Shh...

 I've been at it again 

 making up some 

whimsical pictures 

for my grand-loves 

for Christmas. 

'Hush' is the word.

Christmas is nearly here so once again I decided to find a seasonal background! ~ Then I came across this perfect picture while surfing the net ~ and well, you know me -I just had to share.  ~  Once I get over this latest lazy spell I've been stuck in  ~ I will start to pull out some holiday decorations ~ piece by piece until the next snowflakes fall ~ that means baking ~ I don't know why but I love to bake Christmas cookies when it's snowing! ~ And I'm finally into stage one of shopping ~ I'm beginning to 'think' about it. ~ Shopping is not one of my favorite things to do. ~ Personally, I think gifts should come from the heart and be given when ever one feels like gifting. ~ But we do love seeing those happy faces on the Grand-loves as they open their gifts from Grandpa and Grandma! ~ And the hugs  ~ well, they're just 'priceless!' ~  How are you all doing on your Christmas to-do lists? ~ 

Christmas is Coming

All of a sudden

Christmas is coming! 

I guess I should do a 

little shopping,

creating and baking! 

This is one of the tins of cookies 

I baked up last year. 

Organization

I've been surfing the web again.  There are so many cool sites out there and I just happened to pop across one that has a pic of a really neat craft center.  The kind that a woman can really dream about! 

Now tell me, wouldn't you just love to be that organized?  I sure would. 

Check out her blog:

http://inmyownstyle.com/2010/06/my-studioffice-part-2.html 

We may not be Shrek & Fiona but there are times when we feel like we live in a land far far away! Now is one of those times.  When we moved down from Alaska it was to be closer to family and friends.  Sometimes I think 2 hours away is still a land too far far away.
My sister hasn't been feeling well and I wish I were close enough to make her a kettle of homemade chicken soup.  When my Dad was in and out of the hospital I also felt too far removed.  When the Grand kids are sick, or my own children are under the weather, I wish I were a bit closer.
But on the flip side, because we are very content in keeping to ourselves for the most part, and we have very good hygiene habits; I think we stay healthier throughout the winter.  We always carry hand sanitizers in our car and use it immediately after leaving a store, clinic, restaurant etc. We wash our milk jugs and the tops of cans before opening.  Little steps that some may think extreme but we feel its a bonus in keeping ourselves healthy.  I understand that we can still get sick just by breathing in shared air and that some germs are inevitable however; we boost our bodies with supplements to help in that department as well. It never hurts to try and help yourself, so that's what we try to do.
As the snow is falling outside my window, I wish you all a warm and healthy winter from a land far far away.

Sweet Inspiration

I've been inspired by my sweet sister Mel over at UpNorthWithMel.  We both used to do digital scrap booking but as usual I fell behind.  She shared a few pages that she had done and once again was my inspiration.  She has a way of doing that to me ~ gotta love her!  Now please hush - ssshhh - as some of these may be used as part of a Christmas project. So here's just a sampling of what I've been working on.

Happy Dance!

I did it, I did it ~ and all by myself too!  Those who have been following me know my frustration with computer problems for the past several months.  Well - never let it be said that I'm not persistent!  I didn't give up and it finally paid off.  Well not really but enough to take care of my griping about it.  
You see all this time I was having issues with trying to go in and visit your blogs.  I would have to highlight the title of each one in blogger and then copy and paste them into a new search box.  Very frustrating to say the least because I love checking in on so many of you.  Anyways, every time I tried to update my Internet Explorer; for some reason it wouldn't finish.  No matter what I did, even after removing older versions.  SOOOO tonight I downloaded the Google Chrome and everything works like a charm.  
Don't ask ~ just know that I'm doing the happy dance!   Believe me it's been bugging me for months and months so this is a big deal. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Squash Pecan Pie

~ all calories magically removed ~ 

I love that wand!

Crafting Cogs Engaged

Although it's long over due, my crafting cogs are engaging.  With the wonders of blog world and internet surfing as inspiration; the wheels are slowly slipping back into gear.  And just in time for the holidays too!


To ease them back into movement I started with an couple of old baby blankets that are no longer of use ~ I say this with sad heart as my Grand loves have outgrown them.  So Grandma decided to put them to use for herself.  I picked up some material at the Good Will store to use for covering them.  So for the total price of a buck a piece I have two little lap robes to take the chill off our upcoming winter nights.  They will be just big enough to lay across the lap for that tiny bit of extra warmth.

Update Snow Pictures

and there is no end in sight! 

It's snowing! It's SNOWING!

Green Gate Garden put to rest

or as Thom likes to call it -

 his cemetary for people that pissed him off!

Just kidding!!!

Hello

As I was out trying to find myself

I discovered a few things about me

Things about my likes and dislikes

I like old and I like new

I like rustic and I like lace

I like food and health

I like glass and bubbles

I like gowns and I like jeans

I like nature and I like fake

but not as much as natural

photo from the net

I like the usual and I like unique

I like soft and I like hard

I like comfort and I like challenge

I like what I discovered about me

How about you?

Patience and Persistance

Sometimes life tosses a few kinks our way.  Although I've been working on it, my patience is running low and as persistant as what I've been, I may have to 'hire' someone to get my laptop back in tip top form.  I hate the thought but my patience is being tested.  But I'd like to thank those of you who are sitting in the sidelines waiting for my dribble of wit and what little humor I may have left. 

Happy Halloween

Halloween Tricksters

 These are pics of three of our Grand-loves dressed up for Halloween parties.

Summer as

Wednesday Addams

from the Addams Family

 Sydney as little

Cindy Lou Who

from

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

 and

Taylor's impression of

Captian Jack Sparrow

from the movie

Pirates of the Caribbean

Who stole my bandana? Argh!

I'm just warming up for the weekend!

Frustrated !!!

I am soooo frustrated with whatever is going on with my laptop !!!!  For months and months I've had trouble with links and I would have to right click, copy shortcut then paste it into my search box to follow any of your blogs.  Well this morning I was once again trying to figure out just what went wrong all those months ago and I somehow got the links to work.  Yippee! Right???  WRONG ~ I'm still having problems getting any hyperlinks on your blogs to open when I click them.  Not just in blogspot on anywhere, and I'm really getting ticked and needed to vent.  
AND as you can plainly see I'm also trying to change my background with very very little success.  When I go into the design, it won't let me change my html or add a new gadget.   I'm about to blow a gasket here!!!!!    Okay, so I needed to vent.  Thanks for letting me waste your time.

Maybe, just maybe these plants will

survive to see another summer outside!

Home Again, Home Again

I've just spent the past 3 weeks visiting with my three kids and our six grand-loves.  Although we only live two and half hours away from  them, (thank God they all live within 15 miles of each other) it seems we all get busy with our own lives and it's hard to spend as much time with them on weekend visits as I like; so this time I stayed for a bit longer, loving every bit of it.  But now I'm home again, home again, jiggety jig!  Which brings to mind - do you ever wonder where certain sayings come from? Well this one comes from a  Mother Goose nursery rhyme:



To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,
Home again, home again, market is done.

Okay, so maybe I didn't go and buy a fat pig or a hog or a plum bun but I did go the the Warren's Cranberry Fest with my daughters and some of their friends and I did buy 15 pounds of cranberries. Although Warrens is a small town in Wisconsin with a population of only 300 some folks; the festival draws in over 100,000 people.  They have close to 1,000 arts and crafts vendors and over 100 food vendors.  People as far as the eye can see and lots of laughs when you take this journey with family and friends.  But oh my aching feet after walking for nearly 8 hours straight checking out the booths along the main street and tucked into the side streets along a 3 plus mile trek. 

All of my kids and grand-loves also spent some time at a corn maze, took a hay ride and enjoyed the animals at the Zoromski's Homestead Farm which is just a few miles from my oldest daughters home.  Make sure you check out the tab for the 12 acre corn maze as it is AMAZING!

Before leaving we celebrated our only Grandson's upcoming 5th birhtday with a party.  In the picture he is licking the frosting off a dinosaur's leg.  The weather was great and we all had a super fun time.

It was a wonderful three weeks spending family time and individual time with all of them ~ and now I'm counting the days until Christmas! 

I had the greatest time visiting the

 Zoromski Homestead Farm

with all my kids and grand-loves!

                                                                                     

 Poor little Sloane was frightened when Grandma joined them on the rocker and it actually 'rocked' just a little.  It took me by surprise as well but she was not one bit  impressed.    

My grandson Sean prefered to have his picture taken with his dad. 

                                                          

 This is my oldest daughter with her four girls and her extended family of day care children.

and the corn maze!!   We only did a small portion of the 12 acre maze because some of the kids were under the age of three. Some still in strollers.

As you can tell by the smile on Sloane's face ~ we all enjoyed the animals. Lamas, chickens, baby pigs, goats, kittens, rabbits etc.

and the kids loved the Hay Maze!

Please click the link to the farm at the beginning of this post. Make sure to click the Corn Maze tab.  It blows my mind how they can do this ~ and a portion of the profits go to a good cause! 

To those of you who may think I'm

missing in action:

I just can't get off of my rocker!!