Laundry, Cookies, and A Little Sewing

Today was a busy day with household chores mixed with Christmas baking and a little mask making.  I began with washing our sheets, the first load of the day, and then finally remembering to make myself a Christmas mask.  The fabric is a classic Mary Engelbreit design.

I continued with laundry and did a little ironing and then turned to cookie making.  This time I went with the little cookie stamps and made  a traditional shortbread recipe and a brown sugar one.  These have been tradition for thirty years or more.  They smell so good! (So far I've resisted eating one . . .)

Dinner was easy--toasted cheese and tomato basil soup.  And now I'm falling in a heap.  ♥

Sunday Evening

Well, I just remembered that I'd better pop on and at least say I'm here! It's been a lovely, relaxing day with snow falling throughout.  They said we'd maybe get half an inch, but at least three are down, and since it's still snowing, maybe more by morning.  Dan plowed this afternoon and I napped.  Sounds like a good balance of effort, doesn't it?  :-)

We stopped at Subway to grab a couple of subs for lunch after church. I've found a new one I really like--teriyaki sweet onion.  I get a foot-long and save the other half for lunch the next day. Rats, now that I'm thinking about it, I want to go and eat it now.  Must.Be.Strong. Must.Be.Strong.

Tomorrow I need to get serious about beginning my Christmas baking. Think I'll start with a couple of cookie recipes, one that needs refrigerating, and one I can bake right away.  Now that I've written that, I'll have to be accountable.  

Here's a closeup of the top of the china hutch featuring a little counted cross stitch scene, also designed by The Prairie Schooler. 

Stay warm out there!  Winter seems to have arrived in all its icy beauty. ♥ 

Happy, Happy New Year!

It seems strange that we are so far into this century already.  Y2K and it's suspected problems was fourteen years ago!  And I can remember, when I was in high school, thinking 1967 and my graduation would never come!  Can you see the smile on my face?  

So here were are--a new year and already the second day of it.  I must say, I do love New Year's Day and the getting out of new calendars and the putting away of the old.  All those pages yet to be turned.  For many years Dan has gotten me a new calendar for my kitchen.  They are lovely, made by Lang Graphics, and feature folk pictures on heavy, linen-like paper.  I've kept them all, and have even framed a few pictures from them in the past.  

I'm regressing to last year in the following picture.  On our way to Kirsten's on Christmas Eve, I had Dan stop so I could take a picture of one of the aprons I embroidered and wrote about here.  The front window of the shop was decorated to be a kitchen with the bear as the baker of gingerbread cookies.  

The other eight aprons were worn by the various people who worked there.  My friend Cyndie told me they loved them, which was very gratifying.  

We spent yesterday relaxing and then attended an "Italian New Year Party" at the home of some good friends.  Tina's family is Italian and a few years ago, they began a new tradition of having an open house on New Year's Day featuring Italian food and music--Perry Como and Dean Martin could be heard crooning on LP records on a turntable.  The event has grown each year (Steve and Tina's motto is once invited, always invited), and I suspect that over the five hours yesterday, more than eighty people came to eat and visit.  This year's party was especially important as Tina was diagnosed with breast cancer last August and following surgery has been undergoing what will be a year's worth of chemotherapy. But there she was, busy in the kitchen, her infectious smile and wonderful laugh going full blast, determined that nothing would stop this special event.  

And so, dear readers, let's take a cue from Tina.  Let's not miss a chance to laugh, love, or spend time with those dear to us this new year.  Time passes so very quickly, but love and friendship last.  Happy New Year! ♥