RUG HOOKING BLOG

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I'm a mother of four grandmother of seven and great grandmother of three. I live with my husband in the house that we built with the help of my brothers and will have been married for 57 years this February.

Monday, December 27, 2010

STILL IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

As I mentioned before, it's becoming more difficult finding some down time to blog but this evening I am making some time or more like, I'm stealing some time from somewhere to blog. The weather has been not so friendly lately and today was no exception. It's been snowing and the wind is blowing and at night time, it's still snowing.

Christmas is only a memory now and the wallet a bit thinner but that's OK. This year I had a difficult time choosing gifts for everyone. So I gave gift cards and money,  and I did bought some other small gifts. So everyone are going to choose how they will spend their money.

This year wasn't the same as it used to be. We all missed Nicole and Christine, her husband Joe, My son Vaughan and my oldest granddaughter Jordyn. Hopefully they will all be with us with a new grandson.


 My grandson S, sporting new pajamas and new hat playing his cool musical instrument.


   Here's a close up shot of a Kalimba which has it's origin from Africa. If you look at the numbers , you can see the number 1 on the right and the 2 on the left, the 3 on the right and so on and so forth. A neat little thumb piano.

Here is my other grandson, L.  assembling his catapult.
Here is my youngest granddaughter N. proudly sporting all her missing baby theeths.

                              My daughter Jackie, the artist, sorting out the puzzle.




The finished puzzle.
My granddaughter M. sitting with her Papa, my son in law. He's getting my husband's Mac Book all set up for internet hookup while M. is working like a pro on her school home economic sewing project.

 I gave a lot of my wine for Christmas gifts. I bought lots of smaller gifts for the present games that the kids loves so much and the highlight of the game was a penguin and a sheep candy dispenser. You guessed it, they pooped candy. The kids and the adults love to play the Yankee swap game usually after the Christmas dinner. Sorry, no pictures of the pooping penguin and sheep.

                                                         Some of my gifts  (notice the clay  heart ornament in the little box)

A poinsettia that I received from our part time employee.



                                                               A rooster calendar


                                            A Holstein cow ornament


Every year I tell my kids, don't buy anything for us as we are older and don't need anything. As long as every one is happy, we're happy. They don't listen and this year I got a nice pair of warm sinfully soft pair of pajamas and a puzzle, a rooster calendar, lavender bath salt, a clay heart ornament, an electric blending whisk and chopper attachment, a pair of heavy duty looper that can cut a 3" branch. It has telescopic handles so I can reach high,  a large pink poinsettia, a cow tree ornament. So you see I have things to relax in and things to work with, and some  decorations,  a good balance.


                         My husband showing off his jacket from the Penk boys, employees.


 My husband got a Black and Decker Bread Machine, a pair of insulated work gloves, a pair of wool work socks, slippers and a small  13" Mac Book laptop and a jacket.

I leave my tree up until the Epiphany, the feast day when the three kings comes to visit Jesus in the manger and that is the time our church also takes down the Christmas decorations. I just love to look at my nativity scene and trying imagine how it was for Mary to travel the long journey just before giving birth to our Savior. How uncomfortable she must have been traveling the rough roads and terrains by donkey even if she got to sit in the wagon along the way. I can't imagine...

After supper I cleaned the turkey meat off the bones and boiled the bones to make a yummy turkey soup base for days like this.

Time is flowing like sand as I get older. The faster it flows the faster I'll see my new little guy in the new year.   Happy Blogging everyone and thanks for dropping in.  JB

23 comments:

  1. Hi Julia, I loved the pictures. What an interesting group of gifts. i wonder what that musical instrument was? Family is the most important thing. The gifts are fun but having all those kids around you I bet was the Best!Your Family is very talented, Cheri

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  2. You forgot to post a picture of the finished puzzle! And now we have snow too. I had a great day. Thanks for having us over!

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  3. Juia ~
    Great post. Thank you for sharing! I love the pictures of the grands. They are so special, aren't they?
    That pink pointsettia is gorgeous.
    Pug hugs :)
    Lauren

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  4. The musical instrument being played by my son is called a "thumb piano". I'm not sure where they come from, but Africa is a good bet.

    And the reason that the handles telescope on your new shears is not so you can reach higher (though you can), but it's so you have a long enough lever arm on the shears that you can actually cut that 3" diameter branch. Without the leverage, you wouldn't have the strength to do it. Not even with your muscles.

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  5. Jackie, I've added the photo of the finished puzzle and thanks for pointing it out. I also rectified an omission at the beginning of my blog. Naming my missing kids and granddaughter at our Christmas gathering.

    Thanks Anonymous for naming the thumb instrument for us. Thanks Cheri and Lauren for your comments. So nice to have you visit. JB

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  6. Hi Julia!
    Glad to see your post! You had a very very nice Christmas! Your photos are so sharp and clear.....great job! One good thing about blogging we have a record online of the special days in our lives.
    Your grands are all so adorable!
    Thank-you so much for sharing a part of your life with us!
    Hugs!
    Cathy G

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  7. Always so nice to sit and have a visit with you in the evenings. I like all of your gifts and it is nice seeing some of your family. I know it makes you happy. I can see on the doppler radar you guys are getting some weather. We have a cold shot of weather coming from the gulf of Alaska that will sweep down to us and then up to you, I think if that is where I think you live.
    I am always so happy to see whatever bit of time you have. I know you are way busy. Your husband is a very nice looking gentleman. I bet you make a lovely couple.

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  8. Hi Mom,

    The musical instrument is also called a "kalimba" and as previously mentioned, originated in Africa.

    I am also in total agreement with you, I can't imagine riding on a donkey or in a jolting wagon for any distance.

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  9. Thanks Cathy for your comment. I enjoy sharing part of my life with my faithful followers.

    Farm Girl, thanks for your visit. you are right, the East coast is really getting hit again with bad storm.

    My husband is good looking and very friendly but we are both so different from each others and we think different too, but I know him like a book and know which strings to pull and when I pull too hard the strings breaks, lol... JB

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  10. Christine, nice hearing from you. I thought that you would be in bed by now. Thanks for naming the thumb instrument. It's most unusual. I sure hope that you won't have to travel to the hospital on a donkey and have a beef to keep you warm. See you soon. Love, Mom

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  11. You Christmas sounds perfect. So nice that you got to share with some of the grand kids. We enjoy it when friends and family bring around the little ones. All my poor mom got was a grand-dog! :)
    Glad you are managing with this crazy weather.

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  12. Geez - first word is supposed to be "your"

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  13. Jackie, I'm the one who should thank you for the delicious meal.I had a ball I assure you. Drinking wine while waiting for the turkey to be ready was easy enough for me. Love, Mom

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  14. That's OK Kim, so glad that you dropped by. See I didn't stress much about Christmas and it turned good as usual. Grand-dogs are nice too.Stay safe and warm in this wacky weather. JB

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  15. Looks like a lovely Christmas! Glad you took time to blog and post your pictures!
    Karen

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  16. it looks like you had a wonderful Christmas. I did not know you were expecting a grand child also. Still no news on the baby front for me. I too keep my tree up but may take down some of my smaller things. You have a very busy life, living on a farm is a lot of work. I am glad you took some time to blog. I hope you enjoy blogging and don't consider it another chore.
    Many blessings in the new year
    Cathy

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  17. Hi Julia, first I want to thank you for the kind words you added to my blog comments. Thanks!!!
    Your home looks so cozy and warm for the holidays. I know your Christmas much have been wonderful. Your grand kids are all beautiful and I am sure they are a joy to you and your husband. I also leave my tree up until the 13th day. I am a 12th day child and the Epiphany is very important to me. I think my mother and father had an "Epiphany" when they realized that they had a girl child since they had had a boy child 5 years earlier. I completed the family. May your new year be filled with health, joy and peace.

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  18. Love all the pictures. Looks as tho Christmas was wonderful at your place.
    I am happy you found time to blog, I always enjoy reading about your life on the farm and all the calves.
    Best wishes for the coming New Year.

    FYI BOM is block of the month in quilting language.

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  19. Great post and looked like a wonderful Christmas!! Never heard of that toy before. Very interesting for sure.. the kids looked very content with what they were doing. Very pretty puzzle also. Love doing them. Didn't do one this year, just relaxed more. Thanks for sharing your day!

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  20. Thanks for your comment Karen, Cathy, Doris, Katie,and Kathy. It means so much to me to have you visit my blog and leave a comment how ever short or long just so I know that you came over.

    Cathy, yes, I'm waiting for a grandson who is due on January 31. I've been praying for good weather so I can fly to Ottawa to be with my daughter and my son in law and I pray that the roads will be clear of snow for the big day. Katie, thanks for explaining BOM to me. Now I know. JB

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  21. Hi Julia,

    How funny...my brother gave me one of those pooping sheep candy dispensers a couple of years ago! I know it's kind of weird, but it's funny at the same time.

    It looks like you had a great Christmas! As always, I enjoy reading your blog and hearing about your farm life. I find it really interesting.

    Happy New Year, Kris

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  22. Julia loved coming by here tonight and seeing what a wonderful Christmas you had with your beautiful family.
    Aren't we lucky to have our kids and grandchildren. I am curious as what kind of instrument your grandson had. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it.
    This is a great post and glad you took the time to share it with us.
    Looking forward to spending 2011 getting to know you even better
    Happy New Year
    Maggie

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  23. Thanks for your comments, Kris and Maggie, it means so much to me having you visit my blog. The small instrument is called a Kalimba and originated in Africa. Have a great day Happy New year everyone. JB

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