Out with the

 old broken  plastic brown sewing box, the latch was broken and if you lifted it up by the handle..."stuff" could fly everywhere.  I have had that sewing box about 50 years.  I think I got it for Christmas one year. 

 In with the new...also a Christmas gift from Far Guy.

All organized...I hardly ever use it but I have it just incase I need to hand sew something.  The crayon and colored pencil boxes from Michaels sure come in handy!  AND the best part is nothing will go flying everywhere. 

Who ever heard of a sewing box without a scissors??  I do have razor blades and a seam ripper!  I am sure I can find a scissors someplace for it.

We had a quiet day Friday, most everything is put away from the move.  I did a bunch of laundry and cleaned the bathroom.  We had salmon/pork burger no bun, baked potato, salad and raspberries for supper. 

Far Guy is maybe(knocks on wood)...maybe a tiny bit better. 

Far Side

New Ornaments

 We received a few ornaments in the mail.   We opened them Christmas Morning.  

GOD BLESS THE USA 

Our friend Sue from Indiana sent these ornaments...she works with vinyl stencils. 

She also sent this little donkey.  Thanks Sue! 

 The Legend of the Donkey

God used a little donkey to carry Mary to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born.  Many years later a donkey would carry Jesus to Jerusalem, where He would die upon the cross.  God marked the donkey's back with a cross.  It is a reminder of God's Son Jesus, who was born and died for all.

This year our ornaments were hung on the fireplace mantle where our children and grands stockings usually hang. We were just not feeling like putting up a tree...maybe next year.

 I did take the Santas down from the wreath by the door.  Time to redecorate it with snowmen.

I have not made a list of things I want to accomplish...yet.

Far Side

The Day After

We drove around a bit and admired the frosty trees. 

We recycled...it was a fairly warm day so it was a great day to catch up with that chore...we had a number of cardboard boxes that Christmas gifts were in. 

Far Guy gave me a pair of Navy Blue snow boots... Bear Paws they are the best warm boots I have found...and some Cashmere yarn is on the way.  I gave him a repair manual for his new old car and a seat cover to cover the front seat...as all the upholstery is original and he wants to protect it....and also a garden bench that he can use to sit or kneel when working on his new old car. 

I shoveled a bit by one of the garages and my baby brother, his bride, their daughter, son in law and three grands along with Baxter came for a visit out on the patio.  The hiked over, they said that a number of deer were out playing behind our house.  Baxter Fluffball is a pretty smart little pup, he comes at a run when called and he knows sit and they are working on down.

We began puzzling.  Jen and Andy gifted us the same puzzle so we join them via Facetime to puzzle together...right now they are ahead of us! 

Far Side

All Boxed Up

The last of the gifts have been boxed up.  These are special “from the heart” gifts to be revealed at a later date.

 

I made one last trip to the Post Office…the guy that works there looked at me and sighed as I dumped more packages on his counter.   There was a long line...it was longer when I left.

I have made the list and checked it twice.  Everything will be checked off by the end of the weekend…I hope.  I have gifts to deliver and last minute errands to run.

 

Gift Bags

I like gift bags, they can be reused.  I remember when all the gift wrap was saved from one year to the next and it was flattened and ironed.

 

These bags contained Chokecherry Jelly, Christmas Ornaments, a tin of Turtles and a Christmas card…for my parents and my brothers….homemade Christmas Gifts the very best kind.  My sister lives far far away…but I sent her an ornament and some scrubbies!

 

More Good Gift Picker Outers

It is cold outside and snowy, so I am content to stay indoors and read and putz.  I wander around putting away Christmas decorations..read..computer..read again..cook..read some more.. scan old photos..read some more..ahh this is January in Minnesota.  I have not seen another soul since last Friday…well other than Far Guy and Chance. I could have stayed in my jammies for the past four days.

I have lots of new material to read.  Daughter Trica is also a good picker outer of gifts that I have to read.  Books are perfect gifts for me!

Almost as good as taking a class..better if you are a slow learner like me.

Later in the spring I am taking a class by the fellow that wrote this book.  Far Guy will cut me out some blanks when the weather warms up. There are patterns for blanks and step by step instructions for whittling these cute little guys!

Far Guy was a great gift picker outer this year! *** I have to beg for his forgiveness.  Yesterday..I said he was not a good gift picker outer.. when he was such a good picker outer this year.  I am indeed blessed with many great shoppers in my family.

( Waving kisses to Far Guy so he forgives me and goes back to cooking.)

I am not quite sure how or what all this Kindle Fire does yet..but I can read..play Angry Birds and Sudoku and stay entertained for a really long time.

I need to buy a case..it is portable..so I can take it with me where ever I go.  I can read it even if the lights go out. I am not real great at their tiny on screen keyboard yet..I seem to have fat fingers.  I tried a pencil..it didn’t work. I wish it had come with a manual..there is an online one..I guess I should print it out.

I am cheap so I just downloaded some free books to read. 

For now it can just keep on snowing..it is warm inside and I have enough gadgets and books and projects to keep me busy for months:)

Good Gift Picker Outer

It must be a real pain in the butt to buy perfect gifts for everyone.

I do not say that as the gift giver..but as the gift receiver.

Our daughter Jen must lay awake at night thinking of cool gifts.

For our 42nd Anniversary we got keys..with all the addresses of the places we have lived over the years.  Thirteen keys will now adorn our Christmas tree every year.

Every time we play cards we play with two very old decks that the neighbors gave us.  They are getting really old..even the automatic card shuffler doesn’t want to shuffle them.

These may be too good to use.

Jen took Chances photo when she dog sat him for us when we went to Canada.  “The Fives” photo was taken a year ago, so both are photos by Jen.

Usually I buy myself at least one new ornament for the downstairs tree..I didn’t this year. Jen remembered.

A beautiful Waterford ornament will grace our tree.  I wrote her name on the ribbon too..so I will never forget.

One year I forgot  momentarily that she had given me a bunny ornament.  Luckily I blogged about it and she set me straight.

She is a really good gift picker outer.. and I am positive that she didn’t get that ability from me..come to think of it she didn’t get it from her father either…she must have been gifted with a supreme picker outer ability at birth:)

Gifts for Teens and Tweens

I do not begin to understand all the IPod..Xbox..DS3D..Justin Bieber world that surrounds “The Five.”

Shopping for appropriate Christmas Gifts was a challenge. I am out of “the loop.”

Some packages were wrapped in Justin Bieber paper..with admonishments to unwrap carefully.  There was Justin Bieber Perfume ( yuk), blankets, posters and t shirts.  I hope someone responsible is taking care of the JB Fortune.  I don’t see the attraction..even after watching the movie..then again I have never swooned or screamed after any singer in my lifetime.  I did feel a bit like screaming one time at one of The Unbelievable Uglies dances back in 1968 but only because one of Far Guys former girlfriends was there.

I was totally in the dark about the one piece animal cap/scarf/mittens that the girls absolutely loved. 

Miss Paige’s was supposed to be a Husky.

Maddie’s  was supposed to be a wolf.   I really couldn’t tell much difference..the wolf may have been a little darker than the Husky.

This was a gift that I won in a giveaway just before Christmas.  It was a perfect gift for Maddie..and she loved it!   Thanks to Susan at City Gal Moves To Oz Land and to Michelle at Rockin Heart Jewelry. Maddie loves all things horses or hockey.

Maddie is our UND Fighting Sioux gal..she got a jacket, t-shirt, pants and a necklace.  She is not as wild and crazy about JB as her sisters. ( Perhaps someday she will be on the Women’s Hockey Team.)

Now a compound bow..that is a wonderful Christmas gift!  One that needed no explanation..I knew what it was and how it is used.

Noah  was very excited…he will need some place to practice.  I think I will shop for a bow..I have always wanted one..we can put a practice shooting lane someplace here in the woods.  It will be a good activity  to share with both of the boys.  Of course the girls could give it a try too:)

The Best Gift Giver Ever

My youngest daughter is a shopper..she obviously got this ability from someone else..perhaps from her Aunt Jan..she is a shopper. My Mother is a shopper too.. I do like to shop just not where everyone else does..I can spend hours in an antique shop, and I love the thrift stores and garage sales.

Jen always strives from one year to the next to out do herself..she is an overachiever. She also likes to see me bawl..then she knows that she did great. I think she starts plotting and planning immediately after Christmas how she is going to be the best gift giver picker outer the next Christmas. She is also sneaky. A few months ago..she sat at my computer and said "Mom, I need some photos to make cards, can I have some of yours? " Sure, I said..it was for a fundraiser at the school... little did I know that she was going to take one of my favorite photographs..and have something made for me.

I took a series of photographs one beautiful summer evening. Far Guy and I took Chance for a walk down at the lake. Chance was on lead.

No one was around so we took him off lead..he is usually well behaved off lead..he played in the water awhile and then he began to pose for me. The light was fading fast..it was one of those moments that I was glad that I wear crocs in the summer as the dog and I were both in the water. Some of the photos turned out just smashing! He loves to pose..and he is getting pretty good at it too! Some days he is really on!

I captured his reflection perfectly. I was so pleased.

Chance must be famous now... his photo became a flag! Jen wins the best gift giver award once again...I tried not to cry when I opened it..but I immediately recognized the colors and those ears... forever on a flag. You woulda cried too if it happened to you! :)