It’s almost 11 am, and were are still 7.6 degrees below zero, only expecting a high of zero today, and a high of 5 above tomorrow.  I hate being this cold.  I got out my big Columbia parka to wear today; I don’t think it’s been out of the closet for at least a couple of years, maybe longer.

We are heading out for the third day of our four-day paint-a-thon at DS#3’s double bungalow.  We are hoping to complete the painting on the one side by day’s end tomorrow, but we keep falling short of where I expected we would be for the day, and we didn’t get home last night until after 11 pm.  The real workmen (as in “paid”) will be back Monday morning doing their sanding, varnishing, grouting, installing countertops and kitchen flooring.  The work just goes on and on.  But not for us.  By tomorrow night, we’re done.

It could be worse — we could be working outside!

–Sue

The last puzzle of 2009!  I looked through a lot of photos trying to decide what to choose — an Alaska picture?  Texas?  People?  Birds?  How about:  None of the Above! 

Meet Sampson, SIL Grace’s & BIL’s Ronnie’s mammoth cat.  I can’t begin to describe how big he is.  Well, I could show you, but those pictures are on another computer.  Trust me, he lives up to his name (plus he lives in Texas)! 

Because this is winter break week for a lot of kids, I’m posting an easier version of the puzzle first, then a tougher one.  If you have a child who’s trying this out, remind them to look for the edge pieces first!

Click on the puzzle of your choice to begin.  Have fun!

–Sue

This is our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and has been for years.  Eons, even.  This is right out of the Betty Crocker Cookbook (circa 1970).  And a note from me:  I make this in one large casserole dish and bake it just a bit longer.  We pass it family style.  We serve it over rice, with a salad, crusty bread, and glass of vino.  Yes, it’s a lot of butter, but it’s Christmas!  And it’s up to you as to how much chicken broth/butter you want to spoon on your rice.  Make sure your shrimp is already cooked before you start — I buy it frozen, and if it’s nice and pink instead of gray, it’s cooked.  Be sure to thaw the shrimp before beginning the recipe, and pat it dry with paper towels.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide shrimp among 8 ungreased individual casseroles (each about 5 inches in diameter).  Cook and stir garlic in butter until butter browns.  Remove from heat.  Remove garlic pieces; add remaining ingredients except bread crumbs.

Toss 1/4 cup of the garlic butter with bread crumbs.  Pour remaining butter mixture over shrimp in casseroles and top with buttered crumbs.  Bake uncovered 10 minutes.  (Do not overbake shrimp as they tend to become tough.)  Garnish with sprigs of parsley (fresh).

8 Servings

(12/16/09 NOTE:  This is such a good “to do” list for me, I’m going to modify it as I complete these tasks.)

That’s how close Christmas is — I can already hear Santa’s sleigh off in the distance, like the ticking of a clock, reminding me of all the things I need to do in the next week.

BAKING:  I am not a prolific baker like my friend Pam who is making 13 kinds of cookies this year (and she doesn’t do easy cop-out cookies either!).  I’m making my favorites:  Swirled Mint Cookies, a peppermint pressed sugar cookie, Capuccino Flats (coffee/cinnamon/chocolate cookie), and neighbor Marilyn’s Taffy Cookies, a brown-sugar shortbread cookie with Hersey bar piece melted on top.  The sugar cookies are done; two more batches to go.  Mmmmmm. 

SHOPPING:  (almost) done.  Now, in the spirit of truthfulness and full disclosure, our family is small, plus we draw names for each other, (plus I do smaller “mom” gifts for the “kids”).  I have DH left to buy for (Jim, are you reading this?  Reminder to leave a Sears ad out with some things circled).

CHRISTMAS LETTER:  Done & Mailed.  I have done a Christmas letter every year for probably 36 years until last year.  It seemed like it was too depressing, since we were in the middle of some medical testing and didn’t know the outcome yet.  Why make people worry?  Skipped last year.  All the medical stuff came out quite well, so I needed to do a letter for this year.  I spent a couple of hours at the computer trying to do some kind of letter, and I felt like I was writing the same letter I had written 35 or 36 times before.  So stale and boring.  Here are most of our letters since 1996, including one written in verse; it’s a fun way to look back at what’s been happening in our lives since then:

So I searched on line for Christmas letter tips.  Just the spark I needed.  So my Christmas letter is now a newsletter (which I’ve done before), but I added a quiz.  There were several other ideas on this web site for ways to make your Christmas letter more interesting, and I was able to keep to my cardinal rule:  no more than one page.    Once I had some fresh ideas, the letter practically wrote itself.  Now I need to print the labels for the envelopes (yes, I know handwritten is more personal), and get those puppies in the mail!  I like my letters to reach their destinations shortly before Christmas, so I am actually on track.

TREE & DECORATIONS:  Done.  Artificial permanent tree has been up and lit for two weeks, with nary an ornament to be found or my sweet angel on top.  Yesterday I added ornaments, but only about half of them.  I only hung the crystal and glass ornaments, the silk poinsettias, and the icicles.  I’ll see if this tree grows on me this year.  It looks a little sparce without all the kids’ ornaments on it. 

Put up my snowman wall quilt, have to find a home for my little Christmas tree wall quilt, got out the silk poinsettias, put out my very favorite table runner, along with some other miscellaneous trims.

QUILTING:  Have one gift quilt left to finish.  (two days’ work)

FUN & PARTIES & FUN & FUN:  A brunch, an afternoon “dinner”, a tea luncheon, Wednesday quilt group with cookies & snacks – get out my elastic-waisted pants and I’m ready!  And we will try to get a date to work out for our card-playing group as it’s our turn to host (after Christmas).

CLEANING:  Hah! 

MAILING:  Done!  Package to DS in Virginia, and get the cards with letters in the mail (tomorrow).

CHRISTMAS DINNER:  We always have the same thing — shrimp de jongh with rice, bread, and salad.  Easy and special.
Okay, I know I’m forgetting something.  Oh….

WRAPPING:  Not done.

And let me share three wonderful gifts I got from three wonderful friends (we celebrate early — and often), in case there’s a gift idea that works out for you:  an Oregon Scientific atomic alarm clock with the projector for the ceiling, a pressure cooker cookbook – Miss Vickie’s, and a purse (I was able to pick out the purse because I returned a gift that was a duplicate).

So, what are you doing reading my blog???  Don’t you have holiday prep to do?  I know, some people are much more together than I am, but I feel like (finally) things are almost under control at our house.  

How are you doing — can you hear the jingle of the sleigh???

–Sue

Sunday’s Stash Report:  Two Michael Miller Fairies Panels bought = 1.35 yards in.  One baby I Spy quilt kit given away = approximately 2 yards out. 

Monday’s Design Wall report:  Same quilt as last week (JudyL’s Frames quilt), patiently waiting for attention.  I am putting my Aunt Bert’s quilt on the longarm today, so finally some action in the sewing room!  Woo-hoo!!!  And those Fairies panels I bought?  They are going into a small decorative throw for my mom.  They are just adorable, and would make a super-easy, super-fun baby quilt with some bordering, as long as the baby’s a girl! 

Weather Report:  I know, you didn’t ask, but I just want to tell you all how fabulous it is in Minnesota today, November 9th.  58 degrees and sunny.  It’s more like May.

Places-to-Visit-on-the-Web Alert:  Remember the Minnesota Blog Hop earlier this year?  There’s a new one that started today with 12 quilt artists from across the country, each taking a turn sharing a project with us, the lucky readers.  Today Gudrun of GE Designs is featured.  Be sure to check out her cute quilt-as-you-go tutorial for the holidays, and leave her a comment (be sure to read and fulfill the requirements in your comment) to be entered in a drawing.  I’ll be listing each day’s featured artist on my blog, so feel free to stop by for the link.  Good luck!

Family News:  DS#3’s big old van had a close encounter of the deer kind this weekend in Wisconsin, and he’s now a full-time pedestrian.  No injuries to the people involved.  Don’t ask about the venison deer…

– Sue

to our favorite couple, son Tony and DIL Lynn!  It’s hard to believe it’s two years today since they married.  And look at what a fabulous day they had:

May the sun always be shining on you, where ever you go.  We love you! 

Mom & Dad

(ps:  aren’t they a handsome couple???  If you follow my blog, you might want to know that they are Milo’s people.)

Nothing bought this week.  I guess that helps offset some of my “negative winnings” at Las Vegas!

Sashing strips/border/binding for my Scrappy 9-Patch,  3 yards used.

Isn’t it fun to finally receive a package you’ve been expecting?  It’s ten times more fun when you receive a package you WEREN’T expecting!

Lynda G. (a fabric winner in my 60,000th visit give-away) is from Maine, and she sent me a lovely gift assortment of Maine-related items!  What a fun surprise, Lynda, and I will think of you every time I use/see them (lobster fabric, a Maine pin, a Maine/moose tape measure, a Kennebunkport postcard, and a lovely note).  Thank you so much!!!  It was such a ray of sunshine in an otherwise cloudy couple of days. 

(Pictured above:  Niece Summer & her husband Adam in the stream, Kathy & Dan on the bench with their nephew Alex.)  Our Nephew Dan from Seattle passed away this week (age 48), losing his hard-fought battle with kidney cancer.  We stayed with Dan and Kathy for a few days during our Seattle trip last summer, where they are relaxing above by the stream in their backyard.  They were such a special couple, and it’s hard to believe he’s gone.  If you’re a spiritual person, please say a little prayer for Kathy, who has truly lost her soul mate.

Also this month, we’ve lost Cathy, a member of Prior Lake Quilters as well as our Wednesday group, DayStitchers.  She is pictured here showing the block she made for Arlis’ birdhouse quilt.  Cathy was such a friend to us all, and she always had a cheerful word and a sunny disposition — gone now due to breast cancer.  It’s hard to accept that she won’t be at our Wednesday get-togethers any more.

They are both gone too soon, but both Dan and Cathy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved them. 

–Sue

For those of you who have met Milo, Milo is our Minnesota grandpuppy.  This is Tucson, our Virginia grandpuppy.  (Tucson’s boy is Dave.)  We’ve never met Tucson in person, but we will someday, and we’re looking forward to it.  After all, not everyone has a superhero in the family (remember Underdog?).  Obviously this isn’t Tucson’s everyday clothes; this was a couple of Halloweens ago.   Don’t you love his stance?  I don’t think I want to know what he’s thinking at this moment, however.

Since this is Wednesday (Puzzle Day), Tucson is today’s puzzle:

This round cut is my favorite.

Sue

My paternal grandmother’s side of the family is having a family reunion the end of June.  The last one was five years ago.  I collected signatures on squares of white fabric at the last reunion, and it’s time to get that PhD off the shelf and make sure I get them all incorporated into a quilt for this next reunion.  I have 98 signed blocks!  Based on the number of children and young adults at the last reunion, I’m sure this year’s reunion will be even larger.

I also got word that two teenagers at the last reunion were killed in auto accidents since that time.  How heartbreaking.  I checked the signatures, and I have signed blocks for both of them.  (I wasn’t sure I got everybody at the last reunion, although I gave it my best attempt.)  That just makes this quilt all the more precious.

So, are you going to a reunion, large or small, this summer?  Please consider planning an autograph quilt to commemorate the occasion.

• There are lots of autograph quilt patterns on line, in Electric Quilt, and at your LQS.  Then figure out what size signature piece you need, and get some good quality white fabric and cut it into the appropriately sized pieces ahead of time.
• Use a good quality fabric pen, and buy EXTRA (of the same kind).  It may run out of ink, it may walk off in someone’s pocket, several people may want to sign at the same time, etc.
• Use blue painter’s tape underneath the area to be signed.  This makes the fabric firm enough to sign easily, and it defines the area for the signature so children aren’t signing in the seam allowance.  (Some may do that anyway, so have extra signing blocks for “mistakes”.)  Apply the tape ahead of time to all the blocks.

• Be prepared to explain several dozen times what you are doing and why they should be a part of it.  This year will be easier, because they will have the finished quilt from the 2004 reunion to look at.
• Even if you have a very small family get-together, it would be fun to make a wall hanging as a remembrance of the good times had by all.
• Be sure to include the Family Name, Location, Date, and any other pertinent information somewhere on the quilt or on the quilt label.
• I am going to print a photo of our common ancestor couple (my dad’s grandparents) on fabric, and this will be in the middle of the quilt with the family name, date, and location of the reunion embroidered also in this center section.
• I’m going to give this quilt to the couple who generously hosts this reunion on their farm (I think it’s my first cousin, twice removed, but I’m going to have to study up on relationships!).

Sue

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, in no logical order.  First, The Ugly:  I bought 6 more yards from our LQS that sadly closed their doors Saturday.  It was 60% off though, so a good investment.  I used 1/2 yard from stash.  This week’s numbers:

The Bad.  April 5th, and it snowed this morning.  That isn’t all that uncommon in April in Minnesota, but it really has felt like we’re really going to get into spring any day now.  This wasn’t the day.  Plus these ups and downs in barometric pressure play havoc with my wrist.  Although I can’t predict the weather, I CAN tell you when change is on the way!

This little ol’ crab tree outside our kitchen window provides us a lot of  entertainment, between the birds and the tree itself.  Here you can see where the birds (mostly robins) have “harvested” the crab apples left over from last year.  I always wonder if they are a little fermented for springtime grazing, but I haven’t noticed any obnoxious behavior from the birds, so probably not.

There was one frozen morsel still tightly clinging to its stem. 

And The Good:  It’s Easter Week, and I have so much to be thankful for.  I have a wonderful family.  DS#3 turned 30 yesterday.   (DS#2’s birthday is Friday, we have a DIL who is very precious to us, and DS#1 plans to come home for a visit this summer — maybe around his birthday.)  DH found a sunny spot to read this afternoon (he always reminds me of a cat when he is enjoying sitting in the sunshine).  Pat, Carol & Marcia, do you recognize the plant sunning with him?  And do you get Vitamin D through the glass?  I think you do…

I finally finished my green stocks, and started a yummy red pair.  Rather, a started a yummy red sock (that pair thing takes time.)  These only seem to take forever because I don’t get much knitting time in during the week.  I wish I could crank out socks a lot faster because there are so many beautiful yarns and patterns, I will never get to make all the ones I want to make.  These are from patterns in Cat Bordhi’s book, Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles.  A photo:

Thank you to those of you who commented on my jacket post and gave me some suggestions.  Sandi, darn it anyway, you are absolutely right — it needs RIC-RAC (I would have NEVER thought of it on my own)!!!  So I’m going to take the collar back off and re-do it (that’s the “darn it” part!).  I would love to change the buttons, but they are the riveted-in type, so they are there to stay.  The cuffs are quite heavy and I didn’t want to cover them.  Thank you, Pam D., for the suggestion to REPLACE them!  I think that will be a good option (and one I hadn’t thought of), and will lighten up the whole look and feel.  I may also add some stars or flowers when I see how these other changes work out.

*whew*  That’s it for now – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  Maybe next time I’ll try for A Fistful of Dollars!  (Sorry, but DH loves those old spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood!)

Sue