Travel With Me Tuesday: AKA Project Life Week 48

Happy New Year to all! Glad to be as caught up as I am with the projects from 2018. It never all gets done by the first of the year but that's ok. As long as I'm only a week or two 'behind' I feel that I can go into 2019 with my feet on the ground and my mind clear enough. It helped that I didn't do a December Daily last year which makes me want to do it all the more this year. But back to 2018.

December arrived without snow but instead Boston greeted me with an absolute downpour. Later there was brisk weather as the city was lit up for Christmas and I had time with my son and my daughter in law. LOTS of walking which is always a good thing and gives me a bit of wiggle room for the food he makes me and what's ahead for Christmas.

Sex, Drugs and Christmas Trees

Seriously people, this was not me in the story but I often think of my friend telling me about this moment in her past. Truly a memorable Christmas.

Travel With Me Tuesday: Getting Ready for Boston

I always enjoy a winter, especially pre-Christmas, trip to Boston. Some think I'm crazy but I prefer cold to hot. Plus one of my sons and his wife now live in Boston so it would be my first visit to see them after their March marriage.  I'd looked forward to this for several month!

Merry Christmas! and time to catch up with Project Life

TBT Christmas circa 1970

Looking at some photos and thinking of December Daily already, I found this one. Probably 1970 in Knaresborough England. My then husband pulling a face while I just look at the photographer. I think it was my mother who came to visit around that time. But as there is no date on any of the photos and some of them are in all kinds of chronological order, it's hard to say for sure.

I do know that my Nana made us pajamas and nightgowns for each Christmas. I always liked the nightgowns that were rather like the Lanz ones. Good heavy flannel and long enough to tuck my feet up inside the gown during the cold Yorkshire nights. I didn't have so much fat to keep me warm back then! Look at that collarbone!

That First Christmas

refugees

TBT: New Pajamas for Christmas 1972

My Nana always made me, and then us, pajamas for Christmas. This was the last set she made as she died on December 28 that year...1972...and never saw this photo of us back in the film and print days. True to form, she left a few basting pins in my husband's set. I don't know that she did it intentionally, but she did it often! I wish I had that nightgown now. It was full length and so so cozy.

Five on Friday: December 11, 2015

It's been an ok week so far. I've been plodding my way through the culling of the Christmas decorations. I've got enough to give away but will continue with a bit more after the holidays.

A good visit with a friend gave me some clarity on that hospital visit. Boundaries. Boundaries.

1. Back in my English days, I bought a set of mushrooms like those above. They were glass and came from Germany. I had them for a couple of years and they were my absolute favorites. Then my grandmother came to visit and squished a couple when we were decorating the tree. As the years went by, I was down to one. This year it slipped out of my hand and I am now without mushrooms. Sigh.

2. In deciding to do my December Daily in the 6x8 size, I thought I would print a few things at home. However...after getting new ink and downloading the latest driver, I now have a Canon Quick Menu and it seems beyond me how I can change all my setting directly from PSE. Ok, Canon I'll play your game but not often. Ink is way too expensive so I'll stick to Persnickety sales and print my 6x8s on my 74¢ credit 8x8 prints.

3.When I got the candy for our Italian Lindt calendar, I knew there would be extras. We alternate days and he has peppermint chocolate (ugh) and a milk chocolate truffle. I have white chocolate and plain milk chocolate. Somehow, all our extras have been eaten and it's only day 11. How did that happen I wonder...

4. Very little cooking has been done this past week as he has been out to dinner or lunch quite a bit and thus there have been mucho leftovers - for him. Me? I've managed.

5. It really hasn't been terribly cold yet. In fact it's been pretty mild. Thus I have lavender blooming - still.

So whatever is going on in your neck of the woods, have a great weekend and I'll see you Monday! Be safe and be happy!

TBT: And Now She's Driving

Christmas 2005 and my lollipop-eating granddaughter will get her driver's license in two months.  Much has changed but she is still the lovely and lovable person she was back then.

AAM Monday: Holiday Excursion

We really haven't done much or gone anywhere this holiday season and that has been fine with me. I didn't do my traditional December Daily pages but I suspect I will next year. Or maybe next year will find us in London or somewhere in Italy...who knows!

But a few years back we went to DC to see the poinsettias at the Botanical Gardens. It was a sunny brisk day and we had a great time. We made a whole day of it and also had lunch in DC. This trip was a bit simpler on an overcast day after Christmas. The conservatory IS just gorgeous. It must have been something back in its day but today it's in a not so great part of town and looks a bit forlorn
 

Now DC had poinsettias up the gazoo but Baltimore does its best without the benefit of federal tax dollars that DC has. There was a $5 contribution per person which I semi-reluctantly gave but gave in to the spirit of generosity.

The orchid room was bathed in a hazy blue light but did show the difference that light makes for the same plants. The tree of poinsettias looked a lot bluer than those back in the hallway. Both however, were Orion plants. Yes, an overexposed shot but you get the point.

Afterwards, we wandered around Hampden, had an espresso (which I regretted at Midnight...), checked out some vintage shops and had great ice creams at The Creamery. By then it really was drizzling and we decided to drive down to and across 34th Street. Most of the holiday crowds were either not coming or it was just too early. Fine with me, as I jumped out of the car, took a few snaps and then it was home in time to settle in for a bit before the PBS Call the Midwife special and the Downton Abbey review. Please God, do no force me to watch Bernadette Peters for that long ever again.  Is she paralyzed or is it a full body Botox? And really PBS....did we need that may previews?

Well say goodbye to the 34th street lights for this year. Make sure to do a Baltimore run in 2015!

It's Christmas!

May you have a happy and blessed day.

Wordless Wednesday: December 19, 2014

eta: Obviously, I have not been very aware of what day it's been.  Oh well...

found here & modified

AAM Project Life 13 week 52

Yep, I decided to do a week 52. I want to get my prints done as soon as a have January done, so here it is.

The sooner this one is done, the more likely I'll get to 2014 soon. Right? I hope so!

AAM Monday: Project Life 13 Week 50

Yes, we're getting there. Where? The end of 2013. Hard to believe how the year just goes by week by week, and then suddenly (?) it's almost the end of one and we move into the next. This was certainly a week focused on food and my one shopping excursion of the season. We did have some snow though!

Wordless Wednesday: December 25, 2013

original

To You and Yours

A peaceful Merry Christmas!

5 Fact Friday - December 21, 2012

This meme comes from

Well here we are again. Alive...still, and able to blog. So what are my facts? Rather limited since it's just me and an ancient dog who likes to spend his days sleeping.

1. I am spending a week dog sitting over in Virginia. With short days, and last minute Christmas shoppers out and about on the already overcrowded roads, I plan to vegetate for the most part. The dog is my role model.

2. One lens fell out of my glasses yesterday and I do not have my dh & his collection of eyeglass screws to fix the frame. Thus I may end up on those roads. Directions call for making a U-turn near the Pentagon! bwahahaha! As if I'd like to try this and live.

3. There is a live Christmas tree in this house which is something I don't have at home. It smells wonderful and the needles are not my responsibility. Woohoo!

4. This tree has a funnel in the branches for watering! Who knew? My son apparently knew.

5. I am repeatedly wearing out the battery life on the electronic iToys I brought with me. Use and charge; use and charge; repeat; repeat. I miss my iMac which is so a first world woe, isn't it...

That's all for this week, folks! Have a great weekend! and do check out the other bloggers on that link at the top of this post.

AAM Monday-Winding Down the Year

I have been surprised that I have not had much trouble keeping up with my 365/Project Life scrapbooking. Now that we are in the last few weeks, I have been thinking and wondering if I'll do this again next year. Do I want to? My feeling is actually pretty neutral about it. I enjoy it but it's a lot of expense for ...??? I'll have to ponder that over the next weeks as I have alone time while I'm dog sitting.

But here is week 50...a week spent doing things that weren't totally Christmasy but with family time, it felt like Christmas - finally.

I hope your spirit is feeling some joy and peace, despite the recent events that make us question our country and our humanity. I still feel hope and...joy. Do you?

Sweet Sunday

I have been thinking about making this for a couple of years. Somehow, this is the year it happened. I had to get the man out of the house first, but then I made it. I made it as well as two meatloaves for him. He is one lucky man!

It helped a lot that I really really dislike peppermint. Thus, the cook was spared a lot of sampling. Yes, there is more dark chocolate than white chocolate. Those white chocolate bags weighed less. btw, didn't chocolate chips used to come in 16oz bags???

Catching Up with Project Life

My dh and I are back to coughing and feeling a bit of a relapse of whatever it was/is we have. I think we both did too much too soon. That may be why some of my Christmas decorations are still downstairs waiting to go up ...or back to the attic for another year. Fortunately, there are only a few things about but enough to make the house look untidy.

Thus this page is sadly still appropriate.

 

I do hope you're feeling better than we are and that your December starts of with peace and calm. A month to celebrate all the joy in our lives.