A Holiday Evening

The house is prepped and nearly ready.

I will do a final clean a day or so before

anyone arrives.

The exterior will get minimal attention this year.

I have to adjust to changing circumstances.

Now all I need is my family.

Thank you for all the well wishes for Howie.

The new meds he received Sunday have provided 

much needed relief and I hope a biopsy will

not be needed after all.

My antibiotics and meds are free

 but each of his have been at least 60 each?

I pay 134 to medicare but his insurance would be 230?

another crazy factoid of America - √√

Christmas 2018

merry merry my friends

Studio Supply Sale

It is time to downsize the studio

and since so many of you are creative

folks I thought I would see if any of you

might like some of these items:

I tried putting this on my other blog but
discovered I no longer can use. Surprise!
I haven't used since 2011 so no wonder I guess.
If there is enough interest 
 I may set up future links and pay pal button,
as there is a mountain of supplies looking
for new homes.

sorry us mail only

paypal or check

Email me (in profile) if you wish to purchase an item,
or leave me a comment and I'll get back to you.

Also let me know if you wish to receive direct
emails concerning future supplies I am selling.

 1.Collection of flash cards   SOLD

So many wonderful things to do with these,
but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Each word is in

both upper and lower case

180 plus words in the stacks alone

See second pic of word stacks

$120 for all plus 10.00 shipping

(check ebay prices ouch!)

Some longer versions

punctuation

Misc

2. Netty Le Croix Patterns  SOLD

Although exterior pkgs are slightly ruffled

the patterns inside are untouched.

I loved her designs.

Primitive Heaven

All 7 for 28.00 includes shipping

Finally got rid of last remaining large piece 
of furniture by listing it on-line. A huge armoire.
 It went to a lovely young couple 
who just bought their first house
 and they own only a chair and a mattress
on the floor. SO glad it went to them.
I gave it to them for free once they arrived- surprise!
Merry Christmas!

Now to decorate the LR tree and finish up yard 
cleanup and I may be ready just in time. 
19 days to go.

I sold these two items- stay tuned for more
as I grind through the mountain. Thank you

Lots Of Fala

and some lalala too

First fire in fireplace

Paying attention? The deer changed

What normally is a one day decorating 

affair is dragging out,

due to "issues" but I am determined.

Photos of living room tree etc coming 

in a few days. All the packages are wrapped

and stockings hung but tree is not decorated

but it is up.

Of course I was due for another 

Urgent Care run on Saturday.

Another bronchial infection. I've been so careful.

Only went into crowds one day last weekend

with pal Sue for our annual IKEA day.

She reminded me I became ill last year 

right after IKEA day.

Perhaps I will only go to IKEA in summertime?

Michigan blueberry maple streusel toast

with real butter and earl grey

New favorite mug and butter keeper.

comfort food

Went with some lighter fare for kitchen and  

laundry hall this year. Cheerful

Yep, wreath is hanging crooked. 

Original hanger was put on improperly,

(on list to fix).

Gluttony and Gobble

I'll say it again, I love them so much!

Margaret and Helen

(check it out)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I will spare you my opinion on how $#@^&%

up this holiday is as we are celebrating a lie;

so "Happy Get Together" with your families 

and let the political and religious fall out begin,

and maybe just maybe, share with the young ones the truth 

about the native americans and pilgrims,

as in school they still teach the lies and make

 cute pilgrim hats.

Have the kids pull out their phones and google it

and then share with the adults,

many of whom won't know the story either. 

Ready Set Gluttony 

It's Beginning

I was talking to several friends yesterday 

and we were all beginning to decorate, 

much earlier than usual.

My arm chair psychology?

We all need the happy.

We desperately need to immerse ourselves

in the celebration of peace and love

instead of the anger, hatred and despair

surrounding us due to one evil demagogue,

bathed in bigoted stupidity,

who thumbs up his best buddy,

 an assassin, who is intent on 

bringing down our democracy.

Bring on the trees, the holly

 the cookies, stockings,

and twinkle lights. 

Surround us with families and friends we love.

Share the carols, the hymns and 

shout it from the rooftops

that we yearn for peace, equality, kindness and love.

COLD AND HARD

VOTE

Not voting while you have the freedom to do so

is an unforgivable act as far as I'm concerned. 

 Millions have died and continue to die  

for the right to be free and to be free from persecution. 

Millions in the world right now

yearn to vote, to choose futures for their children.

This caravan that 45 

is fear-mongering contains just such folks.

Common sense says people who are walking 

thousands of miles and have left everything behind

 and are carrying their children on their backs

 are desperately yearning

for freedom and a safe place to be.

Cold Hard facts.

We may not have most of our freedoms

for very much longer. 

Do not for one second think it cannot

happen here, the groundwork has been in the 

works for decades and this insane 45

is allowing it into the core of government

 and we need to elect people 

who will PROTECT 

and ensure the continuation of our founding

fathers values that have made this democracy work.

Please View

A Night At The Garden

It's short about 7 minutes

Notice George Washington, 

the American flag hanging with the NAZI flag

young boys dancing gleefully

as a protester is beaten and stripped, 

attacking the free press...

Look and sound familiar?

From the Smithsonian about the film:

"It really illustrated that the tactics of demagogues have been the same throughout the ages. They attack the press, using sarcasm and humor. They tell their followers that they are the true Americans (or Germans or Spartans or…). And they encourage their followers to “take their country back” from whatever minority group has ruined it.”

I am resisting

 I am scared shitless

for my kids and yours.

Pretty Much Sums Things Up

David My Grand Dog 

sums it up pretty well for me

these days.

Bleah

He often rests like this 

in his back yard

in complete surrender.

I refuse to surrender but I am 

very tired of fighting the good fight.

Knowing it will take me twice as long to decorate

this year due to my limitations;

and knowing it's a special holiday with

my brother and SiL coming for first time and also both

significant others coming with kids, I've decided

to start in about a week. 

Will try to remember to show the projects

as they happen.

But first it is yard work.

The guy who helped me last Spring is unavailable

so it's me doing it in 20 minute spurts.

We've past the year mark since the saga

began and I find no cause to celebrate

that damn milestone. 

I think mentally I'm also bogged down in concern

for our country and the state of the world

in general. I remind myself of my grandparents living

through World Wars and ponder how that generation

persevered with far more dignity than we 

are showing. 

Of course the c-pap story continues 

to unfold. I made it 5 1/2 hours last night

with 3 breaks coughing myself awake,

but they still sent me an 

email congratulations badge this morning.

(they monitor me)

Seriously?

This is what adults need today?

Social media has created needy little buggers

needing constant affirmation.

I don't require congratulations.

I need Drs who can figure out what the hell

is wrong and fix it.

Ok I'm not bleah, I'm bitchy.

sorry

Howie Versus Squirrel

The squirrel won

Howie and I just returned from CA.

We spent several days visiting

 with the kids and eating wonderful

meals prepared by Ben.

Lot of laughs, a rousing game of Obama Llama;

hilarious fun, and it was 

Stoddards versus non Stoddards.

We crushed em

Howie somehow scratched his eye again.

Infection set in that I saw at 2 am before 

leaving for LA at 3 am.

Run to Hannah's vet as soon as I arrived.

I'd been up for 36 hours and I was babbling.

$$$$$$

again- sigh

Many discussions about my future, 

and where to live, move and 

when and how to afford.

It's dizzying and distressing. 

I am thrilled they want me there, 

but it's almost a

frozen with fear thing.

Wishing dozens of times 

that my dad was alive to 

advise me. 

Thursday I get my c-pap mask,

or at least an attempt to 

be fitted for one.

I am 0 and 2 so far.

Did you win the 1.6 billion dollars?

We didn't

On My MInd

I'm a skeptical gal until I research something,

or until the facts are right smack in my face.

Last year 34 million Americans got the flu,

900,000 were hospitalized, 

and nearly 80,000 died.

As most of you know, the flu,

 on top of a severe bronchial infection

nearly took me out last December

Several ER runs and stays and

4 Urgent Care visits and 10 months 

later we're still working on the damage.

There were 180 pediatric related deaths,

the majority unvaccinated,

 and many were healthy.

Less than 50 % of pregnant women 

get the shot,

and they do not do well

 if they get the flu and the baby 

can have severe lasting issues.

I never ever got the flu and I never got a flu shot.

I never had my kids get shots.

I WAS WRONG!!!!

Most insurance gets you the shot for free,

and if not, I know there are free places to go 

like health districts.

I had 0 yes, zippo side effects.

I also never got a pneumonia shot.

Pneumonia landed me in ER last Spring also.

Seriously, how WRONG could I be?

Yep, got that shot also.

I just asked kids to get shots, 

I hope they listen.

It takes 2 weeks to receive fullest protection

and the

 BEST TIME TO GET IS

BEFORE NOV 1st

If you are over 65 be sure to get the high dose 

vaccine unless your Dr says otherwise,

and of course consult your Dr to be sure 

you can safely get the shot.

There are some who cannot,

so we should protect them from catching it from us!

I had to go to four places until 

I found one that had the high dose,

it's going fast here. They all offered me the lower dose,

which is wrong for me.

It's your social responsibility to get

vaccinated to protect those around you,

family, friends, co-workers, 

young ones in your life, the elderly in your life

and even those already compromised strangers

that you spend 10 seconds near in Target. 

Ok stepping down from my soap box now.

I know that if I had read this last season 

and listened and believed I

might have avoided a lot of trouble and suffering.

If I keep even one of you healthy

it's worth a yawn of a post,

cause I love you guys.

Z

I Don't Do Spooky

Sunday I was searching for a photo

 for a friend who was over

for the day

and I stumbled across these.

(never did find the other photo I wanted)

I started making advents like these many moons ago.

This happened to be an all day class I taught

maybe 7? years ago and  it was

 a great class. Everyone's 

advent came out unique and pretty,

or as scary as they wished.

It was a long day painting backgrounds, 

cutting and sewing and I'm pretty sure I 

served my classic Halloween chili.

Everything but the spiders and the web

were made by hand,

and each student painted 

their background as they wished.

The house was hand cut and assembled

Everyone who knows me knows I always get a pinwheel in somehow

The bats were on wires so they could bounce (fly)

There is a string garland inside the little painted box

I had forgotten how many pumpkins

 I used to make each season.

They have homes all over the country.

A sampling...