MAR Mini Seminar - It's In The Bag

What a great weekend. Stitching is my life. I love to be creative and I particularly love to stitch. A friend and I spent the weekend in Camp Hill PA at a "Stitching Mini Seminar". It was a wonderful weekend. We drove up on Friday night got our room and than quickly got unpacked and into our PJ's so we could stitch on the projects we brought with us. Than it was up early in the morning and off to class. I took a class called "M'Lady's Bag". It was a blackwork and beadwork little bag that is a necklace. There were 7 in my class. There was actually a lady from Maryland who was 90 years old and she was working on 27 count linen. God love her. I hope I can do this when I'm her age!

All in all, the weekend was a total success. It was a time to relax and stitch, a time to renew old friendships, a time to make new friends, a time to hear and a time to get in touch with the bigger picture of MAR/EGA. I was impressed with the depth of planning for the seminar and impressed with the MAR board and all that they are doing.

No Good, Very Bad, Horrible Weekend

It all started with the Hot water heater going. That was ok though because we got almost 20 years out of it. So, we called PSEG, with whom we have a contract, they came out and said it is shot you need a new one and it will be $900. We were shocked but the worst was yet to come.

We set an appointment for that and accepted that news. Than on my way home from work the next day my engine light went on in my car. Now, mind you, my car is 10 years old so we expect problems. It was the catalytic converter - which we all know as the politicians way of sucking money out of it taxpayers and feeding the hand of the environmentalist. So, that cost $1000. So, now we think we are looking at $1900. An overwhelming amount.

What more could go wrong you say? Well, when they came to put in the waterheater of course, there was more. Because of new regulations for carbon monoxide and epa regulations (again, another political hand to feed) we had to have the core in our chimney taken out (drilled out - what a mess) and a new one put in. So this bill went for $900 to $4150. Yea - pretty bad right. Oh, this is only the beginning.

We stayed home on a Sunday while all this work is done at our house. Decided to run out for dinner. We were gone for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Came home and some of my jewelry was strun down our front steps. The front door was unlocked. WE HAD BEEN ROBBED!! The took all my jewelry. Smashed the sunroom door and came through the house.

Yes, God is in control of even this. However, I do have that sick pit in my stomach. Sin is a horrible thing and is getting more and more control.

SNOW!, Beautiful Snow!!!!

Snow has to be my most favorite thing in the whole wide world. I truly believe it is the most beautiful thing that God has created. Well, we finally had that night-time snow that is sooo beautiful.

We had a sunroom put on our house two years ago. Our house is such that the sunroom is really on the second floor, I couldn't wait to stand and look out and see snow. It funally happened!!!

Isn't it beautiful!!!

The Christmas Tree Contraversy

Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year. I really do spend all year doing things to get ready. Picking the theme for my table than finding things to support my theme, looking for gifts, making ornaments, stitching stockings and tablecloths, etc.

The first thing I do every year the day after Thanksgiving is decorate the trees. We have three trees. One big family tree in the living room, a Barbie tree outside our bedroom, and a Disney tree in the sun room.

I watch alot of HGTV - in fact, I'm addicted to those design shows. This year, as I watched the "Christmas Decorating" shows I was struck with a theme that running through them all - YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE SHOULD HAVE A THEME. Having lots of random stuff on your tree looks like clutter!! Wow, stop there. I firmly disagree. When I decorate my tree it is a time that transports me to another world - the past. Each ornament, which there are probably close to 300, has some meaning and each ornament is one of a kind with the exception of a few that are in sets of four. I remember who gave me the ornament and pray for that person, I remember the people that painstakingly made ornaments and pray for them. There are ornaments that Sandie made when she was little - you know macaroni and pipe cleaners!! - I pray for her. It takes me forever to decorate the tree but when I'm finished I've visited more points in time than during the whole previous year. When I look at the decorated tree it is packed with wonderful memories. When people visit, they love to look for the ornaments they gave us or look for one that they really like. Does it look cluttered?? Absolutely not - it looks festive and beautiful.

So, what do we do with this themed thing. OK, I admit, I had to at least address the idea so I have two small trees. One with all my Christmas Barbie ornaments and one with all Disney ornaments. There, I have satisfied those designers and I have satisfied my creative, nostalgic side.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Saturday at the Kimmel Center

Every year my mom takes me to the Kimmel Center for Christmas to see Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. I love going to the Kimmel center. This is a trip conducted by the Seniors Citizens of South Jersey so that can be quite entertaining in itself.

We left at 11 AM and went to the Moshulu for lunch. http://www.moshulu.com/site/main.asp . I have never eaten on the Moshulu so this was new and exciting. It is docked at Penn's Landing. It is a 4 star restaurant. I had the Chicken.

Than it was off to the Kimmel Center for the Philly Pops Christmas Concert http://www.phillypops.com/. It was so good. The Von Trapp Children were there singing with the pops this year. (You remember Kirk from the movie, Sound of Music - he says in the movie, "I'm Kirk and i'm incouragable." - these Von Trapp children were his great great grandchildren). They were really good. There were 4 of them.

The concert was about two hours long. Not long enough - I love just being inside the concert hall. It is like being inside of a huge violin. Music is such a wonderful gift from God.

Of course, now our tree is decked out with a new ornament from the Kimmel Center - actually two this year. The newest musical instrument is a trombone. (The last two years brought a violin and a flute). I would have only gotten the one ornament but they also have a new brass ornament that is a likeness of the Kimmel Center - of course, I had to have that!!

It was a great day. Let the holidays begin!!!! (But not too fast, I've got so much to do!!!) REJOICE!!

Back to Work

Have you ever noticed how after a vacation it is so hard to get back to work. I did not darken the doors of the workplace for a whole week. (at a convention for 3 days and home celebrating turkey day for 5). So, we are back, and I must get motivated. I really do like my job - but at this time of the year there is so much to do!!

I spent the last few days decorating trees, making gifts, weeding through old decorations. The house looks like Christmas exploded. Boxes, storage containers, ornaments are everywhere. Will I ever get it done? Yes, I will. Every year I fret over getting everything accomplished and somehow it all gets done. I really do love this season. I stitch all year to get ready. I love to decorate the tree and ponder over each ornament on the tree and where it came from. Tree decorations are a great way to remenisce about family events and people who have touched our lives.

It is not truly Christmas until one watches the movie White Christmas, a true classic. So, on Saturday night while home alone (eveyone else was out) I did it - I watched White Christmas. I can now declare, "It IS The Christmas Season." Let's rejoice and celebrate the birth of The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!!