RINGING IN 2009!!!

I don't have any pictures to share this time. Sorry about that. I've been busy cooking and making munchies for a New Year's Eve celebration. Nothing fancy. Cocktail sausages, queso, Texas Caviar (blackeyed pea dip/salad), hot chicken dip, Jalapeno Cheese Log, and the obligatory bubbly.

Later in the evening we plan to take the light rail train to downtown Dallas for fireworks at midnight. That will be the extent of the celebration. Like I said... nothing fancy. Might watch Wall-E before its time to get to the train station.

A new online quilting mystery started today. I intend to follow along with the steps. I need a diversion.

Until the next post... or 2009 ... whichever comes first........

A GOOD CHRISTMAS

Some pictures from our Christmas Celebration. I was setting the table for the Christmas Eve Dinner. We had Prime Rib Roast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus, and rolls for the main course. We finished with a refreshing scoop of mint ice cream for dessert.

It looks like Santa has already been here!! However, we don't open gifts until Christmas morning.

I never did figure out how to upload a video. I tried... really I did. All I managed to do was download a virus after visiting the video upload site. So here is one last picture of all the lights simultaneously.

Janelle made this very clever and cute gift for Ross. She made a small square box look like a closet with shirts hanging on miniature hangers. The shirts are actually paper money folded in such a way as to look like a shirt and hang on the cute hangers and rod. She really is talented in graphics and creative, artistic feats (like scrapbooking).

Harry gave Eeyore to me. He always teases that I am an Eeyore when I am in a grumpy mood. I've tried to explain to him that being an Eeyore is a GOOD thing and that he is misunderstanding what Eeyore is all about. Just look at that smile!! He has a heart as big as he is and would give away his last possession to a friend in need.

I also was the recipient of this wonderful tripod for my camera. Now I can really practice with the camera in a major way. Thank you, Harry!!!

It was a wonderful Christmas. I hope everyone experienced the same with their loved ones.

Today I started the final work to finish my quilt. I trimmed the edges so I can begin binding it. Now I just need to decide what fabric to use for binding!!

Until I have more to share....

OOPS.... I forgot....

My quilt is "home" from the quilters!!! I've not really unfolded it yet because my hands have been covered with cookie dough all day and because I don't have time to get it bound before Christmas. The little I've seen is exquisite. Perhaps I will make doing the binding my Christmas Day project so that I always remember it was Christmas 2008.

Until later....

MERE HOURS AWAY....

It's been a busy day of Christmas preparations as no doubt it is in all Christian homes with but a few hours remaining until the celebration of the Lord's birth and the arrival of Santa Claus. (Trying to be politically correct here and covering all the bases of those who celebrate Christmas, with or without the religious meaning). My household is no exception. Today was cookie baking day. Ross and Janelle helped with the making.... and starting tomorrow they get first chance at the eating!

The older I get the more I feel the need to simplify and down-size the preparations. I used to have a HUGE tree that reached the ceiling. Now I use a couple smaller trees rather than the one large tree. They sit on tabletops which allows me to decorate them in themes. One tree is adorned with nothing but snowmen and snowman-themed ornaments. The criteria is that the snowman has to make me smile. In other words, no ugly snowmen!!! I lean toward primitive and rustic rather than glitzy and shiny. The only exception to the "all snowmen" rule is the string of bubble lights. This picture is dark, but I was experimenting with the natural light given off by the tree.


The other tree I have is what I call my International Tree. It features ornaments from around the world. Most of the ornaments were given to me after various family members and friends traveled abroad. Several came from a friend who works for the federal government and she is responsible for the White House ornaments which are always beautiful. We have several, but I am only showing one or two here. Each year it is different.

Ornaments here are from Greece, Ireland, and Hungary.


More from Hungary.


This lovely lady is from Spain.


And this Lovely Lady.... came from my government friend when she worked in New York City. She lived there during the 911 attack and I prayed very hard for her safety.

The Santa is from Russia.


The Snowman is also from Russia and is actually a set of nesting Snowmen..... the tiniest and last item in the "nest" is a Christmas tree. (I should have taken it apart before I took the photograph).


More lovely ladies..... The large angel with the halo is, of course, the Jim Shore angel Harry gave to me for my 53rd birthday. The other angel is one my parents gave me when I was in the hospital recuperating from surgery.

The International Tree has many more entries, but I'd use up my quota for photos if I showed them all. There are ornaments from Italy, Finland, Alaska, Germany, Portugal, Columbia, Netherlands, Egypt, Korea, Africa, and India... plus a few I've likely overlooked.... like from islands in the Mediterranean.

Time for me to get back to work. Merry Christmas to everyone.....

Until another time........

ONLY DAYS AWAY...

It is only a few days until Christmas. How did it get here so quickly? That is a bit on the rhetorical side if not out and out redundant! Everyone is busy with last minute preparations... and some of us are just now making initial preparations.

Gifts are all purchased; nothing is wrapped. Menu is planned; groceries are not acquired. Well, that's not entirely true. I went to the meat market yesterday to buy the roast. The trimmings are not yet in house.

The quilt I'd sent out to get quilted is on its way back to me. I cannot wait to see it.

In the meantime, a few pictures to share the season and doings around here:

This is a picture of a Christmas Pyramid. Although this one isn't mine, it reminds me of my childhood. We had a small pyramid; I've no idea what became of it. These are traditional German Christmas decorations and if you want to read more about the origin of these delightful inventions, click on this link: Christmas Pyramid.


Another nostalgic item from my childhood seems to be bubble ornaments. I have no idea why they make me smile and put a feeling of peace and happiness inside me. I can only attribute it to the fact I must have had some on the Christmas trees in my past.

Here's a great picture! The other day Ross and I were helping Harry and Janelle do the outside decorations at their house. It was a very warm day; nearly 80 degrees. While we took a break to eat a sandwich and drink a bottle of water I captured this woodpecker in the silver maple tree. I am a firm believer that the best photographs happen by accident. Imagine my surprise when I enlarged this one and discovered this fellow had a tasty bug dinner in his beak!

Until I find more time... or have more photos....

A BLOCK.... AND THEN A BRAG

Here is the latest Block-of-the-Month for the Designer Mystery being offered through The Fat Quarter Shop. This was block seven.


Now a brag.... This was the weekend of the high school musical. The students have been practicing and working on this annual event since school started in August. Their efforts paid off handsomely in this production. Ross has always been involved in the drama and theater departments at school since he was in middle school. When he was in 6th grade he made his acting debut in a production of Macbeth. In seventh and eighth grade he discovered the world of technical theater and set out to learn all he could about lights, sound, taping, and editing. He used to always tell me that someday he was going to work in Hollywood on the movies. I always added that I would definitely like to be in the audience the night he accepted his first Oscar for his work. We'd laugh and he'd tell me he'd pay my way to get there for the event.

Once in high school, his passion for technical theater continued to blossom and grow even stronger. His intention is to study technical theater in college with a double major, including one in electrical or computer engineering. He has been accepted at all the colleges in which he has an interest in attending and now has to narrow it down to the best one.

I was mildly surprised when his senior year started and he added yet another "passion" to his schedule. Not only was he in technical theater, he was now in the show choir as well. He wanted to perform!!! I had assumed he had given up the "acting bug". Last night was his "re-debut" in a role.... it involved, acting, singing, and dancing. He has passed the baton of running the sound and lighting equipment to his successor and is having a ball exploring this aspect of theater again. And the odd thing is, he didn't start slowly and just do group scenes or be part of the ensemble cast. No, not Ross. He jumped right in feet first with a prominent role. What a cool kid he is!!!

The musical was called Road Trip and involved a family taking a vacation by driving across the country, visiting different locales. Ross played the part of Uncle Bob.

Here Ross is performing one of the dancing numbers. He is the one on his knees in the light colored suit.

This is Ross as a cowboy.

Meanwhile, back at the diner......

On the sunny beaches of California..... (Ross is in the white sleeveless t-shirt)

At Disneyland.... Ross and Woody singing a duet from Toy Story.

Narrating at the end of the play.....

The finale.....

This reminded me of the countless times I'd seen him on the stage at pep rallies as he did his cheerleader "thing".... He is introducing the cast members as they take final bows.

And as the musical ended, I suddenly felt very old. Not only had I once attended this same school and been in musicals on the very same stage, but I could see these kids were no longer kids. They were young people on the verge of adulthood. They were preparing to take on new roles. I could picture them as college students or workers in our society. In some ways I felt as though I was passing a baton of my own.... to the next generation!

Oh well..... and then Ross let me know that next week he was going to be staying late at school even though the musical was over. Next week starts tryouts and rehearsal for the UIL One-Act Play competition.... and yes, Ross is again trying out for an acting role rather than a behind-the-scenes techie. How I envy his energy, his passion, his future....but at the same time it is fun to watch rather than participate! Been there, done that!

Until another day....

LOST IN THOUGHT

Here are the latest batik sampler blocks pieced over the past few days. When I find myself in a contemplative mood I sew. Lately I can do little more than think about things going on in my life. I should be out Christmas shopping but I do not have the finances for that. So I draw inward and think of the love in my heart for those around me and that is as far as I get. Back to the blocks.... don't be too critical of the missing points. I am steadily improving toward regaining my former accuracy and that is all that matters to me. By no means am I a perfectionist when it comes to making blocks. Even the color variances give a clue to the randomness of my thoughts... the colors are all over the place!

Until I have more to add...

A SATURDAY ADVENTURE

I got up this morning and decided to go on an adventure. There had been one planned with Harry, but at the last minute he "rewrote" the agenda so I ventured on my own just to get some exercise and to keep from feeling sorry for myself because I wasn't doing the previously planned activity.

I headed to the nearest light rail (DART) station and boarded the train for Downtown Dallas. It was the morning of the Nieman-Marcus Adolphus Hotel Children's Christmas Parade. I knew it would be crowded but I figured it would be a good opportunity to play with the camera.

It was even more crowded than anticipated. A person could barely move along the sidewalks even if trying to simply pass behind the crowd. People were standing 25-30 deep, making all the sidewalks impassible. Secondly, as much as I love babies, and adored being a mom to small ones, I can't stand to be in a crowd with a multitude of strollers. Don't get me started!!! I particularly hate the kind that seat multiple children in which the kiddies sit next to each other facing forward. They are practically as wide as a compact car and the "drivers of said vehicles" don't use much common sense when it comes to commandeering these contraptions in a tight area.

The end result was I hung back away from the street, didn't see much, if any, of the parade, and just started capturing images as they struck my eye. Here is Reunion Tower. It is a restaurant and observation deck. The restaurant revolves 360 degrees in about one hour. Particularly enjoyable on a clear day! The last time I was in the tower my great aunt Marie was visiting from Washington D.C. She has been deceased for ages, so it was easily 30 years ago.


This mural on the side of a building was intriguing. Why exactly, I don't know... but I snapped a picture of it anyway. The parking lot of the building was adjacent to one of the local TV stations, so I don't know of any particular significance to the theme of the mural.

Here is the DART train pulling into one of the stations. I believe this was the Akard Station.

The CityPlace Station boasts some massive escalators. I got off at this station just to ride the escalators and take a photo. Silly, huh?

This is autumn in the big city. Small trees lining the avenue MIGHT turn a hue resembling fall. Sometimes they won't. This is on the street level of the CityPlace Station (which is underground and in a tunnel). In the foreground is the Streetcar Stop for boarding the old-fashioned replica streetcar available to take persons through West Village.... an area of lofts, condos, shops, and restaurants along McKinney Avenue.

And the photos below are about as Natural Autumn as you are going to get. The brush turns bright colors some years. This was in a field adjacent to the DART tracks at the station where I parked my vehicle.

My favorite. I can almost picture this as a jigsaw puzzle.

I have done no sewing. I did concoct a turkey casserole for supper. Patrick stopped by to see me again. Ross still isn't home from all-day rehearsal for the school musical (which is this coming week).

Until the urge to post strikes again.....

FIREWORKS!!!

Tonight was the annual Tree Lighting in the nearest adjacent suburb. It is always very festive and includes fireworks and a visit from Santa. The temperature is very chilly, making the hot cocoa and cookies taste extra good!

Since the intention this evening was to experiment with taking pictures of bright objects against a dark background I started with the spectacular sight of the crescent moon and planets Jupiter and Venus in the southwestern sky.

The fireworks began shortly thereafter. I was thrilled to get such colorful shots my first try. This photography thing is very gratifying!

And the star of the show.............

Until I take some more pictures....