Tolentreasures

Another tree up this evening,                     I had some amazing little elves helping me.   We decided that Kamden’s strong point was not putting lights on the tree,  so he was sent to the yard to do some winterizing tasks. Kendall ended up with two baby Jesus.    Apparently, she had two complete nativity sets set up as one.  We did a little editing and back to normal.  Jesus was not a twin.        Insomnia set in and I finished aprons  and hemmed a pair of pants for JWS.       

JWS does most of the cooking around here,  however since his COVID induced semi retirement, meals have changed around here.   We seem to be eating more and more leftovers.  He seems to be busier than when he was working.   He asked yesterday for meal suggestions.  I jumped right on that idea!  I made a list!  Can’t wait to see what he produces in the coming weeks.  Just a sampling of ornaments that I am working on. I am hoping to have them all done in January  for next Christmas season.  The goal?  1000.  Can I make it?  I don’t know, but I am at 262 right now.   One fourth of the way there! 

We rarely get pics taken together. That needs to change this year. The yearly sister pic. And the 2020 Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt winners! I think that these two made up the Dream Team. Gracelyn has spent more time at our house than any of the rest of the grandkids this year. Christmas Eve candlelight service.   The first one we have made it to in many years.   The girls did all the cooking this year!

Teaching the kids power tools yesterday! What a year it has been! Who would have ever guessed the outcome of this year 365 days ago?  So much could be said.   How I wish I would have documented the year!   I wish I would have set aside  the time to journal, to blog, to write it all down.  Now as I sit here on Christmas Eve with a shiny new calendar ready for next year, I think back to what I did and didn’t do.   What I should have done and what I shouldn’t have done, things I have said and things I should not have said.   Through it all, the biggest lesson, as I look back has been to trust God, leaning not on anything I could do, but solely on him.   It is a concept that I always knew in my heart, but quite often did not practice.    So as I sit here with my calendar and make my yearly lists of what I want to do, I will try my best above all to keep last year's lesson at the top of the list, God first...in everything.

Just wish the shopping was! I heard on the news, 14 shopping days left.   Why doesn't anyone say how many SHIPPING days are left?   Posted this in the hopes that JWS will notice how bad those wires look? He says they are going away this week... Now off to get my mouse finger in shape for shopping!   Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season!  

The possibilities were/are endless.   And, of course, I have lots of product to facilitate them. What did we do before Pinterest!   Oh wait...we read books. The paper was flying at my house this week.   What a mess that makes! But I made a dent in the stash anyway. My display at the Kittanning Library meeting yesterday. What a nice group of ladies that I met! I hope I inspired some of them to try something new!   And these are mine.   Storage for more "inspirations" in my sewing room.   The paper is from old Workbasket magazines.   Anyone remember those?   Shades of Gray, not 50 of them, just a few and much tamer in my basket sitting near my recliner.   Another one for the Linus Project.   One down, five to go!

The first four have been done for several years. About three or so anyway.   The last three? I seriously procrastinated. However, barring any unforeseen and totally unexpected news in the coming few months, these should hold me for next year also.                 Whew!    Just a few (well actually 8) more projects and it can be Christmas!    I have got to start earlier next year! 

See these? They have been moved... a lot. They were bought, moved into the house, up to my sewing room. A few of them got wrapped and put under the tree. The rest sat.  We have had a few issues this year. Finally on Friday, my last day of work before this blessed Christmas break, I moved them all to my car and took them to work. And wrapped and wrapped and wrapped..... I guess that is one of the benefits of self employment. Friday night, I moved them all home and artfully arranged them under the Christmas tree. and then I remembered that because of my mil being sick we were having the traditional Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes at my house. Well, six kids, ages seven and under and all those gifts? Anyone could tell you that was not going to work. So I moved them again. This time UPSTAIRS again! To our bedroom. This morning, they came back down.... and are once again artfully arranged u...

Doesn't this look pretty? Then you see the rest of the table. The tree is up. but I found this below in a corner. And the worst one? These giant pumpkins in the winter looking snow! Do your holidays collide?  Mine always seem to. I still have snowmen up for Valentine's Day. Who am I kidding, sometimes I pack them away and put out the bunnies. And in October, I found eggs that needed packed away before I could put out the pumpkins. Thank goodness we drink a lot of coffee. The boxes are perfect. Debbie, Jennifer , Laurie and Sandi your packages will be mailed today!

..in one step. This is not a tutorial anyone is going to want to follow. You see, it is spring and I still had these Christmas lights up. No excuse for it. The weather has been beautiful. I guess I was just being lazy. You see, I sprayed these twigs white and put them in my planters out front and strung lights in them one snowy December day. I thought they look cool. And then I didn't take them down. This morning, I walked out to get rid of them and this is what I found. They are growing! Racking my sleep-deprived brain, I tried to remember where I cut them from. think... think... THINK! LILACS! You see, I have this lilac bush that never blooms. It gets tons of leaves, but never a flower. So I thought, "Why not sacrifice it for Christmas decorations." And now.. I have new lilac starts to plant somewhere else! I could get all philosophical and spiritual about that... new birth, new life, but really, Who would have thought spray painted, dead branches left cut all win...