December 16, 2024 Monday--5am

Good morning!

I had another sweet, quiet week.  Kind of in hibernation mode and can't seem to snap out of it--lol!  I suppose there's no need to, really.  I have no particular plans, after all--lol!

We had freezing drizzle topped with a thin layer of snow twice this week.  I do love the snow, as you know, but ice!  No thanks!  Falling gets more dangerous the older I get.  I'm grateful I don't have to be anywhere and can just have sweet, quiet days all warm inside with Miss Allie. She keeps an eye on me--lol! :) 

And we are both loving having all the birds out there every day.

Can't tell but there's ice out there on that sidewalk.  Whenever we can't see it we call it black ice.  Not sure where that saying came from, but it is a dreaded one.

I bought myself an electric skillet to maybe replace my stove when I move.  Haven't tried it out yet.  It had very high ratings on Amazon, is ceramic non-stick, and can go in the dishwasher!  Since I have only been using cast iron for several years, I needed some utensils for a non-stick pan, right?

When I saw these bamboo utensils--OMGosh!!  These are so ME.

Besides the usual daily & weekly stuff I have to do around here and along with the Critter Cafe duties...

...I finally made it into the studio to snoop around for something new to try.  I had saved this new book out when I packed because I love wildflowers.

Decided to set up in the kitchen instead of at the studio table (so I can see the partridges when they come by, to be honest).

Playing with some of the new QOR paints (best of the lot that I purchased recently so I wanted to try first).  They wet really well and are quite vibrant.  Ignore my actual artwork--lol! 

You can see where I get some use out of my crazy expensive book holders.  That is the rose gold bee.

I am so out of practice I can't even remember which brushes work well for which effects or which sizes to use.  They vary so much from brand and type.  And then I have new paints I am not familiar with, too.  But it is so much fun to play!  It's like being a newbie all over again.  Would take a lot of practice for me to be able to paint wildflowers anywhere close to what she does, but it is fun trying. 

Christmas cards have been arriving.  This one is the most unusual card I've ever gotten...even spins and plays "Oh, Christmas Tree"!  Thanks, Janie!

I decided to cover my refrigerator this year.  :) :)

Leah had to stop in at Joann's last week for some ribbon.  We haven't been there for quite a while, but I was flabbergasted at the pictures she sent me!  Joann's was always such a nice store--always so neat and clean.  You can skim through the photos (there were even more than this).  The entire store looked like this.

Absolutely shocking!  No signs about them closing or going out of business or anything.  Have any of you gone into an old familiar store and found it to be such a disaster?  Is all the online shopping putting the brick-and-mortar stores out of business or causing them to be so understaffed that they can't keep their stores clean and organized?  Such a shame.  We are still really shocked.

The following photos of the rugs are taken by Ian!  Gramma wanted a picture of the boxes Dagan took home...and they are being used right now to help flatten the rugs--lol!  

Ian did a really great job with the pictures!  

Leah got the new shower caddy and my coffee shelves put together and ready to hang.

She got the custom automatic blinds ordered for my two windows, too.  Next weekend she plans to see about ordering the appliances from a place in town that will deliver and set them up for us.  Such a busy time of year right now.  Things always settle down after the holidays.  But it is a time for being bundled up and making snowmen.

I tried to get a picture at dusk of my lights around my studio window and the patio door...my year-round decorations.  The studio lights twinkle, so it is hard to get them all lit up at the same time.  But they are what I see at the kitchen table...all year round.  *big smile*

Next newsletter it will be almost Christmas!  And then the next one will be the last one for this year and almost New Year's Eve!  Have a really good week and I'll see you again before Santa does. :)

December 9, 2024 Monday--5am

Good morning!

We had snow Tuesday night that continued on into Wednesday.  Even had those annoying phone alerts for a snow squall.  Haven't usually had those go off.  

The partridge covey stayed nearby and were here several times...

...along with a flock of small birds.

There wasn't a lot more snow, but there was wicked wind!  

At times you could barely see.  The snow was coming down horizontally.

Plastered against my patio door glass.  The sun finally came out for a little while later in the day, but the wind barely died down.

I had an apartment inspection Friday morning and then later that afternoon Dagan brought me over to pick up my new glasses.  Just a quick unprepared snap.  They have quite a bit larger lenses...better for my trifocals--lol!  

Still wire rims, though.  Have preferred wire rims ever since the 60s.  Every time I had plastic frames, they made me feel like I was looking through a tunnel--ROFL!  I actually had rose-tinted wire rim glasses that I had made from my dad's old wire rims he had worn in the navy.  They hooked around your ears!  No lie!  For many years I wore those.  Much preferred to my pale blue cat glasses I wore in high school--lol!

I don't know where the week went to be honest.  Has just been a long, quiet, mellow week.  Puttering about...doing laundry...cooking...letters...feeding the birds...kind of feeling like Allie does most of the time--lol!

Got caught up in a British documentary where five people lived for an entire year on a farm like they would have in the 1600s.  Absolutely fascinates me when they do those kinds of living in the past experiments.  Have you ever watched any of them?  

Wasn't feeling all that active as my left hip has been in a touchy, cranky mood for a couple of weeks--lol!  Such is life.  

Anyways, I have some pics from Leah.  On Saturday Ian, Liam and the neighbor boy, Nash, went to Home Depot.

They always love going there!  Looks like Nash did, too.  He's gone with them before, I believe.    

That night they went, along with their cousins, to see the Holiday Lights parade.

They had a bag with them for candy and goodies that get tossed to the crowd.

Odd to see a rainbow in the winter, eh?  This is looking out their living room window.

I sent my new bathroom rugs home with Leah.  They fit!!  I am soooo happy.  If they had been rectangular, they would have overlapped.  But they fit just as perfectly as I had hoped they would.  :)

And the other two rugs that match the living room rug are just about uncurled now, so you can see them right-side-up!  

Love how colorful they are.

Been picking out a new shower caddy hook, kitchen towel holder, and some other hooks.  Leah ordered the new shower caddy and coffee shelves (on sale after Thanksgiving).  I'm going to try a magnetic strip in the kitchen to hold all my sharp knives since I have less storage or counter space.  Have any of you tried those?  Do you like them?  It seems like a good idea for small spaces...but also kind of weird to have sharp knives hanging out there like that.  I'll find out, eh?

Well, this week Keanna comes tomorrow to clean.  The boys' Christmas presents should be delivered so there will be wrapping to do.  I am just enjoying having no plans at all really.  Snuggling with Allie and watching the partridges and flock of small birds every day again.  It warmed up into the 30s and low 40s over the weekend so a lot of the snow has melted.  :(  I really, really hope we get some more snow before Christmas for sure.  Brown Christmases are so depressing to me.  Or icy ones!  Bleh!  Please, please, please snow!

Are you ready for Christmas?  Do you travel to see family?  Does family come to see you?  Or do you spend Christmas with your cat, like me?  I always do see McFamily before or after Christmas, though.  Usually after.  My tradition is that I always watch It's a Wonderful Life (get teary-eyed every time) and A Christmas Story (get nostalgic every time) sometime around or over Christmas.  Never have after, though, come to think of it.  Always before or during.  Do you have favorite Christmas movies you watch every year?

Christmas always fills my soul with such good stuff.  May you be filled up, too...and overflow!  Till next week. :)