Taking My Christmas Village Down

Hi there everyone....How's your March going??? Mine has been busy so far. Many things to do and accomplish these last couple of days and weeks.

Tomorrow 3/7 I will be taking this lovely Christmas village down....I have really enjoyed it this year. Last year I was too lazy to put it up. So this year I wanted to leave it up as long as I could. Takes a long time to put it up....but a short time to take it down. 

Don't you just love all the lights? I shall miss my village. It's always different each year, but I have found certain pieces seem to find their way back to the same place each year. Probably I just remember where they were the previous year. They just seem to fit right.

This space will look bare when the village is gone and very boring. Some of the buildings included, a light house, the church, a restaurant, general store, mechanic's garage, a bridge, water tower, sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a manger, a house, people and lots of trees.

I always try to get a new piece each year....not this year though. Thinking I have plenty of buildings and people and space is limited.

There is a couple if ice skating ponds, benches to sit on. A post office, a school and gazebo.

See the boy shoveling the snow off the wooden play house. I think this is one of my favorite pieces. Always enjoy taking it out each Christmas.

I hope you liked visiting my village....sometimes I wish I could live there, away from the rat race and maddening crowd and world!!!

Since I last posted here. JP has been off work 18 days and this past Wednesday he was put on Leave of Absence. When his back is better he can return to his job. Not sure when that will happen. He tried for disability but was denied. In the mean time we sit with no income except SS (thank God for that) I called the mortgage company to tell them the situation. They said I can pay what I have and the rest, in a week when JP's SS comes. When JP worked, I always used his check to pay mortgage....now it is not there and I have to find another way to pay it. 

Hopefully I will be able to get other help. I have signed up to get help to pay JP's doctor bill. Can get food at the Salvation Army and Food Share. We might be able to get SSI and Medicaid. Guess we are about to learn how to "depend on God" for the next couple of months. I will keep you posted about JP. He does have a check-up the end of this month for his prostrate, hopefully that is still clear.

I have to tell you...my printer has come in very handy, what with all the papers I have had to copy and print for these different forms and such. GOD knows what we need when we need it....Awesome God!!!

Well time to close here...keep looking up I know better days are coming.....I am sure of it. Cheers ~ Louise

SPRING Where Art Thou???

Hi there everyone! How has your week been? It's been nice here, a few days of cold and a few flurries. Next week it will be in the 30's and low 40's.......Spring, I am looking for you......perhaps it is right around the corner???? 

I have been thinking about what I want to plant when Spring comes....not sure I will go hog wild this year. Maybe just some tomato plants and flowers will do. I can't seem to get onions and zucchini growing, guess there is too much shade in my back yard and the dirt is too hard. Maybe I should try growing things in the front yard in full sun. Course the dirt is no better there either. Well, I still have a few months to ponder this situation.

I do so look forward to Spring and Summer and the beautiful flowers. Not sure where I got this picture, but this rose sure is pretty.

I know where these tulips come from....my front yard, it's a sure sign of spring when the tulips bloom.

Here's a colorful little Spring poem for you to read......

One of my pretty yellow roses in the front yard.

So tomorrow I shall be working on our taxes....I have been putting them off for a week now, for some reason I cannot get myself to tackle that job. But I know once I get to it, I will really get into it. I enjoy organizing, shuffling and filing papers, (must be a throw back from being a secretary or something.)

I went out today, to the Salvation Army to get some bread, mail the mortgage at the Post Office. Get some gas and coffee. Cookies and chocolate donut for JP's lunch. Oh and a corn dog. We shared that. That was the extent of my outing and I almost had enough. Gosh people are crazy drivers on Friday....they have gone wild!!! Payday and they want to get the weekend started......"get out of my way, you move too slow old lady." Gosh, if I didn't have to go to the store and run a few errands, I would be content to stay at home, I have become a home-body for sure!!!!

Well, time to close here before I bore you to death!!! You all take care and keep looking up cause better days are here again....if only the "left" would let it happen!!!! Cheers ~ Louise

Christmas and an Etsy Sale 2!!!!

Hi there everyone...hope your Christmas festivities are going well and you are getting all you want done. I just have a few more things to accomplish and then I can sit back and enjoy. As you see in my title I also had an Etsy Sale....wow that was neat surprise (does anyone still use that word?)

The lady wanted the cards for framing and Christmas giving....so it was important to get the cards out in a timely manner (gosh, the lines were long at the Post Office.) As it is, she will receive them on Monday....just in time for framing, I hope.

Here is Kylie....she is none too happy with me....I found the deer antlers in one of the Christmas boxes and put them on her....she sat there looking at me....like..."Please take this strange thing off me...Please!!!" Finally she shook them off and was happy again.

So here is my Christmas Village and Manger Scene. Didn't put the manger scene up last year, JP took over the space that the manger scene went....so with no place to go, it did not get put up last year. As you can see, this year I got the bright idea to put it under the Village....why did I not think of that space before????? 

"Oh Christmas Tree, oh Christmas tree." I had this tree already trimmed and lighted....but the top strand of lights burned out.....so I stripped it and bought some new lights and redecorated it.

Here it tis....all decorated....cute huh? Bought some new ornaments and the stringed beads were hidden downstairs for a couple of years....found them and strung them on the tree. See my little elf in the tree....he stays there most of the time.....I have heard of some elves getting themselves into a little bit of mischief during the Christmas season....this one has been good....so far.

I am done with all my food and gift buying. Don't have many to buy for. Sent Pops his gift of Chex Mix and a big candy bar. Also made a devils food cake and mixed pudding with it....gosh was that good. Gave a little muffin cake to the Schwan's man tonight...he was thrilled, said when he gets home that will be the first thing he eats. Another little muffin cake will go to the Pastor, plus it's his birthday too.

I made a really delicious soup last night....Zucchini Sausage Soup.
Here is the recipe with a few of my changes of course.
Start to finish - 30 minutes and makes 11 servings.
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage or pork sausage (add Italian seasonings)
2/3 cup chopped onion
5 cups of water
1 medium zucchini, spiralled or chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar (14 oz.) pizza sauce (yes, pizza sauce....very good)
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 envelope au jus gravy mix (did not use)
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoon dried oregano
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until the meat is not longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Dish up a bowl and top with mozzarella cheese.

Well time to close...hope you are having a good night and a great  Saturday!!! Hooray for Saturdays. Keep looking up!!!
Cheers ~ Louise

More Recycled Christmas Cards

Hi everyone....hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent a quiet day and ate about 4pm, yum, turkey, dressing, potatoes, bean cassarole, ginger bread and Apple pie. Just what the Doctor ordered. Now onto "Black Friday"!!! I intend on staying home. Don't care to shop on this day. I probably will pay some bills, mail them at the post office and get some stamps. That will be all for my travels on Black Friday.

Been working on making Christmas cards for Hospice. I have one more week before we meet for breakfast at Denny's and bring our cards for this month. I am pretty sure I made enough for Hospice and for my own personal use. If not, there definately is time to make more.

Following are some more recycled Christmas cards. They are not only fun to make but can be constructed pretty fast. I am calling this line of cards my "New Life" cards, because they have been given new life and a second chance to make someone happy and loved even as they come to the end of life. I think I will continue on in doing this, as it is very rewarding.

There you have it. More recycled cards, I did add a set of these cards to my Etsy store. A set of 6 cards for $6.00 + postage. I've had a lot of people "favoring" my cards lately, course, I have been favoring a lot of Etsy sellers too. I am going to be adding more Christmas cards in the next few days. Then on to Valentine cards and St. Patrick cards...my how the season's pass by fast when you make cards.

So you all have a great Black Friday and enjoy Saturday as December is right around the corner......where in the world did 2013 go??? What will 2014 hold??? Only God knows the answer to that question. Keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise