Christmas 2014

This year was the year for Grant and Jessica to come home for Christmas.  And I got to say Hi to my Grandbaby (in Jessica's tummy) just so she could hear Grammie's voice.  Jessica is 19 weeks along, I will be able to actually meet my Grand Daughter in May, 2015! 

This year was really nice.  First off Grant, Jessica and I went to Christmas Eve service.  It was really nice with Arise playing and the cute skits and of course the music and singing.  Afterwards we had hot chocolate and cookies.

Christmas day was spent at Bryan and Amanda's.  I got there about 10 am to give the kids time to wake up, get showered and dressed.  We did some visiting...here is the kids looking at Francie (the dog) and then her in her chair.

Here is Bryan and Amanda's tree...

Grant got to give Francie her presents from her stocking, and believe me the dog knew it was her stocking.  Of course Grant got some jollies from teasing the dog by having her wait to see all the goodies before she even got one to play with...

Here are the guys opening their present from me...got them both a Hard Cider Kit...they both seemed interested.

Here is Amanda trying on her new PJ's from Bryan...

I made some gifts for my Grandbaby girl...

 

Grant did not realize that I had made these, I think Jessica knew.  And then they got me a couple of gifts from my Grandbaby girl:

which I gave them this one back because baby girl can wear it when she is able to.  Now this next present, a t-shirt I can wear come May!

Then there was a game on and looking more at a present to Bryan from Amanda...

See the little baby bump up above...yes I talked to my grandbaby so she would know my voice.

Food was excellent and being able to be with my kids and their spouses was fantastic!  I am so blessed.  Each one of my kids married someone that compliments them and treats them with love and respect and a Mom could ask for nothing more.  I love my second son and daughter.

On Friday evening Amanda, Jessica and I went to Lock 3 Park to see the Holiday Market, but alas the vender booths were closed.  There was a slide and ice skating rink open. We went into a building that has a concession stand open and found a display of Akron facts.  There was a big display of marbles and toys found when they excavated the spot where the American Toy Marble Company had been. They found a Blue Santa, America's oldest figurine of a Santa. This company was the first toy marble factory in the USA; it mass produced a million marbles a day and turned out dozens of other toys including the Blue Santa. Amanda and I had the most amazing cinnamon pretzels, so sweet on the outside and soft on the inside.  We joked about coming back next year if only for the cinnamon pretzel.  We then noticed some windows that had Journey to Bethlehem and also each window had items listed for you to look and find.  The windows were very well made, with figurines of people, animals, etc.  The tents were made of beautiful materials.  Someone took a lot of time and really thought out each window.  It was nice to window shop for once.

I hope you and your family had a blessed Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year.  May God bless you and may His grace fall upon you over the coming year.

 

Being thankful...

This Thanksgiving was a small affair; Amanda, Bryan, Leah and me.  Family, nothing like it.  I tried a new pie crust recipe that was easy to mix but a bear to roll out and stay in one piece to move from the the counter to the pie pan.  The reason I made this recipe was it made enough for 4 pie crusts and I had 2 pecan and 2 pumpkin pies to make.  This recipe used a small amount of vinegar in the mix, which I had never read before.  The recipe was from website I have used recipes from that always tasted excellent.  After cutting into 2 of the pies, my family decided that I should not throw away this recipe but keep it cause the crusts were so flaky.

I had to use canned pumpkin for 1 of the pies, I only had 1 pkg. of frozen Cushaw pumpkin in my freezer.  For those of you that do not know, Cushaw squash is the only pumpkin filling my Grandma and Mom used.  It is an old fashion squash that is white and green striped.  It makes the best pies!  Not many farmers grow it anymore.  I had to go clear to Marietta to find some at a roadside market.  My sister, Sandi saved me some seeds and this summer I am growing my own, may take up my whole back yard but on the bright side I won't have to mow so much grass.

On another thought I have the best son-in-law.  Bryan helped me hang a piece of art my Mom crocheted for me.  It it a table top piece and I had it framed with archival glass.  My Grandma and Mom crocheted with thread and made some really beautiful pieces from doilies to table tops to actual table cloths.  My Grandma had a table cloth that she would bring out on Holidays.  I remember it was used on my Grandparents 50th wedding anniversary.  Bryan with the help of Amanda hung my art in my dinning room.

Thank you Mommy for this beautiful handmade piece of art that I treasure so much.  My Mom always crocheted the pineapple motif. I always told my Mom that once she died this form of crocheting in the family would die too.  She always told me that I could take it up and with practice would be able to do it.  I crochet loose and when I have tried to do this kind of work it does not look like this.  I will keep trying.

Yes, this Thanksgiving brought back a lot of memories and also brought to mind all that I have to be thankful for.  First and foremost family.  Friends.  My Lord and Savior. Many blessings; a home, warmth, health, job, enough money, food, and the list could go on forever.  Yes, God is good.

Fall and country roads...

on my way to Creative Camp it was raining and then the sun would come out or rain would be coming down and to the West would be sunshine or the other way around...here is a picture I took while traveling...

Creative Camp - 2014

Went to Creative Camp this past October.  Finally learned how to make a sweatshirt into a jacket.  I have been wanting to learn that for some time.  I still have not finished mine, hopefully before Christmas even if it is a Fall jacket.  Also learned how to make domino jewelry with alcohol ink - pretty amazing.  Also made a leather key fob, and also made a basket (that is not done yet either).  So here follows some pictures.  Sandi taught a mason jar painting class - Shabby Chic Jars.  Here is after we set up for her class, and some jars done in her class by her students.

here is the start of my jacket...

my domino necklace and pin...

Key fob and bookmark...

Sandi's zipper pin...

other zipper pins...

Sandi's slate painting...only partially done.

My wool drying basket, that still needs finished...

Here is the building where we spent 2 nights and a look at the dorm room we stayed in...

This is a yearly event down in Mineral Wells, WV at the 4H camp.  There is such a variety of classes from how to make homemade noodles to quilting to weaving to scrap booking to card making to how to make laundry detergent to ornaments to genealogy to Christmas decorations to bird houses to tin men to basket weaving and the list goes on.  I love this weekend and time to be with family and friends.  I love all the different crafts to make and learn.  I thank God for all the people He gave creativeness to. 

Leaves, Leaves and more Leaves and then the difference a day makes...

Well Fall is I guess finally over, at least all the leaves have finally fallen.  I raked leaves 2 weekends - 3 hours on a Saturday and then the following weekend another 2 hours on Sunday after church.  There were a lot of leaves....

While I was raking on Sunday afternoon there were little pellets of snow, just every once in a while.  Then on Monday morning after waking up and looking out I took this 2 pictures below...

We got maybe 5 inches, nothing like the 6 feet of snow in the Buffalo area of New York.  It was such a pretty snow - sticking to the branches of trees and the pine trees looked like Winter wonderland.  God is sometimes so magical in the way He paints the world.

Memorial to Miss Megan - an inherited dog.

I woke up this morning to the realization that Miss Megan, my dog for the last 8 years most likely had a stroke and could not get up to her feet.  Miss Megan was my Dad & Mom's dog for 8 or 9 years and after they died I was lucky enough to be able to have her in my life for another 8 years.  Miss Megan was the best companion I could have ever asked for.  She never barked in the house, never expressed the need for excessive attention. Miss Megan was a full breed Border Collie that my Dad & Mom had bred.  There are now grown dogs out there from Miss Megan that have won ribbons for dog trials and such.  I know because more than a few of the people that purchased puppies from my Dad & Mom wrote and sent pictures of these things. 

I believed that this was going to be the last year with Miss Megan.  She was starting to have trouble getting up from her bed and walking with difficulty.  Miss Megan never complained.  You know how some people have said God spelled backwards is Dog.  Well Miss Megan had the patience and grace about her that somehow showed God.

She has such golden brown eyes, did not like her paws touched and her tongue stuck out just a little when she was relaxed.  After Dad & Mom died and I brought her home with me she became the perfect house dog, even though she had never been a house dog before. It amazed me how well she took to being in the house.  The only thing she chewed on was hoofs - nothing else, but she did love those hoofs.

She will be missed.  Miss Megan I hope you are happy with Dad & Mom.

Basket Bingo, 2014 - for The American Cancer Society

Here are some cards me and my sister, Leah June made for the silent auction at Basket Bingo

I also was able to see my Great Nephew - Levi.  And he learned my name (sort of) Aunt Gall.  I have some cousins when we were way young called me Gall also.  Apparently Gail is hard to pronounce, so it comes out Gall.  I played with Levi, chasing him and he also helped my Sister, Sandi - his Grammie make biscuits.
Although he did not like the biscuit dough on his fingers, even though he put his finger in the dough - too funny

Basket Bingo made over $4,000 - amazing!  People are not strangers to cancer.  I have so much fun doing this and knowing it is for a great cause.  Icing on the cake is getting to spend time with my sister, Sandi and my Great Nephew.  Nothing like Family!!!!  My sister took pictures on her IPhone (I forgot my camera) of the Basket Bingo night, when I get them I will post them.  God please take care of people sick with cancer.

Clouds

on my travels to and from my sister's house I took a couple of pictures.  Clouds some how catch my eye, and this first one reminded me of rolling wind or waves...

and this little black cloud in front of the white cloud caught my eye also

How God paints the sky, oh my, oh my.