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Around the House the Last Day of 2010

Made out of scrap felt, ribbon, an old window cling, aluminum foil and paper backing.  Last time to use and then it gets tossed,  major clutter clearout to come in 2011. 
Oops, I cut the angel's head off in this photo.  Joseph won't stand  and keeps falling, so he's leaning on the back of the manger.  Why do most manger scenes make baby Jesus look about 4 years old? 
These bottom tiers are supposed to have been replaced ages ago.  I can't find the fabric I want to make new ones and these were made out of sheers which were the long, 72 inch ones.

The instructions said to bake the orange and apple slices at 200F for 2 hours, but after 8 hours they still weren't dried out and took even more time.  You can't see very clearly in the photos, but there is just a tiny bit of glitter on the orange and apple slices, which is not overpowering.  Just a little bit country with the ribbon trims.
  
First Christmas Cactus, surviving so far!

My quiet place to read, two windows is nice when it's sunny outside. 


Lucy enjoys her mat, when I brought it home from the store, she tried to have at it before the tags were unclipped to unfold it and make it full size.  It's a daily battle keeping her off the couch, so this is a second pillow as her bed is in the den and much bigger to suit her size.   We tried three different beds before she would accept the one she decided she would sleep on.  Fussy and bossy.

We had a thaw and grass appeared, all the snow and icicles disappeared. 
He's my #1 Pet.
This was from the first Christmas after we adopted him on Dec. 21.  He was so skinny then and absolutely enchanted with the camera.  He'd pose for me or walk up and get right in my face, very funny at the time.   The pinecones come from my home state, I had so many given to me that where I previously lived, I sometimes used them as kindling for the fireplace.  Now that I can no longer get the pinecones from home, I have to keep these forever and a day. 



Here's the front door, now Get Out of Here 2010, Make Way for a Better 2011!



Under All the Snow

There is still green grass under all of the snow.  How do I know?  Because yesterday we had a brief glimpse of the ground, and although the grass is mostly brown, I know that it will become green again in the spring.  Winter came early and often for us here.

We haven't had a mild day for at least two months.  The nights are very cold and the daytime temps haven't gotten above 22F for weeks on end. 

I made this Etsy Treasury with the theme of, "Green."  Not for ecology, conservation, etc.  but green for Spring and fresh flowers and feeling warmer than it is here at the moment.



I Won! I Won!

I just got the exciting news that my name was pulled as a winner for a goody bag from Tiger Food Press, a Letterpress artist.

I'm looking forward to receiving the goody bag, I'm not a very lucky person so this was a very pleasant surprise.

Please check out Tiger Food Press on Etsy and also read her blog.  She is very talented and has a good sense of humour, too.

Here are the links for her Etsy shops: 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tigerfoodpress   http://www.etsy.com/shop/tigerfoodbooks


Here is the link to Tiger Food Press blog:  http://tigerfoodpress.blogspot.com/

Joy to the world...Nat King Cole




Nostalgia and a favorite Christmas carol, enjoy!

He has come!  Merry Christmas and Blessings Everyone!

Nat King Cole - O Holy Night




I love this song and enjoy Nat King Cole's style.  Here he sings, "O Holy Night" with some stunning photos to accompany.  Enjoy... and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Camera Test Shots and Newsyness

Monday evening, after a hard day of housecleaning, laundry, and cooking, I have put my feet up and am trying out my new camera.


Lucy is the subject and she does not like the camera, she won't sit still for her photo to be taken.  She's had a hard day, as well, she is all nice and fluffy after her bath and that is a workout for both of us.  Today, though, she was at the groomer for a pre-Christmas bath and nail clip.  I usually bathe her, but today she went to the groomers for a longer washing and nail clipping.  She's lovely and soft and smells just right.  That'll last for a few days.

(Update on Tuesday morning, during her walk, Lucy spied the mail lady and had to catch up with her from a distance in order to get her biscuit; so her smell is not quite as nice after running down the road.  Lucy's eyesight must be pretty good, she couldn't have smelled the biscuit from that distance.)



The Christmas Tree Closeup

















Not sure if this camera will be the one I keep, I have to practice quite a bit more.  It's heavy, uses 4 AA batteries, and my carpal tunnel started up right off the bat, my left hand and wrist were numb  from holding the camera.  I will try to adjust my grip on it and see what happens.

I took all three of these photos without using the Flash, and these were indoors, curtains closed, in the early evening with the Christmas Tree lights on and one table lamp also turned on.  I haven't yet got the knack of all of the settings, and my memory card was full after taking 16 photos, so a lot more practicing is in order.  I also need a bigger memory card, this one is 64mb. 

So at least all of the cobwebs in the ceiling corners are gone, the dusting and vacuuming are done, the floors are washed, the windows cleaned, laundry done for a few days, well- it's all done for the time being anyway.

Faces in the Lighthouse Ice



Can you see any faces in the lighthouse?  Also, it looks like an ice cream cone, too.  This is one cold building out in Lake Erie nearby Cleveland, Ohio.  It reminds me of some of the snow and ice scenes in Dr. Zhivago, when they were escaping to the house.  This ice looks dirty, though,  and the snow was light and bright in the movie.

A Child's Christmas in Wales




This is the audio of the author reading his work.  If you have about ten minutes to listen, then you will be rewarded with a great time.  It's well worth the time to sit and listen, no video, just close your eyes or enjoy with a cup of tea.  The Welsh accent is not too hard to follow.

Louis Armstrong, Deer, Cat, and Rabbit




This is a sweet video to accompany one of my favorite songs, "What a Wonderful World," by Louis Armstrong.  I've always wished the song was longer, but then, life can be short and leave us wanting.

Watch the cat snuggle up to the deer, he hugs the deer's legs and the deer wraps up the cat in his hug.  It's so lovely.  Not sappy.  Enjoy...

Anniversary of Attack on Pearl Harbor

Yesterday was the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  As the years progress, there is little mention of this in the media.  Survivors, their families, friends, and the people involved are barely remembered. 

Yesterday I thought about the anniversary, but  was going here and there and dealing with snow, driving, and also being sick and didn't have a chance to post.  I wanted to post something and add a video, but decided to omit a video- it would be hard to find something not violent and not cutesy, the meaning would be lost. 

Gone, but not forgotten.  December 7th, 1941 a day in the history books.