NEW YEAR!

HAPPY 2012 TO ALL

We are looking forward to what promises to be a very good year.

Nativity (and a few extras)

 I have a collection of Nativity scenes. Some are old, some are new, some are very traditional, some are whimsical, one I painted on wood, one is from Ghana, one from The Grotto in Portland, Oregon, one from Israel, one was a "white elephant", All bring back good memories.

Here are a few of them.

 And a few more bits of our Christmas decor.

It's beginning......

Today the Christmas decorating begins.  Nothing big yet, but I have taken down all the fall decor and put up things that I've been working on. 
We're going for a homespun feel this year; starting with a double sided banner between the living room and dining room (burlap and fabric with paper letters); a wreath from torn strips of fabric; and an embroidery hoop collage.

Plus a bit of seasonal potpourri in various places. 
That's it for now, at least until I get the energy
to drag things out of storage and really get to work.

More signs of Spring....

 In our yard this morning....

OK, the one above is a reminder of last Summer and what Spring leads to.

Almost Christmas

Christmas will be here in one short week!! ...so I think it's about time to get something posted from November.

We loved the fact that Kevin and Shannon were able to come and stay three nights with us.  We were sorry that Charlie and Sarah could not.  But they had other (wonderful) plans, so we partied without them. 

Now we are looking forward to next week, when they will all be here together.  We're both recovering from colds, but are trusting that everyone will be healthy and ready to celebrate by then.

Happy Birthday to the USA!!

Christmas in July?

 

I was looking through some photos to update my blog layout and came across some good ones from last Christmas.  And since I wasn't doing much posting around that time I decided I would add them today.

 
   
 

This was our first Christmas with six stockings hung by the fireplace.  Charlie and Sarah had gotten engaged on December 19th. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

He Is Risen!

It's Easter Sunday,
a time of Celebration,
a time of Renewed Hope,
a time of New Life,
a time of Joy!
May you be blessed !!

the sharin' o' the green

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAYphotos from our yard 3-17-2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Getting Ready for Christmas Brunch...

We all were so hungry and focused on the food no one remembered to take a picture with the food on the table. Trust me it was amazing. Below Mike & Kevin are preparing the breakfast casserole.

Wishing a very Merry Christmas to everyone

DECEMBER!

I'm taking a break from putting away fall & getting out Christmas decorations. It is all coming at me too fast and it will be good to "relive" the past weekend before moving on to all that is coming up.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Dinner for three on Thursday (with lots & lots of leftovers);

An afternoon of jam & jelly making on Friday.

Shannon & Mom taking a break; with blackberry & strawberry jam done; apricot in containers cooling and apple butter in the bowl ready to put in containers.

On Saturday Kevin, Shannon, Mike & I went to Healdsburg & Santa Rosa for wine & beer tasting. Kevin is in the beer division at Safeway now- so one stop for wine & two for beer.

Our last stop was at Russian River Brewery for dinner and a beer sampler; we had 13 of these tiny glasses.

And since Charlie couldn't join us because he was working on Saturday, we stopped by the Charles Schultz Museum just for the photo op.

(We love you Charlie & missed having you with us.)