Saturday Snapshots #115

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads. Come join the fun. Visit Melinda's blog, grab the button, read the rules, post your photos and link up at West Metro Mommy Reads.

Those of you who read my blog, know that I am a quilter in addition to being a reader. The picture is a tray of "fat quarter" brownies.  A fat quarter is a piece of fabric cut 18" x 22". My son and daughter-in-law packed fat quarters in shades of brown, folded them square and wrapped them in plastic wrap then arranged them on a tray. I collect Santa's too, they are in a Santa tray.  Aren't they just clever and thoughtful?  I love this gift!

We too celebrated New Year's Eve at home alone. I set the table with my good china and my grandmother's crystal wine glasses.

 We shared a New York steak and each had a small lobster tail that I baked then broiled. You don't get fresh lobster in Wyoming so these were frozen but surprisingly good. A salad and wine finished it off. Then we watched a movie on Netflix. I don't find a lot  of movies there that I want to watch, but we picked Labor Day with Josh Brolin and Kate Winslet. The young son played by Gattlin Griffith was by far the best. We both enjoyed it and that is something. We don't often enjoy the same type of movie.


Stay Busy and Stay Happy

My First Book of The Year: 2015

I have been waiting to start The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I committed to it being my first book of the new year on Sheila's blog, Book Journey. Go visit Sheila's blog and see the collage of picture of those of us who are joining in the fun. 

This book was passed on to me by a friend and it will also fit category #2, a familial relation,   of What's In A Name 2015 sponsored by Charlie of The Wormhole,  Her posts for this year's challenge should be up today, January 1st. 

When I have a review of this one, I will post it to the proper posting link at Charlie's blog.


So for now.....

Happy New Year &

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

The Last Saturday Snapshots of 2014

How can it be Saturday already!  The weeks are flying by. One more week until a brand new year!

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads. Come join the fun. Visit Melinda's blog, grab the button, read the rules, post your photos and link up at West Metro Mommy Reads.

I have a few photos of our Christmas morning ( ie Friday the 26th).  Our daughter and youngest granddaughter drove up from Colorado on Christmas afternoon. GR#4 had to work until noon on the 25th. It has started to snow here and I was so worried about them traveling. But my prayers were answered and they arrived around 6:15 pm. It is normally a 4.5 hour drive. Anyway, here are a few pictures.  The first present opened was to GGS Joseph ( he is nearly 16 months) from Auntie Shasta.

That is his Momma holding Olaf.











My girls have a family tradition of sticking bows in their hair upon opening gifts. Guess J. got his stuck on his back!

This picture is taken in the family room. Right now it is a play room. Gr Grandpa says it looks like Jay Leno's garage!  All the vehicles! And then now there has been added  a castle and a tunnel.  He isn't spoiled...Oh No!  

Hope everyone had a wonderful few days with family. And safe travels as you or your loved ones go back home.

See you next year!

2014 Christmas Projects Link up at Quiltville for Christmas Eve

Bonnie Hunter invited everyone to join a Linky Party on Christmas Eve with pictures of Holiday projects new or old. They can be Christmas, Hanuka, Kwanzaa or just seasonal. I am looking forward to seeing everyone's creations.
So here are mine. All done this year  2014:

 This was part of a BOM Stitchery from Shabby Fabrics. There were 12 similar, all themed for the month all the same size. I have been working on them for 2 years. Finally December is done. The only one left to finish is January.

 This is a pattern called Roobois. It is made from charms squares. I put it together at a retreat in early November. Since then, I have added a cream 2" border, to break up the busyiness, and the pieced 1.5 inch strips piano key border. I'll bind it in solid red. It is ready for me to quilt, but I haven't gotten it done yet.

 This is a pattern called Five and Dime. It is made from a layer cake and charm squares. This needs the two borders, but it won't get them before Christmas. I put this one together at the retreat in November too.

This little funky tree is a pattern from Patchabilites. I just had the pattern, so I used scraps from my stash.  I have a whole lot of these. They are all very similar in size and so I change out the little banner with each season. They fit perfectly in the small narrow space between the coat closet and the stairway to the basement.


Merry Christmas from my sewing space to yours!  Happy Holidays.

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday - In Death #1

 Diane at Bibliophile By The Sea hosts this Tuesday meme as a place the share the first paragraph (or a few) of the book you are currently reading or hope to start soon. Join us to get a glimpse into what some other book lovers are reading.

Naked in Death

J.D. Robb 

Published 1995

"She woke in the dark, through the slats on the window shades, the first murky hint of dawn slipped, slanting shadowy bars over the bed. It was like waking in a cell.
 For a moment she simply lay there, shuddering , imprisoned, while the dream faded. After ten years on the force, Eve still had dreams"

I told myself that I wouldn't read J.D. Robb.  I was a Nora Roberts fan through and through. Well, times change, you widen your horizons, you join book clubs and challenges. You begin to blog and get exposed to all the different views out there. And so you decide to try it. And that is what happened. I am enjoying the writing. I am enjoying the escapism.

Have you read any of the In Death series?  Are you a fan?

Have a happy reading holiday!  See you all again before the end of 2014.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This Monday meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.  Join us by grabbing her button and linking up your own What Are You Reading post.

On my kindle, today at 30%.  The first part of this story is an easy read. Fun, informative, and character building. Now I think it is starting to get to the real meat of the story. It still is well written and informative, I hope it doesn't get too hard to read with all the detail. I really have no idea how it will go, I do know the story and I have seen the movie blurbs and they are hard to watch.


In print from the library:

I have read most of Nora Roberts books. I vowed I was not going to read her J.D. Robb books. Why? I don't know, the titles sounded dark to me. Well, that was several years ago and I have expanded my reading genres and titles. So when I saw this one on the library shelf last week, I picked it up. ( and I needed a title starting with 'N' for a challenge. "hanging head!").  Guess what? I am liking it. I like books with a strong female character and so far Detective Eve Dallas fits the bill. Even though the time is 2058, it doesn't feel too futuristic!  At any rate, I like it so far. It just goes to show you that sometimes we must drop our prejudices and give a title or an author a chance!

I should be able to read this week. All the presents are wrapped. The decorating is as done as it is going to be. The grocery list is filled with one exception. No cooking until Wednesday, we will have our celebration on Friday. Our daughter and one granddaughter are driving from Colorado on Christmas Day, I am so excited that they are able to come for the weekend.

Wishing a Happy Holiday to all!

Judy

  

Saturday Snapshot - 12-15 through 12-19

Saturday Snapshots is hosted by Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads. Come join the fun. Visit Melinda's blog, grab the button, read the rules, post your photos and link up at West Metro Mommy Reads.


This week I am sharing random pictures of my week.

On Monday, my friend Linette hosted an Ugly Christmas Sweater party at her home. I was enjoying the eggnog..
I had the "ugliest" sweater so I won this beautiful floral arrangement in a Christmas cup.

 Tuesday was my daughter's 50th birthday. Here she is celebrating with 2 friends and her youngest daughter. She is in the middle with the white top and red vest.  Our granddaughter is in the back.


Our great grandson and his momma have been visiting this week too.  We have two bags of toys for him to play with, but he prefers my "tupperware" cupboard. He loves putting the little ones in the bigger ones.

 I really have got to get rid of that 70's kitchen carpet!  Uggh!!!

I found this in my shoe on Thursday morning. It is a plastic duplo wheel from a set of duplo blocks that we have at our house. I had to smile. 

And packages arrived from family in Arizona. 

The only tree I have up is a flat one hanging on the wall. Small great grandson is part of the reason. He wants to touch everything. 

That was my week. 

Hope you have a happy one

Until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy