Lots of Good Stuff Happening…

Wow, where do I start, there's just been so much happening, and not just because of Christmas!!

Speaking of which… if I missed getting you this message any other way...

We had a quiet Christmas at home, just Jeff & I, and we enjoyed it!!

We listened to beautiful Christmas music all day, just hung around the home… as it got dark we had a very nice dinner with Mini-Turkeys (Cornish Game Hens), complete with lots of lit up candles and inside Christmas lights…

Santa did good, he remembered my Pickles again this year (a family tradition since I was 2 years old)…

I've been busy getting my studio set up, lots of stuff still on order, but at least its a start…

I made this set a couple days ago with the equipment I have on hand…

And I've been working on these as well (still quite rough)…  read more on my studio & it's happenings in my latest post on my Art Blog.

Never to be people that are all work & no play… Jeff & I checked out a German restaurant (Black Forest Inn) in Minneapolis that we hadn't visited before… love the holiday decor… and the food was good too!  I highly recommend the Sauerbraten, the German Potato Salad, and the Red Cabbage… Mmmm!!

That's the latest… hope your holidays have been fun, festive, and full of family!!

Celebrating with loved ones!!

This year our Christmas celebration with the kids (my son Tim & his wife Marta) was early, they'll be at Marta's family on Christmas Day...

So we celebrated early, yesterday actually… and though dinner was simple (Cock-a-Leekie Soup and fresh baked Artisan Bread) it was home made… But before we ate we opened our Christmas Socks (a tradition for us) & our gifts…

This is after dinner, with some bread & butter still on the table & the decorative candles still lit...

More candles & some Christmas Cards on the Piano (only time of year I let anything sit on the Piano)...

Our guests of honor, Marta & Tim… we very much enjoy getting to spend time with these two!!

Hope your celebrations are filled with Family, with Love, and with Joy!!

Merry Christmas!!

Fun with Friends!!

I just finished watching "The Grinch", the Jim Carey version, and I've decided that I've finally stopped being a Grinch this year… its about time!!

Why was I Grinchy?  I've been grieving a family member who passed unexpectedly (my brother's wife), and I've been sick…

What has changed?  I'm finally getting well, and I'm hearing that my brother is doing better too… Also, in the last couple days I've had the chance to spend time with several people I enjoy - my hubby (I always enjoy his company), the Young Adult class at church (great group!), my Small Group from church (wonderful & supportive), and I spent some time today around my friends Susan (here at the house) and Jen (at a coffee shop)…

While out & about with hubby we got to Christmas shop, mostly for the kids in the extended family - that's always fun!!

While visiting with Jen I got to play with Larkin… she's such a little delight!!

What is it about kids, they just make me smile… I love little kids!!

Concert & Snow & More Concerts & More Snow!!!

Busy as usual around here… that with me feeling very under the weather, but determining it was my allergies run-amok… very amok!!

On Saturday Jeff's band did their annual Christmas Concert...

It was held in Benson Great Hall at Bethel University… a beautiful location!!

And the music was (as always) wonderful!!  Jeff's in the back so you can't see him… but he's there!  It was late by the time we got home, with not a snowflake in sight despite the forecast of a big storm…

But we had us some snow on Sunday, and more snow, and more snow…  Jeff shoveled the driveway before we left early in the morning for church, it was only a few inches at that time - but it was wet & heavy & still coming down.  Later, at about 2 in the afternoon Jeff had to use the snowblower on the driveway - a lot more had come down and the plows had been by… and we had a concerts (two) to perform in…

A friend posted this picture from the first of the two performances - when more pictures and/or video are available I'll try to post… obviously we were in it so we couldn't take pictures or video… Oh, and that chimney in the set - Jeff made that (someone else painted it)…

By the time we got home Sunday night this is what we saw on the upper deck...

This is the Lower deck, I took this picture Monday Morning - about a foot of snow from this storm!!

Yep, Monday morning the snow blower was out once again… Jeff did both our place and one of the neighbors...

A little later Monday morning and the sun was shining...

Yes, those are deer tracks going through our yard…

Traffic has been terrible the last couple days, I hope that it warms up a bit tomorrow as forecast, the roads need to melt!!

I'm still here...

Were you wondering where I'd gone?

I had blogged previously about a death in the family (my Sister-in-law Jan), and I've been "back home" to spend time with my Mom & Brother & other family members… Since getting back I've been both Busy & Under The Weather… Here are some random pictures from the last couple weeks (and one old picture I just couldn't resist)...

One thing we did while I was back home was to go through old pictures with my Mom & Brother, this is a cute one of Mike (my nephew) and Tim (my son) when they were young…

These two were great buddies though as different as night & day… Mike (on left) is only 1 Month & 1 Day older than Tim… Two very happy guys!!

This is my nephew Mike now, with his baby boy Jacob… Mike's still a happy guy!

Jacob is a happy little guy too, smiles & laughs a LOT - and that at only 3 months old - we tell Mike that Jacob is his Clone!

Jacob again, this time with his pretty Mommy Salina… big smile on the little guy this time!

While in California Mom & I stayed a couple nights with my Aunt Pat, going to her house brought back so many childhood memories!!  Of all my Aunts & Uncles I spent more time at this Aunt's house than any other when I was growing up… very comfortable place for me to stay!  I really enjoyed getting to spend some time with Aunt Pat, I haven't had many chances to spend extended time with her since moving to Minnesota 16 years ago, this time was precious.  I also got to visit for a couple hours with my cousin Shelly (Pat's daughter) who's been going through Chemo, it was great to visit with her & see her beautiful smile!!

Aunt Diane - I stayed overnight with her my last night in California, she treated me to a dinner out.  Aunt Diane lived with my family for about a year when I was a teenager & she was student-teaching… In a lot of ways she's like a big sister (I don't have any sisters) it was great getting to spend some time with her & check out her new place - so cute!!

Because I was more concerned with spending time with my Brother I scheduled my flights before knowing when Jan's memorial would be… and it didn't happen until I was already home.  While the memorial was happening in California my doorbell in Minnesota rang, and the flowers pictured here were delivered (from my church in sympathy) - God has amazing timing!!

Other stuff going on in my life…

I've gotten the go-ahead from Jeff to set up a Jewelry Making Studio here at home, and I've started to acquire "stuff", read about that here on my Art Blog.

I've also been trying to nail down the lyrics to a song (part of a drama) for a Choir Concert coming up this Sunday - at Calvary Church in Roseville Minnesota, 4 & 6 PM (link here to more info).

If you're in the area we would love to have you come enjoy the Christmas Music & Drama…