Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone!!

I love you all!!

Bear With Me!

Here is the second wall hanging David requested, the Panda. There are several things I would have done differently now that it's finished, but, se la vie. If you will note, the picture makes it look like the top is wider than the bottom. Perhaps it is the angle used in taking the photograph, but I think it is more the fact that the bamboo trees flow over the border and create the illusion that the top is wider. In actuality the bottom is about 1/4 inch wider than the top! Then there is the fact that David asked me to move the Panda up so that it was situated about 1/3 way up the quilt, but my Old Timers disease kicked in and I forgot all about that until it was about half done. Sorry David. Then, I could have used a darker foliage background behind the Panda (Yes David, your choice would have been better than mine); but, if it was going to be "my" wall hanging, I would not have used any foliage behind the bear and would have run the sky all the way down to the ground (I thought that as I was making it, and can now say it for sure after seeing this photo). I think it would have looked much nicer that way. But, as in life, you learn as you go. I still have to put the hanging sleeve on the back and clean up all the tiny ravels as best I can before I ship them out.

Phoenix Rising

Here is the Phoenix Rising wall hanging that Mom made for us last year. It looks real nice hanging in the dining room.

Birthday and New Year's

As some of you know, mom and I went Sky diving on Monday December 28, which was a blast!! I have been trying to upload the video's here but it has been difficult, so here are the link's to the two videos:

John's Jump

Mom's Jump

Sunday, January 17th Amy and I will be running in the PF Chang's half marathon. If you are interested in following our progress on the day of the race via phone/email let me know and I will be sure to give you the information to set that up.

Happy Birthday John

John celebrated his birthday today with the youth group and I was able to be there. So here are pictures of his cake and a video of us singing to him.

Merry Christmas

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Overall things here in Maine were quite nice. It wasn't as white as the weatherman predicted, but still a few snowflakes on the ground.

It has been a busy several days getting things ready for Eve and morn. Had to squeeze in my baking, while assisting at the Inn(a bit more to tell), then Dave and I headed to Dad's for Christmas Eve dinner with Vicki and the kids. And of course presents with Vicki and the kids. Then Christmas morn presents with Dad and Candy. And once we were all packed up, Bailey and all, we headed to Pittfield for the family Christmas and I just returned a short while ago.

Mom is excited to use her gift certificate to Rubys and she has her flowers nicely displayed in her room. She got a few extra goodies from the rest of the family. cd's, sweater, chocolate covered cherries, slipper socks, and some mula. Overall, not too shabby.

Dave and I got a few needed necessities for the kitchen, a couple gc's and a food box. No complaints here.

The inn- I have been on call there since November, with little to no work. Well, now they need someone to do the night audit a couple nights a week, so until I can find a secure job in this area I will fill in there. Thankfully the state was nice to me and finally issued all my back checks from unemployment, on the 24th. Woohoo! So, this means, that David you should get a payment from me, sometime after the first. After I get my paycheck from the inn. And this means that we can pay off or pay in advance on some basic bills, such as electric, oil. You know, the essentials.

Well, I hope that everyone has a fabulous new year. Hope 2010 brings you all that you want!!

Now SheKan

Make a Smilebox slideshow

No Snow, But A Frosty Christmas Morning In WA

Merry Christmas to Everyone from Frost-Covered Edmonds WA

Just a Squirrelly Christmas Morning

There has been this brazen little squirrel tempting and teasing Cody lately and I thought you'd like a peek at what's going on. Cody woke me up this morning yelping and jumping at the window in the dining area, trying his best to catch this squirrel who is taunting him, running in circles around on the screen outside, right in front of his nose!



Poor Cody! The squirrels run up and down the antenna pole right outside that window and they nest in between our roof and roof-over the past few winters. Merle keeps saying he's going to close off their entry hole, but hasn't done it yet.

They better watch out though! Cody is becoming almost as good a squirrel catcher as Pepper was. He brought one in the other evening and proudly presented it to us on the living room carpet.

Merry Christmas to all and Bah-Humbug to all those pesky little squirrel critters! They better watch out - It ain't Santa who's coming cause Santa doesn't dress in black and white!

Florida Christmas Eve

It was such a lovely 75 degree Christmas Eve day here in Chiefland. It was one of those days you just can't stand to stay inside and let it pass. So, I helped Merle pick up some brush in the yard this morning, and sat on the front porch talking to my sister Lorraine for about a half hour, and took Cody for a walk on he greenway this afternoon.





What you are seeing here in the distance is a dry plowed field with a lot of it's soil blowing away in the breeze. I thought it made a nice picture.



And then back home to view all the Christmas gifts in our little Christmas corner of the living room. Santa stopped here early so he could make all his other stops on time. But we're waiting for Peggy and Eric to come over tomorrow before opening anything. Too bad tomorrow is supposed to be rain and thunder storms! Drive carefully on your way over Eric!

Hope you all have a fantastic holiday! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Santa's Little Helper Ruth

Next Year's Get Together

Well since Barbara mentioned a trip for next year, perhaps it is a good idea to discuss what our plans are for a family get together. David had said he was planning to come for Christmas next year, and I believe Fred is planning for the same. So how about you Barbara, Barry, Keven, and Esther? Shall we plan on ya'll for Christmas too? How about Tarja and Dave and Auntie Linda? Now that would be fun!! And Cheryl and David...even more fun. We could plan it for sometime near the beginning of December so everyone could still have Christmas with their family and friends back at their homes. Uncle Fred and Linda could come too since they're in FL during the winter. What do you all think?

Our Next House

We went and looked around the house we are buying again yesterday. I forgot my video camera but I had my cell phone to take some pics. This house is 2,515 Sq Ft with 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. One of the bedrooms and a bathroom are downstairs to accommodate those who can't use or just don't like stairs.


The view from just inside the front door. This is a formal dining area. I'm thinking pool table.

The view back towards the front door with a family room area on the left.

Front door again, looking up to the top of the stairs. (That is our Realtor's husband.)

Second floor balcony, and Alie Baby! There are two bedrooms, a bathroom and the laundry room to the left of Alie. She is standing in front of a bedroom door. If you continue to the right you would get to the master bedroom.

Stairs to second floor.

View from top of stairs.

Master bathroom.

Master closet.

One of the walls of one of the other bedrooms. This is the bedroom Alie was standing in front of in the other pic.

Back downstairs, the kitchen and dining room, viewed from the living room.

The living room, viewed from the kitchen.


Looking out the back door to the right.


Looking out the back door to the left.

Rear of the house. The extra concrete slab is great to have. Can anyone say hot tub?

And the sidewalk goes all the way from the slab to the driveway out front. (see first pic) Which is also great (and wheelchair friendly) since all these houses only come with gravel to walk on. (That is Amy's friend Carla, who lives on the same street as this house. Amy's other friend Gabbee also lives on this street. Amy is dying to move closer to here. As it happens, there is another house for sale nearby. While it is very unlikely they will be able to make it happen, it's not impossible. Wait and see.)

All of this for only $140,000. David and Chunnan, you guys really need to move out here and take advantage of these prices :o) And all y'all NC people should move out here too. Barb, you can even bring Barry! I'm not excluding y'all FL folk, c'mon over!

Also here is the floor plan again for those who forgot what it looked like.

Christmas Baking Day

As you look at this first picture of Christmas Baking Day 2009, try to envision snow falling gently outside the sliding glass doors and past the pool instead of the absolutely beautiful 70 some degree FL weather that we had today. I'm not complaining about the weather, but I know some people don't think Christmas feels like Christmas without the snow.

So this first picture shows a counter full of ingredients (trust me this isn't even close to all that we had) that Eric and I went shopping for last night.



Here I am in my usual relaxed and reclined position while reading Strawberry Jam Bar recipe instructions to Momma.



This is Mom mixing the ingredients for the cream cheese layer of the bars.



Here Mom is spreading the cream cheese layer over the crust layer that she had already created earlier.



This is a close-up view of the small problem Mom had in controlling the cream cheese layer while she was pouring it over the crust. Cream cheese on the the measuring cup, the spice rack, herself (look at her hand in the previous picture)...what can we say?



Finally, a picture of the finished bars after they came out of the oven. Somehow we missed taking pictures of Eric spreading the strawberry jam and sprinkling the remaining crust crumbles on top of the cream cheese layer before putting it in the oven.



Here is a picture of the finished Apple Pecan Cheesecake bars. OK so neither of these look like bars yet since they hadn't been cut, but you get the idea.



Next we have a picture of Eric chopping up chocolate bars for the Chocolate Bliss cookies which are shown after this waiting to go into the oven. This is what happens when one refuses to stay out of the kitchen...they get put to work!!





Here is Momma getting ready to put Pecan Snickerdoodles into the oven.



Ahhhh...Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies...



And the only nonsweet item of the day...Sausage Cheese Balls...yummy!!!!!!!!!!!



Before Mom left for the day, she mixed up the cookie dough for the Pudding Chocolate Chunk Cookies which Eric has to put in the oven...pictures to come. Plus there are the Forgotten Cookies which we also have to do.

Here are the Pudding Chocolate Chunk Cookies...they're good!!



Well that's about it for Christmas Baking Day 2009. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Christmas Puppies

OK...here are two pictures of my puppies. They were tired after I took them for a walk (72 degrees today) so they behaved nicely for us.

Christmas Photo

In case I don't get all my Christmas Cards out this year, which is a likely option, I thought I would share with you our christmas photo. And if you do get your cards, then bonus, you have two pics!!

This is Bailey. So lovely to pose while I took some photos. Note, pictures in the back too, came out kind of nice, our wedding photo and my pup lassie, several years ago.

Isn't Bailey a handsome little devil :)

Happy Birthday Uncle Fred!

A little late, granted, but my feeble brain just thought of it. Hope you had a wonderful day. I'll try to post better pic when I get home this afternoon.

Kids

Man, I need some reassurance that not having kids is OK! I have been on facebook alot lately, due to nothing else better to do and I CANNOT believe how many people I have gone to school with that have kids or are pregnant. I mean, there are some that absolutely swore off kids and now have 2 or 3. I really am just beside myself with this.

I have always had a firm plan in my head that NO kids is the way to go for me. I have always took the approach that if I can't support myself, then I don't want to bring a child in to this world. Because honestly , I know far too many families that are popping out kids just to get the state aid, rather than because they want to give the child a loving home. On the other hand, I know many wonderful parents, who would do everything and anything for their children, whether biological or adopted. So, I have always stuck to my guns that NO kids is the way to go and I still feel that way.

But honestly, seeing all my friends and former classmates raising children makes me wonder, why do I not have that biological clock ticking or why don't I have that maternal instinct. I mean, I think kids are great, but I prefer to return them at the end of the day.

I am sooo thankful that David is on the same page as me. He does not want to have kids..and that is something that we made clear very early on in our relationship. I flat out told him, if you think you want kids, then please lets end this, because its not something I can give you.

And there are 2 others guys that I am surprised about how kids are in their family. My best friend Matt. I always pictured him a family man and loving children, but it just came known to me, that he really can't stand kids. Granted, he is being a father to 2 step children, they are older and he said that is enough for him. So, I pictured him having 2 or 3 kids of his own, and that definitely will not happen. Glad to know that we are on the same page.

My ex Ryan. I am sure he has changed since we parted ways, but when we were together, he was not fit to be a father at all. Drank alot and was abusive. (only verbally,emotionally with me), but shortly after our seperation he was physically violent with a female. This I know was probably because his father was extremely abusive to him as a child and young teen. Anyway, he is about to be a father any day now. And I pray for the child's sake that he does not follow in his fathers footsteps or his previous footsteps and become abusive. I know he has probably grown a lot since our seperation and he really does have a great wife by his side, but a part of me, wonders if he is really a changed person.

We all come from different walks of life and I am sure that all are following the paths that they are meant to follow. I just hope that my path without children is accepted and can be understood by those that come and go in my life.

thanks for listening. Really just wanted to vent, not really expecting responses. T.

Guess where we went for dinner?