Are you ready?

Well, peeps, you have only 3 days left to get ready for Christmas. Are you there yet? I would be if it were not for the weather. We've been socked in with snow, which in itself, isn't the major problem, but on top of that, Randy has been working on the truck for weeks now as it hasn't been running right. He replaces one thing and then it's something else that goes out, and it just keeps going like this. Argh! With this much snow, we can't get out in the car - it's as deep as the car is to the ground, so my packages have yet to be mailed, which means they will not arrive by Wednesday, short of a miracle. I'm sure the kids won't mind though. That will just give them another day of Christmas. :)

My welcoming Santa is up to his beard in snow! This is just left of my front porch showing the snow to be over a foot deep in this spot.

(gift tags: QK Rev0068; Fiesta alphabet)

I've been busy baking and making the usual Christmas goodies, which have come to be expected by many on my gift list. Here are just a few of this year's Kitchen Kreations.

(tag: QK KS0586; computer generated text)

Today I will put away all the baking materials, wrapping paper and clutter so I can spend the next few days enjoying the festive decorations and pretty Christmas lights.....until Wednesday when I will clutter it all up again getting a start on all the goodies for Christmas dinner! LOL

And one more picture. :) Joey loves the snow! She rolls around in it on her back and flings snow all over herself with her paws like a little kid making a snow angel. She loves digging trenches in the snow...can you see the snow on her nose in this pic? She's so funny.

I won the "Cut It, Stick It, Win It" Quickutz contest!

Congratulations on winning the "Cut it, Stick it, Win it" contest on the Quickutz website! Here is your...$50.00...winnings!

Thank you again for participating in the contest...

Andrea Smith
Quickutz Inc.


Wow, lucky me!! One of five winners, I was awarded $50 in QuicKutz Silhouette downloads! Awesome! Click here to see my winning project. Thank you, QK. :)

Just for fun

Milk seems rather boring, but the description is pretty accurate, I think. :) What's yours?

You Are Milk

Your holiday personality is innocent. The holidays make you feel like a kid all over again. You love every part of the holidays, and you anticipate Christmas morning. You enjoy getting presents as much as you did when you were young!

What Holiday Drink Are You?

Christmas Blessings

November 24, 1997

The Peninsula Gateway
Gig Harbor, WA 98335

To The Editor:

This is the story of my most cherished Christmas memory. I still can’t tell this story without tears in my eyes. Perhaps you will publish this letter sometime during the holidays as an inspiration to those who are in need, and as a thank you to those who give more than they realize. Thank you.

Sharron M. Hoff

****************


The Key Peninsula/Gig Harbor area has been home to me and my family for 34 of my 43 years. During those years, I have donated clothing, household items, and food to local food banks as much as I can throughout the year, never expecting, of course, that I would one day be in need myself.

Several years ago, my daughters and I fell on hard times and the holidays seemed bleak. By Thanksgiving, I still had not found employment. The girls had just entered high school, and though they had never asked much for Christmas even in good times, I felt despair in knowing I would not be able to give them much of anything that year. We did our best while I continued looking for work, but finally had to seek help from a local food bank to make ends meet. A short while later, we received a call from the food bank telling us a local family wished to “adopt” us for Christmas. About that same time, my job search finally paid off and my first day of work was to be December 20. That day, we woke to several inches of snow on the ground and no power. I had no way to get to my new job and no number to call them. We were not the only ones snowed in, however. The food bank was unable to deliver Christmas to many adopted families. Though the families and the adoptees generally remain anonymous to each other, our “family” decided that if it meant the difference between our having or not having a Christmas, they would make the delivery personally. Not only did our family bring gifts in abundance, they also delivered a van full of groceries, including laundry and cleaning supplies, and everything imaginable for Christmas dinner. As if that wasn’t enough, this wonderful man drove me to my new job and later called to find out what time I finished so he could drive me back home!

This true story of the spirit of Christmas always brings tears to my eyes. We never heard from our adoptive family again. We understand they left the area some time ago, but their gift of love and generosity will never be forgotten. That Christmas, which looked so dismal, remains one of our most cherished and treasured holiday memories.

Isaiah 58:7a
...Share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless into your house.

Busy, busy, busy!!!!

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted last. I've been super busy but didn't realize I hadn't been here all that time. This week isn't going to be any less busy, so if I don't post, you'll know why.

Holiday season always finds me flittering hither and yon, but this year I have even more on my plate than usual. Oh, I'm not at all complaining. I love it. And it was my idea to add these extra projects. The timing just wasn't exactly right as it turned out. LOL Randy was supposed to be gone either the weekend before or after Thanksgiving and my plan was to repaint the living room and have the tree and decorations up while he was gone. Or at least get the painting done. Then he got sick. For two full weeks!! Man, what a crimp that put in my plans!! Kinda hard to paint around him sitting in his chair either sleeping or watching tv all day. LOL He finally got some antibiotics and is doing much better this week, so I've been able to get going on my project...s - plural! However, it doesn't look like he'll be making the out of town trip now.

Every year I do a newsletter for those we don't have a lot of contact with throughout the year. So between moving furniture to the middle of the room, painting, moving it back, moving again for another coat....etc etc etc, I got the newsletter written, printed out and signed, Christmas cards all signed, lables printed, envelopes decorated and ready to mail. The ceiling and all the trim are painted a cream color called Saratoga Sand, "the green wall" is done [my accent wall] in sort of a pea soup green--sounds disgusting but, trust me, it looks really nice ;) I had it color matched to one of my favorite shades of Bazzill cardstock (wouldn't you know I don't remember the color name right now--sorry)! LOL Now I'm ready to begin the BIG part of the project tomorrow....the walls. They'll be a taupe shade called Saddlebury. I've already got new rugs, furniture covers in chocolate and taupe with burgandy and striped accent pillows, and when the room is finished I'll get new lamps.

I haven't started on the Christmas baking yet, which I usually begin Thanksgiving weekend. The house is a pit from end to end, including my scraproom, and I have birthday cards to make, an advent calendar to finish (I know, I know!!!), and soon I need to get all the kids' presents wrapped and in the mail.

It's going to be another busy week.... if you have any elves who need something to do, please send them my way, would you?! :)