BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAM--

 At least I hope I can get back into some kind of routine--the month of December was a 'rough' one for me, in many ways--with challenges of all kinds--like trying to breathe--and then busy family times--!!!

It took me '2' weeks to actually decorate for Christmas and I really did not get it finished till Christmas Eve--I was alone for Christmas Day--but I did plan a nice meal for myself--and as I still was not feeling well--it was more than okay!!

On Friday evening my daughter, Dawn, arrived from Illinois--and she was here till Thursday morning--we did alot of shopping and one day even went to the Zoo--where-- you guessed it--I took lots of photos!!!! They have made a whole new board walk around a large area and now you can see even more animals up close and that was really nice--we got there in a heavy fog at 9:45--and we had to wait for the giraffes to decide it  was 'dry' enough for them to come out--apparently they don't like 'wet' weather!!!!

While on a mini break where we were sitting at a picnic area--I notice a Dad--talking and playing with his daugher of about 10 months--I did speak to him--and I thanked his wife for the man's Christmas gift--look at his shirt--------as we were leaving--he was also leaving and I got brave and asked him if I could take their photo--

Did you notice the little girls photo throughout the Dads shirt--with sunglasses on!!!!  and later I realized the little pink coat on the little girl--reminded me of a little pink coat I had made Dawn when she was little ( I also made me a matching coat)!!

And here is one of my favorite animals--

Opps --can you tell where this volunteer worked???

Hello!!!

The Zoo was still all dressed up for Christmas--(we were there on New Years Eve Day)

Okay--I realize that this is suppose to be a Quilt blog site--

But--

with being so ill and then Family--(oh we did have our family Christmas at my son--Dan's house with my new daughter in law--Sarah on New Year's Day--only--Sarah had the 'virus' and was still sick--she was only about 6 days into it--and it's a 3 week one!!  But did gifts and then Dawn and I did the dinner and clean up and then we celebrated Sarah's birthday with a 3 layer triple chocolate cake--and we got her a Flamingo floatie for the new pool!!!  and because she was so sick --we left--on the way home I did get to see some pretty Christmas lights--so that was nice too--

Oh--wait--I am suppose to be talking about --Quilts!!!

Well--I don't know what to say--not much got done in December that was for sure!!

As for the year---I stitched every single day til Nov 1st when the move started--I lost a good 27 days between the move and illness total between Nov and Dec!!

I did get the Christmas Sunbonnet Sue all hand quilted--it is still waiting for it's binding--

I have gotten back to a bit of counted cross stitching in the mornings--still trying to fill in the big crows body--and now I see that Melisa is doing a pretty winter cross stitching--but I will need to go to JoAnn's for fabric and thread first and that won't be for  a week yet--so I will be behind on that one--

For the Chook challenge-- will be doing the binding on the Sue's top as January's finish, and I want to do something else on that one once the binding is done--haven't had time to find the other "9" projects and list them--I will try to do that by next week--!!!

I still have alot of work to do to get back to sewing and quilting--but now that the holidays are over hopefully that won't be long, now!!

ON--Friday my friend Cheryl and I went to  two thrift stores--and I found alot of nice items--nearly everything was 50 cents or 99 cents--this basket was a bit expensive--but I just had to buy it at $5.99--

I love baskets with that 'neat' latch bar on them!!

My new white basket has a home--but this new little bear wants it for his home!!!

a pretty wood bowl-plate and 2 pretty bottles one is blue the other one is pink--

A homemade cat and 2 fuzzy trees--not sure if I will use these trees with my snowmen or use them at Easter time???

2 pretty pitchers--had to have that one with the pink roses on it!!

2 nice black jars and one green vase                                                                                   

a nice square blue and white dish and cute sailboat


a pretty lunch plate for me

Well--I have chatted long enough and blogger is not wanting to work well--so will close--

WISH EVERYONE A BLESSED YEAR WITH LOTS OF GOOD THINGS ADDED IN--

HUGS, DI