Etsy

I'm expanding my Etsy shop to include

BABY BLANKETS AND HATS

Let me know what you think!

New Year's Eve

It's New Year's Eve and I haven't made a single New Year's resolution. I won't follow through with them anyway. Of course, I hope that next year is a better year than last year. I hope that I'm happier this year. Healthier. I hope I worry less and laugh more. I hope you all do too.

Snow... again!

My brother pointed out to me the other day that our weather so far this winter
is exactly like "The Long Winter" as recorded by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
A snow storm every three days.
I just hope we don't have to resort to spending our days braiding corn husks
to feed the fire, and tunneling out paths to the grocery store.

Being snowed in can be fun, though,
if you have your Netflix
and a new book to read.
Which I do.... :-)

Me and my Puppy

Yippe Skippee!!!! (as Luke would say)

I've been wanting a laptop for years... my brother says this is the only kind of laptop I need. He calls it "poor man's laptop"

Well, I'm poor, so that's the only kind I've ever had.

Until....

Tada!!!

Dad bought me this lovely used "notebook" from Dave

I'm so happy. Thanks Dad, Thanks Dave!

It's A Wonderful Life Ending

This is the best ever Holiday movie...

The Flowershop Girl... at Home

Namely, at the flower shop :-)

Here is my wonderful, WONDERFUL (note the emphasis) boss. She doesn't let us call her "boss", though, she's the "Coach"

Here she is opening her Christmas gift from all of us adoring employees. My sister drew a beautiful sketch of our shop, absolutely amazing.

This is me, with the two ladies I work with the most, two of my bestest buds!

And.... 'tis the season! We see a LOT of this, this time of year!

New Profile Picture

Old One

New OneOpinions?

Wedding flowers

Last weekend I had the privilege of arranging flowers for a friends wedding. I've done lots of flowers for other people but this is the first time I've ever been able to do them for a friend. It was so much fun.

(pardon the semi-angry look on my face... I really wasn't mad, just concentrating...)

this is the brides bouquet: pink, red and ivory roses, tree fern, seeded eucalyptus, babies breath, burgundy something...(sorry, i don't know what that is... it came in a variety pak and worked lovely, but I've never seen it before)

oh, and a cute little loop of bear grass, just for the sake of being artsy

The bridesmaid carried: stargazer lilies, pink and ivory roses, burgundy seeded euc, a burgundy gerber daisy, and more of that great burgundy stuff.

winter

Winter Morning Poem

Ogden Nash

Winter is the king of showmen
Turning tree stumps into snow men
And houses into birthday cakes
And spreading sugar over lakes
Smooth and clean and frosty white
The world looks good enough to bite
That's the season to be young
Catching snowflakes on your tongue

Snow is snowy when it's snowing
I'm sorry it's slushy when it's going

Friends

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."

We're all grown up now

some of us are married

some have children

But, the only real difference is

That when we stay up giggling until the wee hours

Our parents don't come and tell us to go to bed

Carla Maffioletti and Akim Camara sing Pie Jesu

off for the weekend

Well, I'm off to Colorado for the weekend to go to a wedding! I'll post Monday afternoon when i get back, or maybe Tuesday... I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!

Movie a Minute

Ioan Gruffudd as Horatio Hornblower

I have strength of character and dignified restraint. Watch me square my jaw.

Robert Lindsay as Captain Pellew

As usual, Mr. Hornblower, you have shown yourself to be a hero by your patient longsuffering and proper British accent. Carry on.

THE END


lol... I shared this one with my sister and she reminded me of Luke's interpretation of this movie. I asked him what Daddy was watching and Luke said: "Guys YELLING!"
It was a battle scene....
"FIRE!"

More Movies in a Minute

A Tale of Two Cities

Ultra condensed by Liz Coppla

Doctor released,
Marquis deceased,
Darnay acquitted,
Monarchy submitted,
Marriage announced,
Darnay denounced,
Places are switched,
Blades are twitched,
Seamstress cries,
Carton dies.

THE END

go here for more books in a minute

Chocolate Chip Scones

4 cups flour
3 Tblsp sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup cold butter (no substitutes)
1 egg, separated 1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
additional sugar

In a bowl combine the first five ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. In a bowl, whisk egg yolk and milk. Add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in chocolate chips. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times. Divide dough in half. Pat each portion into a 7 inch circle; cut into 8 wedges. Separate wedges and place on greased baking sheets.
Beat egg white and brush over dough. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake @ 425 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.


Serve with Spiced Butter:
1/2 cup butter softened.
3 tblsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Combine all ingredients. Beat until smooth. Serve with warm scones

heartache

this story

Sunday morning a young girl woke up,
She dressed, had breakfast, and went to church.
She was me.

One thousand miles away another young girl was doing the same thing.
We both drove to church.
We both worshiped with our families.
We both made plans for Monday.
But, I woke up on Monday morning and
she didn't.

Our paths were similar, in fact our paths crossed.
More than 10 years ago we went to the same church.

Today I am sad, because her path has ended.
Abruptly.

White Pine

I think White Pine is beautiful... And when fresh flowers aren't available...

Did you know...

If you were to buy every item in this song... It would only cost you $78,000?

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Mr. and Mrs. Squeers

Mrs Squeers came in, still habited in the primitive night-jacket

which had displayed the symmetry of her figure on the previous
night, and further ornamented with a beaver bonnet of some
antiquity, which she wore, with much ease and lightness, on the top
of the nightcap before mentioned.

'Drat the things,' said the lady, opening the cupboard; 'I can't
find the school spoon anywhere.'

'Never mind it, my dear,' observed Squeers in a soothing manner;
'it's of no consequence.'

'No consequence, why how you talk!' retorted Mrs Squeers sharply;
'isn't it brimstone morning?'

'I forgot, my dear,' rejoined Squeers; 'yes, it certainly is. We
purify the boys' bloods now and then, Nickleby.'

'Purify fiddlesticks' ends,' said his lady. 'Don't think, young
man, that we go to the expense of flower of brimstone and molasses,
just to purify them; because if you think we carry on the business
in that way, you'll find yourself mistaken, and so I tell you
plainly.'

'My dear,' said Squeers frowning. 'Hem!'

'Oh! nonsense,' rejoined Mrs Squeers. 'If the young man comes to be
a teacher here, let him understand, at once, that we don't want any
foolery about the boys. They have the brimstone and treacle, partly
because if they hadn't something or other in the way of medicine
they'd be always ailing and giving a world of trouble, and partly
because it spoils their appetites and comes cheaper than breakfast
and dinner. So, it does them good and us good at the same time, and
that's fair enough I'm sure.'

'A most invaluable woman, that, Nickleby,' said Squeers when his
consort had hurried away, pushing the drudge before her.

'Indeed, sir!' observed Nicholas.

'I don't know her equal,' said Squeers; 'I do not know her equal.
That woman, Nickleby, is always the same--always the same bustling,
lively, active, saving creetur that you see her now.'

'It's my way to say, when I am up in London,' continued Squeers,
'that to them boys she is a mother. But she is more than a mother
to them; ten times more. She does things for them boys, Nickleby,
that I don't believe half the mothers going, would do for their own
sons.'

'I should think they would not, sir,' answered Nicholas.

Baby Shower

Windows

More than 70 years ago a man walked down the Main Street of a small town in Ky. He was a big city business man. Wandering up and down this little town something caught his eye. He crossed the street to admire a shoe store window display. The more he looked... the more he liked what he saw. He entered the shop.

"Excuse me, may I please speak with whichever of your employees it is that designed that window display?"

The clerk replied: "That would be Bill. Sure, I'll tell him you're here."

Before long Bill appeared. He was a tall, lanky young man. Quiet, calm, cautious.

"Hello, Bill. I represent the Sears and Roebuck, CO. I understand you're responsible for that window display?"
"Yes... I designed the window." Bill replied.
"Well, I think you did a fine job, Bill. Fine job. I like it a lot. Tell me, you did it all on your own, did you?"
"Well, yes, that was my job."
"That's fine, Bill. Bill, I'd like to offer you a new job. How would you like to move to Wisconsin? I've got an opening in one of our shoe departments there. Lots of room to move up. And I think you will, Bill. You've got the talent. What do you say?"

Bill had to think about it, but in the end he decided to take the job. He moved north, married and raised two sons. And he managed the shoe department at the Sears and Roebuck, CO. until he retired. By then, he had grandchildren. And great-grandchildren.

Fast forward 75 years. One of Bill's great granddaughters works at a Main Street florist in a small town in WI. Her boss asks her to design a window display for Christmas. Several days later, a group of women walk into the shop.
"Is your boss here?"
"No," the great granddaughter answers, "is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes. Who designed your window?"
"Well, I did," The girl replies, a little embarrassed.
"Well, congratulations!! You just won first prize in the Holiday Window Decorating Contest!!!!"



I apologize that I don't actually have any pictures of the first prize window. These pictures are the window I designed this year. It won 3rd place.