two-buck chuck ($3.29)

Our very dear friends just brought us a case of Two Buck Chuck (Charles Shaw Wine) from Williamsburg, VA. We had enjoyed this wine several year ago in Seattle and again in NYC.

Two Buck Chuck is sold exclusively at Trader Joe's but the closest Trader Joe's to us is 300 miles away.

We had previously beleived the owner of the winery was going through a messy divorce and came up with an idea on how to get back at his soon to be ex-wife. He would drop the price of the wine so low that she would get nearly nothing from the divorce.

Although this made for a good story, it is not true.
These inexpensive wines just began as the result of an oversupply of wine

I hope it is as good as we remember . . .
Happy New Year to you all!

away in the manager

When my children were little some of their favorite toys
were their Playmobil sets, We had pioneers, Indians, pirates,
knights, astronauts, families, soccer players, medical personnel,
police, farmyard, zoo, construction, etc. It is one toy
(along with Fisher-Price and legos) that we have kept for them,
tucked away in our storeroom.



So . . . even though they are now grown, when I saw this
new set at Wegmans I just couldn't resist.



Luckily on Christmas Eve,
I had a little help from our Pastor's family



Sweet little girls that know the story of Christmas well.



Away in the manager
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down his sweet head



The stars in the sky
looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus,
asleep on the hay"



And just so you know . . .
It took 4 young adults to put the stable together.
Now, who will come over and play with it?

merry christmas

May God's love bring joy
to every little corner
of your world this season.


click for larger image

the moment in the middle

Hold your breath.
Here it is.
Christmas Eve.
My favorite time of the Christmas Season.
The perfect moment between all the preparations and all of the celebrations.

All is done yet all is yet to come . . .

"It was a moment of perfection he would probably not find again this year, and he sat without moving, almost without breathing. There was the upside of a garden, when one was digging and planting, heaving and hauling, and then the downside, when it was all weeding and grooming and watering and sweating. One had to be fleet to catch the moment in the middle, the mountaintop, when perfection was as brief as the visit of a butterfly to an outstretched palm.

From the book Out to Cannan (the fourth book in the Mitford series)
by: Jan Karon

If you have not read these books - you must!

christmas subway art

Thanks to Jessica at Craftily Ever After
I have a fun little gift for a few of my friends.


click for larger image

I bought 5x7 frames at the dollar store.
They actually were 6x8 when I took out the inside mat.
I resized the subway photo to 6.5 x 8.5 and it fits perfectly.



If you can't download the subway art
just let me know and I will email it to you.

Thanks Jessica!

and the winner is . . .

Having a give-away is fun but I just wish that everyone could win.



Congratulations to Diana !


A reversible slouch bag will be on its way to Texas
as soon as Diana sends me her address.





Interesting side note . . .
Diana chose the very first bag I ever made.
It was at a sewing class with some of my friends.



What I want you to know is that I feel a connection to all of you
and thank you for hours of enjoyment reading your "stories".

blog friend

I have a blogging friend that I have never met but feel I know very well. We are faithful followers of each other's blogs and have many things in common

~ we were born in the same month (same year)
~ we were married in the same year
~ we are christians
~ we work in a public school
~ our daughters were married on the exact same day, both near Seattle, WA
~ we have grand-babies due in early 2011
~ we have a married son and fun daughter-in-law
~ we love to decorate, sew, cook and spend time with our families
~ our husbands each have a blog that they rarely update
~ I am going to Thailand in February, her son was recently there

I have come upon many blogs that I now faithfully read through the comments you have left on her blog and have enjoyed getting to know you too.

Over the past year we have surprised each other with a package or two.
I want to show you my latest gift from this generous friend.

How fun that I got to wear it today when I
made my first batch of Christmas cookies.

Thank you Christine for your kindness
and for keeping us "connected".
vista woman

twenty-nine

Happy Birthday Amanda


Phnom Penh, Cambodia
32 weeks

This is my child with mission in her heart and an amazing depth of spirit. She strives to make the world a better place and understands the joys of ordinary life. She is an amazing, intelligent, thoughtful woman. When she, my first-born, joined our family my life changed forever.

We look forward to meeting her in Bangkok, Thailand in February to welcome the new baby. Being the mother of a mother will be a welcome journey and a true blessing.

Now she is about to become a mother herself - I pray for her to have a joyful life. I hope she knows how much she is loved.

santa

Olean Times Herald

Santa and Mrs. Claus, assisted by the Olean City Fire Department,
wave to the crowds along North Union Street Friday night
during the annual Santa Claus Lane Parade.

Olean, NY — The holiday season in Olean has officially begun. Hundreds of area residents, and some out-of-town visitors, kicked off the season at the annual Santa Claus Lane Parade Friday night.

Despite cold temperatures and a very brisk wind, as well as the threat of the first significant snowfall of the year, people lined North Union Street to watch the parade.

We know Mr. and Mrs. Santa better as our brother and sister-in-law,
Uncle David and Aunt Barb


He makes a great Santa having raised six kids
and is now blessed with two grand children.

birthday give-away

As a thank you to all of you for hours of enjoyment
reading your blogs I would like to give you a chance
to win a "little something" from my sewing room.



I will choose the winner on my birthday, December 16th.


click for a larger view

Just leave a comment telling me your first and second choice
of these fabric combinations. If you leave an anonymous comment
be sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

gDiapers

The last time I bought diapers was twenty-one years ago.
Now with a grandbaby on the way (in Cambodia),
I am learning about the "new way" to diaper babies ~ gDiapers.





The most eco-friendly diaper available, gDiapers provides parents with a diapering solution that is good for babies, parents and the planet. You can have the flexibility of a disposable diaper with a 100% biodegradable gRefill, or opt for reusability with super soft and trim-fitting gCloth inserts. gDiapers are plastic-free, elemental chlorine free, latex free, and perfume free.



Use a biodegradable gRefill or re-usable gCloth inside our newborn tiny gPants and our cotton little gPants. All materials are breathable so babies are far less likely to get diaper rash.


Looks like a shower cap to me.

It seems like more arrive each week as Amanda
buys them from ebay and other online sources.


I must admit, they are pretty cute.


Here are the funky little inserts.

So . . . today her dad mailed them off to Cambodia
along with gator aid for the VERY thirsty mom-to-be.



I am curious if you have you ever used
gDiapers or have an opinion about them?

third in the nation (#42)

When my son and his friend Nathan were little boys they attended every home SUNY Brockport football game that they could. Along with their friends they would make a tunnel and slap the player's hands each week as they entered and left the field. From that early age it was Nathan's goal to someday play for that team.

All these years later he has just played his final game as a SUNY Brockport Senior and what an amazing four years it has been. Nathan is ranked 3rd in the nation (Division III) for tackles.

A proud parent moment on Senior day with, our dear friends Doug and Leslie.

"In the 64-year history of football at the College at Brockport, only two Golden Eagles have registered more tackles in a single-season than senior Nate Bull (Brockport, NY/Brockport).

"Bull currently ranks third in all of NCAA Division III, and after his third game this year with 20 or more tackles, he was rewarded with his fourth New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week award."

"Bull leads the NJAC in total tackles. He finished with 43 more stops than the NJAC’s second-leading tackler."

"During his four-year career, Bull, a Senior Classic 2010 preseason All-American, finished with 321 tackles."

Here is my son and his girlfriend cheering Nate on. By the way Seth blames me for his not playing football because the local youth teams played on Sunday mornings and I wouldn't let him miss church. Oh the choices we make. By the way, he was a pretty darn good soccer player during high school and now plays on his college tennis team.

Nate's brother Dahn and Mr. Corners with their more modest sign.

Our nephew John also played for the Golden Eagles but his career was cut short in his Junior year due to a knee injury. He was a power house while it lasted.

Congratulations Nathan!!
Good luck in the Division III Senior Football Classic.

"The Collegiate Development Football League (CDFL) is proud to present this exciting opportunity to showcase the Division III Senior Football Classic. The “D-III Football Senior Classic” will bring players who represent 238 D-III football programs, to a North vs. South format all-star game in Salem, Virginia. These players will have earned the honor to play against their best peers in a showcase for all to recognize the talent laden D-III football level."