Almost a New Year

     Today, the 30th of December is New Year's Eve Eve...we are having some family and friends in tomorrow night so I was doing some cooking today...We are having a casual meal..soup and sandwiches, chips/queso, veggie platter, and cookie tray.  I decided to make a few bar cookies...blonde brownies, magic bars, and lemon bars....oh, and I have the kids decorated sugar cookies that I had frozen at Christmas to have for New Year's.

     So I am just a cooking fool...got all my stuff together...got one batch in the oven, start on my lemon bars.  Got the first layer done and on the pan...I start to beat the eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar...going good...but my filling layer is just a little too thick..Now I haven't made lemon bars for quite awhile  but the directions say, after the ingredients are mixed POUR onto the bottom layer!  Well, there is no way this filling will POUR so I decide to add another egg...still just getting thicker and stickier...okay, let's try another egg...hm-m-m-m, not much difference....let's add some lemon juice..after all, these are LEMON Bars!   Okay, that is a little better..still pretty thick..I can't POUR but I may be able to SPREAD the filling on...Just as I start to dump the filling on the bottom layer, a really loud bell goes off in my head!!!  Mystery solved!!  Do you know how much alike white flour and powdered sugar look when in the same type of clear plastic containers?  

      I just so happened to have enough ingredients to make a new filling for the lemon bars.  Baked them and then made the magic bars...all is well that ends well!!!  Then I look at that mass of cream cheese, 4 eggs, and two cups of flour...another light bulb...I hate to waste all that....so I add other stuff like sugar, baking powder, vanilla etc...spread some coconut on top and baked those suckers!!!  Who knows, I may have created a whole new wonderful cookie bar...worthy of the local paper's Christmas cookie contest...or not!!!!

Happy Anniversary to Me and Mine!

     Forty-eight years ago today my husband and I were married in the Catholic church which I attended from  birth to age 23.  We had a modest but formal wedding...a lovely reception at the local Country Club (a remodeled farm house at the edge of an apple orchard/nine hole golf course)...and a very short honeymoon in the big city of St. Louis.   We were both from rural communities...one in Illinois (mine) and his in Missouri, so St. Louis was  a big deal for us then!!!  I had taught for one year in the Kansas City, Missouri area and he was in the Air Force so had seen a little bit of the "world"....San Antonio, Texas and Reno, Nevada so we weren't just total greenhorns!!

     After our wedding, we headed to Nevada where he was stationed...within six months we were on our way to Anchorage, Alaska for two years...stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base.  And within another seven months we were proud parents of our first daughter...It is a good thing the young and dumb have no idea what they are getting into!!!  But...now, 48 years, several moves, another daughter, a terrific son-in-law and two perfect grandchildren later....we would not change one thing!!!!

We are looking forward to the next....well, probably not 48, but maybe another 28!!!!

The Day After Christmas and all thru the House....

We spent a wonderful weekend with our daughter at her house...she cooked for us..entertained us..and treated us quite royally!!!!  We had taken our other daughter's dog with us as they were out of town for Christmas...the D. we visited has a young (not quite a year old) very lively puppy and the dog we are taking care of is getting pretty old!  So it was an adventure to see how they reacted to each other...one very exuberant and the other quite grouchy!!!  In fact the older one was pretty traumatized for the first day and a half!!  But they finally somewhat tolerated each other...and made for a few funny moments!

Our daughter is a wonderful cook...albeit new at the whole thing...She fixed a delicious pork roast and all the fixin's for our Christmas dinner.  And I had already told her and my husband they would have to play games with me...that is how we spend Christmas when all together!!  So Christmas Day evening, the D. hooked up her Wii..and we discovered that I am a digital super athlete!!!  We played bowling, frisbee, and basketball and I kicked butt...beat both of them to pieces!!!!

So now we are home...the old dog is very happy to have her quiet space...we are 'way too stuffed...and looking forward to our own bed..I guess we are like the old dog in that respect!!!!  Great to go but also great to get home!!!

Still having trouble downloading pics!!!!

Challenge # 52: The Gift

This week the Diva's challenge is to make a Zentangle tile and then to give it away.  My tile will be mailed to one of my blog friends, a lady whose blog I follow and enjoy very much!  Because I want my tile to be a surprise to her, I am not going to tell who I am sending it to until next week.

"Giving is Pleasure.

No matter how large or small,

The thought is the gift.

Merry Christmas to all...I hope everyone enjoys the holiday in anyway you choose...be it with family and friends, at home or far away, I wish you happiness!!

Been away too long!!!

Our modem went out last Thursday, a week ago tomorrow....I didn't realize how much I missed being on line until I was without!!!  I admit it..I am a total Internet addict and that is OK!!!  As long as I still have the "strength" to walk away or not even get on until evening, I am still "in control"!!!

So....a quick update on what's been going on in my life...Last Friday was Trinity Valley Quilters' Guild Christmas party...we don't have a speaker at the December meeting...just tons of great food; a fantastic show and tell; lots of laughs and fun!  I finished my Medallion quilt so I took it to show. I need to get a sleeve on it so I can hang it.  I did a bit different facing than I usually do and I really like it....I am sure I will use it many times at least on small quilts.

Tuesday: The grands came out to do our annual cookie decorating...they left most of them here for me to freeze and have for New Year's Eve when almost everyone will be here.  Then Tuesday night, Dick and I did a little early anniversary celebrating.  Our anniversary isn't until next week, but we wanted to see the Lyle Lovett concert which was last night.  So we ate out and went to the concert.  We had real "nose bleed" seats....we were in the top balcony in the top row of seats. But the acoustics at the Bass are so fantastic, and with out binoculars, it seemed like the much closer!!

Today, I finally caught up with the BOMs that I have been doing....this one for November.  But at least I got it out before the December pattern is issued.  Check out the BOM logo on my side bar.

I am trying to download pics of my quilts but something is not working for some reason.

Too many good eats!!!!!

This morning we went with our neighbor's to our favorite Brunch Place...Blue Mesa in Fort Worth!  Yummmy!!!!  The best salmon, salsa, eggs of any kind, ham...and mimosas!  I could go on but don't want to make you all too envious!

Then this afternoon Open House at a different neighbors...we all take turns hosting...everyone takes a goody to share and cookies for a cookie exchange...again..Yummmmmmy!  I was still so full from brunch though that I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy all the open house offerings so I had to bring a "take home" bag with me!!

And another little Advent trivia to share....

The Lights of Christmas

The most obvious symbol of Christmas are lights – Christmas candles, window lights, luminaries, lights on the Advent Wreath and Christmas tree. All signifying that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.

Challenge # 51-"Fife"

The Diva's challenge for this week is "Fife".  It is a zentangle pattern by Molly Hollibaugh and while deciding what to do with it after I drew my string, I was looking through patterns on Linda Farmer's website to get some ideas and ended up using all "F" tangles!  So I included the names of all them in my Haiku.  Now for you non-tanglers out there...the names of patterns are kind of like abstract art...sometimes only the artist who created them knows for sure what the meaning of the title is!!  You just have to interpret the meaning for yourself!!

Challenge # 51-"Fife"

" The Challenge is "Fife".
Finery and Florz and Fluke
Fill my tangled tile!"

And while doing this challenge and looking at all the patterns out there...I have decided to challenge myself with doing each of them in Linda's list, alphabetically.  I am toying with a tile per letter...this is just my head talking...no decisions made yet!!

I also have joined a "round robin" quilt swap which I am excited about. It is under the direction of  Floribunda Quilts.  And I have a big "well...duh!" to my credit.  This morning I was cruising through her blog and was reading some of her older entries when I came upon an entry that told of a swap quilt she had sent to......ME!  I don't know why I did not make the connection before...chalk it up to senility, I guess!!

Swap Quilt from Floribunda....Isn't it great!!!!

And now I need to close and get busy on my Medallion Quilt...getting really close to the finished project!!

This is my completed medallion...working on getting it on a background and getting it all quilted!

Merry, merry!

Christmas is fast approaching and I am actually almost through with shopping!  I have my Christmas cards all addressed and ready to go..then realized I have no stamps!  And living out in the boonies, I can't (or won't) dash into town to get some!  So they will have to wait until Monday to go out but that is still much earlier than my usual Post Christmas mailing!

Decorating was a breeze as we didn't put up a tree since we are going to the daughters' for Christmas....and didn't put up my one thousand and one Santas (maybe a slight exaggeration)...and haven't decorated cookies with the grands yet..but that may still happen as they have one more week of school.  Just have to do the wrapping, get stocking stuffer things, and I'm good!!!

My granddaughter announced her college decision over Thanksgiving...she will be attending University of Texas at Austin.  She applied to and was accepted by three colleges...UT, A&M and Tech...and UT won her over.  Her paternal grandad is Delighted!!!  He is a BIG alum and football fan; this is his third grandchild to go to college and the first to pick UT!

Busy week coming up: Sunday: brunch with the neighbors; Neighborhood open house; Monday: finish shopping; Tuesday/Wednesday: wrap and do some cooking; Thursday: table to decorate for the guild Christmas party; Friday: the party itself....and we always have a big show and tell so I am trying to get my "Larkin Van Horn Medallion Quilt" finished to take...so better go get busy!

One more little Advent trivia:

ADVENT HOUSE

This is a popular rendition of the Jesse Tree and is usually purchased in a religious goods store. It has windows to be opened each day during Advent, each displaying a feature of the coming of the Christ Child. On December 24 the door is opened, revealing the Nativity scene.

Advent and More

JESSE TREE

During Advent, biblical persons representing the ancestors of Jesus, either in faith or bloodline, are gradually added onto a tree or branch, named after the father of David. The symbols such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesse, David, Solomon, Joseph and Mary can be drawn, cut out or purchased.

This Advent tradition is a new one to me.  But I think it is pretty neat so I am including it in my Advent Info.

One of the blogs I follow had a really neat 3D paper Christmas ornament. I think a lot of these patterns could be made from fabric also.  On the way to that site I found another one that has gobs of how to's.  Just click on the following and it should take you to that site.... paper 3D snowflake .

Challenge #50: Biggity

This week the Diva challenged us to draw BIGGER....to take tangle patterns that we liked  and to enlarge them..taking us out of our comfort zone, so to speak!  I decided to take a completed tile and crop off a corner, then replicate much larger!  I liked this challenge as it did make me use some techniques that I had not used for awhile.

The original tile

The enlarge drawing of a cropped corner..BIGGITY!!

"Is bigger better?

No, bigger is just different.

Big or small...your choice!"

Advent Adventure Continues

ADVENT WREATH

"Customarily the Advent Wreath is constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which are inserted four candles. According to tradition, three of the candles are violet and the fourth is rose. However, four violet or white candles may also be used” (Book of Blessings 1510).
The rose candle is lit the third Sunday of Advent, for this color anticipates and symbolizes the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice" (Latin, Gaudete). For this reason the Third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and rose color vestments are permitted.

The Advent Wreath represents the long time when people lived in spiritual darkness, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the world. Each year in Advent people wait once again in darkness for the coming of the Lord, His historical coming in the mystery of Bethlehem, His final coming at the end of time, and His special coming in every moment of grace.

During Advent, family and friends can gather around the Advent Wreath lighting the appropriate candle(s), read from the daily Advent meditation and sing songs. The Church's official Book of Blessings also provides a blessing ceremony for the advent wreath which can be used in the absence of a priest.

Advent

An Advent calendar is a special calendar that counts and celebrates the days of Advent in anticipation ofChristmas. Some calendars are strictly religious, while others contain more secular content. The tradition of the Advent calendar has existed in some form since the middle of the 19th century. For Christians all over the world, the Advent calendar has been used as a devotional tool to countdown the days of the Advent season that culminates with the celebration of the birth of Christ. Advent calendars have commonly been used for the education and entertainment of children, with daily scriptural readings that sometimes come with a chocolate treat.

I was raised Catholic and although I am not as avidly religious as I was as a child, there are a few things about the Church I still like...one of the celebrations I like is the Season of Advent....Christmas should mean so much more than just shopping!!  So my next few blogs are going to be associated with Advent...history of, symbols of, etc...maybe even a Zentangle or two thrown in!!

ADVENT

The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, (November 30) and continuing until December 24. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.

Since the 900s Advent has been considered the beginning of the Church year. This does not mean that Advent is the most important time of the year. Easter has always had this honor.

The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet which symbolizes the penitential spirit. Religious traditions associated with Advent express all these themes.