Christmas Day 2009

     I had looked forward to Christmas Day since everyone was coming to my house for dinner. My sister and I switched this year, she did Thanksgiving and I was to do Christmas. I was expecting 9 people for dinner. My parents, my brother with his family and my sister with her husband would join my b/f and I for dinner.

     However, we woke up Christmas morning to find several inches of fresh snow on the ground and it was still snowing. The driveways were deep, the wind had been blowing as well and there were drifts 3 feet deep. How were we ever going to have company in this mess?

     In anticipation that the roads would be cleared, we began cleaning the house from top to bottom. Working very hard to make sure everything was in its place.

     I had a 20 lb turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes ready to make. My Mom was bringing cranberry salad, best-ever jello salad and pies. My sister was making the bread to have with dinner and my sister-in-law had the veggie tray. It was going to be a great dinner.

    Mom said they had drifts up to the tires on my brothers car and the plows had not been down their street yet. Even though Dad said there was nothing that could keep him from a freshly roasted turkey, I had a feeling that the snow would keep everyone away.

    Sure enough, with snow too deep to shovel and no clear roads to travel, everyone stayed home for Christmas Day. Just the 2 of us ate dinner... without the extra things everyone else had. I sure missed not having salads or the pies... 

    It ended up a quiet day, just watching the snow pile up. I don't remember having a Christmas Day before where no one could get to their destination.

Christmas Eve Dec 24, 2009

     Once we had families of our own, Christmas Eve has been celebrated at my Mom & Dad’s house. We have an awesome dinner prepared by my Mom and we each bring something to add to the dinner. Mom has always mades BBQ Brisket and Cheesy Potatoes. Our tradition of the same, delicious menu every year. We usually arrive around 5, eat dinner with my Aunt & Uncle and their daughter (who now has a husband and the cutest baby bump). Then after they leave, we open start getting all the presents out from all the hiding places.

     But this year, tradition was thrown out the window! We had a winter storm coming that was promising to mess things up. We were expecting sleet or freezing rain before it would change to all snow.
     The sleet began early in the day. By 10 AM it was already a mess. Roads were getting slick and hazardous. Mom’s first email said “Let’s start at 4” then it became “Let’s start at 3:30” At 2:30 Mom called “Your sister made it here, so come on over and we’ll open gifts first and then eat later” So we loaded up in the vehicles and headed over.

    We rushed to Mom’s, which is not easy with children and grandchild in tow. The roads were getting icy and took a little time to get the 3 miles. When we arrived I realized I had forgotten the Poinsettia I bought my Mom (I will just have to give it to her Christmas day when they come to my house for dinner).

    The gifts were already under the tree screaming “OPEN ME!!” The gifts were opened in a rush as always. The kids, even though grown, were still ripping through the paper to get to the gift hidden inside. The smiles on their faces reminded me of when they were little.. they may think they are grown ups but the look on their faces said otherwise.
    Now we had to make Mom’s house as clean as it was when we arrived. Mom’s brother and his family were coming for dinner at 5:30. We gathered all the wrappings and boxes and put them away. The weather outside was getting worse, but the family arrived right on time. We ate our wonderful Christmas Eve dinner, visited with everyone, including our phone call from England that we get every year. (always good to hear from her).

    My boys still needed to drive another 60 miles south of here to see their Dad and his family. We left early so they could get on the road before it got even worse. I worried about them being on the roads, but I knew if they didn’t go now, they’d never get there. Thank heavens for cell phones… I was able to keep tabs on their way and was glad when they arrived safely.

    What a night this was… it will be interesting to see what tomorrow brings, but we are definitely having a white Christmas this year.

December 5th - Christmas Count Down

Only 20 days till Christmas... there is SO much to do. I've listed the top 25 on my "To Do List" .. I'm sure there are more things to do, and some will be done more than once (like #20). Time for me to get "really" busy and get some of these items checked off.

Dec 4 - My Christmas is Perfect

Christmas time brings the need to be "perfect" out in all of us. Buying the perfect gift, displaying decorations perfectly and the children are on their best behavior (some times).  For me, the perfect Christmas is one filled with family get togethers. The one time of the year almost all my family is together under one roof. From my parents, siblings, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There is usually 1 or 2 missing, but they call during Christmas Eve dinner to join in the fun. 

Every Christmas is Perfect with my family!

Christmas Cards.... Dec 3rd

 I made special little notes for each of my sons today. Handwritten and waiting for them to read some other time when they need to remember how Mom felt about them.

The Weather Outside is.....

We always have a chance for a white Christmas in Kansas. I do hope it waits until my oldest son makes the 700 mile drive from Wyoming so  we can all be together for the holidays. Then.... It can snow all it wants!

JYC - December 1st

Today I begin my journal of the Christmas Season. A time to look through the window of my life at memories of a past Christmas, the present Christmas and using the candle in the window to light the way to a Christmas in the future.


Each day spending time to reflect, relax and to create a special page that captures the moments and feelings in time.


Put all together here for my sons, to let them remember our time together.

Journal Your Christmas 2009 - Album Cover

My first JYC Cover is finished and ready for pages. I'm using an American Craft 8x8.

I had so much fun doing the front, I can't imagine what each page will be like to do. I'm excited for Tuesday to arrive.

TO: Me.... FROM: Me

Black Friday.. the day everyone gets up in the middle of the night to go shopping. We all try to get the most for our hard earned money. The stores were filled to the rim with shoppers. They each had a cart full of that store's sales items.  Me.. oh I was in the parking lot, running up and down the rows trying to find a parking space.


With a spot in site, I pull my car in and walk the block or so to the store. I had my list for the 4 stores I wanted to go to. Each store only had an item or two on my list. At one store, it was a $29. item. First I couldn't find it in the store because of all the people. Then I realized that the line of people that ran from the front of the store, to the back and across to the other side of the building were people standing in line to get to the cashiers. No way was I standing in line for an hour or more just to spend $29. So I left and headed to the next store.

The next store, was not as bad. I made my purchases and headed off down the road. The third store... ended up as another trip around another parking lot... and yes, another long line of people in that store as well! The item for that store was only $20... I decided (again) it was not worth the wait in the line.

The final store on my list.. a craft store! I had several items I needed for scrapbooking. An organizer, scissors, stamps, a light and anything else I could find. All the supplies were 40% off, and the organizer was 50% off. Then to top it off, I had a 50% off coupon for one item that was not on sale.

I had already been surprised by my niece with a huge supply of paper, embellishments, alphabets, rubber stamps, an album and more than I could ever imagine! All these items now have me ready to start my first Journal Your Christmas.

It just figures though, at the end of the shopping I had only bought myself something, I made no purchases for my children which is what I set out to do. But as my Grandma always said: "To: Me ....  From: Me" are the best gifts of all.

I ended up ordering all those other items on my list from the stores, but I did it online. Why hadn't I thought of that before I left the house at 6 AM to fight the crazy people at the store!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's finally Thanksgiving ... a day to eat way too much good food, check the sale ads for Black Friday deals, but most importantly a day to reflect on the things I am thankful for.

I'm Thankful God has blessed me with:
** My 2 Sons - they are such good boys fine young men
** My family - who stick by me no matter what, always there to lend a hand, an ear or a shoulder.
** My Friends - always there for me
** My Job - I have one when other people do not
** My Health

I'm also thankful that Peppermint ice cream and Egg Nog are back in the store, I can never get enough them.

We should never wait for this day to be thankful, God blesses us every day and we should give thanks for each one.

IN THE MIDST OF WINTER.....

This past summer I had two morning doves decide that the flower box hanging from my balcony was the perfect place to lay their eggs and hatch them. Right there within a foot of where I  sit with my cup of coffee every morning.

These little moms sat on their eggs, keeping them warm and out of view from the crows that sometimes hang around the neighborhood. They never left their nest for the 2 weeks waiting for their eggs to hatch.  Then the little ones would be fed and groomed another 2 weeks before they were ready to try flying.

It was an awesome sight watching them. Once they were big enough to leave alone the mom would go looking for food. When the mom would fly away to get the little ones food, I would sneak in a handful of bird seed in the corner of the flower box just to help the mom along.

Each day the little baby birds grew larger and stronger. Every day I checked on their progress, making sure they had made it through the night. I was amazed at how quickly they grew feathers and how big they grew in the few weeks they stayed. I could get almost close enough to touch them.

One day I got too close, Momma bird flew away and to my surprise the babies followed her! When had they learned to fly? They stayed around my house another week, first in the flower box and then around the yard. And then one day, they were gone. They may still be around, I just don't know it's them.

During all my sneak feedings to the moms, it appears they had missed a sunflower seed. 

Now it is late November, the air has turned cold and all the leaves have fallen from the trees. But in the midst of winter coming on, an unusual site is found.... a single sunflower blooming in my flower box.

Just a simple reminder that new life can happen at any time, not just in the spring and  sometimes when you least expect it.

Blog Around The World - Welcome to Kansas!!

You have arrived in the great state of Kansas. Our current temperatures are in the low 50's and nights dropping into the low 40's.  The leaves have fallen and the winds are now brisk.

Out my kitchen window is a quiet courtyard in the townhome subdivision I live in. Each is 3 stories tall on the back. This is a very quiet neighborhood where one can sit on the balcony to relax or reflect in the silence of the early morning.

This week we had our first bit of snow, not much really, just a little on the grassy areas. But enough to remind us winter is quickly approaching.

What a difference a day makes, today started out bright and sunny, but quickly turned to gray and overcast. They say if you don't like the weather in Kansas, wait 24 hours, it will change.

Your next stop on this journey is to the beautiful state of Colorado. I lived there for 5 years. The mountain ranges are breath taking, around every corner another photo opportunity. I still expect to see Pikes Peak when I come out of the Wal-Mart here in Kansas, like I did there. I miss that view!

Thank you for stopping by... So off you go... enjoy your trip around the world!!  http://twistsonlemon.blogspot.com/

BLOG AROUND THE WORLD

This weekend I will be one of 40 participants in the "Blog Around The World" from Shimelle's Class on Blogging for Scrapbookers.  Watch for our posts on Sunday, thats 3PM Saturday in the USA on Central Time and follow us around the world.

Scrapbooking Supplies??

In this weeks "Thursday Think Tank" I need your help yet again!  I am very new to scrapbooking, so new I have yet to do a layout. My Mom gave me the Journal Your Christmas class as a gift. I'm really excited about getting it started, but there is only little problem: I HAVE NO SCRAPBOOKING SUPPLIES!!!

On top of that, I have no idea what supplies to purchase to be ready for Journal Your Christmas! I went to the gambling boat this week and hit a jackpot (little to some, but it was big for me!). I've decided part of my winnings should be spent on scrapbooking supplies.

Please leave a comment or two on the types of things I should buy.. things I will need at hand constantly and things that are "nice to have"... 

I can't wait to go shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THEN AND NOW!!

Hard to believe just three years ago I was living in the cold and wind of Wyoming. I was making plans for a the biggest change in my life. I was moving 700 miles away, back home to Kansas, to start my life all over again at the age of a young 50.

I hadn't worked a full time job in 10 years. I had been able to be a stay-at-home Mom and raise my two boys. It was a great time for the boys and I. The three of us are very close. I worked odd jobs while they were in school and would be home for them each evening. A new prospective employer may not look favorably upon my recent employment history (or lack there of).

Not having worked in so long I was scared I wouldn't find a job that could support my youngest son and I. Having had 25+ years in insurance and a degree in accounting, I was hoping to find the perfect job with the combination of the two. After a few trips back to Kansas, I had 2 interviews for the job I thought would be exactly what I wanted. Times are different now, it takes companies a long time to make a decision on hiring someone... so I waited....

In the meantime, I needed to find a place to call home. Somewhere that my son and I could live comfortably, not a lot of extra yard work to do and would have an extra room for my oldest son when he came to visit.

After a lot of looking, I finally found the perfect home, a three story townhouse, and it was right across from the high school my son would attend. The price was in my budget and it needed very little work to move in. So I put in my offer with the real estate agent. The problem, I did not have the job yet.

My offer was accepted and I was on my way to purchasing the house. A few days before the closing on my house, the banker called to see how the job hunt was going. I told him about the one I was really interested in, but they had not made an offer to hire me as of yet. I was getting nervous and worried I would lose the house. The banker assurred me that wasn't going to happen. I closed on the house and took possession of it, no job and worried to death what I was going to do.

I began moving in that day. What few belongings I brought back from Wyoming with me. Two hours after I closed and began moving in, my phone rang. The job offer had finally come through. Not only the best of the two jobs they had open, but with a salary we could live on.

The last few years have been wonderful. I've found that I can have my cake and eat it too! I have the perfect house, the perfect job and I'm doing it all on my own. I even went so far as to buy a new Mustang last year. I feel younger than ever and enjoy life to the fullest. My son as adapted to the new surroundings, the new school and has made new friends. He's doing good and really likes it here.

I wonder NOW why I was so worried about things THEN. God made sure all the pieces fell together into perfect harmony for me. I have been so blessed.

Thursday's Think Tank

Thursdays Think Tank - Each Thursday a new situation or comment to ponder or discuss...

A friend of mine recently moved out of state. He asked me to come by and look at his things to see if there was anything I wanted. He was giving everything away, taking nothing with him. I really had no need for any furniture, but was a little interested in his CD collection. I found a few that I liked started putting them in a box. Apparently he thought it was going too slow and he decided I should just take them all. So he started boxing them up and putting them in the car, he even included the tower that held them all.

At home, I began putting them back into the tower to see what all was there. I figured it was a few hundred CD's, I'd take what I wanted and do something with the rest. I found about 20 or so that I really liked.

Then I realized... there are 4 sides to the tower, each side had 10 shelves, each shelf could hold 26 CD's.... that's 1040 CD's and that doesn't count the ones that wouldn't fit or were in big boxes with several CD's inside.

The question of the day: What does one do with over 1000 CD's ?? Can I sell them and make some money? Anyone have a suggestion???

Goals!!!

Goals come in many forms... I have my daily goals, those that get me through the day. Then there are goals for the next few months and goals for my future that are to help me through the rest of my life.

My daily goals start with getting out of bed each morning and getting that first cup of coffee or two. Sometimes it is necessary to set a goal for the next 5 minutes. Anything to get me through the day.

The goal to accomplish over the next few months is seeing my "baby" graduate from high school. The final opportunity to impress upon him the importance of making good decisions in his life and setting his own goals for his future.

Long term goals are the toughest and seem to be an ever changing list for me. There are things I'd love to do in my life like go to a warm beach somewhere when it is the dead of winter of Kansas. Or drive the race cars like they do in NASCAR. Probably the one that will really get done is the new floor in my kitchen and entry way.

The floor here is old and disgusting. Every time I mop, I have a few choice words for the ugly floor. That will be my goal, to save enough money to replace that floor and make it all new again. I'll also have to figure out what kind of floor to put down, something durable and yet looks nice.

By the time I've decided on the flooring I want and have the money saved to actually do the job... I'll probably go find a warm beach to sit on and ponder it for a while. I wouldn't want to make any snap decisions on flooring, that has to stay on the floor a long time.

Technology

To teens, these days, technology is a common every day thing. They know how all these new gadgets work and think nothing of it. Well.. for this "older than teenage years" lady, technology is something to be bargined with. I have finally come into the 21st century and upgraded my cable box to one that includes a DVR. (I was missing far too many shows on TV.)

After 20 minutes of looking at the string of cables going from the TV to the old box and trying to figure out where they go on the new box, I gave up and called my 17 year old down from his techno room to help me. He politely pointed out that the new box would use the new cable that came with it. The old cables stayed with the old box (which he was taking to his room to hook up.. by the way). In about 3 minutes (probably less), he had it up and running. Whew! That was done.

Or so I thought..... I hit the button on the new remote that came with the new box. The box came on but not the TV... NOW WHAT?? My son says.. "Mom you need to program the remote to make it work the TV." (What ever happened to Plug and Play???) I grabbed the instruction book and found the page to program the remote and decided this would be a snap.

Or so I thought..... I quickly realized this was not going to be an easy task. Putting in commands and hitting this button and that button. Hold the button until it flashes twice. Well, I did finally manage to program the remote to turn off the TV and the box at the same time, with the hit of one button.(after an hour and 2 hot flashes of my own!) I was almost there.. soon I was going to be able to sit back, relax and watch some TV.

Or so I thought.... About that time, I then realized the sound was much too high.. so I hit the volume down button. The little scale on the TV came on and showed the volume going down.... BUT IT WASN'T! It was still much too loud, nothing was happening with the remote volume button. By this time I was getting angry with the new remote and the new box! I was ready to take it back to the cable company and tell them to keep it.

I did not want my son to think I was completely bonkers and could not even do the simple task of getting a remote, a TV and a box to talk to each other. There was no way I was going to call him back down from his room to help me, yet again, with this simple machine for my TV viewing pleasure. I did the next best thing... I grabbed the remote to the TV and it turned down the volume.

The easiest part was recording.. that was simple. Pick the show, hit select on record. Done :)

I will no longer say a word or even think of one, when I see people with two or three remotes in their hands to get their TV just the way they want it for the evenings viewing of shows. I am now one of them!!! I sit on my sofa with 2 remotes and 2 cats ... now if I could just get my son to stop playing his Playstation games on my TV I could actually watch some of those shows I've recorded. ;)

(eventually I'll let my son know I didn't quite get it all done.. maybe he will feel sorry for me and take care of that little problem)

Inspiration And My Favorite Things

The prompt for "Blogging for Scrapbookers" was more difficult for me than I thought in the beginning. Inspiration for me comes from the people around me, I rarely spend enough time searching the web for inspiration.

Like the cute guy who unknowningly, inspired me to lose that last 10 pounds, let my hair grow out again and buy those cute clothes that don't make me look or feel old.

I'm always inspired by my parents .. their unconditional love they pour out. The way they can get through every day with a smile on their faces, while facing lifes toughest challenges.

I did see a pair of shoes on the internet that inspired me... beautiful pumps with a 4" heel. Black front and gold sides and back. They were even on the BOGO (Buy one get one 1/2 off sale). Yet when I clicked to buy.. they were no longer in stock. :( I love shoes! I have far too many, but not enough for a different pair every day. I will keep looking though, the holiday party is quickly approaching... I must have new shoes!!!

My family is very talented. We have those that can sing, those that can dance, and some play musical instruments. Of course most of us are crafty too. We all have our hobbies. But there is one that can do them all. She inspires anyone she comes in contact with. She has inspired me since she was a little girl doing a dance to a Paula Abdul song. The courage and determination she shows in everything she does has always inspired me to keep trying and to always try something new.

My something new for today: To figure out how to edit my post after I've posted them. Mission accomplished. :)

I know it's not 5 things, like the prompt requested, I must have worked far to hard today to be inspired by much more. :)

The Bench

With a new home of my own, and a blank canvas for my walls, I started to remodel my bedroom this summer. A full summer project to keep me busy. With no one to tell me it was too feminine for their taste, I chose beautiful shades of orange, brown, gold, burgandy and sage for my room. Satins and suedes in solids and stripes. What the room really needed (besides a good coat of golden paint and white crown molding) was a bench to set against the wall. A place to sit or just a nice piece of furniture that I built.

I had the design in my head, I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like. The fabric I wanted was shiny and all the colors in my palate. I set off to the fabric store to find the fabric before I tackled the wood side of the project. Without the perfect fabric, the project would not work. As I entered the store I spotted it right away. Exactly as I have invisioned in my minds eye. Stripes of all the colors: orange, sage green, browns, golds and burgandy. It was perfect! I sewed the cushions for the bench and was then ready for the bench itself.

With cushions in hand I set off to my Father's house to get his help in the design of the bench itself. We determined it's size and made the list of wood I would need. My Dad and I have made a few projects together, I love working by his side and just spending time with him. He gives me tips and tricks of the trade to better my knowledge of wood working. He, of course, wanted to come help me build the bench. In my mind, he would be there to give me tips on what I was doing. To help me by handing me tools and holding the boards as I cut them.

That Saturday, Dad came over so we could build the bench. It was one of his good days, but we would need to work efficently, since he does wear out quickly and some times the pain can be too great. So we set to work, laying out the pieces of wood, measuring and cutting. Then something I did not expect happened. I was handing my Dad the tools and helping him hold the boards to cut them. He was building the bench and I was helping him. I truly treasure the times we have together.. working side by side. It's the greatest feeling in the world. Before long the bench was complete and ready for paint. Dad was exhausted but happy that we had had our time together and that the bench was done.

My remodeled room is beautiful. The bench proudly sitting against the wall. I, however, ended up with more than just a bench to place in my room. I have the most valued treasure of all... I have a bench my Daddy built!

My First Blog

What better way to start my blog than to show what I have... a camera, a pen and my laptop with an empty screen.

It is difficult to take a picture of your own camera if you're using it. I promise the next pictures will be of better quality.. I had to take this one with my cell phone and email it to myself.

My usual crafting world is surrounded by saw dust and the smell of wood stains since I do scroll work. (I'm sure those will appear some where in my blog before all is said and done). It's time to expand my crafting into the world of scrapbooking and blogging. I always seem to have something to say so let the fun begin.