A YEAR in Review

Today is January 1, 2018.  Happy New Year to you all.  We stayed in last night, had a good dinner, then popped the cork at 12 mn, watched a bit more tv as we were enjoying the bubbly and called it a night.  I hope if you were out and about you were safe and warm.

That's the last completed projected, emphasis on the word completed for the year 2017.  This knitted afghan wasn't yet laundered or blocked in this picture, thus it's not laying out super nicely.  Once blocked it will be added to the donations for the homeless through my blog, Bridge and Beyond.

This afghan was completed just prior to the one above.  Was pushing hard at the end of the year to get them done.  The center pink was a small square someone had donated to Bridge and Beyond, and I added to it, to make an afghan.  It too was laundered, blocked, and donated.

This was a cute ferry garden we saw while traveling in Ireland in the fall.  The trip truly being a highlight of the year.

You can talked about Ireland and Scotland without thinking about Castles!  WOW and then some.  I've posted some, and will continue to post about Ireland and Scotland on my travel blog, Traveling Suitcase.  Please enjoy traveling virtually with me.

In some respects this has been a good year, I traveled to Ireland and Scotland, as mentioned above.  I returned to a favorite spot, Hilton Head and Park City in Utah for vacations both with hubby, daughter, and girl friends on different trips.  I love to travel.  But, it's also been a difficult year.  I've lost a cousin rather suddenly that took me by shock.  Somehow we all think we have endless time and can do tomorrow, or call someone tomorrow.  Just isn't always the case.

Politically, I am extremely dishearten by the person occupying the White House when he's not playing golf at one of his private clubs and charging The American Public for it.  

I hope 2018 holds some improvements for people suffering from illness.

And tomorrow, will be another day, January 2, 2018

Hope you noticed a new badge I added to this blog to join a blog linky party that focuses on yarn!  Oh lovely yarn.  Check out the badge upper left, Ginx Craft.

From Socks to Veggies at Christmas

 Do you sport fun Christmas socks?  This is a pair my Darling Daughter got me a few years ago.  LOVE them.  Please click to see the Martini Glass.

 This is a pair I've had for awhile, but hey...no holes yet soooooo

 Cute, Cute idea for a veggie tray.  Perhaps less variety than many veggie trays though.  Might give some thought about how you could change it to use a bigger variety of veggies!!  Thoughts ideas?  I've never made this, but saved the picture from Facebook either from last year or the year before.

And did I mention Kitties at Christmas?  

Totally off topic, does anyone know how to change the font, the default font on blogs?  I know I can highlight and select after the fact and change to what I like .....but, how can you do it without having to change it each time you post?

Calories, Crocheting, Charity and Wine

 I have many friends I know personally who use a Fitbit, plus I have a ton of on line friends who wear a Fitbit.  I love the little device and have met face to face with several of my Fitbit friends after knowing them on line.  I consider that a real plus.  It's really lots of fun meeting up with people you chat with on line.  My steps have been way down though lately.  I don't enjoy walking outside in the cold.  It didn't used to bother me.  Last winter I went to the gym and used the treadmill, but I haven't even gotten back into doing that.  I need to.  A couple of those pounds have found their way to my waste again.

 Aren't these cute?  Colorful too.  When my daughter was home for Thanksgiving she and I made these.  Well actually, I made a couple and she made about 10.  I took the picture early in the process.  These are water filter covers.  She's part of a group that sends water filters to Uganda.  Trouble is they are rather fragile and break easily, so they came up with the idea of making a filter cozy out of cotton.  These crocheted cotton cozy help protect the much needed water filters.  I've got a good mound of cotton in my stash and we'll no doubt make more when she comes home for Christmas.  My problem is you need to crochet quite tightly which is hard on my arthritis, so I can't make as many as she can.  I had to switch projects, to something that would bother my arthritis less; and I was trying hard to finish a couple of afghans for my charity, Bridge and Beyond.

This is a wine rack.  Can you tell?  LOL.  It was a kit.  Hubby and I've been looking off and on for one that would fit our space, so we could save space in the kitchen cabinets where the wine and wine glasses have been.

AND.....here it is all put together in corner in the dining room.  It holds 2 cases of wine, though you can see we have some empty spaces.  It holds a dozen wine glasses.  We're pretty happy with it....and it was on sale!

Are you getting ready for Christmas at your house?  I've barely begun.

Setting the Table

 I don't really decorate for Thanksgiving, or really any holidays beyond Christmas.......except I do like to change napkins and placements to be seasonally appropriate.  I purchased these probably last year, and have never used them.  Was actually looking for ones I have that are more Thanksgiving Looking with a pumpkin...but in the process came across these.  Pulled off the price tags and decided this would be a good time try my hand at the napkin folding thing.

You might remember me posting about it a few posts ago.
I choice what appeared to be best match for what I was doing, as I wasn't putting dishes on the table.  This is the 2nd or 3rd from the end of the video, as I recall.  Pockets for your silverware.  I only added a spoon that day, as we were having chili for dinner and only a spoon was needed.

Even though I didn't find or use the Thanksgiving Placemats, I was happy with these very fall like placemats.  LOVE the colors.  Plus my flowers from work for my birthday were indeed a good match color wise.

We did not do Thanksgiving at my house, we went to my older brothers.  Believe there were 19 of us for the feast.  Hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday and enjoyed special time with friends and family.

Happy Birthday Girl

 This gorgeous bouquet is one of two from my Darling Daughter!!  Sipping my 2nd cup of coffee of the morning, still relaxing in my jammies when the door bell rang.  It was Fed Ex, who rang the bell as they left the box of flowers by the door.  I don't know what some of the flowers are, but they're so pretty.  Pink roses, several shades of pink in the unidentified category and pretty purple.  This bouquet is on the dining room table, and the 2nd bouquet is in the living room.  So I can enjoy these in more than just one room.  Happy Birthday to me.  My DD is so thoughtful.    She'll be home next week for Thanksgiving, can't wait!!  Thank you Darling Daughter!!!

 Those who know me, or have read some of my posts, probably know how found I am of a good Martini!  This Birthday Card really made me laugh out loud.  I sometimes attempt to do some yoga moves.  Mostly my exercise is doing planks, and walking...lots of walking.  One of my Fitbit Friends, Cheryl saw this card and thought of me.  Yep, she knows pretty well.  Thank you Cheryl.

This cute little bouquet is from my work.  They gave it to me yesterday, since I wasn't working today.  Love the pretty fall colors, and the little mason jar.  I am enjoying this in my office.  It's on top of my bookcase.

I'm not a person that really does much about birthdays.  My family really never was.  We're not big card buyers, or gift givers; so it's unusual for me to even post about it.......but hey with pretty flowers and funny card....just thought I'd share.

Are you big on celebrating birthdays?  Do you buy cards for others?

Hubby is taking me out for a nice steak dinner ...and I had a lovely massage earlier today.

So, yeah I'm getting older.  As old as Dirt; but life is good.

Fun Dressing Up the Table

The family dinner table is an important part of family life. Sadly though it seems many families don't sit at the dinner table together as much as they did when I was a kid, or even as much as we did when my own daughter was a child. Many experts say that's a key thing missing in today's society and family structure.  Kids are busy with school and related sports activities and families eat on the go.  But, perhaps with the holidays approaching setting a nice table and sitting together as a family can be achieved.

My husband and I always eat in the dining room, except for Friday night which is traditionally pizza night at our house.  That night we sit in front of the boob tube.  I always use cloth napkins.  They're more environmentally friendly for one, and I like the feel of them over paper napkins.  I've not yet tried these folds, or anything beyond folding flat or rolling; but plan to.  I wonder if the napkins need to be fairly new so they're sorta stiff?

Do you use cloth napkins?  Have you tried these or other pretty/cute folds?  Do you eat at the dining room table?  Leave me your thoughts in the comments below.

This blog has been in moth balls for a while and I'm hoping to fix that.  I recently re-charged my travel blog, Traveling Suitcase, where I'm currently blogging about a wonderful trip to Ireland and Scotland.  I've managed to keep my charity blog, Bridge and Beyond, current.  But, back to napkins, I always pack cloth napkins when hubby and I travel domestically.  We stay in condo's/timeshares so do the bulk of our meals in.