Pages

Powered By Blogger
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts

Thursday, January 15, 2026

I LIKE Thursday #265




I know I’ve shared this meme before, but our skies at sunrise and sunset have been amazing lately. And I do get excited. I’m constantly making Mr. Busy, ‘‘come look at the sky”. He humors me, and responds, “cool”, or “oh, wow!”



My friend Susan took this one earlier this week. She lives out of town and has a fabulous view of  the eastern horizon. Mine is blocked by houses, a highway, and telephone poles. She has two utility poles too, but they don’t distract.


I still have the Christmas tree up. And we are enjoying this Christmas gift.


It’s popcorn. Carmel, Butter, and Cheddar. Yummy!


Another Christmas gift is being enjoyed. This puzzle from our son in Northern California. Mr. Busy is doing the most of it. I walk by and place a piece or two, but can’t sit still long enough to make much progress. 




This week I was trying to make sense of who plays whom after the Wild Card Games last weekend. I listened to the commentators, watched their graphics ( which didn’t stay on the screen long enough for me to understand), listened to Steve, but was still confused. I Googled NFL Playoff Brackets and found this free printable. Finally I may have it figured out. 🀣


Leanna asked this week.

 2. Have you ever lived anywhere else? 

Yes we have. I say we, because I til I got married I lived in the town I grew up in. 

When we had been married a little over a year, Steve went to trade school at Southern State College in Springfield SD. When he finished we moved back to Rapid City SD, where we grew up and he worked as a Machinist. That vocation got him a job for a firm called C.P. Clare.   In November of 1971 the company moved their operations to Nogales AZ.  We were there til Summer of 1972 . Then back to Rapid City.  Our kids were 5 and 2. In March of 1977 he was offered a job in Gillette Wyoming and we’ve been here ever since. 


So now you know more than you probably wanted to know


Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful.

 


Friday, December 19, 2025

I LIKE Thursday on Friday

 


I really meant to post on Thursday. No sense in brooding over it. There were/are lots to like this week.

Our daughter lives in Loveland Co. She  is single and mostly that’s just how she likes it. Except at Christmas. Others in her “tribe” have family to gather with and are busy with grandchildren etc. so she took some PTO time and will be coming home for Christmas this year. Fingers crossed for good traveling weather. 

We got our tree up. 

A trove of miscellaneous ornaments. Multi colored lights and a new Red glittery star.  


We had good weather til midweek. Then we had horrendous wind. We are usually used to wind, but when they blow 60mph, that’s a bit much. One are on the border of Wyoming and Idaho had a gust of 144mph, like a category 4 hurricane. Much damage here and in surrounding states. It’s better today.



I’ve been interested in simmer pots lately. So I gathered supplies and made some to give away to my Thursday Stitchers friends.  Did intake a photo, no! Dang it. 

But here is my own simmer pots lately with all the same ingredients. Whole allspice, whole cloves, cranberries (fresh), an orange or lemon slices and cinnamon sticks and a sprig of fresh rosemary.  I bought myself one of those candle warmer lights. It smells so good. 





Mr Busy and I are sitting in the family room with the Christmas tree lights on and Christmas music playing on the Alexa. Love that part. It’s lovely.  The Christmas Song sung by Nat King Cole is playing right now. 🎡🎢🎢🎡


We’ve started watching a new (to us) series 61st Street on Netflix. It’s from 2022. So far it’s a pretty good story. Sad in a lot of ways. Hoping for a positive ending. 


 That’s all for this week. Except for  LeeAnna conversation starter. Do you like traditional red and green Christmas colors? The answer would be Yes. Do you remember the star on my tree? And my newest wall hanging:




And here is  favorite cup with Christmas Tea in it. 



Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 





Thursday, December 11, 2025

December 11~ I LIKE Thursday

 

From a favorite Facebook Creator.  Sweatpants and Coffee.


Last night we attended the Christmas Party of the place I used to work. It was an early night. Started at 5:30 and we were home by 8:30. Perfect for us old folks!  All the employees and they are all women this year, received a cute little Christmas decoration. 


Not the best photo, but it’s dark outside and lamplight is terrible. I like his cute wink and tongue sticking  out. 

It’s Christmas Bazaar and Craft Show season. Have you attended any? 


I worked on finishing this little Christmas stamp. I finished it last year and this year it’s fully finished. 

It’s a design from Melisa at Pinker n Punkin Quilting. If you scroll to the bottom of  Melisa’s post that this link takes you to, there is a myriad of links to Christmas beauties. 


Last Saturday was our quilting group’s Christmas gathering. The theme was Reindeer Gsmes. 

Table decorations and prizes for games. The little green bucket from Menards had candy in it. 



And the Camo Hoodie as a  bottle cozy is so cute!



I put up a tree!


There will be an actual Christmas tree in the family room. It is still in the box. Maybe tomorrow Mr Busy and I can get it set up. 🀞


Hop over to LeeAnna’s blog and check out the other participants. Not Afraid of Color. 

LeeAnna’s conversation starter for today is:

Dec 11 2025

The holidays can be stressful...

What always calms you down when you’re really stressed out and upset?

Music is a calming influence for me. I don’t have Sirius Radio in my car any more, but our Alexa Show has a good selection of Christmas music. Mr Busy always used to bring me a vinyl LP of Christmas music when he and the kids shopped for my Christmas gift. I’d kind of forgotten that memory. Thanks LeeAnna for helping me recall it. 


Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 



Sunday, November 23, 2025

Slow Sunday Stitching

 

 

 I’ll be stitching this morning on the final backstitching of the octopuses on my Biscornu. My friends keep asking how it coming, “am I done,yet?”  I do need to finish, so I can go on to something else. 


It took me 1.5 hours to get this far on the upper left octopus. But it really does help define it. 


Today also , we will wander through the Festival of Trees. It’s a fundraiser for various health agencies in our city. 




It’s not slow stitching but it’s a favorite activity of mine. 


Linking to KathysQuilts:Slow Sunday Stitching


Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!




Thursday, December 26, 2024

I Like Thursday. 12-25-24

 


I’m joining LeAnna at Not Afraid of Color  for the last I Like Thursday of 2024. 


Mr Busy likes to do puzzles. This is the first one he completed. 


Last Thursday our son invited his neighbors over for pizza and Rummikub. I tried a new to me wine. It was very good!



 Chocolate chip cookies were made by DS. 


I made Velveeta fudge because DS had never tasted it before. Then DS made 


Cranberry bread with orange glaze  from Natasha’s Kitchen. So so good.. a fun Christmas morning treat with Zen enhanced coffee. 

During the football we opened the  meat and cheese assortment our daughter sent. Mr. Busy made Chex Mix.


Are you sensing a theme here?


LeeAnna asked about a special Christmas gift as a child or teen. Mine was a special hair dryer the Christmas before I turned 16 (I think). It’s hard to remember that long ago. I found this photo on the internet.  



https://poshmark.com/listing/Lady-Sunbeam-Bonnet-Hair-Dryer-64d90873614973c9c97687c2. I thought I was pretty special I seem to remember mine was pink on the outside though. 

And then in 1964, on the 16th of December we welcomed our first baby. She was due on Christmas Eve, but came early!

 

StayBusy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!

Judy. 


Sunday, December 15, 2024

Slow Sunday Stitching 12-15-24




Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching. 

I’m a bit late posting today. But I am sitting at our son’s house stitching on this while football is on in the background. 



This photo shows the white on the Santa hat. In actuality it is very hard to see.  I stopped in at WalMart and picked the lightest blue they had. And there wasn’t much! I’m going to try to outline the brim and the pompon with it and see how it looks. 

I brought only counted cross stitch items to work on. Next there will be an entry for the Table Scraps Challenge.  Rainbow / Pluses is the prompt.  Wonder if I can stitch my vision?  Fingers crossed.

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 





Wednesday, December 4, 2024

First Midweek in December

 



Just a little notice that I may post sporadically this month. Not that I’ve been consistent recently! LOL

My focus last week was cleaning up after Thanksgiving, packing and planning for our trip to spend Christmas with our son. We haven’t flown anywhere since 2012. Mr. Busy had a bad anxiety attack on the airplane going to Arizona and declared “ never again will I fly!” ✈️

That’s been a long 12 years and lots has changed. We are older, less mobile and less strong. But he decided we should spend Christmas again with our son. So here we are. He handled the flight with ease. But we didn’t pack as much as when we drive. πŸ§³πŸ§³πŸ‘œ and a backpack πŸŽ’ 


All the felt ornaments were completed for our daughter and her family, along with appropriate gift cards or “real money” for the youngest. Two were mailed to our granddaughter in Vermont.

And the gold fabric in the background is a Nancy Halvorsen Christmas print that was in my stash. Supplemented with a second piece if was big enough for backing fabric for my Hometown Christmas quilt.

 I helped a neighbor trim a quilt and advised her on binding. It was her first such endeavor. I haven’t seen the finished quilt but was given to her son’s girlfriend at Thanksgiving. I hope she will share a photo. 

And I gave some thought to a Rainbow Scrap Challenge block for 2025. I will have a “Finish a UFO” component to my year too. 

Maybe a Potato Chip Block! 

There are lots of examples. This is just one tutorial from YouTube. 


I’ll check in periodically. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!



Thursday, November 14, 2024

I LIKE THURSDAY 11-14-24

 



 I’m needing uplifting messages lately!   This time of year, August - early January, are when I’ve lost important people in my life. And for me, the coming of winter is nor a season I look forward to. 


But good things are happening! Mr Busy surprised me  with plans to go to California for Christmas.

I am excited. πŸ˜† 

My Holiday/Thanksgiving cactus is blooming. 


Clockwise, top left to bottom left: Nov 1st, Nov 7th and  today, Nov 14th. It’s so pretty this year! 

I’m still reading The Amber Keeper. And next Monday is my Face to Face book club gathering, to discuss Go As A River. What should I read next? Any suggestions? 


I’m joining  LeeAnna and friends at Not Afraid of Color to share the good stuff.. 

LeeAnna also gave us a prompt for today.   What’s a favorite Fall movie?


I rarely watch movies more than once, but the prompt made me think of Sweet November. 




Yes, there is not a happy ending, but it’s one I remember. Some favorite actors. Keanu Reeves( before he was Neo) and Charlize Theron ( before she was Snow White) and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls). I think you can find it on Netflix. 

Maybe we all need a cathartic ugly cry! 


Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful!