And Z is for...

Zac...

Pictured here on the right along with his sissy, Isis Dreamweaver. He is part dalmation/jack russell terrier!

This post ends the ABC Along and the year 2008!

May you have a wonderful New Year's Eve...See you in the New Year!

Ten On Tuesday...

'10 Best Moments of the Year'

These are some of the best moments of the past year in no particular order...

1. Living in New Hampshire and getting to see and meet most of the presidential candidates before the primaries. It was the first time I've ever been in a state that had so much going on for a presidential election!

2. Working on the campaign that helped elect President-elect Barack Obama! Not since John F. Kennedy have I felt so energized by a candidate. And, I was in high school when Kennedy was elected.

3. Became old enough to retire and begin collecting Social Security.

4. Being able to visit in person with several blog friends - it was wonderful to see them in person and get to know them.

5. Attended my first week-end away on a knitting retreat! It was so fun...

6. Organized my quilting and knitting supplies and my quilting area. It is so nice to be organized!

7. Attending my very first Quilting Retreat! Three days with nothing to do but sew and be with friends. It doesn't get any better than that.

8. Having my sister and daughter come and visit me. Even though the circumstances were hard - it was still wonderful to spend time with them.

9. Finding a wonderful and caring environment for my mother to live out her last years. Even though it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do - I knew that the right decision was made when I see that she is so well cared for and so happy.

10. That I have finally accepted the fact that living alone does not mean a life of loneliness - but, rather time to enjoy all life has to offer!

You can play here!

Recap...A-Z Reading Challenge...

It is December 29th and I seriously doubt that I will finish a book between now and the end of the year...so, I thought I would recap my A-Z Reading Challenge for the year 2008.

I read 29 books this year...that I was able to include into this Challenge...(if you want to read the rules - just click on the link on my sidebar)

In addition I read: 6 books where the letters on my chart were already filled.

Predators, Prey and Other Kinfolk: Growing Up in Polygamy by Dorothy Allred Solomon
Hide and Seek by Fern Michaels
Hocus Pokus by Fern Michaels
Fast Track by Fern Michaels
Lost Souls by Lisa Jackson
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

During 2009 I will finish filling in the list - of missed letters...but, truthfully, I think reading 35 books in one year is pretty darn good! (And, I didn't count the different magazine subscriptions that I get and read from cover to cover!)

Books:

A: A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen
B: Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson Is Guilty by Anne Bird
C: Collateral Damage by Fern Michaels
D: Deception Point by Dan Brown
E: Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky by Art Wolfe
F: Free Fall by Fern Michaels
G:
H: Homeward Bound (Harlequin American #1079) by Marin Thomas
I:
J: Jury, The - Fern Michaels
K: Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Juliana, Isabella & Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich
L: Lethal Justice by Fern Michaels
M:
N:
O:
P: Payback by Fern Michaels
Q:
R:
S: Sweet Revenge by Fern Michaels
T: Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher
U: Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon
V: Vendetta by Fern Michaels
W: Warrior Without Rules (Silhouette Intimate Moments #1382) by Nancy Gideon
X:
Y:
Z:

Authors:

A:
B: Barry, Brunonia (The Lace Reader)
C: Cora, Cat (with Ann Krueger Spivack) - (Cooking from the Hip)
D:
E: Eicher, Lovina (with Kevin Williams) - The Amish Cook at Home: Simple Pleasures of Food, Family, and Faith
F:
G: Grogan, John (Marley and Me)
H:
I: Ingram, Christine and Jennie Shapter - (The Complete Book of Bread and Bread Machines)
J: Jessop, Carolyn (Escape)
K: Kaye, Barbara (Challenge of a Lifetime Harlequin Superromance 433)
L: Lee, Sandra (Made From Scratch: A Memoir)
M: Michaels, Fern (Weekend Warriors)
N:
O:
P: Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie (Things I Learned from Knitting...whether I wanted to or not)
Q:
R: Rule, Ann (Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder and Other True Cases - Ann Rule's Crime Files: Vol. 12
S: Spencer, Irene (Shattered Dreams: My Life As A Polygamist's Wife)
T: Torkells, Erik & the Editors of Budget Travel (Secret Hotels)
U:
V:
W: Wagner, Robert J. (with Scott Eyman) (Pieces of My Heart: A Life)
X:
Y:
Z:

My Corner of the World...

Looking down Main street - in the background you can see Mt. Ascutney.

City Hall and Opera House in one building. It is a very beautiful building inside...

The truth be told - My corner of the world has about everything that I need. Live theatre, library, movie theatre, grocery stores, book store, nice restaurants, lots of churches, shops and a quilt store.

There are four quilt guilds and one knitting group that I belong to. Two of the guilds are in adjoining towns (Newport and Cornish)...and the knitting group is in Newport. Knit shops are in bordering towns like Newport, Lebanon and White River Junction.

The only thing that is hard to buy here is clothing and we have no MALL - but, if the need to spend time in a sprawling and crowded mall ever overtakes me - I can get to Concord or Manchester in a matter of a couple of hours...or even to Holyoke, MA in about the same time.

I have made new friends - and am perfectly content in my corner of the world

Friday Fill-In #104 on Saturday...

1. I must see Paris before I die.

2. You can't stop the effects of aging, but you can chose to enjoy the process.

3. I wish I never had to buy clothes again. I have the worst time shopping for clothes! Nothing ever fits right; can never find what I am looking for; and to me it is just a big waste of time.

4. My attitude and belief in myself has helped me change my life.

5. I know the song Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves by heart.

6. If I weren't so afraid, I would go skiing! I've never done any of the ice sports - skiing, sledding, or snowmobiling.

7. And as for the weekend, last night I watched the The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep, today my plans include watching The Dark Knight and Sunday, I want to get myself organized for the new year!

Yesterday and Today...

Christmas Day was a very quiet day for me. Spend the morning with Mother. Took her some new clothes for a present but to be honest she didn't get that it was Christmas...nor did she know it was me.

But, she was happy...smiling...and would answer me if I asked her something - but, would not start a conversation. She will usually ask about the cat...and what I am going to eat. When I left she asked if I was going home and kissed me on the cheek...but, again - no real recognition.

Came home and had dinner - ham, potatoes, and broccoli.

Tara called to say she thought the quilt was beautiful...and she loved it. So, that made me feel good. She was having a tough time with her allergies...

Today, I had a few groceries to get, took Killian to get two stitches (internal) out that came up suddenly, and then I rented The Dark Knight which I intend to watch either tonight or tomorrow night - depending on which is the worst TV night.

Merry Christmas...

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Eve...

"Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!"

Killian and I send our love to all of you!

Ten on Tuesday...

10 New Years Resolutions

1. Enjoy my life!!!

2. Get packages in the mail. I've been collecting some things for people I know and I need to get those things off into the mail this year. Preferably, in January.

3. Bake my own Cookies. I have tons of great recipes from friends that I need to try.

4. Bake my own Bread! Just cause I want to.

5. Participate in the Read-Your-Own-Books Challenge in 2009. My goal is 25.

6. Participate in Pay It Forward - and get my gifts to the four people who signed up by June 30th.

7. Complete the Soo Nipi Quilt Guild Challenge!

8. Continue to work on my 101 in 1001! (You can see my list by following the link in my sidebar.)

9. Continue to work on charity quilting and knitting!

10. Try a new recipe every week. With the tons of cookbooks I own and all the recipes my blogging friends post - I should not lack for new food/baking experiences!

You can play here!

Let It Snow...

When I went to play with the dogs today - I saw the neat little path that had been snowblown through the snow from yesterday and Friday...That's a lot of snow!!! (Click to enlarge)

The bottom two photos were taken from my bedroom window - lots of snow in the plant life!

More snow due Wednesday!!!

My Corner of the World...

A week ago - an ice storm! Friday - 12 inches of snow on the ground! And, today - we are in the 18 inches of snow range!

Yes - it will be a white Christmas - because I doubt that this much snow will melt away before Christmas Day...

But, it is beautiful to look at - and in some cases to wander around in.

My friend, Elizabeth over at Open Air Photo sent me some photos of the ice storm that she took. I asked if I could post them on my blog and she said - yes - so, allow me to share her beautiful photos of the ice storm last week.

So which one is your favorite of the four? (Mine - it's a toss up between the second one and the last one!)

Photos courtesy of: Elizabeth Marcello, Open Air Photo. Photos are copyrighted. Please observe all copyright rules.

Paying It Forward...

My friend, Roberta, is Paying It Forward...and I've decided to join her.

It' about spreading a little joy - and having some fun.

So here is how it works:

"For those of you that have not seen the movie the concept is this. Whenever someone does a good deed for you instead of doing something nice back to that same person you pay it forward. It's simple. You select 3 people to send gifts to. Their only liability to you is that they promise to also pay it forward three fold

The gifts I make will be sent out sometime in the next six months. Then in return, you make the same PIF promise on your blog. You must have a blog to participate and you have up to six months to send out your handmade gifts. Ready to join in the fun?"

If you want to participate - please leave me a comment that you want to Pay It Forward!

Friday Fill-In 103...

1. Said the night wind to the little lamb, Do you see what I see? Way up in the sky, little lamb.

2. The first Noel, the angel did say, Was to certain poor shephards in fields where they lay.

3. Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere.

4. It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth, touching their harps of gold.

5. Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.

6. And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing right within your heart.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finishing up a knit Christmas present, tomorrow my plans include maybe to bake some cookies and Sunday, I want to chill out and read, knit, and maybe quilt a bit!

You can play here!

This one was fun - I can't believe I remember these carols! But, some of them are my favorites.

It's In The Mail...

Several folks have asked if I took some photos of the quilt for Tara, my daughter, before I popped it in the mail.

The answer would be yes...The quilt fits on top of a kingsize bed - She has a queen size and wanted it to hang over the size...

This is the entire quilt - you can click on the photos - and you can get a better view of it...

She will have it in time for Christmas - even though I worried about it as I was sewing on the label at 12:45 this afternoon...

Edited by Sara:

There are in this quilt:

672 - 2-1/2 inch squares (including seam allowance)

105 - 4-1/2 inch squares (including seam allowance)

449 - 2-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch rectangles (including seam allowance)

None of the colored fabric is the same - therefore it is considered a charm quilt.

This and That...

Can you believe it - Christmas Day is seven days away! Unbelievable!

My Cornish Quilt Guild had our Christmas party last week - and while at Ellen's house, she showed us her sewing area -
Look at what was sitting in a corner of the room. Is that not a beautiful walking wheel? And, it is in great shape - very pretty wood, too.

This would be the different strips of binding that I am using on my daughter's quilt. It is just a group of great colors...

And, the best news - the binding is almost on and the quilt will be going in the mail tomorrow.

Ten on Tuesday...

Ten Best Gifts You've Ever Given

1) Quilt I made for my daughter... 2008

2) A Telescope to see the night stars.

3) A Hot Air Balloon Ride

4) Hand knit socks

5) Hand knit afghans (more than one!)

6) Certificates to Museums

7) Dollywood Pass

8) Baked goods that I myself made

9) A gift of time alone together

10) Homemade gift certificates for things during the next year.

You can play here!

Virtual Cookie Exchange...

Angela is having a Virtual Cookie Exchange! And, since I love cookies - thought I would share my favorite Christmas (and actually, year-round) cookie recipe with you.

Enjoy!!!

Lace Cookies - makes 4 dozen

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter

3/4 cups oats

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons Light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Drop 1/2 teaspoonful onto tinfoil 4 inches apart. Bake until golden brown. Let cool before removing.

My Corner of the World...

When I moved here - the first quilt shop I found was Four Pines Quilt Shop. My quilting things were still packed away but I was ready to do some sewing...and joined their Thimbleberries Club that year.

The shop consisted of two rooms in the home where Becky's son and family lived. A while later they moved to a nice little shop - but the parking was not the best. Then they moved into a larger spot in the same building...

A few months ago they moved into a beautiful location! A stand alone quilt store in what used to be an old church. And, they have grown...

Lots of nice shelving for pretty fabric...

Beautiful wood floors and plenty of space to hang quilts and show off the fabrics.

Behind the row of shelves one will find the class room and where the pulpit and choir used to be is the home of the long arm quilting machine!!!

This is the view when you walk in the door...

And, this is just to the right of the entry...

Brent, Becky's son, runs the shop while she teaches school at the local high school - and he is a very good long arm quilter.

We recently just started a quilt guild that will meet at the shop once a month.

The quilt shop is perfect spot to just go hang out and enjoy the company of the others who are working on projects.

Blue Skies, Black Ice...

This has been a few days to write home about!

Thankfully, I am safe and only had a very short power outage - maybe just like a burp in the middle of the night. I would not have noticed it if my clock hadn't gone to flashing at me.

Others in my state are not as fortunate. Over half of the residents in my state are without power...and Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine have all suffered similar outages...

The blue skies and the sun seem to melt a lot of the ice - but, then in the evening when it gets cold again - it refreezes...then we get that yucky stuff called black ice.

So, I am staying put - in my cozy apartment - sewing on a binding to a quilt - knitting a bit - and just hanging out.

Finally organization has come into parts of my life...as some of you might have noticed. I am totally caught up on my e-mails...if I get an e-mail or comment on my blog, I am answering it that day. It feels good to be more consistant with my e-mails and my regular mail. No more piles of mail sitting around.

Well, I am off to add the binding on...take care and stay warm...

Friday Fill-In 102#

1. Friends make life richer and enjoyable.

2. Good health; it's to be treasured!

3. I'm ready for Christmas and then the New Year. I have great plans for the new year!

4. Perhaps by Bob Mackie is one of my favorite perfumes or aftershaves or smells.

5. The oldest ornament I have is a plastic Rudolph. I have had him since I was a little girl. I would be very sad if something happened to it.

6. Take some cocoa, milk, marshmallows, and sugar, mix it all together and you have really delicious hot chocolate.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sewing the binding on my daughter's quilt, tomorrow my plans include sewing down the binding on my daughter's quilt and knitting some Christmas presents and Sunday, I want to try and finish up any loose ends on daughter's Christmas things!

You can play here!

Ice Storm...

One of my quilt guilds had their Christmas party today. When I left the house at 9:00 a.m. - it was snowing very lightly...at Noon when it was time to head for home - it was beginning to spit ice. Kept hearing these little pings on my windshield and little tiny chunks of clear hard water landing on my car hood! I could see through them...Yep - that would be ice. (Yes, I know I still find the weather here in New England to be fascinating!)

Got home safely - but, my area is the one that is outlined in pink on the weatherman's chart on Channel 9 - and I sure hope we don't lose power.

So, I'm going to cuddle up in my pj's, watch a little tv, and knit...(trying to get a Christmas present done tonight!)

Have a safe evening!!!

Ten on Tuesday on Wednesday...

Ten Favorite Holiday Songs

This one is tough - mainly because I love music...and there are so many wonderful songs out there...but, I'll give you ten that I really love. (in no particular order)

1) Mary, Did You Know? (Kathy Mattea's version is beautiful)

2) O Holy Night

3) Little Drummer Boy

4) Do You Hear What I Hear?

5) Winter Wonderland

6) White Christmas (the Bing Crosby version is the only one!)

7) Christmas in Dixie (Alabama's hit is awesome!)

8) Silver Bells

9) Sleigh Ride

10) Felix Navidad (by the one and only Jose Feliciano)

And, my very favorite is: All I Want For Christmas Is You by Vince Vance and the Valiants.

Y is for...

Yarn...

Need I say more!

X is for...

Xerox Machine...

Where would we be if we couldn't xerox charts to help us knit our lovely things? Besides who wants to mark up really good books and you might want to make that again...then you'd have all those marks in your book...

The chart is for fingerless mitts...and it saves me from making little tick marks on everything...

My Corner of the World...

Claremont is trying to grow up and make use of some of the old mills which we have - Think I've mentioned this before...

The Visitors Center - (to be truthful - it's not much of a visitor's center) is where the Planning and Development offices for the city are located and is located across the river from downtown.

Right after we moved here there was talk of building a pedestrian bridge to hook up the Visitors Center to the area that is being rebuilt.

This is it...(not open to pedestrian traffic yet) - The mills behind it will house a Common Man restaurant, a boutique hotel, hopefully some cute shops, and condos.

While I admit that the view of the river in that area is stunning - I'm not quite sure that the bridge was a needed addition - considering that it doesn't really go anywhere other than to the Visitors Center.

But, it does look pretty...

W is for...

Winter...

These were shots of the 2007 - 2008 winter....wondering what 2008 - 2009 is going to be like!

My Favorite Christmas Song...

Yes...I think this is going to work...My favorite Christmas song...

You know this could become addictive!

Edited to say: My understanding is that Lisa Lanes is the singer and she used to be a member of Vince Vance and and the Valiants.

Friday Fill-Ins #101...

1. Snow is beautiful and everything looks gorgeous covered in snow. It brings me peace.

2. I'm looking forward to the beginning of 2009. I have great plans for the new year.

3. My Canon Power Shot A570IS is the best digital camera ever!

4. One of my favorite old tv shows is Miami Vice - but, you should have known that! I've been going on about it for weeks it seems! I also used to love Midnight Caller! And, that is who Killian is named after - the lead Jack Killian!

5. I'm done with not taking advantage of my creativity. I want to really enjoy my quilting, knitting, and whatever other creative outlet inspires me.

6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is the lights - love to drive through the neighborhoods and look at the light displays.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching the new Indiana Jones movie, tomorrow my plans include going on an art tour or staying home quilting and Sunday, I want to attend church, relax, and finish the book I'm reading!

You can play here!!!

Christmas Quiz...

My friend, Carol had this on her blog today - and since I had a bad day with my previous post - I thought I'd try this...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both - but, truly it should be gift bags! I am the worst wrapper!

2. Real tree or Artificial? When I was a child we had an artificial tree. The last twelve years - I've had a real tree. I prefer a real tree because I like the smell. But, for ease an artificial one is easier.

3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving week-end

4. When do you take the tree down? New Year's week-end - but, not on New Year's Eve or Day.

5. Do you like eggnog? I only like one brand of egg nog - Farm Store! And, how I wish they had a store in New England. I have tried dozens of egg nogs in the past eleven years - and I haven't liked any of them.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I think my favorite was the year my mother and grandmother stayed up for hours after my sister and I had gone to bed and made clothes for our dolls. They were dressed in their new clothes when we woke up.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Tara, my daughter.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mother - she always needs new clothes or shoes.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No - I had a set that I made out of ceramics. Some of the pieces broke - so, I gave it away - and kept just the sheep...(gee, I wonder why?)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail - when I remember. It isn't a favorite part of the holiday for me.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of anything that I would consider my worst gift.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I made things and buy all year - then I fill in with other things in November and December.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My neighbor in Florida used to make these great coconut cookies at Christmas...so those would be it...

16. Lights on the tree? Yes - all colors of lights.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Religious: O Holy Night; Contemporary: All I Want For Christmas is You - Vince Vance and the Valiants.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home - I love staying home for Christmas. And, I like it if my family can be here.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? Yes: Dasher, Dancer, Comet, Blizen, Donner, Cupid, Vixen, Prancer and Rudolph.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We used to open one gift on Christmas Eve - it would be new pj's...the rest on Christmas morning.

21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds in the malls - and the annoying commercials.

22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Pretty traditional - red/green. Although I've thought about doing a tree with icy blue ornaments.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? a couple of knitting books and the rest of the Miami Vice DVDs (Seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5)

24. Angel on the tree top or a star? It changes with my mood - the last few years a blue angel.

25. Favorite Christmas dinner? Ham! I really like ham. But, we did have a crown rib roast a few years ago and it was awesome.

Feel free to answer these on your blog - and let me know so I can read your answers...

Songs...

This has to be one of my favorite Christmas Songs

Vince Vance and The Valiants

(I tried for about an hour to put the video onto my blog so that you could play it - but, I could not figure it out...so, any of my friends out there that know how to do that - I sure could use some help...)

Ten on Tuesday...

Ten Ways You Can Save Money

1) Combine your trips.

Today, I ran to the chiropractor, the Post Office, the library, Wal-Mart to drop off a prescription, to the deli to get some home made chicken soup, to the video store to rent my free video, the bank, and finally home.

2) Use your library to rent DVDs, videos, music, books, and in some instances art.

3) Make your own coffee or hot chocolate at home and take it with you as opposed to buying it at the local coffee shop.

4) Use coupons at the grocery store...but, only if it is something you will use.

We have Price Chopper up here and I like the store - they also double all coupons up to a dollar and every now and then they run a day where they double coupons over $1.00.

5. Buy those 2-for-1 coupon books that most of the high schools around here sell and use it.

6. Donate clothing or appliances you no longer need and get a tax deduction.

7. Walk or bike to places that are close by instead of using your car.

8) Car pool

9) Make use of our City, State and National Parks for recreation.

Moody Park which is just down the street from me offers: trails to be walked or hiked; children's playground; picnic tables with grills; baseball field; and tennis courts. In the winter, you can cross country ski or ice skate.

10) Call your credit card companies and get your interest rate lowered and your cable/internet provider and see what specials they can offer you that is better than what you have now.

You can play here!

Award...

Roberta over at Quilting and other Ramblings really surprised me by awarding me with this neat blogging award.



So, now I need to follow the rules - I have to admit it took me a bit of time to decide who to award this to...

The rules of the award are:

1. The winner may put the logo on her blog.

2. Put a link to the person you got the award from in your blog.

3. Nominate 5 blogs. ( I did 6 - cause there was a tie)

4. Put links to the blogs.

5. Leave a message for your nominees.

Here are my picks:

Pat at A Little of This and A Little of Pat - Pat is a new blogger and is a quilter...and, of course, I really enjoy other quilt blogs. Love being inspired by new bloggers!!!

Terri at Terris Bits and Pieces - Terri is another quilter and knitter...and a fairly new blogger, too. Love some of the pretty little quilts she has done...

Janet at Fond of Snape - Janet is a tremendous photographer! Truly talented! She inspires me to take better photos and to look at the way I take photos. She is also the brain behind the Friday Fill-ins that I so enjoy!

Brittany at Knit Witch - Brittany inspires me because she recently moved and took a big step in starting her own yarn business. She also makes beautiful yarn pots...and she knits, too...

Colleen at Loose Leaf Notes - a wonderful writer and poet. She inspires with her words...and the way she enjoys her life in Floyd.

Anna at Quilt Mom's Journey - Another new blogger and quilter. Lovely quilts and just a neat blog. I've been inspired by see her quilts.

So - there you go - some new blogs and talented people for you to check out...