document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3E%0Abody%20%7B%20background-image

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

STILL WORKING--

Even though Christmas is basically over--
I have still been busy on some projects--
I got this stocking finished in knitting--
and have since started a second on in blue--
why?? have no idea why-- at this time!!!
Remember me showing you the little yarn hats I made??
and remember that I gave my DD a couple for her tree--
well-she made one for her girl friend and then she seen these--
the little mittens that I had knitted a couple years ago and she wanted a set to add to her hat for her girl friend--
so--
I got 3 sets done--though only 2 are here--the reddish ones are for her girl friend--
the blues one are for me and I used left over yarn from Anne's socks for that set and then a 3rd set is for my daughter for her tree to go with the hats I gave her--!!


One of the male neighbors here is fostering this cute dog--the neighbor is 89 years young--I am happy for him--he said he was tired of being lonely--(and he still drives!!!)
and I have been cleaning and reorganizing--
so that is keeping me busy for now--
What have you been up to???
Smiles, di

Monday, December 28, 2015

MY GIFTS OF LOVE--

I am always so thankful and grateful to my blog friends and other friend--
they are the ones whom seem to know me the best and give me the best gifts--
so here goes--
gifts from my friend Sunny--
did you notice how the snowman is melting in the Florida sunshine--
and notice the word on the mug--Believe!!
Thanks so much Sunny--
and from Shell--I got a packet of charm squares and just love these colors and have never had these chocolates before--though have seen advertising for them--and yes I did have one yesterday--the coffee one and boy did it smell like coffee--
Thanks so much Shell--
and this little hoop with the hand stitching came from Nola--
how pretty--this will probably stay out all year this year--
Thanks so much Nola--
And these came by way of Norway from my 'longest' reading and commenting blog friend, Anne-Lise--she said one is for winter and one is for summer and they are perfect for my glass of water that I always have sitting around--
thanks so much, Anne-Lise--
This is a red dish towel, small note pad and a dunkin donuts gift card from a long time pen-pal--and yes we still write actual letters back and forth a few times a year--think we have been friends for over 15 years now!!
Thanks so much Cindy-
The gingerbread things are mitts for your fingers for removing hot items from the toaster oven (or a microwave, if you have one--I don't!!!) and a Danica key ring--
from my 'old' housekeeper at the Jefferson up north!!
Thanks so much Melinda--
And from my friend Anne up north--I got chocolates, threads, 2 sets of charm packs and a cute Valentine wool project and not pictured is a beautiful Cat calendar--
Thanks so much Anne--I miss you!!

And on Christmas morning I found   this pretty necklace and Christmas card taped to my door from a new neighbor who lives 2 doors down--
thanks so much Lucy!!
So that is it for now--though I am expecting a couple late packages yet!!!
Have some fun time this week--
Are you setting up your goals list for 2016???
smiles, di







Sunday, December 27, 2015

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations  one all--
we made it through the Christmas of 2015--
And I realized that this was the first Christmas since 1989 that me and my 2 kids where together for it--about 25 years--where did those years go???
why did it take us so long??
Part of those years was because of my kids partners at the time--
but mostly it was because the last 20 of those I lived in the north and the kids where in the south--and when they did come to visit me--it was always summer time--
( daughters tree)
We had a nice dinner and I even baked my southern dressing for the meal--and there was lots of leftovers--which is my supper for tonight!!!
And I think I did well with my gifts for them not really knowing their interests or likes and dislikes--the first thing they each got was towels--
yep--towel set--
I bought some of these when I first got here and just love mine--they are sooo soft--
and I wanted to share that with the kids--
here is my son's gifts--
Can you tell his favorite color???
and here is the daughters--
and they both loved the towels as both said they were in need of some new ones--
and they both loved their new shirts--
and each got a watch--my son's was a pocket watch and he was excited about that said he never had a pocket watch before and I got them both silver ones--
and here is a funny part--I never have been a gold person--even my wedding ring back in 1967 had to be silver--never talked about it with the kids--but guess what--they both prefer silver too--Isn't that crazy???
Here is what I got from them-
Now where did Miss Susie come from--???
we tried out the Rack-o game after all the gifts where done!!

Smiles, di


Wednesday, December 23, 2015

LIGHT CAMERA ACTION--

A couple nights ago my DD came and picked me up and off we went to see Christmas lights--
Now -- I did read up on how to take photos after dark and learned it was best to use a tripod to do the photos as night shots need to be very still for them to come out--
well--that wasn't feasible for what we were doing--
so off we went--
Here is my 'practice' shot of one of our sitting area's out side the building--
The first place we went was to a street that is always big on every home doing decorations--
the lights were so pretty--but as the car was moving ever so slowly--you know what happened--
a lot of the photo's looked like this one--though I do think they are neat!!
and the funny thing was often a driveway would have a group of people sitting around a fire pit laughing and eating--
and then at one of the home's was this guy--
he was singing an playing music to entertain those who where either walking by or driving by--
so here is other photos of that night--
enjoy---

Maybe more tomorrow---
in the mean time enjoy whatever it is you are doing--
smiles, di



Tuesday, December 22, 2015

HANGINGS--

I got it finished and hung up
even put up the curtain rods all by myself--
First is the finished Christmas tree--
Now I just have to decide how to decorate it-
do have an idea or two--time will tell--
I really am amazed that this got totally finished!!!

And I hung a curtain rod in my foyer--
I made this quilt a couple years ago and it is still my favorite one!!
love seeing it hanging in the foyer!!

and here is the tree--
I used a old wood coat hanger for a hanger for the cards--
only problem is--I have more cards now and need someplace to hang them up??

And I did get this one done--


And some more packages have  come in the mail and now under the tree--
Got 2 more yesterday--but no photos--
so it is beginning to look at like Christmas at my house--
Smiles, di




Sunday, December 20, 2015

IN THE DOUGH

not money--
real cookie dough--
Thought I would share this year's baking with you--
First up though is my very old cookie cookbook--
I have had this cooky book all my adult life so it has seen many baking adventures--
with it being mostly used at Christmas time--
it holds my favorite yearly recipes--
First up--
Is the Russian Tea cakes, or as some know them as Sandies--
my mom always made these too--just wasn't Christmas without them--
I always use red and green sprinkles on mine--
these are my all time favorites that I discovered in this  book and you can see that I bake them every year when I make Christmas cookies--

they are called Cooky candies--very easy recipe and no chillin--so you can mix them up and shape them and bake them and later you add melted chocolate chips for the frosting and decorate them--
super easy and very very yummy!!!
Christmas bells--these where and are my daughters favorite and in fact she baked these this year--but I have certainly baked my share of them down though the years--I usually color mine blue and yellow--
and I have made 2 different kinds of sugar cookies in the past--
the main one is called 'Aunt Judy's sugar cookies' and is a recipe that my mom handed down to us--the Aunt Judy refers to her older sister--these have nutmeg in them and are fat and soft and puffy cookies--other times I have made the Ethel's  sugar cookies in the book and have written on it that it is easy to make--



And here is a cute story--
I was using this spoon to add the sprinkles and colored sugar on the cookies the day that my daughter was helping--
and she noticed it and said she had one like it---
I told her that I often use it for eating my ice cream with it--
and she said she did too!!
Family can have the same develop the same habits even when they are not close for years!!
I don't know where I got this spoon or when--I just know I have had it years--
she can't remember how she got here's either--maybe Santa brought them to us, long time ago???

Smiles, di