The Good, Bad and Ugly

The Good

Finally! 

I think I've figured out which setting on the new camera is going to be best for bird pics (hi-def, thru glass, hi speed, low light, etc).  It's been a real trial and error kind of thing. 

The Bad

(wicked/sinful/decadent and loved every last bite!)

Click HERE for the recipe

Click HERE for a ton of other Italian epicurian delights from Lidia's kitchen

The Ugly

Oh yes - that IS what it looks like... my dryer... all over my laundry room.   Do you know my least favorite aroma to fill the house on Christmas Eve?  The smell of a small electrical fire inside my dryer.

Not to worry.  Hubby looks to have it figured out.   (???)

Okay - maybe we should worry just a little.

2010: The Year of "Other Stuff"

...

Merry Christmas, friends! 

It's late on Christmas night and the season of hustle and bustle is officially over.

All gifts have been exchanged, meals shared, desserts savored, dishes (and more dishes) done, and blessings counted.   Only because I love a post with pictures as much as everyone else, I'm posting some (old) Christmas shots.  I barely had time to turn around this holiday season (let alone take many pictures), and hubby had stomach flu on the one day I had free to put up a tree - so, sad to say, we didn't have a tree this year...  BUT!  The house still felt festive with the rest of it:

The stockings were hung

The table was set

Mary, Joseph, Jesus and admirers were present and accounted for:

And Jolly 'Ol St. Nick made me smile every time I glimpsed him in the foyer:

Honestly, the past twelve months have been the most hectic on record, for a variety of reasons, and I'm really REALLY looking forward to having one more day of 'holiday' before heading back to work.  Just the thoughts of having a little down-time is thrilling.  I've noticed that my attitude has started to improve (a little) knowing that the worst of my two work nightmares are practically over and I might have an evening here or there to put needle and thread to fabric again.

I sooooo love needleworking and cherish the time I (used to) spend with it that I can definitely feel the difference in my otherwise "sunny disposition" when I'm too busy for a long stretch of time to enjoy it.  Such has been the case for the most part of the year.  However, Hubby gave me a subscription to my very favorite stitching mag (Stitch with the Embroiderers' Guild) for Christmas (what a guy!) and I'm super excited about it!  I can feel myself becoming re-energized about stitching and literally felt the mental shift today from "Go, Go, Go!!!" to "Ahhhh, I think I'll sit down for a minute". 

Blue Jay

Tomorrow, Sunday, Dec 26th, is going to be a wonderful, peaceful, restful day.  I'll quietly clean the kitchen; make cream scones for brunch and roast a chicken for dinner.  I'll feed and watch the birds and stitch.  I'll not go to the post office or the mall or Wal-Mart. 

I might even take a nap.  :-)

Peace, Love and Joy to you!

'Tis the Season..

Happy Holidays friends!  This message is coming to you from the other side of the chapter Christmas party, and smack dab in the middle of a host of holiday 'festas'.  I think I forgot how jack-wild crazy Dec 1-Jan 5 are.  It definitely has caught me off guard this year.  I feel like Tina Turner on the farewell tour - run out, do the thing, run back, wardrobe change, run out, do the thing, run back, wardrobe change...repeat.  I love it, but jeeeez...  I must be getting old because I'm already tired and it's only mid-December.

The normal festiveness of the chapter Christmas party was tempered by the sadness we all had in our hearts for a member who lost her husband unexpectedly last week.  There are no words to adequately describe how his unexpected passing so profoundly affected all of us.  He was our friend.  He was her best friend.  His passing (Our loss) will echo through our chapter for a long time to come.

As for the party, my many thanks again to the ladies (Annette & Marsha) who made my job as chairman easy peasy:

Annette, monkey (me) in the middle, and Marsha

White Christmas table centerpieces:

It was a beautiful day, filled with good food, fellowship, gift exchanges and door prizes. 

In other news, despite the artic weather, the birds have really been enjoying the repurposed pumpkin from Thanksgiving...

I've been using both halves as serving dishes and it seems that the wide rim, deep bowl and bright color is just the ticket!  Of course it's been cold enough to freeze the pistachios off a nutcracker, but ever since I've been using these 'bowls', the birds have been coming in droves.  Including about 300 grackles I spent an entire day trying to shoo away.

Grackles!

I know - we're all God's creatures - etc., etc...

I'm trying to be non-discriminatory.  Really.

As soon as the clock slows down a little, I have a million pics to edit, stories to tell, stitching, blogging and commenting to catch up. 

...Just as soon as those Christmas cards get addressed and in the mail...

:-D

In the meantime, I'm wishing you all the very best the season has to offer.