Plagiarism is a Crime

So your header with the back of your house looks just like mine and no less the same color! Enjoyed visiting~ Bristol


Following Bristol takes one to a bogus blog. 


Bristol was reported very quickly.


Yes, folks, this is what blogging has come to. We've got some Brazilian nutcase spamming blogs today. Whoever "Bristol" is, she may actually be the same blogger who stole material from Pear Tree Lane (since the comment came on the heels of my visit to PTL).  You can find that story *here.* All's well that ends well. The blog spoken of has been taken down. 


Report these bloggers to Blogger.  Plagiarism is a crime.


I'm closing comments because I don't want this nut not so nice person on your blog. 

Dull Corners

Good thing that we went with Christmas Lite this year. I shudder to think how long it would take with Christmas Full-Tilt. I've been at this packing up of Christmas since early morning and am not done yet. Lights? Pine Cones? Mercury glass tree? Those? Told you that I can't put all of Christmas away. =)

And what are you up to this fine Saturday? 

Epiphany

This is it for this Christmas Season. I will happily be celebrating Advent and the First Day of Christmas before year's end. I love that the years begin and end with Christmas. What a wonderful Savior to love us so that He willingly left Heaven behind for us. How we need Him! How can we not keep Christmas all year through?

Since I'm still on Christmas, albeit for the final day (yesterday was actually the 12th Day of Christmas), I want to share a couple of ideas with you. First, Cheryl at A Nest On Feather Lane had a sweet interpretation of the window idea. Actually, she's changed it all up. That's the joy of Blogdom, one idea sparks another. Cheryl says that it's too much to put up a tree, yet she still enjoys seeing her ornaments so this was the result.

I also wanted to tell you of an idea my daughter found on Pinterest about saving Christmas memories from one year to the next in a canning jar. On Christmas Day, she passed us a slip of paper and we all started writing. (That's not quite the truth, but close enough.) Then my daughter gathered them all up, popped them into the jar, climbed up on the back of the easy chair, and set it up high on the ledge in the living room.

Where it just sat way up there calling my name. I grew more and more nosy curious until I also climbed up on the back of the easy chair and retrieved it.

Every single one shared wonderful memories. Some of us are more eloquent than others. I noted my gifts, the laughter of the boys, and the difficulty of this first Christmas without my mother. John wrote that he was happy to have finished the siding as a gift to me and that the day was "most enjoyable." Even the grands signed their names. My daughter wrote about how special her picture book was...her favorite gift of Christmas. My daughter-in-law wrote a humorous story about making Santa's sandwiches with the boys and what Santa left on his plate—the crusts.  My son wrote:

The assignment is to write down the fondest memory of 2011. Mom tells John it should be easy to come up with a fond memory of today. Laurel says it's for the whole year, but if you want to write one about today (Christmas), that's fine. As though I wouldn't have a hard enough time with this already, and to make matters worse they gave me a pen. I already want to erase what I've written so far. I'll do both. Today is easy; Sam's playing Clocks by Coldplay on Laurel's I Phone (hit the lighted button) and he can't stop. He says this song is like a rock song. That album was the soundtrack of my first year with Michelle. Glad to know we can agree on what's beautiful, at least sometimes. 2011 is another matter. There are some fond memories; Jake's face when Santa put him on his lap. I'll write what I least want to forget though: Grandma. Taking Sam out sledding (Jake was in school), planning to go to the boys' birthday party, even lying peaceful in my bed. Saying yes, Adam, I know you're here. As though there was no need to sound so worried.

The man is an accountant. I'm very proud of all of his accomplishments and his hard work of returning to school and earning his degrees. I had no idea that he could write. At all. Not even a little bit. I hope that he'll continue. He might get a journal for his birthday. Just sayin'...

Disclaimer: Now as for Clocks ...love the music and find the lyrics de-pressing. I found Sam's exuberant playing of Handel's Messiah wonderful.

A blessed Epiphany to you...

JOY

Yesterday, John and I finally climbed into the same car and went to the same place to do the same thing. Is it ever that way in your family? Seems as if he was always over the road doing errands and such and I was always at home doing not so much.

We desperately needed to come to a decision on a new stove. He was leaving the decision to me; I wanted his help. It all turned out well in the end, though it was rough sledding there for a bit. I'm happy to report that we have a new stove to be delivered next Monday (it had to be ordered) and I am now dreaming of Aunt Margie's Double Cheese Meatloaf. (recipe to follow)

Also on our list of errands was to get the Christmas photos printed. Do you print your photos? I didn't for a long time and have lived to regret that choice. Now I get all photos that I really love printed. The wonderful thing is that, once I have them in my hand, I see things that I had not before even though the computer screen is much larger than the photo in hand. This is what I saw with yesterday's batch and though you've seen them before, I'm sharing again with my new perspective. Each mosaic features a letter with the original photo on the top and the close-ups below.

Happy Grands! 

Oh here's the recipe for the meatloaf, beatloaf, I LOVE meatloaf. (Yes, I have been watching way too many Christmas movies.)

Aunt Margie's Double Cheese Meatloaf

Ingredients:
* 1½ pounds ground beef
* 1 egg
* ½ cup chopped onions
* ¾ cup cracker crumbs
* 2- 8 oz cans tomato sauce with cheese if you can find it; otherwise, just sprinkle some cheese into it
* ½ tsp salt
* ½ tsp oregano
* ¼ tsp pepper
* 2 cups of shredded cheese of choice...I use a variety of cheddar, mozzarella, and American cheese

Method:

Mix beef, egg, onion, cracker crumbs, ⅓ cup sauce and spices.
Flatten out on waxed paper
Form a 10 inch by 12 inch rectangle
Spread cheese evenly over the rectangle
Roll up like a jelly roll using the wax paper to do so
Bake in a shallow dish at 350° for 1 hour
Pour remainder of tomato sauce over the loaf
Bake an additional 15 minutes.

This is my favorite meatloaf first served to me on my sixteenth birthday while visiting my Aunt Margie in Maryland! I've never forgotten.

*Double Cheese Meatloaf Printable Link*

Frosty Window Pane and a New Needle Book

♫ Frosty window pane, no candles gleaming inside... ♪

Brrrr, it's cold out there! This is the first real taste of winter we've had. No snow that'll stick yet, just bitter brain burning, toe numbing, below zero temps in the past two days. Since it's January, I'll not complain.

The view above is from my sewing room window. (In the header picture, that would be the upstairs window with the lamp glow.) I was in the sewing room again for the first time in weeks. I have two little needle books to make. Unfortunately, this didn't turn out as well as I had hoped so I will have to keep this one. =D

1. My old needlebook made from scraps and sort of crazy quilted together. ( I say "sort of" because I do not sew. I only pretend to on this blog. )

2. Quality felt (real wool) used for the pages.

3. Wondering about recycling a placemat...

4. Experimenting with ratty old lace and linen...

5. The new book, less than satisfactory (don't look too close), but I love the little ruffle.

Do you want to see some extraordinary needlebooks created by a pro? Visit Dawn at The Feathered Nest on this post titled The Little Elf is Getting Faster or scroll around a bit, there are others there.

Oh, okay, take a closer look. See those wonky corners? All a part of its charm, I'm sure. Perhaps if I took the coffee grounds to it...hmmmm...

Stay warm and cozy!

A New Set of Dishes

Just after Thanksgiving, I heard a report on Black Friday Shopping. It seems that people were shopping and spending money and it was mostly on themselves. How fascinating! My problem exactly. I can always find things for me when Christmas shopping. Usually, I deny myself. This year I did not. I bought the new set of dishes! *Gasp*

It was the polka dots. And the vivid colors. And the sweetness. I could not pass by.

For $3.50 they were mine. I'm thanking Uncle and Auntie for the inspiration. (I hope that he loved his train set.)

I am dismantling ever so slowly. It's easier to cope with that way...this putting away of Christmas. As always, I remind myself that before year's end, it'll all be up again. And besides, I'll never pack all of Christmas away.

A happy Tuesday to you...


P.S. Well great. Back off from blogging for a few short hours and one can't even remember to postdate. Sigh. In that case, have a happy Monday evening and a great Tuesday! =)

Happy New Year~2012!

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