Christmas Greetings!!

Hello everyone!  As I write this the sun that didn't make a peep all day is working it's way down.  I know 'cause the drear is getting drearier.  My husband is asleep on the couch and has been there all day.  Being sick will do that to you, so I'm trying to stay fairly quiet so he can rest.

Earlier I was cooking for our family get-together next week and the smells that to me were heavenly almost sent him into orbit!  So, since our family can't all be together for Christmas until next week, I decided to forgo some of the cooking 'till he's feeling a little better. 

It's a simple case of "the crud" that has been making it's way through just about everyone's family here.  It is apparently short, but quite miserable 'till it runs it's course.  How I've escaped so far, I'll never know, but I'm surely not complaining!!

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Let me take this moment to wish all of you a Merry Christmas!!  I know not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I do wish you the opportunity to know the love and healing of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father, the creator of the universe.

I've been doing a lot of research about origins of holidays and such and realize that Jesus likely was not born at this time of year. From what I have been able to discover he probably was born closer to the first week of September, but apparently, due to some influence centuries ago, we celebrate in late December. But, regardless of when we celebrate, the meaning for me is the same--May the joy of His birth be real and meaningful to you and yours.

This is a cross stitch I designed as a Christmas greeting.  Hope you enjoy it. 

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I haven't done a lot of cross stitch lately.  Unfortunately, I'm one of those cyclical types.  I'll do drawing for awhile, cross stitch a few months, then a round of watercolor (which could last a LONG time), throw in a little crochet in the winter, intersperse it with my soapmaking and music next thing I know, I'm meeting myself coming back and don't get anything accomplished.

How many of you are also like that?  I KNOW there must be some of you just like me!  Does it make you as crazy as it makes me?  I've wished so many times I could just settle on ONE thing, just ONE thing that I'm so passionate about, I want to do nothing else. 

But, I can't.  I've lightened the load a lot and ridded myself of many projects and activities the last few years, but I just don't want to get rid of anything else and I don't have time to do real justice to the things I want to keep. 

If anyone has come up with a way to get it all done, please let me in on it!!  (BTW:  I've tried scheduling all this and that was a disaster! 

I'm a bit like this butterfly and tend to flit around too much!)

 

We haven't gotten any snow yet this year.  The western part of the county did, but not us.  There's an old way of predicting that using a persimmon.  If you cut open a persimmon and it shows the profile of a fork, it means a mild winter.  A spoon means LOT'S of snow and a knife means ice (YUCK).  Well, quite a few people I know have cut open persimmons and they've all had spoons in them.  So, we keep the Jeep gassed up, the larder packed

and the propane tank full.

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My son can't be home till Monday, so my two grown children and their families will come Tuesday night for our family Christmas.

My brother and sister along with our children, their children and our mom will gather Thursday night, but tomorrow, my husband and I (hopefully he's feeling better by then) will have Christmas morning together.  It will be as it was 33 years ago as we celebrated our first Christmas.  I'll make a simple

 breakfast and we'll exchange our gifts to each other. 

This year he's getting a military service ring.

He is a veteran of active duty Air Force, active duty Army and retired from the Arkansas Air Guard.  I am so proud of him and his willingness to serve. 

 I wouldn't trade anything for those precious years. 

 Well, the hubby just stirred and crawled off the couch.  He walked around a bit and is now sitting up, so maybe he's making a turn for the better!!  It'll be a very busy week next week (we're going to be getting a llama and some goats as well as a pair of turkeys and some more laying hens along with all the family stuff) so I may not see you 'till 2012....if not, may the joy of the season be yours and may your family prosper in love and peace in the new year!

'till next time-

Sherry





Zentangled Color

Happy Monday everyone!  No?!  Not happy it's Monday?  Well, I didn't see my obit this morning, so I'll keep going with Happy Monday.  My daughter-in-law was just lamenting the fact that the kiddos are out of school and they wake up at 6:30!  All I could think was PAYBACKS!!

Yesterday's church service was so inspiring.  The choir did a great job glorifying our Lord,  Pastor had a God-breathed sermon and we topped it off with a beautiful little girl singing "Happy Birthday Jesus".  It didn't hurt that she was my 6 year old granddaughter....

She was such a trooper.  On the second verse, she mixed up a couple of words, grinned and kept right on going.  That's my girl!!

It's quite overcast here on The Hill.  I thought yesterday was going to be beautiful and sunny.  Alas, there's a reason I'm not a weatherman.  But, wait, maybe that's what I should be.  I totally missed a correct forecast too!

Traveling today about 2 1/2 hours away to go with hubby to the VA hospital.  Nothing major.  Just an eye exam.  Hopefully, it will lead to some good sketches.  I like this new attitude of "seeking out" things to draw.  Maybe...just maybe...I'm learning to think like an artist.  Proof that as long as there's breath, there's opportunity to learn!

I know a lot of you love Zentangles.  I do too.   (Check out this link if you'd like to know more about them.  http://www.zentangle.com/)

Well, I've found a fabulous website and this gal so inspires me to create.  Here's her link:  http://www.milliande.com/ .  She does zentangle in the round with adding hand outlines.  I've been working on one for each member of my family. 

This is my daughter-in-laws hand I'm just getting started on.

This is my hand that I've gotten quite a bit done.

This is the first one I did of my hand with some watercolor added.  I love the look of black and white, but just couldn't resist adding color!

This is the one above with washes added around the border.

What I really love about these is, you can doodle just about anywhere!  They are so portable and you can put just about any pattern you want in them and think about it...patterns are EVERYWHERE!!!

Nature provides us with an endless supply and

then there's man-made shapes and designs

EVERYWHERE you look!

Try it yourself and just have FUN!!!

'till next time-

Sherry

 

It's early Sunday morning and I realize it's been a few days since I've connected with all of you.

The sun is just starting to seep a bit of glow from the east and the roosters have been trying to jar me out of bed for the last two hours.  I have stubbornly refused to cooperate up till now!  But, even though it's Sunday, there's still much to do and since I'm usually a night person, I thought I'd get up and see what a "leisurely" morning  is like.

Being a night person, mornings are rather difficult.  Not that I don't do them.  I often HAVE to do them, but they are usually rushed and I don't seem to take the time to notice how the sun starts to bathe the day in it's glow.  (and here lately, it's been so  gray and cloudy there's been no glow!)

But there is this morning and it's nice. I don't think I'll enjoy it from outside as it's 35 degrees, but it's great through the window. (This pic is from a couple of winters ago-we haven't had a good snow on my side of the mountains yet)

 I just wish I enjoyed coffee!  I love those commercials of waking up to the smell of fresh coffee. Mmmmmm..... If coffee tasted as good as it smells, I'd go through the day with a coffee iv.  But, I'm one of those who adds a little coffe to my milk and sugar.  NOT a really good thing.  Might as well drink hot cocoa made with whole milk!

I've been doing a bit of sketching although I'm trying to study for my final test in medical terminology.  Got all my abbreviation tests done (just so you'll know Teri!!), but the final test is 12 pages long and comprehensive, so I've got a LOT of stuydying to do!  I'd like to be sketching, but there is a part of me that loves the structured work of typing.  Crazy, huh?!  Sometimes I feel like two different people.  Mostly creative, but I still have that partly structured side that I have to satisfy.  Medical transcription should take care of that and then I can support my creative side!! 

The following sketches were done when my mother was in the hospital in November.

Three trips to emergency and two hospital stays in a week and a half.  The rooms seem to get so small you even sketch the iv bags!

Our little hospital has strips between the different wings with gardens.  This was the area out my mother's window.  It was dreary and rainy, but at least it wasn't a brick wall.

She slept a lot, which was good.

Just felt like splashing color since she got to come home!

She's been doing pretty good since then. 

At least, no more trips to the hospital or e.r.!

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Well, the sun is up and it looks like the day will be bright and beautiful!

Our choir is presenting our Christmas cantata this morning and our director has been sick.  Hope he is feeling much better this morning, but I know God will bless it as we give Him the glory for the birth of Jesus!!!

Praise the Lord!

'till next time-

Sherry

A Little of This, Some of That

It's been a long day, but the older I get, the more thankful I am for long days!!  It never ceases to amaze me how time barely moves when you're young.  Five years at the age of 10 is so long.   Then it's  the length of a breath when you're over 50!

Making progress on my "project"!

I just hope it works out as planned.  The cool thing is there's some parts that will lend themselves to some mixed media work.  I'm seeing some journal covers using the little nuts, tubes and circut boards.  Then, the wires would work well to wire together journal pages.

Anxious to work on them, but I have to work my studying in too!  So much to do with so little time.

With six grandkids all living within 12 miles to me or less, there's always times when I'm needed to help out.  But, my daughter-in-law will be done with school 'till next semester, so there will be a short vacation for me to get a lot of study done!!

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Looks like we'll be bringing in some new faces around here.  We'll be going this weekend to bring home a llama and three goats.  Two nubians and one pygmy.
We have had Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats, but I could no longer milk, so I sold them.  Missed them so much and they did such a good job of keeping the acreage we have fenced cleaned up, it's time to bring home some more.  Even though two of them are nubian, I won't be milking this time.  If you've ever milked, you know how much work that can be!

Makes luscious soap, but I've learned to make it without the goat milk and it's just as good and a lot less labor intensive!!

A few samples of my "Ugly Chunk Lye Soap".

My first attempt at making soap!  Did you know that when lye is poured into water, the temperature goes to over 200 degrees in the blink of an eye?!

Did you also know that on soapmaking day

my house smells heavenly with all the essential oils I use?!

Yummy!

'till next time-

Sherry

More "Project" Pics

More pics of my latest "project".  I never saw so many wires and soldered connections in all my life.  No wonder fixing it was out of the question!!

'till next time-

Sherry

Nutcracker Day!

Good morning!

God has blessed us with a most delicious day weatherwise.  It's cold, clear and still.  Perfect!

It's 27 right now, but I'm sure with all this sunshine , it won't be for long!

Got a lot hoped for today.  Headed to the nearest "big" town (65,000 pop) to see The Nutcracker ballet.  It's about a 1 1/2 hr. drive, but so worth it.  Taking my daughter, daughter-in-law, and oldest granddaughter.  Lunch after that and then try to get a little Christmas shopping done.

My daughter is one of those who buys all year and has it totally done by this time, but I tend to, as usual, fly by the seat of my pants.  So, once again, I'm scrambling!!  But, it's so much fun!!

The photo I stuck up there is my newest project.  It's an old organ someone gave me that I discovered didn't work and would cost a fortune to fix. 

I'll be "re-purposing" it in the next few days and invite you to come along with me to see what it will turn out to be. 

I've decided what I want it to be, but post a few suggestions of what you'd do with it.  We'll see if some of us are thinking along the same path (or if you have an idea I might even like better).  Will post more tomorrow.

'till next time-
Sherry

Just had an aweful scare!!  Went to my computer and it was stone cold! 
I had just been using it a couple hours before and it was still on.  It should not be COLD!!  Oh no!!  I'm thinking my computer is now deceased!!

I plugged it in thinking the battery simply needed charging.  Nothing!  Nada!
Over and done with!  All I could think was how glad I was that I had backed up my files last week.  Wouldn't help with all the pictures I took this week, but better than losing EVERYTHING!

Took out the battery.  Put it back in.  Unplugged and plugged up the charger.  NOTHING!
I'm freaking out about this time.  I mean, I must have this computer to do my classes and what would I possibly do without Facebook, e-mail and blogs?!?!?

Then, my husband calmly suggests, "why don't you try a different outlet? May be a thrown breaker."  (Don't 'ya just hate it when they're calm when you know the world is falling apart?)

But, nope......he wasn't right! 

Close enough though. The power strip the charger was plugged into was turned off. Imagine the nerve!!

That's why the first thing listed on troubleshooting electric things is------is it plugged in dweeb?

(This meerkat lives at the Houston zoo and I

couldn't resist the look of disgust on his face!) 

Was babysitting one granddaughter and picked the other one up at school early today.  We promptly went home and made cookies, like somehow, I just really needed cookies to slap across my thighs!

Came up with a new recipe and thought I'd share it here:

SHERRY'S IRRISISTABLE WHITE AND MILK CHOCOLATE CHIP COW PATTIES

1 C butter-softened

1 C brown sugar

1 1/2 C granulated sugar

1 pkg. cream cheese-softened

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 C flour

1 1/4 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

3/4 C cocoa

1 pkg. white chocolate chips

1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugars, and cream cheese.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend.

In seperate bowl mix well:  flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.

Blend into first mixture.   Add chips.

Drop by FULL TABLESPOON onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 11-12 minutes.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen BIG cookies.  That's why I call 'em cow patties.  That's what they kinda' look like.

But, mmmmmm.....they're good with COLD milk!!  Ask my granddaughters!

'till next time-

Sherry