Happy New Year

Meet Frosty the Cheeseball.



...with a lumpy frame and catnip arms and two eyes made out of peppercorns. Happy New Year!!!~in an email from my creative nieces.

And just to keep it real, they also sent me the death of Frosty the Cheeseball.



In a completely off-the-topic segue, do you think we can begin to say "twenty-ten" or must we continue with the "two thousand ten bit"? What do you think?

Okay then, I'm off to find a cheeseball dead or alive. Happy New Year, Dear Ones!

Edited to Add: Thought I'd drop in the latest creation by these gals...a tribute to Raymond Briggs of The Snowman fame. It was a two-day project working with precious little but a shovel and a cheese grater. They amaze me!

Birds, Star, and a Calendar

Don't you love a new calendar? I do. In fact, I'm so easily excited by calendars that I get a thrill out of flipping from one month to the next. Probably wouldn't if I were using the True Value calendar, but then I am using a new Lang received for Christmas. (My new one is from the paintings of Laura Berry.) Calendars make such nice gifts...more about that in a few.

Sooo, I've been making things and all because my family loved the little bird that I spoke of *here.* You'll find all the information you need for snagging the template from Miss Sandy on that post.



And I've been making stars, which is a Blogland story that connects to a real life one. My mom purchased a pocket calendar for my sister at our local gift shop and discovered a bit late that it was for 2009. That'll never do so she sent me back to the shop where it was cheerfully replaced for a 2010 one. It's a darling calendar from the paintings of Diane Knott. How thrilled I was to find her blog named Diane Knott's Musings while blog-hopping one evening just two days later.



That evening, her post was Starry, Starry Night and I was enchanted. My little copycat star is made from scrapbook papers that I really have never liked well enough to use; nevertheless, how well they worked for this star. And how darling would it be made from favorite Christmas cards or favorite wrapping paper as I did for some of the birds in my collage? It's good to think about these things as you pack away your Christmas stuff, if you haven't already. (Some fine day, I hope to be able to use glitter as beautifully as Diane does.) This is the *star template* I used. Anyway, that's my little find to share with you today.

A warm and loving thank you to each of my readers whether you comment or prefer to remain quiet. I appreciate all of you. May you enjoy God's richest blessings in the year to come!

I've Been Known To...

drown my sorrows. But then you know that after the fudge confession of Monday.

Today, I have a peanut brittle confession.



A microwave peanut brittle confession.

(Oh look! A glimpse of my "recession hair" on the microwave door. Don't strain your eyes — it's murky on purpose.)

Oh dear!

Burned!

It could've been so nice...you know, if it weren't all burned and stuff.

~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~

Funny little story about my grandson who believes that I live in a magical place all because of my neighbor's shed. You may remember that, like many little boys of three, he's enchanted by all things Thomas the Train.



Grandson: Dad, look! It's Toby!

Son: No, that's Nonni's neighbor's shed.

Grandson: No, Dad, it's Toby!

Son: Well now, that's kind of fun to think about, but it's not really Toby; it's just a shed.

Grandson: But, Dad, he's got wheeeeeeels.

And so the shed does (have wheels) and, after running into Toby today, I'm not so certain that he doesn't live in my neighbor's backyard.

Source

And I do live in a magical place...

Where Have all My Favorite Blogs Gone?

Anyone having trouble with losing your favorite blog listings? I am and I am terribly upset about it! If you've been on my blogroll and wish to remain there, please notify me. My memory isn't what it used to be!

Edited to Add:

Oh blast it! Honestly, on days like this, one should return to bed and remain there until the world rights itself. I had such a lovely old-fashioned blog list going and now even IT is gone. I don't know what Blogger is up to, but I can't play if it won't let me. I'm going to go have some coffee and at least three pieces of fudge.

The Week Between Christmas and the New Year

Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. ~Psalm 27:14

Elenka told me in Comments on my last post that she enjoys a relaxing week of waiting between Christmas and the New Year. I've never thought of it that way before, but it is true that the rush of Christmas ends abruptly and we are left with empty boxes, remnants of wrapping paper, and all that leftover food...

I think I'll take a cue from Elenka and enjoy a quiet week. There are many concerns here and I find myself craving time alone with my thoughts. So, if I disappear, don't be too alarmed, I'm only taking some quiet time and if, in the bargain, I make the one who deeply resents my computer time happy, all the better.

Until next time...