Christmas in January

I forgot to show you two awesome gifts I got for Christmas this year.  In early December, I flew up to Minnesota, so I could drive with my mom down to Arizona for the winter.  We were supposed to have a girls Christmas get together before she and I took off.  However, the weather decided not to cooperate, so not only were my mom and I stuck in Minnesota because of so much snow, but my sister, Kandi, was stuck at her house and couldn't come over and see us to exchange gifts.  My sister, Karen, was able to make it, so we had a mini-sad-Christmas without all of us being together.  We decided to do homemade gifts for each other this year.

My mom gave me this....

An apron she made.....with fabric from my Grandma.  I love the bright colors, but have to wonder why she picked this fabric with Geisha girls on it....I wonder if it was on sale.....or, she got it because she loved the bright colors too.....or, did she like Asian culture....or, did someone give it to her....

Karen made this framed Christmas tree for me....

It is made out of my Grandma's old buttons.  I love it!  Some of these buttons I remember.  Some, like the little yellow ones on top that have smily faces on them, I don't.  I love it so much, I am leaving it out all year.  I love that it is cute, but I love the sentiment of having something of Grandma's nearby.

I am definitely getting more sentimental about things like this the older I get.  The quilt on my bed is one that this same Grandma made out of my Grandpa's old shirts and suits.  I love that one so much, that I even keep it on my bed through the heat of summer here in good, old, Georgia.  A-man, who is named after that Grandpa loves to look through all the patches and imagine where Grandpa would have worn that shirt or whether it was his Sunday suit and what color tie he would have worn with it.

Almost makes me want to learn how to quilt, so I can pass down some practical memory keepers for the kids.  Will that really make me an old lady?  I think I may still  be safe with just the crocheting/knitting and the quilting, as long as I don't start canning/preserving things....right?  

I just started thinking of all the "little old lady" things that exist...that I already do, like wearing my hair in a bun....wearing sensible shoes (with everything)....saving my tea bags to reuse....I think it really might be time to officially state the obvious. 

I am precariously close to being a little old lady.

Miscellaneous Fun Stuff

Just time for a few random things from our world this week.

A-man has been doing a study on Japan in History and Geography.  For some reason, in this unit, there is a recipe for Russian Tea Cakes.  We have used this same curriculum for all the older kids and everytime we get to this point, I am shocked to find Russian Tea Cakes in the unit about Japan.  I suppose it has something to do with Japan and all their tea ceremonies or something.  But, I still find it strange that they didn't name them something more "asian-ish" than Russian Tea Cakes....but, I guess, technically, Russia is in Asia, isn't it?  Nevermind.

Anyway, he was quite the chef and made them mostly by himself (A-girl was his sous chef).  He was really proud of himself.....and they tasted nummy!  I had the last one with my coffee this morning.

Check out his cursive too.  L-girl did the top, name part (just for the blog....I don't really walk around calling them A-girl and A-man!) and he did the Russia Tea Cakes part.

L-girl has mastered the french fish tail braid.  I have been her helpful and ever so willing model....as long as I can sit on the couch.  Luckily, our couch floats in the middle of the room and the ends recline.....so, I recline all the way and flop my hair over the back and she gets busy.

And, I have been busy crocheting.  I don't know if it means I have officially passed into "old-lady" territory, but I find it really relaxing.  Michaels had a yarn sale last week and I was practically giddy with all the choices.  I got a bunch of cotton for dishrags, some of that fancy scarf making yarn like I used for this purple scarf.....

 

(I think the scarf is lounging exactly where my head was in the last picture!)

 

...and I got some regular old acrylic yarn to make this pinwheel hot pad things that my mom's friend, Iona, taught me how to make.

 

 

My latest crochet project that I am super excited about is this.....

 

 

It is a rug!  I am making it with strips of sheets.  I am super excited to try them with old t-shirts too.  Did you know there is a whole community out on the internet that devotes itself to things you can make with "tarn" (t-shirt yarn)???

 

I know.  Pass the old lady card.  I don't care. 

 

Now all I need is one of those Cracker Barrel rocking chairs.

 

 







Mostly Better....I Think....

Okay, I am feeling better.  Not quite so whiny. So, it is safe for you to come back.

I think it is safe to say I was just a little overwhelmed with life and "stuff", but I have lived long enough to know that it was going to be a temporary situation.  Just like those times when I am mad at Rainman.  It passes.  It is temporary.

Last week, we started back to school and D-man started at his new school.  So, my real work started back up, so I had to at least try to get out of my slump....and I did.

But, this is what really kicked my butt out of the serious whinies....

Really?  How can you feel the least bit sorry for yourself after watching that?  You can't.  You realize that you are loved by God.  That you are fearfully and wonderfully made and that you have choices....no matter the "hand" that you were dealt.

So, that one kicked my butt into gear.

Also, one of my friends was decluttering and brought in a stack of books to our Sunday School class that she just wanted gone.  I randomly reached into the stack and brought out this thin, little book.



I started flipping through and knew that God had arranged for this book to be available for me on that day.

It has great little sections for what you may be going through and then a few Bible verses to help encourage you.

Like the section called Help!  I Am Overwhelmed!

They have subtitles like:

When I feel like giving up.....

When my life is changing....

When my finances are a mess....

When I am totally exhausted....

or the section called Getting Through the Day:

That has subtitles like:

When I need to set priorities....

When I need to be realistic....

When I need to recognize my talents....

When I should compromise....

When I need to say no....

When I must stop comparing myself to others....

When I want to make a plan....

It is a skinny little book that packs a powerful punch.  It has encouraged me and comforted me by reminding me of God's love for me and that he knew I was going to occassionally get discouraged and feel overwhelmed.

 He knew. 

He cared.

He had my friend declutter just when I needed this little book.

So, yes.  I am better.  No more therapy session posts.  Let me know if you need a few encouraging Bible verses to get you through.  I will check my little book and get back to you!

I may not be very whiny anymore, but.....I am getting to be a bit crochety though....not crochet-y....(although...speaking of crochet....look what I made last week!)

(It is a scarf, by the way....and I actually used knitting needles, not a crochet hook....just looking for a chance to brag apparently!)

Anyway....back to being crochety for a bit....

I find myself bewailing the way kids have things these days.  Like, when I found out that elementary aged kids are getting Ipads sent home with them to do their school work.  Seriously...elementary kids.  Ipads.  Sent home to be their's for the year.  I mean, really?  Aren't schools in a budget crisis or something?  Is there really something wrong with completing homework on paper?  I am not asking for a comeback of the slate tablets that Laura Ingalls Wilder used....but, come on!  Don't even get me started on hand held video games.

I think I am turning into Maxine.


Source - http://www.quotesworthrepeating.com/maxine-quotation-gallery/maxine-words-to-live-by/