Christmas Cards, Letters and Photos

Chance and Far Guy love their trips to the mail box during December. 

Since we send 120 Christmas Cards.  We get many in return.

I did find one of my Christmas Cards…tucked away in a box of cards that I sometimes take to carving when my hand is not up to working with a knife.

2017 Christmas Card inside it said “Christmas comes anew each year to draw people in from the cold.”

The sled/birds design was a stamp, stamped on water color paper and embellished with markers and glitter then it was framed with a border of red (other colors were used too) and then mounted on the white snowflake embossed paper ( which I also embellished with some kind of glitter!)

Yesterday I read through all the Christmas Cards and letters again.  Then they were either tucked away in a folder or recycled.

 

Photo Christmas Cards were looked at again and placed in a folder for a someday look back down memory lane.

Some letters were kept.  The letters are bittersweet; they told of struggles with cancer, deaths, births, lonliness after being widowed, and the usual what Far Guy calls “Brag” letters…we vacationed here and there and everywhere. Two letters in particular touched us this year…Jamie with her sense of humor and Bob and Sheila…  well I guess really only Bob writing about an old print of Rural 1950’s Farm life and never giving up on our dreams. Bob is a retired Pastor and he and Sheila are the other set of Grandparents to Noah and Adam.

Some cards had notes inside and some were on the front…like this one…from Sharon, her husband Gary was Far Guy’s best friend who died way too soon back in 1993.

The card count this year:

46 Christmas Cards

24 Christmas Photo Cards

22 Christmas Letters

Lots of good reading!

Ongoing Project:  Last year I organized all the Christmas letters and photos and put them in page protectors in three ring binders.  This year is was real easy to get out the binders and slip letters and photos where they belong.

Latest Woodcarving

Far Guy has been working on a woodcarving since last summer.  When he told me what he wanted to carve…I thought oh my is it possible?  He put it aside to help with the 100 fish for the Christmas ornaments.

Each petal is carved individually and then anchored into the stem. (Itty bitty holes are drilled, the petal end is sharpened and fit into the tiny holes and glued in place.) 

The base is a piece of mesquite that came from our friend Norm’s stash.  No doubt he picked it up in Arizona. 

Saturday Far Guy asked…”What is your plan for the day?” I replied dishes, laundry and then I will find a photo of your Aster to see about the color you want it….he smiled. As I was blending the colors to get it just perfect..he hovered like an expectant father.

He has little holes on his carving station that holds many of his small projects.  He helped me paint the stems and leaves and after I finished the flower parts he sealed the whole work of art.

It is just perfect.   A one of a kind…I am not sure he will ever design and carve another one like it.

Cold

Still cold.  It might warm up a bit on Sunday afternoon.

Chance is real bored, he wants to go for his ride…I cannot blame him.  He hasn’t been for a ride since Wednesday. 

I put away downstairs Christmas except for the Nativity set…I wasn’t ready to put that away yet.  The Christmas totes were gone through…we have a few Christmas decorations that belonged to Far Guy’s Mom…they found their way into a pretty box with a note explaining them.  So I explored the Christmas Totes….vacuumed their area and put them back. Dusted too if that counts.   A bunch of odd ball stuff was piled up to mark for a rummage sale.

The Shiny Brite tree is still up, I am not ready to put that away yet either.

Far Guy worked on his latest flower carving and it is awesome.  I will photograph it soon…before and after painting.

Chance slept…chased his treat ball around, pestered someone to play ball (I did) and he tried to lead us to his treat drawer many times…his restricted diet must be boring for him.    When I was cooking supper he was a pain…underfoot and insistant that he was hungry “NOW.”

I hope to make some more of these funky bead creations over the winter.  This one still looks good but it has faded a bit.  I bought some heavier copper wire which might work better.

Hope you all are staying warm. It was turdy below zero here.

Sundogs

There were sundogs yesterday. They usually show up when it is really cold.  It turned cold…our high for the next couple of days will be a minus high.   I hate those days. The least it could do is be above zero.   I use my old point and shoot camera on really cold days.  There were sundogs on both sides of the sun.


We got very little snow out of Winter Storm Hunter …maybe two inches of snow.

The front yard is sparkling white again. There are seven inches of snow at the snowstick.
I have been working on some all ocassion cards…watercolor…doing a bit of exploration into a few different techniques…in other words …playing.  I am not quite sure where the time goes but it seems to go by faster and faster everyday.
We will be staying home for the next few days…the windchills will be horrid.  I ventured out last night to take my Dad to Bingo…we each bingoed twice so we can go back again next week.  It was –20F or  -28C eh!  when I got home safely.

Visitors

I took down the December flag and put up the Cardinal.

We might get a winter storm…who really knows for sure. Winter storm Hunter.   Far Guy had a Doctor’s appointment in Fargo yesterday…the roads were all great and we stopped only one other place…Menards to get a new handle for the screen door…it was installed with a minimal amount of cussing.

 

The yard January 10th.  It was a warm day and the temperature was about 36 F  ABOVE zero…I knew it would not last….we are headed back into the deep freeze…but the mild temperatures for a few days were a real treat.

We have visitors every night right around dark.

They like to get seeds under the Thistle feeders, Far Guy put out some carrots for them and some corn… I watch them through the window every evening as I make supper.

Wistful Wednesday: Grandboys

This is the Christmas card our daughterJen sent out this year.

The photo on the left was taken one summer afternoon when Adam and Noah were playing in the yard when they lived in Mapleton North Dakota.  The photo on the right was taken in November…that is Adam’s car.

It seems like only yesterday that they were little boys.  This card makes me smile.

Twinkling Like Stars

I finally got some time to play with a new set of pens from Jen and Andy.  I was waiting to get my desk cleared off to start this project!

They are glitter pens…Copic Spica Glitter Pens that are Twinkling Like Stars!

 

I stamped some snowmen cards and played away.  I love the bright colors that sparkle.

In fact I got a little carried away with my stamping…so my work box is full again.  I cut up a bunch of heavy watercolor paper and stamped away!  Yes… I have a small box of other glittery “stuff”  you can never have too much glitter.

We had a beautiful day here in Minnesota yesterday it was 29F…it felt awsome and warm!!  It gave us hope that winter will end someday.

Disclaimer: I have not been paid for or accepted any Copic markers in exchange for this review…but if they want to send me some to try out I would welcome them!

Don’t touch anything

The TV in the living room croaked.  It had sound but no picture. We measured and made a trip to town and bought a new one.  The old one went to the garage, it might be just one small part that can be replaced when it is warmer and then we will have a spare TV.  Repairmen charge one arm and two legs to repair anything nowadays.   The service call for repair would have been almost as much as a new TV.

My other baby brother and I have been trying to go to Bingo one night a week with our Dad.  Dad enjoys Bingo very much and it is good for him to get out.  For years my Dad had a friend named Darrell who was blind and had special Bingo cards…Dad would pick him up every week to go to bingo.   Dad would see that he got back into his home safely after bingo. Now we are trying to do the same for our Dad.

I came home from bingo last week and it is my custom to walk Chance since I have my parka on.   The walk went fine, Chance did his duty and then when I went to open the screen/storm door the door handle broke…it was only –19F that night….it had endured colder weather.   I jiggled and pulled, jiggled and pushed…it was really broken.  Luckily Far Guy heard the jiggling and came to our rescue…but once we shut the storm door again we were now locked inside.  Far Guy got out a screwdriver and took off the latch so at least we could exit the house if need be.  We need a new door handle or a whole new screen/storm door…whatever.

Far Guy said “What ever you do don’t touch me.”   It is our experience that things break in threes and we wonder what/who is next?

Flowers last summer at my cousin Chuckies home.

Ongoing Projects

Every day or two I pick a project to FINISH.  My desk is cleared off now…so more projects will accumulate there.

Can you guess what this is?

I designed this pattern last year.  No it is not a winter bikini top for a skinny minnie with no boobs.   I used a heavy chenille yarn that is very soft. 

The sleigh bell Christmas ornament project is completed.  Well ahead of the 2018 Christmas deadline. I hope I don’t forget about them.

I contacted a “bell expert”  who said that these bells on a brass stand were most likely used on a dinner table and maybe the guests used them to ring in the new year.  Since I wasn’t planning any such dinner in the future the bells were taken apart.

There was a screw that held the base onto the bell.  Far Guy removed all the bases and ribbons were attached at the point where the screw attached and then the screw was replaced holding the ribbon firmly in place…it worked perfectly…the extra brass “stands” are now in the button jar along with one small bell without a dinger.   It was a fun project but I am glad it is done.

Still guessing what I crocheted?

No… not a bank robbers mask.  It is a face mask that people with breathing problems can use in the winter…the yarn is heavy enough to keep out the cold and the way it is designed air can be warmed up before you breathe it in.  This one serves a dual purpose as it is soft enough that Far Guy can wear it next to the right side of his face where his Trigeminal Neuralgia resides.  When he puts his parka on you only see his eyes.

We have a fellow at woodcarving that complained about breathing in the cold air…so I made him a mask also.

We struggled for years to find something that worked for Far Guy…we have a whole collection of face masks…that were either too tight, too loose, too cold…this one is just right.   One skein of bulky chenille yarn from wallyworld makes two facemasks. 

Ongoing Project: Sleigh Bells

Christmas gift from long ago…probably about 5 years.

 

It was a bunch of sleigh bells from Jen, Andy and the boys.   I put the bells in this wooden container and put them up on a shelf in the kitchen…twice a year when I would clean off that shelf I would think…I need to clean up those bells.

I started this project before Christmas.  I soaked them for a few days and then polished them…and polished…and polished.

Most of them still need their throats cleaned…but I could not stand the suspense of what one might look like? They were laying out on the counter drying.

Pretty…this one is a B/C bell ( Must be the place it was on the harness)

I am not sure how I will use these four bells…They are attached to the base with a screw.  Historically I can find no reference to bells mounted in this fashion.  So they are mystery bells.   They are all #3  petal bells. The creative part of my brain has a few ideas how to use them as Christmas ornaments….but I am not sure how they will look. 

For now, I will finish the cleaning…attach ribbons and put name tags on them and put them in a Christmas Tin to be opened before Christmas next year.

It was turdy below that old zero mark on the trusty old thermometer yesterday morning. 

Puzzle and sunset

The last twenty pieces were pure torture.  We figured we would be short a piece or two but they were all there.  We are glad it is over.

 

Now I can do something else.  Not sure what yet.

 

Sun setting Jan 4 2018  we still have six inches of snow at the snowstick and it remains bone chilling cold here.   Too cold to snow.

Wednesday evening as I was fixing supper I noticed movement out at the bird feeders…two bunny rabbits were cleaning up bird seed.  I knew we had one from the trail cam, so I was glad to see there were two…they will probably be fox food before long…or coyote ...or wolf.

What was for supper…I made baked salmon…Far Guy made green beans with bacon …and we had pineapple and raspberries too.  Something bright and tasty in the dead of winter.  I need to explore some new recipes.   The salmon was perfect…just baked with some sea salt and ground black pepper…coved in aluminum foil. Hard to improve on perfect.

Puzzling

Christmas Eve a puzzle went on my desk.  Jen and Andy worked really hard at it…the boys even helped find a few pieces. It is still there, we wander by and put in a few pieces here and there.  It is a very difficult puzzle.  I have been tempted to throw in the box.  I would like my desk back to normal.

December 31

January 3

Almost done. It is a very pretty puzzle but a challenge…it has funky shaped pieces…and some seem as it they go in a little wonky.  It is a time burner …  Oh well it is too cold to do much else.

Wistful Wednesday: Crazy Project

I have one project that has been on my “mental list” for a number of years.   A long time ago, my friend Susan gave me a milk can that was painted to match my then blue kitchen.  What ever do you store in a milk can?

G’Day Mate, Captain, Miss Misty and Moses

We had four Sheltland Sheepdogs “Shelties”  I did all my own grooming, they got bathed in the bathtub and dried with a blow dryer…and brushed, and brushed some more the girls would help…I would wash and they would dry and brush.   One day I started collecting the fur….it ended up in the milk can.  Years later I can still smell freshly washed Shelties in that old milk can.  That fur has been waiting. 
I talked with a friend Bruce…we will card that fur soon and mix it with some roving to prepare it for spinning. 
So what was the one thing I asked for as a Christmas Gift?  Roving from Punkin’s Patch…I requested Maisie and Daniel…and got some Henri too.  Far Guy took care of all the details!

Maisie ( white with a touch of meaness), Henri ( beautiful softer grey/brown) and Daniel the (soft warm cream color)

My old spinning wheel may see some action yet.  We know it works.

I am certain that whatever I spin will not be perfect yarn…and thats okay with me…I hope to eventually make a lap robe.

Last spring a very kind neighbor brought me her dogs coat…Kodi sheds all at once…she is an Akita. I still have that fur too upstairs in an old pillowcase.

I have all the raw materials…and I look forward to a carding lesson from Bruce in the next month or two.

Downstairs Tree

We took down the downstairs tree, of course I need to go through all those Christmas totes before they are stacked away properly in their corner.

Chance was greatly relieved that the living room is back to his “normal.”  The tree really bothered him.   He hates change.

Chance got a special ornament from Miney and Little Elvis.  It is a beautiful addition to our tree.   It says Merry Christmas Chance!  Love Miney and Little Elvis.  ( It made me cry.)

Our good friend Sue from Indiana sent another beautiful ornament to me this year! I have a big popcorn tin full of Sue and Joe ornaments!  I treasure them.

The blue lights have made it another year.   It is always a little sad when the last ornament is put back in its proper place. 

Now the tree is just a memory.  As Far Guy said “In 340 days we will get it out again.”

The upstairs Shiny Brite tree will remain up for awhile…Chance doesn’t go upstairs anymore so he is not bothered by it.

Brutally cold up here, it will warm up this week but the wind will blow making it seem colder than it is.  Oh well spring is only 5 months away.

Happy 2018

I am not sure what the New Year will bring. ( My crystal ball is all foggy) I have finally decided on my one word intention for 2018.

I thought about lots of different words…none seemed just right.  Persue…persist…get on with it (that was three words)…

I kept coming back to one word…last year my word was ongoing…as I had many ongoing projects.  WELL I still have some of those projects and will probably add to them sometime soon….make a list and check it thrice…

My word for 2018 is EXPLORE.  That may seem adventurous to you…in my world not so much.

I need to explore all the nooks and crannies in this house and clean them out…get rid of what we don’t need.  We have way too much stuff for two people…the 19 years we have lived in this house we have just kept accumulating “stuff”.

I want to explore several new hobbies…learn something new.   I know I don’t need more hobbies…but I have one project I really want to accomplish….it has been 31 years in the making…more on that some other day.

I want to explore a few different places in Minnesota…nothing too far away.

I want to explore more family history.  I want to see the church my Great Grandfather helped to build in Annandale Minnesota.  I want to photograph my Great Great Grandmothers/Grandfathers Graves…I want to search for their obituaries.

I want to explore more area cemeteries and continue volunteer work with Find A Grave.

I need to explore more settings on my camera.  I need to make more time for that golden hour in the morning and just before sunset to take more photos.

I need to explore a few more antique shops…for Forgotten Photos…I have no shortage at the moment but some day I might…this may seem counter productive…but it is a passion of mine that I am not willing to give up at the moment.

With all that exploring…I might need to explore my eyelids every afternoon to make sure they have no holes in them.

What would be your one word intention for 2018?  Do you have one?

Here is a greeting from 1912.

Happy New Year!