snippets...

 Hi there.  

Hope you are all well on this day before Christmas Eve.  Today is our family Christmas day.  We are having our traditional meal this afternoon.  We'll exchange gifts, then watch the Steelers take on the Saints in football.  Here is to hoping for a Steelers win!  :-)

I'm all done and ready to relax for several days.  Other than helping mum with the meal prep in a little bit, I've nothing calling at me to get done.  All the presents are wrapped and under the tree.  The treats have been made, packaged and given out.  

The photos above are little snippets of what I've been doing with my time.  We had our first snow two weeks ago and it was a doozy.  We so rarely get deep/long lasting snowfall here in the south.  This was such a treat!  I went for many walks and even played around in the back yard.  It wasn't the right kind of snow for snowman making, but if it had been I'd have made several.  I'm really hoping this is a sign of more to come this winter.  :-)

I did minimal decorating.  Just the tree and a little snowbabies scene on top of the sewing cabinet at my front door.  I really wasn't feeling like decorating and even considered taking down the tree before I had it decorated.  But...it's so pretty.  

Lots of little snippets of time spent was in my studio, playing around in my art journal and working on a secret Yule/Christmas gift.  Several late night/early morning times, when insomnia kicks in, experimenting with ink, starting a new piece with a collaged background and/or watching art videos on youtube. 

Last week was baking time.  I started giving food treats as gifts several years ago and it was a hit.  It seems to get bigger each year.  I should have taken better/more pictures of what I made.  This years box contains chocolate covered peanut butter crackers, homemade fruit cake, ginger snaps, peanut butter balls and chocolate caramel layer bites.  I gave out twelve boxes this year.  Whew...!

I had a nice quiet Yule. And despite my lack of enjoyment for this time of the year, it hasn't been too bad.

Well, it's about time for me to head to mum's to help out.  I also have to take the gifts over and that will require a few trips.  

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, whatever you celebrate. 

What holiday do you celebrate? Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah?  Something else?  Do you have any big traditions?

Thanks for stopping by for a read... 
love & blessings
~*~

December...

 (twinkle light reflections on the black marble surround of the fireplace)

(twinkle lights reflecting on my scratched, dirty readers - plus the reflection of the lamp has some pretty cool shapes to it)

December is here...  

Most people probably think of December in reds and greens and bright glittery colors.  Me... I see it in greys, blues, and whites and of course twinkle lights.

I love a lot of things about this time of year.  Things like when the weather turns cold, the skies grow dark and daylight is very short.  I'm not sure why winter calls to me so.  I was a springtime baby and grew up in the south.  Still...winter has a special song it sings to me like no other season.  

I'll talk about what I don't like another time.

I've been glancing around, finding odd little things to photograph.  I'm hoping it will help me keep coming back here.   

Autumn has come down at my house.  Although I still have pumpkins through the house.  I think only one is a cook-able pumpkin (that will happen next week), all though, shouldn't they all be cook-able?  Oh well...

Santa flag is on the pole out front, my greenery winter wreath went on the door today and my Yule tree came out. (I'd mostly decided not to bother this year but...) It's up, but has yet to be decorated.  That's on tomorrow's list.

Tell me, are you ready for December?  Do you go all out with decorations or do you prefer a more subtle look?  Do you celebrate Yule or Christmas or is December just another month in the calendar for you?  I'd love to hear.

Thanks for stopping in for a read...
love & blessings
~*~

 

miscellany...

It's a twinkle and candle light, blanket, sweater, hot tea and knitting kind of night.  Really it's been that kind of day.  Yesterday morning my throat started burning and by 9 I was in bed coughing and struggling to breathe.  This morning, full on cold.  Ugh...

So it's been lots of hot tea with lemon, some Sambucol and even my mom's "remedy" teaspoon of sugar with Jack Daniels.  (That was what my pediatrician prescribed when I was a little girl and had the croup.  I had the croup a lot.)

Anywhoo...

Yesterday was supposed to be a finish cleaning the kitchen from turkey day meal, de-bone turkey and make stock for next year kind of day.  But I became distracted.  Very distracted.  

I ended up rearranging half of my studio space.  Every time I went in there to do something I'd start panicking and feeling supremely claustrophobic. (3rd photo from the top) So, I moved some stuff around. (next photo) I'm not sure how long this will last and I may end up moving everything in the room next time.

I had stuff everywhere.  I moved most of the supplies I keep on my table into the living room and put them on the hearth.  It was covered.  More stuff ended up in piles in the living room or the other half of the studio.  I'm still sorting and trying to organize, but I feel better when I walk in there now.

Many years ago, when I was still working, I collected plants and had a house full.  Even my office desk was more than half covered in plants.  After I had to leave work, I was so sick most all of them died from neglect.  I've been trying to renew my green thumb for a few years now.  Sometimes I do well, others...not so much.  But, I'm trying.  I added a cyclamen this week and bought an amaryllis.  I haven't potted the amaryllis yet, but plan to this week.  I have paper-whites from a kit I bought this time last year and never potted.  They are looking pretty good.  My Christmas cactus is blooming (the dark pink).  I've had that plant for maybe 6 or 7 years.  My flower friend at the local farmers market had some gorgeous cacti and I just had to have one. (the light pink flowers).  

So, that's basically it for today.  I know I'm rambling a bit.  I'm trying to get back into the habit of being here.  Hopefully I'll have some more entertaining and insightful commentary soon.  Ha ha ha!

What's your best way to treat a cold?  Did you grow up with an unconventional remedy?

I'm heading back to the knitting now.  My team has a late basketball game and I'm hoping to keep myself awake for it. :-)

thanks for stopping by for a read!
love & blessings
~*~

ps...I really appreciate your comments.  I'm trying to figure the best way to reply but I'm having some issues with it.  Please don't think I'm not reading them, I am and they mean the world to me.  xoxo

 

Comfort Food - a recipe...

Do you have a favorite comfort food?

One of mine is Hamburger Helper.  I used to live on that stuff.  In fact, I probably had it at least once a week for years.

I know.  Not a great idea, right?

Anywho, I came across a recipe for a chicken and noodles that looked good so I tried it.  It was okay, but very bland.  However, while I was making it I thought maybe I could convert it to hamburger.

I gave it a try and it was delicious!  Honestly I though it was much better than HH.  (This is like the beef pasta flavored version of HH).

So here is my Homemade Beef Pasta recipe.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I use ground sirloin)
1 TBLS minced garlic
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp seasoned salt (I use Crazy Jane's)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tsp beef boullion base (I use Better than Bouillon)
2 TBLS butter (cut into 4ths)
3 cups beef broth
4 oz egg noodles

In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, brown the ground beef along with the minced garlic. Drain fat (if necessary). 

 Sprinkle with the spices and top with cream of mushroom soup. Place the butter on top.  Add the bouillon the the broth.

Stir. Cover and cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes.

Add the noodles and cook another 10 minutes (or until noodles are tender). 

 Mmm.. yum. 

It's cold today and I'm wishing I had the ingredients handy to make this.  But, I have lots of turkey day leftovers to eat.  Maybe I'll make a batch this weekend.  


I'd love to know if you give this a try.

What's your favorite comfort food?

thanks for stopping in for a read!
love & blessings
~*~

Hello...

Hi.  

I've been meaning to get here for so long now.  I'll think of something I want to write about and then the next thing I know it's 6 or 7 hours later and I've completely forgotten what I wanted to post.  I don't know how time passes so quickly.  If I worked, or had a family to take care of, then I could understand not posting often.  Looking back, I posted a lot more when I was working.  Weird.

The photos above are a few snippets of my autumn.  I know Winter doesn't officially begin here until December 21st, but I always feel like winter starts around the end of November.  

I haven't really been doing much the last few months.  (Except for that little Halloween party.)  We had Thanksgiving here this past Saturday.  I'm still cleaning the kitchen.  It amazes me it takes 3 days to prepare and less than an hour to eat.  At least there are lots of leftovers. :-)

I've been knitting a bit.  I started the Tegna sweater back in September and have had to frog and re-cast on about a dozen times.  It's my first adult sized sweater and includes some lace patterning, which I've never done before.  I'm not giving up.  I'm going to keep trying until I get it right.  I'm currently in the need to cast on phase again.  Maybe this week.  

Still knitting on the Steelers Scoreboard for this season.  It's coming along nicely.

I've had a request from my brother to paint something for him.  I'm still in the mulling it over in my mind stage.  I'd probably best get on it though, since it's less than a month until that big gift holiday day.  

Well, that's all I have for today.  Hopefully I'll be back soon.  

What has your Autumn been like?

Thanks for stopping by for a read!
blessings
~*~



 

Happy Halloween!

Welcome to our Halloween Party, Witches!

Henrietta is happy to see you, but is making sure no one snitches the kids trick or treat bags.  Penelope and Eloisa are also part of the welcoming committee.  I think they are keeping an eye on Henrietta to make sure she doesn't sneak from the kids bags.  :-)

Heloise and Evangeline are over by the snacks.  Go on and say hello.

Help yourself to all the treats.  We have savory and sweets, plus all the candy you can eat! Cackle Cackle Cackle

 Bring your plate on over to the fire and get warm.  We can sit here and visit all night!

 
Hope you've had fun at my little Halloween party.  Be sure to head over to the most fantabulous Vanessa and check out her party.  I swear she is the Queen of the Party! 

Happy Halloween and a Blessed Samhain!
 
thanks for stopping by!
love & blessings
~*~