I can't remember how long ago I got these two.  They were from a student when I was a teachers aide.  I always think of the little girl who gave them to me when I take them out of the box every year.  Molly was her name and I'm thinking she must be a Freshman in High School. 

I enjoyed working in the school and when I see a child I had in class, I can't believe how big they are.  Some really touched my life and I think of them often.   Especially when I pull out things like my gingerbread boy and girl, memories come flooding back.

So, this year these two are on a shelf in my Kitchen where I can see them all the time. 

Speaking of kitchens, I think ours is the mostly used room in our house.  Some days I don't think anyone ever goes into the living room and it could be days before I open up the shades.  If I don't go in there I forget to open them.

When we built our house we made our kitchen pretty big.  I figured that was where I would be spending most of my time and I was right and now since the wood stove has been going for weeks I don't want to be anywhere else in the house but the kitchen.  The kitchen is warm and cozy just like I like it.

Saturday my sister came over and we made a couple batches of cookies.  My Christmas Butter cookies and Kiss cookies. 

Hint on the Kiss cookies, I bake mine for 6 minutes then put the chocolate kiss on, then I put the cookies back in the oven for 3-5 minutes more.  You won't be biting into hard chocolate anymore.

I was tagged by my DIL Aleena.  So, here goes with 6 things about me you may or may not already know.

1.  I'm a pack-rat.  I save everything and don't really know how to throw anything away.  I figure someday I will use it.  But, I'm learning to pitch things.

2.  I love peppermint ice cream.  It's the only ice cream I will really eat.  I will eat other kinds but I'll usually pass it up.  If there's peppermint in the freezer I'll have a bowl almost every night.

3.  I'm not a "fancy" kind of gal.  I like fancy things but I don't need them.  I guess I'm happy living a simple kind of life.

4.  I despise dishonesty.  If there's one thing that burns me up more is a dishonest person.

5.  I love all shades of greens and browns.  Not the colors that you would call the prettiest, maybe this one ties in with #3.

6.  I love old things and mostly old things that have a sentimental value to me.  I love seeing old buildings and I often wonder about the history of them.

Not much to read about but this is me.

I had to change the browser we were using...actually Mr Wonderful changed the browser that we were using.

    I think these two are my my favorite ornaments, maybe because they are Annalee's.  Along with the Angel ornament that you see in the upper left handside of my blog these are the ones I don't think I'll ever give away.

Here are a few ornaments that I bought at the Re-Sale shop the other day.  I'm not sure what the top one is called.  I just know I liked it.  The guy told me what it was but I can't remember what he called it.

This little bitty glass ornament I couldn't pass up.  It's seen it's better days but I didn't care I paid basically pennies for it.

Please excuse the mess of my blog.  I was messing with the colors and for some reason I'm stuck with what I have now.  TypePad won't let me change it back to what I had.  I was picking out colors for when the winter banner comes down to match my new banner and for some reason I can't seem to do anything right now.  Maybe it's just my computer.

ETA: It is not my computer it is TypePad and I'm getting very frustrated with it.  I went on my office computer and I can't access the theme builder or the featured templates from that one either.  This is getting very frustrating to me.  Luckily I can still post and do other things.  I'm not sure what is going on but I have a long ticket out for them to check into it. 

For two whole weeks I get to do my civic duty and serve as a juror for the United States District Court.  I have managed so far over the years to get out of jury duty only because I was...

1. either pregnant or

2. they thought I had too many kids at home. 

Either one they were right.  I guess I couldn't use those "excuses" forever (lol) and I knew they were bound to catch up with me someday.   Mind you, I don't have a problem serving, in fact I'm kind of excited about it.  Especially with what's been going on with our "wonderful" (note the sarcasm there) Governor Blago.  Hmmmm....I wonder if I'll be seeing an interesting case.  We shall see won't we. 

One good thing is I'll have my scarf done and without a doubt it will be a scarf.  I am a bit behind on it with being sick last weekend I just haven't been knitting as much and so far I have up to Dec 10th done.  I started on the Dec 11th pattern last night.  As you can see each day is a different pattern.

I have a few gifts to get yet then I'll be done with my shopping.  I don't like it when you know what you want to get but can't find it.  Last night Jim and I went out and the mall was pretty empty.  It's what 13 days until Christmas and the stores are empty?  I don't get it, are people not buying this year?  I know I've cut back on my spending I guess everyone else has too.

You all have a wonderful day today.

Our Granddaughter Hannah loved looking at my Christmas decorations.  She loved my snowmen that I have displayed around the house.  She just couldn't help herself, those little hands just had to touch. 

 Hannah also loved my little trees and tried to play with them.  I need to finish the window seat with a "snow" blanket.

Tuesday during the snow storm I thought about making my dinner on the wood stove.  So, I dug out the cast iron dutch oven that we received as a gift and made a Chili in it.  Was it ever good and it didn't take that long to make either. 

There was just something about having a pot on the wood stove that made the house seem warm and cozy.  Something like in the day where all the food was cooked either in the fireplace or on top of the cook stove.

One thing I did do first was cook the meat in the oven.  I don't make my chili with ground beef I love using either stew meat or a roast.  Maybe next time I'll cook my meat on the stove also.

It's busy busy times right now getting ready for the Christmas holiday.  I have a list that seems to be growing by leaps and bounds.

You all have a wonderful day today.

Life sure takes twists and turns when you don't expect it to and when it appears bleak like this photo it may not really be bleak at all.  Last night when I got home from Yarn club I found out that Jim's cousin Leah, her son Sam has a brain tumor.  From the sounds of it, things don't look really good but we'll know more today I'm hoping.  Sam is only 20 years old the same age as our son Dan.  Sam has a twin brother Seth and both boys were in Dan's Sunday School class. 

When you see people grow up you don't know what will be in store for them.  I'm glad I don't, because I would be going through life worrying all the time.  But, when things like this happen it really gets you thinking.  It makes all the "small" stuff seem pretty petty.  When one worries on the "small" things in life, how do we handle the "big" things that come into our lives?  If we let God handle things and don't worry about what others say or do, we'll handle those "big" twists and turns just fine and the "small" things won't seem so "big".  Sam needs lots of prayers right now and life has been pretty tough lately for Leah and her family. 

Please keep them all in your prayers.

Look what came in the mail yesterday.  The FolkWear pattern that I won over at Turkey Feathers.  Vicki sent this out so fast I could hardly believe it was here when I opened the mail box.  She is such a sweetie, she also sent me some iron-on transfers that I can't wait to try.  Looking through the pattern I'm thinking that I wish the nightgown came in my size too.

The weather is supposed to be bad today a "winter storm advisory" until late tonight.  We have Yarn Club tonight and I'm thinking that might be canceled, hopefully it's not though, the ones who go seem to really enjoy it.  I know I do.  But, I'm not worried about bad weather.  I went grocery shopping yesterday so the cupboards are full, we have wood to keep the wood stove going and I have plenty of sewing projects to keep me busy and if the electricity were to go out I have plenty of knitting projects to keep me going for a long time.

I always treat myself to a magazine or two when I go grocery shopping and yesterdays trip was no different.  I picked up Creative Knitting and found this cute sweater/coat that I would love to make for myself.  I have yet to tackle a project like this and I know I can do it.  So, I'm not really sure why I'm dragging my feet on it.

Christmas is coming up too fast.  I bought all the ingredients for my Christmas baking and I plan to start that this weekend.  I'm hoping my sister plans to come over again this year and bake with me...hint hint.  It's always nice to bake with someone.

My cold is much, much better.  I'm feeling almost myself again.  Boy do I hate being sick, it puts me so far behind in everything.  But, who does like being sick?

I have to share a tasty recipe from The Pioneer Woman that I made last night.  I have made her "Mystery Rolls" before.  These are the best and taste even better the next day.  Weird as I am I love them after they have been in the fridge overnight so they get nice and cold.  It's like eating candy they're so addicting.  But, if you don't like Blue Cheese you won't like these rolls.

I just have to show you where our "baby" sleeps when it's cold outside.  I turned around and saw this.

Please excuse the ash mess on the wood stove.  With a fire going no-stop it's hard to keep it clean.  So, on that note I'll leave you with this last picture.

You all have a wonderful day today and try to keep warm if you live in an area where it gets cold.

Saturday my sister and I went to a local craft show.  There really wasn't much there and it seems to be getting smaller and smaller every year.  There used to be at one time vendors throughout the whole school where this craft show is held every year.  Maybe people are not making things or spending money like they used to or just aren't interested in craft show any more.

This was my craft sale find...a birdhouse.  It was very reasonably priced so I couldn't have passed it up.

Today is the first day since late Saturday afternoon that I'm not feeling achy.  After the craft show I ended up feeling awful and I have been glued to the rocking chair or couch since then.  The rocking chair I put smack dab next to the fire and believe me that helped.

So, today I have to get done what I didn't get done on Saturday and grocery shopping is one of them.

I still haven't done my Christmas cards yet.  We are in a bit of a disagreement over which picture to use.  I should never, ever ask the girls which one they like....because that leads it wide open to what they don't like.  Big, BIG mistake on my part, what in the world was I thinking.  So, as of right now we don't have any picture picked out.

Erin asked me yesterday if I was done shopping for her....Lauren answered for me..."No, she doesn't have the piles in her room this year".  I'm guessing the last one peeks.  Now I really have to get motoring on my shopping.  But, it seems like the bigger they get the harder it gets.

My day needs to start and I have lots to do.

You all have a beautiful day today, it's Monday and the beginning of another glorious week.