Quilt ladder and more

 This is the "more".  Since we have lived here, we have put our tree in front of this window and the elk antlers hang above.  We decided the first year to decorate the antlers--last year it sported balls and lights, but this year, just lights.  It does require a bit of a balancing act, but after the tree was decorated and we lit everything...voila! The tree has grown antlers.

We as retirees are realizing that we need to downsize and are not exchanging any gifts..we don't need anything, don't really want anything (Amazon has that for us during the year) and we just get what we need and want when ever the time comes.  That is a blessing for us and we are fortunate  But I did want a quilt ladder as I have quite a few quilts that I would like to display during the year.  We had beautiful alder wood trim in our home and there were a few pieces left in the crawl space by the previous builder and owner.  I suggested that they could be used to make my ladder and the Mr., being the engineer and handyman, took this as a small challenge.  He does such precise and beautiful work.

 The cross pieces were ripped from a wider piece and glued, screwed, and clamped above.

 It is drying above and I might add that all of the trim was prefinished before he began the construction.

And here it is with some of my quilts displayed.  It allows for several in a small space and it is a Christmas gift I can take wherever I go.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night under a warm quilt!

Let it snow, let it snow!

 As I write this today, nearly every school in Colorado (that is where I get my news), is closed because of the mountains of snow we received.  We are actually just a few miles from the state line and in the valley between 2 mountain ranges, we are experiencing a true winter storm.

 I was up early today and when I let my little grey fur kid out, he barely got off the back step to do his duty and the snow was up to his little belly.  The major roads, the interstate is closed and it looks like the snowblower may actually get used today.

I spent the better part of one day last weekend making my Christmas cookies, so this post is just about that, and the snow.  I have boxed and delivered a few, but as our cookie jar seems to empty itself, I think I may have to break down and make some more.  These are sugar cookies, dipped gingersnaps, biscochitos (a Mexican cookie made with lard and anise seeds) .
So today as it snows and blows, I will be baking and watching Christmas movies and staying in where it is warm.  It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

More stuff

Remember that I told you about the little stools I made from the old chairs so that my fur babies needed to get up on the beds?  Well here they are and it seems that I should have a bed exclusively for them.  Oh wait a minute, they do have their own beds.  This is just for nap time.

Last weekend we went out to get our tree and you can see how pretty the forest was and the snow was deeeeeep!  We did however successfully get our trees and mine is up and decorated.  We had a beautiful day to do this and again ate our picnic lunch overlooking the forest.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Sheridan WY with my friend and neighbor to spend a few days with her mother.  She lives at the foot of the Big Horn Mts and needless to say it is beautiful there also.  We shopped and ate and toured a mansion one evening with friends.
It was amazing and there were musicians and figgy pudding and apple cider and just felt like Christmas!!

Her yard is overrun with whitetail deer and wild turkeys and you feel like you have returned to the turn of century and see our state as the  pioneers must have seen it when first they came.

This is the trunk I have begun to paint, but today will be reserved for baking my Christmas cookies.  I have 5 batches of dough in the fridge and am late in getting started to it will be a marathon of baking today.  The trunk will wait!