I've got nothing

I have a cold. I am stuffy, feverish, tired, and...well, you get the picture. I want very much to go to bed, but am finding myself unable to move from the couch. Being sick really stinks.

Slight Miss

I went to bed very early last night. As a result, I was up very early this morning. I hung out with Paco for a bit, until he left to help a friend. (Paco is recently unemployed. Our friend had rotator cuff surgery and cannot do his job completely so Paco is helping him.) After showering, I decided to be the BEST MOM EVER and make cinnamon rolls for breakfast. While there is dough, sugar, butter and cinnamon in the pan, I would say that is where the similarity ends. The dough was too sticky, I was afraid to add too much flour...I have essentially created ugly dough with sugar and cinnamon. Let's hope they taste good.

Ashley - the list has not made it's way to me. Here is another item, although not has funny when it's out of context: We're sorry, Jim and Ashley, we were going to come to your wedding, but decided to visit Cracker Barrel instead. We're sure you understand.

Here I Am

This blog has been on my mind lately, although I have still been noticeably absent. I am currently far-ish from home at the wedding of two friends and was reminded, in a not-so-subtle way, that I have let way too much time pass between postings. So, Ashley this one is for you! (Ashely, come back soon for the list of ridiculous things C and I came up with on our drive here that we were going to miss your wedding for. Need a hint? "We are sorry, Jim and Ashley, we were going to come to your wedding, but then we became involved in Naval Support Activities. We're sure you understand.")

I need to back into writing again, for many reasons, so I am making it a priority to come back to my blogging home. While I sit here in a hotel lobby, drinking coffee and waiting for a sleeping friend, I realize that writing is very often how I have been able to work through things in my life and that recently there have been too many things that I really do need to address, both in my mind and out in the world. Let your blog-reading friends know...here I am!

Falalalalalalalala

I have been Christmas shopping and Christmas making and Christmas baking. Because there are some rather frustrating things going on in my life, I keep going back and forth between feeling really festive and really depressed. The festive side wins most of the time, but I could really use some prayers to help me get through some stuff!

I finally purchased the Angel Tree item that I needed to get. I only have a few gifts to buy. The biggest thing left to do is decorate and bring my Christmas dishes up.

Oh, and I WANT SOME SNOW!

TBell Amusement

I am probably sharing more of the conversation than I need to, but decided the actual exchange is better than me writing a story about it.

TBell (age 6): Mommy, can we go to Washington DC?

Me: Why?

TBell: Because I want to see all of the buildings and the White House

Paco: We'll take you when you are older, TBell, there's a lot of walking and you have to be into it.

Me: Your father is wrong! I went when I was in first grade just like you. I remember because I fell feeding the ducks and ripped my Jordache jeans.

TBell: You're wrong, Daddy!

Me: I would also like to take you to Williamsburg.

Tbell: What is that?

Me: It's a town that does things like they did in colonial days. You can see people make candles and horseshoes. They dress like people used to dress. You would really like it.

TBell: Is it old-fashioned?

Me: Yes

Tbell: Is it in black and white?

Glass Etching

Like I said before, glass etching sounds much more complicated than it actually is. Below is a list of what you need for your first project: Polka dot glasses

• etching cream - any craft store should have it


• glass (a set of glasses - tumblers or wine glasses, perhaps - from anywhere...even the dollar store)


• paper to cover your table


• rubber gloves


• q-tips (The name brand work best here...the cotton stays on better)
  
• paper reinforcers, those little round sticker that you use for loose leaf paper

Wash the glasses and dry them thoroughly. Spread the paper out to cover your table. Take each glass and arrange the stickers in a nice pattern. Once done with all of the glasses, put the rubber gloves on. Open the etching cream. Dip your q-tip into the cream and carefully put an ample amount of cream inside the circle of each sticker. You need to use enough that it covers the hole nicely, but not so much that it drips down. The cream will turn any piece of glass it touches, so be careful. After waiting 10-15 minutes, dip the glass into a warm bath and carefully wash off the stickers and cream. Dry the glasses again.

Polka dots were my first project and are by far the easiest. I have done initials and other things, but love the dots the most. You can buy stencils, as well, when you are ready to move on to bigger things.

Holiday Gift Giving

I really enjoy giving homemade gifts for Christmas. The gifts don't always turn out the way I had hoped, but the receiver is always happy and I admit that I can be a bit self-critical. In the spirit of the holidays, I have decided to give you some ideas for homemade gifts that you can in turn make and give to the people in your life. (By the way, if you are looking for some great canning/food item gifts to give, you should look to my sister here. I may add one or two food items, but not many.)

Things I have made in the in the past:

1. knit scarves (I am attempting to knit legwarmers this year - I will keep you posted on those results.)

2. stamped note cards

3. mixed cd with a hand-stamped cover (This was a favorite of mine - I found songs that my family listened to when I was young, many of which we hadn't heard in years, and made a mix. I also converted a homemade tape of my sisters and I as children singing various songs into a CD and burned it onto the mix.)

4. etched glasses (wine glasses as well as tumblers) - this one sounds much harder than it is. I will give instructions soon in a different post.

5. beer bread mix in a canning jar - I will also post instructions for this

6. homemade vanilla

I think there are many more things that I should have on this list, but I can't think at the moment. However, I encourage everyone to add at list one handmade gift to their list this year...it's so satisfying!