The Puppy

I am decorating the living room floor,
I'm not spoiled much.

I'm so cute

Me and my playpal

Razz berries

OK enough of the camera already !!

I have been busy and just didn't have time to post anything on here for awhile. Here is the promised up date on the Christmas Puppy. He now has an official name, his papers have come back and he is now Sir Rufus Rascal or as we call him Rascal for short. I know, what kind of a name is Rufus, well that is my hubby's fault. Sean has been calling the little guy Rufus since we got him. Sean even had the grand kids telling me that the puppy's name should be Rufus. So I listened and he is now official. Rufus is the paper name, we use the Rascal name and his name describes him to a T. I will admit that I do have the little guy quite spoiled, he is in my lap most of the time and if I leave the room he is my shadow. He is learning the working of this house, but he is so stubborn, he loves running in the back yard, but will sit and just look at me if I call him in the house. He comes in when the spirit moves him, I however have learned how to make the spirit move him and it is called treats. He will move really fast for them. He has learned from the other dogs how to run and bark at the big dog by the back fence, he has learned how to greet Sean when he comes home from work, and he has learned that the big bed is really comfy. He has also learned that if he wants out of his room in the morning he only has to scratch on the door and someone will hear him and let him out, I just wish he wouldn't be such a early riser. But I do get up, let the dogs out to potty and than I crash on the sofa and yes all the dogs crash with me.

Quick up date on Sean's Mom, She fell down the bottom three basement steps and broke her wrist and cracked her hip, she had surgery and was sent to a nursing home for rehab. She has been doing really well and will be going home this Thursday. A visiting nurse will be checking in on her and all her neighbors will make daily stops at her house. She also has been told to stay out of the basement.

Birthday Surprise

Sunday was Sean's birthday and Melanie and the kids came in to spend the day with him. Melanie got him slippers, cashews, and three of his favorite type shirts. She also took him to lunch at Captain's D's Seafood shop where they had the deluxe seafood platter. We also made a trip to Wal-mart, Kyle needed new sneakers as his old pair had a floppy bottom. Of course that turned out to be a little bit of a drama, we left the area and let Melanie deal with her son and his choices. Once he finally picked the pair he wanted, he was now Ok and things returned to normal. We than stopped by Big Lots, I needed to pick up some food storage containers. I had made Goulash (promised Melanie) and Sean made Chili on Saturday and we needed containers to send some home with Melanie. She won't have to cook for a few days. Later that day we finally got to take down the outside Christmas Lights, things just kept keeping us from this task. We were either sick with colds, or it was raining and we didn't want to put the lights away wet. Now all the decorations are tucked away in Sean's workshop until next year. This year the loft they are stored in is full, we bought items on sale after Christmas for next year. We got a new tree, new ornaments, and new outdoor blow ups for the yard.
Monday, Sean started to build the tables for my quilting frame, I think he has one almost done. He said he is building two tables that will sit side by side when I have it set up for King size quilts, if I want to do smaller quilts I will just use one of the tables. I made Pot Roast for dinner and baked a spice cake for Sean. I also finished another Candlewicking square (these will be used in a quilt instead of Pillows) Instead of starting another of the quilt squares I decided to give myself a break from that type of kits and I started on a Mill Hill beaded kit. These kits are small and I can do one in two days, they have some cross stitching and a lot of beading. I only have two left in my sewing stash, I need to find more of these little kits on ebay as I like to pull them out and work on them when I get tired of the big projects.
Puppy is doing really well, I will post a Puppy only post in the next few days, with pictures.

New Year

Melanie got on my case last night letting me know that I need to get busy and update my blog, so here goes on the update. Lets see, where do I begin, Christmas Eve we had the girls and their family's out to the house. Lots of food, Mel made a Ham or maybe I should say that Heather made the ham and she did a great job, Jenny made a tossed salad and me I made Turkey, cheese ball, cheese tray, Chili Con Caso, relish tray and for the kids, Pizza, Mac and cheese, goulash and a chocolate fountain (food this year was geared to Kids). I think as far as the kids are concerned I could just make pizza and the chocolate fountain. All the kids love dipping the fruit, pound cake, marshmallows and pretzels in the rich chocolate. But, I still don't know why I bother with making any kind of food as all the kids are interested in is opening presents. The goulash was a hit as well this year with Mel and Phillip fighting over who got the leftovers, I gave it to Mel as I had sent the left over Pizza and Mac and cheese home with Jenny, but the rivalry continues as Mel noticed the goulash missing when she went to get her Ham and the leftovers, That's OK Mel, I will make you a pot of Goulash. Jenny, Shame on you.. LOL
The kids did have a ball opening the gifts that were under the tree. This year we had taken the two teens shopping before Christmas, but we did have some things wrapped that they didn't know about. One of those items was the Pete the repeat parrot. He is so silly, you talk to him and he repeats whatever you say. Well, Heather and Emily played with him all night, and when Heather got home she barked at Pete the parrot and the bird repeated her bark, poor Willow the wiener dog was going crazy with this bird barking at her. Ally wanted Western wear and Hannah Montana Wig, Well, I made her outfit and got the blonde Hannah wig, Ally a naturally dark haired child was now a blonde in a red cowboy hat, what a change for her. The baby of the bunch Becca loved opening her gifts, but this year she was the watchdog here. You see the kids wanted to see Nana's new puppy so I got him out and Becca went around telling whoever was holding the puppy that he was Nana's puppy. Way to go Becca, standing up for Nana..... Before Melanie and David left they took Heather and Kyle out to our garage, you see David had come from work and he had stopped and picked up the kids Christmas bikes, he didn't want Heather and Kyle to see the bikes in the back of his truck, so he hid them in our garage, so they got their big gift from their Mom and Dad Christmas Eve. It was so neat watching both of them as they took off riding down the driveway. David did good as he did remember which bike Heather had picked out. At times I wonder if what we do is appreciated at all, are we just wasting our time. I shop all year long, finding things on sale, making sure to keep abreast of what is the new in thing for kids, and always on the lookout for things that are of interest to the adult girls as they are just big kids. Sometimes I feel that all I do is for nothing as no one cares but me. I have said many times that I need to stop and just do a gift card, that takes no thought, no time and they can get what they want. I spend so much time making sure that every child has the same amount of packages and I try to spend the same amount on each child. I love surprises and I believe they do to, I know the grand kids love opening the packages and I love watching the look in their eyes when they unwrap the treasures at Nana and Grandpa's house. I just hope that in the future family traditions will be remembered, and maybe passed to another generation. Melanie is our Christmas child, she loves the holiday and I feel she will preserve family traditions of baking cookies, making gingerbread houses and decorating for the season. Melanie did call last night and I was touched by her New Year's resolution. She wants to call family and friend each night just to say I Love You. What a wonderful thing to let those close to you know you are loved. We have all had many losses and close calls this year of loved ones, the latest being my Uncle who passed away last weekend, how many times we have lost loved ones without letting them know they were loved and will be missed...... That's all for now, next blog will be update on The Puppy, and we have named him, I think....

The Gift

Guard dutyJust making sure the stocking are OK

Hey there, you need a little Christmas Cheer!The Little boy above is my Christmas Present this year. He still doesn't have a name, grand kids are working on name suggestions. He is spoiled rotten already, and a real baby. He thinks he has to be in my lap all the time. We did have a little problem the first night, we put him in our bathroom and he started to howl and cry, he did quiet after 20 minutes. The second night I decided to put him in his room early so he would calm down and go to sleep. That just didn't work as he cried, whinnied and howled until I finally had to move him to the laundry at the other end of the house. Guess he was just to used to being with me that he didn't want to be in the room by himself. So last night, I decided to give him the shirt I had been wearing all day and that seemed to work as he didn't make a peep. Guess my scent was enough to calm him. The other dogs are not happy that he is here. He tries to play with them, but they ignore the poor little guy so he will either go and get out a toy and play with it or he ends up in my lap. He is a typical Pomeranian as he doesn't walk, he prances, he doesn't run, he hops... he is three months old and he is doing really well with his potty training, he loves the big yard.

Any suggestions for a name?

All the stocking are done

The stockings are finally finished, Everyone here and in Pa have a new stocking made by Nana this year. These were kits that were started right after Halloween, I wasn't sure that I would get them all done for this year but I met that goal last night. One is Missing from the pictures, it is the one that went to Sean's Mother in Ohio. Hers was called winter birds and it was the reason I started making the stockings. Hers had a birdhouse and birds on it, and I found those kits on ebay for $179.00 If I would have know they were selling for that much I would have sold it. I found hers in a box of craft items that I had bought at a garage sale. Oh well, it is finished and his Mother loves her new Christmas Stocking.

Candy is done

Another chore off my holiday list, The Candy is done. All the candy and a lot of the cookies this year will have Pecans, Pecans, Pecans. This is due to me asking hubby if anyone at work was selling Pecans, as in past years we have bought a bag. Well, one of the girls he works with has Pecan trees and brought in two BIG bags of Pecans for him and she didn't charge him anything. We shelled and shelled and than I made two smaller bags and sent off to Melanie and Jenny (I just got tired of shelling the Pecans) Besides I had two large bags in the freezer and that would be enough for us. So now that I had so many nuts to use I needed to come up with some recipes for Pecans, Hence Pecan cookies, Pecans added to cookies, Candy with lots of Pecans, like Pecan Brittle (which is really good) Carmel Pecan nut chews coated in Chocolate (this is good too). But the third candy I tried to make was a flop. Melanie wanted Divinity and said no one would make it for her, and now I know why. This is a hard candy to have turn out right. I tried but guess I just didn't beat it long enough as it just flopped and I ended up getting upset and throwing it in the trash. I may or may not try it again, if not they sell the stuff at Wal-mart....
Packages are wrapped and under the tree, packages that were sent to other states were delivered today, cookies and candy are made, cowgirl outfit is finished and in its box, all embroidery work is done, there is only one thing left to do and that is to finish the last two stockings which I hope to get done this weekend.... Finished Kyle and Jack's last night, Just Morris and Becca's to make yet, than all the grand kids will have new stockings for Santa to fill.....

COOKIES!!!!

I am still taking the holiday preparations one day and one chore at a time. Today was cookie day, yesterday I mixed up batches of cookie dough and early this morning Melanie came to help with the baking. We worked all morning and part of the afternoon, baking tray after tray of cookies, I had Melanie do the tasting just to make sure they were OK. We got all of the batches done and even mixed up another batch of Chocolate Chip cookies. Tonight I also made a batch of Spritz cookies, these always look so festive with the colored sugars and besides I like playing with the cookie press. Tomorrow will be candy day, I have three kinds I am planning on making, Pecan brittle, Chocolate turtles and surprise. I am so tired from standing on my feet all day, just glad that I have some sit down type things that need getting done. I still have 4 more stockings to make before Christmas. Last night I finished up with the embroidery items that needed to be mailed out this week, I also finished a Santa Hat Purse for Melanie. I do have one more big sewing project which is a western outfit for one of the grand kids. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel, I am really starting to think that I will have all my chores done by Christmas.