CATCH UP not ketchup

A "Heinz 57" dog is a mixed breed dog of uncertain ancestry- a mutt.

 The name refers to the "57 varieties" Heinz slogan.

Well, you can tell my sense of humor is still intact.

The Holiday has been wonderful 

and all my focus has been on the kids.

Dearest son has returned to NYC,

but will be passing through here 

late January on his move to LA.

Darling Daughter is enjoying  her local friends

and we are being lazy goats in front 

of the tube, catching a mixed bag of films.
This illness/plague whatever..
knocked my socks off and not in the good way
damn.. :D

I have accomplished little,

gone nowhere and seen no one.

Home is where the heart is..
and where my slipper socks and jammies are.

Carole Sidlow is teaching a  fabulous ribbon class here

on January 7th (2 spots left) and

we will hold it in the converted studio/garage,

so since I cannot access my storage boxes,

Christmas will remain up until after the class.

Makes me a mite uneasy,

 ( my organization gene anxious to get back to work),

so instead I am overhauling my studio and hall closet,

and making a big bloomin' mess while I'm at it.

I decided to move all my paper supplies 

closer to me since that seems to be

 where my hearts desire is lately.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday.

I have been reading you all and keeping up,

and I hope that everyone's New Year 

brings them joy and happiness.

I am still debating my "word" or mantra for next year.
In 2011 the word was Begin
I feel I did that one justice,
so what should 2012 be about?
I am pondering these:


bravery
simplicity
patience
industriousness
????
I could use some of all of the above.
I have been inspired all year by 
a lovely young woman Carolynn at
the Anchor and the Bird.
Please visit if you are not familiar 
with her year of good deeds (in process).

Thinking perhaps I could/should 
attempt the same good-deed daily tasks.
I donate 10% of my income each year and it is 
not always easy, but it is easy enough to write checks.


I am thinking I need to give back in other ways, 
where it might not be so easy, 
where I must trod the extra mile, 
 and as I tap this out I may have decided that
this desire should be manifested in my 2012 word.


GIVE
would encompass the other 
four words under consideration
so yup, GIVE it is.
YAY my first decision of the new Year.
What do you plan to do with your next 365 days?
I plan to grow out my hair since
 I got scalped today. 
only pixies should wear pixie cuts
Z

Entertained and Loved

I may still be sick but I am being fed

 wonderful food by dear friends,

thank you Tanya, Ann and Paula

and entertained by these two goofballs.

We did a lovely lunch and some mad dash

 shopping today before I 

was overcome and had to head home again.

Tomorrow begins the swap back and forth

 between their dad's home and mine.

The first years of this were pure torture but I have 

adjusted and adapted and all is well.

The important thing is that they are 

fine with it and I have them this year all

Christmas day.

oh I love them so.....

I plan to get back here once more

 before the big day and I am trying 

so hard to return all emails and visit everyone 

and say a huge thank you for the get well wishes

and if I miss you, please, oh please forgive me,

but right now I have slimy mucus brain.

TMI?

uh......merry merry?

the dryer broke

he had to come twice Tuesday

173.00

then when it still did not work 

i had to have my vent duct cleaned

95.00

the pooches were gross, 

so off to the groomers to be shaved

tanya you won't recognize them

94.00

they desperately needed new beds

so martha style on sale 72.00

howie always comes home distressed 

after groomer so he just

threw up not twice, not five times, but 

nine times on my white wool rug

kids will be here in about 90 minutes

hannah will despise their sweaters

that i make them wear one night each

Christmas

she'll roll her eyes

and I saved the best for last

i am sick

dog sick

look like something the dog AND the cat dragged in

gone through an entire box of kleenex sick

fever sick

baked cookies all morning sick

still in pjs sick

merry merry

i will air kiss them and hug them

 with my face turned away and 

go to bed heavily medicated with 

vicks and cough syrup and rally 

tomorrow to truly make it 

merry merry

i wish you all health

and to be with your families

ACHOOOOOOOO!

sigh

z

Friends and Tags

Making some paper gifts for friends

Still having a love affair with paper

These are winging off to a gal who "won"

my "non giveaway giveaway" because

 she was another milestone follower.

No, you did not miss the giveaway,

I just noticed one day she had followed at 

a certain number and wrote her and said

You won!

You know who you are, they're coming :D

I love gals who follow me because 

they see something they like,

 or I strike  a chord with an opinion,

or maybe they think Howie is adorable, (yes)

and they haven't just come by to win something, 

though I do those giveaways too sometimes, 

maybe the next milestone?

Getting a surprise gift is an unexpected bonus,

and I love doing it. 

I feel I must mention again 

due to many such comments, 

that if you are a

"no reply" blogger I cannot answer 

your comments like I wish to, 

and I will no longer 

attempt to track you down by visiting your blog.

There is simply not enough time in my day.

AGAIN! please consider

 putting your email in your profile.

If not, here is my bulk Holiday Wish to all you

"No replies"

Merry Christmas!

Hope you are all faring well

through the Holiday crunch. I have 

smooth sailing now.

..and for those who follow my family stories...

Dearest Son is moving to LA in January,

a mere 4 hours away..

Can Darling Daughter be far behind, 

now that she will graduate early?

Looks like I will never get out of here after all,

but I'll take kids visiting on weekends for sure,

and weekends in LA are fun too :D

Can you say Road Trip girls?

Here's the Tale

So here's the tale:

What do you get when you try to tent 

your entire garage and string it with 

twinkle lights and drape it with glitter

 and garlands and stars and fill it 

with hundreds of supplies

and have ten crazy fun women over 

for the day to create and glitter 

and eat..and eat some more?

You get 11 obsessed women playing and laughing

and making wreaths and ornaments and learning new techniques and munching treats and...

 having fun, and being wonderful, strong,

delightful women and

I love them all

and I am blessed with each class

for all these 25 +years of Gatherings,

and now that we did the first trial run of the tent,

I have grandiose ideas for the next one.

I'll be painting the ceiling blue and let's see..

about 50 more yards of tulle Tanya, and...

Heather has promised decent shots 

of the event to come soon..

days like yesterday,

 I just cannot take any worthy photos

 so excuse these, but I wanted to share,

 even though there is no way to explain the energy, 

or play a tape of the laughter..

and we soldier on through diet sodas

 and peanut butter cups

 and after dinner we head back 

out for more, and eventually cannot even

 see the table tops or find anything.

(those shots to come hopefully)

..and Lord help me, she's gonna kill me for this,

but you get a pal who will decorate herself 

after the first 10 hours with her wreath and it's parts

 to get the laugh out of a few great friends who all grab

 their cameras for a shot!!

(Tanya and Heather's hands in the corner lol)

oh Lord how I love these women...

I hope you are as blessed with friends

 like this in your life.

Each bringing their own special qualities to the mix.

Think of pine cones, snow and glitter, 

 berries and fruit and leaves.

all intertwining, supporting each other's 

textures and colors and finishing 

off an unbroken circle..

A wreath of friendship.

One I can hang my joys and fears

and dreams upon and know in that circle,

I will find what I need to nourish my soul.

Ladies, you're the best.

with love,

z


a small postscript
pictures from the day
far better than mine
here

LOVE is waiting....

Waiting...

Kits are waiting...

Favors and Gifts are waiting...

Funny bump under kits, are these totes 

to take treasures home.... waiting...

Projects are waiting... 

LOVE Is All Around

Tag You're IT!

I've been pulling supplies together tonight

 for my upcoming Gathering  and  

found that I just could not

resist playing with the glitter and the 

punches and the fun papers.

A few phone calls and

tv shows later, I had 

completed several and

if I wasn't so dang tired

 I would keep playing.

Nothing fancy, just a little bit here,

a little bit there.

Tomorrow is another day.

meanwhile.....

TAG

You're it.