we had some family pictures taken, and John wanted to bring his guitar for a picture too.


I love different songs for different reasons, some for the lyrics, some for the guitar playing or instruments.   Sometimes my playlist comes up and every song that comes up reminds me of John.  The other day I had Still, by Lionel Richie, How Deep is Your Love by the Bee Gees,    When I Fall in Love by Nat King Cole, and I Say a Little Prayer by Aretha, and I might have a Christmas song like Mary Did You Know.  

I want to thank again Carla @Creatin in the Sticks   for this wonderful hop.                                

Be sure and visit the other bloggers and see their creations and stories, the entire schedule is below.  



Monday, November 14th


Tuesday, November 15th


Wednesday, November 16th


Thursday, November 17th



Thanks for stopping by!
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