Wishing For A Finishing Elf!

I am getting closer to being finished with my Christmas sewing projects...but still a few steps to go...these have had lots of steps and when you do each step nine times, each step takes a while to complete. But I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. One step included machine sewing and I will say that the new sewing chair definitely helped me do that step. I did spend time today making the salad for the meal after my friend's funeral tomorrow...but most of the rest of the day I was busy going step by step attempting to finish. I did sneak in a nap...not intentionally...well, I guess two...as the first one I ended up pouring part of my cup of tea on me...tea wasn't hot at the time...but that liquid descending on me all of a sudden definitely woke me up! Then another time I sat down in my recliner where I can do most of the steps left...but I guess I got too comfortable and once again fell asleep...I think the phone woke me up that time...one of the calls that I don't answer...but the ringing awakened me abruptly. Since then I have been hard at work...hopefully that was the power nap that I needed. Tomorrow I will be delivering the salad and then will be going to Abigail's and Payton's home for a Christmas celebration with her parents and siblings...and, I have been invited to tag along. This will be the first time that I have seen their home since they started moving into it. Guess it is time for me to get back to my Christmas crafting...it has become crafting now that all the stitching and sewing are complete! I am hoping that they will be finished before I close my eyes again to sleep or nap! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

One of Santa's Elves Stopped By!

My personal elf, Graham, stopped by to assemble my new sewing chair! I asked if he remembered telling me one time that he would always put things together for me...took him up on it. I mentioned to Nathan that Graham might do it...and Nathan ran with that suggestion. As Graham said, his dad would resort to reading directions only if he failed to get it together on his own...whereas, Graham wants to use the written directions. He had no problems getting it together. I am very pleased with it. I bought a tall drafting chair because I need to be up higher to be able to see to sew...and, this chair works perfectly. My problems...I have many! But as for being able to see to sew...first I am very short waisted with long legs...so most of me folds under me and doesn't make me very tall from the waist up. And, now my back is curving...so I am even shorter. I have been having to place many pillows on my chair (picture The Princess and the Pea) and I was still having to reach up with my arms to above my shoulders...quite a comical picture, I'm sure...luckily, I am usually the only one around when I am sewing. Anyway, this chair should get me level with the bed of my sewing machine. My machine should be able to be lowered so it is down in the cabinet and then I could sew "flat bedded," but my machine has a problem with the plug and I can't easily remove it so I can lower the machine...many problems...like I said! But the chair being able to rise higher than my regular office chair, that broke, could, should help immensely I'm anxious to do some sewing, but I am still on the handwork part of putting together what I am making...the cross stitching is finished...but I still have to attach what I stitched to some background fabric...which the way I am doing it, it has to be done by hand...and when doing it nine times...it takes a while...hopefully by Sunday when our family Christmas is, I will have them finished. I also have to stop this evening in a while and start working on ingredients that I need to have ready to make a salad with tomorrow. It is a layered salad that is supposed to be refrigerated for 24 hours prior to eating it. I am making it for a meal that will be after a funeral on Saturday. So I need to get it in the refrigerator tomorrow by noon...so I think it best if I chop, slice, dice, boil eggs, cook bacon, etc. prior to putting it together tomorrow morning. Whether my plans come to fruition or not...we'll see! Lately whatever I plan to do seems to take much longer than the same task used to take! Guess I am slowing down as I age! I guess that is okay as long as I plan for longer times to complete tasks! Sometimes that is hard to recalculate since I have done the same task so many times over the years...and my brain tells me that it should "only" take so long! Nathan and Kathy stopped by just as Graham was finishing his Grammy-put-together project. Just as they were leaving, I started to show them something that I had finished today for Abigail and Payton...BUT...when I went to show them it had disappeared from where it had been. We hunted around for a bit, but they left before it was found. I told them that I would let them know when I found it. They hadn't been gone long enough to get back home and I remembered that I had put it on the tree to take a picture of it! (rolling eyes)...but at least I remembered before I tore up things looking for it!!!!! Honestly!!!! (another roll of the eyes!) 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

No Pecan Pie Today

Now for an explanation for tonight's blog title...one of Woody's favorite desserts was pecan pie and for some time he requested pecan pie for his birthday. Today Woody would have been 78. Now if I had really wanted a pecan pie I could have baked one...but...pecan is not my favorite...so probably the only time that I will be baking a pecan pie is for Thanksgiving...unless I get a special request for one! I'd rather have a nice slice of chocolate cake with chocolate frosting! We definitely had different tastes, as Woody did not care for chocolate. We have had a very rainy day. It's the first time in what seems like forever that we have had a day when it rained most of it. I don't know how much rainfall we got as I took my rain gauge in for the winter to keep it from breaking if it froze and had water in it. I stayed in all day until it was time for Bible Study at church. I am home and settling in for the evening with my Christmas sewing projects. I have worked on them steadily for most of the day. I did manage to do two loads of laundry...and got most of it put away. I still have some to carry upstairs that I didn't have room for in my arms on my first trip upstairs. My new sewing/office chair was delivered today...I guess I "needed" a present on Woody's birthday!?! Well, back to my Christmas projects! 'Tis the season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

More Partying!

More gathering of friends...this morning Jo and Carolyn came over for breakfast. Our Christmas gathering has become a tradition...sometimew we eat out and sometimes we meet at each other's homes. This year we met here. We had breakfast and exchanged gifts...but mainly we enjoyed visiting with each other. We commented that when we get back together that we just pick up as if we haven't been apart! I really hadn't thougt about how long we have been friends till Carolyn told me how long she had been in Tullahoma...48 years! That's a long time. I have been blessed with so many great friends! Not long after they left, my next door neighbor texted and asked if I was home. She came over and we had a good visit. Lots of visiting today!!!! Being with friends and family is what Christmas is all about!!! Now I need to concentrate on finishing stitched gifts. I'm telling myself to "focus!" Whether I am minding myself is questionable! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Six Months

I'll put a photo of the beautiful cardinal on my tree, as I am thinking about Woody, perhaps more than some days, as he died on this date six months ago. I'm fine...just going over memories. This will be a week for memories. I have been busy today getting ready for my next party! Carolyn and Jo are coming over in the morning for breakfast. This will be short as I need to get the egg bake in the refrigerator for it's overnight stay. I'm pretty much ready since I had a party last week, too. Just have to add one place setting to what I used last week! Joy came over today and cut my hair. We listened to Christmas music and I told her about some of the singers who were from my parents time. I think she liked the story about Gene Autry writing Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and that he was a TV cowboy star. He was singing the version that we listened to...figuring that was the original version. We also laughed over what was picked when I asked for Christmas music...Hot Diggity, Dog Diggity...go figure! She gave me another great haircut. I have been to prayer meeting and got back home later than usual. Now preparing food for in the morning! 'Tis the Season! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Saturday for Sure

It has been "one of those days" that I'm really not sure exacly what I have done...but I feel like I have kept busy all day! This aftrrnoon I went to Hobby Lobby. I needed one skein of embroidery floss and some gold spray paint and was looking for a tall board/sign to go outside next to my front door. I found all I was looking for. The board is reversible. Once the holiday season is over, I will turn it around and it says welcome and has some cardinals on it...perfect considering the doormat and yard flag I chose have cardinals on them. I sat in the living room with my morning cup of tea and enjoyed the tree and some Christmas music. I played a little with my camera and took more close-up photos of some of the ornaments. I made cornbread this evening to have to eat with my supper bowl of chili...ate my slice of cornbread...now not sure I've got enough room for the chili! My plans for the evening are to sit and stitch...story of my life at this time of the year...well, usually have stitching to do...but don't always have deadlines...'tis the season for deadlines! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!