HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGGING FRIENDS

Traditions to bring good luck for the New Year are as old as the celebrations and come from all corners of the world. Many cultures count a tall, dark and handsome man crossing the threshold as a sign of good luck, but if the first person to enter the house is a red headed woman...the year is sure to be stressful. What single girl would argue with that one!
Others involve housecleaning...brushing the bad luck of the past out with the dust. Holding a piece of silver or gold as the New Year begins is said to increase the chances of prosperity in the coming year...some place a silver coin over the doorway or a penny on the windowsill.
An Irish tradition involves banging on the door and walls with Christmas bread to chase the bad luck out and bring good spirits to the household with the promise of bread enough in the New Year.
The youngest boy in the household lighting a candle at dusk to burn through the night until morning light is another Celtic tradition that may be a citified version of lighting bonfires to keep away the evil spirits.
In the Philippines children jump up and down at midnight to make sure they will grow tall. In Asia, sunrise celebrations and honoring of the ancestors and elders brings luck. German's drop melted lead into cold water and take turns interpreting the results. This tradition has become so popular that kits are sold that include the lead pellets and suggestions for reading the results.

I wish everyone of you a very Happy New Year. We are supposed to eat Sauerkraut

and Pork on New Years Day, but George and I are going to his lodge to eat it tonight. Oh well. I will try the penny and silver for my prosperity, instead of the meal.

WORK TO DO

Heidi sent me these patterns for Christmas, now I have work to do. LOL. I was just checking my DMC to see what colors I need for this one and the little house.

This one is really cute too but I will wait awhile for it.

The bottom pattern is a little free one that came in the envelope. The top one is the one I will start on first.

I didn't know what this was until Heidi explained it to me. It is a really beautiful needle minder. My initial with cherubs, held by my favorite thing, Magnets. I have booked a flight on January 8th, for my Sister and me to go to Florida to visit my cousin. We did this last year, and my Sister had a good time. We are staying ten days when we go this year. I have to pray for good weather on Jan. 8th. The above projects will be going with me. Thank you Miss Pickles the Elf, aka Heidi, the gift is really nice as usual.

As I do this blog entry, Kristy and her family are on the road to New York. I hope they have a safe trip. No problem with the weather here, it is sunny, but I have not

heard New York weather report. She lives in a snow belt.

FUN VISIT FROM NEW YORK

My Granddaughter, Kristy did the eight hour drive from Ft Drum Army Post with her kids and Haali's boyfriend and her two dogs. Thank God for the weather. She had rain but no snow. They are here until Tuesday.
This is Haali and Mitchell, my Great Grandchildren, at home in New York on Christmas morning. The little dog Haali is holding is their Christmas Dog. His name is Jack.

Tyler is Haali's boyfriend. He just had a birthday, their gift to him was a trip her to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are there now. Hope they are having fun. Yesterday, it was 69 degrees here. That is just plain nuts. Today is sunny but not sure how warm. It is windy, I can hear my wind chimes.

Ok, today Kristy got to have her picture taken with her favorite footbll player. Brett Farve.

A SECRET SANTA SWAP GIFT

Our online stitching group decided to have a secret swap. We couldn't know who had our name until our package arrived, then we waited until Christmas to open the package. My Santa was a very special lady, Joni, who lives in Lancaster, Pa. I was lucky to get to meet her in Holland and she is a really fun person.
Joni knows my love for Snowmen. She sent a really cute card, this wonderful wooden thread holder and this stitched hanging ornament. It has the alphabet on it and it is so well stitched.

Here is a Jolly little snowman and two candles that made the package smell sooooo good.
Now, this is just the best little Santa anyone ever had. No, Heidi, you cannot have it. It is stitched perfectly and I love it, love it, love it.
Up to now, the only ornament on my little, and I do mean little, tree was the snowman topper. Well, Santa is now right on the front. I cannot begin to tell you
how cute he is, I hope it shows well when you enlarge it.
Thank you Joni, you really outdid yourself as the perfect Santa.
Merry Christmas everyone and thank you for visiting me.
Check out Mandie;s Christmas morning on her blog www.armywifeismylife.blogspot.com

BAKING CUT OUT COOKIES

Ok, Santa is going to be the first cookie on the pan this year. Every year I say I am not going to make these cut outs and every year I do. Bill loves them and thinks he is still a child.

Ok, trees are going into the oven. Now, normally, I would just put sugar sprinkles on the cookies before they go into the oven. Oh noooooo, Bill wants icing on them. I told him ok, but he is coming to put it on. I was talking to Heidi on Skype while making these. I had my laptop on the drainboard. She was sort of here.

They are all layed out on the table waiting for him to come and finish them. I ran out of room with cookies still to bake, so the rest of them got sprinkles. I really like them better that way.

I think of my sister when I make these, she and I both liked them rolled thin and browned. I would have taken some to her if she was still alive. It is my Mom's recipe. It makes tons of cookies. There are five cups of flour in it. When the kids were all home, I made it three times a season by the time Christmas arrived.

Ok, here he is, Bill is busy with the icing and then he will sprinkle the colored sugar over them.He is very patient. He takes half of what I bake home with him, then usually comes and eats ours too. George never eats any of them.

All finished and ready to layer with wax paper in the tupperware. We had Christmas today for Bill. Ham dinner and all the sides and pumpkin pie. He is working on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Doubles both days. Lots of people go to the movies on these days. Merry Christmas Bill and everyone else too.

HEIDI STICHED THIS ONE TOO

This is another snowman that Heidi stitched for me a few years ago. It sits near the mouse.
The tree on the floor is from Holland. Heidi sent it many years ago to us. It is made of wood and I used to hang it on the tree.
Be sure to visit Mandie at Army wife is my life, she has great pictures of the Biltmore Estate they just visited.

A STORY FROM HEIDI TO OUR ONLINE STITCHNG GROUP

I have made very many things for the holidays over the years. I will share a couple of them over the coming days. One thing I remember was stitching a Christmas mouse for my mother and father when I had just moved over to Europe. I sat alone in a little apartment in Brussels, Belgium during the day awaiting Jos getting home from work. I was afraid to venture out much farther than the tiny supermarket just two blocks up from us. I spent the day stitching away on this adorable mouse carrying holly if I remember correctly. In those days, there was no email and I used to write home to them a little each day and then mail the letter at the end of the week. Do you have the mouse out this year mother? Maybe you can share a photo of it as I don’t have

NOTHING LIKE SOUP AND A HAPPY BIRTHDAY

December 17th is my first born, Bill's birthday. Happy Birthday Bill and your favorite oatmeal cake will be waiting for you. He already got his gifts from us.
On a cold day, there is nothing like homemade soup. The other day, I made potato soup.
I make my Mom's receipe and it is so easy to make.


Potato Soup:

Peel and dice as many potatoes as you want, dice an onion, add salt and cover with water and boil.
When the potatoes are soft, drain the water off.
Cover the potatoes with milk and then make a flour and water thickener and turn the fire on as you add the thickener. Add about two tablespoons of butter and if desired, one or two cut up slices of bread. Add salt and pepper to taste and there you have it, ready to eat.

IN SYMPATHY

On another blog entry, I asked you to pray for my blogging friend Sweetie. Her daughter was murdered a year ago November. The murder is still not solved.
On Sunday, her husband died suddenly. She has her wonderful family with her but I know she will appreciate our prayers to be winging her way right now. I hope she knows her blogging friends are with her in thought and prayer as she goes through this difficult time.
If you would like to visit her blog, you can click on it from my friends list. Just go to Sweetie. She did put an entry on to tell her friends of the death.

CHRISTMAS PAST

Many, many years ago, this was me at Christmas. I got the doll in the background, my favorite. I loved to color then. This is the time we had real trees and icicles. Does anyone remember them? Way back in the attic, I still have some of the ornaments on this tree. The robe I was wearing was also a Christmas gift.

My Mom and Dad were in the elevator of a store downtown. My Dad saw the doll and told my Mom he had to go back up to the floor it was on. My Mom told me this story years later. It was wrapped with the legs all folded up over the head. I can still remember that. I think I was about six or seven when I got this doll . My Dad decided to be an amateur photographer, and put me behind a sheet with a light on to get this effect. My Dad loved to spoil me, and my Mom did ok too. I was a very happy child. Very fond memories for me.
If anyone sees this doll, please let me know, I really wish I had it back.

I FOLDED UNDER PRESSURE

Ok, Heidi, Margaret, Christine and everyone else who said I needed a tree. This is as good as it gets this year. The snowman on top says I love USA, I already had him and the one at the bottom, which is one of my very favorites.
This is my Gingerbread tree and it was not put into the attic. I just went out today to buy what would turn it into a USA tree.
With Kristy's husband, Mitch, in Iraq right now, and Mandie's husband, Jason, going to Quatar again in January, the main thing is to support our troops.
The main reason for the season is the birth of Jesus and we so need to remember that right now and pray for our country and especially our troops, who are keeping us free. Hope my little tree fits the bill for those who wanted me to have one.

PRESSURE FROM SPAIN

I have to tell you about a stitching friend I have in a small online group. She is telling our group she is going to start a petition to have me put up my tree. She is going to come to my blog everyday to check to see if it is there. Margaret lives in Spain but is from England. Will these two snowpeople meeting you when you come into the living room help?
Ok, what about these two? One will play a song for you, and the other will lift his hat to have a little snowman pop out. Eric, my son who will not do Christmas, bought this one for me at the Cracker Barrel a couple years ago.
These are just some who managed to escape from the attic and wouldn't stop on the stairs.
Now, this group finally organized and got into some order in their places on the steps. The headless one has a head now.

I ACTUALLY COOKED

The lasange is ready to go into the oven and the apple dumplings just came out. My sons and Eric's friend came for dinner. It was snowing that day, but warm inside. In case you wonder, that is cheese sprinkled on the top, I had three different cheeses.

These are the cookies I was telling the online stitching group about. I couldn't resist trying them and oh they are very good. Some of my snowmen are guarding them.
Visit my Granddaughter Mandie today, she put a new post on. She is on my friends list, Army wife is my life.

THEY ALL CAME TUMBLING DOWN

Ok, somehow, the attic doors opened, the totes came out and all these snowmen came falling down the steps. I hurried upstairs and closed the doors so no more could get out right now.
After all of these landed at the bottom, my job was to pick them all up and get them organized on the steps. I'll show you another day. Right now, I have to sew the head back on one of the guys who fell and broke his crown, maybe his name is Jack. If you kept track of my blog last year, you know that I have close to 400 snowmen counting the ones that hang on the tree. If you look closely, you can see the headless guy here.

HAPPY SINT DAY TO HOLLAND

Meet Sint. Since Heidi married Jos and moved to Holland, I have seen Sint in person. Tomorrow, December 5th, he will be visiting homes and the children are hoping he leaves them gifts. Just like our children do on Christmas Eve.
This is Piet. Piet is found everywhere you see Sint. Actually, several Piets go with him. He is always in a very colorful costume. They carry a bag and the children really hope they don't get put into it, and taken to Spain.
This is the boat they come to Holland on from Spain. Sint also might be riding a white horse. He arrives in Holland in November. Heidi invited Sint to her house when I was visiting, along with my sister and pen pal from England. It was great.
We were able to experience first hand the children next door seeing their toys lowered from the roof. They were so excited.
These are the famous little cookies that you find everywhere during the Dutch Christmas, and I do mean everywhere. All over the table, in your shoes, EVERYWHERE. Your shoes have to be set out so you can receive gifts during the season. Heidi could describe this much better, but I wanted to pay tribute to my Dutch friends who visit my blog, not to mention my very special daughter and son-in-law. HAPPY SINT DAY.
Sint should leave something for you, I know you were a good little girl.

CHRISTMAS TAG

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags when possible
2. Real tree or artificial? love real, but artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? Hum, never the same
4. When do you take the tree down? Jan 1st
5. Do you like eggnog? Once in a great while
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Rag Doll with long legs (wish I still had it)
7. Hardest person to buy for? George
8. Easiest person to buy for? Heidi and Zoe, cause they are both little girls
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can't think of any
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas

13. Better to give or receive? Give for sure
14. Favorite Christmas Food? Cookies
15. Favorite Christmas tradition? Giving my kids Christmas Pajamas on Christmas Eve (Heidi still wants them)
16. Colored lights on the tree or all clear? Used to be colored but changed to white for the snowmen
17. Favorite Christmas song? It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Now it is a snowman
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or morning? Morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds
23. Favorite Ornament theme or color? Red and Snowmen
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey and all the trimmings
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Cannot think of a thing

Linda at Somewhere in Time tagged me for this. I am supposed to give it to five other bloggers.
I think I am going to give it to everyone of you who come to my blog, so hope I get to read about you on your blogs now.

Once again, thank you Heidi, I could never have done this without you. She took over my blog and put it on so all I had to do was answer. She is a sweet girl.

SNOWPEOPLE

While waiting for Heidi to get on Skype, I went upstairs and let two snowpeople escape. This lady has decided to try to knit, but I don't think she will get very far with those mittens on. Guess she wanted a break from ice skating.
This guy is a snowman chair I bought in Amish Country. He was missing a mitten so I got a deal. I just brought him home and knit him a pair. The two little snowmen are from Heidi, she made them. The little ornaments were a birthday gift from my cousin Louise. She bought them in Florida last year. The red ribbon was tied on a swap gift from Barbara last year. We are having snow again by the way. Don't know how much we will get.
PS: I know what is wrong with my new laptop, the modum is not showing on it.

MY NEW TOY

I decided to take a picture of both my laptops to let you see the size of this one. Very small.
For quite some time, I have wanted to buy a very small laptop. Well, today, in the Best Buy ad, there it was at a great price. It looks like a baby compared to my other laptop. I wanted it mostly for travel. Carrying my other one is just heavy and hard to get out and put through the exray. Fingerprints are going to show up something fierce on it. Oh well.
First, we had a major problem getting connected to my wireless connection. After calling the troubleshooter, we thought we were good to go and not quite true. I cannot get connected to Internet Explorer. We have been having a lot of problems with them but I can't get on at all with this one. My son was here helping and I finally said, ok enough for tonight. He had things to do, since it was his day off, so he went home. Hope I can get it worked out but who knows.