2013 is over and 2014 is here......

Happy New Year to all

Did you think I just faded away.    Amazing how time flies by and I think I'll get around to it tomorrow and it just doesn't happen.   Oct. was crazy trying to get ready for vacation and I didn't have much to post I guess.  

Vacation:  Jep, that's what happens when you don't have a plan.  Ok, I sort of had a plan for vacation.  3 C's of vacation caused this Hen to turn into a stuffed turkey.  3 C's were too much Chilling out, Too much chowing down on not so good snacks and crafting which means sitting = stuffed turkey.  

 Now the snacks were actually pretty good and I enjoyed every bite.  Thank goodness vacation was not longer.

Don't really have much to show for the time I took off so looking back, I must have done way too much chilling out.

I bought a new tablet just before vacation, a cheapy so that I could wander thru Pinterest while Don's ballgame is in the background.   Needless to say, I heard about Candy Crush (ok so I'm a little late with some things).  I showed it to Don.  The table has not been back in my hands since it landed in his.  If I ever lose him, I'll give them the tablet for his fingerprints.

While on vacation I went to water aerobics, noodled in the pool, went to sing with the folk singers, hung out with some new and old friends and worked on my stitchery, went to colored pencil workshops, stopped by to check on the polymer clay group and Zentangle workshops.   Good that the last thing I did was attend a meeting on diabetes.    I worked on a colored pencil project, a little zentangle and some stitchery.  A friend loaned me some coffee motifs that I'm stitching by hand in brown and will turn into a small wall hanging.  I learned how to make Fabric Microwave bowls to put your soup in so you don't burn your hangs when it comes out of the microwave.  Lots of them posted on Pinterest.
 
Vacation time weather was grey most of the time but it was a change of scenery.  Dec. was spent at home doing a bit of decorating for the holidays.  I pulled out things from the Christmas corner I had not seen in years.  Just a sign that I could stand to go thru that corner and share with others for their next Christmas.  

In the back of my mind I was planning for the new year thinking about making resolutions.  Well you know how that goes.  One thing that I hope I can stick to and so far it's only worked for one day but the year is young.    That is to spend 1 hour a day sorting thru things that need to leave my house.

When I think that we moved in this house with the clothes on our backs from the house fire and to see what we (ok mostly me) have accumulated in all this time.  It's amazing.  I'm a bit of a clutter bug, neat but still a collector.    I also like things on the walls.

While we were gone we had the bedroom painted and woodwork from stained to white.  Well it's so pretty and now the windows look so pretty as well with the woodwork against the new paint color, "Dakota Trail" from Lowes, sort of a beige green that changes with the light.

 Yep, I'm now made it over a month with 0 on the walls in the bedroom.  While I thought I'd put a lot of it back up, I'm rethinking that and will chose carefully as it will be there for a while.    Unlike mama,  once I hang it, it's there for a long stretch.    Mama often has different things on the walls and tables every 3-6 months.  She loves to shop which I hate.

Anyway, I had some friends over in Dec. which gave me a good excuse to decorate and clean up.

Looking back I think I had a pretty good year.  Surrounded by some friends and projects.  I managed to do 14 preemie quilts for Brenner Children's Hospital  (my goal was 12) and 4 nappies for preK as part of our guild, Forsyth Piecers and Quilters.     I did a few stamp classes every month and just planning for those kept me busy.    I decided to volunteer to read at the assist. living and for anyone who knows me, I don't read so thought it would be good for my brain and treat for them.   I meet with 2 friends for dinner once a month and that's good girl time.

My friend Mary Jane and I used to meet half way for lunch and crafting but it was fly by night and often it wouldn't happen so in Jan 2013 we set a schedule to meet 3rd. Friday for lunch, crafting, show and tell.  Good plan because we had a great year and lots of fun and we stayed on schedule.    Doesn't seem like much but when you are retired, time just flies by and I've learned if I don't plan for it, it doesn't happen.

Not much happening at our house for Christmas as it's just me and Don but this year was one to remember.    Mama called at 4 am Christmas Day to say she wasn't well.  Of course she didn't press the first alert.  Out came the night guard, off the cpap machine, brushed my teeth, put on some clothes and off I went to check on her.  She's 91 and hardly ever been sick.    In the mean time, Don called to say that she had also called my middle sister for them to call 911.   By the time we all got their the ambulance was loading her and off we went to the hospital.  She had fluid on her lungs and heart.  She couldn't breathe.

No traffic on the road and the emergency room was quiet.  Only one other person in their and our family.  My middle sister has not spoken to me in several years.  Seems I stepped on her toes and not sure what I did but connection was lost.  It was a bit tense in the room but all the family was now there including my baby sister, husbands.    Once we got to go back, 2 at a time, Mama said.... is everyone here.  I prayed for everyone to be together for Christmas.  I've requested that in the future she pray for a better place to meet.   There is a smidge more conversation now, mostly thru email as we look toward the future.

Turns out we did have a family Christmas which she has wanted for the past 10 years.

Mama is now on 3 new meds (only 2 in the past) compared to my 10.   There are night lights all over her house and her first alert is around her neck where it should be.     She's bouncing back slowly.

We did not have our traditional lunch on New Years Day with Mama, my friend Linda and me and Don.  We did however have a smaller version of our meal.  Mama was happy to just have a plate brought to her and we were just not up for company.  The food this year was grilled ham, collards with country ham, black eyed peas, rolls, cranberry sauce and this year a store bought key lime pie.

The year has started off very slowly as I also had planned to exercise 1/1/14 daily and that hasn't happened yet either.   Jan 5 and the hour a day of sorting has slipped away but perhaps I'll start tomorrow.  Tonight I'll think about where I'll spend that hour.

So here's to a new year as good as the last one and as Miss Scarlett would say, I'll worry about it tomorrow.    Hope you all have a wonderful year and hope I run into you along the way.

Hugs from Joan.