Word for 2011

A friend likes to pick a word for the year and try to live up to it, over it, by it, whatever it. Her word is "Light" for 2011.  Mine would have to be "CHANGE".

I have to make some CHANGES around here or something drastic will happen... Dementia  Depression  Negativity are all words in my household these days and they have got to go!!!

Not sure how these changes will come about, but they will. 

Mom's care is getting a little much for me, The Dementia, so much so that The Depression is trying to strangle me. 

Of course The Negativity is all part of the other 2.

So look out 2011...I am breaking out the big cutters [rotary] and the sharp scissors and a few hedge trimmers too.

Between the Days Here...

 Our tree, made by me and a damaged tree. My Home Warming Quilt made by friends for our house here.

Stephanie made the hanging clips on the crooked stick so quilts will hang fairly straight....provided I get the quilt made less crookedly.

 One of the stockings my grandmother made in 1957...not positive on the year, only that it was made for me and I wasn't born until the last day of the year 1956.

 The sequins have lost a little luster....but the lights make it glow.

So, for Xmas this year we had the girls open our gifts for them on the 23rd since they were going to moms for the 25th.

Megan J. {5 years old} in blue, Lily J.{2.5} in white and Rhiley Y.{1.5} in pink.

 My moms walker is a joy ride in disguise.

The other stocking made by my grandmother around the same time as the first.  When I was old enough to cut my name from felt, I added it to this stocking.  Oh, and the little bow came from some gift at some point, but the other things are all original.

This mess came from the pantry when Dan and Ben made new shelves for it. 

It had the white wire shelves that are no good for a pantry.  The OSB board will by covered by some white plastic-y /laminate-y stuff when we get some.

So I saw a commercial, probably Target, with a sock monkey ornament in it....said I wanted one, out loud.  So #1 son Ben went looking for a sock monkey and found this large one....then Ashley and Steph found the small one...I added the yarn-gathered-t-shirt to make this a girl monkey.  I will add earrings when I happen to look for them.

Now we move onto today....the day before my birthday, otherwise known to the rest of the planet as New Years Eve.

Ashley and Danny came over with....

....things to make noise....

.....cake....

....and a card that mooooooo's....

Rhiley had it's little trick for making moo's figured out right off the batt.

Christmas Morning...realllllly early....

12:15...not a creature is stirring, except for the cat.
She cleans herself carefully, never missing a spat. [it rhymed]

The DW is running, the dryer is too.
I sit in my chair, needing the loo.

There is laundry to fold, one more present to wrap,
but boy am I ready for that long ass nap.

We had presents to open for girl 1 and girl 2,
day before yesterday, man what a zoo.

They are now at mamas, for presents part duex,
a modern day family, that's what you do.

We have girl #3 here tomorrow with mom,
I am not sure about daddy, he works all night long.

My own #3 has been here to help,
the best present for me, as I am sure you would know,
not to mention the rest she so clearly needs,
with finals and mono, she was one tired sweet pea.

So Mama, Mom, Gup, Babe,
some of the names I go by,
get your butt to bed so you can be spry,
to eat that roast, crock potting away.

Merry Day everyone.

Advent Day Twenty Four

So it's now Xmas Eve.  Maybe you need a little proof that Santa exists...

find here

Or maybe you forgot to get a train even though it's been on your list for  months....

find here

Or maybe you are on the naughty list and just want to have your way with a snowman...

find here

No matter how you spend the Holidays, celebrating or just enjoying a day off,  I sincerely hope you are safe and sound.

Until Boxing Day...

Red and White All Over

This would be an amazing show to see, that's for sure!

found here, via here

Advent Day Twenty Three

find here...popcorn box!!

Advent Day Twenty Two

find here....ornament box for a dollhouse!

Fake Fondont

picture from the link, not our actual fondont

So Steph wanted to use fondant for making decor for her ginger houses.  But the fondant we have met before is not that tasty.  On one of her random WWW surfs {serfs?} she encountered a recipe made from marshmallows.....after trying, playing with, and eating, we have decided this is the one for us.  It plays with like play-dough, but isn't salty.  It tastes like marshmallows and didn't get hard as a rock!

Steph found that her careful addition of flavor was too careful, be a little more generous than you think wise...except with peppermint. Peppermint goes a long way no matter how you spill it.  The powdered sugar leaches the flavor away.

Advent Day Twenty One

fine here....this makes a mobile!  kinda corny pix,  though

More Merry Making

our tree with decorations....well, mostly just lights.

w/o flash

this cardboard came of of a box, steph held it up like this and i made a clever remark about it....can't remember what the hell it was now....

lily had red doll socks on her fingers and i can't remember the clever thing i said about this either....

megan made this tower and wanted me to send it to her mommy, but i don't have a phone to do that, so i promised her i would blog it for her mommy to see!

Holiday Merry Making

Stephanie makes a gingerbread creation every year.  This year she is making a mini village, blue box on the left, and helping Meg and Lily decorate ginger cookie/ornaments, green box.

 Don't think I need to comment on this shot of Megan.

 {Picture by Dan who dislikes my camera.}

This is our tree this year.  Made with branches from a storm victim.  The tree these came from was huge and was blown over during one of our wind events.  The driftwood at the top is not actually attached to this Leaning Tower of Eiffel Stickiness.

Advent Day Twenty

find here

Advent Day Nineteen

find here

Advent Day Eighteen

I have always loved these horses even though I am not a horse person. This one isn't exactly a printable, but you can print out all the parts and pretend.

find here at allsorts

Advent Day Seventeen and Other Adventures

find here
How about a village?

So Dan decided it was time to move Big Bertha out. She is the *giant 50 buck craigslist TV that son bought*.  And moved here.

Good-bye *easy to read the Jeopardy questions* TV.

So, my brother sent gifts. A chocolate moose that is now all gone, and a book that I have seen on many many quilty blogs...a Kaffe Fassett!

College Girl is home!! Yipee, Skippy, play with me 'Teff...Rhiley {GC 3} was here too, just not in this shot.

So I laid this out to get a shot of the fish, at least half of them that is, so  Precious just HAD to add herself to the picture, but not her face. No sir, not this cat.  Anyway, I am now ready to add the coral..if that's what goes next, hafta go check my goofy 'map'.

Advent Day Sixteen

need a card???....... find here  

Advent Day Fifteen

find here

Advent Day Fourteen

find here....what are these?  cupcake wrappers!!!

Advent Day Thirteen

find here

Pineapple Express

Steve Pool said there was a Pineapple Express on it's way...I haven't seen a single pineapple!  Rain?  Yes, lots and lots, but not fruit, not even any juice.**  But I did find this....

found this here

**I am not teasing anyone, just making my own bad jokes.**

Bremerton got 6 inches of rain in 24 hours!  I have blogged before about the copious amounts of rain we get.  One picture I haven't seen yet is a salmon trying to cross the road....but there was a seal on Oregon's coast that lost it's way!

Advent Day Twelve

find here....awesome huh??

find here
Just in case you have a birthday like we do today, Happy Birthday Danny!

Advent Day Eleven

find here

Advent Day Ten

find here

Faces

College Girl had a Collage-oly paper to do.

This is what she does to focus.

Gets creative.  Make-up pencil.

First picture of grandchild #4  {good thing it says BABY right on it!} Can you see it's face shape?

Still a mystery as far as sex goes, but the due date in late May still stands, which was why this U/S was done today.