Merry, Happy, Thankful!

We had such a good time last night. A total of twenty-two of us gathered at Muddle Manor for Christmas Eve. It was so wonderful to catch up with friends and family we haven't seen in far too long,

and to visit with those we see more often.

Old friendships were renewed and plenty of really important issues were discussed and world problems resolved. ;)

Our little house was stretched, but where there's love - there's always plenty of room!

I am so thankful for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me and my family. Especially and more than anything, I am thankful for the incomparable Gift from our Father in Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ!

I hope your Christmas celebration has been everything you hoped it would be.

Hugs and kisses,

Cookie Time

Homer Pigeon (I still love him, Charlie!) has escaped his glass-fronted prison and is riding high on the window shelf.

Along with various other feathered fowl...

What can I say? Most things outside my window have turned an unappetizing shade of brown and gray, so I have to have something bright and colorful to at least look through!

I've played around a little more with my Christmas quilt. I decided it needed a red stripe.

And if you look closely, you'll see that the stripe is covered with chickens! Quilts look so sort of naked to me at this stage. I always want to see them finished, and that's a long way off for this little baby!

I know I've been absent from posting for a while. I hadn't realized it had been so long. I guess I've just had the winter "blahs".

But there is nothing like baking a nice batch of chocolate chip cookies to snap you out of that, especially if you sample a few fresh out of the oven!

If you'd like to give these a try, here's the recipe:

Elaine's Special Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix:

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Add:

4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Mix thoroughly and then drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes, until light brown. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.

Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

I took a few minutes to put fresh sheets on the bed while the first batch of cookies was baking, and of course Chloe had to supervise to be sure I did it right. She had her trip to the vet last week to be neutered and she's almost back to her old self again. I missed her, and Mr. Sweetie Pie was just almost bereft without her to welcome him home every day! It's the sweetest thing ever. He didn't even want me to get a cat, and sure enough - I didn't. HE got the cat, because she loves him and tolerates me. Thank God for Bruno!

Have I mentioned before how much I love my KitchenAid mixer? Well, I do.

I've made many cookies over the years (and burned up many mixers doing it, too, by the way), and cookie making has never been easier than since I got my KitchenAid mixer I think it was seven years ago. And yes, those are orange shoes on my feet reflected in the mixer bowl. Don't judge me. ;-)

I'm heading back to the kitchen now to bake more cookies - peanut butter cookies this time, I think.

Hope your cooking and Christmas preparation is going along wonderfully well!

Hugs and kisses,

Working?

I've been trying to get my sewing inclinations working again. I don't know exactly what happened, but it's like Thanksgiving just sort of put me on "Hold". I have so many projects I'd like to get done (as always), but I have had to really push myself to work at any of them.

Last night, late, I sewed some white-ish strips to the squares I had made for our Christmas quilt. I wanted to lay them out and try to figure out how I wanted to put it together, but it's a pretty big size. Usually I would spread it out on our bed, but my honey had already gone to bed and to sleep, so that wasn't going to happen.

I don't have any empty walls in my house. There is something everywhere. This is not a huge house, and my sewing room is the smallest of the rooms. I just don't have a spot for a design wall. So I had the brilliant idea of putting a flannel sheet up and wedging it behind two pictures that are hanging on the wall in the den. After moving furniture around and getting the sheet hung, I started arranging my quilt squares. When I was about three-quarters of the way done, the sheet fell and all the quilt squares with it.

It was a definite, "Oh, well." moment. I decided maybe the floor would be a better place, and set about moving more furniture around and again arranging my squares. I'm still not happy with it, but that might just be because I'm not really in the mood to do it.

We're off to see my Mom in Mississippi tomorrow. I don't think the weather is going to be wonderful, but it will be good to get away for a few days with my HoneyBunny, and to see Mama and my brother. This is my Mom holding me a few years back. ;)

And this is our very beautiful granddaughter. Every time I see her she has a new unique look. How well I remember that age!

I thought of her when I saw this little pretty girl.

Hope you're having just the kind of day you love!

Hugs and kisses,

Snow

Thursday I went outside and picked all my pretty butterbeans off the vines. I'm pretty impressed to have fresh butterbeans in December, but I knew their time was just about up.

Yep, we had a winter storm blow in on Friday. Our weather here in Houston just doesn't usually get that cold. Hot - yes! Cold - not so much. But on Friday we got COLD!

This little angel was dressed just about right!

And just for added fun, we got snow!

Snow is not a common occurrence here at all. And this is the second December in a row that we've had snow. That broke a record.

I had taken the time to cover as much as I could on Thursday, but a lot of it was burned with the cold anyway. I always hate to see the pretty growing things get frozen, but we know that come Springtime a lot of them will spring back to life! As for the rest, I just have to enjoy them while they're here.

I hope all of your Christmas plans and projects are proceeding nicely. Have a great day!

Hugs and kisses,

Quilts and Things

I have no real reason for including this picture of water in a cabbage leaf except that I like the way it looks.

This, on the other hand, is a pretty good picture of me sometimes. I often feel like the little donkey with a cart full of jobs to do!

I finished the little quilt with the Miss Jump's Scrapbag charm squares. I love the disappearing nine-patch pattern. It is so simple and yet looks so modern. My son is not the one who got it, but he liked it when he saw it Thanksgiving Day. He said it was a masculine looking quilt. Oh brother!

I backed it with a Laura Ashley drapery weight fabric. I really like it and I have more. :)

Mr. Sweetie Pie and I delivered it yesterday. One more item crossed off my list. And that's a good thing.

Hope your day is going well.

Hugs and kisses,

Thankful

Another Thanksgiving Day is almost over. I hope yours has been filled with good things, and that you've remembered to thank the One who made them possible!

We had a wonderful day with our family, minus our little (grown up) baby girl who lives far away. It's not the same without her, but it was still mighty good. It's always good to spend time with those we love.

And having plenty of pie sure doesn't hurt any either!

I am so thankful for all the blessings I enjoy each and every day. I'm thankful for this country we live in, which with all its problems is still the best in the world for me. I'm thankful for the best husband in the world, for our family, for our friends, for our church. I'm thankful for a Pastor who is not afraid to speak the truth in love. I'm thankful for this beautiful world our heavenly Father created for us. I'm thankful that He gives me strength and ability to live each day and to do so many things that just make me happy!

And if you're feeling a little like this guy who has overindulged in the Thanksgiving Day feast, don't beat yourself up - you'll feel better tomorrow!

My love to you all!

Hugs and kisses,

At Least He Was Outside

Looking outside my kitchen window this afternooon I caught a movement on the ground. When I looked a little closer I saw this little guy.

He IS cute - as long as he's out there and not in here!

It's been a cool, rainy day here today, perfect weather for staying inside and eating yummy delicious soup.

On the sewing front, I'm happy to report that I have taken the plunge and started free-motion quilting with my new sewing machine. It works like a dream. I had to drag myself away to get some sleep last night.

Today, it's working just as well. Can I just say, "I LOVE IT!!!". I am a happy camper.

I have some more done on this little project. These squares need pressing, and then I'll figure out how I want them to go in a quilt I'm making for our bedroom. I've been wanting a Christmas sort of quilt to brighten up the room. I love Christmas, don't you?

Chloe, on the other hand, prefers to be left alone. Sure she's in my chair and I'd like to sit down and get back to work, but that is beside the point. Just leave me alone, she says.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hugs and kisses,