Update on Skinny Alpine Tree

Wow!!! I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and the 7' Skinny Alpine was $129.99 this year...it was $80 last year. It's on sale now after Christmas...yesterday it was about $67 as I recall...I gave $12 for mine! Wonder if they'll ever get that low again. Someone must have figured out they were popular!!! Funny how that works...the greedy bas..... oh, never mind!!!

The Skinny Alpine

Here's a photo of my "skinny alpine"...a pre-lit tree that I bought at Hobby Lobby last year shortly after Christmas. It was an $80 tree...and I haunted their store/parking lot until the price was right..$12. I just love it. My friend Patsy, the uber-Yule Christmas maven (Greg's term - wish I could take credit) has one just like it in her kitchen with cute little kitchen ornaments all over it. It's 7' tall, but everyone refers to it as my "little tree".

The little snowman/Santa face is one of two that my friend Pat gave me. It's really cute. Both of the photos were taken after 9pm...so they really aren't very good shots...but...."when the spirit moves ya", you know! (If you click on them, it might improve them for you a little.)

I'm looking forward to the New Year with great anticipation....I HAVE to get in better shape!!! I've made truffles a couple of times this Christmas season, and today I made peanut-butter balls (replaced 1/2 stick of margerine with 1/3 package of cream cheese.....yummy....great improvement!).... and I'm eating like it's my last meal. Believe me, that tree is the only thing that's "skinny" around here.

Well, enough....just wanted to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year!!! And, please...don't forget the reason for the season!

Looking back & looking forward...

Looking back...and reading back....strange how time changes our opinions and goals.

I just spent a few minutes going back a year and reading what I had written here in my blog. Much of the same feelings this year regarding the holidays: bluntly, I'll be glad to see January roll around! Old country song about "If we make it through December, everything's gonna be alright"...seems pretty fitting to me. I think it's a time to be celebrated and thankful, but I think the commercial aspect of it all has totally wiped out a lot of people's common sense...as well as their ability to recognize what the season is all about! 'Nuff said? Ok.

One more thing from the near past that has probably changed for me is that I'm somewhat (probably more than somewhat) disappointed in Obama. I was all for him and what he stood for and what he was saying he could make happen. He's made a few decisions here lately that sure haven't set well with me. #1: LET'S GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS WAR!!!!! I totally believe that sending more troops over there is a huge mistake! (My blog, my opinion. You want to express an opinion, start your own blog!)

Ok...on to a new year....have you made resolutions yet? I usually don't, however, this past year I made one that I've actually stuck to for the entire year: that was to NOT answer the phone to a certain individual. It hasn't prevented his phone calls (he's a slow learner), but somehow I feel I've gained a little control over the circumstances.

I'm so proud of that accomplishment that I've decided to work on a few other things for 2010. The standard: lose weight, exercise more, bicycle more, walk more, eat more veggies and less sweets, give up Diet Coke...see, all related to my weight and condition. I'm 65 now and can still ride 30+ miles on a bicycle. You'd think would make me happy...but I don't do it nearly often enough. Wasn't but two or three years ago that we (the gals I ride with) wouldn't consider doing less than 20 miles a day...and that was usually 5 or 6 days a week. Now if I get out twice a month I'm doing good! That has to change...that's GOING to change! Granted, winter months means riding the trainer in the basement probably, but that's do-able!!!

Recently I had a bone density test and was told later that I have osteopenia in my spine. Of course, the doctor wants to start me on medication...a PILL...that's the standard answer! No! That's my standard answer. So the alternative is to up my calcium, increase my vitamin D, and do weight-bearing exercise. (When I asked the caller from my doctor's office if bicycling was considered "weight bearing" she assured me it was....I knew better, but I asked. SHE'S WRONG!!!) But, nevertheless, bicycling is good for all sorts of things - especially my knees and heart and lungs and attitude! So I'm also going to start tanning in a tanning bed...oh yeah, yeah...I know...but that's vitamin D and if you don't overdo it and become Miss Naugahyde it's probably a plus rather than a minus!!! And, by the way, a little on-line research indicates that osteopenia is a natural occurrence as we age.

Well...you see...this having one's own blog is handy! I get to say whatever I want and no one argues..yet.

Today was nice...over 50 degrees, light wind, sunshine (which we haven't seen much of here for a while). I thought about a bicycle ride..but chose to go out and rake the backyard instead. It needed it and I needed some outdoors exercise. Hope your day was spent productively and happily...count your blessings! I mean that!!! Good night!

Sunday - Dec 13 -

Many of you will probably remember that Schiz (the dog that owns me) came from a really bad place. I didn't get her until she was 5 1/2 months old. At that time she'd never been on grass and didn't know how to be held. (Among a multitude of other atrocities!) She'd stiffen out and was just scared to death. She's now 5 1/2 YEARS old, has been thoroughly "socialized" (some might perhaps say too much!!), and is a pretty relaxed, easy-going little girl.

Yesterday we had four ladies stop by and Schiz had her "ain't I the cutest thing ya ever saw" routine going full speed. When they came in the front door, she was on her hind legs, standing and waving both front paws in the air. One of the ladies was clearly a "dog person" and she was on the floor with her and pretty soon Schiz was doing "hot laps" up and down the hallway...sliding into the computer room where we were all at. She won all their hearts I think!!!

Usually she's not an over-affectionate dog. My previous Shih tzu was...Odjida was a lover! Schiz is affectionate first thing in the morning. She'll maybe give you a kiss even. She not really a "kissing" dog. She seems to pride herself on being very independent. Often she'll stay in one room while I'm in another...for several hours even.

This evening I was ironing and she was sleeping in the doorway. I had a sweatshirt vest over my t-shirt (ok..it's a rag of a sweatshirt with the sleeves cut out), and I got too warm, so I pulled it off and threw it on the floor. These photos are merely my proof that the dog DOES TOO like me!!!! She had to get up and move to get on the sweatshirt. She's zonked! In fact, while I've come into another room, she's still asleep in the ironing room...on my sweatshirt! Sorry...I think she's really a sweetie!!!

Also this evening my son supplied me with this website...forewarned, you'll be sorry you ever looked!!!! Go ahead and get your pen and paper ready to start making a grocery list right now...then go look. If you can get through this page, you can scroll to the bottom and find page after page after page of goodies. I haven't managed to get through them all yet...but I'm sure I will!!! Good luck...here's the link: http://foodgawker.com/popular/gawked/


Well, that's it for this evening. Remember to count your blessings...and remember, sometimes they're disguised and you have to find the meaning.

PS...I'm back...just went and looked at more of the Foodgawker site...there's some wonderful stuff there...there's also some really weird stuff...like the cows' lips and the duck embryo cooked in the eggshell....YUCK!!!!!

What's Been Happenin'

Wow...been busy, busy, busy!!!!

Started out last Thursday, the 3rd, I went up by Manhattan and picked up my cousin, Shon. She was showing me their new barn/stables when I saw this ox yoke hanging there. Oh-oh!!!! So I had to go talk to Charlie (her husband) about it, and wound up bringing it home with me. I love it!! It's about 50 inches wide, and will require at least 40 inches vertically. I may not get it up til spring as I want to sand a little and then put tung oil or something on it. I'm thinking probably the back wall of my dining room...but friends say the side wall of the living room. We'll see.....







Then Shon and I went on to Becky's (Shon's sister, my cousin) at Maple Hill. Both Shon and Becky have incredible talent! I didn't take the time to take photos at Shon's but she does awesome work as well. But these are a few (and I do mean FEW) of the gorgeous wood carvings that Becky has done. My photos are a little confusing sometimes as I was shooting against a mirror and sometimes through glass besides. Just incredible...even the leaves are carved or "formed" by hand. Everything looks so real you expect them to move. Both Shon and Becky are wood carvers and compete in shows and do quite well. And you can surely see why!!!!









This last one is definitely one of my favorites. The little chickadee and the blue bird on the same piece of aspen (which is also carved!!)....WOW!!!! She calls it something like Mountain Song....as both birds are found like this quite often in Colorado (I hope that's accurate!?!?! It's been a long, full week and I may not have my facts straight.)

Anyway, the three of us had a wonderful visit. We laughed and laughed til we were crying. It was a most relaxing, entertaining, fun-filled day I've had in quite a while...and I totally enjoyed it.



Then Saturday my friend Pat who does Iris-folding greeting cards and I shared a booth at the Hutch Rec Craft Fair held at Trinity Methodist Church. I think someone said there were 15 jewelry booths out of a total of 30 booths. I had a great day. Sales were pretty good. I think maybe the gals in the booth behind us (who sold jewelry) weren't real happy with me, but I can't help that. People that like sterling silver, like sterling silver! And Pat had a very successful day with her cards as well.

Monday was my big Christmas Open House Craft Fair here at my home. I wound up with eleven vendors: beaded jewelry, sterling silver jewelry, embroidered tea towels +, goats' milk soaps, antiques, Pappardelle's pasta, purses, metal art, Scentsy candles, candies & baked goodies, and Iris-folding greeting cards. The weather was NOT cooperative. It was very, very cold!!!! And by late afternoon had turned to snow! We didn't have a huge crowd, but still it wasn't too bad. Everyone did ok I think. Everyone made a little...some made a little more! But the best of it was the entertainment. Who had time for customers anyway...we were too busy laughing at each other and telling stories!!!! And there were some FUNNY stories!!!

I won't go into all the details here, but Mark...the goats' milk soap guy...has 27 goats and does all his production himself, except the packaging which his mother-in-law does. He's a hoot!!!! He was telling stories about goats that kept us all in stitches!

Tuesday was "carpet cleaning" day...and cold and snowy...as was Wednesday when I was supposed to do a trunk show at a local tanning salon. I postponed it until next Wednesday. Today was the first day I've had my car out of the garage since early Monday morning. Our snow wasn't necessarily all that deep (I've heard 1"...and I've heard nearly 3") but the roads looked pretty slick and it was VERY cold, so I just stayed home!

Life is good overall. I count my blessings...and I hope you'll count yours too. If you ever think you've got it bad, look around. You'll most likely see you're pretty blessed! With that, good night.