That Just How Friends Are!

Friday, my good friend Curley and I spent the day together.  She came in from the wild country, and we went out for breakfast.  There's this fabulous restaurant in a nearby town that is run by Amish.  They have the most wonderful biscuits and gravy, so we went there.  Then off on a hunting trip to another town looking for a yarn shop that Curley wanted to visit.  We had very general directions, and lo and behold, we never did find it, but we had a great time looking.  (We since have gotten the proper address and can Google a map the next time.)
Anyhow, we arrived back at my house with most of the afternoon available.  I asked Curley if she would help me move my living room furniture around.  I have the "easy gliders" and all that stuff, so it wasn't a taxing job, and I basically wanted her input on arrangements that I had in mind.  Well, all in all it was a success, but Curley switched into her housecleaning mode, and had me scurrying for dust rags, Pledge, the sweeper and broom and dustpan.  I had to get a damp rag and clean the woodwork behind whatever we moved and then again before we moved a piece into its new spot.  Wow!  My living room looks and feels so clean.  I tossed some stuff that had been piling up, gathered stuff that needed to go upstairs and generally got everything put back in place.
I didn't intend for Curley to clean my house, just help me decide where to put stuff.  But she said that when you move furniture there is no sense in putting it in a "dirty" spot, thus the cleaning.  I feel like I owe her "big time," but she just insists that that's just how friends are.  How lucky I am to have a friend like that!  Thank you, Curley!

Peace,
JE

What I've Been Doing...or Creative Chaos!

I've been busy in the "studio" lately.  As witnessed in the photos (that is if this dumb Blogger interface will let me do what I want with them) I have been making my annual  Christmas cards.
 Here's my work table and all (not even close) my tools of the trade!  See what I mean by "creative chaos?"

 

Here is the fruit of my labors.  I don't know why I think every card has to be different.  This year I vowed to "mass produce" only one card for everyone.  NOT!  It seems that once I get the creative juices flowing, I just keep on going. 

Here's my latest toy.  No it's not a purse, but it does look like one.  It's a Sissix brand embosser. Thanks to Prof and her astute buying skills, we went together and purchased this gem.  Hobby Lobby, with a 40% off coupon.  It's fun to use, and will add another dimension to my cards.




Now, I need to clean up the work table, grab some more coffee and get back to work.  I think I need only about 20 more cards to complete the list.  Then, I have some gifts to make.  When do the leaves get raked and the house swept and dusted.  Maybe next month!  And that's just a "maybe."

Peace,
JE

A Must Read

If you have never read "The Christmas Train" by David Baldacci,  I suggest that you do before the holidays.  If you have read it, I suggest you read it again.
I read it yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning with my coffee and doughnuts.  It is a wonderful tale about people on a train bound for L.A. at Christmas time.
It will talk to you, remind you of your childhood, and make you want to ride a train, maybe before the railroads in America are only history.
Please take the time to read this short novella.  I know it will make you cry, smile and even laugh out loud.  Definitely, it will make you believe in Christmas and the miracles that sometimes happen during the celebration of Jesus' birth.

Peace,
JE

Wednesday Blues!

Have I ever told you all just how much I hate to do laundry???  If I could afford it, the one luxury I would bestow on myself is sending my laundry out. 
Yuk!

Peace (please!)
JE

Post Photo Shoot Post

Well, all 7 of us showed up, on time, and in coordinating outfits.  The shoot went very well.  I wasn't too sold on the photographer at first, but she did well.  The only one who didn't smile was the littlest one, RJ, but he didn't cry either.  He was just "serious."  Kiddo came along, after taking the rest of the evening.  I have pics of me alone, me with my two adult children, me with the 3 grands, and then all of us together. 
After our shoot was over, my son and his family did their session.  THEN, they said that they had a family shoot already scheduled with their own photog next week, so they were being very generous with their time as well as themselves.  I was able to purchase a few, (very high priced) and will show you the goods when I get them. 
It was for a good cause, though.  In a church with a large (for our community) congregation, it's helpful to have a pictorial directory so I can put a name with a face. We have a lot of new people that have started attending, and it will also help our new pastor to put names and faces together of us older members.
All in all it was fun, a lot of laughing and very few tears.  Like I said, knowing my family the way I do, I knew it would all go well in the end.

Peace,
JE

The dreaded photoshoot (preamble)

About every 5 years, my church produces a photo album of members.  Tonight is the night I have to have my picture taken.  Since my son and his family attend there and my daughter is attending there too, we decided to have a family portrait taken.  The girls have been bantering back and forth about what we should all wear so we coordinate.  My daughter-in-law is rearranging their eating schedule so the little ones will be more content, since our photo session is at dinner time. (Poor planning on my part since I set up the early time to get this over with.)  My older grandson is trying to get a few minutes off from work and will meet us there, slip into a "non employee" shirt, get snapped, then go back to work.  All in all, this is turning into a bigger deal than I planned, but knowing my family,all will go like clockwork.  A followup blog later in the week will let you all know if we were all able to "say cheese."

Peace,
JE

Some Sage Advice

A friend sent this to me today.  I thought it was worth passing on, so to all my blogger friends that are aging right along with me:

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.  GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what  we get. We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm  passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring  you through it.

'Good friends are like stars.....  ....You don't always see them, but you know they  are always  there.'

I Should Have Known Before...

It's getting colder here in the Midwest, and I get cold easier than I used to, (could it be an age thing??).  Someone mentioned that maybe I should get some Under Armor to wear this winter.  So I did part with the mega bucks and bought a shirt by this name.  Why didn't someone mention this to me before??  It's the best thing since sliced bread.  Today, it is colder and I have a fire in the gas grate, and I have on my new shirt under a long sleeved shirt.  I am warm.  I love it and would recommend it to everyone.
Thanks to my son, and Curley for telling me about this stuff.  I plan to get some "long johns" too.

Peace (and warmth),
JE