12-27-09 Salty

My car after driving through a blizzard in Iowa and Nebraska...
happy I ended up back in my garage and not in the Interstate ditches
like so many others we saw!!!

12-26-09 Someone's Dripping...

...at quite a rapid rate!!!
Too bad for their engine...
but it made a fun photo for me.

12-25-09 Merry Christmas!

We're having a blizzard here in Iowa!

12-24-09 Christmas Eve

Brings light into the world of darkness...

12-23-09 Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop

...something my mom always used to say...

so I've started another knitting project for someone special!

12-22-09 Red Azalea

Almost done with my current read...

12-21-09 Sound System

Someone keeps messing with the church choir's sound system...
probably the Sunday School children rehearsing for their Christmas program...
SOOOO... because the organist knows I always have my camera with me,
he asked me to take these photos of the correct settings,
print them out on a sheet of paper and put it in the organ bench
so he can re-set them more easily on Sunday mornings!

12-20-09 Heavenly Choirs

What sounded like Heavenly Choirs... performed difficult, intricate and pleasing arrangements of well known and little know Christmas music with an orchestra and pipe organ to accompany. Their beautiful concert helped lift my spirits a bit after my mother's passing this week. She now celebrates Christmas with the Christ in heaven.

12-19-09 Birthday Celebration

DH and I drove to Iowa City today to celebrate our dear son-in-law's birthday.
We went out for lunch, went to see the movie AVATAR 3D (thanks kiddos!), then went back to their place for some birthday cake, ice cream, and presents! Happy Birthday, dear SIL. We love you.

12-18-09 Tag Baby

DH and I went to deliver a Christmas present to the cutest baby ever!!!
She is the world's best when it comes to finding tags on clothes, toys, etc.
so Santa brought her a "Tag Blanket" so she can have fun exploring them!
Merry 1st Christmas, dear one!

12-17-09 Entering the Mystery

Mom died last night...
after a year long battle with ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease.
R.I.P. Mom. I love you.

12-16-09 Happy Birthday!

Today is my new son-in-law's birthday!
Happy Birthday!!! We are so happy to have you join our family!
See you this weekend to celebrate YOU!!!

12-15-09 Card Club

I was invited to join a "Card Club" when I moved to Iowa three years ago. We play "Progressive 500" which is a card game similar to Euchre. Tonight we held our Christmas Party at the Pebble Creek Country Club dining room. Here is a pix of my $54.83 dinner, and all my Card Club friends.

12-14-09 Wicker Dreams

DH bought kitty a wicker basket kitty bed for Christmas...
she L O V E S it!!! YAY!
We set it next to the fireplace where it's nice and warm
and she's been taking catnaps in it all day!
Sweet dreams, kitty!

12-13-09 The Shivers!

Nothing gives me the shivers and goosebumps like a live well-done, inspired performance of Handel's Messiah!
Well, shiver me timbers... because last night I attended the best performance I have ever experienced in over 50 years of listening (to live performances and recordings) and participating!!!
And DH was one of the chorus singers! He just about has me talked into joining the alto section next year. The director is the head of the music department at the Lutheran college, and is just outstanding... no, even more... exceptional!!!
I thank God for giving Handel the gift to write such inspired music, and for such gifted performers to sing it, and for ears that can hear and enjoy it, as almost nothing reaches my heartstrings more than great music!!!

12-12-09 No Touchy

The way DH ate his breakfast this morning made me laugh...
didn't want his syrup to touch his eggs!!!

12-11-09 Layette

I finished another Layette today...
for missions through church...
knotting together love and prayers
for someone's new baby
I'll never see or know.
I hope it blesses them.

12-10-09 O Tannenbaum

DH and I bought a new Christmas tree this year.

12-9-09 Duped

These are the perfect dupe for Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies!
YAY!!! I wonder if they are, in fact, the same cookie
in different packages!?!?!?

12-8-09

The 3 foot tall Rosmary tree outside my front door...

and the straw flowers...

(my favorite blossoms this past year)

peeking out from below the rosemary...

Tomorrow morning these will all be buried beneath a foot of snow!

12-7-09 Blizzard on the way...

Kitty went outdoors to explore the dusting of snow we received overnight...
the weather prognosticators say a blizzard is on the way in the next 48 hours...
with dropping temps, 6-12" of snow and 50 mph winds! Brrr...
and so begins another Iowa winter. (You can click on the picture to enlarge it, then click on the back arrow in the upper left hand corner to return to the blog.)

12-6-09 Candy Sunday

For most churches, Christmas and Easter are the most popular Sundays of the church year. NOT SO at our church!!! OUR favorite two Sundays are Candy Sunday and Pie Sunday!
Our amazing craft group prepares all year for their "4 Sundays in Advent Bazaar." Along with the numerous craft items they have made during the year (for sale to church members...all proceeds going to missions), each Sunday they also feature a different holiday food item: 1)breads, 2)candy, 3)Christmas cookies and 4)pies.
Today was Candy Sunday... all homemade!!! And may I just say that Lutheran ladies are the best cooks in the world!!!

12-5-09 Christmas Music is Divine!!!

To me, there is nothing more inspired or beautiful than Christmas music!
Last night DH and I attended a Christmas concert at Augustana College.
Today we listened to several harpists playing at the shopping mall for holiday shoppers.
What a blessing to be able to hear such music!
Ears that hear... and the music itself...
wonderful gifts from the Creator!!!

12-4-09 Honora Strand

Santa came early this year!

12-3-09 One nail

Here is an update photo of the house being built behind us...
one board... one nail at a time...

12-2-09

My DD showed me this polish when she was here for Thanksgiving...
I found some and tried it... LOVE it! Thanks DD!!!

12-1-09 Metzger's to the Rescue!

After driving 6 hours to another state, my car's idler pulley decided to tear up a serpentine belt, which really threw a wrench into our plans to visit with family....argh... because we wanted to get back home before it got dark. No such luck.
But God is good, and sent angel helper #1:Sue, to direct us to an auto repair shop; angel #2:Harold, to follow us to the auto repair shop in case we broke down; angel #3:the Mechanic at Metzger's to diagnose and fix the problem!
So, 3 and a half hours and several hundred dollars later, we were able to arrive at our final destination and deliver the requested knitted slippers, and the surprise prayer shawl... and then, angel #4 kept us safe during the drive home...in the dark!

11-30-09 Prayer Shawl

Yesterday I finished knitting this prayer shawl.
It was my first attempt at knitting cables.
Today I blocked the edges using water.
Tomorrow I will deliver it...
along with my love and prayers knitted into the fabric.
I hope it will be a blessing to the recipients.

11-29-09 Holiday Craft Show

DH and I went to the holiday craft show and sale at the EXPO Center this morning after church. I must say, there are many talented crafters in our area!
I ended up buying a scarf (purple) from this weaver (below), and a few hair thingees.

11-28-09 Christmas Cards

I usually MAIL them on Thanksgiving Day...
not this year!
They are still sitting on the countertop
waiting for addresses and stamps...

11-27-09 QUELF

So, we played this fun new game over the Thanksgiving holiday,
thanks to my DD and SIL...
It was a riot! I absolutely loved it!
Thanks for bringing it when you came to visit!
I asked DH if we could buy one,
but he said "No. Who would we play it with?"
Good point.
Oh well (sigh)...