Cardmaking day, continue working on scrap quilt and getting ready for advent.

I left early this morning to head a couple of towns over to go card making.  I have been snowed in and couldn't wait to see people again and create. It snowed again overnight but the forecast  was for possible ground blizzards(where there is no falling snow but the winds are so high it causes a ground blizzard from the recent snows). It was a big possibility for our area but the wind wasn't even blowing when I left .  Plus, I went only about 20 minutes away. 

Card making was so much fun. My friend Sherri does such a great job teaching us and having all our supplies ready. 

In the middle of making cards my husband called to say it's a blizzard and you are not coming home, the highway was stopped.  I started cards at 10am and was only halfway through. It should be okay by the time I finished, right? 

By 12:30pm I looked at the county road updates and the highway was still closed. It was strange, only 20 minutes away no breeze and the sun is shining.  The alerts all over Colorado and Wyoming where coming in... road closure, road closure, road closures... car pile-up, fatalities.... I went to my son's home.  It was great to see them but I am sure they wanted their day back. 

I finally took a chance and left at 4pm. There were only a few of us on the road and the roads were clear.  But the time I got to my exit it was clear there had been some issues earlier.  The highway was closed at my exit and beyond.  The alternate highway (the back road and highway) was closed too. The department of transportation sighting too many fatalities for the amount of highway people working.
I made it home only getting stuck in drift in our driveway! It was still windy here but I am glad to be home.  The weather this week is to be warmer and no snow! Yay. 

Today we celebrated St Andrew.  Patron saint of fishermen, Scotland, Russia and Romania.  "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." This is the first place I have lived that was not near an ocean.  A couple of my sons were born in Hawaii, one in Virginia Beach, I was raised on the coast of  North Carolina, before that, my younger sister was born in California.  My dad was a meditative fisherman, he would cast a line, light his pipe and wait.  I had hoped for a lovely fish and shrimp dinner to celebrate, but due to getting home so late, I had kippered herring and cheesy cauliflower.  oy. I had also planned to back and mount this Santa Fisherman I did a while back. ohwell, project for another day. 

But I did get the sashing done on the Ultimate Beginner Quilt I  did all out scraps.  Tomorrow I hope to put the border on it. 

Tomorrow begins Advent and I am so exited.  It is a season of Joyful and Hopeful waiting for Christmas. I remember the nuns teaching us it was a time to clean our house and get ready for a wonderful guest... Jesus. It is a time of kindness and sharing HOPE. 

December 1st begin lighting the Advent Wreath and start a Jesse Tree with my religious education class 4th -6th graders. I will post what I am doing with the Jesse Tree - it will be my first year doing this. 

Celebrations along the way:
4th  Feast of St Barbara
6th St Nicholas Day
7th Feast of St Ambrose
8th Immaculate Conception
9th  Juan Diego
10th  Our Lady of Loretto
11th  Our Lady Queen of Angels
12th Out Lady of Guadalupe
13th St Lucy
14th St John of the Cross
21st  St Thomas
CHRISTMAS!
then we begin Christmas Time with the 12 days of Christmas to Epiphany. 

So, we hope you will join us in this very happy time of  Preparing and Celebrating.

peace

Canning Beet and Cabbage Relish , a temporary fence and weather

Our weather has been very wet and cool.  We woke up to temps in the 40s.  It rained all night and off and on all day.  The mountains were getting snow all night and most of today. 

Dude did manage to put up a temporary fence until the town gets the sewer for the school done and puts up a new fence for us.  Dude used the auger  to dig the holes and then hand pound them in the ground with a steel stake driver .  

He got the whole thing done in one day.  Norman, the dog, was very happy to have a bigger area to run without the threat of leaving the property. 

I got the canner out and began to can beets. 

I pulled enough out for my first batch of beet and cabbage relish.  I didn't even put a dent in the lot and will be canning again tomorrow!

I got the recipe from Healthycanning.com. The recipe is Red Cabbage and Beet Relish.  I used regular green cabbage.   I did add horseradish and a small handful of mustard seed. I think tomorrow I will add some of our garden radishes.  It is suppose to be used on brats and burgers but Dude liked it so much it wants it with chicken and soups. 

It made a full dozen and I was done just in time to go to mass.  

I came out of mass to cold and rain.  As, I drove home I saw this funnel cloud. It didn't quite touch down, hung around a bit and then slowly went back up into the clouds. 

It's going to be another chilly night but next week we have temps in the 80s forecasted. 

peace 

Last Day of 2018

It is a cold and blustery day on this last day of 2018.  It doesn't seem to bother these two. 

Most of the day was spent on snowy roads taking family to the doctors. 

I did try to occupy a bit of my time with some crocheting but most of the time it untangling the mess.

I decide to make a bunch of these snow globes for Epiphany except without the buttons. I have a bunch of novelty buttons that people can pick out ones they want to decorate their own globe with. 

I found the the pattern here at Repeat Crafter Me.

Ending the night with a good story, the fireplace and Dude.

peace 

Cold day, crafts, crocheting and other stuff

Last night a freezing fog came in.  Luckily I had off work today.   Even at 2pm there is still a layer of ice over everything... or  as Dude says... "it's slicker than snot outside."  So we stayed inside.

Dude worked on plans for the house and a budget we could live with so he can work on the house and me go to work.  I am extremely lucky to be married to someone who grew up a farmer's son, a brother of a cattle-woman, and the last 30yrs is a master carpenter.  Do I wish I didn't have to work... heck yes, but we want the dream, we have to make sacrifices.

So, I settled in today watching Groundhog's Day and  got some projects done.

Mermaid Sack. Okay, it's not perfect and my first big project but it's okay and ... finished! I decided to branch out. I have been making blankets... with the same stitch most of my life.  I began crocheting in the fourth grade in North Carolina.  My mom dropped us off at a yarn shop each week one summer and I my sister and I learned from a 90 year old woman.  We sat in over stuffed chairs surrounded by yarn.  I don't think the old woman was keen on such young students. She told my sister and I to watch and learn, she wasn't going to repeat herself.  Because she was so fast I crochet just a wee bit different than most, using my first finger to constantly roll the yarn over the hook but hey, it works. This year I wanted to learn more and new stitches.  This is my third project.  Yes, the tail is slightly lopsided but I am proud that I finished and didn't stop.  It is being donated to a good cause.

Day 1 and 2 of 14 days to Valentines Day.

Remember the Christmas balls we made? I made a Kissing Ball for Valentines Day.  Hmmm where should I hang it?  I want to be sure it gets used - wink.

Next a cute wall art.  Nice and simple.

My grandson's birthday is this weekend.  Made him a sign for his party and here are few books for him to enjoy.

I had to go looking for Dude.  He was busy out in the icy cold.  (this is at 430pm - still frosty and icy) 

Have a great night. 

peace