breakfast, holiday vests, Christmas dinner

Although it was a gloomy, overcast day on Saturday (12/29) it wasn’t raining, so after a delicious omelet, a Wolferman's English muffin and some leftover bacon:

Michael left for golf at SCCL while I headed downstairs.  I still hadn’t pulled together our yearly missive, so that was my task and it took ALL MORNING (as I knew it would.  It generally takes me 3 – 4 hours to read through my blog entries from the beginning of the year and pull together a short sentence or 2 with the highlights of each month.  I really do enjoy re-reading about our life together…I just really needed the time to continue my studio cleaning!!!)  

After that I tackled this huge box that has been in the corner of Michael’s pool playing area for about 6 months:  

It was full of completed craft stuff that used to be listed on Amazon….yes, THAT Amazon….the internet superstore.  I did sell about $300 worth of stuff, but the woman who was maintaining it for us has decided to take a break, so I got back everything that was left.  Luckily it all fit on my newly cleaned closet shelves, and that box is gone.  

Next up was tackling the small closet….years and years and years ago, when BG and I were doing craft fairs together, we made a series of holiday vests.  We sold a good many of them, but then we stopped doing the fairs and still had a group left (if you think I’m productive, it’s nothing compared to what BG and I can accomplish together when working on a task  :~).  

I contacted one of the teachers I know at the local elementary school to see if the teachers want the vests, and am still waiting on a reply.  

Once Michael was home, he read over the year end missive…made a few corrections, then I picked up Paula and we headed off to the UPS store to get copies made.    When I got back Michael and I both headed downstairs where he read his emails and I got a bit of sewing done before heading back upstairs to make our official Christmas dinner :~).  

We haven’t had time or have had other food that had to eaten, so this was the night we finally made our ham, corn and potatoes with sour cream, bacon & cheese:  

Everything was scrumptious and we relaxed, watched TV and started to string up another necklace for the rest of the evening.  After the 1^st of the year when things hopefully settle down a bit, I hope to really learn how to put the finishing touches on all of the necklaces I have braided so far….but here’s a picture of the only one that has been totally completed:

And my friend BG has been helping another friend of hers to turn her hubby's ties into pillows.  I thought you might enjoy seeing that effort:

Christmas yard decoration

Friday (12/28) dawned with intermittent torrential rain and light drizzles.  I just had time to get the blog out and get through all of my emails before Paula picked me to head up to the Lodge.  We had a lifestyle meeting that I think went very well.  We drove around for a bit on the way home and saw the absolutely CUTEST Christmas decoration:  

This was just so adorable we had to stop and get pictures and talk the owner for just a bit!  When I got home, I immediately got on the phone, trying to get Michael an eye appointment.  He told me his left eye was VERY blurry, had been for a couple of days, but worse today and not clearing up.  We were on the phone for an hour, and finally scored an appointment for Monday at 8 AM.  We stopped to cram in some food and ran out the door to give blood and run some errands.  We were both totally ready to come home at 4:30!  We sat and talked for quite a bit before heating up some pizza for dinner.  I headed downstairs to try to work a bit, but I just couldn’t work up any energy and finally ended up snuggling my honey on the couch, dozing and watching TV.

cleaning begins

Michael was up at 6:30 AM for golf on Thursday (12/27) and I headed downstairs to figure out a plan of attack for the studio.  We didn’t have quilting today as it seemed like only a few people were planning to come, so it got cancelled.  I decided I needed to start with my closet as it’s hard to put anything away when your shelves are totally full!!!  I wish I had taken a before picture on the shelves, but this is everything that came off of just 2 shelves: 

It was totally demoralizing to see all of that stuff that’s been on those shelves for YEARS…..but I got it all sorted and decided what I was keeping and where I was donating the rest.  Although I’m sure I’ll put a few other things on the shelves, this is what they look like now:  

I headed out in the afternoon to get my hair done and run a bunch of errands and Michael ran out to pick up a pizza for dinner.  We watched TV in the evening and I braided on a necklace.

yoghurt, kitty quilt top done, Janice's quilt top

Michael was up early on Wednesday (12/26) for golf, while I finished off the yoghurt I had fermenting overnight in the crockpot for him:  

When that was done I ran through my emails, and discovered yet another friend is down with a bad cold (Paula was the first).  I decided since I already had a quart of Elephant Chicken soup ready to go, I would run it down to Loree, along with some Christmas treats.  Paula went along for the ride, and when we got home, we sat outside her house for about an hour, solving all of the problems of the world. 

After that I headed to my studio, excited that my year end goals are within reach!!  A couple of weeks ago, when I was working on the borders for my 4^th retreat quilt….I had no idea whether or not I could also finish all of the quilt tops I had cut out for retreat and then give my studio a thorough cleaning to start the year fresh, but I had that as a goal.  Luckily, with all of my kitty blocks done as of yesterday, I just have to sew it together and get the borders on and I will be done with every single thing I took to retreat…that means 7 quilt tops completed since November 12^th (the first day of retreat) and I am PSYCHED!!!  By the time Michael came home from golf around 3:30 PM….I was THRILLED to be all done: 

 You all know I made a bunch of Christmas candy….but we still had a group of people that we needed to hand it out to, so Michael and I hopped in the golf cart and went hither and yon to deliver almost all of the candy….I just have a few more people to hit tomorrow.  When we got home, Michael hopped in the shower while I spent an hour on YOUTUBE, looking at long arm loading videos.  I am always looking to improve my technique and I did pick up a few pointers from Jamie Wallen…a rock star in the quilting universe  :~).  We both had leftover soup for dinner and I started just a tiny bit on the clean up of my studio before settling in for SKYPE-ing with Janice at 7 PM.  We SKYPE-d until 8:30 when I headed upstairs to watch TV with my honey and to finish the hood on the sweater for AJ.

I wanted to show you one funny thing…Michael has wanted a new TV for quite awhile and we decided that that was a big present we would give each other for Christmas.  He’s been trying to figure out what size to buy, so when I went upstairs to watch TV last night…this sight greeted me:  

In case you can’t tell what it is, he added cardboard flaps to the side of the TV to get a sense of how big the new TV might be  :~).   And since we brought a bunch of new stuff in the house with Christmas, while we were watching we started with our game space and weeded out some things to be donated:

And I’m glad I only had a few pictures today because I have another one that I didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle!!!  Janice (a CT Fiber Floozie and long time friend) has finished a ‘Loree’ quilt top:  

This was all out of leftovers she had and I think it looks beautiful!!!  I can’t wait until she is living in NC and can come over and quilt things as she finishes them  :~).

Christmas Day 2018

Christmas Day – What a wonderful day we spent together!  First up was a perfect breakfast of homemade waffles, potatoes and bacon:  

look at that perfect waffle!!  the dark bits at the top are pecan pieces in Michael's half

yum!!

We were finally done at 10:30 AM and opened our first presents:  

Wolferman's English muffins were from breakfast Santa

My present was from 'the song that almost didn't make it into OZ' Santa.  Of course I knew the song was 'somewhere over the rainbow' and this gift was a quilt pattern and all of the fabric to complete it!!!

Michael cleaned up from breakfast and let me finish up my latest book before we headed downstairs.  

We watched ‘CLOSERS’ and there was some pool playing and more gift giving 

an ITUNES gift card from Beatles Santa and a book from 'after the play' Santa.  It has to be after the play because neither one of us can read a new book while we're trying to learn lines

this is a new glasses case from 'sea better' Santa....that was my punny (and not that's not a typo) husband trying to throw me off.

and more sewing:

and some quilting (the second Prayers & Squares quilting is done):

and in general just a wonderful day spent together.  

We had a late dinner of champagne 

this time with yummy blackberries in our non-tip glasses

and puffy things (our favorite, scallop stuffed shells) 

and watched LOVE ACTUALLY as our Christmas movie.  We opened our last presents at 11 PM….just before bed.  I think I got pictures of most of them.  

another t-shirt for our vacation next year

new skillets for Michael, also from breakfast Santa

some sort of training device from golf Santa

these were from mom Santa....Michael's mom always loved them

from political Santa

and from date night Santa...one of our favorite movies

What a wonderful, quiet, loving and relaxing day.

omelet, second P&S loaded, FPF top done

Merry Christmas!!!  

Michael left for golf by 9 AM on Monday (12/24), but not before sending me a picture of his scrumptious breakfast:  

he thought his omelet looked particularly good!

I headed downstairs, determined to continue to try to get my projects finished for the end of the year.  I had a second Prayers & Squares quilt to be quilted, so I got that loaded and basted first thing 

and kicked off the quilting:  

While that was happening, I put the final border on my FPF quilt….I really think it looks awesome…I love the colors (maybe I should just get rid of all of my fabric except for rainbow colors???  Just kidding  :~):  

This will be loaded up on Miss Scarlett the minute the second Prayers & Squares quilt is finished.

I also got all of my pink blocks done for my last quilt top of the year:  

Michael and I shared a late dinner of champagne 

with yummy fresh raspberries

and puffy things 

we had these mini-crab cakes as well as some pot stickers

before settling in to watch some holiday TV and braid a bit on a new necklace.