Like Everyone Else...

Like everyone else I've been a bit overwhelmed by Christmas this year - not that I've had trouble getting ready for it, but more that it got here so much faster than ever before!  Has anyone else noticed that?  When I was younger it seemed like Christmas would never get here and now, well I think it comes every other month.

I've done tons of sewing but since it's mostly been gifts I'm at a loss for something to show you to prove I've been using my time effectively.  Well, not so effectively I guess...but staying busy just the same.  I finally got most of my Christmas cards mailed today but still have a couple to post tomorrow.  And I never got around to writing my usual Christmas letter so I'm just leaving people guessing what we did this year.  I mean, really, if I told them all the good things that have happened they'd think I was bragging anyway...right?  But if I had written one I think I might have used this paper - cute, don't you think?

 I've done all my usual baking -

Trust me - my baking looked nothing like this!  I was making a batch of peanut clusters in the crock pot when the crock pot became possessed and burned one whole side while the other side of chocolate didn't even melt.  It was so bad that I had to throw the whole thing away - crock pot and all.   Can you say $$$ in the garbage can?  Chocolate chips, Ghiradelli chocolate, 2 big jars of peanuts, almond bark...oh my. And then my husband decided to make fruit cake, which came out of the oven as hard as a brick except for the very middle.  He informed me that I needed to throw those pans away because that had to be the problem.  Later he remembered that he forgot to add the eggs to the cake - maybe I shouldn't throw away the pans after all he said.  And that's all I have to say about that.

We planned our family gathering but the day before one of our granddaughters tested positive for the flu.

I'd put her picture on here but she'd probably kill me.  Taking a picture of a 17 year old girl with the flu, well it's not to be even though of, let alone done.  My son told me it wouldn't be Christmas if there wasn't at least one of the kids sick.  Hmmmm.

And me - I've gotten a UTI and will be seeing the doctor in the morning.  Excuse me for repeating myself but...that's all I have to say about that.

I did make something yesterday that has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas but I thought was cute anyway - it's called Jeni's laminate bag and I found it on Youtube.

Isn't that just the cutest thing?  Well, that "tail" turned out a bit long so I'm thinking if I put a face on the front and some tiny little ears on top it will look just like a Christmas mouse.  I should do that and make a pattern and sell it on Craftsy.  Or not.

The best part of this getting-ready-for-Christmas time of the year are all the church activities we've been able to attend.  The cantata in the big sanctuary was amazing - many, many beautiful voices along with members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and our Handbell group topped off by one of the children's choirs.  The beautiful tree full of Chrismons, the bright red of the poinsettias, the music of our Praise Band - all remind us of His birthday.

God bless us every one - Merry Christmas!