I'm doing a bit better this week!! Yeah for me!

Nothing like making lists to get you motivated, huh?  That's my plan!  I even have one made for most of next week already (including meals for the week)…..how do you like that???  Now, if I can stick to it, that'll be another story!!  It's amazing how friends invitations for lunch can screw up a whole day…..but what a fun diversion and at this time of year, fun is what you need!!!!!!  At least, it's what I need.  The older I get, the more I dread this time of year.  Too much work and too much drama….and that's all I'm saying!  I'm sure you all have your "issues" too.

I did send off envelopes with books this week, as usual.  Funny how when I pulled envelopes for each girl, they were both polar bears.  I have stacks of envelopes already finished with books enclosed, completely addressed, and stamped so that all I have to do is grab on Wednesdays and Saturdays when I send them off…..so this was strange.  Cool though!  And then, I did make two identical (the last one) for a pre-Christmas treat!  Last year it seemed that I made more Christmas envelopes…..but since I already have so many others, I thought two would be sufficient for this year.  You'll see the other one, next week.

I bought a few more books from Amazon……3 of them are children's books geared to the 8-12 old range.  Who knows why I was drawn to them since neither of my little ones are that age yet, but I read the reviews and didn't want to forget them, so bought them right away.  In fact, I already read two of them.  Duh!  (With so few pages I felt as though I accomplished something….so that's why.)

And here are the books I read this week:

THE PEPINS AND THEIR PROBLEMS (kids)        by          Marilyn Hafner
LIFE CODE                                                         by          Dr. Phil McGraw
A TANGLE OF KNOTS (kids)                               by          Lisa Graff
THE 13TH GIFT (a true story)                               by          Joanne Huist Smith

My favorite was the last one.  A touching real life story that I will long remember!  I highly recommend it!  And, I just started "The Look of Love", by Sarah Jio (one of my favorite authors this year), so I'll let you know how it was next week.

So, that's the news.  I have been procrastinating long enough…….time to clean my house!  Have a great day, my friends and enjoy a book!

Just call me, slacker!

I dunno, it seems like I was busy all week, but when I want to list stuff, nothing comes to mind!  I do have all my Christmas cookies made and frozen, my house decorated, almost all the shopping done and wrapped, cards written, stamped and addressed so I'm pretty well set!  I do have a craft project to go yet and I'm so worried that I'll screw it up that I have been putting it off.  (For sure you will see it here though once I finish it!!)

I did send off a few books in the envelopes below.  My little girlies love to get mail!

Didn't read one book!  (The 2nd week of no reading…..shame on me!!)  With over 50 on my to-read book list, I better get going!  Thankfully though, I have only ordered one book from Amazon lately.

If you really want something cool to see, check out my sideboard and go to the FREEZEFRAME blog listed there.  Annie made some adorable and oh-so creative gift tags!  That girl just flips me out for the stuff she has been making lately!  YOU will love it too!  Go now………..

Happy Thanksgiving……early!

It's rainy and gloomy and cold here this morning and although I really haven't done much of anything so far today, I feel a nap coming on.  Perhaps it's the weather……..OR, maybe it's the bare Christmas tree in my living center just awaiting its decorations.  Every year it seems like more and more work just getting ready.  Just call me Scrooge!  Bah-humbug! Hubby went to a car show with a friend today and I imagine he'll expect that everything will be all glittery and pretty when he returns.  I guess he'll be surprised, huh?  Darling hubs puts the three tree sections together, makes sure the lights work and thinks his decorating is done.  Must be nice!  After 42 years of tree decorating, I'm getting a bit sick of doing it all alone.  (Although, I must admit that I do love "the look" once I'm done.)

Only sent out a few envelopes this week.  My one little one was still on vacation. 

I did finish my Christmas cookie baking!  All double batches of 10 different kinds are in the basement freezer.  This was the last bunch.  Yeah! Cross one thing off the list!

I didn't even finish one book this week.  Bad me!  I started David Balducci's latest novel, "The Escape", but I'm really not far enough yet to know if will be good or bad.  At 25 pages, you can't tell too much!  lol

Hopefully, next week will be more productive!  I know it will be more fun!  I love Thanksgiving…..probably because my sister hosts it.  lol  I only bring 3 pies.  Hope yours is good too!  Many blessings to you and your families!  Be well!

Feeling the holiday rush…..already!

We had a measurable snowfall last night and Toby was investigating it this morning.  Hard to smell other critters walking around his space with all that white stuff, you know.

Not very many envelopes.  One of my sweeties is in Disneyworld, on vacation this week…..AND, dummy me forget to take a picture of another envelope that was sent.  Oh well!

And then, a week or so ago, I got these from Amazon.  Most of them have been read already:

In fact, these are the ones I read this week.  Both were really good!

THE MIDNIGHT PLAN OF THE REPO MAN     by     W. Bruce Cameron
MY SISTER'S GRAVE                                    by      Robert Dugoni

And then, I started making my Christmas cookies.  I always freeze them anyway, so I thought I'd get a head start:

What you been doing with yourself?  Staying busy?  If you're like me, the next 6-7 weeks will fly by and soon we'll be looking at 2015.  Wow!

Remember the "ladies"?

Do you remember these beauties?  Let me introduce you again.  Please meet, Noel from Spain, Mari from Norway, Bonnie, Lynda, Natalie, Deanna, Robynn, and Pat from the US, Sue from Australia, Bianna from the Netherlands, and Sue from New Zealand……or to shorten it, ladies #55 through #65 from last year.

And why, you ask am I showing you these ladies again???  Well, hip-horray, you'll never guess what I did this week……………that's right………I got out the sewing stuff and created Lady #72.  Unfortunately, she is a Christmas gift for a very special mom so I can't show her to you yet……but, I just thought I'd tell you that I'm back at it for any of you who wanted yourself, or a special person in your life in fabric yet this year.  I'm thinking I could still do 4-5 before the holidays if we hurry.  E-mail me (address on my sidebar) and I'll send you the details.

Of course, I sent out envelopes this week too.  My little ones just love getting mail!

And, of course, I read a few books.

WHEN MYSTICAL CREATURES ATTACK     by      Kathleen Founds
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER                             by      David Ellis
THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN              by      Garth Stein

The first one was a book of short stories…..actually, I thought it was weird cause it was a jumble of strange stories and didn't hold my interest at all.  The 2nd one was a thriller and I love that author anyway so it went really fast for me, and the third one was very touching and a classic in itself.  I'd recommend it in an instant.

So, that was my week.  Hopefully, the next one will be as productive!  It's getting cold here and we're supposed to have measurable snow on Tuesday, so you KNOW I'll be in the house doing something!  Take care, my friends and be well!