As the Year Ends ~

Another year bites the dust ~ and I am very thankful I am here to ring in the new year (though I may be sleeping when it arrives . . . party girl I am NOT).  I know I say it all the time, but I can't believe how quickly time is passing.  I am hopeful 2022 will be an even better year for me and you.  We must be thankful for the small stuff and never forget to count our blessings.

I am very thankful we are having such a mild winter here on Ohio's north coast.  The other day my furnace sounded different.  The next evening it was extremely loud the last time it kicked on.  In the morning I called and made an appointment for the service technician to come have a look.  Long story short . . . it quit.  No heat.  No fan.  No nothing.  Luckily the temperature was not going to go below freezing that night (as it normally would at this time of year) so I didn't need to worry about frozen pipes.  The next day the service tech was here right on schedule.  Blower motor failed.  Of course it was less than a year out of warranty.  Argh.  The bad news (as relayed by the tech) is that there is a nationwide shortage of blower motors.  The good news . . . they had one left.  In about an hour I had heat and the best news was the repair was less than $400!!!  Not that it is pocket change, but I was thinking it would be much worse.  Even Molly was happy hot air was once again blowing from the bathroom register.

Now I know that many of you have had your decorations put away for many days, and normally by now I am so ready to take all mine down.  I would generally start on the 1st.  This year I am enjoying them so much I plan to leave them up for at least a few more days.  The house always looks so dark and gloomy when all the little white lights are gone.  I do keep my candles in the windows year round and have a few other lights around, but the glow is gone.

Hooking is still going slowly, but I am making a little progress.  Hopefully I can share an update soon.

Happy New Year to one and all.  Here's to a healthy and prosperous 2022.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Slooooow Hooking ~

Welcome, dear blog friends 😇  I hope today finds you all well . . . happy and healthy.  It's hard to believe only a few more days until the new year.  This is the week I get to kick back and enjoy after the craziness of getting ready for Christmas.

I have pulled a few loops . . . very few.  Why is it sometimes so difficult to hook a rug?  This is such a simple design but I have been working on it for a month or more.  Soon I will have only background left to do.  It will be a relief to finish this so I can get back to hooking Ole Jack.  I thought both would be finished by year's end, but it's not looking promising.

   
More Christmas decorations.  Pretty much the same as last year so you are welcome to skip the rest of this post 😁

I just love my tinsel trees, but they are so hard to photograph.  This one is decorated with all vintage balls.

Angel tree topper a gift from Saundra a number of years ago.  Simply beautiful . . . and extra special since made by her.

My patriotic display on the little landing leading to the second floor.

The reflection of the tinsel tree on the glass.

A few of my favorite red, white and blue ornaments.

I LOVE this snowpeep.

Uncle Sam nutcracker dated 1988.

Thankfully my Las Vegas son is on the mend.  He tested positive for Covid a few days ago . . . and yes, he was vaxxed.  Happy that his symptoms were rather mild.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Merry Christmas ~

Merry Christmas to all ~

and to all a good night!

xoxo

Lauren

December 23 ~

Christmas falls on the same date each and every year.  You would think by now I would not be surprised when it arrives.  I am more ready this year than ever, but still gobsmacked by the thought it is almost here.  I even got the silver polished while watching A Christmas Story last night.  (There was one year I was polishing it on Christmas Day but it was important to me that we use it!)

Here are more of my decorations.  Pretty much the same as I have posted in years past, but if you are anything like me, you won't remember 😁

Isn't this the cutest snowman light?  I bought him at the same antique shop where I got my carpenter box.  He was a real deal for only $8 and it included the light cord.  Heck, the last time I bought a light cord I think I paid $7!

More snowpeeps (as Robin called them).

Salt glaze Santas.

Salt glaze Santas and my multiplying collection of hard plastic choir boys.

My two favorite blowmold Santas.

He really is not pink!

I got these cards in the mail on the same day.  One from Florida and one from Alabama.  What fun.

For quite a few years I have thought about getting a new Christmas tree.  Every year when it came down from the attic  I held my breath until I saw all the lights come on.  This year was no exception ~ until last Saturday when the top of the tree went dark during the Christmas party.  Then yesterday the mid-section went dark.  I'm sure I said a bad word or two.  I think the tree is telling me something.

Molly went to have her stitches removed today.  The incision on the side had healed.  The one on her back not so much.  The vet said that there is more "pull" in that area.  She removed two of the three stitches then added three staples to keep it closed.  Darn!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

This, That and a Molly Update ~

Molly's pathology report was better than expected.  The excision on her back was a grade one, but the one that developed so quickly on her side was between a one and a two.  I will just have to closely watch her to see if more develop.  Now it's just a waiting game.  Fingers crossed she doesn't develop more.  Stitches come out on Thursday 💗

Saturday night . . . what was to be a few of DSO's neighbors over my house to see my Christmas decorations (he is always amazed at what I do), morphed in to about 25 people being at my house.  As my dear, sweet mom (whom everyone absolutely loved!) would have not so delicately said, that would be like putting 10# of sh** in a 5# bag 😁 It was pretty much standing room only.  I did get many compliments on all my Santas and decorations, but the majority of the crowd was definitely not "antique" people nor "crafty" type people.  No comments about all the antiques nor any of the rugs even after I took them in to my somewhat cleaned up hooking room . . . though that moniker did bring some chuckles.  Partway through the evening, I noticed that the lights had gone out on the top third of my tree.  UGH!  Do you know that you can't find strands of 35 or 50 clear Christmas lights this close to the big day?  I had extra strands of 100 (too many) and that's what the stores had . . . all five that I went to.  I ended up with two strands of 20 ~ not quite enough ~ and not quite as bright as the lights already on the tree, but I am calling it good and no one would probably notice unless I pointed it out.

Yesterday was the 25th TubaChristmas in Lorain (of course 2020 was cancelled) though it was actually started in 1974 at New York City's Rockefeller Plaza Ice Rink.  Just a fun, cheesy way to spend the afternoon.  

This tuba player wore a red nose that blinked the entire time.

I have barely had a hook in hand for the last month, but that is so typical for me.  Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I am just crazy busy, but tonight I will find make time to pull a few loops.  I thought I would be finished with my Santa rug and Ole Jack by now, but not sure when that is going to happen.

I just have to share this fun carpenter box I purchased a couple weeks ago at an antique shop.  It is just perfect on the dining room table.  Fresh greens, pine cones, old silver Christmas balls, battery lights and a battery flicker candle.  I love it!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Not Immune ~

Even the downstairs bath is not immune from Christmas decorations.  Sweet little cross stitch done by friend Rhonda is under the tree.

Santa was gifted to me by my sister many years ago.  He's perfect as a tree topper.

Little hypertufa snowman (snowthey?).

Antique cupboard over the commode.

A couple blow mold Santas.  My littlest . . . 

. . . and biggest.

Still no word from the vet on Molly's pathology report.  She is doing well and has no ill effects from the surgery or dental.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Two Little Cross Stitch FInishes ~

First a little Molly update.  Surgery went well.  She only had three extractions, but found out she was already missing eleven teeth!  Since we were in two months ago, another mast cell tumor appeared on her side and there were two other areas that were most likely precancerous.  Those two areas were ablated and the two tumors were removed.  I am awaiting the pathology report to know the grade of the cancer.  Normally in pugs they are a grade one, but the vet (who I highly respect and has bred pugs for decades) indicated that might not be the case with Molly.  Please keep Molly in your prayers for a good report.  I know in light of the devastation in parts of our great nation this may seem trivial, but any animal person will know that she is more than "just a dog".

I have two little finishes.  I love the cross stitch process, but hate the finishing and my sewing skills are not the greatest.  Feeding the Reindeer is a sweet little pattern by Country Rustic Primitives that can be found here.  It was gifted to a friend today for her to display this Christmas season.

The second finish is a Prairie Schooler Santa.  I did not do the cross stitch but found it very poorly framed at an antique shop.  The frame had to be broken apart (thanks DSO!) to retrieve the stitchery without damaging it, and I still wasn't sure how it would end up.  I was pleasantly surprised that there were no issues and could be finished into another little mini pillow.

I have issues getting the corners to all look the same and to get the batting in place.  Maybe if I made a few more it would get easier.

PatT is a first time commenter on my blog ~ thank you ~ but as a no reply blogger I couldn't let her know how much I appreciate it.  Thank you, Pat!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Nine More Days ~

Happy Sunday!  The good news ~ only nine more days until the winter solstice. Nine more days until the days start getting longer.  To me that is actually GREAT news.

I do have a finish to share.  It was hooked last winter, but never "finished".  I just wasn't sure how to do the binding on such a piece, so I just winged it.  

My first thought was to cover the entire back in wool but here is what I ended up doing.  Probably not the right way, but I have found on a round piece it is easier to make little pleats rather than trying to gather the binding (in this case wool). 

And more great news!  The decorating is finally done.  It only took close to two weeks . . . I know that's insane . . . but as I've said in the past, I am my own worst enemy.

My dining room is not a huge room, but I have lots packed in to it.  Atop the pie safe.  

This tree is to the left.  It was hard to get a picture.  I had to crawl under the dining table (not a pretty sight!) 😁

To the left of the window is another cupboard . . . or part of one.  The decorations on the shelves are hard plastic Santas from the 1950's.

The cubby is filled with part of my collection of treenware.  The reindeer are a few more of the hand-me-downs from friend Chris.

Two more hand-me-downs 😉

Little 1 1/4" Santa from my "almost sister-in-law" Lyn, marked Germany.

Tree with vintage chenille Santas and little glass bells.

On the opposite wall is the jelly cupboard.  The Santa tree I shared in a previous post is to the left.

The large stepback cupboard is on the third dining room wall.

Of course there is still lots of piddly stuff to do . . . wrapping, a few more cards, etc.

Please think good thoughts.  Molly's surgery for the mast cell tumor and a dental are tomorrow. Poor baby.  I am having both done at the same time so she is only under anesthesia once.  Anesthesia is more of a risk for brachycephalic (flat faced) animals.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren