only a few more days...

until the beginning of a new year. i love the fresh crispness of a newly opened calendar-- the fresh clean pages just waiting for me to write some wonderful plans on them. ...and i love looking back at the old calendar and seeing what we did and when we were having a good time with ____ and where we were when we met____. And seeing what was going on in every month. i use my pocket calendar as a daily diary almost--- nearly every date has something written on it. so i can tell you just about any day what i was doing , who i was with, and were i was. most of the time the the days are fairly boring and the same but when i look and see something special it brings it all back to me - - - -what fun we had etc.

makes me wonder:

• what will the next year will bring?

• where we will be?

• what we will do?

• who we will spend time with?

• vacation--with who and where and when

• birthdays who will help us celebrate Katie's 22nd, Marks 53rd and my 49th??? Brad's 58th...Charlie's 78th???

• will all of our precious ones be with us when the next year starts?
  
  
• will we have new babies in our family in 2008?

• will we make it through a new year without a devastating event?

so much to anticipate and wonder about

Christmas Cards, cooking and ...everything

well--- OK ...so i have been known to ummmmmm... procrastinate? I just started making my Christmas cards. couldn't seem to come up with an idea i liked. I couldn't find a Christmas tree stamp like i wanted to go with the paper i got to print our letter on. So,I ended up cutting the tree's (three different shapes) out of sponge and there you go. now i am having stamping issues with the paint. Can't seem to get it exactly right and either get blobs or no cover at all. then ....I have to put the dang things together, write the letter, print the letter, address the envelopes and then stamp and mail them---wheeeew!- - - - -in the next few days. oh and stuff the cards with our family picture. I would post a pic but now my camera has decided it hates my computer and they wont work together.
I'm getting the dress put away... it sits here and looks at me and waits on me to work on it---so i am putting it out of our misery and putting it away.
Oh and not to EVEN mention that i haven't even started making goodies--cookies- candy- cake- planning at least two big meals--
.......and finish the bathroom painting and putting everything back together and maybe put up my new little tree in there but then again maybe not---Geesh just thinking of all the family that will be here next weekend (22nd)
I got the sweetest little gift from Karen on about.com. i am going to steal her idea and make a bunch of them----someday that is. i wish i could take credit for the idea....it is a post-it note holder. She has made several different kinds that i know of-- she has sent me two of them. Wish i could post some pictures of them
well, I guess this is not getting the cards made nor the post it note holders, not the scrapbook pages for a Christmas present- nor the cooking etc
I am searching every one's blog for ideas and found a bunch that i want to try- Thanks for the inspiration Ladies

working on painting and the civil war dress!

well- i finally got up last night and got a little busy. Did a couple things and straightened stuff up. I am trying to figure out how to post some pics of my work. guess i have to stop being a man (LOL) and go read the directions.
i didn't get to work on the cards last night but probably will tonight.. Mark is working with his dad on some wiring at one of the rental houses so i will be here alone (YEAH!!!) for a while. i am such a true loner--- need just some " no one else around time-- with no TV or talking"
just finished my yogurt for supper so i have to go get busy with the painting--- and the Christmas wrapping--- and the sewing---

begining to cope and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

thank you all for the encouragement you have each given me-- i cant tell you how much i appreciate knowing i have friends out there. I think i am beginning to cope with my diagnosis (probable i still say). I went to my PCP last week for blood work and he said he still didn't think i had scleroderma... i told him that at this point i had done some much research on it that i probably know more about it than he does. He doesn't think I have the "right" symptoms for it...I told him I was a classic case-- Renaud's in my hands, dry skin and mucus membranes, alopecia==yep I'm losing my hair too. Anyway he just sorta looked at me--so i got my labs and left. I guess that is what comes of knowing your personal Dr. so long, having worked for him and being familiar with each other.... he thinks i am a hypochondriac LOL

Anyway--- didn't mean to get off on that subject. We are trying to get Christmas-y around here. Mark did the outdoor decoration yesterday and it looks great. The inside is about done as it is going to get. He is still working on the bathroom (paint) and i am working on the "dress from ______ ' well you know where! LOL Well actually i am sitting here talking to you and watching Charlie Brown Christmas. Then in a little while i am going to take a bath and go to bed--- how is that for a scintillating night?

I worked a little on the Christmas cards last night-- still making them LOL then gotta get them addressed and mailed. I need to get busy instead of just sitting here.

I love you guys-- have a blessed evening. I am going to try to post some pics of my cards if i can figure it out.