Friday, November 25, 2011

Christmas decorating begins! (soon)

So the Christmas season is here.  Now that work is out of the way for a few days I guess it is time to begin the transformation of our home for the season. Tomorrow I will drag out the tree from the basement and start decorating it from top to bottom....what fun we will have! I love old vintage ornaments and I will carefully dig them out.
Later in the day we are planning another Thanksgiving dinner..with some of my family. It will be nice to be together again.
There will be cookies and hot chocolate to help us set the stage but for tonight I will rest and relax. Tomorrow will be here quickly. Blessings to each of you.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Thoughts about Thanksgiving

In my heart, this is what Thanksgiving feels like...a family sitting together and having a grand time just being together. We have to be thankful for what we are given because we only have today. I am thankful for my family.
 For many years my Mother was not able to be with us during Thanksgiving and Christmas. My dad would leave for Florida around the first of November and never look back but oh how Mother missed being with us. I would call her during our day and we would chat and she would try to hide the sadness in her voice but I knew how she was feeling. She loved her children and grandchildren more than anything. She did not like going to Florida and being away from us so we missed so many days together. But how lucky we are that we all knew how she felt about us and she showed us often with her little notes and quick chats. What a blessing she was to us.

  This will be the first Thanksgiving without my Mom. Even though she was in Florida she had a way of making our day special. Often she would buy the paper products and make little candy treats before she left and how could be forget those parkerhouse rolls she would make ahead of time...oh how yummy they were!!!
  So I will now try to make the day special for my kids. Last weekend was my Mother's birthday and I was not about to let the day be forgotten so in honor of my Mom I bought each of my girls a present and from here on out they will get a present on her birthday always. It made me feel a little better knowing that we celebrated her day.
  So this year I am going to be thankful for all those that choose to spend the day with me, I am thankful for the blessings that we have and the love we share. I have not forgotten all you who have been so kind to me during this time of heartbreak...I am so very thankful for you too.
  May your day be filled with laughter and love...hold them close and kiss them...I am so very  blessed.



Monday, November 14, 2011

Such a Sweet Reminder

  This weekend I had a small gathering of family over for a bonfire and crafting session. We were gathering all the items we needed and taking them to my shed. I had most everything I needed but I could have used another crock pot. I had 4 plugged in but still I needed one more. As I was finishing up the preparations I opened a cabinet in my shed and there was my Mother's old crock pot. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I do not remember her bringing it to my home but we had a birthday party for her last year and my guess is she left it so I could use it for the holidays.
  This poor old crock pot is missing a handle and a little chipped and is the most wonderful thing I have seen in months. It is so like my Mom to always be thinking of helping someone else.
  In this season of thankfulness I sometimes feel so bad that I forget about all my blessings. I have so very many. But for today I am so thankful for this old chippy crock pot. It reminds we of the loving and giving spirit of my Mother. She was with us as we sat around the fire and chatted...she was reminding me she is always there. Praise the Lord for His mercy and grace for without it I am nothing.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Framed and Finished...Finally

 When I started stitching this piece for my Mother last winter I never dreamed that she would not be here for her birthday to receive it. She watched this piece come together and I surprised her by adding her name to the bottom. She was so delighted.
 So I found a place in my home to hang it and it will be a gentle reminder of her each day.
 I think the framing turned out fine and since I am changing some of my rooms to a white i went with distressed frame. Mom would have wanted something with scrolls and I think she would have loved seeing it done. She did get to see the stitched piece done. I only had 2 stitches to do for it to be complete but when she passed away I decided it was complete minus the stitches.
 This is a wall in my kitchen and for now it will hang here. I am going to write something on the back but right now I just have to let it be.
On the 19th I have decided that there is a new tradition that I want to start to celebrate her birthday even though she is in Heaven. I will share the details on her birthday. My Mother always made each one of us feel special on our birthday. She always would bake us her special cake and would either have a gift or some money for us to buy something special. She often would make a meal or come to our home to share the meal we were having but she was the type of person to always think of others. She wanted us each to know how much she loved us and she would take the opportunity to make it known on our birthday and on holidays. She was a kind, caring and gently person. I miss her. To you, Mom, with love.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Cardnal is back

Remember when I was stitching this piece? Well,  I did finish if for my Mom. She watched as I placed the stitches and was so surprised when I added her name to it. When my Mom passed away I only had 2 stitches to put in it but those 2 stitches will remain incomplete just like my Mother. Her life was not complete on this earth in our eyes but Jesus called her home and her journey now continues with Him. I just picked this piece up from the framers tonight but I can not bear to take the plastic off of it just yet. I will post a picture when I can bear to look at it. My Mother's birthday is November 19th and this was going to be her present. So, Mom, this one was for you...Dear Friends...I will post a pic tomorrow. With sadness I will leave this day behind.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

My Project is Started

 My newest projects is finally started. I am working on an Advent Calendar that my dh bought me for my birthday. My eldest dd is helping me put them together. We spend last Sunday putting all the pieces into baggies so that it would be easier to find what we needed. All of the tags are laying on the table so they will look a little different when they are hanging but that will be when I get to the end!
 I do not have them in any order and the jolly  is in need of some bells but the paint was too wet to finish it.
We are  having a delightful time being together and creating new memories. I had a weepy moment when I forgot Mom was gone. I had it in the back of my mind that she was in Florida and when my dd went to the other room for a minute I was going to call Mom and tell her what we were doing. She loved crafts and would have enjoyed this project. Just as I reached for my phone I realized she was gone and I just could not stop the tears in time for my dd to come back and catch me. But in the midst of all that I stamped one of the words upside down and so the tears turned into giggles for a minute. I miss her so much but I am trying my best to make new memories to help ease the hurt. I am so thankful for my children. Thankfulness helps get me through the days. I am thankful for all the time I spent with my Mom and all the time we spent on the phone while she would winter in Florida. I am so very thankful!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Her Last display for the year

 This is my beautiful tree this morning. She is showing her wear from all the rain we have had. She shows her beauty each year and I just love watching her make the change but I am sad when I see her get to this stage because it is almost over now.
This was her in full glory!
I am still gathering supplies for my Advent calendar but I promise to share the pictures as I put it together.
I have another full day of activity planned but most of what I do is so boring that I dare not share. I have things like the post office and the bank and sweeping and well you get the picture. But I am thankful for the beautiful weather we are suppose to have the next three days and I am going to enjoy each one with a walk and some outdoor work. I hope your day is blessed.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Extra large turkey and a little decorating

 Well, since it was so nice here today I decided that maybe I should work on some of those last minute projects that I need to do outside. I found my wooden turkey feathers that my Mom made for me and I found the biggest pumpkin that I have.This makes for a giant turkey and I think he is just so cute. He is just outside my back door,
 Then I headed outside to mow and work on my shed. This is the building that my parents had built for me. I am having a few cousins come over and I thought I would give it a more living room feel so I took some decorations and headed out there. Since it is 61 degrees I actually didn't need much of a jacket either. When you leave my back door and head out to my shed this is what you see.
 And when you are at the shed and look down the driveway it was a beautiful seen today.
 You can tell that I mowed all the leaves up for now but there are many more to come. I just adore leaves and trees!!
 Inside I did put up a few things and this is one of my new tables. This is where it will live for now but then I have plans for it!
 When you walk out the front door this is what you see. I often sit on the front porch of my building and just enjoy. I miss my Mom. She was always here helping me get things ready for Thanksgiving and working on projects before she would leave for Florida. But alas, she is always with me, I am so thankful for that.