Some Blogging Stuff

Everyday in my email inbox, I get links for some blogs that I cannot follow through Blogger... and today I got one from "Brown Eyed Baker" that I think a lot of you will enjoy.  Here is the link to 120 recipes for Christmas baking and cooking!  It's really an incredible list and your "one-stop shop" for Christmas recipes.

 

 

Yesterday, I read some very interesting words on another blog, here,  "On Crooked Creek" written by Pat, to wit:

 

Retirement is a special time. . .
time to edit,
time to explore,

time to organize,
time to plan,

time to research,
time to refresh? ? ?

 

Some folks have suggested that I jump right into volunteerism, now that I'm no longer working and have "lots of free time".  Let me set the record straight... I'm 62.  I started working at 14 as a volunteer usher for the Kansas City Philharmonic, which predated the Kansas City Symphony.  I took my volunteer work very seriously, and my parents made sure I was at every performance.  When I was fifteen, I began working in the summers at a doctor's office, and then worked after school (for which I paid my own tuition for my sophmore, junior and senior years) for the next few years.  I bought my own horse, and paid for her stabling, her vet bills, and wore the boots my parents bought me for 20 years.  When my kids were four and six, I began working back in the theater and local arenas as a part time usher and ticket taker and did that for the next 27 years... until I became the manager at a theater at nights and on the weekends. All year, I worked all day long in an office. 

I'm enjoying retirement! 

 

The things that Pat wrote about are the things I am doing now... editing my life, exploring things I have always wanted to do... organizing the house... planning for my next few years with which God will hopefully bless me... researching those things that I always wanted to know more about... refreshing my marriage to a wonderful man. 

 

I get up and do chores morning and evening so that others can have some protein on their tables... and for now, that's my volunteering.  I hope, in the spring, to begin regular hours at several different places... but for right now, I'm taking care of Mary Ann and Keith. (and our babies!)

 

Here's another blog truism... if TexWisGirl from the Run Around Ranch has been there before me, I know it's going to be a good post!  I run into her on many of the blogs I read, and she not only has a good blog, she makes good comments!

 

I'm just now getting things out of the storage buildings to decorate for Christmas.  So many of my friends have stopped decorating, but I think the grands still enjoying seeing the house prettied up, and I know I do.  I saw a great idea for Christmas decorations yesterday at Cindy's blog, Retro Revival, and that's the link to the beautiful wreath she made.  The wreath is one I have seen in lots of magazines... made from Christmas balls.  I could never imagine making one myself, but they are EASY.  Cindy linked to a site that had an easy tutorial on it... and I read it and realized I could make this wreath, too!   It is as simple as feeding the bulbs onto a wire coat hanger, and hanging them with a lovely bow, as she did below.  You do need to glue the stems to the bulbs, the hanging stems, that is, the little circular things that hold the hangers into the bulbs, so they won't fall.  Easy, peasy!

Cindy's gorgeous wreath. 

I am going to scrounge up the unused bulbs I have and make one for us!

 

Here is something I did recently at home.  I have to tell you that except for scrapbooking, which I used to do... I am not a crafty person, but enjoying trying some things.

 

 

 

This is a lampshade that I found in September at a shop that was going out of business.  It was 2.00.  It has tiny pinpricked holes to allow the light to come through.

 

I bought a lamp for 2.00 at the food pantry thrift store where I deliver eggs on Saturdays:

 

 

I painted it light blue, to match the shade and it is sitting on our bible table now.  I don't really like blue and white Christmas decorations, but I found the shade and it was pretty, so I adjusted.  The little container in front of the lamp was also found at the thrift store for 1.00 last weekend, it is designed (I think) to hold a candle, but I may use it for candy.  And yes, the shade is probably a bit too small for the lamp, but I am using it at Christmas only, I think. 

 

That's my little Christmas dog in honor of our Oscar the min-pin, whom we lost so many years ago. 

 

Now I'm off to check the situation in the henspa, and then to the commissary, to stock up on Christmas ingredients for all the baking to come!

 

I hope you enjoy the links in this post!