New year resolutions

 With the onset of the new year, gardening is tugging at my soul.  These wonderful clay or stoneware plant markers were a gift from my daughter.  Note the detail on both the front and back of the 12 plus inch babies!  They are almost too pretty to poke into the soil, but alas, in they will go.  Won't my herb garden look spiffy?  In fact, I have a couple of buckets of clay and still have not decided to put my kiln up for sale, so I may have to put my own spin on this idea.  I have a stained glass project waiting in the basement to be foiled and some quilt projects needing attention also.  Gotta get in gear!

And speaking of quilt projects, this is another table topper which I made for another friend for Christmas.  It was like a puzzle getting it put together, but apparently I did get everything cut properly and stitched correctly as it all went together just fine.

As for the new year and the resolutions.  When you get to be 65, as a lot of baby boomers know, you need to change a lot of things; one being the way you choose your insurance.  One big thing we have discovered is that some plans offer some advantages over others.  The plan we choose this year allows me to go to a fitness center for no charge.  The other thing that happens after 65, is that some of us discover rolls of excess fat that just magically appear.  How did that happen?  So, I am hoping with my resolution (get better FIT) that my rolls will shrink.  Today was my orientation on the many machines that will offer enough resistance to strengthen my flabby muscles.  Indeed, I have gotten lazy.  If I can remember how each machine works, and I am finding that the memory also gets flabby,  I hope to keep this only resolution this year.  Wish me luck!

The next day after the next day of Christmas

 Whaaat?  Actually we were gone for those "next days".  We trekked with the two little furkids to Washington state to have Christmas with our daughter and her husband.  It was wonderful and although our son and family couldn't make it, they had their holiday with family also.   I got an Ipod which my son-in-law and daughter helped me to understand. (difficult for ol' dogs to learn new tricks) and some really wonderful clay-fired plant markers. We also saw some sights there and the weather cooperated.

So speaking of the furkids, Hildy had to stay in the kennel here, but she does really well and we feel that we have her in a caring and safe environment.  Notice that she has decided to sit in little Spencer's bed to view the world outside and this morning she climbed up into his bed!  I barely could believe my eyes when she hopped up, turned around a time or two and plopped her 50 plus pounds in his 15 pound bed!  Needless to say, he was a little confused and kept looking at me for some explanation. They are so funny!



On one of our trips out while we were in Washington, we went to Boston Harbor.  Yes, there is a Boston Harbor there.  We had picked up some shrimp and crab for our Christmas eve seafood boil and walked out to view the sights.  We encountered a family there and after prying this fellow from his grip just under the surface, we were given a lesson on how to tell a male crab from a female and quite frankly, I don't remember which is which.  The one we ate was much larger and wonderful! 

On the next day of Christmas?

 This is Hildy watching a neighbor's cat watching a squirrel watching a flock of birds at a bird feeder across the street.  Notice that she is sitting in Spencer's bed! The squirrel escaped the cat, but managed to get a full tummy of birdseed before he left.  This is only the 2nd squirrel I have seen in this neighborhood since we have been here, but I bet he will be back now that Christmas breakfast is being served daily.

This is a table topper that I made and quilted for a friend for Christmas.  It actually turned out pretty well.  Last night we did the Christmas light tour.  I had taken a trolley tour a couple of nights earlier so knew where the BEST tacky light displays were.  One place here had 80,000 lights with a Dec. electric bill of about $600.00.
So much for conserving electricity, but I love, love, these displays.  It so reminds me of my childhood.  We had a very sparse tree with only a few lights, but we did drive around and look at other displays and it was always a thrill for a small child.  The children on the tour I took were so in awe at some of the lights.

On the 7th day of Christmas

 On the 7th day of Christmas...this is the tree that sits near the dog's dish. The dogs' tree!  The ornaments on it are for the most part animal in nature and not breakable.  Some are very old and dear to my heart.  I always put a spire ornament on my tree tops..not an angel or a star.  It is what always graced the top of our tree at home and I have collected several over the years.  This topper was given to me for Christmas last year by a young man we have known since he was a wee one.  It is plastic and I am pretty sure it came from a shopping trip at a flea market.  I love those.  It shows some wear where it was perched atop a tree in years past and was perfect for this tree.

We took our dear neighbor for lunch this week..our Christmas to her and she wanted to bring presents to our furkids afterwards.   Spencer, who really doesn't know how to play with toys did take this terry cloth bone and spent some time licking it.  (He has always licked Hildy's face..he cleans her ears, her eyes, her mouth and her teeth.) ? For whatever reason he gets great pleasure and Hildy tolerates it for the most part.  So when he decided it was OK to lick the bone, it must have been a sign of approval.
He will take the bone and put it on his footstool and lay on it, but even though the other two dogs got their presents too, Hildy would probably destroy Spencer's bone, so we make sure he is the only one to play (lick) it.  Funny critters, those furkids!

On the 6th day of Christmas

This little rustic wreath is one of only a few surviving decorations left from the Christmas gifts when I worked with school staff.  Every year, I received handmade gifts from children and friends as well as the plates of goodies and other tokens of the season.  This particular wreath is small, only about 6 inches, but it has survived the test of time and moves from one home to another. Given to me by a staff member, I cherish the memories of those Christmases at school and am thankful that after all of these years I am able to stay in touch with most of them. 

Little Spencer isn't feeling too perky tonight as he was due for a Rabies and other vaccinations and although our vet, paraded him around to all of the staff with his Christmas "gear"  as she called his kerchief, he was none to happy with the experience.  He is wanting some attention and since we have spoiled him mightily, I am off to accommodate him.

On the 5th day of Christmas

 On the 5th day of Christmas we are scrambling to get things done!  I still need to make some peanut brittle and maybe some more spritz.  As we age and are the only ones gobbling down the goodies, it has occurred to us (as we struggle to button up the pants) that maybe we should NOT make so many goodies.  But it wouldn't be Christmas for me without sugar cookies and fudge and...well...
When we were kids we always had fudge and with a cow we had eggnog.  We had the real stuff.  It was rich with fresh eggs and lots of thick cream.  I remember my dad making it for us.  I bought some eggnog, the light kind?  Haven't tried it yet so the verdict is still out.  I miss the real stuff, but the pants again won't button as it is. (sigh)

 A few weeks ago I wrote about  my purchase of an old Singer cabinet for $15.00 at one of my favorite shops here.  Teacups and Twigs is a shabby chic kind of shop way out of town and she only opens for a few weeks in the winter.  I had previously gotten a Singer featherweight, 1958 I believe and doesn't she look wonderful on this cabinet.  It is stripped of it's treadle and it's drawers, but is perfect for a perch for the featherweight, which still sews like a dream!

Spencer seems none too happy with his new kerchief of Christmas prints and wasn't cooperating for a snapshot.  However, this picture is so deceptive of this little guy's personality.  He is a clown and a communicator and a spoiled little boy.  He has grown by leaps and bounds as he has evolved from a shy unsocialized furkid to our very big dog in a tiny body with a heart to match.  He thinks he can lick a boxer or the great Dane who lives behind our back fence!  He has become a terrific watch dog and is in love with our border collie mix, Hildy.  Any animal that comes to live with us in the future will no doubt be a shelter critter or rescue furkid.  They give you unconditional love!

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.  Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."

On the 4th day of Christmas

On the 4th day of Christmas...well Roger sleeps no matter where or when, on his Christmas pillow, from the 1st day of Christmas way into next year.  Of this I am sure.  He doesn't miss any meals or any chance to snooze.  I've been very busy quilting away on some gifts for some friends.  I even considered quilting some coats for my two little furkids, but as furry as they both are, I don't think they need them.  They don't much like the cold.  Both are rescue dogs from Missouri and after even a couple of years here, they prefer warm weather but will play in the snow some.  Can't say I blame them, but really--Christmas without snow?  Having grown up on the edge of the front range of the Rockies in northern Colorado, we always had snow at Christmas that I can remember.  So our Christmas here in Wyoming have that western influence, especially in Cheyenne, and we have snow on the ground today although it has been here for at least a week.  In the shops here you will see a definite "cowboy influence" in the decor, the gifts and the spirit of the residents.  If you have ever read a bit of history, old letters perhaps written in journal form by some of the pioneers who influenced this part of the country, you may understand.  These old cowboys and cowgirls were strong people who weathered the long winters, often isolated for months miles from their neighbors.  With only a team of horses and a wagon or buggy, they ventured to town for supplies only when necessary, through bitter wind and snow.  But usually a tree was cut down on the ranch and brought in to be decorated with hand-made ornaments, popcorn strings and bits of whatever could be salvaged from years before.  The Mr. and I are both descendants of this strong pioneer stock and I cannot imagine the hardships that I know were endured in order to survive.  At this time of the year, one needs to take stock of what is important and we are thankful to be living where we can celebrate this Holiday..Christmas because of our tough western pioneer descendants.  The rope basket would probably not be a very practical use of a good lariat back then, but it makes a wonderful receptacle  for ornaments!